Socialism Essays - Thought, Political Philosophy, Politics

Socialism The term socialism is commonly used to refer both to an ideology a comprehensive set of beliefs or ideas about the nature of human society and its future desirable state--and to a state of society based on that ideology. Socialists have always claimed to stand above all for the values of equality, social justice, cooperation, progress, and individual freedom and happiness, and they have generally sought to realize these values by the abolition of the private-enterprise economy (see CAPITALISM) and its replacement by "public ownership," a system of social or state control over production and distribution. Methods of transformation advocated by socialists range from constitutional change to violent revolution. ORIGINS OF SOCIALISM Some scholars believe that the basic principles of socialism were derived from the philosophy of Plato, the teachings of the Hebrew prophets, and some parts of the New Testament (the S ermon on the Mount, for example). Modern socialist ideology, however, is essentially a joint product of the 1789 French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution in England--the word socialist first occurred in an English journal in 1827. These two great historical events, establishing democratic government in France and the conditions for vast future economic expansion in England, also engendered a state of incipient conflict between the property owners (the bourgeoisie) and the growing class of industrial workers; socialists have since been striving to eliminate or at least mitigate this conflict. The first socialist movement emerged in France after the Revolution and was led by Francois BABEUF, Filippo Buonarrotti (1761-1837), and Louis Auguste BLANQUI; Babeuf's revolt of 1796 was a failure. Other early socialist thinkers, such as the comte de SAINT-SIMON, Charles FOURIER, and Etienne CABET in France and Robert OWE N and William Thompson (c.1785-1833) in England, believed in the possibility of peaceful and gradual transformation to a socialist society by the founding of small experimental communities; hence, later socialist writers dubbed them with the label utopian. THE EMERGENCE OF MARXISM In the mid-19th century, more-elaborate socialist theories were developed, and eventually relatively small but potent socialist movements spread. The German thinkers Karl MARX and Friedrich ENGELS produced at that time what has since been generally regarded as the most sophisticated and influential doctrine of socialism. Marx, who was influenced in his youth by German idealist philosophy and the humanism of Ludwig Andreas FEUERBACH, believed that human beings, and particularly workers, were "alienated" in modern capitalist society; he argued in his early writings that the institution of private property would have to be completely abolished bef ore the individual could be reconciled with both society and nature. His mature doctrine, however, worked out in collaboration with Engels and based on the teachings of classical English political economy, struck a harder note, and Marx claimed for it "scientific" status. The first important document of mature MARXISM, the COMMUNIST MANIFESTO (1848), written with Engels, asserted that all known human history is essentially the history of social classes locked in conflict. There has in the past always been a ruling and an oppressed class. The modern, or bourgeois, epoch, characterized by the capitalist mode of production with manufacturing industry and a free market, would lead according to Marx and Engels to the growing intensity of the struggle between capitalists and workers (the proletariat), the latter being progressively impoverished and as a result assuming an increasingly revolutionary attitude. Marx further asserted, in his most famou s work, Das KAPITAL, that the capitalist employer of labor had, in order to make a profit, to extract "surplus value" from his employees, thereby exploiting them and reducing them to "wage-slavery." The modern state, with its government and law-enforcing agencies, was solely the executive organ of the capitalist class. Religion, philosophy, and most other forms of culture likewise simply fulfilled the "ideological" function of making the working class contented with their subordinate position. Capitalism, however, as Marx claimed, would soon and necessarily grind to a halt: economic factors, such as the diminishing rate of profit, as well as the political factor of increasing proletarian "class consciousness" would result in the forcible overthrow of the existing system and its immediate replacement by the "dictatorship of the proletariat." This dictatorship would soon be superseded by the system of socialism, in which private

How to Become a Professional Speech Writer and Use Such a Skill in Adult Life

How to Become a Professional Speech Writer and Use Such a Skill in Adult Life How to Become a Professional Speech Writer and Use Such a Skill in Adult Life A professional speech writer creates powerful and memorable speeches that captivate the audience and inspire others to take action. Public speaking is a great tool and can be used to effectively communicate new ideas, provide with some crucial information, and connect emotionally with the audience. Because of this, professional speech writing is a service that many public speakers rely on. Over the course of this article, youll learn how to write a speech at a professional level. Structure Your Presentation While writing a speech, you should try to structure it to be as concise and understandable as possible. The main goal of public speaking is not to show off or impress others with large vocabulary, but to convey the information in the way that people can understand it. Using simple language as well as sentences will help you communicate the main point easily. Moreover, being precise while speaking is quite useful skill not only while speaking in front of the audience, but also in your daily life. Being able to simplify a complex idea and explain it clearly is the key aspect of effective communication. It provides people with all the key information, without bogging them down in unnecessary details. Hook the Audience Simple language doesnt have to be boring or feel mundane. In fact, the best speeches captivate the audience by using memorable words and phrases. Good speech writers will often repeat key words or phrases throughout their speeches to highlight how important these issues are. Repetition is a good way to hook the audience as well as make it to remember the message. Quotable words and phrases are also good speech devices, since they can often sum up your entire speech in one or two memorable sentences. You can use these tactics in your regular life as well. Using memorable phrases during the daily communication, or while the job interview makes you stick to the listeners mind. Inject Emotion and Be Vivid In good speeches, words are used to paint a vivid picture of what the speaker is talking about. They mentally transport the listeners to the exact situation, and let them visualize the message. By injecting emotions and descriptive phrases into your speech, you turn the mere information into the vivid one, so, you make it almost impossible for the audience to get bored. They will be engrossed in your message for sure. Being able to speak emotionally is a great skill to use in your daily life. It will help you make new friends easily as well as apply for a job without making any efforts. Remember that great speech writers craft informative messages that keep the audiences attention from the very beginning till the very end. And now you know how to force people listen to you with open mouths. Doing so will make your speeches more persuasive and effective once theyre delivered.

