Alibaba.Com Case Essay

1. Alibaba.com was an early entrant into the B2B portal market in China. In about 100 words, explain how this might have created a lock-in effect, especially given the types of businesses he site attracts. Alibaba.com does translation as well as listings for small to mid-sized businesses who want to do business. In so doing there is a lot of time and effort put into this business venture by these businesses. Once they are established and have spent the money to get there they wouldn’t be looking at changing their site unless this one wasn’t working for them. Since this site really concentrates its efforts towards these businesses and it is working they are pretty much a lock-in. Other businesses startups that would try and gain their business would have to provide something they are not already getting in order to lure them away. 2. Alibaba.com currently charges foreign sellers an annual fee of about $400 for a TrustPass membership, but Chinese companies pay $8000 or more for their annual listings as China Gold Suppliers. In about 200 words, explain why the site has different listing charges for the two types of members and critically evaluate this practice. Foreign sellers are limited to the amount of items they can list on the site. The TrustPass isn’t necessary for them to buy it only pays for a credit check that assures companies wanting to buy for them that they have been checked out. It would be advantageous for companies to pay the fee for a TrustPass in order for the companies wanting to buy from them to know they are someone who can be trusted. Whereas, the money paid by the Chinese companies is paying for the translation and the listing of all their information on the site as well as marketing. Chinese companies are not limited to the amount of items they can list. Alibaba.com is also connecting small and mid-sized businesses from around the world with those small and mid-sized businesses in China who subscribe to them. Alibaba.com is doing marketing for these businesses that might otherwise not have the resources to do this. Most small or mid-sized businesses in China would look to such means as trade fairs and other such avenues to meet other suppliers and to attract customers to their businesses. There is such a wide gap between the pricing that it could be construed the Chinese companies are way over paying for the services. However, when you look at all they are getting for their money and the fact it is opening many more doors for them it seems it isn’t. With the growth of the company and the renewal rate – it seems to be working well for them and they aren’t arguing the price. 3. You learned in Chapter 5 that large companies, such as General Electric and Sears, often require suppliers to follow specific rules if they want to do business (such as using EDI or even a specific EDI VAN). Alibaba.com currently focuses on connecting SMBs with each other. In about 200 words, discuss opportunities that might exist for Alibaba.com to become an intermediary in relationships between Chinese SMBs and large global companies such as General Electric and Sears. Alibaba.com could be the site to use a value-added network (VAN) and have all the software, equipment and skills needed to do transactions with the bigger companies. By having only one EDI translator computer saving each of the SMBs it contracts with from each one of them having to have their own. By hooking up with a VAN provider Alibaba.com would have the advantages of that provider for all of the SMBs it has contacts with. By everyone using the same VAN the costs could be spread out over everyone and not be so costly, thus letting all the SMBs getting the advantages of the VAN. By doing this Alibaba.com becomes a supplier for not only SMBs to SMBs but can now help those SMBs by selling to larger and more retail companies who require that anyone they buy from have an EDI. By Alibaba.com moving to this next step they can up their membership fees to cover the cost of upgrading to this option. It is a win-win situation for both Alibaba.com and all of the SMBs it does business with. Alibaba.com grows and the SMBs are now able to contract with bigger industrial companies and retailers that they would not have the opportunity to do before. With these new contracting opportunities the SMBs also have the opportunity to grow. 4. In 2003, Alibaba.com launched Taobao.com to compete in the general consumer online auction market against eBay in China. After four years of an intensive and expensive battle, eBay withdrew from China completely. In about 200 words, describe the advantages Alibaba.com might have had over eBay in this new market, and then describe the advantages eBay might have had over Alibaba.com. Be sure to discuss lock-in effects where appropriate. Alibaba.com was already a well-known and trusted name in business dealings when it opened Taobao.com. Since Alibaba.com was pretty much a lock-in with its B2B portal for SMBs it would be a natural progression for Taobao.com under the Alibaba.com structure to become a lock-in for another market being the general consumer online auction market. By drawing off of the Alibaba.com name the Taobao.com site would become more valuable to people who already are aware of the company than in investing in a new company such as eBay trying to come in and start from scratch. The trust had already been gained and people are not going to willingly move from a company they already trust to a new company starting out. By being an established company Taobao.com could possibly be able to offer incentives, fairer prices and a larger buyer/seller base than eBay just coming in. People who are buying or selling would want the larger base in order to get what they want to buy or to get a better price for what they are selling. By winning against eBay this would pretty much lock-in Taobao.com and make it rather difficult for any other company wanting to try and compete against them in the future. 5. In 2005, Yahoo! Paid $1 billion for a 40 percent interest in Alibaba.com. Yahoo! was interested in the company’s Taobao.com auction site because Yahoo! had not been as successful as it would have liked in developing its own Chinese auction site. However, Yahoo! was also interested in using Alibaba.com’s strong reputation in China to help I compete with Baidu.com, the top Chinese search engine site. In about 200 words, describe the ways in which Alibaba.com’s reputation could help Yahoo! Compete more effectively as a search engine and Web portal in China. By Alibaba.com being an established business since 1995 and being a lock-in for the, SMB to SMB, B2B market worldwide and then being another lock-in for the general consumer online auction market in 2003 it’s competition in both areas were basically out of luck. By Yahoo! offering to buy into the company showed that they knew they weren’t going to be able to come in as a new company and beat out Alibaba.com or Taobao.com. It had already been tried by eBay and they had failed after spending years and money to do it and not making it. Therefore, by buying an interest in an already established company Yahoo! was able to get its name out there in the public sector and business sectors and start gaining the trust by becoming a part of an already trusted company. When a large company endorses another product or site it lends credibility to that product or site and its followers are more willing to take a chance on the new one. By Alibaba.com and Taobao.com putting their mark on Yahoo! as a reliable search engine and Web portal it was saying to all of their contract businesses and buyers and sellers that this was someone they should use and trust as well. Thus they gave Yahoo! that boost above any of the other search engines out their vying for people to use them.

Manager’s Function, Skills and Role Essay

This page investigates the skills, roles and functions of Management. For any organisation to achieve the goals it has established and be successful it needs managers to correctly implement and understand the functions, skills and roles involved in the managerial process. How these are applied will vary depending on what level of management a particular manager is involved in (high, middle, low) and the organisation. Regardless of these two factors all management decisions focus on the efficient and effective use of resources for the benefit of the organisation, in the direction of its desired goals and/or objectives. The Functions of Management The four functions of management are planning, organising, leading and controlling (Davidson et al, 2009. p.13). Planning involves reviewing the current situation and generating a plan that will allow the organisation to meet its established goals and objectives (Selley, 2009). This could entail generating a plan to increase profit and detail how this will be achieved (focus on capturing a larger market share or perhaps moving into a new market). Correct planning ensures there is a degree of focus, while also providing a structured timeline that relevant stakeholders can adhere too. The second stage is organising, this is where management prepares for the task ahead by delegating resources and responsibilities, as efficiently and effectively as possible (Pakhare, 2011). During this stage management would consider the different departments and divisions within its organisation and provide authority and tasks as necessary. An organisation that wants to increase its profit might use the organising stage to outline the roles of marketing (investigate and promote new market share) and separate these from the accounting department (assess the viability by calculating projected sales and expenses) while also ensuring they all have the necessary resources to complete the work. Davidson et al. defines leading as the process of getting members to work together for a common interest (2009. p.14). Leading requires a manager to have a positive influence on people while also inspiring them to complete their jobs (making this vital in low-middle management), this in turn improves their job performance through a positive work environment (Expert Manage, 2011). It is important to establish this positive environment to ensure that deadlines set in the initial planning stage can be met and resources are not being wasted. The final stage in the function of management is controlling, this stage is important in the establishment of performance standards and ensuring these standards are adhered too while also taking corrective actions against deviation. If for example deadlines are not being met the manager should investigate, if they this was due to incorrect original estimates relating to the workload required, the manager could increase staffing for the particular project. Management has been described as a social process involving responsibility for economical and effective planning & regulation of operation of an enterprise in the fulfillment of given purposes. It is a dynamic process consisting of various elements and activities. These activities are different from operative functions like marketing, finance, purchase etc. Rather these activities are common to each and every manger irrespective of his level or status.Different experts have classified functions of management. According toGeorge & Jerry, â€Å"There are four fundamental functions of management i.e. planning, organizing, actuating and controlling†. According to Henry Fayol, â€Å"To manage is to forecast and plan, to organize, to command, & to control†. Whereas Luther Gullick has given a keyword ’POSDCORB’ where P stands for Planning, O for Organizing, S for Staffing, D for Directing, Co for Co-ordination, R for reporting & B for Budgeting. But the most widely accepted are functions of management given by KOONTZ and O’DONNEL i.e.Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing and Controlling.| For theoretical purposes, it may be convenient to separate the function of management but practically these functions are overlapping in nature i.e. they are highly inseparable. Each function blends into the other & each affects the performance of others. 1. Planning It is the basic function of management. It deals with chalking out a future course of action & deciding in advance the most appropriate course of actions for achievement of pre-determined goals. According to KOONTZ, â€Å"Planning is deciding in advance – what to do, when to do & how to do. It bridges the gap from where we are & where we want to be†. A plan is a future course of actions. It is an exercise in problem solving & decision making. Planning is determination of courses of action to achieve desired goals. Thus, planning is a systematic thinking about ways & means for accomplishment of pre-determined goals. Planning is necessary to ensure proper utilization of human & non-human resources. It is all pervasive, it is an intellectual activity and it also helps in avoiding confusion, uncertainties, risks, wastages etc. 2. Organizing It is the process of bringing together physical, financial and human resources and developing productive relationship amongst them for achievement of organizational goals. According to Henry Fayol, â€Å"To organize a business is to provide it with everything useful or its functioning i.e. raw material, tools, capital and personnel’s†. To organize a business involves determining & providing human and non-human resources to the organizational structure. Organizing as a process involves: * Identification of activities. * Classification of grouping of activities. * Assignment of duties. * Delegation of authority and creation of responsibility. * Coordinating authority and responsibility relationships. 3. Staffing It is the function of manning the organization structure and keeping it manned. Staffing has assumed greater importance in the recent years due to advancement of technology, increase in size of business, complexity of human behavior etc. The main purpose o staffing is to put right man on right job i.e. square pegs in square holes and round pegs in round holes. According to Kootz & O’Donell, â€Å"Managerial function of staffing involves manning the organization structure through proper and effective selection, appraisal & development of personnel to fill the roles designed un the structure†. Staffing involves: * Manpower Planning (estimating man power in terms of searching, choose the person and giving the right place). * Recruitment, selection & placement. * Training & development. * Remuneration. * Performance appraisal. * Promotions & transfer. 4. Directing It is that part of managerial function which actuates the organizational methods to work efficiently for achievement of organizational purposes. It is considered life-spark of the enterprise which sets it in motion the action of people because planning, organizing and staffing are the mere preparations for doing the work. Direction is that inert-personnel aspect of management which deals directly with influencing, guiding, supervising, motivating sub-ordinate for the achievement of organizational goals. Direction has following elements: * Supervision * Motivation * Leadership * Communication Supervision- implies overseeing the work of subordinates by their superiors. It is the act of watching & directing work & workers. Motivation- means inspiring, stimulating or encouraging the sub-ordinates with zeal to work. Positive, negative, monetary, non-monetary incentives may be used for this purpose. Leadership- may be defined as a process by which manager guides and influences the work of subordinates in desired direction. Communications- is the process of passing information, experience, opinion etc from one person to another. It is a bridge of understanding. 5. Controlling It implies measurement of accomplishment against the standards and correction of deviation if any to ensure achievement of organizational goals. The purpose of controlling is to ensure that everything occurs in conformities with the standards. An efficient system of control helps to predict deviations before they actually occur. According to Theo Haimann, â€Å"Controlling is the process of checking whether or not proper progress is being made towards the objectives and goals and acting if necessary, to correct any deviation†. According to Koontz & O’Donell â€Å"Controlling is the measurement & correction of performance activities of subordinates in order to make sure that the enterprise objectives and plans desired to obtain them as being accomplished†. Therefore controlling has following steps: * Establishment of standard performance. * Measurement of actual performance. * Comparison of actual performance with the standards and finding out deviation if any. * Corrective action. Management Skills While a solid grasp of management functions is important management should also have a sound skill base, a report by Hay’s Group suggests this is a weak area for most individuals in management and is one of the biggest threats to business success (Financial Advisor, 2007). These skills include but are not limited to technical, interpersonal and conceptual skills. â€Å"Technical skills are those necessary to accomplish or understand the specific work being done in an organisation,† (Davidson et al, 2009. p.19). These technical skills are used mostly at the lower levels of management and are obtained through experience and training. An example of technical skills could be introducing and teaching a new accountant the accounting system used by the firm. Interpersonal skills focus on the ability to work with, motivate and communicate with other people (Hahn, 2007). This skill is very important for managers to create a strong relationship between both individuals and groups within the organisation (Dale, 2008, p.121) this will ensure that there is trust and respect between these parties, allowing tasks to be completed effectively and efficiently. The final core skill of management is conceptual thinking, this is the ability to consider a situation both abstractly and logically in order to come to the correct decision based on internal and external environments (Griffin, 2011. p.179). Globalisation has made this skill extremely important for managers (especially those in high-level positions), as they must be able to break-down and analyse information to make immense decisions that potentially have a worldwide impact. Management Roles Through numerous managerial roles the skills discussed above are put into practice. Mitzberg’s observations and research suggest that a manger’s role can be split into ten roles and three categories; interpersonal (management through people), informational (management through information) and decisional (management through action) (Daft and Marcic, 2010. p.17). Interpersonal roles naturally form an important part of being a manager and relate to activities involving other people. Some interpersonal tasks could involve being a figurehead and speaking at important organisation ceremonies, motivating employees through leadership or serving as a liaison between different departments (Davidson et al, 2009. p.18). Informational roles are focused on the processing of information, this could include seeking out information while also analysing and monitoring for relevant changes that apply to the organisation, communicating information to your co-workers or being a spokesperson on behalf of the organisation (MindTools, 2011). Informational roles require quick and thorough processing of information and resilience to information overload. The final category is decisional which requires decisions to be made using the information provided. This could require developing innovate ideas, serving as a mediator to resolve conflict, allocating resources within the organisation and negotiating on the organisations behalf. A manager involved in a decisional role must have strong problem solving abilities, be able to prioritise and have good negotiation skills. Reference List Daft, R. Marcic, D. Woods, 2010, Understanding Management, 7nd edition, Cengage Learning. Davidson, P. Simon, A. Woods, P & Griffin, R.W. 2009, Management: Core concepts and applications, 2nd edition, Wiley, Brisbane. Expert Manage 2010, Four Functions of Management, viewed 23 August 2011,http://www.expertmanage.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=122&Itemid=166 Financial Adviser 2007, ‘Middle managers are lacking skills,’ 22 February, p.1 Griffin, R.W. 2011, Fundamentals of Management, Cengage Learning. Hahn, M. 2005, Management Skills, viewed 24 August 2011, http://en.articlesgratuits.com/management-skills-id1586.php Mind Tools 2009, Mintzberg’s Management Roles, viewed 23 August 2011,http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/management-roles.htm Pakhare, J 2010, Management Concepts – The Four Functions of Management, Buzzle, viewed 22 August 2011,http://www.buzzle.com/articles/management-concepts-the-four-functions-of -management.html Selly, N 2009, How the four functions of management leads to business success, Helium, viewed 22 August 2011,http://www.helium.com/items/1586308-why-fayols-functions-of-management-can-avoid-failure-in-business-and-lead-to-business-success

