Environment in South and Southeast Asia Essay Example

Environment in South and Southeast Asia Essay Environment: South and Southeast Asia Hopefully you are studying this lesson before lunch. Imagine a place where the only water there is to drink comes from a nearby river. You become thirsty so you head down there with a pail. When you arrive, there are two things that catch your eye. Upstream, a woman is washing her familys clothes along the same shoreline. She is using a kind of soap made from animal fat. Between the two of you, there are several cows standing around in the water, drinking. They look like theyve been there for a long time. Now, imagine going to the waters edge and seeing all manner of nasty things swimming around in the water. As disgusting as this sounds, the scene described above is repeated thousands of times a day in many areas of the world. Water that you would never dream of drinking in a million years is the only water available to many people. And this is just one of the environmental concerns. In todays lesson, youll learn about environmental issues in South and Southeast Asia and what nations are doing to combat the problems. India India and its capital, New Delhi, is composed of land about one-third the size of the United States. Yet, it has a population that is more than three times larger (more than 1. 1 billion). As a result, the environment faces many critical issues, such as: †¢water shortages; †¢unclean water sources; †¢air pollution; †¢deforestation; †¢natural disasters from earthquakes, floods, and typhoons; †¢soil erosion from unwise agricultural methods. An ever-growing population naturally results in more pollution. We will write a custom essay sample on Environment in South and Southeast Asia specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Environment in South and Southeast Asia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Environment in South and Southeast Asia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer As the industrial sector grows and more people drive cars, air pollution becomes an increasingly difficult problem to handle. Due partially to its location, the temperature average in India is increasing, which accounts for changes in weather patterns. Consequently, periods of drought are increasing. As water shortages occur due to drought, the quality of the water becomes a major issue. In addition, many of Indias forested regions are being cleared away for farming and building materials. This leads to major soil erosion, as heavy rains are commonplace. Because trees help to retain moisture in the soil, this plays a part in the water shortages that do occur. To combat the problem, India is heavily involved in the construction of dams and canal systems. Although this has helped to alleviate the situation somewhat, it has also brought about an increase in some diseases that form in stagnated water. The countrys leadership is actively seeking ways to protect air, water, and land resources. In addition to air and land pollution, India faces losing many of its plants and animals. Tigers, for example, have been forced from natural habitats, resulting in greater exposure to humans. In an effort to protect these beautiful animals, the Indian government has established a number of natural refuges to keep them from harm. Pakistan The environmental issues facing Pakistan are different in many respects from those of its neighbor to the east. Pakistan has a much drier climate; consequently, it must guard and protect its water supply even more diligently than India. Like other nations in the region, an ever-growing population is taxing the few natural resources that do exist. The Pakistan Environmental Protection Council, located in the nations capital city of Islamabad, is working hard to address the issues facing its citizens. For example, Pakistan lacks many of the agricultural innovations that the United States enjoys. As a result, soil degradation, erosion, and pollution are hampering efforts to feed the people and causing increased desertification of the region. Industrial wastes, pesticides, and raw sewage are polluting water supplies, which severely limits the amount of potable water. In addition, Pakistan faces increasing air pollution from heavy industry and inefficient automobiles. Bangladesh for more information Due to its location and topography, Bangladesh suffers from extreme weather much of the year. The country is nearly flat and barely above sea level, making it prone to flooding. Major cyclones ravage the countryside, killing thousands and leaving hundreds of square miles under water. These storms wreak havoc on an overpopulated nation that has few resources to protect its people. Like India, the nation of Bangladesh is heavily overpopulated for a country its size. Consequently, there are a number of major environmental issues related to overpopulation. For those living in the capital city of Dhaka and other locations, the most acute problem centers around lifegiving water. Much of it is polluted in varying degrees, causing numerous diseases, the most serious of which is cholera. The National Environment Management Plan is one of several programs developed by the government of Bangladesh to combat this issue along with other environmental problems such as deforestation, soil degradation, and destruction of wetlands. Indonesia and Malaysia Due to their proximity to one another, Indonesia and Malaysia share many of the same environmental concerns, and until fairly recently, neither nation did much about them. For example, both countries have large forested areas. For many years, these forests have been used for exporting. In addition, thousands of acres have been cut and burned to make way for more agriculture. The great amount of burning that takes place actually causes a smoky haze that affects not only Indonesia, but many of the neighboring archipelagos. As is the case in other nations, deforestation causes major issues with erosion. As mountains are stripped of their trees, landslides are more frequent. Damage is often widespread, with some