Latin America Politics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Latin America Politics - Research Paper Example The Economic circumstances declined quickly all through his management, the chief achievement of which, and determined public-works program, was attained by hovering huge loans overseas. A delayed period of fighting and strife followed Machado's defeat, with recurrent adjustments of government. All through this period the United States established a variety of measures, with abrogation of the Platt Amendment, in an attempt to calm the accepted conflict on the island. The dissemination in 1940 of a new establishment gave in further to the decrease of political anxiety. In December 1941 the Cuban government confirmed war on Germany, Japan, and Italy; as a result it became a charter member of the United Nations (UN) during 1945. (emayzine.com) The Cuban revolution initiated with the resistance for equality beside the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. A country whose financial systems with the political system were conquered by the US interests, the insurgency was also a fight back for democracy in the sagacity of endearing the right of the Cuban nation to act as an autonomous power and shape its own future. Unlike the case in other states, which invariably criticize Cuba for being autocratic, the voter turn-out in Cuba is soaring. (Cubasolidarity.org) Cuba has opposed The political development of Cuba: Cuba has opposed and will persist to oppose the power of those who have hoped to conquer the island nation for more than four and a half decades. In order to accomplish this, Cuba depends upon its olden times, civilization and culture, a little that is totally and neutrally dissimilar of the other nations, this in spite of the accessible internal situation that act as a propagation ground for the propagation of discordant and naughty exercises of the enemy. The fragmentation of the agreement of the Cuban community is the foremost purpose of the domain and its legislature. Alongside their ideological defence, now of a lot more strong nature, they proclaimed the emergency of Marxism, the ending of the history, and the demise of beliefs. They encouraged perceptions like human rights plus civil society, both of course in terms of their bourgeoisie perceptions. (Luz Marina, 2004) The Two mid consistent issues worry the board on politics: the trouble of democratic system, that is, its non-existence within Cuba; and the principle that Cuba's present government, its existing form of government, is not channelized, that it is temporary( Mauricio Solan , 1999)The economic development of Cuba over the years: Cuba has a twofold economy, with two different systems working side by side. The communist peso economy applies to most Cubans, providing them with free education, free health care, widespread employment, unemployment reward, disability and retirement settlement and the essential necessities of life: rations lodging, utilities and some entertainment at very little cost. The free-market polarized financial system functions within the tourist, worldwide and export divisions, and significantly maintains the Marxist economy. The Cuban Government persists to hold on to communist principles in systematizing its state-controlled financial system. Most of the resources of

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 46

Leadership - Essay Example He must use his power to fix things in accordance with the ethical standards. Moral courage is one of the many characteristics a leader must possess because if he lacks moral courage, he will never be able to take a positive step for those working under his leadership. Moral courage serves as the backbone of leadership. In a corporate setting, moral courage serves as the strength of character which allows the leader to lead his people without any fear of anyone or anything. When a leader is practicing moral courage, he has the guts to stand for his subordinates when needed, fight against injustice and suggest fair rewards and punishments. If an organization possess a leader who does not take righteous actions and decisions when required then the organization is likely to experience failure. We agree that it is a commander who leads a regiment and any failure on the part of regiment actually represents the poor leadership skills and lack of moral courage of the commander. If a leader can differentiate between right and wrong accurately and can raise a voice against the injustice going on regarding the policies, procedures and structures within an organization, only then he can bring about positive change in the culture as well as in the mindset of people. But it is really essential for a leader practicing moral courage that he must think and act within the ethical boundaries laid down by the organization. Sometimes the actions made by leaders in the name of moral courage allow those working under them to emulate them thereby setting a trend. This trend could be positive or negative. For instance, in the case study ‘Darker Shades of Blue’, Lt. Col. Holland gave a great flying performance for his 1993 Fairchild air show where he exceeded the technical order guidance thrice. The juniors who have seen Holland flying the way he likes by ignoring the defined guidance