Greatest potential for impact by 2030 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Greatest potential for impact by 2030 - Essay Example This seems to conflict with the general idea that water is abundant and natural. After all, it falls from the skies, fills lakes, floods rivers, and runs in underground currents. However, accessing all of these sources of water and, more importantly, treating it is a difficult process, even in developed countries like the United States. Standing at the core of civilization, the use of water can be either an aid or a curse for developing countries. As water becomes scarcer, as it is projected to be, with the projected coming of global climate change and a larger population, water treatment will have to respond to the needs of a human population growing beyond its means. Of the coming environmental challenges facing the world, perhaps a water shortage is the most extreme. The possibility of a worldwide water shortage is inextricably linked to other global catastrophes and the economic effects of those natural events. Stress on water supplies is already occurring, between household uses in growing populations worldwide, rapid urbanization, and expansion of business activities in developing countries. All of these factors contribute to a lessening of supply of water, as the demand continues to increase (Shiklomanov). In fact, the demand for water in developing countries increased linearly from 30 percent in 1970 to 80% in 2000 (Chartres and Varma). Growth in Middle East populations is particularly concerning, given the natural lack of water in desert regions. This has led some experts to say, â€Å"The next war in the Middle East will be fought over water, not politics† (Nicol). Of the 3 percent of water on Earth that is fresh (that is, not saline), 70 percent of it is tied up into icecaps and glaciers that gravitate toward the North and South Poles, and therefore remains inaccessible for most humans (USGS). The remaining 30 percent of that fresh water is the water that is accessible, either through a process of merely collecting or welling. A majority of th e water collected, nearly 70 percent is used for agricultural uses (Shiklomanov). In order to produce food for a growing population, water is necessary. A significant amount of the runoff from agricultural is unusable, due to increases in the use of herbicides, pesticides, and other toxins. Tying up water into these resources is a delicate balance between supplying one necessary resource and supplying another, which lends credibility to the thought that humans are outgrowing the earth’s carrying capacity. An additional 22 percent of water sources worldwide are devoted to industrial uses, which again creates an unusable runoff (Shiklomanov). A common use of water, however, is in hydroelectric power plants that help provide electricity to both developed and developing countries. A widely touted solution to water scarcity, or coming water crises, is an extensive infrastructure for sewage treatment that removes contaminants from water sources. Although investment in sewage treatm ent facilities is either low or nonexistent in developing countries, it is a viable tool for reusing water continuously for the same purpose (Frederiksen). In an agricultural area, for instance, water can be collected in irrigation channels, moved from the farming area into a treatment plant, then pumped into the water supplies of the farmers. Such a system has been successful so far in Singapore, which has invested considerable amounts of resources into creating sustainable water systems (Tortajada). Ultimately, sewage

Renaissance Art and Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Renaissance Art and Music - Essay Example Northern painters, especially those from Flanders and the Netherlands, were as advanced as Italian artists in landscape painting and contributed to the innovations of their southern contemporaries by introducing oil paint as a new medium. Although portraiture also developed as a specific genre in the mid-15th century, Renaissance painters achieved the greatest latitude with the history, or narrative, picture, in which figures located within a landscape or an architectural environment act out a specific story, taken either from Classical mythology or Judaeo-Christian tradition. Within such a context, the painter was able to show men, women, and children in a full range of postures and poses, as well as the subjects' diverse emotional reactions and states. The Renaissance was also a period of avid exploration; ships set sail in search of new routes to Asia, which resulted in the discovery and eventual colonization of North and South America. Painters, sculptors, and architects were dri ven by a similar sense of adventure and the desire for greater knowledge and new solutions; Leonardo da Vinci, like Christopher Columbus, discovered whole new worlds. This paper aims to define the characteristics of visual art and music during the renaissance through the use of examples, know a little about the artists of the artworks which were used as examples for this paper as well as to compare the works selected as examples in terms of the elements of art. In so doing, the paper will establish that renaissance art, however old and different the world it originated from is still continued to be regarded as timeless and valuable pieces in modern day art. Body Renaissance Art is any type of art produced... The two principal components of Renaissance style are the following: 1. a revival of the classical forms originally developed by the ancient Greeks and Romans, and 2. an intensified concern with secular life—interest in humanism and assertion of the importance of the individual. The Renaissance period in art history corresponds with the beginning of the great Western age of discovery and exploration, when a general desire developed to examine all aspects of nature and the world.During the Renaissance, artists were no longer regarded as mere artisans, as they had been in the medieval past. The renaissance has indeed been a period of rebirth because people at that time were given a â€Å"second chance† to live life again. Along with this chance is the realization of the importance of appreciating life and the environment. People were able to have an identity of their own as they were recognized according to what they do best, just like the painters and the musicians. Although, the period is a time of rebirth, still many of its influences, both in visual art and music, comes from religion. Until today, even how old the art pieces of renaissance artists both in visual art and music, their works are still highly regarded and served as guides and models of aspiring artists today. This is manifested in how these new artists study the life and works of renaissance artists and sometimes compare their works to what the young ones of today have created. Truly, renaissance pieces, in art visual art and music, are timeless for until now it has still been considered to be timeless and priceless works of art.

Marketing Plan of PepsiCo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing Plan of PepsiCo - Essay Example The researcher states that the PepsiCo trades a large range of brand including Pepsi cola, diet Pepsi, Doritos and Lipton teas among others. However, the company faces a stiff completion from the Coca-Cola and draft foods both of which are making marketing path in America, Europe and Asia. According to William and Robert the company must deal with a number of local brands and guarantee the loyalty of customer’s demands. Thus, PepsiCo’s marketer must persistently research on customer’s preferences and study the impact of environmental forces to develop the precise marketing mix for the right market. The company has released that most of the populace suffer from health predicaments; thus, it has developed a new product that will meet the healthier eating habit of customers. The walkers’ snacks are the new product in the market, characterized by their low sodium content. The product was discovered to meet the United Kingdom’s campaign to warn customer s on the risks involved in the intake of high contents of salt. The company took the incentive of introducing this product that would capture the rising demand of customers to change their diets to something healthier in the market. In order to market the walker’s snacks in the market, PepsiCo Company has commenced reducing the level of salt in several other snacks worldwide. By so doing, the customers will opt for the company’s product, and consequently they purchase the new product among others. Meanwhile, it is discoursing usage of fats and sugar by making labeling more prominent so that customers can make educated choices. According to Justin and Longenecker (2011, 69), this strategy is extremely advantageous to the company in marketing the new product because it captures the customer’s confidence of the products offered in the market. When customers are convinced of the quality of the other products of PepsiCo, it will be easy for them to appreciate and acc ept the new product easily. Cheverton (2005, P. 57) indicate that the company via intensive research noticed that there was a higher use of digital media among young adults and youth that would be a large and productive target market for the new product. Thus, the company will use the internet, Facebook, twitter to communicate with customers and influence these customers on the significant of the product. It will allow customers to vote online for the new product will promote the product among the marketing mix in the market. The company will run contents asking customers to form and submit homemade television commercials for the new product in the market. The company has combined the digital marketing with social responsibility in that it will invite the customers to apply online for grants that would change their society. Roberts (2011, P.57) indicate that the strategy will make the customers notice and respond to its social responsibility and promote the buying decision of the ne w product in the market due to the earned positive image of the company. The marketing research done on the customer’s preference and demands in various countries will maintain a steady stream of new product introduced in the market. Financial management The impressive marketing strategies of the PepsiCo Company would make the introduction of the walkers snack in the market success. The company aimed to realize revenue of one million just 25 days after the product is introduced in the market. However, the new product is rarely an immediate success due to the challenges encountered during marketing. Thus, the Pepco marketers would be extremely keen in the purchasing pattern of the customers. The company should constantly modify product prices.

