TKAM Overview Essays - Literature, Culture, To Kill A Mockingbird

English Ten: To Kill a Mockingbird Name: ______________________________________________________________________ Essential Questions: Why is racism dangerous? What is courage? What influences a person's character? Research: The Harlem Renaissance You will learn: . one of the most loved stories in American literature (and the most widely-read in American high schools) . about how both courage and racism can alter people's lives . about the importance of the Harlem Renaissance and the people involved Literary terms: colloquialism - a local or regional dialect expression frame narrative - when first person narrator starts as an adult who is remembering the past and returns again as the adult narrator at the end static and dynamic characters - Static characters remain the same throughout a literary work; dynamic characters change. Bildungroman -- a novel about the moral and psychological growth of the main character; a coming-of-age story review: plot structure (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution), symbol, point of view, conflict, characterization, static and dynamic characters, active setting, epigraph, and foreshadowing Other possible viewing and reading: . CNN special - lynching . American Experience, "Scottsboro: An American Tragedy" . lyrics to "Strange Fruit" . "Ain't I a Woman," by Sojourner Truth; "Thank You, M'am," by Langston Hughes Evaluation: quizzes, discussion, and research assignment (Harlem Renaissance) Reading: For each of the three sections outlined below, we will read in class and for homework. The Study Guide questions that follow will help prepare you for the quiz on each section. I may count their completion as extra credit (if concrete details from the text are used), or I may allow you to use the completed Study Guide questions on the quiz. We will also explore the background and controversy of the novel. SECTION ONE Chapters 1-11 (pages 1 -112) SECTION TWO Chapters 12-21 (pages 115-211) SECTION THREE Chapters 22-31 (pages 212-281) Background: To Kill a Mockingbird is set in a small town in rural Alabama in the early 1930s. Harper Lee, who was born in Monroeville, Alabama, would have been about the same age as Scout Finch at the time the story takes place. Many of the events that Lee experienced as a child were incorporated into the story that she wrote more than thirty years later. The novel is set during the Great Depression, at a time in which millions of Americans lost their jobs. Many people also lost their homes, their land, and their dignity. They lived in flimsy shacks and stood in bread lines to receive government handouts of food. Some "rode the rails" to look for work in other towns, but the situation was dismal everywhere. At the start of the Great Depression, about half of the African American population lived in the South. With few jobs available, blacks often found themselves edged out by whites, even for the poorest paying jobs. Racial tensions, which had existed since the end of the Civil War, increased. Mob actions by whites that led to the hanging of African Americans and of those who sympathized with them continued throughout the South. In Alabama, as in other southern states, segregation was a way of life in the 1930s. Schools, restaurants, churches, courtrooms, hospitals, and all other public places had separate facilities for African Americans. In some courts, African Americans were even required to swear on separate Bibles. The Ku Klux Klan, a southern terrorist group, preached white superiority and engaged in violence against African Americans. Section One: Chapters 1-11 1. Chapter 1 introduces us to the town of Maycomb, its appearance, its inhabitants, and the particular attitudes of many of its people. Find a sentence or a paragraph that illustrates each of the following attitudes, or ideas. Quote at least a portion of the sentence or paragraph and give the page number. a. pride in ancestry and tradition b. pride in conformity and distrust of those who are different c. awareness of difference in social classes 2. In relation to Boo Radley and his house, how do Scout, Jem, and Dill try to test their courage? What feelings do they have about Boo? 3. Both Calpurnia and Atticus scold Scout for her criticism of Walter Cunningham. What does this tell you about these two adults? Section One: Chapters 1-11 continued 4. These three characters are all from poor families, and yet act quite differently: Burris Ewell, Walter Cunningham, Chuck Little. Describe their differences below. appearance attitude one significant quote Burris Walter Chuck 5. Atticus tells Scout, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb in his skin and walk around in it" (30). What is Atticus trying to teach his daughter? 6.

Paul Baumer in All Quiet on the Western Front Essay Example

Paul Baumer in All Quiet on the Western Front Essay Example Paul Baumer in All Quiet on the Western Front Essay Paul Baumer in All Quiet on the Western Front Essay Essay Topic: All Quiet On the Western Front During the Great War Paul Baumer learns, in his comrades and within himself, that it is human nature to fulfil the most basic forms of human need by any means necessary: the refusal to be alone, and, most importantly, the will to survive. In the novel All quiet on the Western front Paul Baumer sees and experiences first-hand the specific and traumatic characteristics and changes involving human nature and basic human need.These characteristics include the suppressing of memories and emotion, the rejection of prior values, animalistic behaviour and the importance of friendship. Before the war Paul was a soft-hearted and sensitive 19-year old boy. After spending time at the Front however, he was no longer a boy with feelings and emotion; he had turned into an old man with suppressed memories of youth and death (REMARGUE1994, 61).His only lifeline during the war was the one thing he was still apart of: friendship. In the first chapters of the book Paul finds himself confused and shocked by the behaviour of his comrades, they appear shallow to him when he sees that they promptly disconnect themselves from the dead by concentrating on sorting out and dividing the food and cigarettes that were actually meant for the deceased soldier. Later Paul accepts this behavior and comes to the conclusion that mourning the dead in this massacre will drive them insane. Later in the novel, the once ardent young man is unable to fully mourn the death of a comrade, unable to express his feelings and emotions toward the war and unable to feel comfortable at home even when talking to his mother. He cannot recall his youth fully and cannot predict his future without war. Paul’s former-self seems vague and disconnected to his current being, his youthful emotions, memories and dreams have been suppressed in order to keep his sanity and survive while waging war. Paul and his friends cast aside their values in order to survive when one of their former cla

Where to Get the Money to Write a Book

Where to Get the Money to Write a Book This is the most common request I receive. Where can I find the money to write my book? This is the second most common request I receive. Where can I find the money to publish my book? First and foremost, you do not need money to write a book. Writing is the most liberating, free-rein, no start-up money required art on the planet. You and the paper. If you need research, you have a phone, the Internet and the library. Easy-peasy. If you need money to publish your book, you are self-publishing. Fine. Nothing wrong with that. Lets make some assumptions here. You wrote the story. Youve edited the story. Youve HAD the story edited. You want that book out in the world and you dont have two dimes to rub together. What do you do? 1. You try to traditionally publish. Yep, this means you have to learn the publishing business. But you want complete control over your book, you say. Do you even know what that means? Can you talk traditional vs. self-pubbing? If you cannot, then stop trying to publish. Learn which road to take before get totally lost and ruin that story 2. You publish an e-book. I know you want to hold paper in your hands, but why not sell e-books until you have the money saved to pay for print? 3. You publish through CreateSpace.com or Lulu.com. This requires you understand formatting, cover design, and so on. If you want someone to publish your book without you thinking about these things, then go back to Item 1. 4. You crowdfund through Kickstarter.com or Indiegogo.com. Not only has Kickstarter funded many books, plays and films, but it makes you develop a defined plan for your book project. Most crowdfunding projects fail because the author doesnt want to think marketing or development . . . doesnt plan deeply enough. Either that or the book is a bad idea to start with. 5. You freelance and save your money from articles and gigs to pay for the publishing. No elaboration needed here. If you think youre good enough to write a book, you should be shrewd and talented enough to make money freelancing. 6. You save money from other sources. Only you can define your other sources. 7. You borrow the money. Gasp! Borrow? What if the book fails? Truth is you need to believe in this book hard enough to be willing to borrow money for it. That means youre more likely to do your homework on the process, edit a few more times, create the start of a platform, and design a short-term and long-term plan. What about grants? Grants should be your last resort. Besides, most grants wont fund a self-published project, especially from a first-time author or a second-timer who didnt sell the first. You have to prove yourself to a certain degree. But hey, with all of the above options and a little bit of elbow grease and sweat, youll be published in no time.

