Jean-Paul Sartre Essay

As we grow and become an adult that is able to form our own opinion is almost like a rite of passage because reading over the six steps almost seems like I have been a part of each step at some point in my life. When I was growing up I think relating to Stage 1: The Punishment and Obedience Orientation was definitely part of my life. Of course we don’t want to get in trouble as kids so generally we recognize that the authority will provide a severe enough punishment that will stop us from doing whatever we did again. I put myself at Stage 4: The â€Å"Law and Order† Orientation. Before I returned to college I wanted to join the San Antonio Police Department and I almost made it. I was excused from the application process at the third stage of the process because of 1 question. I have been in favor of law enforcement for probably 10+ years. I also believe my military past supports the argument of placing me at this stage. I also believe Stage 4: The â€Å"Law and Order† Orientation best describes me because it is essentially how I have lived my life the previous 10+ years. From joining the military to trying out for the SAPD I recognize there are procedures and guidelines established to keep the world and our country a safe place to live. Of course there are people that try the law and want to stretch it to the brink and this goes both for criminals and politicians that use laws and loopholes for personal gain. Providing support for my decision is simple. I have a tendency to instantly report or confront someone that is breaking or stretching the law. I have confronted three people living at my townhome complex about dogs being off of leashes while being outside. It is against complex policy and I have reported all three individuals simply because I feel like this is my neighborhood and when kids are outside playing I will always assume a dog is aggressive because terrible things do happen. I have a german shepherd that is never off the leash unless inside the dog park fence. Cleaning up after the animal is also our responsibility because diseases can be spread through an animal’s waste. That is also something I have confronted tenants about and reported them for. Krishna’s advice is all about standing by your upbringing. I take it to mean that you must always follow your path regardless of the outcome or consequences. Therefore, Arjuna is a warrior at war, because of this he must always fight when directed to fight regardless of the consequences. I’m not completely sure how you compare or relate Krishna’s advice to care ethics because to me care ethics is not shown even in the slightest by Krishna. For me to say I would definitely fight the war would be wrong. For me to say that I would definitely withdraw would be wrong. Frankly, I have no clue how I would act or what I would do on the battlefield. I have been deployed and stationed in warzones but I had no relations or ties to the people we are at war with. Arjuna has friends and family standing on the same battlefield that may die during this conflict. This is not a factor I had to consider when being deployed. So, for me to say that I would fight or would not fight is not an answer I can straight up provide because I have never and will probably never be faced with that situation. Ethically, I don’t think I gave an answer that can be analyzed like it should be. I think that providing a run around answer may be a slight display of selfishness. I say that because I don’t know how to answer a question that involves going to war with family. I can say that if family is not included on the opposing side I would do what my country asked of me and go fight. In order to give a definite response to whether I could fight against family and friends I would have to be put in that situation. There are also consequences to not fighting when your country requests that you go to war. So, the consequences would also be going through my mind at judgment time. A virtue can be argued that the virtue is that person. For example I hold a virtue of cleanliness and honestly something that is out of place or something that is an eye sore will irritate me to the point of fixing the mess. Almost every day at work I notice something out of place such as a wrapper on the floor or stain on someone’s desk. These examples bother me to the point of needing to resolve the problem. I believe a virtue can guide a person through their day-to-day life just like possessing morals. A strongly valued virtue is just as evident as someone with strong morals. Morals just like virtues can be practiced every day. However, we must practice virtuous acts regularly. After a while, these acts will become a habit and so the virtuous acts part of our everyday life and the person will be leading a life guided by his virtues. People who practice their virtues improve their skills and therefore become happier. According to Aristotle the person who struggles to acquire virtues is in the long run a better person and is much happier because of the extra hard work it took to acquire the virtue. By continuously practicing your respective virtues people will soon be acting in the right way based on the virtue the person is trying to master. I do not believe people are exclusively good or bad, but become good or bad according to their habits they develop throughout their lives. When a person learns how to use the virtues they become the characteristic of the person. A person who has learnt the virtue of generosity is often called a generous person because he or she acts in a manner that displays generosity in all situations. People are more likely to acquire virtues by observing others in our society. If we experience other people being kind to us and see the happiness it creates we are more likely to practice this virtue then if we were just told to practice it. Programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters help influence the younger generations so that they follow in the correct footsteps. Our virtues guide us to be the person we are and the person we ultimately want to be. Being virtuous can alter for the good, and the bad, a moral problem we may face throughout our lives. John Calvin’s work focused on individuals and how the individual could do nothing to ensure their own salvation. John Calvin’s line of thinking more closely relates to determinism. John relates to determinism because his theory is all about people not being able to freely guide their own salvation. Isaac Newton focused on nature and that the entire universe is governed by natural laws and because of this there is no freedom. Isaac Newton’s line of thinking more closely relates to determinism. If the universe is governed by natural laws then the ability to be free cannot exist. Also the fact that human beings are physical in nature makes people susceptible to natural law and therefore freedom is an illusion. Charles Darwin was a big believer in evolution and that everything evolves at different stages and only the fittest survive. Charles Darwin’s line of thinking more closely relates to determinism. I believe determinism is present because nature causes the evolution based on defined parameters. This theory provokes survival which is triggered by something else such as a weakness that evolution fixes. Karl Marx believed more about social character and how our actions are determined based on the economy and socially determined. Karl Marx’s line of thinking more closely relates to determinism. This theory identifies a cause such as economic struggle being the reason for a person’s situation. Everything is based on social classes and your class is determined at birth. Sigmund Freud explains that people are determined, even the unborn because of our unconscious minds. Sigmund Freud’s line of thinking more closely relates to determinism. I say determinism because a life is extremely influenced by their parents so the ability to freely make choices does not exist. A choice is more often the result of someone else’s influence. Lastly, Jean Paul Sartre to me is more of a realist because he discusses that people are born in to a situation and sometimes are unable to help their situation and social status. However, Jean Paul Sartre also believes people have a capacity to alter how they live. Jean Paul Sartre’s line of thinking more closely relates to freedom. After reading all these theories, I feel like Jean Paul Sartre’s theory is really the only theory that allows freedom of choices. Human beings from birth are placed in a class, but based on this theory all people have the ability to change their class or status. I believe justice is hard to pin-point because justice can be displayed in both ethically and unethically. Reliving an assignment I completed earlier talked about torture and whether or not I thought it was justified. I believe torture can stand on the same line as justice. However, I can also understand the opposite side saying torture is unethical no matter what form or fashion it is conducted. The elements of justice are open to interpretation and the consequence of justice is arguable. When implementing a form of justice there are always consequences to those actions. In order to fully understand the justice form you need to identify all angles of the decision. This is where the decision making becomes tricky because most people like to make a decision and run with it. However, you should always take a step back and weigh every possible decision and its outcome before implementing a decision. To better understand how a consequentialist works I will provide an example. For instance, if John Doe thought to himself one day that he was going to rob a bank he would most likely make a plan. First, John would try to decide if robbing the bank would even be worth it. Then John would scrutinize every aspect of the plan to ensure the best possible positive outcome. John would also attempt to predict the consequences of robbing the bank and failing because a consequentialist brings everything in to consideration. It is easy to identify the differences of right and wrong because everyone innately knows what is right and what is wrong. All human beings also have the ability to identify the consequence to our actions. Unfortunately people most generally act without thinking and therefore find themselves sitting on the wrong side of the law. This is when people find out how justice actually works.

Atlantis

Atlantis is the subject of a legend about an advanced island civilization that was destroyed or lost. I believe Atantis is located in Bolivia based on historical evidence, advanaced architecture, advanced adimttance to road systems, and clues found in the text Critias written by the ancient Greek philospher Plato. The historical evidence in Bolivia and Atalantis match up because both civilizations were wealth, and had advanced architectual buildings. â€Å"There is historical evidence they usesd advances architectural and agricultural techniques†¦ (http://boliviabella. com/history. html). In Critias:†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ they had such an amount of wealth†¦ and they were furnished with everything which they needed,both in the city and country†(paragraph 14). Having a great amount of wealth means the city was ran under a ruler that controlled the city, which had advanced more then other civilizations due to the amount of control the ruler had. The wealth of Atantis and Bolivia are a factor to its architecture. Both civilizations had similar advanced architecture from the materials the building were built from. In Critias:†All the outside of the temple, with the exception of the pinnacles, they covered with silver, and the pinnacles with gold†(paragraph 16). â€Å"Modern satellite mapping shows the plain, now called the Altiplano to be of rectangular configuration, perfectly level, enclosed on all sides by mountains and these mountains contained the metals which Plato told us about, namely gold, silver, copper, tin and the mysterious Orichalcum† (an alloy of gold and copper which occurs only in the Andes) and which Plato said were used to plate the walls of the circular city. The words â€Å"Atl† and â€Å"Antis† are themselves of native America origins meaning â€Å"water† and â€Å"copper† respectively and the plain is subject to earthquakes and floods such as Plato said sank the city in a single day and night of rainfall†(http://www. atlantisbolivia. org/atlantisboliviapart1. htm). The two qoutes show that both had acces to the same materials that were used for various reasons like architecture. The civilaztion was so advanced that they had a road stystem and other things we use today like bridges. â€Å"They created a system of roads,aqueducts and hanging bridges, some of which still exist today†(http://www. oliviabella. com/history. html). In Critias:†First of all they bridged over the zones of sea which surrounded the ancient metropolis, making a road to and from the royal palace†(paragraph 15). This qoute proves that Atlantis had bridges and roads which Bolivia also had early on in their civilazation. In conclusion, I believe that Atlantis is located in Bolivia based on historical evidence, advanced architecture, and advanced admittance to road systems. Clues provided by Plato in Critias his historical account of Atlantis were also found in Bolivia, that helped me lead to the conclusion that Bolivia is where Atlantis existed.