How did Ptolemy I come to adopt the title of king after Alexander the Essay

How did Ptolemy I come to adopt the title of king after Alexander the Great's death How did he come to adopt the title of 'Soter' meaning Saviour What controversial evidence surrounds these events - Essay Example Though Ptolemy became known to history initially as the â€Å"friend, confidant, and later general of Alexander† and later as his predecessor, there was no indication from any historical accounts that Alexander wanted Ptolemy to be his successor (Bingen and Bagnall, 2007, 15). But it has been clear from historical documents that Ptolemy was close to Alexander (Worthington, 2003, p.137). It was by the year, 330 that Ptolemy â€Å"succeeded Demetrius† and became the aide-in-hand of Ptolemy as he was already a senior leader in the â€Å"Macedonian army† (Ellis, 1994, p.10). Green (1990) has observed, â€Å"Ptolemy was one of the few to realize that limiting his ambition would actually get him farther in the long run† (p.9). But once Alexander died, he was not sitting idle as well. After taking over the responsibility of governance of Egypt, the first thing he did was to attack and conquer â€Å"the rich North African State of Cyrenaica† without attaining any permission from Perdiccas (Green, 1990, p.13). On the political front, Ptolemy is known for the first ever application in history â€Å"of a philosophy of monarchic power† once he succeeded Alexander as the king (15). But later historians (eg:- Bosworth, 1976) have also pointed out that Ptolemy manipulated the facts in his history of Alexander, a text from which supposedly the most authentic historian of Alexander, Arrian, drew his facts to retell the story (117). It has been observed that Ptolemy exaggerated his own achievements and downplayed his rivals’ ones in this text (Bosworth, 1976, 117). And the result was that whatever history that exists about Alexander, incorporates within it, the exaggerated self of Ptolemy also. Ptolemy himself had told the story of Alexander but this book is now lost somewhere in the quagmire of history (Ellis, 1994, 7). Hence, it is through the work of Arrian (1907), that now we know the story of Alexander, of course as told

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE CASE STUDY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE - Case Study Example Historically, the concept of corporate governance has been at play in most of the United States (US) large companies since the 19th century, and in 2001, with the high-profile collapses of several modern corporations like Enron Corporation, there has been a renewed interest in corporate governance practices (Monks & Minow, 2004). And, as part of the US federal government’s campaign to restore public confidence in corporate governance, it passed the Sarbanes – Oxley Act, which practically set new or enhanced standards for all the US public companies’ boards, management, and public accounting firms through eleven titles or sections including corporate responsibilities and criminal penalties, as well as requiring the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to implement rulings as basis for compliance with the new law (Farrell, 2005). This paper tackles corporate governance as practiced by Qantas Company in terms of its compliance to the principles and standards of corporate governance best practices, as well its current corporate values and ethics vis-Ã  -vis its corporate governance practices, using the question guides provided for this subject. Qantas Group is an Australian company that has been one of the leaders in the aviation industry, both at the international and domestic fronts. Globally, Qantas has been one of the top six airline companies in the world for the last five consecutive years, based on the Skytrax surveys, and has maintained its four-star official ranking worldwide (Skytrax Survey 2008). At the domestic level, Qantas is well-known as Australia’s very own, and is very well-supported as a full-service airline. Like the rest of airline companies around the world, Qantas also underwent some tough times, which included an industrial dispute and subsequent maintenance backlogs, and also two in-flight incidents (Qantas Annual Report, 2009). These somehow damaged the

Overreaction Hypothesis and Contrarian Strategy (the efficiency of Essay

Overreaction Hypothesis and Contrarian Strategy (the efficiency of financial markets) - Essay Example The OR hypothesis states that investors overreact to information, and that there are two ways by which investors exaggerate their reaction. In the face of bad news, for example, some investors think that the reality is worse and react over-pessimistically, while some think that the reality is not as bad as it seems and react over-optimistically. So while bad news can be factored in by rational investors according to EMH and their effect on the value of the stock can be calculated before these investors begin to do anything (buy, sell, or hold), some investors are claimed by behavioural finance proponents as acting in irrational ways, making decisions based on their overreaction to information. The effect of overreaction is a large decline in stock prices when pessimistic investors begin to think that the bad news is not true and that the reality is much worse than it really is. The opposite effect holds in the face of good news: investors may overreact and think that the reality is better, so they buy stocks in the market. This shows that some investors are biased in the way they interpret information, and this bias causes stock price anomalies that can be exploited by investors by using a contrarian strategy.

Statement of objectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Statement of objectives - Essay Example By January 2010, I would be fully conferred for the Master’s degree with concentration in Electronic Business. In addition, I will be credited with 3 Advanced Certificates in Management from the same university, to wit: Advanced Certificate in Information Management, Advanced Certificate in Telecommunication Management, and Advanced Certificate in Human Resource. Equipped with these academic achievements, I am prepared to undertake greater challenges in higher education. My ultimate goal is to be an instrument of change to my country once I completed the PhD Program in Community Economic Development (CED). The Southern New Hampshire University is the most prestigious institution which can accord a multi disciplinary approach to the program. I am optimistic in learning various CED issues affecting not only the local and national level, but more so, their impact and influence on international levels. I would like to be given the opportunity to share the theoretical and practical applications of CED in Saudi Arabia, which unselfishly provided me with 100% scholarship through the King Abdullah Graduate Studies Scholarship Program. I am aware that CED is a multi functional process of comprehensively interconnected strategies which enable people to develop corporations and business ventures for the betterment of communities. I plan to utilize the skills and theoretical background developed in my master’s degree to formulate policies which would facilitate and improve the application of electronic business initially in the local communities and later, on a national scale. As I delved into the intricacies of the theories, concepts and applications of e-business, I realized that I am extremely interested in pursuing higher education in a field of endeavor closely related to this. The courses that I took in my bachelor’s and master’s degree equipped me with the necessary skills and