Change management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Change management - Assignment Example Convincing them to see the advantages of the technology, especially information technology can be a hard thing for them, unfortunately, for managers it is all about money and they want to know that every investment they make will have a return to the firm in the form of profits (Dawson, 2015). In this regard, it is easier for a proposal to increase the machinery to gain support and financing from the managers than a proposal to create a new IT system. To make the situation even worse, IT projects do not always have a direct return of investment and it is always hard for the return in investment to be measured in terms of economic returns (Calleam.com, 2013). The main returns that can be achieved from IT investments are efficiency, happier customers, better management of information and other related advantages. These are very hard to measure in term of fiscal numbers. Because of this, it becomes very hard to convince the managers that the IT system will be useful to the firm and that it is a worthy investment (ECameron, Inc, 2011). Yet, without the support of the managers both in terms of the financing and the support to have the organization accept the new system, this can be a big barrier to the success of the project. Employees’ resistance is also another thing that has to be considered. This is especially with regard to change. According to Meliorate (2013), many people are afraid of change because they see it as a risk as opposed to seeing it as an opportunity. The fear of change is even more amplified when Information Technology is the one in consideration. Many employees may look at the project as a potential risk to their jobs (Creech, 2011). This will be caused by a number of factors . First, in the past, it has become evident that IT system can and do replace employees. Because of this, employees may feel that they may end up being victimized by being laid

String Definition And Concatenation Of Strings

String Definition And Concatenation Of Strings For this mini group project, me and my partner have been given a project title to be discussed which is string definition, null string and length, concatenation of strings, substring, and also languages and natural languages. This topic is the subtopics from the main chapter 3 which is Sequences and String. From this chapter basically this chapter help student especially in the application of computer programming. In this era of information technology humans have been doing math and physics for a long time until now in such from the geometry and logic of the Greek era of the Mediterranean, the numeracy of the Hindus in India, and also the development of algebra by Islamic scholars in Baghdad, until to the explosion of knowledge and learning in Europe after the invention of movable type. In 1970s, the string theory was born. Three particle theorists have been independently realize that the dual theories developed in 1968 to describe the particle spectrum. The quantum mechanics of oscillating strings also have been described. Thus it marks the official birth of string theory. Moreover, string theory is the leading candidate theory of quantum gravity. In fact, there are several consistent variants and they all have the certain common features. The most obvious are the replacement of point particles by strings and the six extra curled-up space-time dimensions. Thus, due to their extra mathematical origin, these distinct string theories can admit very and various different mathematical descriptions. Besides that, from the research, it says that the string currently know it there is not much indication that string theory is discrete. Strings can be described as the continuous loops in space. But, there has been some interesting work by Susskind and others which does seem to suggest that string theory could be discrete. As for the early conclusion, string theory has produced derivations of mathematical theories like toric geometry and K-theory, and a host of string-motivated conjectures in virtually every field of mathematics. Whatever its the inevitability of string theory as a mathematical theory of the highest order is hard to dispute. In light of this, perhaps we should turn Wigners remark around and marvel instead at the unreasonable effectiveness of string theory in mathematics. INTRODUCTION OF THE RESEARCH All of mathematics, as well as subjects that rely on mathematics, such as computer science and engineering, always make use of functions, sequences and string and also relations. And nowadays, most modern computer programs are represented by finite sequences of characters. String definition From the book, it says that finite sequences of the form a1, a2, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, an are called strings. Strings are normally restricted to sequences composed of symbols drawn from a finite alphabet, and are often indexed from 0 or 1. A string is just a finite sequence where S is a set of characters. Strings denoted by putting the characters together, for the example 12345. Besides that, strings are the fundamental object of computer science. Everything discrete can be described as a string of characters. Decimal numbers: 1010230824879 Binary numbers: 011101010111 String Notation A string notation can be described as a string which is a finite sequence of 0 or more letters in some pre-set alphabet ÃŽÂ £. For example decimal numbers: ÃŽÂ £ ={0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9} and for binary numbers: ÃŽÂ £ = {0,1}. Null string and length The unique string with no elements is called null string, will represented the lambda symbol l . Its length is zero: |l| = 0. Besides that, null string also be known as empty string which the string with no elements. Either way, the length of a finite string is just its number of terms (or of distinct indices). The length |s| of a finite string s is its number of positions which is the number of index values i. Concatenation of strings, substring The operation which be known as concatenation which is concatenation of two strings and it is formed by joining two end-to-end. We can say that the concatenation of the strings book and case is the string bookcase. In discrete mathematics we often use the concatenation of two strings such as a and b which the operation on strings consisting of writing a and followed by b to produce a new string of ab. Next is the concatenation of two or more numbers is the number formed by concatenating their numerals. For example, the concatenation of 1, 234, and 5678 is 12345678. The value of the result depends on the numeric base, which is typically understood from the context. For substring, given a group G of order g, then let U denote the set of all ordered multi-sets of elements of G. This will let V denote the subset of U consisting of multi-sets with exactly g components, and let A denote the subset of V consisting of multi-sets of exactly g distinct components. Languages and natural languages In information technology (IT), especially in computer programming, we are sometimes required to process a language. So, basically from discrete mathematics we will learn the concept of languages in a systematic way. For example, a compiler is a software that can translate a computer program written in a particular language into another language which is usually into a machine language. While for natural language processing is a study of how to produce the computer software that is capable of understanding natural language. We start with the 26 characters A-Z, and string them to form a word. Thus, the language will consist of a collection of such words. RESULT OF THE RESEARCH STRING DEFINITION A string over X, which X is such a finite set that is a finite of a sequence of element X Let, X = {a, b, c} and then we let: a = ccabbb this is a string over X and than the string will be written notation ccabbb = c2ab3 String is a sequence and the order is taken. The example that can we see is the string given accbbb that is different from the string ccabbb even that has same value but it is still different because of the order. In internet (computer science) Let ÃŽÂ £ be an alphabet, a non-empty finite. A string over ÃŽÂ £ is any finite sequence of characters from ÃŽÂ £. For example; If ÃŽÂ £ = {0, 1}, then 0101 is a string over ÃŽÂ £ From both example given, we can see that in computer science also use, that it is same but just difference in using the symbol of X and ÃŽÂ £. NULL STRING The null string also known as empty set that is the string with no elements .It is denoted by letter l (lambda). It has length zero. We also denote X* is the set of all string over X and also denote X+ is the set of all non-null string over X. Let, X* = {all strings over X including l} Example1: Let X= {3, 4} Some elements in X* are: 44, 33, 43, 4433, 4, 3, 44034343, l Example2: Let X = {b, c} Some of element in X* are: c, b, bcbc, b40c4bc, l For X+ we Let X+ = X* {l}, the set of all non-null strings over X. LENGTH OF STRING The length of a string a is the number of elements of a and that it is denoted by |a|. If a = a2bc3 or aabccc then |a| = 6. If |yet|=3, |another|=7, |usage|=5, |pipe|=4, |symbol|=6. CONCATENATION OF STRING Concatenation of two strings a and b is the operation on strings consisting of writing a followed by b and it produce ab a = bbaccc and b = caaba, Then, ab = bbaccccaaba = b2ac4a2ba Clearly, |ab| = | a| + |b| In computer programming String concatenation is the operation of joining two end to end. Example: The strings beach and ball may be concatenated to give beachball. First example: The following expression use the + symbol as the concatenation operator to join 2 strings: Print hi, + dear; produces the concatenated string hi, dear by joining those 2 strings Second example, (wet+land) is equals to (wetland). It shows that concatenation can be achieved with the + string operator. LANGUAGE AND NATURAL LANGUAGE Let B = {2, 3};- The example is languages over B: L1 = {2, 23, 233, 2333,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦} L2 = {2m3m | m > 0} L3 = {2m3n | m > 0, n > 0} Suppose that B is a set of alphabet. That it is define a language L over B is a collection of strings over X.A language L is simply a subset of A. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS As for the conclusions, this topic of sequence and string help both of us to think and link what we have learnt in the module of discrete mathematics within computer science and information technology. From this topic we have doing research about string definition, null string and length, concatenation of string, substring, languages and also natural languages. By doing this mini project we have investigated that the applications of this topic in discrete mathematics involve in the areas of computer science and IT. Nowadays, most modern computer program are represented by finite sequences of characters. We therefore need to develop the algebraic way such as string for handling such finite sequences. Moreover, this string topic is important to be learned by the student as it much involve in the application of computer programming. In computer programming, essentially, the string is a sequence of characters which is generally understood as a data type usually storing data values usually bytes. The elements usually stand for characters according to a character encoding, which will differentiates it from the other general array data type. Thus, the terms binary string and byte string are used to suggest strings in which the stored data does not necessarily represent text. While in discrete mathematics we learn string as mathematical structures. As we have doing our research on this topic, we can see that this topic involve much in the application of computer programming. As both of us are from science computer course, we can apply what we have learned in discrete mathematics into our application programming. Finally for the recommendations to improve more this topic which is Sequence and String, both of us have think that while in the lectures student should given more detail and explanation of string involving the subtopics of null string and non null string. Moreover, deep explanation about the function of language and natural languages in string also will help much the student to understand more this topic, apply it in the programming skills, and can do well in our final examination. The benefit of doing this mini project is both of can develop our understanding of the concepts and the applications of discrete mathematics through experiences which enable both us to explore more and model a variety or real-world situations. Special thanks to our lecturer Prof Dr. Haslina which have help both of us in giving the guidelines to do well for this our discrete mathematics mini project.