Monetary Policy and Its Impact on the Recession

Running head: MONETARY POLICY/MACROECONOMIC IMPACT PAPER Monetary Policy/Macroeconomic Impact Paper Heather Robinson University of Phoenix MMPBL 501 04/25/2010 Introduction The Federal Reserve Board (FED) utilizes tools to control or manipulate the money supply, these tools affect macroeconomic factors such as inflation, unemployment and interest rates, which ultimately determine a country’s GDP. To recommend the best monetary policy combination I will discuss the tools used by the feds, explain how money is created and also illustrate the effect of the money supply on the economy. It is the money supply which determines the rate of inflation, unemployment and economic growth. Tools Used by The Federal Reserve To Control Money Supply. The Fed has three main tools for controlling the money supply these are their Open Market Operations, The Discount Rate, and The Reserve Ratio. These tools can be used to alter the reserve ratios of the commercial banks which in turn determine the money supply. â€Å"The money supply consists of currency (Federal Reserve Notes and coins) and checkable deposits. The U. S. Burea of Engraving creates Federal Reserve notes and the U. S. Mint creates the coins. †(McConnell & Brue 2004) â€Å"By purchasing government bonds, (securities) the Fed increases the reserves of the banking system which then increase the lending ability of the commercial bank,†(McConnell & Brue 2004) and the money supply available. Selling bonds will also achieve the opposite results namely reduce the money supply by reducing the reserves of the bank. The central bank desires to be a lender of last resort. When the commercial bank borrows it gives the Fed a promissory note drawn against itself and secured by acceptable collateral. The Fed charges interest on the loans which is called the discount rate. The new reserve obtained by borrowing from the Fed immediately becomes excess reserves as no required reserve needs to be kept for loans received from the Fed. Thus by reducing the discount rate, commercial banks can be encouraged to borrow from the Fed which directly increases their excess reserves and their ability to lend, so the money supply is increased. The opposite can also be done to reduce the money supply. The Fed can also manipulate the reserve ratio as a means of affecting the ability of commercial banks to lend. If the Fed increases the reserve ratio the commercial bank is forced to reduce its checkable deposits in order to increase its reserves to the new minimum requirement. It might also be forced to sell some bonds in order to increase its required reserves, and both scenarios would result in a reduction of the money supply. By lowering the reserve ratio the commercial banks reserve is transformed into excess reserve which increases the banks capability of lending, which increases the money supply. â€Å"Interest rates in general rise and fall with the federal funds rate. The prime interest rate is the benchmark rate that banks use as a reference point for a wide range of interest rates on loans to business and individuals. † (McConnell & Brue 2004) Therefore when the Fed changes the discount rate it also changes the prime interest rate. A lower discount rate is passed on to consumers who then are able to obtain lower interest rates for mortgages and credit cards which increases their disposable income. This higher disposable income then results in more demand for goods and services which causes an increase in the supply of these goods to meet the increasing demand. Also an increase in the money supply and more money to lend by the banks result in more credit for businesses who are then able to purchase more materials to produce more or invest into the expansion of their businesses. The end result is that more goods and services are being produced as a result of the increase in money supply, which is beneficial to the country’s GDP. â€Å"In brief, the impact of changing interest rates is mainly on investment (and, through that, on aggregate demand, output, employment and the price level). Moreover investment spending varies inversely with the interest rate. †(McConnell & Brue 2004) The Creation of Money Money creation occurs in two main ways, the creation of base money, mostly currency notes created by the Federal Reserve. The second process involves checking account or deposit money created by commercial banks, which makes up most of the money supply. Base money is created when the Fed performs open market operations. The Fed injects money when it purchases Government securities, by creating it. Almost all money we come by has its basis in money that the Fed invented Once this money has been created approximately ten times as much can be created by banks in checking accounts and deposits. They accomplish this by granting loans to the public, a corresponding amount of checking account money is created with each new loan. So money is created when the money supply is increased. Using expansionary monetary policy, decreasing the reserve ratio and discount rates, or buying bonds and securities result in money being created. State of the Economy With regards to the U. S. conomy, it has â€Å"contracted further since the beginning of the recession, and the labor market worsened over the first half of 2009†. according to the published monetary policy report to the congress. (MPRC July 2009) Economic activity decreased sharply and strains in financial markets and pressures on financial institutions overall intensified. (MRPC July 2009. ) However the negative activity appears t o be abating, unemployment has continued to increase but at a slower pace, while inflation has been minimal. To date the credit conditions continue to be restrictive and it is still difficult for businesses and households to receive credit. The U. S. real gross domestic product (GDP) was less than the first quarter of 2009, though it seems that the† contraction of overall output looks to have moderated somewhat of late. â€Å"(MPRC July 2009). Consumer spending was increased due to the tax cuts and increases in various benefit payments received as part of a stimulus package, which increased disposable incomes. The housing market has experienced some stabilization in the demand for new houses after three years of persistent declines. Businesses however have continued to decrease their capital spending and liquidating of inventories due to reduced demand and excessive stocks. More recently foreign demand has also dropped for U. S. products which produced a reduction in U. S. exports and the U. S. demand for imports also fell. Concerns of the Federal Reserve and Directions of Recent Monetary Policy The Federal Reserve policy action has focused on facilitating economic recovery and encouraging the flow of credit, which brought the federal funds rate down to a historic low rate of zero to one quarter percent, and also purchased additional agency (MBS) mortgage backed securities. MPRC 2009) â€Å"Overall consumer price inflation which slowed sharply late last year remained subdued in the first half of this year, as the margin of slack in labor and product markets widened considerably further as prices of oil and other commodities retraced only a part of their earlier steep declines. †(MPRC2009)There is no effort to control inflation which seems to be under control so all emphasis is been placed on assisting the economy in recovering from the recession using monetary policies. In addition to reducing the federal funds rate and purchasing securities, the Fed continued to provide funding to financial institutions and markets using a variety of credit and liquidity facilities. Recent monetary policy actions include the decision of the Federal Open market Committee (FOMC), to expand its purchases of agency MBS and agency debt and to commence the purchasing of longer-term treasury securities to assist in improving the conditions in private credit markets. The fed also announced it will expand the eligible collateral under the TALF program, which is the recently launched Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility. In June 2009, at the FOMC meeting, the members of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and presidents of the Federal Reserve Banks provided projections for economic growth, unemployment and inflation, these projections included the expectation of â€Å"real GDP to bottom out in the second half of this year, and then move onto a path of gradual recovery, bolstered by an accommodative monetary policy, government efforts to stabilize financial markets, and fiscal stimulus. † (MPRC2009) It was also projected that conditions in the labor market would continue to eteriorate, and then improve slowly over the next two years, and inflation would remain subdued in 2010 and 2011. Recommended Monetary policy When trying to recover from a recession and stimulating economic growth it is possible to increase inflation due to the increase in money supply if the expansionary policies are prolonged. There has to be a balance which will reduce unemployment, deter inflation and ye t promote economic growth. Monetary policy has been the best choice to manipulate the money supply as it is flexible, prompt and isolated from political pressure. McConnell & Brue 2004) The Fed can utilize open market operations, discount rate and the reserve ratio to achieve a balance between inflation, economic growth and unemployment. If the expansionary monetary policies result in too much spending and increased inflation, it can be curbed by selling securities, or increasing the discount rate and reserve ratios of the commercial banks. In the University of Phoenix simulation, the scenarios represented opportunities to utilize monetary policies to curb inflation, unemployment and increase GDP. The solution was the effective manipulation of the discount rate, reserve ratio, and open market operations. What was noticeable was that when the money supply increased so did inflation, and the unemployment rate is inversely related to the GDP. When the GDP increased unemployment fell. Conclusion The three tools of monetary policy which include, open market operations, the discount rate and the reserve ratio are quite effective in the application of expansionary or restrictive monetary policies to combat recessions or curb inflation. Whenever the Fed lowers the discount rate or the reserve ratio they increase commercial banks lending which stimulates aggregate demand and investment. The most effective tool seems to be the open market operation which is utilized more frequently, as the Government buys and sells securities often to manipulate the commercial bank’s reserves. Monetary policy is most effective due to speed and flexibility, it is free from political pressure and can be quickly utilized to respond to inflation and unemployment, and to create economic growth. References Bankers Research Institute, The Wizards of Money Part 1: How Money Is created. Retrieved April 26, 2010 from http://www. altruists. org/static/files McConnell, C. & Brue, S. (2004). Economics: Principles, Problems, and Policies, 6th ed. McGraw-Hill Irwin. Monetary Policy Report to the Congress, July 21, 2009. Retrieved April 26, 2010 from http://www. federalreserve. gov/monetarypolicy/mpr_20090721_part1. htm University of Phoenix. (2010). Simulations Monetary Policy [Computer Software]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Simulation MMPBL 501 website.

Analysis of Health Club Market in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Analysis of Health Club Market in UK - Essay Example In the first part of the project, an industry analysis of the health club market in the United Kingdom will be done. In the next part, an opportunity and a threat analysis will be performed for the major players in the health club market of the United Kingdom. Finally, in the third part, the business strategies of these competitors will be described. There are a large number of health clubs operating in the United Kingdom. An industry analysis of the health club market will be done to understand the threat that these companies possess from one another. The industry analysis will be done using Porter’s Five Forces Model: Rivalry from Existing Firms - In an industry, there are a large number of competitors competing in order to achieve competitive advantage. The intensity of this competition is one of the major determinants of the industry analysis. The business strategies of a firm help it to distinguish from the competitors. The merger activities of the health clubs have increased the competition in the market. Whitbread Plc has acquired David Lloyd Leisure in the year 1995. Canon and First leisure have also merged their fitness and health clubs. The merger or acquisition of the companies helps in the market extension as well. Thus the threat from the competitors in the health and fitness industry is very high. A threat of New Entrants- If the existing market yields high return to the companies operating in the market, it attracts new entries. But the entry of the new firms results in the decrease in the profitability of all the firms operating there. If barriers are not provided to these new entrants, the profitability of the firms will show an abnormal decrease.  