Television media, war and truth Essay Example for Free

Television media, war and truth Essay An informed public is the cornerstone of modern society. An informed public during wartime leads to a healthy democracy. Though the media shares a special connection with wartime reporting, disseminating information of major news value, it often keeps the truth masked and reality covered. The media establishment profited by periods of rapid technological change through the 1970s and 80s, and as television reporting grew sophisticated, concepts of truth and reality were shaped by the immediacy of visual content. This essay, in light of the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, and Iraq War, will outline how the impact of television coverage during wartime, political manoeuvring, and the atrophy of journalistic standards, has shaped our view of reality and truth. Television coverage of the Vietnam War, as the first televised war, reached audiences around the world. Conflicts of interest between journalistic integrity and nationalistic sentiments served to undermine the medias coverage of the war. The Washington Post announced on Aug. 5, 1964 American Planes Hit North Vietnam After Second Attack on Our Destroyers; Move Taken to Halt New Aggression. Subsequently the New York Times reported President Johnson has ordered retaliatory action against gunboats and certain supporting facilities in North Vietnam after renewed attacks against American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. Though there was no evidence of a second attack by North Vietnam, President Johnson in a speech delivered on Aug. 4, 1964 earned plaudits from the New York Times editorial staff by proclaiming: (they) went to the American people last night with the somber facts.; By reporting claims from Administration officials as absolute truths, American media opened the gates to a bloo dy Vietnam war1. Though the Tet offensive (North Vietnamese soldiers swept through more than one hundred Southern Vietnamese cities) left the U.S victorious, media portrayal was negative. The medias hidden agenda dotted television reportage helping sway public opinion against the war. Television images usurped factual news stories relegating experienced reporters to bystanders and caption writers2. Personal commentary saturated television coverage with statistics pointedly showing an erosion of objectivity. Before the Tet offensive, journalists described 62 percent of their stories as victories for the U.S, 28 percent as defeats, and 2 percent as inconclusive. After Tet, 44 percent of the battles were deemed victories, 32 percent defeats, and 24 percent inconclusive3. In 1998 the airing of a report by CNN and Time Magazine of the U.S Special Forces alleged use of nerve gas against American defectors in the Vietnam War was repudiated by Special Forces veterans groups and high profile intelligence figures. Yet, CNN asserted itself as a credible news organization, saying it was concerned with stories of human affliction4. The Fairness Accuracy In Reporting (national media watchdog set up in 1986 to document media censorship, bias and erroneous reporting), however, declared some television coverage from the Vietnam War a mere fabrication5. The Persian Gulf war ushered in a period of rapid change for American media. Re-structuring of television networks and amendments to federal regulations6 spawned an era of satellite coverage and press pooling. Amended laws ensured television journalists became trusted agents of the U.S military whereby media correspondents were screened7; selective information was aired to U.S audiences. Press freedoms were challenged less for the militarys interest (worried about leaking of strategic intelligence) than the Administrations political agenda. Television coverage was dictated primarily by advancements in digital satellite technology. The Persian Gulf war was the first war to be televised using global satellite networks8. Fluid images were cast, as veteran CNN Bernard Shaw recalls, in peoples faces, due to globalization of television networks. The American Administration, evidence later indicated, utilized television images and newspaper reports to convince the public that Iraqi troops were threatening to invade oil rich Saudi Arabia. Though satellite images taken of Saudi Arabias border detailed a small number of Iraqi troops, U.S newspapers, news magazines and television networks drummed up reportage in line with the Administrations political agenda. Independent press and peace activists argued against the deployment of U.S troops to the area campaigning for a UN peace-keeping force to be sent. But such sentiments did not percolate into the U.S media. Although television coverage saturated airwaves to summon public support for a U.S invasion of the Persian Gulf, television feeds of suffering Kurds, and other Iraqis, prompted large segments of the public against military solutions for conflicts in the Middle East. Mark Rozell Professor of public policy at George Mason University punctuated the impact of wartime television coverage by citing a Gallup Poll: A January 1991 Gallup Poll revealed that 89 percent of the American people identified television as their main source of information about the war; only 8 percent of the American people identified radio and 2 percent newspapers. The U.S led invasion of Iraq saw satellite internet and television, and further sophistication in television equipment, help the myriad U.S news agencies who invested their time in covering the war. Though no formal evidence was tabled about alleged ties between Saddam Hussein and the perpetrators of 9/11, 32% of Americans, in a poll conducted by PIPA/KN9 in 2003, thought Saddam Hussein very likely to be personally involved in the terrorist attacks; 37% thought it was somewhat likely. This misinformation is attributable to the torrent of television broadcasts and print media directed at providing a repetition of incidents surrounding 9/11; repetition is a precursor for propaganda. International polling has suggested public opinion around the world has been strongly against unilateral action in Iraq without UN approval. Of the 38 countries surveyed majority support does not exist for the actions of the U.S10. The obfuscation of truth and deterioration of journalistic integrity was the result of savvy political maneuvering. Oversimplified television coverage of the Middle East has reduced it to a social and political backwater. The depiction of the bloody camera and weeping man (see appendix) represent the reality that wars can bring. The blood on the camera signifies the brutality of war alluding that wars may be captured on film or camera but the reality behind wars (the blood) cannot be captured objectively. The weeping man brings forth emotion involved in losing someone close. Such cultural and social sensitivities are not shown in U.S medias war coverage. Television has proved to be a useful tool for masking truth by producing neatly worded sound-bites. A poll conducted by PIPA/KN in 2003 asked Americans whether a majority of people in the Islamic world (would) favour or oppose the U.S led war efforts to fight terrorism, a plurality of respondents (48%) assumed the Islamic world favoured the war effort. Al Jazeera, brought the coverage of the Iraq war to 40 million Arab viewers, hoping to deliver free and independent news. Founded in 1996, its goal, according to Senior Producer Samir Khader is to educate the Arab masses on democracy, irrespective of the other opinion. Staffed by former members of the newly disbanded BBC Arabic television, all of whom are strong believers of a balanced and fair press, it has come under fire by the Arab and Western worlds for being the mouthpiece of the zionists and a mouthpiece of Osama Bin Laden respectively. The notion of absolute truth and reality of television coverage is undermined by the representations of Al Jazeera as both a mouth piece of the zionists and a mouth piece of Osama Bin Laden11. Al Jazeera cutting to commercials plays a 30-60 second montage of American war planes, American bombs exploding and American army tanks across the desert. These images have come under criticism from U.S Press Officers. Dichotomies of interest will remain affirms U.S military Press Officer Lt. Josh Rushing as long as Al Jazeera U.S media continue to play to their respective audiences: When I watch Al Jazeera I can tell what theyre showing and what theyre not by choice. Its the same thing when I watch Fox at the other end of the spectrum. It benefits Al Jazeera to play to Arab nationalism Just like Fox plays to American patriotism. Because thats their demographic12. Incessantly rolling out television images the media oversimplifies the coverage of war. An informed media covering factual stories free from political slant is increasingly important in a growing democracy. The media coverage of the Vietnam War led to degradation in journalistic integrity; the Persian Gulf conflict deepened political ties between the American Administration and the media; Iraq War is covered by a multitude of U.S news agencies but also an Arabic television news channel. Though the wars were covered by the media in different lights the widening political influence and diminishment of journalistic cannons have been common threads that have shaped our understanding of truth and reality. * * * Bibliography: Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR); Website: [www.fair.org]. John Pilger, Heroes. (Johnathan Cape 1986, Vintage 2001), p.260. Hallin, Daniel C., The Uncensored War: The Media and Vietnam. Los Angles: California University of California Press, 1986. p. 161-162. A. Shah, Media, propaganda and Vietnam. [http://www.globalissues.org/HumanRights/Media/Propaganda/Vietnam.asp]. Created: Sunday, December 29, 2002; Last Updated: Friday, October 24, 2003. James Rennie, Desert Storm Front: Television News and Narrative Construction in the 1991 Gulf War, Honours Thesis 2004: [http://www.film.queensu.ca/Critical/Rennie2.html]. Capt Jon Mordan, Air Space Power Journal-Chronicles Online Journal (online-only companion to Air Space Power Journal; published quarterly), Document created: 6 June 99. Douglas Kellner, The Persian Gulf TV War. (Boulder, Co.: Westview Press, 1992). Program on International Policy Attitudes/Knowledge Networks; conducts global polls. Gallup Poll International. DVD, Control Room (2003); directed by Jehane Noujaim; (see appendix). Image 1: [http://www.oilempire.us/mediawar.html] Image 2: [http://www.thewe.cc/contents/more/archive2005/january/war_2005_january_images_1.html] Appendix 1: Appendix 2: 1 Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) 2 John Pilger, Heroes. (Johnathan Cape 1986, Vintage 2001), p.260 3 Hallin, Daniel C., The Uncensored War: The Media and Vietnam. Los Angles: California University of California Press, 1986. p. 161-162 4 A. Shah, Media, propaganda and Vietnam. [http://www.globalissues.org/HumanRights/Media/Propaganda/Vietnam.asp]. Created: Sunday, December 29, 2002; Last Updated: Friday, October 24, 2003 5 Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) 6 James Rennie, Desert Storm Front: Television News and Narrative Construction in the 1991 Gulf War, Honours Thesis 2004: [http://www.film.queensu.ca/Critical/Rennie2.html] 7 Capt Jon Mordan, Air Space Power Journal-Chronicles Online Journal (online-only companion to Air Space Power Journal; published quarterly), Document created: 6 June 99 8 Douglas Kellner, The Persian Gulf TV War. (Boulder, Co.: Westview Press, 1992). 9 Program on International Policy Attitudes/Knowledge Networks 10Gallup Poll International 11 DVD, Control Room (2003); directed by Jehane Noujaim; (see appendix).

Cinematography in film

Cinematography in film Chose a sequence from any one of the films listed in the module guide’s filmography and analyse the functions of the cinematography (including lighting), editing and sound. Cinematography refers to the visual creative techniques of a film, consisting of lighting, sound and composition. Alfred Hitchcock thriller, Psycho [Alfred Hitchcock, 1960, USA] practices exquisite cinematography techniques to construct suspense and tremor to the spectators from his use of framing, lighting, camera movement, editing as well as sound. Film critic Roger Ebert states that a prevalent element among Hitchcock’s films, is the guilt of the regular person in a criminal situation [Ebert, 1998]. However in this scenario the key character Marion Crane [Janet Leigh] flees with stolen cash, nevertheless still fitting the Hitchcock mould of an innocent crime. EDITING Hitchcock practises some remarkable camera techniques to make sequences more effective, the notorious shower scene is a vital element and illustrates Hitchcock’s adoration for visuality. Adopting editing and sound as a cinematic guidance to stimulate the audience both visually and emotionally to create a horrific, suspense led murder scene. However spectators never actually witness the knife cutting into the woman’s flesh, we just assume it through the use of sound FX, hand motions, a tension building soundtrack and editing; The filmic makes the murder scene more realistic and suspense driven creating tension between the spectators. As a result by exposing the horrific continuous violence without truly presenting any, leaving it up to the spectator’s imagination. Fast editing countenances for an even more vicious stance to the scene, notwithstanding the insignificant amount of blood. Hasty editing of multiple shots signify the knife’s sharp cuts, plentiful as the squelching soundtrack rupture the spectators eardrums while perhaps representing a scream or a fowl shriek. Some of the possessed shots are high and medium angle shots to conceal the spectators from seeing the killers face. The combination of the shots makes the sequence seem longer, more subjective and more uncontrolled and violent oppose to the images being exposed alone or using a wide angle shot In this scene the woman’s nudity represents one of two concepts; vulnerability as she has nothing to protect her body i.e. clothes also within western society nudity is looked upon as exceedingly private therefore we as spectators are interfering on her private moment voyeurism. CAMERA TECHNIQUES In many Hitchcock movies the leading lady is usually a blonde and attractive, essentially there to create sex appeal in this case this is clear with the woman being naked. Other than sex appeal and representation of the male gaze, nudity also carries other connotations appropriate in this case the woman is in fatal danger. The low angle shot of the showerhead from the woman POV resembles an eye, its observant presence could suggest a ‘big brothers watching you’ feeling as it watches her washing herself, cleansing herself of the impurity of her prior actions; meanwhile her posture implies almost sexual enjoyment. Nonetheless, she is being so sensual that it supports Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze as it displays a woman being sexualized and delicate at the same time. She is about to be penetrated by a knife. Given the period of this film, censors restricted sex and nudity. As such, water perhaps symbolically used to express sexual desire and orgasms, while the wom an is cleansing plays into Hitchcock’s theme of guilt [Leighmediaasfilm, 2011]. However in the parlor scene camera angles play a vital role in revealing to the spectator about Norman Bates character with Hitchcock directing the scene in terms of contrasts. We get the woman sitting comfortably in her seat, leaning slightly forward; Hitchcock purposely arranged the camera near eye level perhaps to give the spectators the idea as to how two people may see each other while sitting and talking, however Hitchcock shoots the man from an abnormal low angle, suggesting that he is twisted and askew. SOUND Bernard Herman composed the movies intense soundtrack incorporating a fast cutting squelching soundtrack Hitchcock created an intense impression of slaughter, violence and nudity while remaining to display very little. However the infamous scene begins with the sound FX of running water perhaps to imply to the spectators that everything is fine. It also becomes significantly clear that the woman is going to have difficulty in hearing anything else as the sound of the water is overpowering the other diegetic sounds. A figuration slowly appears behind the shower curtain the suspense of the scene become more intense, only when the curtain is pushed aside that the spectators comprehend what is about to occur, suspense enhanced by the shrieking high pitched squelching soundtrack. The soundtrack in this scene in particular is dark and sinister, accompanying the knife movements to her skin also including tearing sounds. Perhaps this signifies the agony of the knife to her skin through the high pitched violin instruments within the soundtrack, it has a discordant quality to it possibly to signify the knife’s sharpness again creating tension. Tension is also created as the camera is represented as the knife’s movements, being drawn away and reversed. After the woman has been slaughtered, the soundtrack reaches its crescendo and transforms from a high pitched squelching to a low pitched distressing sound. LIGHTING The parlour scene uses camera angles, lighting, dialogue and sound FX to portray the characters in a certain light. They are precisely positioned according to the light source in order to accentuate their aims and intensions within the scene as well as their characteristics. The woman is located close yet relatively behind the lamp, with her face being well lit; perhaps signifying that she is a beaming with warmth and renovation despite her recent escapades. The lighting around her also suggests a gentleness around her also signifying she is redeemable. Although Hitchcock purposely positioned the man away from any type of light source and into a dark shadowy corner. This has the effect of a strict rift between light and shadow also represented across his face, also indicating the clash of his double personality [murderer/son]. He is also engrossed in low key lighting which suggests something is being hidden or kept in the dark and further results in piercing pointed shadows portentou sly on the wall and ceiling beyond him. MISE EN SCENE The black and white look of the film gave it a crisp classic feel while remaining to embody the spirit of an old film noir and further accentuates the theme of good vs evil, this is also illustrated by the sharp distinction of light and dark. Black and white costume is also exploited greatly within the film, for example at the beginning of the movie the woman is seen wearing white lingerie perhaps suggesting her innocents and purity, then later she’s in black lingerie after she’s stolen the money. The mise-en-scene reveals the woman surrounded by simple objects that make her appear to be a sympathetic character. Before her is a jug of milk rather than a glass and small snacks prepared by the man Norman, meanwhile as the woman ingests none of the milk it is in fact the shape of the jug that holds the visual signs. Colour plays a huge role in the mise-en-scene the jug is white, shiny and elegant perhaps signifying her innocent and pure goodness. Also her hunched curved posture and curly hairstyle adds to the sense that she is or ultimately will be a victim. However the man on the other hand is engrossed in lines of shadows across his face and body, many of which are set at angles creating a sense of emulation and danger rather than conformity. In one shot behind the man’s shoulder there is a dark chest of some sort with shadowy lines perhaps a distinction to the curved lamp, as well as the fact that the woman is wearing light clothes and the man is wearing dark clothing. Moreover one of the most significant visually stimulating feature into the man’s twisted mind, is the stuffed birds positioned around the walls, table and chest in the room, this also implies the dark facets of his character; he is a predator. The birds also create a sense of fear and fright within the parlour, as the hover around him. References Leighmediaasfilm.blogspot.co.uk, (2011). AS Film Studies 2012-2013: Voyeurism The Male Gaze (the shower scene). [online] Available at: http://leighmediaasfilm.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/voyeurism-male-gaze-shower-scene.html [Accessed 9 Jul. 2014]. Psycho. (1960). [DVD] USA: Alfred Hitchcock.