Abortion is Morally Wrong Essay -- Pro Life Pro-Life

Abortion is Morally Wrong Abortion, the termination of pregnancy before the fetus is capable of independent life, can either be spontaneous or induced. It is called "the knowing destruction of the life of an unborn child." (Mass General Laws Chapter 112 Section 12K) When abortion occurs spontaneously, it is called a miscarriage. However, when the loss of a fetus is caused intentionally, it is regarded as a moral issue. Abortion destroys the lives of helpless, innocent children and is illegal in many countries. An estimate of 1.2 million are performed each year. In retrospect, an estimate 38,010,378 innocent children were aborted since 1973 when the process was legalized. Abortion is a simple and safe procedure if it is done by trained medical workers during the first trimester. There are four different techniques utilized during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. Suction aspiration, also known as vacuum curettage, is the most common surgical means of abortion. This is when a powerful suction tube with a sharp cutting edge is inserted into the womb through the dilated cervix. The suction dismembers the body of the developing baby, tearing the placenta from the wall of the uterus, and sucking blood, amniotic fluids, placental tissue, and fetal parts into a bottle. Although it is one of the safer methods, there are still frequent complications such as infection and tearing of the uterus, causing hemorrhaging. Dilatation and Curettage (D&C) is another surgical process involving the insertion of a loop shaped steel knife to cut the baby’s body into pieces. The placenta is then scraped off the uterine wall. There is a higher risk of infection with D&C and greater blood loss than with Suction aspiration. RU 486 and Methotrexate are two similar types of chemical abortion. RU 486 is a pill that can be taken orally only during the five to nine week period. Three trips must be made to the abortion clinic. In the first, the RU 486 pill is administered after a physical examination. During the 2nd, 36 - 48 hours later, the woman is given a dose of artificial prostaglandins initiating uterine contractions. This causes the embryonic baby to be expelled from the uterus. The third visit, about two weeks later, can determine whether the abortion has been completed or if further surgery is necessary. Methotrexate is administered by intramuscular injection. It... ...ined that abortion is morally wrong and destructive in all circumstances. God, the ultimate creator who decides the fate of all humans who come into existence, is the only One with the ability to choose life or death for His people. For us to make this decision ourselves, we are taking dominion over God and disregarding the Predestination that He intends for each living person. Works Cited Fettner, Ann Giudici. Abortion. Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia. 2008. Hope and Healing. Massachusetts Citizens for Life. Elliot Institute, 2007. Levy, Robert J. Abortion. Microsoft Encarta 96 Encyclopedia. 1993-2009. Pro Life Reference Journal. Massachusetts Citizens for Life. Massachusetts Citizens for Life. 2008 Schwarz, Dr. Stephen. The Moral Question of Abortion. [Online] Available: http://www.ohiolife.org/mqa/13-5.htm. Unknown. Abortion Techniques: Suction Aspiration. [Online] Available: http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/asmf4.html. Unknown. Is Abortion Safe: Physical Complications. [Online] Available: http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/asmfl3.html Unknown. Over 38 Million Abortions in U.S. since 1973. [Online] Available: http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/aboramt.html