Explain why you believe you should be accepted into the MAB graduate Personal Statement

Explain why you believe you should be accepted into the MAB graduate program in UGA - Personal Statement Example ecause of the role it plays in sustaining human life and, therefore, finding a long lasting solution to this problem will go a long way in making the human life sustainable. As a youngster, I realized that I dedicated much of my time to agriculture especially, crop production since my high school and undergraduate level and thus, I wish to take it a notch higher and pursue my MAB at your prestigious university. By undertaking MAB program, I believe I will go a long way in realizing my childhood dreams as well as the intimate passion I have for this program. In addition, the University of Georgia has everything that am looking for in pursuing the MAB program. This appealing program consists of components such as management, agribusiness marketing, and finance, which are requisites that can help me realize my long-term dreams. The components are vital in perfecting my practical experience and research skills. Apart from my mindset in crop production, I have a special interest in business and, therefore, the combination of the two i.e. agriculture and business will help me in realizing my dreams. Additionally, I believe MAB program will equip me with multivariate skills not only in agriculture field, but also in business. Production of crops in large scale is a vital to eliminating food shortage but producing the crops at a lower price is the greatest achievement that the world is striving to achieve. Therefore, I see MAB program as the key to finding solutions to these problems. I have learnt about agri-business especially the area of crop production during my childhood days. Additionally, I strongly believe that the program will facilitate both my long term and short term career aspirations. If given the opportunity to undertake this program, I believe that my strong motivation and aspiration in this field will not only benefit me but the world at large. The experience and skills I will learn from MAB program, will present me with the opportunity to be able to

Treaty of Versailles and World War II Coursework

Treaty of Versailles and World War II - Coursework Example Designed to ensure peace, the psychological effects on the German people as a result of these terms produced the opposite effect as Germany was tossed into economic ruin. The conventional wisdom has always been that it was the outcome of the Treaty of Versailles that created a political situation in which another war was almost inevitable. This conclusion is an example of the desire of humanity as a whole to reduce the most complex situations down to the simplest explanation. By insisently focusing on this one aspect of the history between the two world wars of the 20th century, the multiple lessons to be gained that could reduce that possibility of such a thing happening run the risk of not only being discounted but even denied. The complex mechanism of history that served to foment the unique conditions that led to World War II include factors as varied as the stock market crash of 1929 and its impact on the willingness of many to embrace extremist answers to crushing economic unce rtainty, as well as unexplained reluctances of the part of governments to recognize and control the growing threat of fascist authority and Germany's blatant violations of many tenets of the treaty. The substantial impact of the Treaty of Versaille should not be ignored, but under different circumstances it alone would probably not have been enough to create a situation of inevitability. What has become inevitable is that the terms of the treaty are blamed for creating economic fear and uncertainty in Germany that produced a psychological mindset in the nation that made them much more susceptible to the message of Hitler and the National Socialists. Lost admit this certainty of a correlation between divergent events, however, is that Germany was hardly alone in suffering devastating economic conditions during Hitler's ascension to power. The impact on the inevitability of World War II by the 1920 stock market crash thousands of miles away from Berlin cannot be underestimated (Redlich, 1999, p. 85). This event brought the boom market of the Roaring Twenties to an immediate halt not just in America, but around the world. While it is true that Germany suffered tremendously, so too were other major players in World War II affected. The greatest impact of the economic uncertainty engendered by the stock market collapse was not relegated to economic viability such as the inability to conduct necessary trade, but to political opportunism. The massive loss of jobs and income threw many people around the world into abject poverty, and with poverty comes despair, and with despair comes the willingness to look for an answer out. The Great Depression created the perfect opportunity for extremist or radical ideas to flourish. The 1930s saw the rise in power of proponents of both communism and fascism, each of whom promised a way out of hopelessness (Blum, 1998, p. 31). This hopelessness presented especially ripe opportunities for those who had been most devastating by the Treaty of Versailles and the loss of World War I. The fascists in Italy quickly gained support by appeals to nationalism by being quite capable of pointing the finger toward America and England as the cause of their misery. It was the rampant capitalism and the power of the banks and the blind greed that had thrown the world into turmoil. Promises of prosperity and the

Supply Chain Management College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Supply Chain Management College - Essay Example Tangible benefits include revenue growth, optimized inventory management, etc. Intangible benefits include improvement in quality, improvement in customer satisfaction, and enhanced customer and supplier techniques (Schonberger, 1997). Outsourcing is nothing but getting certain types of the company done by people who are not actually part of the company (Limitedmanagement.com). Usually, companies outsource certain specific works in which the company is not strong to people who are experts in that particular job. Outsourcing is not a new concept in SCM. Global sourcing is now a competitive requirement of doing business. This perceived survival imperative has created an extended supply chain, as to distance and time, which has a menu of supplier and logistics demands. Directing the supply chain, as to costs, performance, inventory, visibility, collaboration and integration is an imperative for corporate success (Limitedmanagement.com). Outsourcing in Supply Chain Management means outsourcing of services that traditionally have been provided in-house. The logic of this trend is that the company will increasingly focus on those activities in the value chain where it has a distinctive advantage and everything else it will outsource. Hence, strategic decisions need to be taken centrally with the monitoring and control of supplier performance and day-to-day liaison with logistics partners being best managed at a local level. A recent survey that was conducted on outsourcing revealed certain interesting facts as under (Craig, 2005): 42% outsource half or more of their supply chains. This is a significant percentage and shows the degree of outsourcing acceptance, development and penetration. While the function or activity is outsourced is broad, 59% outsource supplier management. It also shows recognition that supply chain importance and success begins with suppliers, who can be difficult to manage, especially those thousands of miles away. 56% import some or all of their finished products or materials. This also shows the expanding opportunities for outsourcing of offshore logistics. Failures in Outsourcing There may be failures in outsourcing with relevance to the Supply Chain Management. The reasons for these failures are as follows: Poor project design Lack of metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) Use of improper metrics or KPIs Not fulfilling expectations of either or both parties No clear lines of responsibility and accountability Inability to evolve the relationship from short term to long term and from static to dynamic (Craig, 2005). Risks involved in Outsourcing Risk and business are terms which are actually inseparable. Outsourcing is not an exclusion of this fact and there are yet certain ways in which these risks can be handled and mitigated. Quantifying and assigning risk is a crucial factor in outsourcing success. As part of this essay, the risks involved in outsourcing are discussed in two different perspectives, one from the buyer

Industrial ergonomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Industrial ergonomics - Essay Example Task analysis applies the use of ergonomic sciences. Ergonomics is the field of science that aims at creating tasks and tools that suit employees in their respective duties at the workplace. Ergonomics looks at the tasks, tools, machines, workplace layouts, and the entire organisation to determine their suitability for employees rather than employees fitting to these aspects of an organisation. Therefore, a clear understanding of task analysis plays a key role in assisting supervisors and managers in identifying ergonomic health hazards and creating solutions to eliminate such hazards. With proper measures in place, risks of cumulative trauma disorders, back pains and costs related to treatment of such disorders can be significantly reduced at workplaces (Deeb, 2004). According to Jonassen (1999), on the other hand, task analysis refers to systematic assessment of how tasks are accomplished. In task analysis, serious attention is given to task duration, task frequency, task complexity, task allocation, work environment, clothing and equipments, and employee fitness. Information obtained from task analysis is helpful in various areas within an organisation, which include designing of tools and equipments, selection and training of employees, designing of procedures, and automation within an organisation. Task analysis courses are available for managers, supervisors and persons working in ergonomic committees. People who undertake this course acquire training on conducting ergonomic task analysis by looking into how employees perform their duties, as well as formulating measures that adapt employees to their work. Different methods of task analysis exist, but for one to decide the most suitable method, a good understanding of the analysis to perform is required. There are five types of task analyses that are available that include job analysis, learning analysis, cognitive task analysis, content analysis, and activity analysis. Different

Aspects of Love in Love Songs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aspects of Love in Love Songs - Essay Example The song has many intriguing special moments in terms of perfect interchange of tempo crescendo and focuses in a way that creates harmony and musicality that makes the song all the more unique and rich in most aspects. The song employs very limited accompaniments and they are each uses rather sparingly appropriately to give the song a clear and prà ©cised feel. The beats, for instance, are specifically light and well-timed with the lyrics to embolden a tender sensation associated with love and romance.The song has a relatively slow romantic rhythm which gives it the completeness and allure associated with love and romance. The slow rhythm is also complementary to the lyrics as it ensures full clarity and heavy articulation that creates the theme of love in a more pronounced and precise way. Not only does it also allow the other accompaniments, especially the violin and acoustic guitar the full incorporation to result in an extremely rich and lulling effect associated with love but a lso ensures sensational and sharp blend that fully maps the lyrics and gives the song a theme so distinct, unique but obviously romantic. The song has a wonderful melody that captures the theme and rhythm in a way the lyrics are easily infused to fully enrich the song. The melody makes the song a little simple so as to easily bring the audience into the participation as it is performed. The accompaniments are a complete harmony with the rich acoustic tune of the guitar setting the stage for a soothing thatching hum of the violin.