about the new pope :: essays research papers

â€Å"A New Pope but Not a New Path.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this article about the new Pontiff, Benedict XVI, the author tells about Cardinal Ratzinger’s life. He was known as Pope John Paul II enforcer. Cardinal Ratzinger was called many things for this such as â€Å"Joe the Rat† and God’s Rottweiler†. Cardinal Ratzinger is one of the most conservative men in the Roman Catholic Church today. He holds many of the beliefs that his predecessor held. Cardinal Ratzinger holds that Roman Catholicism is the one â€Å"true† religion and he does not believe in same sex marriage, or women priests, and stem cell research. Because of his conservative beliefs, Cardinal Ratzinger has alienated many liberal Roman Catholics here in America and in parts of Europe. For these reasons the Roman Catholic Church in Europe might see a steep decline because the new Pope views them as a morally decaying society in what is already a Roman Catholic declining society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To be fair, the author of the article talks a little about the new Pope’s youth. In the 1960’s, Pope Benedict XVI was a liberal academic who served as an advisor to the Second Vatican Council. While serving the Council he supported many of their endeavors to opening the church. When Marxism reared its head in the late 1960’s Cardinal Ratzinger was pushed to become a conservative. He became involved in the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, and became its leader in which he loosed much liberation in Africa and in Latin America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many Roman Catholics want to see their church reignited in Europe and the West. Unfortunately, under this new Pope, these hopes have been obliterated. While he undoubtedly is a great and capable theologian, he lacks pastoral experience and the compassion it takes to view others beliefs. While his name Benedict would seem that his mission is to rekindle the church in Europe and the West, his achievements throughout his life and his lack of openness speak for themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I believe that this author has done a good job to explain where the Roman Catholic Church is and where it needs to be going. The author does a good job in detailing who the new Pope is by pointing out important facts of his history.

Decibel Portfolio Essay -- essays research papers

The intensity I of a sound wave is measured in watts per metre squared ( ). The lowest intensity that the average human ear can detect, i.e. the threshold of hearing, is denoted by , where . The loudness of sound, i.e. its intensity level , is measured in decibels (dB), where . From this function a specific relationship between and can be drawn that holds true for any increase in intensity. By knowing the value of beta ( ), the value of can be found via manipulation of the logarithmic function, and by knowing the value of beta can by found by just taking the log of and multiplying it by ten. The intensity level of ordinary conversation is 65 dB. In order to find the intensity of normal conversation on must set beta to 65 dB and to . Afterwards, via using the division property of equality one joins like terms. Once the logarithm is alone, one can apply the properties of logarithms and separate the logarithm into two logarithms. The quotient rule for logarithms is applied to this equation, , where and . By the definition of the logarithmic function, if and only if , one knows that in order to cancel out the logarithm one must exponentiate the log to ten. When one does this one must also keep in mind that equality must be kept on both sides of the equation, so the -5.5 becomes the exponent of ten. After doing this, one knows that . dB . If one wanted to find the intensity of the sound inside and automobile travelling at that has an intensity level of 75 dB one would follow the same procedure mentioned previously to find intensity. In addition to this method one can use a graphing calculator in order to make the finding of I simpler. By following the procedure one can use a Ti-82 graphing calculator to find the intensity I of a sound by knowing the intensity level b. The function used is just all the steps followed above summarized into one function.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Enter   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ENTER By the use of the calculator, one finds the correct response in a quicker fashion than by working the problem out. However, in order to prove that the answer provided by the calculator is correct one should always work out the problem by hand. dB  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Source of Sound  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Intensity Level (dB)  ... ...even though the has changed, if the intensity level increases by ten units, then the intensity increases ten times. When me and my dog cross a busy street the noise does not seem equally loud to both of us. This because the dog has a higher threshold of hearing than me. This is explained best by the fact that the graph for the intensity level in terms of intensity for dogs is translated ten units up from the one for humans. The vertical translation signifies that for any given intensity, the intensity level is ten dB more for dogs than for humans. Knowing the relationship between intensity I and the intensity level b is very important to understanding how all beings hear. By understand the relationship, we know that the threshold of something’s hearing is what affects loudness with which it hears the sound. Furthermore, by understanding the relationship we know that the curve for the relationship will always have the same shape, but the only difference will be that for different thresholds, it will be translated along the Y-axis. Throughout this project, it was researched how to use properties of logarithms in order to assist one in finding intensity by knowing intensity level,

career paper ( preschool teacher) -- essays research papers

History   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Preschool is something very important for toddlers. Preschools were established in Europe around the late 1800’s. They were later introduced to the United States in the 1920’s. According to the Encyclopedia of careers and vocational guidance 9th edition â€Å"preschools expanded rapidly in the united states during the 1960’s†. Job Description   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Preschool teachers usually instruct children usually until they reach the age of five. They conduct activities designed to develop social, physical, and intellectual skills needed for primary school. During an interview I was told many things on the subject. â€Å"You need a lot of patience† said Esther Rodriguez a preschool teacher. There are many tasks needed to be done. While researching I came across plenty of information on the internet, Echoices says that some typical tasks are â€Å"planning individual and group activities, and monitor activities to prevent accidents and conflicts between children†. Nature of Work   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Preschool teachers play a very important role in the development of children. In the Encyclopedia of careers and vocational guidance 9th edition states that â€Å"a preschool teacher’s primary responsibility in the social development and health of each child†. Preschool teachers design activities that build on the children’s native abilities and help them develop skills and characteristics that will help them grow. What children learn a...

Gerrymandering: United States House of Representatives and Election District Boundaries

Michael Effiom Prof. S. Sharifan Govt 2302-73058 March 4, 2013 Gerrymandering The main purpose of gerrymandering is to increase the number of legislative seats that can be won by the political party which is in charge of redrawing the district boundaries during that period of time, and to create â€Å"safe† seats for the party’s incumbent legislators which are seats in which the incumbent will always win re-election. Gerrymandering is the redrawing of election district boundaries to give an electoral advantage to a particular candidate or party. It has been recognized as a part of the American political landscape since 1812.The term derives from a redrawing of US Representative districts in Massachusetts before the 1812 elections, when Elbridge Gerry was governor. People said the district was reminiscent of a salamander and thus the term Gerry-mander was coined. The Constitution requires that representation in the House of Representatives be apportioned to states on the basis of population. So, every ten years we count up the number of people living in each state and making sure that each state gets at least one House member, divide up the rest of the seats among the states equally.States with large populations get a bigger amount of house seats smaller states get just the one. A variety of Supreme Court cases, however, have applied the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause to the process of drawing legislative districts resulting in a requirement that each district have roughly the same population. So after each Census, states and localities have to redraw their district lines to ensure that the districts are roughly equal. This process redrawing of district lines has been blamed for almost every problem in American politics. The redistricting process therefore became a target for political reformers.In 2008, Californians enacted Prop. 11 and created the Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC). State legislators would no longer be able to pick their own constituents. An independent commission would be in charge of drawing the lines for the Assembly and Senate. In 2010, the CRC’s mandate was expanded to include House districts as well. The party in control of redistricting can weaken its opposition by â€Å"packing† or â€Å"cracking†. Packing is to concentrate as many voters of the opposition party into a single electoral district to reduce their influence in voting in other districts.In some cases, this may be done to obtain representation for a community of common interest thus creating i. e. a minority group (Blacks or Hispanics) what is called a majority-minority district. Cracking is the spreading out of opposition voters across numerous â€Å"safe† districts which will dilute their voting percentage and its effect on the outcome. If representatives are required to be residents of their districts, redistricting may redraw the boundary to exclude his/her house, or draw them into a d istrict where they will lose the next election.Gerrymandering is a very serious problem. Effective gerrymanders can have significant policy implications. In California, for example, it makes a difference whether there are 23 or 24 Republicans in the Senate. If there are 23, Republicans can’t stop Democratic efforts to raise taxes. If there are 24, Republicans can. By pre-determining election outcomes, gerrymandering makes actual voting less consequential, and therefore it should discourage voter turnout, but because of a lack of awareness on the subject voter turnout is not significantly affected.Any variations in voter turnout mostly depend on voter age, income, education, race and ethnicity. Since ballots include many races for offices in various regions, some of which may genuinely be closely-contested, one or two â€Å"foregone conclusions† on the ballot will not diminish voter interest in other races. An effective way of combating gerrymandering is to follow the e xample of California and enact something similar to prop. 11 which will give the responsibility of redrawing the district line to independent non-partisan groups.This will remove partisan machinations from the drawing process and remove the unfair advantage that incumbents have over challengers to their seats. Sources Cited * Humphreys. M. 2009. â€Å"Can compactness constrain the Gerrymander? † http://www. columbia. edu/~mh2245/papers1/gerry. pdf * Smith, Kieth. â€Å"On Gerrymandering and Its Effects. † Web log post. Political Science at University of the Pacific. Pacificpoliticalscience. wordpress. com, 2 Nov. 2011. Web. 04 Mar. 2013.