Life Cycle Analysis of the Fashion Industry

Life Cycle Analysis of the Fashion Industry BY caracal Industrial Ecology Practices in the Fashion Industry Introduction The industrial revolution in the sass brought a paradigm shift to the way humans interacted with the environment. The increased capability of producing and manufacturing on a large scale, the rise of multiple industries, growing demand and proliferation of hedonistic consumption patterns, has created a culture of surplus, want and waste. (Fallacy-Companion, 2012) From an environmental point of view, this resource hungry trend is unsustainable and has detrimental ecological impacts, such as pollution and climate change.These problems have highlighted the consequence of our insatiable demand for resources and the need to rethink current practices and thoughts in order to maintain current living standards and ensure future growth. The ideas of environmental management, industrial ecology and ecological footprint have been proposed to allow for a meticulous look to the products that we manufacture and use, with emphasis on measuring the ecological impacts in hopes of reducing them.A multitude of tools have since been created to measure efficiency in hopes to highlight areas for improvement, of which the ISO standard and Life cycle assessment are part of. Undoubtedly, many companies have adopted life cycle analysis (LLC) in order to assess and reduce their product's impact on the environment. The fashion industry, at its core, is based on the notion of continual consumption of the ‘new and the discard of the ‘old', especially with new seasonal lines coming out every 3 months.The industry celebrates creativity with the continuous turnover of trends, leading to the â€Å"premature product replacement and fashion obsolescence†. This constant change has major negative environmental and social impacts, particularly on those at the bottom of the supply chain. Ellwood et al, 2006; Whether and Leastwise, 2008) Moreover, delicates produc tion, often all over the world, is commonly practiced in line with the competitive advantages of different locales (such as low-cost labor, less stringent standards/regulations, strength in technology etc).Studies of Ellwood et al (2006), Madsen et al (2007) and Fletcher (2008) have highlighted issues of apparel waste as the majority of textile waste are not recycled or reuse but usually ends up in landfills. In this report, Nikkei Inc. And Levi Strauss & Co. Are chosen as case studies of the fashion industry for their efforts o apply LLC to their products. Life Cycle Assessment and IS014040 The International Organization for Standardization (SO) is an organization that aims to promote worldwide standards for proprietary, industrial and commercial purposes. ‘SO, 2013) The ISO 14000 series is a family of standards that related to environmental management, which aims to help organizations measure and minimize operations that will negatively affect the environment and comply with environmental regulations and audits required in the country of operation. For example, the ISO 14001 is integral to the European Union's CEO-Management and Audit Scheme (AMASS). AMASS, 2011) Before the development of the ISO 14000 series, most organizations had to rely on internal environmental management systems that made comparisons between companies difficult.The ISO 14040 standard focuses on Life Cycle Assessment. LLC is a technique to assess environment impacts associated with all the stages of a product's life from its raw material extraction to its processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair, recycle and disposal. It is believed to encompass a larger scope of environmental concerns as the compiled inventory of relevant energy and material inputs and environmental releases includes the attention impacts associated with the identified inputs and releases, which can then be interpreted to help make informed decisions and build corporate environmental strategies. EPA, 20 13) The method is most often used for the pinpointing potential for process improvements by assessing environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product's life. (Securing & Mueller, 2008) ISO 14040 standards shows how the LLC is to be carried out in four distinct phases as seen in Figure 1 before. Before any LLC can be carried out, an explicit goal and scope of the study, inclusive of technical details, has to be defined. This can then serve as a reference to guide the subsequent work.The functional unit, system boundaries, assumptions and limitations as well as the impact categories are identified and set in this first phase. The life cycle inventory analysis will then carry on from phase one by creating an inventory of all flows (input and output) between the stages of a product system, inclusive of all activities in the relevant supply chain and gives a clear picture of the system boundaries. Only when this is complete can the life cycle impact assessment be carried ou t.This is the most complex stage of the process as it aims to evaluate he significance of potential environmental impacts and calculate the input and output from the inventory. At the end of the assessment, the information gathered is evaluated and the assessment is objectively assessed before the identification of significant issues and problems, its evaluation and limitations are put forth. Figure 1 : The 4 phases of LLC (http://en. Wisped. Org/wick/ File:PhasesOfLifeCycleAnalysis. Eng) Current Context and Trends Environmental Management has progressed significantly over the years with regulations becoming more stringent and accountability expectations higher. Figure taken from Penman's (1999) report shows a simple evolution of environmental policies and their primary characteristics from the sass to present, whereby attitudes towards the environment have changes from merely managing the problem in the early days to one that is more actively involved in trying to prevent problems. Figure 2: Evolution of environmental management (Seaman, 1999) Within the industry and companies, Lamming ; Hampton (1996) stresses the need for companies to engage in environmental management as public pressure is and will continue to be a major factor. In their study, 75% of customers state that they would consider a Meany's environmental reputation when purchasing and 80% of those would be willing to pay a premium for an environmentally friendlier product.Although there are limitations to their study, in that the sentiment may only be shared by the European community of consumers, there is a trend whereby consumers are becoming more green conscious. Hawked et al (1999) in the book ‘Natural Capitalism' also calls for companies to embrace a new industrialism that will create profits and jobs while saving the environment, through the creation of a closed-loop supply chain that will generate more value and profit. By aggressive recycling, there is the potential of reducing up t o 90% of energy and materials consumption.Although individual organizations are recognizing the need and their responsibility to address environmental and sustainability issues, there remains a lack of systematic and coordinated effort across the board. At a larger and general scale, there has been an increase of government