Make up an FORMAL Cover Letter based on the Resume and the Job Essay

Make up an FORMAL Cover Letter based on the Resume and the Job Announcement - Essay Example My work experience has helped me develop skills that will be useful for this role. Over the previous two semesters, I worked as a lab assistant at the Immunology and Virology department at UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Here I was able to place orders for specimen and then prepare them for testing. I also took phone calls regarding lab results or just answering lab-related questions in general. In addition to my work experience, I have honed my leadership skills as a youth organizer at the Chinese Progressive Association. During my time there, I prompted community youth members to investigate toxic contamination causes in San Francisco and then developed their communication skills for the purpose of presenting their findings at the San Francisco Board of Supervisor’s meeting. My knowledge of Cantonese and Mandarin would be a valuable addition to your company. With many Chinese people immigrating to the United States, there will be a growing need to cater for the Chinese drug and medicine market. My knowledge of these two languages will, in my opinion, make me an excellent candidate for this position. It would be an honor to work for your company. I am available for an interview at a time of your choosing. My contact information is listed below if you need to reach me to discuss this position further. Thank you for your time and

The Interprofessional Working Environment with Vulnerable Adult with Essay

The Interprofessional Working Environment with Vulnerable Adult with Learning Disabilities - Essay Example As individuals, health practitioners and society are informed, take concern and progressive actions, various professional groups backed by government institutions and private ones are assigned either by choice or by obligation to individuals that need the help and assistance to lead a healthy, normal productive life. This study would try to delineate the current status of interprofessional working condition with regards to government programs and support, public and private agenda and contributions, as well as the actual process, problems and situations involved in being an occupational therapist with a vulnerable adult with learning difference. Occupational therapists (OTs) work with individuals with mental, physical, emotional or developmental disabilities to help them improve their ability to do everyday tasks at home and at work (BLS, 2005) with the goal to make clients have independent, productive, healthy and satisfying lives. The Deaprtment of Health through the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom provide for the necessary support in order to attain a holistic output in all efforts undertaken by both the health and social services sector. As the agency mutate and change over time adopting new policies and programs and discarding those which they deemed outmoded and outdated, professional groups from various agencies are hauled in the scene altogether. Pietroni (1994) described inter-working professional relations developed through hospital teamwork among surgical teams and mental health teams. But the Community Care Act further required social care assessment so that team membership became extended to psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and most recently, music and art therapists. But also a part of the growing network are from education, housing, court solicitors, voluntary and private sectors (Kingdon, 1992). Stott (1995) observed that by 1990s, the practice-based primary care in the UK have developed into a continuing and comprehensive care that shifted away from the personal doctor. West (1994) added that challenge is already focused to continuing personal care as well as achieving effective teamwork through shared vision, objectives and protocols. The 28 Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) were introduced in 2002 that led to strategic developments that disbanded former health authorities and also underlined a major NHS issue which is constant change (Leathard, 2003). So that with this preconception, change has been equated to policies and legislations that affect health and social care since. As agencies and professionals with differing background and duties come together to handle individuals with special needs such as vulnerable adults with learning disabilities, a work environment is changed. Many believe that evaluation is still much needed but more also support his integration of different professionals. In a study conducted by Fawcett (2002), it was indicated that among 183 adults who self-reported learning disabilities, over 60 percent admitted that the disabilities persist into adult life. This is prevailing notion as well as a fact that beseech individuals with LD. Here, occupational