Life of Stray Cats Essay

Stray animals like dogs and cats wondering around our neighborhood have become a norm across the globe because they reproduce quickly and uncontrollably. One of the pros of it is that they hardly will be extinct and we will always have our furry friends be around with us. But with only very little pros, it can never out power the cons that strays had to go through. They are always the number one victims of abuse, living in a malnutrition state, and involve in too many accidents and in the end of the day, only a small amount of people actually cares and pay attentions to these helpless animals. We always read articles about stray dogs but how many of us actually remember about stray cats? According to myth, cats have nine lives which makes us think that they are stronger, and can live longer compare to any other animals but as all of us know, it is not true. Cats only have one life just like every other animal. What makes us agree to the myths is because a lot of cats actually look alike, that even if one died, another cat will appear hence we will think it’s the same cats. Stray cats have to go through as much pain as stray dogs. They need to hunt for their own food, digging from one garbage bin to another, attacked by other stray cats, and got injuries all over the body. Worst of all, being abuse by immoral people who splash hot water or slash them without any guilty feelings. Cats also meet with accidents very often due to speeding cars, dark roads where drivers couldn’t see, or unhygienic food that they accidentally eat. They were eventually left to rot or being eaten by other animals such as crows and dogs. Who will actually care for their lives Although it’s impossible for us to adopt every stray cat on the street, but imagine if every family manage to keep a pet cat in their home. That can actually save a lot of their lives. Some might have allergies towards animals but you can still help by providing clean water and some food outside of your house for the cats. This can avoid them from eating poisonous or unhygienic foods and also let them have a healthier life. Last but not least, the best way to avoid over reproduction of strays is by spaying or neutering them. Do not just sit back and watch our furry friends die. One day, they might be gone from the surface of the earth forever. They deserve a second chance too. Start saving and adopting.