An Adventist Approach on the Doctrine of Salvation Essay

An Adventist Approach on the Doctrine of Salvation - Essay Example The main issues that generate controversy include; perfection and its meaning; justification by faith, sanctification; atonement and the nature of sin (Whidden, 1995, 56-74). Blazen defines salvation from the Hebrew perspective which is closely linked to the term nasal meaning to pull out or withdraw people from danger or away from enemies as shown in {Ps 91:3}. Ellen White’s doctrine of salvation mainly focuses on perfection and justification by faith. Atonement Atonement is one of the elemental principles upon which the Christian faith is founded (Martin 1998, 157-60). There are various models of atonement which have been put forth by Christian scholars over the course of the years. These models include but are not limited to; ransom, victory, government, reconciliation, substitution, satisfaction, and moral influence models. Ellen G White in her discussion on the principle of atonement based upon the importance of freewill which was against the views of her contemporaries. Ellen believed in atonement of the cross as covering all the sin of mankind {Romans 6: 10}. While White’s perspectives can be classified into three of the atonement models, she used the three models in a complementary rather than exclusive manner (Frank 1996, 91-94). The moral influence model as propounded by White focuses on the universality of the death of Christ on the cross as a manifestation of the love of God for a lost world. The proponents of this view of White’s work assert that the death of Christ serves as a moral influence first in drawing man to God and secondly in drawing sinful man to God (Stephen 2005, 39-40). It must be recognized though that the atonement of God though connected with divine love and mercy does not exclude divine justice and the requirement of holiness {James 2, 21-24}. White acknowledges that while the offer of just mercy by is for all, there is a penalty for not accepting the divine mercy. The question of God’s wrath is analyz ed and White comes to the conclusion that God’s wrath is active against the rejection of just mercy as exemplified in the destruction of Korah, Dathan and Abiram {Num. 16: 23-35} (Philip 1989, 51-78). In the discussion of the Satisfaction model, White analyzes the two aspects of God which are justice and his love which are both satisfied by the death on the cross (Horne 1999, 132-138). In Christ dying on the cross God showed both his nature of justice and love toward mankind. The most dominant view of Ellen White’s discussions on atonement is the Penal Substitution model. In this model White argues for justification by faith in Christ who is the substitute for the just penalty of sin. God offers himself as the substitute for man’s sin and therefore also shows his love. The nature of Sin The bible is the single piece of literature which describes in intricate detail the aspect of sin from its start to its end. The beginning of the bible describes the entry of sin into the world and the end portrays its eradication. Between the time of sin entering the world and its eradication is also described a struggle with sin by humanity. While most people consider Adam to be the origin of sin, the bible provides further insight to prove just the contrary. {Ezekiel 28: 14, 15} describes the rebellion of Lucifer against God even before the creation of the world which makes Lucifer the original sinner (Hanna 2004, 89-93). While sin originated in heaven it did not develop in

The Strategic Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Strategic Management - Case Study Example A variety of tools and techniques for strategic management analysis and identification of the mission and vision of an entity were applied by the Power Consulting Group Inc. to the environmental and organizational situation of University of Northern British Columbia. Amongst the tools and techniques used, the stakeholder analysis and the macro power techniques yielded the strongest recommendations as to the strategy that the University should adopt in order to align its mission, vision and objectives with a corresponding strategy. It is possible for us to use the tools and techniques to propose a suitable recommendation - this is possible because of the nature of the analysis. The methodologies applied have been developed over the years by strategists and analysts having great experience in strategic management and the designing of strategic solutions for a wider variety of organizations than the average manager. Thus, keeping into view the factors in the University and its alliances, the Macro branch of the power school can be used as the primary analysis factor in proposing two broad strategies that the University can adopt. The current alliances of the University with governments, alumni endowments and exchange programs with international universities leads to the proposition that the University could work its strategy in two directions: The two strategies have mer... A consolidation strategy aimed at no expansion, but improvement of the quality of the students. The two strategies have merits and demerits of their own. The first strategy warrants newer alliances with local high schools, downtown restaurants, cellular phone companies and even to the extent of replacing Aramack by Starbucks at the campus. This strategy is entirely focused on growth and extension of the name of the University in all four directions - there is also the possibility of an MBA program institutionalized. The second strategy is geared towards improving the quality of the student life and ensuring that the alliances made for this strategy are purely helping the operational strategy of the University. By this it means that having scholarship alliances, environmental friendly food campaigns and clubs apart from alliances with local farmers and Canadian universities, the UNBC will be aiming to consolidate its existing position in order to trade its expansion strategies with a better exchange program for its students. Students would be benefiting from the University's alliances in many ways. The expansion strategy would mean that strategic alliances and partnerships would yields benefits for students in the form of discounted meals from restaurants, discounted computers and new packages and offers from cellular companies targeted especially towards the students of the University. The aim here would be to enroll as many students as possible at the University so that the alliance partners would be able to benefit by the quantity of sales and revenues. On the other hand, the consolidation strategy would mean that students would be open to more exchange programs in more countries and that there will be newer horizons for students to explore with

Recruitment and Selection Strategies Essay Example for Free

Recruitment and Selection Strategies Essay rganizational goals: Mr. Stonefield, when choosing applicants that will be suitable matches for your limousine service can be accomplish by ensuring that you hire those individual that share similar views, values, and beliefs. By doing this you will not only benefit the company, you will see greater productivity from your employees and most of all loyal, long-term employees that express their satisfaction. If both Mr. Stonefield (the business) and the employee parallel in their thoughts, views, and strategic goals, there will be an aspiration for each individual to see through to the needs of their coworkers as well as the desire to see the business survive and thrive. Mr. Stonefield you will find that an employee will be loyal and give there 100%. Forecasted demographic changes: An analysis of projected workforce needs for the next 5 years will need to be based on the businesses goals as well as demographic changes to both the work force, economy as well as industrialization. By identifying and following the trends of the economy, work force and unemployment rates will assist the business in predicting changes to come. By knowing these trends Landslide Limousine Services may be able to stay one step ahead of its competitors. Workforce diversity objectives: In order for Landslide Limousine Services business to be triumphant and survive the initial start-up, the workforce must be diverse enough to compliment the targeted market and consumer base. With the marriage of the employees and the business goals it shows the consumers of this passenger transportation business that Landslide Limousine Services are striving to match individual interests. A survey and gain insight as to their patrons’ views and patterns. Drivers and chauffeurs will be able to customize and individualize the service they offer by knowing  their clientele. An example that comes to mind would be: a client is in Austin for business. This client enjoys theater productions. If a driver knows the likes and dislikes of his or her client then they can do research on what productions are happening during their clients stay and offer the information about what is going on in Austin. It is the belief that there are three elements in setting the motion for Mr. Stonefield’s business: First, Landslide Limousine should establish a strong commitment to the diversity in the workplace. This commitment needs to begin at the top and weaved within and through all employees who work for the company. It is advisable that Landslide’s senior and upper management model the behavior therefore showing that they are in full support and respect of diversity in the workplace. Second, Landslide will need to understand and gain a precise insight to the businesses eagerness to move forward and keeping in touch with up to date demographics of the industry and the cultural diversity. Mr. Stonefield and his team must develop a workforce profile. By doing this they will gain an understanding of the workforce and the potential hiring pool. By profiling the workforce and the potential hiring pool allows for complete diversity that will be beneficial to all crucial positions and organizational elements. By researching and monitoring trends and workforce reports published quarterly and annually are great resources and sources of data in regards to employment