level interest and engagement to transition sustainability at the firm and facility level, to one that is more holistic and encompasses production sustainability throughout the value chain. Golden et al, 2011) President Obama issued Executive Order 13514 in 2009 that requires â€Å"the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, obtain 50% diversion rates of solid waste, pursue opportunities with vendors to reduce greenhouse gas (GOGH) emissions, ensure procurement preferences for energy-efficient products, and reduce consumption of paper with low recycled content†. Likewise the Securities Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission are driving the use of sustainable product design and supply chains by the issuance of directives and interpretive guidance. Golden et al, 2011) Since the fiasco of â€Å"sweatshop† labor in the sass, leading to public outcry and clash on the fashion industry, there has been unison of calls for greater accountability. (Whether and Leastwise, 2008; Clownish et al, 2012) Especially in an industry where the consumers are the largest stakeholders; public opinion is crucial and highly influential. This helps the environmental cause when more consumers become green conscious and demand for a smaller ecological footprint. There is a need to cater to these consumers and for companies to set themselves apart from their competitors. Kumar & Amalgamate, 2006) Environmental consciousness has been worked into the corporate social responsibility (CAR) of many companies and increasingly, in the fashion industry, CEO-fashion is trying to capture a larger share of the mainstream market with fashionable and envi ronmental apparel. Regions, 2006) There is also the emergence of industry consortia such as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), the Sustainability Consortium (TTS) and the Outdoor Industry Association (IA), all of which are multi-stakeholder organizations that are suited for establishing standardized metrics for regulation.Nikkei and Levies are both part of the SAC. Case study: LEVI STRAUSS & CO. Company Background The company, Levi Strauss & Co. Was founded by its namesake, Levi Strauss onetime in the mid-sass. It started off as a dry goods wholesaler before collaboration between Levi and Jacob Davis, a tailor, in 1872 saw the filing for its patented rivet pants- the start of the denim company that it is known for today. Over the years, the company have grown tremendously and has expanded its brands carried.Its current brands include Levi'†, [email  protected], Signature by Levi Strauss & Co. And [email  protected] The company has a vision to be â€Å"the embodiment of the energy and events of our times, inspiring people with a pioneering spirit† (Levi, 2013) and is committed to a variety of issues in its public policy approach that includes read, worker rights, equality and the environment. Since the sass, with the rise of global environmental concerns and problems, Levies have been working on reducing the environmental impact of its products.This was done by complying with environmental regulations, implementing a Code of Conduct for its suppliers- ensuring a reduction of water consumption and ending the use of harmful chemicals on its Restricted Substances List, switching to organic cotton when possible and increasing the amount of recycled materials in their end product. In 2007, as part of an attempt at a consolidated look at the company's environmental impact, a LLC was one on 2 products- a pair of Levi'† 5018 stonewashed Sears and the [email  protected] original khakis.This enabled the company to develop strategies that wi ll address the greatest impacts on the environment to ensure longevity in the industry. (Levi, 2013) Levies introduced its water;less Sears in 2011 and its waste;Less Sears in 2013. Waste;Less Sears has a minimum of 20% post-consumer recycled content (from PET bottles) instead of cotton. Ferries, 2013) Levies Life Cycle Assessment Levies product lifestyle assessment focuses on a quantitative method that looks at ass and energy balance using direct and indirect data over the â€Å"cradle to grave† lifespan of the product.A disclaimer on their website states that this LLC does not include social or economic impacts. In the input/output inventory aspect of the LLC, indirect data of mass and energy inputs are taken from extensive industry-average data sets. Together with the system analysis of the lifestyle assessment, in accordance with ISO 14040 requirements, the data is then translated to calculate the environmental impacts of the system. Figure 3 below shows the 6 stage syste m analysis of the 5018 Sears taken from the Levies website, that starts from the cotton production till the end of life after consumer use.Figure 3: LLC of a pair of Levies 501 Sears (http://alleviators. Com/sites/default/files/ liberationists/2012/4/ca-summary-2012-update. PDF) Phase 1: Goals and Scope Levies wanted their LLC to be done on a high volume product, produced for the U. S. Market during the 2006 production year. The Levi'† 5018, medium stonewashed Jean was chosen. The data compiled from Levi Strauss and Co. ‘s suppliers is processed via Gab 4 software datasets, following the ISO 14040 series standards. The LLC was conducted by PEP Americas from Boston, MA.The results were intended for internal use and with the option to share selected data publicly after addition reviews. Phase 2: Inventory Analysis Figure 4 shows the system boundary of the Levies 501 Jean, from the different places where cotton is sources, the different production plants, distribution chann els to its end. Figure 4: Levies 501 Jean System Boundary (Levi, 2013) Phase 3: Impact assessment After gathering information and data, Levies was able to measure the climate change, energy and water use of their best-selling Sears, with interesting results.A pair of original Levies has a global warming potential of 15 keg CA equivalent, consumes MAIM] of energy in its production process and only has 1% of its ingredients that are recycled. (Gaskin, 2012) Figures 5-7 show a breakdown of the weight of different factors and their impacts. Unsurprisingly, the growth of cotton was the most water intensive stage in the LLC, with the usage of the Jean being the next highest. Usage however was by far, the biggest contributor of energy use and climate change.This is due to the long lifespan of the Jean (denim as a material can be quite hardy) and the instant wash cycles can add up significantly over time. Figure 5: Impacts on energy use (Levi, 2013) Figure 6: Impacts on water use (Levi, 201 3) Figure 7: Impacts on climate change (Levi, 2013) Phase 4: Interpretation From the LLC, Levies realized that the majority of environmental impacts occur in the lifestyle phases that are outside their direct control. Reducing the overall environmental impact requires a two-pronged approach of focusing on internal operations whilst engaging consumers.Internally, Levi started looking at cotton production at the farmer's level, switching to organic cotton when possible and articulating in projects such as the â€Å"Better Cotton Initiative†, as cotton growing is water intensive. They also reduced product packaging and tweaked product design and manufacturing to reduce their water and energy use- the water