Government to Limit Use of Cars Essay

Government agencies have been told to stop using official vehicles one day a week based on their license plate numbers, according to a notification for an energy-saving and emission reduction program to be implemented across the country.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨The program, part of government efforts to protect the environment and promote sustainable development during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15), was published on the central government’s official website Tuesday.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨According to the program, the measures were specially designed for various fields, such as enterprises and schools.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Some Web users applauded the government’s efforts, while others questioned the feasibility of limiting the use of government vehicles. Lian Peng, a freelance writer, wrote on his Sina Weibo microblog that it was difficult to distinguish private cars from official ones, and the ban would result either in drivers using two license plates, or the government buying more vehicles. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨A pilot project for government agencies to use bicycles will be launched. Government workers’ autos were also encouraged to be parked one day a week based on plate numbers.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Niu Fengrui, director of the Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, praised the positive efforts made by the government to reduce emissions. However, such efforts would not have apparent effect, Niu told the Global Times Tuesday.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Niu suggested that the root of the problem was energy supply, and the fundamental approach should be to develop technologies and adopt better equipment to improve efficiency, as well as change lifestyles and production methods.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Zhu Lijia, director of the public research department of the Chinese Academy of Governance, told the Global Times such measures will not actually promote the reform of the official vehicle system, and would not impact the core of the system. Military told to cut emissions The government’s efforts to save energy and reduce harmful emissions have spread to a new front: the country’s military.   The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and armed police should work to build energy-efficient barracks and develop energy-saving models for logistics, consumption and training, said a nationwide emission-reduction plan. â€Å"Efforts to save resources in the military are an important part of the country’s energy-saving and emission-reduction efforts,† the plan said. It lays out that the PLA will scale down administrative expenses, make greater efforts to conserve fuel, procure environmentally friendly products and recycle military uniforms. PLA garrisons will coordinate their use of civilian vehicles with local governments to enhance transportation efficiency. Xinhua Introduction It is possible that no invention has had as profound an effect on society as the passenger automobile. It did not take long after its introduction in the early part of this century for the auto to quickly become the primary means of transportation in the United States, where there are now 752 motor vehicles for every 1,000 people (World Almanac 211). While no other country can match the excessive automobile use of the U.S, it’s not for lack of trying. Even in China, where the use of bicycles by its citizens is legendary, the number of cars has been doubling every five years for the past 30 years (World Resources Institute, hereafter â€Å"WRI† 172). But reliance on cars is not without its problems&emdash;the most obvious being air pollution and energy consumption. Pollution: General Pollution by cars causes lung cancer, respiratory problems, urban smog, and acid rain (Brown 25). By 1970, after decades without government regulation, air quality had become a serious problem. The first federal Clean Air Act was passed during the Nixon Administration to curtail the ever-increasing amount of pollution caused by automobiles and industry, and Congress passed an updated version in 1990 (WRI 182). However, the Clean Air Act didn’t prohibit pollution; it simply defined an â€Å"acceptable† amount. Further, the legislation addressed only certain airborne contaminants, while ignoring others. Perhaps most significantly, although bad air was outlawed, it still exists. More than half of the people in the U.S. live in areas that failed to meet federal air quality standards at least several days a year (30 Simple Energy Things You Can Do to Save the Earth, hereafter â€Å"30 Simple Things,† 11), and around 80 million Americans live in areas that continually fail to meet these standards (WRI 63). Despite the Clean Air Acts, the reality is that air pollution continues to be a major public health problem. As bad as the air is in the U.S., in other countries which have waited too long to address the pollution caused by cars, it’s worse. Mexico City, Sà £o Paulo, New Delhi, and Bangkok are grappling with serious air problems. And much of that pollution is caused by private automobiles (Brown 25). Pollution: Ground-Level Ozone One way cars create pollution is by contributing to the amount of ground-level ozone (not to be confused with the atmospheric ozone layer). In the atmosphere, the ozone layer shields the planet from harmful ultraviolet radiation rays. But on the ground, ozone is another matter, causing hazy smog and respiratory problems. Most ozone pollution is caused by motor vehicles, which account for 72% of nitrogen oxides and 52% of reactive hydrocarbons (principal components of smog) (30 Simple Things 11). The seriousness of ground-level ozone should not be underestimated. According to the World Resources Institute: Ozone pollution has become widespread in cities in Europe, North America, and Japan as auto and industrial emissions have increased. †¦ Breathing ozone concentrations of 0.012 ppm&emdash;levels typical in many cities&emdash;can irritate the respiratory tract and impair lung function, causing coughing, shortness of breath, and chest pain †¦ Evidence also suggests ozone expo sure lowers the body’s defenses, increasing susceptibility to respiratory infections (65). Pollution: Lead Cars also pollute by emitting lead from leaded gasoline. Although the use of lead in gasoline is banned in the United States, leaded gasoline is common in other countries. In fact, of the countries for which data is available, 43% use nothing but leaded gasoline. Many of the rest use at least some leaded gasoline in their energy mix. This is a definite cause for concern: One of the oldest metals used by humans, lead is a cumulative neurotoxin that impairs brain development among children and has been connected to elevated blood pressure and resulting hypertension, heart attacks, and premature death in adults. Emissions from vehicles is the largest source of lead exposure in many urban areas (WRI 266-267). The effects of all this pollution on human health are unsettling. A study of U.S. cities found that mortality rates were 17-26% higher in cities with the dirtiest air compared to those with the cleanest air. Not surprisingly, the study also found correlations between bad air and lung cancer and cardiopulmonary disease. The risks translate roughly to a two-year shorter life span for residents of dirty-air cities. On a global basis, estimates of mortality due to outdoor air pollution range from about 0.4-1.1% of total annual deaths (WRI 63-64). In the U.S., 30,000 people die every year from automobile emissions (â€Å"Bicycling and Our Environment† 1). [Also see our separate page on lead.] Pollution: Global Warming Perhaps even scarier than the direct damage to our bodies from auto pollution is the fact that car emissions are contributing to an overall warming of the entire planet, which could destroy the world’s food chain. Cars emit carbon dioxide (CO2), a heat-trapping gas. In fact, they emit a lot of it: 20 pounds per gallon of gas burned (NRDC 12, Zuckermann 29). Atmospheric concentrations of CO2 have increased by 30% since preindustrial times, and much of that increase is directly related to the burning of fossil fuels. According to the Worldwatch Institute: â€Å"CO2 levels are now at their highest point in 160,000 years, and global temperatures at their highest since the Middle Ages† (Brown 26). The effects of this global warming are frightening: rising sea levels, dying coral reefs, spreading of infectious diseases, and extreme weather conditions, including droughts, rare forest fires, historic floods, and severe storms. Even more frightening, these events are not just pr edictions&emdash;they’re happening right now (Brown 26). Energy Use The amount of energy used by automobiles is staggering. Transportation of all types accounts for more than 25% of the world’s commercial energy use, and motor vehicles account for nearly 80% of that (WRI 171). In numerical terms, the figures are hard to comprehend. The world used over a trillion liters of motor gas in 1995. And the U.S. accounted for 46% of that total (WRI 266-267). In fact, America’s gasoline consumption easily outstrips its production. The U.S. currently imports over half its oil (52%) even more than it did before the oil crises of 1973 and 1979. This dependence on foreign oil has significant economic consequences, and many observers feel that protecting â€Å"our† right to oil was the real reason for the U.S./Iraq war of 1991. Americans use large amounts of gasoline not just because they drive so much, but also because they’re extremely wasteful about how they drive. The NRDC notes: â€Å"Most cars on the road carry only one person. In fact, we have so much extra room in our 140 million cars that everyone in Western Europe could fit in them with us.† If every commuter car in the U.S. carried just one more person, we’d save eight billion gallons of gas a year. The one-person-per-car scenario also greatly contributes to traffic congestion, which in turn wastes even more energy&emdash;about three billion gallons of gas a year (30 Simple Things 52-53). But changing Americans’ habits doesn’t seem likely any time soon, as the failure of â€Å"High-Occupancy Vehicle† (HOV) lanes makes clear. To encourage commuters to carpool, some communities have designated one lane of traffic on certain roadways as HOV lanes. Commuters can drive in this lane only if there are at least two people in the vehicle. The reasoning is that commuters will want to carpool so they can ride in the uncongested HOV lane rather than being stuck in traffic in the normal lane when riding by themselves. But as Michael Bluejay points out, these lanes don’t always succeed in encouraging carpooling. A friend and I recently had occasion to drive through Dallas during rush hour, and I had my first opportunity to see how an HOV lane worked. Basically, it didn’t. We passed hundreds and hundreds of single-occupant cars in the regular traffic lanes as we zoomed by in the practically-empty HOV lane. It struck me as really crazy: Whenever I try to encourage people to ride bikes more and drive less, they always whine to me about how ‘convenient’ it is to drive. Well, exactly how ‘convenient’ is it to sit in your car at a complete standstill, adding 30-60 minutes to your morning commute? That’s convenience?! The experience demonstrated to me how far people were willing to go to avoid carpooling. They were willing to sit there like morons, stuck hopelessly in traffic, for the ‘luxury’ of being the only person in their vehicle. Although I was disappointed that the HOV lanes didn’t seem to work, I was at least pleased to realize that all those greedy motorists were being punished with even more traffic congestion, since the HOV lane meant that there was one fewer lane to move all those cars. Summary Automobiles are responsible for a tremendous amount of air pollution and wasted energy. These problems impact people all over the world, both motorists and non-motorists alike, by affecting their health, their economies, and their communities. Legislation to address air pollution has been only partially successful, and air quality continues to be a major concern in countries all over the world. As for energy use, one can only hope that world leaders find a better way to address this problem than fighting wars over an increasingly shrinking supply of oil. More stats are available in our Car Almanac. Works Cited â€Å"Bicycling and Our Environment.† Austin Cycling News. Aug. 1998: 1. Bluejay, Michael. â€Å"HOV Lanes.† Bicycling in Austin. Feb. 1998. 22 June 1999. http://BicycleAustin.info Brown, Lester R., et al. State of the World: A Worldwatch Institue Report on Progress Towards a Sustainable Future. New York: W. W. Norton and Co., 1999. 30 Simple Energy Things You Can Do to Save the Earth. Los Angeles: South California Edison, 1990. World Almanac and Book of Facts. 1996 Mahwah, NJ: World Almanac Books, 1995. World Resources Institute. 1998-99 World Resources: A Guide to the Global Environment. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. Zuckermann, Wolgang. End of the Road. Cambridge: Lutterworth Press, 1991. Car Pollution Statistics Driving cars effects more than air quality. Car pollution statistics point to ground pollution, resource reduction (mining and petroleum products), and health issues as other problems derived from out motorized society. Air quality is an important reason to pay attention to car pollution, but there are other reasons too.| Car pollution is considered by most people to be a decreasing problem, but it’s actually increasing, due to the large number of cars that are driven each day. Measures are being taken to reduce air pollution, including the manufacture of hybrid cars, the creation of new environmentally friendly fuels, and more, but those measures don’t touch all of the car pollution issues. Learning about car pollution statistics can open your eyes to the myriad problems. If you realize the importance of making changes in your life and car driving habits, then you can make changes to help decrease the amount of car pollution that you release into the air. * FTIR Gas AnalyzerGas purity and emissions monitoring by MKS Instruments On-Line Analyzer†¨www.ccrprocessproducts.com/FTIR†¨ * Car pollution statistics can give you the knowledge that you need to compel you to make changes in your life to lessen your impact upon the environment. Here are a few car pollution statistics that you need to be learn about and be aware of: * SUV’s release up to forty-seven percent more car pollution than the average-sized car. * The amount of car pollution that is released from cars is much more than the amount of pollution released by a nuclear power plant. * Ozone pollution is primarily due to the pollution that is released by cars. Seventy-two percent of nitrogen oxides and fifty-two percent of hydrocarbons, which is a component of smog, are released by cars. * The Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health published a study that suggested that most childhood cancers are caused by air pollution, which can be caused by cars and more. * There are 752 cars for every 1,000 people in the United States. * In China, the number of cars that are driven has doubled every five years for the past thirty years. * Thirty-thousand people in the United States each year die from conditions that are caused or exacerbated by car pollution. * Half of the people in the United States live in areas that fail to meet federal air quality standards at least several days a year. * Eighty million people live in areas that are continually not living up to these standards. * SUV’s release 28-gallons of carbon dioxide into the air for every gallon of gasoline that is used. * Car pollution has numerous effects, both physically and environmentally, like acid rain, smog, lung cancer, and respiratory problems. As you can see from the above car pollution statistics, cars have a huge impact upon the health of the citizens, the air, and the environment. That is why it is so important that we find ways to make changes in our lives to help decrease the amount of pollution that we release by driving our car. By using alternative fuels, considering hybrid cars, driving less, and more, you can help make your impact upon the world a little less harsh. Consider these car pollution statistics the next time that you get into your car. You may find that your trip is not as important as you think. Energy Consumption and the Environment Impacts and Options for Personal Transportation (Revised 2-4-96) In 1973, petroleum shortages caused by the OPEC oil embargo launched the world’s industrialized nations on a search for more efficient homes, factories, and transportation systems. After two decades of attempts to economize, energy use in the residential sector is about the same, industrial energy use is down, and transportation energy use is up. Today, we are more concerned with the other side of the coin – the environmental problems and long-term economic perils of unbridled energy consumption.Trends in Transportation Energy Consumption:Transportation now consumes more than 20% of the world’s total primary energy and produces much of the world’s air pollution. In just 30 years, the number of cars in the world will soar from today’s 400 million or so, to more than one billion. Private transportation will then need 2-1/2 times more energy and produce 2-1/2 times more air pollution. If global trends are projected to year 2100, the world will need 10 times more total energy, and transportation will consume 40% of this much larger pool.(1)Energy Use, Global Warming, and Climatic Changes:Energy use and emissions trends point to significant economic, political, and social problems for future generations. The greenhouse effect alone could have devastating effects on economies. Without intervention, the buildup of greenhouse gases could reach twice the pre-industrial level as early as 2030. The resulting global warming effect could raise sea levels enough to threaten wetlands, increase coastal flooding, and accelerate coastal erosion. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimated that sea levels will rise an average of 6 to 20 inches by 2050. In addition, many unmanaged ecosystems will probably be lost. Changes in rainfall patterns will likely result in more severe droughts, more intense tropical storms, and ultimately, dislocations and reductions in agricultural output. (Despite the increased crop yield associated with higher carbon dioxide levels, the resulting climatic changes are expected to shift agricultural production to regions having less productive topsoil, which would then result in diminished total yields.)About 75% of human emissions of carbon dioxide, the most important man-made greenhouse gas, is caused by the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuel use has caused an imbalance in the earth’s normal carbon cycle. Normally, biologic growth absorbs carbon from the environment and then releases it back into the environment when it decays or is burned. New growth then absorbs the carbon again, and the amount of carbon in the environment remains roughly the same. Since the last ice age, the level of carbon in the atmosphere (in the form of carbon dioxide) has varied only about 5%. However, fossil fuel use has upset the balance.Over the earth’s history, large amounts of carbon had been removed from the environment and become locked away beneath the surface where it was ultimately transformed into fossil fuel deposits. Since the industrial revolution, humankind has been removing these deposits, burning the fuel, and releasing the carbon into the atmosphere. The result is a rapid buildup of atmospheric carbon dioxide that is unprecedented in the history of human life on earth. No one knows the precise effects, b ut for better or for worse, average temperatures will increase and global weather patterns will change. Limited Supplies of Traditional and Inexpensive Energy:Nearly 40% of the world’s energy now comes from petroleum, and another 21% comes from natural gas.(2) Together, these finite natural resources supply about 60% of the world’s energy. If oil and natural gas consumption continued to double every 15 to 20 years as it had for the 100 years preceding 1973, the earth’s entire original endowment of these resources would be 80% depleted in another 30 years or so. As early as 1970, new oil and gas discoveries had dramatically declined and have remained low. In the ’80s, experts estimated that U.S. reserves would last about 35 years at existing pumping rates. More recently, estimates have been revised downward. Considering known reserves and estimated undiscovered deposits, U.S. oil will be depleted in about 10-12 years at present pumping rates. And new finds will make little difference on a worldwide scale. A new Prudhoe Bay discovery would provide the world with about six months’ oil supply, and a new North Sea find would equate to about three years’ supply.