movement. Researching social networks and potential employees can prove to be useful when making employment decisions and offers. Affirming that the employee are of the caliber both personally and professionally that Landslide wants as part of the team. The outcome would be gaining a professional and a precise view of a company’s demographic profile. By combining and comparing this information will assist in planning and Landslide’s workforce model. This information will also assist Landslide in predicting potential future prospects for recruitment, hiring, and retention. Organizational branding: Landslide unlike any other business will need to frequently examine and revisit their organizations corporate strategy, mission, image, and activities which will contribute to their organizational branding. Organizational branding is what a business exclusive and distinctive. This in itself will create distinguishing factors that will set itself apart from the competitors. By using and exploiting these methods and procedures, Landslide will be able to place its  professionalism, persona and look in the mind of its clientele, potential clients and employees and thus creating and establishing an image that is transparent in wh at Landslide is and why it exists. Methods for recruiting candidates: Initially, due to the fact that Landslide is a new business Mr. Stonefield will not be able to utilize the method of internal sourcing. However once the business is established and services are rendered Landslide will then be able to incorporate the process of internal sourcing for recruiting candidates. Internal sourcing consists of posting the vacated or new position in an easily and highly visible area within a business for current employees to view. Internal sourcing is a very valuable tool to use as it utilizes the internal candidate pool and is a cost saving measure for the business as current employees are at present employees of the company and is acquainted and accustomed to the culture of the business and allows the employee a feeling of â€Å"climbing the ladder† thus creating success for the employee as there will be little to no training and orientation for the new position. There is a potential disadvantage to internal sourcing, there may be a chance of stagnation as it does not allow for the potential for fresh new ideas that external sourcing may bring. Therefore it would be post haste of the marketing department to keep up with changes in the market and knowing what other similar businesses are doing. As stated above another potential recruiting method is external sourcing. External sourcing focusing on utilizing outside sources for advertising for candidates. Landslide may want to advertise job openings and postings in the newspapers, local papers, Craig’s list, online,- internet job services, use local job boards and trade publication announcements. Examples of online job posting sites are LinkedIn, Craig’s List, Texas Job Services, Monster.com and CareerBuilders.com. External sourcing has many advantages as it is not limited to a captive audience, meaning current employees. It also allows for new views, thoughts and ideas in this ever changing business market and workforce. External sourcing also has its disadvantages, that starting with a new employee means cost are incurred to train and orient them. It will take time for the new hire to learn the culture, ins and outs of the business. There needs to be a screening process during the initial application process that will screen out the individuals that would not be a fit for the company as well as screen out those individuals that would be a  fit the company and its organizational culture. Another option is third-party sourcing. This sourcing makes use of job placement agency to find qualified job candidates. The similar recruiting processes are used for third-party Sourcing as does external sourcing. However, one major difference is that a job placement agency is not a direct part of Landslide business itself. Landslide contracts with job placement agency(ies) to help identify potential qualified candidates. Third-party sourcing has its advantages: it will save Landslide time and funds by identifying qualified candidates. Another advantage is that Landslide may be able to minimize their human resources department so that HR employees can focus on hiring and training of the new hires. Dependent on the turnover rate of the company’s employees, Landslide may want to entertain the idea of identifying when hiring should be made. This may be a process that is identified after one to two years of operations. By pinpointing norming and trends within the business will assist in recognizing when there is a higher need to fill positions. If possible to limit the times of hiring to only a certain period of time(s) during the year. Landslide will want to take into consideration its growth and level of employee turnover as well as the cost of contracting with a hiring agency that it may be appropriate to fluctuate between internal and external sourcing. There are also a number of other potential avenues of recruiting potential employees such as recruiting individuals that are retired and of retirement ages, contacting vocational rehabilitation services to employ individuals with disabilities, college fairs, job fairs and high school vocational classes. Methods for screening candidates: There and multiple steps in the screening process. The initial screening conducted is during the internal, external sourcing the process is quick and unrefined selection method. Candidates submit applications and references. This screening process reviews the application, references and conducts background checks as well as interviews. Selection of candidates is time intensive as its process is more detailed and comprehensive than the initial screening. The actual selection process gives HR and the hiring managers a fuller view and insight of candidates by observing the individuals behavior. This behavioral screening can be obtained via having the candidate partake in a number of assessments such as job skills test and face to face interviews and gathering information as to the candidates’  character through reference and background checks. Interview methods: There are many types of interview methods that Landslide could use. However the below are some suggested methods: 1) The first being a behavior-based interview: Through behavior-based interviews, Landslide will be able to gain insight about the candidate by asking scenario based or direct questions describing examples and situations they may have experienced and how they handled themselves. These interview questions give light to behaviors in past employment(s) allowing Landslide to potentially predict future behaviors. 2) Situational Interviews: Having candidate answer interview questions of a hypothetical nature. Testing procedures: Below are various testing method suggestions: 1) Ability tests: Tests the mental clerical, mechanical, physical, or technical ability to perform the essential functions of the job. 2) Knowledge tests: Measures candidates’ job-specific knowledge about the position. 3) Personality Inventories: Due to the need for some of Landslide’s personnel to be extraverted. For example an extremely introverted individual may not be a good match in driving individuals to and from their destinations. The position involve one on one human interaction. 4) Performance/Work sample tests: Test the candidate on actual work environment and performance. Interview process considerations: 1.Landslide should avoid illegal discrimination: As Mr. Stonefield stated he expects to hire 25 employees. It will be imperative that Landslide develop a working knowledge of all anti-discrimination laws and rules. Federal law prohibits discriminating on the basis of race, gender, pregnancy, national origin, religion, disability, and age. However Landslide will also become knowledgeable of local and state requirements to protect against discrimination. 2.Applicants have a right to privacy it is advisable that Landslide avoid asking questions that would infringe rights to privacy. Such questions are about race, parentage and marital status 3.Landslide must follow federal and state guidelines and rules in regards to hiring immigrants. Landslide should ensure that they hire individuals that are documented citizens or legal aliens. Applicants must complete federally  required documents such as I-9’s and W-4’s with supporting evidence. Landslide must make copies and inspect employee provided supporting documents to make sure they are legal and binding. Methods for selecting candidates: Since Landslide is a new business in the Austin, Texas area that they should start with advertising their job openings. The applicant selection begins through recruitment, either external sourcing or third party sourcing. At this point all resumes and applications are screened for only those qualified to continue to the next step. Those candidates are then interviewed. The next step begin with making contact with the applicant by telephone asking the applicant to commit to an in person interview. This initial telephone contact is one of many first impressions. Once the applicant interviews and passes they go forward to the testing portion of the hiring process. Building diversity within Landslide Limousine Services will be extremely important. This will potentially widen the clientele base worldwide. When a client knows that the business is multilingual and culturally savvy. The clients will respect and patron Landslides services over and over again. Landslide will also be viewed as being a diverse workplace that honors all races and ethnicities. Various laws that must be considered when hiring – especially in a diverse workforce would be: The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Family and the Medical Leave Act of 1993 and Sexual Harassment. References Cascio, Wayne F. (2013). Managing Human Resources: Productivity, Quality of Work Life, Profits (Ninth Edition). New York, NY. University of Phoenix (2013). Week Six Difficult Concepts. Retrieved on Saturday, December 14, 2013 at: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/Materials/IP/curriculum/sb/HRM531/week_6_video.asp