Assessing ecosystem health Essay Example for Free

Assessing ecosystem health Essay The simple summary of the article is shown below.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Metaphors drawn from human health can be applied in environmental assessment at ecosystem levels; hence the concept of ecosystem medicine may also be appropriate in trying to understand the environment.   By using metaphors one can understand a difficult concept into more known terms since a comparison as to what is common in medicine and in ecosystem. Human use science but they employ art also in appreciating and studying things. As a necessary consequence of using arts or even science   errors in treatment could also happen as there could also be cased of false alarms in diagnosing the environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But for a successful application of the medical concepts in ecosystem, there could be a need have a greater-defined taxonomy of ecosystems to afford a better correlations and analysis of the different variables involved in ecosystems. Taxonomy will allow more definitions of technical terms in ecosystems which could be used by scientists and scholars to make a thorough investigation and analysis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The health status of ecosystems in turn could also serve a good barometer to assess the present status or health of the environment. This must be so since the better the ecosystem , the better the environment. Question: 2.    Write a review of Section 1 (p-15: Introduction) and also indicate important points which the author has talked about to be discuss in the paper; any critique; anything missing?   Any important information we get from this section?   Any interesting thing we get from this section, and do we really find it in the following section? The simple introduction is shown below.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author is saying that whatever the ecosystem now suffers is partly caused by human activity.   He is using a metaphor to convey his message.   That the environment’s health must also be determined like that of a human individual.   Like a human being who is subject to stress, the author illustrates that the ecosystem also suffers from effects of various stresses.   He cited as examples of stresses the following: harvesting, introduction of exotic species, generation of waste residuals, physical restructuring, and even extreme natural events which affect the environment. Question 3.   Write a review of Section 2 (p-16: Ecosystem: a nebulous concept?)   What do we learn from this Section?   What has author tried to communicate and how successful he has been to communicate?   And also indicate the significance of this section related to this article, if you see any critique to this section then write it with a complete logic? Is ecosystem a nebulous concept?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author is saying that while others my think that term ‘ecosystems’ may be indefinite of meaning   because   of difficulty of delimiting boundaries on the basis of conventional observations.   Ecosystems are not isolated, but intimately connected, or nested within adjacent or larger systems as seen in the continuum from rivers to lakes; from estuaries to the sea; from the sea to the worlds ocean.   The author agrees that for management and assessment, ecosystem constitutes a relevant macro-level unit for describing the environment (Rowe, 1961, 1989; Bird Rapport, 1986).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     The author is very clear in describing the ecosystems as a dynamic, complex, and open systems that are in constant change over ecological, evolutionary, and geological time (Rapport Regier, 1992), and such they exhibit chameleon-like properties; that is, they might exist in a number of alternative forms, the particular composition being very much influenced by internal dynamics and by interactions with neighboring systems (Holling, 1985; Rapport Regier, 1992). Question 4.   Write a review of Section 3 (p-16: Towards an Ecosystem Health Model) what do we learn from this Section?   What has author tried to communicate and how successful he has been to communicate?   And also indicate the significance of this section related to this article, if you see any critique to this section then write it with a complete logic? The quest for understanding leads to quest for having health ecosystem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author is saying that in the quest for a more comprehensive understanding of the process of ecosystem breakdown and recovery, he has come to think that humans are engaged in some form of ecosystem medicine (Rapport et al., 1979).   He said that introducing the medical metaphor suggests that, like physicians, ecosystem practitioners are in need of systematic procedures by which to recognize illness, devise protocols to rule-in or rule-out possible causes, and prescribe treatment. (Rapport, 1992) (Paraphrasing made)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When it comes to treatment, medicine suggests several options: following internal medicine, ecosystems may be treated by regulating the blood chemistry of the system; following surgery, ecosystems may be treated by wholesale physical and biological restructuring.   The latter may involve both removal of undesirable elements and introduction (grafting) of desirable ecosystem components. I should hasten to add that we are concerned here with the application of scientific methodologies developed in medicine in order to assess the state of ecosystem health.   In so doing I neither subscribes to the view that ecosystems can be considered as organisms (for clearly there are not not not not substantive differences in both the mechanisms and degree of integration as well as in the dynamics of these two systems) nor do I suggest.   (Rapport, 1992) (Paraphrasing made) Question 5.   Write a review of Section 4 (p-17: The subjective nature of health assessments) what do we learn from this Section?   What has author tried to communicate and how successful he has been to communicate?   And also indicate the significance of this section related to this article, if you see any critique to this section then write it with a complete logic? Subjectivity is employed in assessing the ecosystem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author is equating the subjective judgment used in health assessment as to what is being done in assessing the ecosystem.   He said that clearly, in many cases, the diagnosis and treatment of sickness also uses gut feel or hunches in addition to the scientific way..   Inevitably, there enters a degree of subjectivity in evaluating the health status of an individual or an ecosystem. (Rapport, 1992) (Paraphrasing made)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author mentioned some ecosystem transformations that are made without recourse to societal values or limitations of scientific understanding and cited as example the demise of the forest downwind of a smelter.   Nevertheless, he admits that more frequently   social value-judgments and the limitations of science appear   to mix as a form of art.   The author gave as an example the conversion to plantations of radiata pine (Pinus radiata) of highly diversified indigenous forests in New Zealand, where there are opposing view between conservationists and foresters. (Rapport, 1992) (Paraphrasing made) Question 6.   Write a review of Section 5 (p-18: Early Warning Signs of Pathological Ecosystems) what do we learn from this Section? What has author tried to communicate and how successful he has been to communicate?   And also indicate the significance of this section related to this article, if you see any critique to this section then write it with a complete logic?   (This section should cover all sub sections of the main section, one by one) Early warning signs of pathological ecosystems have obstacles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author mentioned three obstacles in providing early warning of ecosystem pathology and they are: Firstly, basic processes such as nutrient cycling and primary productivity, is highly cyclical and irregular, varying from year to year, seasonally and diurnally.   Such variability and seemingly random behavior raises havoc with detection of the onset of much pathology that beset aquatic ecosystems. Secondly, early symptoms of ecosystem degradation may be missed or discovered only after pathology is well advanced. Thirdly, false alarms are easily sounded owing to a still far from adequate understanding of the long-term dynamic behavior of ecosystems. Ecosystems have common systems of degradation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Under section 5.1 on â€Å"Health indicators at the ecosystem level,† the  author is discussing the identification of common symptoms of ecosystem degradation.   These common symptoms are termed the ecosystem distress syndrome (Rapport et al., 1985) and characterize a large number of ecosystems under stresses of various types.   The author citing Rapport, 1991, said that with reference to aquatic ecosystems, the ecosystem distress syndrome comprises the following symptoms: (1) alteration in biotic community structure to favor smaller forms; (2) reduced species diversity; (3) increased dominance by r selected species; (4) increased dominance by exotic species; (5) shortened food-chain length; (6) increased disease prevalence; and (7) reduced population stability. (Rapport, 1992) (Paraphrasing made) Like human diseases, ecosystems have risk factors, too.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Under section 5.2   on â€Å"Ecosystem risk factors,† the author   Ã‚  supports the idea of identification of individuals at risk for certain types of diseases, as those found in coronary disease, which will shift man’s attention from treating illness to prevention.   The author argues that using the same principle of identifying risk in ecosystem, prevention of the ecosystem’s degradation could be prevented. (Rapport, 1992) (Paraphrasing made)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He believes that this approach works best where a single dominant stress acts to transform ecosystems, such as may occur in the process of eutrophication or acidification of aquatic ecosystems.   He said that much is known about the actions of these two stresses and the vulnerabilities of the recipient aquatic systems (e.g., Minns et al., 1990). He then argued that combining the findings from case studies of impacts of such specific stresses on ecosystems with the knowledge of current stress loadings and sensitivities of recipient ecosystems enables one to arrive at an ecosystem level risk assessment. (Rapport, 1992) (Paraphrasing made)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He was able to cite the development of various factor analyses similar to the manner in which risks of coronary disease are now assessed in ecosystem health evaluations. He cited the work of Minns et al. (1990) who have examined the impact of acid precipitation on the loss of fish species in vulnerable eastern Canadian lakes. (Rapport, 1992) (Paraphrasing made)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With these studies the author is really looking forward for the prevention of ecosystem’s degradation. Validation of treatment for ecosystem is a problem, too.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Under section 5.3 on â€Å"Validation of treatment† the author also talks of validation of treatment which is considered the bottom line for medical practitioners. This premised on the idea that once an illness has been diagnosed, the question turns squarely to the most effective treatment. Treatment validation provides a basis for selection among alternative procedures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In applying the medical terminology to the ecosystem, the author said that success rates for a given treatment cannot be evaluated without factoring out the influences of the other stress factors. He cited an example the evaluation of the effectiveness of harvesting regulations on restoring seal populations in the Baltic Sea. He said that it is necessary to take into account impairments to seal reproductive success owing to the presence of PCBs and related toxic substances (Helle et al., 1976). Here, just as in human medicine, he said, â€Å"we have the need to develop methodologies to factor out co-morbidities.†Ã‚   He mentioned the need for a far better taxonomy of ecosystem ills than we presently have. He said that one currently may describe ecosystem pathologies in terms of air pollution damage to forests, eutrophication of aquatic systems, acidification of aquatic and terrestrial systems, etc. but he said that these are very rudimentary categories. He therefore suggested that for each of these classifications there are many finer subdivisions which need to be categorized before one can readily compare case histories. (Rapport, 1992) (Paraphrasing made) Question 7. Write a review of Section 6 (p-21: Reporting on the state of environment from an ecosystem health perspective) what do we learn from this Section? What has author tried to communicate and how successful he has been to communicate? And also indicate the significance of this section related to this article, if you see any critique to this section then write it with a complete logic? Environment could be seen from the health of the ecosystems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author is trying to make a picture of the environment on the basis of the status of the ecosystem. He cited Canada as having subdivided its land areas into 15 ecozones, defined on the basis of Physiographic, vegetation type, soils/surface materials, climate, and human use. He reported that the forests of most ecozones are impacted by a combination of natural and cultural stresses (particularly in the Montaine Cordillera, Boreal Shield, and Atlantic Maritime ecozones). Included in the stresses is fire, insects and diseases, over-harvesting, conversion of forests to agriculture, construction of transportation and utility corridors, air pollution, and climate-induced stresses such as red belt and wind throw.   He then cited the relationship of increase disease in ecosystems which are more stressed. (Rapport, 1992) (Paraphrasing made)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The author also mentioned that the other sections of the 1986 Canadian State of Environment Report relate to aquatic ecosystems, both the Laurentian Great Lakes and other Inland Waters, as well as the three marine systems (Atlantic, Pacific and Northern). He also cited that the major stresses affecting these ecosystems include: over-harvesting, construction of dams and diversions, contaminants (including toxic substances), and the purposeful or accidental introduction of exotic species (particularly in the Great Lakes and inland waters). Further, in all but the Northern marine ecosystems, land use change (particularly the drainage of wetlands for agricultural and recreational purposes) and sewage inflows added significant additional stress. (Rapport, 1992) (Paraphrasing made) Question 8. What do we understand from the Conclusions written on p-23, are they appropriate; any critique; any thing missed in conclusion; any thing over emphasized. The simple conclusion could be done as shown below.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We understand from the conclusion that ecosystem behavior under stress is complex and processes leading to degradation and recovery are only partially understood, nonetheless, ecosystem medicine is coming of age at least as a conjectural art. There therefore many challenges along the way. There also a combination of objective and subjective criteria is called into play in rendering judgments as to the health of ecosystems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another thing that   I did understand in the conclusion is that in talking about assessing the ecosystem from a point of view need not involve or borrow concepts from the medical sciences to understand the system but that the author argues that use of the metaphor suggests more systematic approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of ecosystem ills, underscores the importance of validation of remedial action interventions, and draws attention to the inherent subjective nature of health assessments. Further, the metaphor provides a language in which the concern for ecosystem health becomes a natural extension of the concern for individual health The conclusions drawn are appropriate and does not in any way insist that understanding how to manage the ecosystem be necessarily made reference to the medical science field.   It could be made from different points of view and the advantage of using a field of study to bring out the issues via use of metaphor may contribute much to information campaign. Question 9.   Is this article helpful in planning and managing environment, if yes how?   If no, why? What is the relevance of the article in planning and management of the environment?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     I believe this article is helpful in planning and managing environment.   Different persons belong to different professions and different professions have their own languages.   By using metaphor in medicine to discuss ecosystem and the environment, would be getting the member of the medical profession to understand the issues more clearly and to get their support for the cause of the environment Question 10.   Is the title appropriate, if yes WHY?   if no then suggest some other title, and also justify the title with a logical reasoning. How show the article be titled appropriately?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The title evaluating ecosystem health seems not to include treatment on ecosystem treatment.   Since it talks also of treatment the title could be modified as â€Å"Evaluating and Maintaining the Ecosystem’s Health.†Ã‚   By simply saying evaluating it the discussion on treatment should not have been part. Reference: Bird, P. M. D. J. Rapport, 1986. State of the Environment Report for Canada. Ministry of Supply and Services.263 pp. Helle, E., M. Olsson S. Jensen, 1976. PCB levels correlated with pathological changes in seal uteri. Ambio 5: 261263. Holling, C. S., 1985. Resilience of ecosystems local surprise and global change. In: T. F. Malone J. G. Roederer (eds), In Global Change, pp. 292317. Cambridge Univ.Press, Cambridge. Minns, C. K., J. E. Moore, D. W. Schindler M. L. Jones, 1990. Assessing the potential extent of damage to inland lakes in eastern Canada due to acidic deposition. 1V. Predicted impacts on species richness in seven groups of aquatic biota. Can. J. Fish Aquat. Sci. 47: 821830. Rapport, D. J., A. M. Friend, 1979. Towards a comprehensive framework for environmental statistics: a stressresponse approach. Statist. Can., Ottawa. Rapport, D. J., H. A. Regier, 1992. Disturbance and stress effects on ecological systems. In: B. C. Patten S. E. Rapport, D. J., 1991. Myths in the foundations of economics and ecology. Biol. J. Liimean Soc. 44: 185202. Rapport, D. J., H. A. Regier T. C. Hutchinson, 1985. Ecosystem behaviour under stress. Amer. Natur. 125: 617640. Rapport, D., (1992), Evaluating ecosystem health, Journal of Aquatic Ecosystem Health, M. Munawar (ed.), Assessing Aquatic Ecosystem Health: Rationale, Challenges, and Strategies. KluwerAcademic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands Rowe, J. S., 1961. The level of integration concept and ecology. Ecology 42(2): 420427. Rowe, J. S., 1989. Implications of the Brundtland Commission Report for Canadian forest management. Forestry