da vinci essays

da vinci essays The Renaissance was a time of learning and culture exchange. Many people discovered what it was like to be someone else. Many others discovered ideas and doctrines and spread them throughout the world. In this time period, people learned to care and give more importance to improvement in society than emphasizing on a persons rank. However, during the Middle Ages, society was more based on the peoples quality than the societys. The Renaissance gave birth to the printing press which led to a very well educated middle class. One middleclass man named Leonardo da Vinci became the spotlight of his time period. Unlike most people, he was interested in about everything that the Renaissance touched. One thing he was very fascinated by was the subject of science. He took great concern in the Scientific Revolution, which included three types of activities: scholasticism, humanism, and experimenting. Da Vinci took part in all three of these which gave him the title of the Renaissance Man. Da Vinci mastered in other areas and aspects of the Renaissance. He was also an artist who used his scientific knowledge to portray the perfect aspects of his works. He familiarized himself with the organs, muscles, tendons, and proportion of the human body. Because he was interested in anatomy, he based most of his works on that and so he achieved his goal of a perfect portrait, such like the Mona Lisa. His artwork always reflected the events or highlights of the Renaissance. The ideas of scholasticism, humanism, and experience are always depicted in his art work. His interest in anatomy also led him to the discovery of the circulation of the blood. But he stopped and accepted his theory that the heart was filled with invisible pores that pumped the blood in and out. Da Vinci was also a mathematician even though his education was not that of an educated man. He had befriended many who had very formal education and had learned to beco...