Cleopatra Essay example -- essays research papers

History is full of reputable individuals. The stories of their lives will forever live in our history books. Whether being remembered for their strength, courage, or honor, or even for their treachery, we remember those who came before us. If one character could stand out in Egyptian history, none other would be so worthy as Cleopatra would. Cleopatra was an intelligent, political, and ambitious woman who changed the history of Egypt. She was only seventeen years old when, by the will of her father, Ptolemy XI, she was forced to inherit and share the throne of Egypt with her twelve year old brother, Ptolemy XII. In accordance to Egyptian law, the two were also married. Disagreement between the two began early in their reign. Julius Caesar, seizing the opportunity to take over Ptolemy's forces during this moment of weakness, soon defeated the young king and befriended Cleopatra. She had wanted the throne to herself, believing that she was "the successor of the pharaohs and like them descended from the sun god Ra. (CAV 166)" Egypt and Cleopatra are terms so closely related they are almost synonymous. However, Cleopatra did not have any Egyptian blood in her; she was purely Greek. Cleopatra would become the last ruler of the Ptolemy dynasty, which was founded by Alexander the Great, a Macedonian general who strived to unite the East and West under one great empire. Cleopatra wish...

The Environmental Management System of Starbucks Coffee

Background of the companyâ€Å" Starbucks Coffee is the figure one purveyor of java in the universe. Starbucks Coffee is an American planetary java company and cafe concatenation based in Seattle, Washington. Furthermore, Starbucks Company is the largest cafe company in the universe in front of Costa Coffee, with 20,737 shops worldwide. Howard Schultz, the Chairman and CEO of Starbucks â€Å" . With what stated supra, Howard is really seeking to do Starbucks a 2nd place in our day-to-day lives. That is why, they are seeking to convey ‘family’ into the image whereby people of all ages can come to Starbucks and bask themselves. Starbucks started their first shop in 1971 opened in Seattle, Washington. Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker got the thought from Alfred Peet of opening Starbucks java shop. Starbucks is now presenting a healthier option of nutrient and drinks for kids. Therefore, working parents can now bask their cup of java while making their work witho ut worrying about what nutrient and imbibe their kids can devour. Furthermore, with a household construct it excessively can construct a closer relationship between households.Introduction to the services / merchandises of the companyStarbucks is really peculiar about run intoing all their customers’ demands. The environment of their mercantile establishment is good equipped from friendly staff, a comfortable topographic point to loosen up to bask a good cup of java with your loved 1s and non to advert good Wi-Fi. Thus, working parents can come to Starbucks and make their work without experiencing stressed out. All in all, Starbucks is the perfect topographic point for households to dine in. In add-on, Starbucks serve both hot and cold drinks, whole-bean java, micro-ground instant java, full-leaf teas and besides bites. Most Starbucks shops besides sell pre-packaged nutrient points, hot and cold sandwiches, and points such as mugs and tumblers. Since 1987, Starbucks had opene d an norm of two new shops every twenty-four hours and had been profitable as local company in early 1980s. In add-on the shop ab initio sold merely coffee beans and java devising equipment instead than the drinks they had become celebrated presents. Starbucks is besides celebrated for holding good services and serve good quality of java. Furthermore, Starbucks besides introduced the new drive-thru construct shops with consistence in sort so that clients have the option to bask their favourite java on the spell, or at the shop should they prefer to stretch their legs and relax.Designation of the possible environmental impacts that possibly caused by the services / merchandises of the company. ( 10marks )Overall, Starbucks Coffee is recognized by many environmental associations for their eternal part as a â€Å"Green† company. Throughout the procedure of turning, processing and transporting the java beans, Starbucks Coffee has been in support of environmentally-sound java turn ing patterns and to guarantee the sustainability of its merchandise supply. Starbucks Coffee strives to cut down their environmental impact through some enterprises aiming issues like recycle, reuse, waste decrease every bit good as instruction spouses and consumers. However, there are some negative environmental impacts that are caused by the services and merchandises of Starbucks Coffee. Firstly, based on the Starbucks 2007 CSR Annual Report, each Starbucks Coffee shop uses 6.78kW/h of electricity, 0.058 thermos of natural gas, and 25 gallons of H2O, on norm, per square pes per month ( Saed, 2009 ) . The most serious environmental impact is H2O wastage. Recently, Starbucks Coffee is criticized by environmental experts for blowing 23.4 million litres of H2O per twenty-four hours caused by running lights-outs at its about 10,000 mercantile establishments worldwide ( Saed, 2009 ) . The wastage of H2O is a menace to the environment and wildlife as the pat H2O is sourced from rivers and belowground H2O. Since javas are brewed and served to clients in packaging like paper cups, doubtless another inevitable wastage of Starbucks Coffee is its java cups. It is estimated that the company produces more than 2 billion paper cups per twelvemonth ( Mother Nature Network Holding Company, 2010 ) . Since Starbucks Coffee uses disposable paper cups made of 10 % recycled paper fibre and 90 % new paper, tremendous measure of natural resources like trees, H2O and energy are required for the processing of the paper cups. In add-on to that, the company’s paper cups are laminated with fictile rosin liner, therefore are unable to be recycled. After devouring their javas, the paper cups are extremely likely to stop up in a landfill in which decomposing of the paper cups occurs. This will ensue in the release of methane gas, which is a nursery gas with 23 times the heat-trapping power of C dioxide ( Saed, 2009 ) . Emission of this nursery gas causes nursery consequence which will take to planetary heating. Although Starbucks Coffee is promoting clients to convey in their ain reclaimable cups and bask a 10 % price reduction by making so, more inaugural is needed to actuate clients to be more environmental-friendly.The company’s environmental direction system.There are five environmental direction system that have been implement by Starbuck Company are constructing greener shops, recycling & A ; cut downing waste, Starbucks recycling substructure, cut downing waste with reclaimable Cups and H2O preservation. First Starbuck construct greener shops. Starbuck is a shop that holding LEED ® Certified Stores. They have created environmental consciousness on a planetary graduated table since from the design phase right through to building and operations. Besides that, Starbuck besides pay attending in energy preservation & A ; renewable energy, they have pay attending and committed to cut downing the measure of utilizing energy and besides back uping new, renewable solutions and prefer to utilize the energy in the green manner. Second, recycling and cut downing waste. Starbuck company said that they have 39 % of their retail shops in USA AND Canada were able to offer forepart of shop recycling and 71 % of java were able to recycle and be a fertiliser. Starbuck besides working with Paper Recovery Alliance to increase credence of their stuffs while customize their recycling plan to suit changing regional demands every bit much as possible. Besides that, in 2013 Starbuck have 80 % ( more than 3,200 ) of their shops in USA and Canada have recycled composition board boxes and other back-of-store points. Starbuck Company besides encourage their clients to happen out if their packaging is reclaimable in their vicinities at Earth 911. Third, Starbuck recycling substructure. Starbuck Company proves that the cups that they are utilizing can be accepted as a valuable natural stuff in a assortment of recycling systems. Starbuck besides working and coaction as a member of the Foodservice Packaging Institute’s Paper Recovery Alliance and the Plastics Recovery Group to happen and convey up solutions to scale and turn to common challenges. Fourth, cut downing waste with reclaimable cups. Reclaimable cups are an of import constituent for Starbuck Company in the waste decrease scheme. Since 1985 Starbuck rewarded client with 5 % price reductions that bring their personal tumblers and 5 % of the drinks made in their shops in tumblers and brought in by their clients. I felt that this is the effectual manner to promote people to affect in recycling. Last, H2O preservation. In 2008, Starbuck Company has set a end to cut down H2O ingestion by 25 % in 2015. Since so, they have identified a figure of chances to utilize this cherished resource more sagely and spent the last few old ages proving and formalizing these solutions. They have cut H2O ingestion by 21.1 % through several steps, including the usage of efficient fixtures and equipment that actively monitors ingestion to place spikes in H2O use and taking action and upgrading the H2O filtration systems in their shops to take attention and protect about the cleanness of river and watercourse. Starbuck Company have besides dominate H2O extends to H2O ingestion, protection and functioning clean H2O in coffee-growing communities. Through C.A.F.E. Practices and the resources, Agronomists of Starbuck Company have provide java husbandmans at their six farmer support centres around the universe, Starbuck Company assist increase their output and quality, while still cut downing the H2O use for java processing and guaranting workers have entree clean imbibing H2O to supply clients a good and clean java. What are Starbuck making now are pull offing H2O that can be seen â€Å"going down the drain† provides one set of challenges, but much of their H2O footmark happens behind the scenes. Leaks can develop below floors, outside in sprinkler systems, even in lavatories. To battle these unseeable enemy, Starbucks Energy and Resource Conservation squad uses advanced analytics to place shops that are utilizing inordinate sums of H2O. Facilities experts will see the shops that are utilizing inordinate sums of H2O to name and rectify aberrant. This pattern has alleviation in inordinate H2O usage.The company objectives whether it complies with SMART attack in EMS.The Starbucks Company has complied with SMART attack in EMS. The company has specific mark to turn to, mensurable mark with demoing per centum, accomplishable mark, realistic with demoing how they achieve the mark, and time-bound. The Starbucks Company is seeking the ways to cut down environmental footmark, tackle clime alteration and stimulate others to make the same. The company have specific mark to accomplish their aims such as cut downing and recycling waste, energy preservation, H2O preservation, and edifice greener shops. For the specific mark of cut downing and recycling waste, the Starbucks Company has a mensurable program that to hold recycling available in all of their shops and serve 5 % of drinks in reclaimable cups by 2015. The mark is accomplishable and realistic because the Starbucks Company offered a 10-cent price reduction for client in order to promote clients to utilize reclaimable tumblers or mugs for their drink in the US and Canada. Furthermore, the clients who drink hot drink in shop are served with ceramic mugs. Besides, composition board boxes, milk jugs, sirup bottles, and java evidences which can be found behind the counter are sent to recycling services but recycling success depends on the obtainability of commercial recycling services where the shop is located. Another specific mark is energy preservation, time-bound is twelvemonth 2015, the Starbucks Company has mensurable mark that commit to cut down 25 % of energy ingestion and to cover 100 % electricity ingestion with renewable energy. The mark is accomplishable and realistic because the company has made significant advancement in developing and understanding new attacks to cut down energy ingestion in the last few old ages and go on to happen extra renewable solutions. Furthermore, the specific mark of H2O preservation, the Starbucks Company commit to cut down 25 % H2O use in all their shops by 2015. The mark is accomplishable and realistic because the company has changed uninterrupted watercourses of H2O to manual spigots, and clean liquidizer jugs utilizing a blast of higher force per unit area H2O alternatively of unfastened pat. Besides, the company besides plans to put in efficient H2O fixtures, such as lavatories, spray caputs used to rinse dishes, and low-flow spigots in new shops.Alternate ways to better environmental public presentation of the company beside the attack stated in company policy.Recycling and cut downing waste About the cup being used, there are many ways to cut down the cup waste through encourage client to utilize ceramic mug. Offer price reduction for utilizing ceramic mug and their ain cup alternatively of merely their Starbuck trade name cup. When staff giving order, may inquire client for utilizing ceramic mug if they are holding their java in the store. Use ceramic mug besides for clients when petition for H2O, cut down the usage of paper and fictile cup possible. In add-on, client environmental consciousness is of import excessively, non supply paper tissue in self-counter which client usage extravagancy, is merely provided one to two tissue for them when buying one drink. Energy preservation Energy play an of import function in a java store, from roasting java to the whole store, it use energy. However to cut down the usage of energy is trouble, even the LED lighting was installed, but it merely cut down non much per centum. There is a manner to cut down one of the usage of energy which is HVAC system: warming, airing, chilling. It could see landscaping the outdoor environment, put some comfy furniture at outdoor, have a screen and more works to do it a cool topographic point and good airing. If client prefer have drink at outside instead than indoor, therefore it could salvage more installations provided. Water preservation Water is everything for the Starbuck’s concern, from the doing drinks until the cleaning occupation, all about the H2O. A little wisdom of life for cleansing, we can utilize the H2O in a utile manner which use more than one. For illustration, utilize the H2O to blush lavatory after wash the veggies and fruits, and after wipe up the indoor would utilize the H2O to blush the outdoor. Furthermore, there are many save H2O technique offer in the market. In the market, there is a save H2O lavatory which merely flush 1.5 litre H2O one time alternatively of normal 3 litre H2O, it save 50 % of H2O in normal lavatory usage. In order to salvage H2O, centripetal spigot would besides see to utilize for client and staff, it will come out right sum H2O for wash manus. Undertaking clime alteration Presently Starbucks’s coffee-growing communities in Sumatra, Indonesia, and Chiapas, Mexico, nevertheless there are many Starbucks shop in different states. In other agencies, there is a high cost for transportation the java bean to each state which merely from certain coffee-growing communities, it besides consume a batch of fuel. Fuel is cherished naturals mineral, one twenty-four hours there will be exhausted. There is a manner to cut down the usage of fuel which is develop more coffee-growing communities in different states so that java bean can acquire in local and non reassign from other topographic point, it besides benefit to cut down cost of the drink. MentionsMother Nature Network Holding Company ( 2010 ) . Starbucks and the Environment. Retrieved on November 22, 2014 from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.mnn.com/money/sustainable-business-practices/stories/starbucks-and-the-environmentSaed, T. ( 2009 ) . The Impact of One Cup of Starbucks Coffee. Retrieved on November 22, 2014 from: hypertext transfer protocol: //globalcitizens.pbworks.com/w/page/9036435/The % 20Impact % 20of % 20One % 20Cup % 20of % 20Starbucks % 20CoffeeTaylor, B. Kelly, J. ( 2013 ) Global Responsibility Report Goals & A ; Progress 2013. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.starbucks.com/responsibility/global-report.Starbucks Corporation. ( 2014 ) .Environmental Stewardship. Retrieved fromhypertext transfer protocol: //www.starbucks.com.my/responsibility/environment.