Cult Of Domesticity Slave Narratives English Literature Essay

Cult Of Domesticity Slave Narratives English Literature Essay Slave narratives give an account of the physical brutality and deprivation that many slaves were forced to endure; slave narrators ultimately write his or her self into an existence recognized by dominant American society. The author illustrates the way he/she overcomes the slaveholding societys continuing attempts to destroy his/her identity; concurrently, the narrator also rewrites that identity to fit the dominant cultures norms, despite the fact that these norms tend to conflict with his/her own experiences during slavery. Male slave narratives have ultimately highlighted on heroic male slaves, not on their wives, daughters or sisters; for a female her relationships as a daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend would ultimately demonstrate her womanliness and her shared roles with white women readers (who do not need to contest their womanliness). The many different choices Linda has made throughout her life including her attempt to free herself from her masters moral degradati on, her relationship with Mr. Sands, her strategy for saving her children, and her concealment is how she illustrates to her reader the ways in which she has strived to live up to their standards. Ultimately, Linda Brent is caught between the vile, abusive practices of slavery and the idealized cult of domesticity. By focusing almost entirely on the narratives of male slaves, critics have left out half the picture. Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is representative of African American Orr 2 womens literary tradition, or of a feminine model of identity formation. It is safe to say that both male and female slave narratives strove to counter racial stereotypes; it is also safe to say that black men and women however faced very different stereotypes. Black slave men fought against the stereotype that were boys (transition to manhood as in Douglass) while black women struggled to defend the idea that they were either helpless victims or whores. For a male fugitive, public discourse was a way in which he would declare his place and identity among men. The form in which Jacobs narrative is written is a direct result of gender differences among men and women. Because women slave narrators were held hostages to the nineteenth-century ideal of the cult of domesticity which demanded a standard of feminine purity that slavery denied them, they were excluded from the public discourse of their stories in the dominant culture that publicly insisted on the cult of pure womanhood. Her primarily white readership at the time insisted that women should choose death before dishonor; they would not recognize so-called mothers of children who were bastards. Harriet Jacobs could not demonstrate to her primarily white female readership how she had been the perfect wife or mother that the cult of domesticity demanded but she emphasizes the ways in which she strove to meet those same demands given her peculiar position. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl present the authors confession of what her readers might consider a sin-ridden past and a justification of her motives to a potentially disapproving readership. Northern white women could have possibly identified with the female slave in times of hardship and may have even made allowances for her behavior under duress, however, Jacobs appears to take for granted that her readers will apply to Linda Brent the moral standards that were imposed upon them. She emphasizes, Slavery is terrible for men; but it is far more terrible Orr 3 for women. Superadded to the burden common to all, they have wrongs, and sufferings, and mortifications peculiarly their own.(119) She calls attention to that of female slaves who suffered horrible mental tortures and humiliation such as sexual harassment and the loss of their children. Jacobs mentions numerous examples of Dr. Flints behavior as proof of the corrupting power of slavery and its negative effects especially on the female slaves maternal and womanly experiences. Dr. Flint batters Brents purity of mind with constant insinuations and harassment; he built a cottage in the field for her to live in but she refused him. If she had accepted his offer, her life would have been spent undergoing more of his foul insults and sexual abuse. Her decision to become a mother was a direct result of Dr. Flints constant sexual advances. Linda admits that she accepted Mr. Sands advances toward her as, deliberate calculation. She states: But, O, ye happy women, whose purity has been sheltered from childhood, who have been free to choose the objects of your affection, whose homes are protected by law, do not judge the poor desolate slave girl too severely! If slavery had been abolished, I, also could have married the man of my choiceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I wanted to keep myself pure; and under the most adverse circumstances, I tried hard to preserve my self respect; but I was struggling alone in the powerful grasp of the demon slavery; and the monster proved too strong for me. (83-84) Since, Flint denied Brent marriage to a free black man and refused to sell her to anyone, Brent knew that she would never be allowed a traditional home and family therefore not achieving the proper standards of white women. If Linda had the choice to love and marry whom she pleased then, she would gladly take it. But the fact remains she does not. Through her relationship with Mr. Sands she gains some control over her body; if she cannot marry whom she pleases then at least she can choose with whom she will reproduce. By choosing Sands as a lover and father to Orr 4 her children, Brent went against the ideal image of womanhood and instead dealt with the position she was in. Jacobs writes about Mr. Sands: I felt grateful for his sympathy, and encouraged by his kind words.   It seemed to me a great thing to have such a friend.   By degrees, a more tender feeling crept into my heart.   Of course I saw whither all this was tending, I knew the impassable gulf between us; but to be an object of interest to a man who is not married, and who is not her master, is agreeable to the pride and feelings of a slave, if her miserable situation has left her any pride or sentiment. It seems less degrading to give ones self, than to submit to compulsion.   There is something akin to freedom in having a lover who has no control over you, except that which he gains by kindness and attachment. (Jacobs 84) She made the choice to willingly give up her virginity outside of marriage; an action that is completely against traditional moral codes. Brent recognizes that it is through her right to choose that a woman gains moral integrity, not through the physical virginity with which the choice is associated. She chooses Sands to upset Dr. Flint in hopes of being free from his sexual advances and to also possibly secure her freedom and that of future children; Of a man who was not my master I could ask to have my children well supported; and in this case, I felt confident I should obtain the boon. I also felt quite sure that they would be made free. (85-86) While attempting to embrace the ideals of womanhood, Brent is able to recognize and disregard the standards that cannot be applied and established for her. She says: Pity me, and pardon me, O virtuous reader! You never knew what it is to be a slave; to be entirely unprotected by law or custom; to have the laws reduce you to the condition of a chattel, entirely subject to the will of another. You never exhausted your ingenuity in avoiding the snares, and eluding the power of a hated tyrant; you never shuddered at the sound of his footsteps, and trembled within hearing of his voice. I know I did wrongà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Still, in looking back calmly, on the events of my life, I feel that the slave woman ought not to be judged by the same standard as others. (Jacobs 86) This statement declares that other women have no right to criticize Brent for revealing her sexual history unless they have walked in her shoes and been witness to all she has endured. Orr 5 Furthermore, Jacobs argues, that the audience cannot possibly understand what she has been through. The quote is directed to the white female audience and suggests that particularly female slaves should not be judged according to the moral standards of everyone else. Nevertheless, Brent is constantly trying to live up to the cult of true womanhood by attempting to find ways to secure the freedom of her two children. Jacobs emphasizes her narrators maternal emotions towards her children; motherhood depicted in the narrative is significant because it is a strong connection between herself and her readers and, most importantly, one that goes above race and social status. In presenting the life of the slave mother as one of constant misery and pain, Jacobs earn the sympathy of her readers and motivates them to focus on her maternal experience as the reason behind her desire to be free. Lindas actions are mostly determined by the effect they will have on her children and their future liberation. Many female slaves were incapable of keeping their families together but Brent converted her body from a position of exploitation to a vehicle of resistance when she challenged the authority of the slave master and worked to liberate her children. Jacobs write s, My thoughts wandered through the dark past, and over the uncertain future. Alone in my cell, where no eye but Gods could see me, I wept bitter tears. How earnestly I prayed to him to restore me to my children, and enable me to be a useful woman and a good mother! (202). Lindas calculated advantage of being with Mr. Sands was not enough to secure the liberation of her children and her escape from Flints pursuit. Significantly, Linda takes actions that promote the well-being of her children constantly throughout the narrative. She devises a plan to hide in the garret to protect the love she has for her children; she removes her physical body in order to safeguard them. Most importantly, Linda never seriously takes into consideration running away to the North without her children. Her Orr 6 flight is always understood as a necessary precaution for the betterment of their lives and sacrificing her physical and emotional intimacy with them is crucial in order to achieve her ultimate goal: their emancipation. The ending of the narrative was startling. Freedom was gained from none other than Mrs. Bruce who bought the freedom of the children and Linda. Mrs. Bruce is a very significant character in the narrative and stands as a role model of courage and political activism for the audience. She is also an example of a white woman who uses her own motherhood to help that of a slave. The narrative ends with the quote: Reader, my story ends with freedom; not in the usual way, with marriage. I and my children are now free! We are as free from the power of slave holders as are the white people of the north; and though that, according to my ideas, is not saying a great deal, it is a vast improvement in my condition. (Jacobs 302) By stating this, she is explicitly referring to the ideal of the cult of true womanhood. Even though Brent succumbs to the values of her readers she, however, resists their authority to judge her by those values. She makes a significant point about values and life situations; that is, not everyone can be judged by the same standards and points out the ways in which womanhood and motherhood are corrupted by slavery itself. Brents story does not end in the conventional feminine way; the narrative ends, not with a solitary speaker, but with a woman gratefully acknowledging her bonds to her children and friends, bonds that were freely chosen. Jacobs primarily female white readership may have been sympathetic to her pseudonym Lindas struggles to secure the unity of her family, to show extensive sexual encounters between slave and master, and to display the inhumane institution of slavery itself but instead the narrative was written in a trial by jury format (white women being the jury, and Brents life Orr 7 being the trial). By calling upon her fellow women and mothers to be witnesses to her life as a, poor desolate slave girl she challenges them to understand that she could not emulate the standards that were imposed upon white women at the time; in her own way she proved herself to be a worthy woman and mother even if it did not end with marriage.

Essay --

Virginia Lash Professor Leedom Earliest Christianity December 2013 Nag Hammadi Library In 1945, two unsuspecting brothers stumbled upon a jar that contained thirteen ancient codices, or texts, in Upper Egypt that had been hidden away for centuries. Their discovery would reshape the world's understanding of religion in more ways than one. These codices, later referred to as the Nag Hammadi library, enlightened the world about an ancient movement known as Gnosticism. In addition, this library revealed itself to be the source that countless scholarly works had referred to for centuries. This chance unearthing has brought much attention and debate to the subjects of earliest Christianity and Gnosticism and its significance in the ancient world, The Nag Hammadi library brought forth a new understanding of Gnosticism, a way to reassess religions in the ancient world, and a new perspective on early Christianity. The unbelievable discovery and analysis of the Nag Hammadi Library also brings a sense of hope, faith that in time more historical discoveries will come about and we will be further enlightened about our pasts, and therefore further prepared for our future. The discovery of the Nag Hammadi library was an odd one. Two brothers Muhammad Ali al-Samman and Abu al-Majd were digging around the cliffs of Al-Oasr for a valuable fertilizer. As they were searching they came across a jar, hoping they had struck gold, the brothers smashed the jar open and instead of being filled with ancient treasures, the contents revealed themselves to be â€Å"thirteen books containing fifty-three texts, a total of 1,153 pages These books turned out to be an astonishing find with significant impact. They were found to be ancient mostly gnostic texts... ...put it â€Å"it helped liberate Gnosticism from the predominantly negative aura that surrounded it. It could be examined as a movement in its own right and on its own terms† . The discovery had a significant impact on how the modern world now viewed the previously unknown and misunderstood movement that was Gnosticism. The unearthing of these texts sparked a new interest in finding out what Gnosticism and how the early Christian Church operated. The texts provided the world a map showing the different perspectives and the lively debates that were happening around the Roman Empire. It showed how the ancient world was a very diverse place when it came to the different sects of all the religions. The Nag Hammadi Codices show how the Gnostics were truly part of that debate circulating their own works with what they thought was the truth, which others had deigned a heresy.