Heres What Happens If You Drop Francium in Water

Heres What Happens If You Drop Francium in Water Francium is element No. 87 on the periodic table. The element can be prepared by bombarding thorium with protons. An extremely small amount occurs naturally in uranium minerals, but it is so rare and radioactive that there has never been enough of it to actually see what would happen if a piece was dropped into water. However, scientists know for sure that the reaction would be energetic, possibly even explosive. ​ The piece of francium would blow apart, while  the  reaction with water would produce hydrogen gas, francium hydroxide, and a lot of heat. The entire area would be contaminated with radioactive material. Why Francium Reacts so Strongly The reason for the strong exothermic reaction  is because francium is an alkali metal. As you move down the first column of the periodic table, the reaction between the alkali metals and water becomes increasingly violent, as follows: A small amount of lithium will float on water and burn.Sodium burns more readily.Potassium breaks apart, burning with a violet flame.Rubidium ignites with a red flame.Cesium releases enough energy that even a small piece blows up in water.Francium is below cesium on the table and would react more readily and violently. This occurs because each of the alkali metals is characterized by having a single valence electron. This electron easily reacts with other atoms, such as those in water. As you move down the periodic table, the atoms become larger and the lone valence electron is easier to remove, making the element more reactive. In addition, francium is so radioactive that it is expected to release heat. Many chemical reactions are accelerated or enhanced by temperature. Francium would input the energy of its radioactive decay, which is expected to magnify the reaction with water.

Zoo Species Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Zoo Species Project - Research Paper Example Zoo Species Project Species are the smallest taxonomic division in biological classifications and is the level of classification with which an organism is identified as a distinct living or non- living organism over the earth’s surface. This is usually done by using the most salient and distinctive features that only such category of organisms possess on earth. The other taxonomic groups used in the classification of organisms include phylum, class, order, sub- order, family and genus to the kingdom and species at the extreme ends. This essay will cover the salient characteristics of the three identified species of, the okapi, the Komodo dragon, and the Double wattle cassowary. Okapi The okapi species can be taxonomically grouped to the Kingdom animalia, phylum chordata, class mammalia, order antiodactyla, sub- order ruminantia, family giraffidae, genus Giraffa carmelopardalis, and in the species Okapia johnstoni. The okapi is an herbivorous animal most common in tropical mountain forests of Afri ca. The animals are mainly common in central African tropical forests that have the favourable climatic conditions for the deer- like animals (Trooper and Murphy). They are mainly common in the Congo forest at an altitude of about 500 to 1000 meters above the sea level with most of them occupying areas with an altitude of 800 meters above the sea level mostly predominant in the Ituri forest of the DRC Congo. The animals can also be found in areas with slowly flowing waters. (Wood). Wood further notices in his book, The Guinness Book of Animal Facts that the okapis look similar to the giraffes having the long giraffe- like neck which not only help it reach out for leaves in the tall tropical forests but also useful in defence against the potential predators such as the lion, cheetahs, and other carnivorous predators. They have brown fur with white strips on their hind limbs and on the rear ends as the zebra that enables them to camouflage easily among the tall trees away from the pre dating animals. The animal is one of the only surviving ancestors of the giraffe family. The okapi is a very shy animal that is seldom seen by human beings. They spend most of their times in the forests usually very deep in the tropical forests where people seldom visit (Wood). Nearly a fifth of the tropical rainforest of the central Africa houses the okapi species. However, the number has been greatly threatened by the rapid rates of destruction caused by man on the tropical forests especially by deforestation leading to the ever-diminishing number of the okapi in Africa. As Eric and Laurie note in their book Windows to the Evolution of Diversity, the okapi is most active during the day and are mostly rendered inactive as the darkness approach. The animals like solitary lives during their lifetime and rarely walk, live or feed in colonies like the baboons or monkeys even though they sometimes feed together in groups just for a short period of time (Eric and Laurie). The animal is k nown to be feeding on over a hundred plant species some of which are considered poisonous to human being and other animals. They have long tongues that help them in feeding by increasing their heights enabling them to feed on tall plants. The gestation period for the female okapi is around sixteen months over which the females spend lots of their time in the thick woodlands deep in the forest certainly for the sake of the security of the pregnant female and the lamb after birth. Further, Trooper and Murphy underscore that these animals give birth to

Master of Business Administration in Marketing Essay - 1

Master of Business Administration in Marketing - Essay Example The business plan for the Post-Rock band, WhyOceans, is the result of extensive research via the internet, library and personal communication with a variety of individuals. With thorough research of the music industry, specifically the Post-Rock genre, Mr. Tommy Chu was able to develop a business plan supporting the promotion of WhyOceans. This business plan focuses on a plan for each of the areas supporting this promotion including marketing, management, technical and financial, to draw some booking agencies or record company managers. These people are able to book the band’s performances and create album sales throughout Macau and begin to spread the music to mainland China. This business plan will show that the band will become successful. Each year, its sales and revenue are planned increases that are an indication of the band’s success. WhyOceans consists of 6 members based in Macau. Their music combines rock and psychedelic elements and falls into the â€Å"Post-Rock† genre, with roots stretching back to the early days of the Pink Floyd. Post-Rock music is currently an expanding genre. WhyOceans will create a unique stylized image for itself that will help with promotion. WhyOceans’ songs are catchy, melodic and unique. That is the first selling point for the band. None of WhyOceans’ songs sound the same, and while they are stylistically similar there are noticeable differences. WhyOceans will employ an integrated mix of low-cost, highly effective tools and tactics for getting its message out to its growing audience. The band will target Post-Rock music listeners that geographically reside in China including Mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The age range of the target market is twenty to fifty years old. WhyOceans will the band will sell CDs and other merchandise through performances, which will consist of festivals and events at other places. The band will also sell records through record stores, and online stores. WhyOceans