Crisis and Opportunity Essay

1) Introduction Nowadays, we have created our own world of technology. Convenience and efficiency are catered through it. Yet, the earth, the natural world, seems to rebel against such artificial world, by sending signals of natural crises to us. In this project, we are going to talk about â€Å"How people benefit from Water Crisis† surrounding the theme â€Å"Crisis and Opportunity†. The water crisis is branched out as two sections, namely water shortage and water pollution. The amount of water in the world is stable; it just changes its physical forms. Nonetheless, the problem of water shortages still exists. In fact, what we lack is clean water. With rapid advancing of human activities and technology, and unfavorable natural features like uneven distribution of rivers, the water crisis is growingly affecting our lives negatively and takes them at risk. Water is polluted by increasing human activities. Industrial wastes which include heavy metals like mercury and lead, harmful to living things, are illegally dumped into water sources; Sewage is directly deposited into rivers, which normally is a source of clean water. Ultimately, global warming, was elicited by human too, depletes clean water. With changing of climates, some countries face more floods which pollute clean water while other countries face more droughts which cause massive drying out of clean water. Now, we start worrying about the crisis because water controls our lives tightly as we could not survive without it. On the other hand, people are developing more and more solutions. By approaching the problem optimistically, this ought to turn this crisis into an opportunity so that we and the world can proceed sustainably. Scientists from all around the world have come up with ideas to solve the problem piecemeal. 2) Literature Review We used secondary research in this paper as there is simply no way for us to conduct our own research on water crisis. We mainly consulted online websites and read some online books. We also read articles from credible magazines such as National Geographic There is also a website called Global Water Intelligence which is a Market-Leading website for the analysis of International water industry. From these sources, we mainly found out that water is very limited around the world and there are people dying from consuming polluted water or simply dehydration. We also found out that the water crisis brought out some new technologies that changed the water pattern of the world. Have you ever thought of turning water from your basin into drinking water? Some people may think that it is impossible, or even a disaster. However, in Singapore, scientists have developed some methods, which can change waste water into pure water. The reused water is called the â€Å"New Water†. How to purify used water? Used water is collected from residence, companies, and schools, and then it is purified by three steps. First, it undergoes microfiltration. Large particles can be filtered away in this step. Afterwards, it undergoes reverse osmosis. Differentially-permeable membranes are used in reverse osmosis. These membranes contain tiny holes, which can only allow water molecules to pass through, so contaminated substances, such as viruses, bacteria can be removed. Lastly, ultraviolet light is used as a back-up to ensure the remaining micro-organisms were completely killed. This makes â€Å"New Water†. On the other hand, some people might worry that â€Å"New Water† was unclean, and thus may affect the health of citizens. However, research conducted, as shown in figure 1 and 2, the level of organic substance and amount of bacteria in â€Å"New Water† was much lower than the local reservoir water. Indeed, this shows that the â€Å"New Water† meets the requirement of drinking water so its safety was ensured. Compare to the other sources of water, â€Å"New Water† is even cleaner. Therefore, it was awarded many global water awards among these years, and this can surely tackle the problem of water shortage without polluting. There is another way to tackle water shortage and pollution. Do you know how sailors obtain fresh water when they are on a voyage? They obtain fresh water by changing sea water into drinking water. This method is called desalination. Sea water accounts for 97% of the world’s water resource. Only the remaining 3% is consumable for humans. In some countries like Saudi Arabia, there is water shortage. They only have a small amount of consumable fresh water. However, they have a large supply of sea water. However the salinity of sea water is four times higher than our body fluids. When we drink salt water, water molecules in our cells will move out of the cell due to osmosis. This net transfer of water may cause our cells to shrink, which may lead to dehydration, and death in serious situations. So how can this modern technology help us to turn this crisis into another opportunity? Desalination refers to the removal of salt and other minerals of saline water to make it consumable. It has become increasingly popular in recent years due to enhancement in technology. There are two methods for desalination. The most common type is work by reverse osmosis, which is based on osmosis- the movement of substances from a lower concentration to a higher concentration. It is a membrane-technology filtration and removes salt and minerals by pressurizing the sea water, forcing them to move through the selective membrane. The selective membrane has pores that allow only water particle to pass through, so that salt molecules and other pollutants are trapped behind the membrane. The by-product produced in the process is salt. It creates an economic opportunity. The process in a desalination plant Thermal distillation is another way of desalination other than reverse osmosis. It is known as the multi-stage flash distillation. It distillates water by flashing a portion of water into steam in multiple stages and then condense them into portable water. Where do we find desalination plant? In Hong Kong, the Water Supplies Department has two desalination plants which use reverse osmosis. The first one is located in Ap Lei Chau and the other one located in Tuen Mun. The government is also planning to build another desalination plant in Tseung Kwan O. There are 100 countries around the world which uses this technology. Saudi Arabia accounts for 25% of the world’s desalination output, with over 2000 desalination plants around the country. A desalination plant in Saudi Arabia. Apart from the problem of water pollution and water shortage, water crisis itself can also be an opportunity, if we look at it from another perspective. It can raise global awareness and promote international cooperation. Thus it drives globalization. Water crisis is a global issue. It cannot be solved by only the cooperation of a few countries; full cooperation from countries all around the world is required. Therefore, some international cooperation was established in order to help countries joining hands to solve water crisis. One of the examples is the World Water Council. The World Water Council organizes the World Water Forum once every three years. In the forum, representatives from different countries join together and come up with some solutions to solve the water crisis. It includes signing of protocols, reducing pollutants in order to help geographic areas that are facing an immediate water shortage. This can not only help to solve the water crisis, but also create peace among countries. 3) Discussion and Analysis What are the benefits of using â€Å"New Water† instead of local reservoir water? First, it can solve the problem of water shortage. In Singapore, there is not enough water because there are only a few rivers running through this small country, but it is densely populated. Reused water is using the same amount of water many times, so we can have unlimited water source without worrying being used up. Moreover, using â€Å"New Water† can help protecting the environment. Waste water cause water pollution, which can contaminate fresh water source; by using â€Å"New Water†, water can be reused and it will not cause any further pollution. This is beneficial to the environment. Furthermore, â€Å"New Water† can boost tourism. In Singapore, the â€Å"NEw Water† visitors centre is a new attraction. It attracts tourists to visit as it provides opportunities for them to explore Science and learn more about water. Last but not least, â€Å"New Water† can help Singapore to make money, as it can sell this technology to other countries. Some countries, such as, China and Europe has already started using â€Å"New Water† instead, as it is purer than local reservoir water. In conclusion, â€Å"New Water† is alternate solution, which can change water pollution and shortage into a profitable opportunity. Now, let us move on to desalination. Some people think that although desalination may seem to be a solution to our current water crisis, it has certain potential implications that cause harm to our environment. Fossil fuels or nuclear power are used in the majority of desalination plants. The burning of fossil fuels releases a large amount of carbon dioxide into the air. The increase in this disastrous greenhouse gas consequently makes global warming worse. Alternatively, but still, nuclear power is dangerous. The radiation leakage in Japan had spread concerns all over the world. Radiation is carcinogenic. People living near the nuclear power plant had to be relocated. It even made Japanese seafood un-consumable. Besides, the food chain is affected since water and soil is polluted by radiation. Furthermore, membrane-technology is expensive. The production cost of water per meter cube is HK$7.8- HK$8.4. However, the advantages of desalination outweights its costs because it can make water available to areas that have a scarce supply of fresh water. Why Saudi Arabia needs a lot of desalination plant? It is because it is located in a place where there is short supply of water. With desalination, they can change sea water into fresh water. It provides a reliable and sufficient supply of water to the growing communities, which reduces the crisis of water shortage. More people will have a steady supply of water and lives will be saved. People will no longer die from the lackage of water. The costs of human lives are much more important than the costs of desalination. The cost of desalination is only short-term and it can be solved by using renewable energy instead, such as solar energy and wind power. Also, the cost of desalination will be lowered once it is developed and widely used around the world. To sum up, desalination is another effective way to change water crisis into an opportunity. â€Å"A coin has two sides†. Water crisis does not only bring disadvantages, but it is also an opportunity for countries to join together and solve this global issue. This can improve international relationships and bring peace to countries. On the one hand, some people may argue that water crisis would not bring any peace to countries, but instead it brings conflicts and chaos. Some research show that as water crisis is getting more and more serious, water source becomes a weapon, and it may be a threat to other countries. Therefore, if one country is located at the upper course, while the other is located at the lower course, the one at the upper course can control the flow of water. However, the establishments of international organizations help to solve this problem together by promoting the saving of water supply and improvement of technology. This can create communication channels and may help to maintain peace in certain countries. For example, the 6th Water Forum held in Marseille, from 12 to 17 March 2012 was a great success. Participants from over 145 countries join this event. They discuss global water problems together. Through debates and in-depth dialogue, they were able to know more about water crisis and many stakeholders commit that they would try their best to conserve water in order to help the needy. This shows that water crisis can raise global awareness and promote international cooperation. (+ but piecemeal and suggestion) (favourable risk and insight) 4) Conclusion The water crisis does not have to be devastating. Flipside, there are advantages of it on bringing opportunities to communities, the world and to us. In face with the same problem, people unite and untangle the cluttered yarn of puzzle, mystery and problems. Because of the water crisis, people start organizing Water Forums so that opinions all around are synthesized, analyzed and become a grand solution. Working scientists, assisting each other and aiming at the target, invented ways like the New water and desalination of water. ‘Even the darkest night will end. And the sun will rise.’ There is always a solution to a problem. However, we could not just rely on the technology to solve this problem but we should also help conserving water and raise the global awareness. To solve the problem entirely we must start from its roots. Take a shower instead of a bath. Don’t leave the water running when you are brushing your teeth. Switch off any dripping taps. This will also decrease your electricity bill and help to build a greener environment where water is plentiful. If we still consume water at a stage like this, we are exploiting resources from our next generations, which doesn’t make the planet sustainable. With the cooperation of everybody, we strongly believe that water crisis will definitely change into an opportunity and the world would be a better place to live in. 5) Reference and Appendices Asia’s Water Crisis†¦and Opportunity (No.2 2011) Solutions http://solutions.bv.com/asias-water-crisis-and-opportunity/ Peak Water: Crisis or Opportunity? (Tuesday, December 1, 2009) Carbon Foresight http://carbonforesight.blogspot.hk/2009/12/peak-water-crisis-or-opportunity.html â€Å"Turning China’s Water Crisis into Investment Opportunity† Market Brief Water August 2009, New Ventures http://www.new-ventures.org.cn/sites/default/files/upload/turning_chinas_water_crisis_into_investment_opportunity.pdf â€Å"Who profiting from the water crisis†, Issue 452, New Internationalist Magazine http://www.newint.org/features/2012/05/01/water-crisis-profit-opportunity/ Singapore National water agency http://www.pub.gov.sg/water/newater/Pages/default.aspx Graphs: Fig1 and 2 http://www.pub.gov.sg/water/newater/quality/Pages/default.aspx How Desalination works http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/how-does-desalination-work.htm http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/desalination.htm Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desalination Fdu Magazine online 2003 http://www.fdu.edu/newspubs/magazine/03su/desalination.html The World water Council http://www.worldwatercouncil.org/ â€Å"Solving the World Water Crisis Takes International Cooperation†, Suite101 http://suite101.com/article/solving-the-world-water-crisis-takes-international-cooperation-a265088