Affirmitive Action in California :: essays research papers

Affirmative Action in California   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Affirmative action has been the subject of increasing debate and tension in our society. Affirmative action has divided political parties, communities and campuses across the nation. The basis behind affirmative action is that because of past discrimination and oppression, such as the unequal treatment of women, and the enslavement of African Americans, minorities and women have difficulty competing with their white male counterparts. Tax breaks for home buyers may not be wrong but what is wrong are those who take advantage of all kinds of breaks for themselves while denying affirmative action for the most oppressed of society. The government runs many programs to increase opportunities for various groups including women, racial and ethnic minority groups. Affirmative action is necessary to ensure the recruitment and employment of women, minorities, people with disabilities, and Vietnam veterans. Affirmative action is a term, which refers to a variety of efforts u sed by employers and educational institutions to overcome past and continuing discrimination in order to allow qualified women and minorities to compete equally for jobs, education, and promotional opportunities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When talking about affirmative action, there is a common misconception between meeting quota and satisfying goals. A quota is a number that must be achieved. Consequently, if a company fails to show it has made an effort toward following this quota the company can be fined. This is every different from an affirmative action goal. A goal is a flexible percentage, which is established by the company to achieve a diverse workforce. The percentage is based on the availability of minorities and females in the area. One of the goals is to make sure that many people are made aware of job openings as possible to ensure that the applicant pool is reflective of the number of people, who are qualified. To accomplish this, employers place advertisements in different types of journals, including journals for women and minorities. Goals and timetables encourage the hiring of members of women and minority groups. Before affirmative action, companies did not post their jobs on bu lletin boards. Somebody just happened to know someone who needed a job and the job was filled. That person was not always the best-qualified person for the job. How can a company possibly tell if it is hiring the best people if they only consider a small portion of the population? One cannot assume that all the white males out there are naturally qualified and all the minorities and women are given breaks because they could not possibly be qualified.

The Murder of Rasputin Essay -- Russia Russian Revolution History

Rasputin was an important figure in the Russian Revolution. His acclaimed magical powers helped lessen the symptoms of poor Alexei's hemophilia, an awful condition in which the blood doesn't clot. Because Alexei was the heir to the Romanof throne, Tsar Nicholas II and Alexandra were in a stressful situation. They gave Rasputin certain powers that people were jealous of. The aristocrats could not stand a peasant in such a high position. Peasants could not stand the rumors that the tsarina was sleeping with such a weirdo because he had a reputation for being a pervert. Rasputin was seen as a pest who was ruining Russia. To save the monarchy from revolutions, assassins were assigned to murder Rasputin. On the night of December 17, 1916, they tried to kill Rasputin. The plan was simple. Yet on that historic night, they found that Rasputin would be very difficult to kill. Rasputin was invited to a dinner party. A man named Felix was supposed to poison his food and drink. He put poisonous chemicals in his wine and laced it on his pastries but Rasputin ate and drank w... The Murder of Rasputin Essay -- Russia Russian Revolution History Rasputin was an important figure in the Russian Revolution. His acclaimed magical powers helped lessen the symptoms of poor Alexei's hemophilia, an awful condition in which the blood doesn't clot. Because Alexei was the heir to the Romanof throne, Tsar Nicholas II and Alexandra were in a stressful situation. They gave Rasputin certain powers that people were jealous of. The aristocrats could not stand a peasant in such a high position. Peasants could not stand the rumors that the tsarina was sleeping with such a weirdo because he had a reputation for being a pervert. Rasputin was seen as a pest who was ruining Russia. To save the monarchy from revolutions, assassins were assigned to murder Rasputin. On the night of December 17, 1916, they tried to kill Rasputin. The plan was simple. Yet on that historic night, they found that Rasputin would be very difficult to kill. Rasputin was invited to a dinner party. A man named Felix was supposed to poison his food and drink. He put poisonous chemicals in his wine and laced it on his pastries but Rasputin ate and drank w...

Math Project

Name: Math Manisa No. : 10740 Project 2 Regression Line The following table shows (for the years 1965 to 2000 and for people 18 and over) the total percentage of cigarette smokers, the percentage of males who are smokers, and the percentage of females who are smokers. Percentage of Smokers _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Year Total Population All Males All Females _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 965 42. 4 51. 9 33. 9 1974 37. 1 43. 1 32. 1 1979 33. 5 37. 5 29. 9 1983 32. 35. 1 29. 5 1985 30. 1 32. 6 27. 9 1987 28. 8 31. 2 26. 5 1990 25. 5 28. 22. 8 1992 26. 5 28. 6 24. 6 1993 25. 0 27. 7 22. 5 1995 24. 7 27. 22. 6 2000 23. 3 25. 7 21. 0 Part one 1)Using Excel, draw a Scatter Plot and generate a regression line for the percentages of males who are smokers versus time. Part two 1) The Regression Line for the Percentage of Males who are smokers is (just copy the equation from your Excel spread sheet ) Y= -0. 7766X+1575 2).By the model in 1), the percentage of Males who are smokers in the year 2002 is: 20. 85=21% 2) Using Excel, draw a Scatter Plot and generate a regression line for the percentages of females who are smokers versus time. [pic] Part Two 3). The Regression Line for the Percentage of Females who are smokers is (just copy the equation from your Excel spread sheet ) Y= -0. 4134x+847. 64 4) By the model in 3), the percentage of Females who are smokers in 2002 is: 20. 01=20% ———————– [pic]