(3)Each year, the demand for oil is increasing by an amount equal to Kuwait’s entire annual production, and for the first time, OPEC has no substantial excess production capacity. Because of declining and more costly-to-recover petroleum reserves, prices are expected to begin rising in the mid to late ’90s, and continue to rise thereafter.(4)Alternative Fuels:The challenge of alternative fuels is primarily an economic one. Although the volumetric cost of methanol (made from natural gas) and ethanol (made from corn) is on par with gasoline, a car running on ethanol consumes 50 percent more fuel and an ethanol car consumes about twice the fuel per mile traveled, in comparison to a car running on gasoline. Consequently, per-mile fuel costs are greater. Natural gas is less costly on a per-mile basis than toda y’s gasoline, but supplies are finite and the high cost of natural gas vehicle systems generally offset the lower cost of the fuel itself. Although environmentally friendly, hydrogen is both technically and economically challenging due to its high production costs and the difficulty of storing hydrogen on-board vehicles. Alternative fuels do not save primary energy, but they are cleaner than gasoline. Carbon dioxide levels remain essentially unchanged when alcohol fuels are made from renewable biological feedstocks.Renewable Fuels:Renewable biomass fuels, such as ethanol and methanol, may become economically competitive with petroleum motor fuels by year 2000. But much remains uncertain about the world’s capacity to produce biomass in quantities sufficient to meet future energy needs. Already, about half the world’s solar energy captured by photosynthesis is used by humans, primarily for food and forest products. Total primary energy use in the U.S. amounts to about 31 times more energy than is harvested as crops and forest products, and about 40% more energy than is captured by all forms of U.S. vegetation, combined. Considering all agricultural crops, forests, lawns, gardens and wild vegetation, the energy contained in annual U.S. vegetation growth totals about 54 quads (quadrillion BTUs), and in year 1990 total U.S. primary energy consumption amounted to approximately 81 quads.Because of limitations in water supplies, nutrients, and arable lands, the amount of energy obtainable from the world’s agricultural resources is limited. Even in the U.S., which has more arable land per capita than any other nation on earth, it may be infeasible to produce biomass fuels in quantities sufficient for the nation’s energy needs. According to Dr. David Pimentel, Cornell University, the U.S. has the agricultural capacity to support a population of about 200 million on biomass energy – only if per capita energy consumption were reduced to half its present level. Worldwide, the ability of the ecosystem to sustain a population at an equivalent of U.S. consumption in the ’90’s is probably limited to about two billion people, or one-third of the existing population.(5) Unfortunately, U.S. population is expected to reach 500 million in 60 years, and worldwide population will reach 12-15 billion near the end of the 21st century. Economic Implications:The world is entering a period of escalating consumption, declining reserves of traditional energy feedstocks, higher energy costs, and increasing environmental stress, which could have vast economic, political, and social ramifications. As environmental limitations are approached, ecosystems become more unstable. In the future, ecosystem management and environmental maintenance will become more the responsibility of humans rather than nature. The economic impact of higher energy costs will be compounded as the cost of environmental protection and repair is included in the fundamentally higher cost of energy. As a result, varying degrees of negative economic effects are likely.Ultimately, a fundamental restructuring of the way in which energy is produced and consumed, as well as its value and role in the economy, must occur, regardless of the particular energy technology. Reducing the energy intensity of industrialized societies is the most environmentally sound and least economically harmful strategy. Energy use must be constrained if the interrelated problems of energy supplies, environmental degradation, and economic well-being are to be solved.Transportation’s Role:Transportation is essential to modern economies, and that sector is almost totally dependent on oil as a source of energy. The ability to freely and inexpensively move goods and people is a fundamental link in the economic chain. Today, large changes in the price or supply of oil send shock waves rolling through the world’s financial institutions. Transportation is the most rapidly growing consumer of the world’s energy, and the largest share of transportation’s energy goes to passenger travel. In developed countries, passenger travel accounts for about 70% of the total energy consumed by transportation.The Automobile’s Impact on Transportation Energy Consumption:The automobile is responsible for nearly 90% of the energy consumed for travel in the U.S., about 80% in Western Europe, and nearly 60% in Japan.(6) Today, there are approximately 400 million cars in the world, and sometime around year 2030 the world’s automobile population will surpass one billion. If driving habits remain unchanged, cars will have to become nearly three times more energy-efficient by 2030 just to maintain that sector’s present consumption. If energy use trends are projected to year 2100, transportation would then have to be twenty times more energy-efficient, which roughly equates to 400 mpg cars (automobile fleet-average fuel economy is now about 20 mpg).Cars in the U.S. have become more energy-efficient over the past two decades, but other developed countries are losing ground and actually consuming more fuel per passenger mile traveled.(7) Europeans are turning more to private cars, and as a result transportation trends and energy use patterns are converging with those of the U.S. But the greatest increase in transportation energy consumption will occur in the developing world. By year 2010, India is expected to have 36 times more cars than in 1990. China will have 91 times more cars, Mexico will have 2-1/2 times more cars, and Eastern Europe and the countries of the former U.S.S.R. will probably double their automobile population. The rest of the developing world will experience a 300% increase over the same period. In comparison, the number of cars in the U.S., Canada, Western Europe, and Japan will have grown by only 12%-15%.(8)The Automobile’s Role in Atmospheric Pollution:In a typical U.S. city, motor vehicle emissions account for 30%-50% of hydrocarbon, 80%-90% of carbon monoxide, and 40%-60% of nitrogen oxide emissions. Cars and light trucks are responsible for about 20% of the nation’s carbon dioxide, which is a powerful greenhouse gas. Motor vehicle carbon emissions are essentially proportional to total fuel consumed.(9) Unfortunately, in the coming decades the greatest growth in the automobile population will occur in developing countries which can least afford clean technologies. The United Nations Fund for Population Activities estimates that, because of rapidly increasing automobile populations, developing countries will be emitting 16.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually by year 2025, or about four times as much as developed nations. Problems Are Interdependent:Transportation energy consumption and environmental health are interrelated issues. Relieving the demand side of the equation simultaneously relieves the rest. If vehicle fuel economy were doubled, for example, transportation emissions would be essentially cut in half, even if there were no improvement in emission control technologies. If petroleum consumption were cut in half, reserves would be effectively doubled, even though no new deposits had been discovered. With a doubling of vehicle fuel economy, the same number of vehicle miles could be supported on half the investment in exploratory drilling, half the recovery, refining, and delivery expenses, and half the damage to the environment. The same interrelationships would exist with alternative energy sources, regardless of the particular technology.Although each problem, from emissions and resource burdens to economic factors, may yield to their own targeted efforts, alleviating the fundamental proble m simultaneously reduces the entire spectrum of associated difficulties. The Automobile as a Transportation System:Mass transit is often mentioned as an alternative to private cars, but the most effective mass transit system in the world is the automobile. An automobile transportation system provides schedules and routes that are tailored to individual needs. In addition, users individually purchase, maintain, and fuel the transportation device, and only the relatively inexpensive roadways require public funding.The primary tradeoffs for this otherwise ideal system are high energy intensity and high emissions.(10) However, if the automobile is to survive as an economically sound and viable transportation system its energy consumption and harmful emissions must be reduced.The Potential Impact of New Technologies:Today, automobiles operate at approximately 15% efficiency, which means that about 15% of the energy contained in the fuel is delivered to the drive wheels as useful work. According to the best estimates, it may be possible to double automobile energy efficiency (using conventional powertrains) to about 30% before we run out of ideas. At 30% powertrain efficiency a 20- to 25-mpg sedan would then achieve fuel economy of 40 to 50 mpg. Advanced power systems and reduced vehicle roadloads are necessary in order to make significant gains in automobile energy intensity.Electric cars produce significantly fewer harmful emissions, and they save about 10% to 30% in primary energy (over the entire energy chain). Advanced fuel cell vehicles using methanol reformed on-board into hydrogen may be as much as 2-1/2 times more efficient than today’s cars. Practical automobile fuel cells, however, present enormous economic and technical challenges.In the final analysis, technology alone may not be able to solve the world’s energy problems: partly because of the limitations of technology, but primarily because of the economic realities of alternative energy systems. And even the most optimistic estimations of the energy savings obtainable with advanced-technology systems still fall short of accommodating the long-term forecasts of transportation’s energy needs.A reduction in personal transportation energy intensity is essential in order to reduce the economic impact and technical hurdles of new energy systems and more costly energy supplies. Energy conservation is the most economically sound and environmentally friendly option.Factors That Affect Personal-Transportation Energy Consumption:Transportation energy consumption depends on the mass being transported and the distance it is transported. The technologies employed determine the efficiency at which the mass is transported. Consequently, energy consumption can be reduced by developing more efficient transportation technologies, or by reducing the transported mass and/or the distance traveled.The factors of distance and mass are determined largely by social and economic structures, and by vehicle layout and configuration. In order to reduce the distance and mass factors, Paulo Solaria envisions self-sufficient cities like Arcosanti in Arizona in which automobiles are no longer needed. Telecommuting, or working at home and transferring information, rather than people, is another approach designed to reduce overall distance and mass.With revised architectures, and new business and social structures, it is possible to significantly reduce society’s transportation energy needs. The difficulties of such revisions arise from the economic burdens of restructuring cities, and the psychological resistance to large scale changes in social and business structures. The technologies, however, are largely available or just on the horizon.Reducing the transported mass, independently of the distance traveled, can also fundamentally reduce transportation’s energy requirements. Moreover, mass reduction need not affect travel habits, social and business structures, or the architecture of cities. The opport unity for a large reduction in mass becomes apparent when one considers that the vehicle itself is responsible for approximately 92% of the transported mass, while the occupants account for only 8%.(11) Most of the automobile’s energy is consumed to transport itself. Mass reduction alone can save more energy than the most advanced powertrain concepts.Matching Vehicle Size to Trip Requirements:From the traditional perspective, the â€Å"identified problem† contributing to the automobile’s high energy intensity is low vehicle occupancy. Transportation energy intensity is a measure of the energy consumed per passenger mile traveled. When a vehicle is lightly loaded, energy intensity goes up because the vehicle consumes about the same amount of energy (fuel), regardless of the number of occupants. Operating large, multi-passenger cars with only one or two occupants is therefore considered the most wasteful habit affecting the world’s consumption of transportation energy.Worldwide, automobiles operate, on average, with about 1.6 to 1.8 occupants. In the U.S., approximately 87% of all automobile trips occur with two or fewer occupants. The average for work related trips is 1.1 occupants per vehicle. One- and two-occupant trips acco unt for approximately 83% of all vehicle miles traveled in the U.S.(12)If the same number of travelers were condensed into half the cars (car pooling), total automobile energy consumption would be reduced by half. But condensing occupants into fewer vehicles essentially defeats the automobile’s primary benefit. Trips must then accommodate the needs of other occupants, and the automobile is no longer a private and personal means of transportation.Traditionally, occupancy-rate is considered a behavioral by-product and therefore outside the bounds of vehicle technology. However, if the â€Å"identified problem† were redefined, it can easily become a simple technical problem. If the definition were â€Å"inappropriate vehicle size† (rather than underutilization of large cars), the solution would then be to resize vehicles so they more closely match trip requirements. Since one- and two-occupant trips predominate, it naturally follows that a category of smaller vehicles designed for one- and two-occupant local and commuting trips would be beneficial.Low-Mass Vehicle Safety:Small, lightweight cars are normally associated with an increased risk of harm. Traffic accident statistics generally support the relationship between vehicle size and injury/fatality rates, with the potential fo r harm increasing in proportion to the decrease in vehicle size. (The exception is in Japan, where a special category of lightweight â€Å"kei† cars actually have a lower fatality rate than conventional large cars.) But with better vehicle designs, historical data can quickly become outmoded. Cars built today are four times safer than vehicles built in 1969, and they are approximately 10% smaller and 20% lighter. This is due primarily to improved safety engineering and modern safety systems.Although occupant protection becomes more challenging as vehicle size is reduced, it is technically feasible to produce significantly smaller and lighter vehicles that have a high degree of safety. Advanced â€Å"hard shell† concepts designed to increase low-mass vehicle safety are already under development in Switzerland. This new approach utilizes a rigid exterior that is largely identical to the rigid passenger compartment of conventional cars. During a collision, the rigid exterior of the smaller car causes the less rigid deformation zone of the larger car to yield and absorb energy. Passenger ride-down space (for deceleration) in the low-mass car is provided inside the vehicle, rather than by the traditional exterior deformation zone. Occupant deceleration is controlled by elastic restraints and air bags. (13)Vehicle use patterns and operating environment are also important. Cars that operate primarily in the urban environment do not necessarily have to match the crashworthiness of larger cars in order to provide equally safe transportation.New Products and New Market Appeals – The Giant Oil Well Under Detroit:Market positioning, the implied messages in a product’s theme and advertising appeals, can capitalize on today’s environmental and energy concerns, and ultimately have a powerful effect on energy consumption and pollution. The necessary consumer motivations and interests already exist. A shift in thinking that disengages manufacturers and consumers alike from the association of size and mass in relation to value in automobile design is an essential part of reducing transportation’s energy consumption.Significantly smaller and lighter cars, both electric and conventionally powered, are normally envisioned as cheap, underpowered, and unsafe vehicles that have little appeal. Once this premise is accepted, vehicle attributes consistent with the vision naturally emerge and an outline of market potential, profitability, and even vehicle styling and safety then follows suit according to the core idea. These details can quickly change when the vehicle and the market are seen from a different perspective.By adopting a new perspective on automobile design, new marketing opportunities and new product ideas can begin to take shape. By emphasizing innovative safety features, visually impressive driver information systems, advanced vehicle control and crash avoidance systems, and attractive vehicle layouts and styling, smaller urban cars and commuter cars can emerge as safe, marketable, and even superior, transportation products. Innovative product packaging and marketing appeals are essential for a successful transition to electric urban cars and fuel-efficient commuter cars.Despite today’s â€Å"green† orientation, sacrifice and conservation are not especially marketable attributes. New vehicle types must satisfy consumers’ complex psychological needs while appealing to their broad social concerns. Energy conservation and environmental protection must be positioned as an upscale product attribute, rather than as a necessary sacrifice in the name of economic and environmental health. Energy conservation and emissions reduction are not primary consumer benefits. When manufacturers address environmental concerns with attractive new vehicle themes that satisfy consumers’ psychological needs, a marketable new category of products will have emerged, and passenger-travel energy consumption could be reduced by nearly two-thirds.A Sustainable Paradigm for a Fully Industrialized World:Alternative cars alone will not create a system for long-term sustainability with the expected populations. Although transportation will be tomorrow’s largest single energy consumer (as much as 40% in the long term), combined industrial and residential needs will account for a larger portion of society’s total energy needs.Future generations will probably have to adapt to more expensive energy, and use the world’s resources more prudently. This does not necessarily point to a world of stifling scarcity, but more to a new sense of responsibility, and a new paradigm for product design and the lifestyles that interrelate to form the overall production/consumption/pollution matrix. Changes in attitudes and behavior patterns can have an enormous impact on the cost to the ecosystem in resources and pollution. Population control and new business and social structures are essential; and new technologies are needed as well.Today’s developed economies, which account for only one-fourth of the world’s inhabitants, have been fortunate to have abundant and cheap fossil energy supplies to fuel their transition into an industrialized world. In a sense, today’s developed societies are similar to yesterday’s pioneers, blazing the technology trail to a new frontier of sufficiency and sustainablity for the world’s future community of developed nations. Abundant and clean energy from nuclear fusion, along with fuel cell cars and rapid-recharging, extended-range, battery-electric cars, are probably the best hopes for meeting long-term transportation and energy needs. And new frontiers must be pioneered in attitudes and values, which ultimately convert to resource consumption and environmental degradation as they guide behavior. Just as alternative cars do not necessarily imply dull product design or reduced transportation quality, new values and social structures do not necessarily imply compromised lifestyles.