Collusive Oligopoly Essay Example

Collusive Oligopoly Essay Example Collusive Oligopoly Paper Collusive Oligopoly Paper 1. 0Introduction In a perfectly competitive market it is assumed that owing to presence of manybuyers and many sellers selling homogeneous products,the actions of any singlebuyer or seller has a negligible impact on the market price of product. However in reality this situation is seldom realized. Most of the time individual sellershave some degree of control over the price of their outputs. This condition is referredas imperfect competition. Barriers to entry are the factors that make it difficult for new firms to enter an industry, which lead to imperfect competition. Mostly commonly known barriers of entry areeconomies of scale, legal restrictions, high cost of entry and advertising and productdifferentiation. Imperfect competitive markets can be classified into three categories 1. Monopoly where single seller has control over the industry and no other firmexists producing a close substitute. True monopolies are rare in the present situation. 2. Monopolistic competition where a large number of sellers exist sellingdifferentiated products 3. Oligopoly is an intermediate form of imperfect competition in which only afew sellers exist in the market with each offering a product similar or identicalto the others. Oligopoly usually exhibits the following features: 1. Entry barriers: Significant entry barriers prevail in the markets that thwart thedilution of competition in the long run. This helps dominant firms to maintainsupernormal profits. Though many smaller firms can operate on the periphery of anoligopolistic market, but none of them is large enough to have any considerable effecton market prices and output. 2. Interdependent decisions of non-price competition suchas free deliveries and installation, longer opening hours (e. g. supermarkets and petrolstations),branding of products and heavy spending on advertising and marketing. If firms operate in cooperative mode to minimize the competitions betweenthemselves this behavior is called as Collusion. When two or more firms agree to settheir outputs or prices to divide the market among themselves, it is called as collusive oligopoly. 2. 0 Collusive oligopoly: There are two types of collusive oligopoly A. Price leadership – tacit collusion This occurs when one firm has a clear dominant position in the market and thefirms with lower market shares follow the pricing changes driven by the dominant firm. B. Overt collusion:This occurs when firms openly agree on price, output, and other decisions aimed at achieving high profits. Firms who coordinate their activities throughovert collusion and by forming collusive coordinating mechanisms, such a group ofindependent firms working in unison is called as cartel. When this happens the existing firms decide to engage in price fixing greements orcartels. The aim of this is to maximize joint profits and act as if the market was apure monopoly. 2. 1 Price fixing in collusive oligopoly Collusion is often explained as a product of motive to achieve joint-profitmaximization within a market or circumvent price and revenue instability in anindustry. Price fixing can be deemed as an attempt by suppliers to control supply andfix price at a level close to the level expected from a monopoly. However in order to fix prices, the producers in the market must be able to exertcontrol over market supply. The figure 1 below depicts a producer cartel fixes the cartel price at output Qm andprice Pm decided by the fact where marginal revenue of the cartel MR is equal tomarginal cost MC of the cartel. The distribution of the cartel output among the cartelmembers could be decided on the basis of an output quota system or through mutualagreement. Although the cartel as a whole is maximizing profits, the individual firm’soutput quota is unlikely to be at their profit maximizing point. For any one firm, within the cartel, expanding output and selling at a price thatslightly undercuts the cartel price can achieve extra profits. Unfortunately if one firmindulges in this, the other firms will probably same path same. If all firms break theterms of their cartel agreement, the result will be an excess supply in the market and asharp fall in the price. Under these circumstances, a cartel agreement might breakdown. Fig. Price fixation by cartel and effect on partner of the firm 3. 0 Conditions conducive for formation of cartels 1. Only a small number of firms exist in the industry and barriers prevail to entryprotect the monopoly power of existing firms in the long run. 2. Market demand is not too variable i. e. it is reasonably predictable and not subject toerratic fluctuations which may result to excess demand or excess suppl y. 3. Demand is fairly inelastic with respect to price so that a higher cartel price fetchesincreased total revenue to suppliers in the market. 4. It is easier to monitor each firm’s output. This enables the cartel more easily toregulate total supply and identify firms, cheating on output quotas. 4. 0 Reasons for possible breakdowns of cartels Most cartel arrangements experience difficulties and tensions and some producercartels collapse completely. Several factors can create problems within a collusiveagreement between suppliers: 1. Enforcement problems: The primary objective of the cartel is to restrict totalproduction to maximize total profits of members. But in reality each individualmember of the cartel finds it profitable to raise its own production. Thus theenforcement of output quota becomes difficult for the cartel leading disputes about sharing of the profits. Non-members of the cartel may opt to take a free ride byproducing close to but just under the cartel price. 2. Falling market demand during a recession creates excess capacity in the industryand exerts pressure on individual firms to reduce prices to maintain their revenue. E. g. collapse of the coffee export cartel. 3. The successful foray of non-cartel firms into the industry undermines a cartel’scontrol of the market – e. g. he emergence of online retailers in the book industry in the mid 1990s. 4. The exposure of illegal price fixing by market regulators Governments appoint market regulators to monitor the markets and identify the firmsindulging in collusion. Collusion is undesirable from the standpoint of society as awhole, because inefficient allocation of resources at high prices. In order bringallocation of resources closer to the social optimum, p olicymakers try to induce firmsin an oligopoly to compete rather than cooperate through instrument of antitrust laws. Regulatory bring legal suits to enforce the antitrust laws for example to preventmergers leading to excessive market power prevent. 5. 0 OPEC case study: Most successful cartel Organization of petroleum Exporting countries (OPEC) was formed in 1960. Initiallyit contained only 5 members, the membership of cartel however expanded to 13 by1973. During period 1960-73, OPEC could not be reckoned as a successful cartel. Infact world oil prices declined slightly over the 1960-1970 decade. However the situation underwent a dramatic change in 1973 with the Arab-Israel war. During the war the Arab members of OPEC temporarily cut off oil exports. Theoutcome was ominous: Oil prices more that tripled in a matter of months. Theestimated price of a barrel of oil on the world market was $2. 91 in 1973 but jumped to $10. 77 in 1974. This demonstrated that output restriction could wreak havoc afterresuming exports OPEC continued to hold down output. Subsequently, oil pricesremained relatively stable. However another jolt was inflicted in 1978 whenrevolution took place in Iran. Iranian exports at that time accounted for 20 percent ofall OPEC ex-ports, fell almost to zero. Prices escalated once again and the newgovernment in Iran continued to limit exports, maintaining prices at high levels. The Iran-Iraq War, which started in 1980, resulted in the extensive destruction of oilproducing facilities in both counties and brought down oil exports further. The relative success of OPEC can be attributed to the following advantages it hasenjoyed relative to other cartels. 1. The price elasticity of demand for oil, especially in the short run, is quitelow, implying that moderate output restrictions will produce large priceincreases- a favorable environment for a cartel. In 1973 OPEC outputcontributed to two-thirds of the total world oil production. 2. In 1975 OPEC countries held 70 percent of the world’s proven oilresources that imparted it a substantial market power. 3. OPEC contains a few members, many of the internal problems thatusually trouble a cartel are reduced e. g. reaching agreements, monitoringthe output and coordinating price policies of individual members, issimpler with a few members involved. In fact, since just four countries(Saudi, Arabia, Kuwait, Iran and Venezuela) regulate ? of OPEC’s oilreserves, the effectiveness of cartel is further enhanced. . The biggest danger to a cartel comes from the increased production bynon-members. However exploration, production and building new supplies are time consuming hence this gives OPEC significant short-run power. 5. OPEC has also been benefited by policies of oil importing nations. E. g. Inthe United states for example, price controls on oil and gas kept the pricereceived by domestic oil producer’s artificially low and discouragedproduction and exploration. In addition, tough environmental restrictionson the mining and use of coal slowed the transition to coal as anotherenergy alternative. On one hand domestic consumption was encouragedand production was discouraged resulted in additional demand for oil fromOPEC and the United States inevitably became more dependent onimported oil during the 1970s. But the situation had changed dramatically by early 1982. In March 1982 the pricefor Saudi Arabian light crude oil was $29 a barrel, down in real terms more that 30percent from a year earlier. So also the fraction of oil production had fallen to 40percent by 1984. This ultimately resulted in erosion of power of OPEC. In September 1960 four Persian Gulf nations (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia) and Venezuela formed OPEC, the purpose of which was to obtain higher prices for crude oil. By 1973 eight other nations (Qatar, Indonesia, Libya, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Nigeria, Ecuador, and Gabon) had joined OPEC. Ecuador withdrew on the last day of 1992. OPEC was unsuccessful in its first decade. Real (that is, inflation-adjusted) world prices for crude oil continued to fall until 1971. In 1958 the real price was $10. 