Economic growth Essay

Economic growth refers to the increase in the levels of a country’s wealth and capital as a result of positive change in the levels of production of goods and services during a certain period of time. 1 Economic growth is usually ignited by technological advancements and positive external forces. Economic growth can be measured either in terms of nominal growth or real growth. Nominal growth takes inflation into account and thus demonstrates economic growth as Net Domestic Product while real growth does not account for inflation and thus demonstrates economic growth as Gross Domestic Product. Economic growth is usually determined by levels of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). GDP is the preferred means of measuring economic growth because increase or decrease in the GDP levels in a country reflects the real the standards of living of its population. GDP is the total market value of all final products of all final goods and services produced in a country in a given year expressed in money value. 2 GDP of a country equals total consumer investments and government spending, plus the value of exports, minus the value of imports. As such, GDP can be summarised as follows: †¢ GDP = Consumption + gross Investment + Government Spending + (Exports-Imports) or simply GDP = C+I+G+(X-M). However, it must be noted that economic growth entails more than just mere change of scale of economic magnitudes. By its very own nature, growth modifies economic structures thereby adjusting the general technological and social dynamics in a country. Bourguignon points out that economic growth may modify the sectoral structure of an economic unit, leading to close down of firms in one sector and creation of new firms in another. 3 Bourguignon further notes that â€Å"growth modifies the structure of prices, thus affecting the standard of living in households in a way that depends on their consumption preferences†. 4 Moreover, economic growth calls for increased technological innovations which in turn increases the necessity for increased technological knowledge and skills, a situation that would require increased investment in education and better remuneration for holders of such important skills. The final and most important attribute of economic growth is that it reduces the abundant availability of public goods such as adequate water supply and clean air due to increased pollution. Consequently, this may call for intervention and preventive measures in order to maintain adequate supply of the environmental goods. Therefore, economic growth impacts on the economy, social structures and environmental factors of a country. Therefore, people, as the human factors of economic growth remain very important components of economic growth. While economic growth is primarily driven by state dynamics and machinery, the interactions within the societal fabric bear consequential impact on the manner in which economic growth may either be beneficial or harmful to the long-term interest of the people. 5 Therefore, the pursuit of economic growth presents as much benefits as threats to the long-term interests of the people. The different principles and models of economic growth are best demonstrated by different existing theories of economic growth. 1. J. Mokyr, Long-term economic growth and history of technology, Department of Economics and history, Northwestern University, 2005, p. 33 2. R. Lucas, lectures on economic growth, Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 2002, p. 41 3. F. Bourguignon, Handbook of economic growth, World Bank, 2006, p. 7 4. F. Bourguignon 5. E. Helpman, The mystery of economic growth, Cambridge: Harvard University, 2004, p. 7 Theoretical background Although there are many theories and models of economic growth, the exogenous theory of economic growth and the endogenous theory of economic growth provide the most vivid theoretical background on issues concerning economic growth. The exogenous theory was advanced by the neo-classical theorists while the endogenous theory was advanced by the modern economic theorists. The exogenous theory of economic growth was advanced by Robert Solow and Trevor Swan. The theory states that â€Å"long-run rate of growth of a system is determined by forces outside the system†. 6The main prediction of this theory is that an economy will always converge towards a steady state of growth which depends absolutely on the rate of technological progress and growth of labour. The theory is based on a series of equations which demonstrate the relationship between labour, time, capital goods, output and investments. The main argument of the exogenous growth theory is based on the assumption that capital expansion is subject to diminishing returns. Therefore, given a fixed amount of labour force, the impact on the output of the last unit of capital accumulated will always be less than the impact on the preceding units. 7 This cycle continues to a point where new amounts of technological progress and labour force adds no new value to capital produced. New technological innovations and labour force output only serve to replenish the loss of value to existing capital due to depreciation. Solow and Swan refer to this as static state of growth. Modern theorists such as Barro, Ormerod, and Romer disagreed with the idea of static state of growth subject to diminishing returns as advanced by the exogenous theorists. They therefore developed a more relevant and realistic theory that came to be referred to as the endogenous theory. Proponents of endogenous growth theory argue that comparisons between trends of production in industrialised countries today and before industrialisation reveal that growth was generated and sustained by forces within as opposed to forces outside the countries. The endogenous theory states that â€Å"economic growth is generated from within a system as a direct result of internal processes†. 8 according to the endogenous theorists, improvement in productivity can be linked to a faster pace of innovation and committed investment in human capital. â€Å"The theory notes that the enhancement of a nation’s human capital will lead to economic growth by means of the development of new form of technology that will lead to efficient and sufficient means of production†. 9 The main focus of the endogenous theorists lies on the need for both government and private sector institutions to nurture innovations through incentives that will encourage individuals to be innovative. As Romer points out, â€Å"the rate of technological progress should not be taken given in a growth model, but rather, appropriate government policies have to be applied in order to raise a country’s growth rate†. 10Such policies should particularly be targeted towards creating higher levels of competition in markets and greater innovation initiatives among individuals. Endogenous theorists identify private investment in research and development as being the key driving force for technical progress. Furthermore, protection of property rights and patents can provide the incentive to engage in research and development. 6. R. M. Solow, Review of economics and statistics, Technical change and the aggregate production function 1957, P. 39 7. Solow 8. P. Romer, Review of economics and statistics, Technical change and the aggregate production function 1957, P. 73 9. Romer p. 74 10. Romer p. 81 Why the pursuit of economic growth is not in people’s long-term interest Concerns to the effect that the pursuit of economic growth is not in people’s long-term interest are very much validated by the current worrying trends of economic growth. While proponents of economic growth cite many benefits associated with economic growth, such benefits only stand to serve people’s short-term interests. It is increasingly becoming apparent that just like the past, the current economic growth initiatives are being undertaken with little regard to long-term repercussions of such initiatives. One of the most important long-term interests that economic growth should guarantee is the safety and conservation of the ecosystem, which will in turn guarantee people’s long-term interests. To the contrary, the aspects of the safety of natural resources and the environmental preservation are the most abused by economic growth. Yet, the gradual destruction of the environment harbours the risk of eventual destruction of the planet earth. Without action on climate change, economic growth and development are likely to generate levels of greenhouse gas emissions that would be very damaging. 11 Economic growth is evidently increasing the demand for fossil-fuel energy, thus the failure to implement appropriate international collective actions will allow manufacturers and consumers to continue with their risky energy consumption behaviours, thereby posing greater threats of adverse climatic change. Adequate supply of the environmental goods is facing continuous challenges as economic growth continues to wreck havoc on the environment. The Stern Review Report on the Economics of Climate Change (2006) identified that the world ecosystem is facing threats of eminent destruction due to increased levels of greenhouse emissions to the atmosphere. According to the Stern Report, greenhouse-gas concentrations in the atmosphere stood at around 430 CO2 equivalents as of 2006, compared to 280ppm before industrial revolution. 12The overwhelming pollution is as a result of combined forces of emissions of toxic gases from the power sectors, transport sectors, building sectors, industry sectors, land use sectors and land use sectors throughout the world. Indeed, these particular sectors represent the key driving forces of economic growth. As pointed out in the Stern Report â€Å"emissions have been driven by economic development. Carbon dioxide emissions have strongly been correlated with GDP per head across time and countries. North America and Europe have produced around 70% of carbon dioxide emissions from energy production since 1850, while developing countries account for less than one quarter of cumulative emissions. †13 Annual emissions are increasing at constant rates year after year. Between 1950 and the year 2000, emission of Carbon dioxide which accounts for the largest share of green house gases, grew by 2. 5% annually. 14The Stern Report further warns that without action to combat climate change, atmospheric concentration of green house gases will continue to rise. â€Å"In a plausible business as usual scenario, they will reach 555ppm CO2e by the year 2035†. 15 Moreover, total emissions are bound to increase more rapidly than emissions per head in tandem with the projections that global population will remain positive until 2050. 11. Stern Review report on economics of change, Impact of climate change on growth and development, November 2006, p. 169 12. Greenhouse gases are usually converted to a common unit, CO2 equivalent, which measures the amount of carbon dioxide that would produce the same global warming potential (GWP) over a given period as the total amount of greenhouse gas in question. 13. Stern Review report on economics of change 14. Stern Review report on economics of change 15. Stern Review report on economics of change These are the most shocking revelations concerning the gradual and unabated destruction that economic growth is imposing on the environment! The future generations remain exposed to the risks of frequent disasters that are associated with global warming. Such risks include food and water shortages, increase air pollution, increased desert cover, rise in sea levels as well as increased frequencies of tornadoes and tsunamis. Obviously, such threats of climatic change will impact negatively on population growth and living conditions for the people in future. Table 1 demonstrates a variety of experiences across different countries of the world. The EU and the economies in transition reported considerable reduction in carbon intensity during the period. However, India went against the grain and significantly increased carbon emissions during the same period. Developing countries registered significant growth in populations as well as growth in GDP per head. Equally notable is the tremendous decrease in the energy intensity of output in India and China. This table clearly demonstrates that despite the high levels of emissions, many countries undertook important economic reforms in the 1990’s, a move that led to marked improvements in utilisation of energy, with many countries registering significant reductions in wasteful use of energy. Risks posed by economic growth are set to reduce with increased adoption of energy efficient production strategies that will ensure environmental conservation while not hurting long-term growth rate targets. Why the pursuit of economic growth is in people’s long-term interest Despite the many reservations that opponents of economic growth have, there exists a general consensus that economic growth is a prerequisite requirement for the well being of the current and future generations. The future can only be secures through persistent creation of wealth and capital. Industrial revolution is credited for having ignited economic growth and eventual improvement of living standards. â€Å"The significance of industrial revolution is best captured by the Malthusian theory of economic growth which argues that industrial revolution and advancement in medicine translated to increased life expectancy and reduced infant mortality†. 15 15. R. Lucas, lectures on economic growth, Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 2002, p. 49 According to the Malthusian theory, this industrial revolution culminated to increased income and population growth and eventual increase in income per capita in industrialised counties, and lasted for many years thereafter. 16Therefore, economic growth remains a very important component sustained development of both current and future generations. Conclusion It is evident that economic growth also corresponds to processes of rapid replacement and reorganisation of human activities as well as natural resources, all in the spirit of investment and maximisation of returns. As such, â€Å"this realisation of the exponential abilities of the human race, as facilitated by self-organised life support and cultural systems, is a confirmation of the creative and flexible nature of human beings which however, is highly unpredictable in many ways. 17 Environmental threats posed by economic growth not withstanding, economic growth remains an important transition that this world must undergo. Therefore, the challenges posed by economic growth can best be tackled through creation of a balance between the conflicting concepts economic growth and mitigation of risks posed by economic growth. Economic growth is a manifestation of technological change. â€Å"Yet the essence of technological modernity is non-stationery: many scholars have acknowledged that technological change has become self propelled and autocatalytic, whereby change feeds on change. Thus unlike other form of growths, technology is not bound from above. Inventions have become a norm thus are unstoppable by forces of any nature. †18 The stern Report acknowledges that â€Å"the relationship between economic growth and CO2 emissions is not immutable. There are practical examples where change in energy technologies, the structure of economies and the pattern of demand have reduced the responsiveness of emissions to income growth, particularly in the richest countries. Strong deliberate policy choices will be needed, however, to decarbonise both developing countries on the scale required for climate stabilisation†. 19 This is in itself a confirmation that effective protection and conservation of the environmental goods can be achieved tremendously through the adoption of energy efficient production strategies that will ensure environmental conservation while not hurting long-term growth rate targets. However, wide reaching strategies should be employed in the noble cause of environmental protection. Strategies that are over reliant on reduction of fossil fuels may not be enough to stop the overwhelming emissions of poisonous gases. Other strategies such as radical shift shifts towards service based economies have proved effective in slowing down or reversing the increase in emissions of poisonous gases to the atmosphere. 20There should also be increased lobbying for the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol of Climate Change by all countries in the world, including the United States. Being the world’s largest economy, the United States releases the highest amounts of toxic gas emissions to the atmosphere, yet the country has refused to recognise the Kyoto protocol which seeks to protect the world from being further exposed to the threat of climatic change. 16. R. Lucas, lectures on economic growth, Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 2002, p. 48 17. E. Helpman, The mystery of economic growth, Cambridge: Harvard University, 2004, p. 16 18. J. Mokyr, Long-term economic growth and history of technology, Department of Economics and history, Northwestern University, 2005, p. 37 19. Stern Review report on economics of change, Impact of climate change on growth and development, November 2006, p. 169 20. Stern Review report on economics of change Bibliography Aghion, P. & Steven N. Durlauf, (Ed), Handbook of economic growth, Vol. 1B. Elsevier B. V. , 2005. Bourguignon, F. Handbook of economic growth, World Bank, 2006. Helpman, E. The mystery of economic growth, Cambridge: Harvard University, 2004 Larry E. J. Neoclassical models of endogenous growth: the effects of physical policy, innovations and fluctuations, Elsevier B. V. 2005 p. 9-32. Lucas, R. lectures on economic growth, Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 2002 Mokyr, J. Long-term economic growth and history of technology, Department of Economics and history, Northwestern University, 2005, p. 32 – 43 Romer, P. Journal of Political Economy, Endogenous technological change, Vol. 98, No. 5, Oct. 1990. p. 71-102. Solow R. M. Review of economics and statistics, Technical change and the aggregate production function 1957, P. 37-51 Stern Review report on economics of change, Impact of climate change on growth and development, November 2006, retrieved on 29 March 2007, < http://www. hm-treasury. gov. uk/media/3/2/Chapter_7_Projecting_the_Growth_of_Greenhouse-Gas_Emissions. pdf