85 per barrel (in 1990 dollars). By 1971 it had fallen to $7. 46 per barrel. However, real prices began to rise slowly beginning in 1971, and then jumped dramatically in late 1973 and 1974 from roughly $8 per barrel to over $27 per barrel in the wake of the Arab-Israeli (Yom Kippur) War. Contrary to what many non-economists believe, the 1973 price increase was not caused by the oil embargo (refusal to sell) directed at the United States and the Netherlands that year by the Arab members of OPEC. Instead, OPEC reduced its production of crude oil, thus raising world oil prices substantially. The embargo against the United States and the Netherlands had no effect whatever: both nations were able to obtain oil at the same prices as all other nations. The failure of this selective embargo was predictable. Oil is a fungible commodity that can easily be resold among buyers. Therefore, sellers who try to deny oil to buyer A will find other buyers purchasing more oil, some of which will be resold by them to buyer A. Nor, as is commonly believed, was OPEC the cause of oil shortages and gasoline lines in the United States. Instead, the shortages were caused by price and allocation controls on crude oil and refined products, originally imposed in 1971 by President Nixon as part of the Economic Stabilization Program. By preventing prices from rising sufficiently, the price controls stimulated desired consumption above the quantities available at the legal maximum prices. Shortages were the inevitable result. Countries that avoided price controls, such as West Germany and Switzerland, also avoided shortages, queues, and the other perverse effects of the controls. OPEC is a cartel- a group of producers that attempts to restrict output in order to keep prices higher than the competitive level. The heart of OPEC is the Conference, which comprises national delegations, usually at the level of oil minister. The Conference meets twice each year to assign output quotas, which are upper limits on the amount of oil each member is allowed to produce. The Conference may also meet in special sessions when deemed necessary, particularly when downward pressure on prices becomes acute. OPEC faces the classic problem of all cartels: overproduction and cheating by members. At the higher cartel price, less oil is demanded. That is why OPEC assigns output quotas. Each member of the OPEC cartel has an incentive to produce more than its quota and shave (cut) this price because the cost of producing an additional barrel of crude is typically well below the cartel price. The methods available to shave official OPEC prices are numerous. Credit can be extended to buyers for periods longer than the standard thirty days. Higher grades (or blends) of oil can be sold for prices applicable to lower grades. Transportation credits can be given. Buyers can be offered side payments or rebates. This tendency for individual producers to cheat on the cartel agreement is a long-standing feature of OPEC behavior. Individual producers usually have exceeded their production quotas, and so official prices have been unstable. But OPEC is an unusual cartel in that one producer- Saudi Arabia- is much larger than the others. That is why the Saudis are the swing producer. When prices start downward, they cut their production to keep prices up. One reason the Saudis have behaved that way is that departures from the official prices impose larger total losses on them than on other OPEC members in the short run. Because other producers have huge incentives to produce in excess of their quotas, the Saudis, in order to defend the official OPEC price, have had to reduce their sales dramatically at times. This erosion of Saudi production and sales has tended to reduce their revenues and profits substantially. In 1983 and 1984, for example, the Saudis found themselves producing only about 3. 5 million barrels per day, despite their (then) production capacity almost three times that level. How successful has OPEC been since the early seventies? Not as successful as many people perceive. Except in the wake of the 1979 Iranian revolution, and in anticipation of possible destruction of substantial reserves in the 1990-91 Persian Gulf conflict, real (inflation-adjusted) prices of crude oil have fallen since 1973. Prices began dropping very rapidly in the early eighties after the Saudis concluded that lower prices and higher production were in their best interests. Official prices fell from $34 (for the benchmark crude oil, Arabian light) to $29 in 1983, $24 in 1984, and about $18 in 1986 to 1988. Indeed, even prices unadjusted for inflation often have fallen. For example, prices fell from $35. 10 per barrel ($49. 10 in 1990 dollars) in 1981 to $16. 69 ($18. 69 in 1990 dollars) in 1987. (Price data are shown in table 1, and current reserves, production capacity, and production levels are shown in table 2. ) TABLE 1 ________________________________________ World Crude Oil Prices (U. S. dollars per barrel) ________________________________________ Year Nominal Price In 1990 Dollars Year Nominal Price In 1990 Dollars 1955 2. 25 10. 88 1973 3. 27 8. 69 1956 2. 36 11. 04 1974 11. 17 27. 20 1957 2. 73 12. 34 1975 11. 7 25. 66 1958 2. 45 10. 85 1976 12. 41 25. 86 1959 2. 27 9. 82 1977 13. 33 26. 05 1960 2. 23 9. 49 1978 13. 43 24. 46 1961 2. 27 9. 57 1979 20. 19 33. 78 1962 2. 26 9. 32 1980 32. 27 49. 52 1963 2. 25 9. 13 1981 35. 10 49. 10 1964 2. 23 8. 91 1982 32. 11 42. 22 1965 2. 22 8. 64 1983 27. 73 35. 10 1966 2. 24 8. 42 1984 27. 44 33. 50 1967 2. 27 8. 31 1985 25. 83 30. 63 1968 2. 24 7. 81 1986 12. 52 14. 47 1969 2. 27 7. 50 1987 16. 69 18 . 69 1970 2. 35 7. 36 1988 13. 25 14. 36 1971 2. 52 7. 46 1989 16. 89 17. 59 1972 2. 64 7. 47 1990 20. 42 20. 42 SOURCE: U. S. Departments of Energy, Commerce, and Labor. ________________________________________ TABLE 2 ________________________________________ OPEC Reserves, Production Capacity, and Production Levels ________________________________________ Nation ReservesaCapacitybProductionc Algeria 9,200 800 750 Ecuador 1,514 330 280 Gabon 733 200 260 Indonesia 8,200 1,300 1,200 Iran 92,860 3,000 3,100 Iraq 100,000 3,500 3,100 Kuwait* 97,125 2,200 1,800 Libya 22,800 1,600 1,250 Neutral Zone NA600 300 Nigeria 16,000 1,700 1,700 Qatar 4,500 600 365 Saudi Arabia* 257,559 7,000 5,300 Un. Arab Em. 4,105 2,210 2,060 Venezuela 58,504 2,400 2,000 OPEC Total 763,100 27,440d23,465 World Total 1,001,572 63,740d60,320 aMillions of barrels on January 1, 1990. bMaximum sustainable as of August 1990, thousands of barrels per day. cThousands of barrels per day as of May 1990, excluding natural gas liquids. dNon-OPEC capacity for first quarter 1991, from internal Department of Energy/Energy Information Administration esti mate. * Includes one-half of the Neutral Zone. n. a. - not available. SOURCE: U. S. Department of Energy, Central Intelligence Agency. ________________________________________ This downward trend has increased tensions between two rival groups within OPEC. The price hawks, usually nations with smaller crude oil reserves relative to population, argue for lower oil output and higher prices. The principal hawks within OPEC are Iran and Iraq. The price doves, usually nations with larger reserves relative to population, argue for higher output and lower prices to preserve, over the longer term, their oil markets and thus the economic value of their oil resources. The principal doves within OPEC are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. Such relatively lower prices serve the interests of the doves because oil consumers have used less oil in response to prior price increases. For example, U. S. energy use per dollar of GNP (adjusted for inflation) was 27. 49 thousand BTUs in 1970. By 1988, after the price increases of 1973 and 1979, it had decreased to 19. 93 thousand BTUs. Thus, the price doves, led by Saudi Arabia, generally have resisted pressures for higher prices. Over the long run, real prices of natural resources and commodities usually fall, largely because of technological advances. Crude oil is no exception. Technological advances in seismic exploration have dramatically reduced the cost of finding new reserves, thus increasing oil reserves greatly. Horizontal drilling and other new techniques have reduced the cost of recovering known reserves. Also, improvements in technology provide both substitutes for oil and ways to use less oil to achieve given ends. Moreover, advances in technology will reduce prices for such substitute fuels as natural gas, thus exerting continuing downward pressure on crude oil prices. And increasing willingness to devote resources toward environmental improvement suggests that the market for crude oil will decline relative to those for such cleaner energy sources as natural gas and nuclear technology, unless other technical advances yield substantial improvement in the ability to use oil cleanly. Thus, the demand for crude oil is likely over the long term to decline relative to the demand for competing fuels. This has been the experience of mankind, as wood gradually gave way to coal, which in turn declined as the use of oil expanded. These facts suggest that the economic power of OPEC inexorably will erode. . 0 Conclusion Collusive oligopolies are more like a monopoly. However it is very fragile since self-interest to earn maximum profit of member can tip off the balance and can lead toprice war. The success of collusive oligopoly is quite dependent on the number offirms in involved and their level of cooperation. It can be observed that it is difficultto maintai n cartels in the long run with an exception of OPEC. Policymakers regulate the behavior of oligopolies through the antitrust laws. The proper scope of these laws is the subject of ongoing controversy.

Carbon Neutral Alternative Fuels

Carbon Neutral Alternative Fuels Carbon neutral is a term used to describe carbon-based fuels that when burned will not increase carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. These fuels neither contribute to nor reduce the amount of carbon (measured in the release of CO2) into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is plant food, which is a good thing, and it also helps keep our planet warm. However, too much CO2 can lead to what we now call global warming. Carbon neutral fuels can help prevent too much CO2 from accumulating in the atmosphere. It accomplishes this when the released carbon is absorbed by plant crops that will help produce tomorrow’s next gallon of a carbon-neutral fuel. Every time we travel in a gasoline or diesel-powered vehicle, we add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. That’s because burning a petroleum fuel (which were created millions of years ago) releases CO2 into the air. As a nation, 250 million passenger vehicles are currently registered, about 25 percent of all passenger vehicles in the world. In the U.S., our vehicles burn around 140 billion gallons of gasoline and 40 billion gallons of diesel a year. With those numbers it’s not difficult to see that every gallon of a carbon-neutral fuel that is burned can contribute to the reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere, thus helping to reduce global warming. Biofuels Many people believe the future lies with carbon-neutral alternative fuels made from crops and waste products that are known as biofuels. Pure biofuels such as biodiesel, bio-ethanol, and bio-butanol are carbon neutral since plants absorb the C02 released by being burned. Biodiesel The most common carbon neutral fuel is biodiesel. Because it is produced from such organically derived resources as animal fats and vegetable oil it can be used to recycle a wide range of waste material. It’s available in a range of blend percentages- B5, for example, is 5 percent biodiesel and 95 percent diesel, while B100 is all biodiesel- and there are biodiesel filling stations throughout the U.S. Then there’s the small number of drivers who homebrew their own biodiesel and some who convert their diesel engines to run on straight vegetable oil recycled from restaurants. Bioethanol Bioethanol is ethanol (alcohol) that is produced by the fermentation of plant starches such as grains like corn, sugarcane, switchgrass and agricultural waste. Not to be confused with ethanol that is a by-product of a chemical reaction with petroleum, which is not considered renewable. In the U.S. most of the bioethanol comes from farmers who grow corn. Many American passenger cars and light-duty trucks can operate on either gasoline or a bioethanol/gasoline blend called E-85- 85 percent ethanol/15 percent gasoline. While E-85 is not a pure carbon neutral fuel it does produce low emissions. The big downside to ethanol is it is less energy-dense than other fuels, so it reduces fuel economy by 25% to 30%. With gasoline prices hovering around $2 a gallon E-85 is not competitively priced. And good luck finding a gas station that sells it outside the Midwest farming states. Methanol Methanol, like ethanol, is a very strong alcohol made from wheat, corn or sugar in a process similar to brewing, and is considered the most energy-efficient fuel to produce. A liquid at normal temperatures, it has a higher octane rating than gasoline but a lower energy density. Methanol can be mixed with other fuels or used on its own, but it is slightly more corrosive than traditional fuels, requiring engine fuel system modifications on the order of $100-$150. During a brief period of time in the early 2000s, there was a small growing market for methanol cars in California until the state’s Hydrogen Highway Initiative Network took command and the program lost support. Sales of these cars were sluggish due to the low price of gasoline at the time and the lack of service stations that pumped the fuel. However, the short program did prove the reliability of the vehicles and garnered positive feedback from drivers. Algae Algae- specifically microalgae- is a source for a carbon-neutral alternative fuel. Since the 1970s federal and state governments along with private investment firms have poured hundreds of millions into algae research as a biofuel with little success to date. Microalgae has the ability to produce lipids, which are known as a potential source for biofuels. These algae can be grown on non-potable water, perhaps even wastewater, in ponds so it is not using arable land or massive amounts of water. While on paper, micro-algae seems like a no-brainer, formidable technical issues have flummoxed researchers and scientists for years. But the algae true believers aren’t giving up, so maybe someday you’ll be pumping an algae-based biofuel into your car’s fuel tank. Diesel Fuel From Water And CO2 No, diesel fuel from water and carbon dioxide is not some Ponzi scheme intended to fleece dim-witted investors. Last year Audi, together with German energy-company Sunfire, announced it was able to synthesize a diesel fuel from water and CO2 that can fuel automobiles. The synthesis creates a liquid known as blue crude and is refined into what Audi is calling e-diesel. Audi claims that e-diesel is sulfur-free, cleaner burning than standard diesel and the process to make it is 70 percent efficient. The first five liters went into the tank of an  Audi A8  3.0 TDI driven by Germany’s Minister of Research. To become a viable carbon-neutral fuel, the next step is to ramp up production. A Complex and Difficult Challenge Our addiction to oil has had dire consequences. It seems that the logical solution would be to develop or discover an alternative carbon-neutral fuel not derived from petroleum. However, finding an alternative that is abundant, renewable, economical to produce and environmentally friendly is a complex and difficult challenge. The good news is, as you read this, scientists are working hard on this difficult challenge. Updated by Larry E. Hall

Globalization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Globalization - Research Paper Example DJ Khaled is one of the Arabic rappers who raps in English. He has songs with Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and Akon. Other people are like Super Saian Crew, Satam and Abady who are Arabs and rap well. Rap music is a popular music in the Arab world because of globalization and it has affected the Arab culture and changed young Arab people. Specially the blend of the Arabian and the English music has gave rise to a new genre of music that is quite unlike the conventional music in Arabia. This kind of music affects our culture, especially the young generation who grow up with it and not with Arab culture. The young generation is induced by this kind of music and they like it very much. This kind of music might let the person to speak out. People can say what they feel through this kind of music about surroundings. They will write their own words. As a result this kind of music focuses on the freedom of  speech. It is new way to express  oneself musically. The increased freedom of expression is both good and bad for the society in many ways. Sometimes, people speak out too much in the name of freedom that hurts the feelings of others.