loss of life. Deforestation is also responsible for the displacement and disappearance of many indigenous plants and animals. There are thousands of species that face extinction if forests continue to be slashed and burned. The governments of these two nations are well aware of this environmental issue, but there are problems with bringing such practices to an end. For example, Indonesia has a number of laws in effect that are designed to protect the forests. However, there is little cooperation between governmental agencies. This results in a near-total lack of enforcement. Unfortunately, the government rewards officials who contribute to the nations economic growth. For them, it is essential that the timber industry thrive. Therefore, they are less likely to enforce laws that protect the environment. Besides deforestation, the capitals of Indonesia (Jakarta) and Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) must deal with the destruction of coral reefs due to poor fishing practices. These fragile ecosystems are overfished and rarely protected. Unfortunately, fishing is critical to the livelihood of both nations. for more information The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake struck on December 26, 2004, off the west coast of Sumatra. The 9. 1 earthquake sent powerful tsunamis slamming into the coasts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and India in particular, killing more than two hundred thousand people. Unbelievably, the tsunami traveled all the way to South Africa (5,300 miles away) where eight people were killed. Despite the location of the actual earthquake, the western coast of Chile, in South America, experienced a tsunami. Finally, Indonesia and Malaysia both have to deal with environmental issues caused by frequent earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and major storms. The 2004 tsunami wiped out coastal ecosystems throughout the region. Volcanic eruptions displace thousands of people on occasion and wipe out entire forested areas. Numerous typhoons also cause a great deal of devastation along the entire length of the archipelagos. Philippines Similar to other nations in the region, the Philippines suffers from two categories of environmental problems: human-caused and natural disasters. Issues caused by people include: †¢deforestation due to badly needed agricultural land and timber products; †¢soil erosion and degradation; †¢overpopulation, forcing displacement of animal life and destruction of plant life; †¢increased air pollution from industry and automobiles; †¢toxic waste being dumped into rivers, which pollutes not only the rivers, but also the ocean they empty into; †¢waste emptied into the ocean, destroying coral reefs; †¢overfishing, depleting the number of game fish needed to feed humans. The capital city, Manila, also has to deal with a number of natural disasters. Many times, the destruction they cause are compounded by the amount of damage done due to mismanagement of the islands natural resources. Some of the natural disasters that are faced each year are: †¢earthquakes and the subsequent tsunamis that sometimes follow; †¢frequent volcanic eruptions; †¢landslides and flooding, caused by storms but made worse by deforestation; †¢numerous yearly typhoons. Due to rapid population growth, the Filipino government has not been able to find decent solutions to the ever-growing waste, water, and air pollution problems facing it. Consequently, more and more of its citizens are exposed to serious health issues. Other Nations The chart below provides a brief outline of other nations in this part of the world and the environmental issues each faces today. CountryCapitalEnvironmental Issues BhutanThimphusoil erosion caused by deforestation, and little potable water BruneiBandar Seri Begawanmust deal with smoke and haze from numerous fires originating in Indonesia CambodiaPhnom Penhlack of potable water, erosion caused by deforestation, overfishing LaosVietianedeforestation and lack of potable water MaldivesMalelack of fresh water, coral damage MyanmarNaypyidawsoil erosion and landslides caused by deforestation; earthquakes and tropical storms NepalKathmandudeforestation, soil erosion, contaminated water Sri LankaColombosoil erosion caused by deforestation; industrial and toxic waste pollution ThailandBangkokair pollution, soil erosion caused by deforestation, unclean water VietnamHanoiagricultural deforestation, marine pollution, lack of potable water In times past, little was done to alleviate the severe environmental issues facing each of these nations. However, as the problems have become more acute, government leadership has become more active. Unfortunately, many of these countries are poor and do not possess the funds necessary to lessen the issues. In addition, governmental corruption is widespread in many cases and needed money is being diverted to other things.

Gm 545 You Decide (Economics) Essays

Gm 545 You Decide (Economics) Essays Gm 545 You Decide (Economics) Essay Gm 545 You Decide (Economics) Essay Mr. President, Monetary and fiscal policy are two ways in which governments attempt to achieve full level of employment, economic growth, and price stability. As you are aware, fiscal policy decisions are made by the President and Congress and demand the use of government spending and taxation to influence the economy; the monetary policies are maintained by the Federal Reserve. After careful consideration of the advice of Economic Advisers and Federal Reserve consultants, I came to the following conclusions regarding economic recovery in The United States: * Executing Expansionary Fiscal Policy, increasing government spending, transfer payments (Social Security, unemployment compensation, and welfare payments) and decreasing taxes will lead to increased aggregate demand (Stone, 2008). Contrary to Ms. Lee’s advice to raise taxes and decrease government spending, and in accordance with Ms. Tanney, I recommend the opposite: decrease taxes and increase government spending. Government spending will, it theory, create new jobs as government’s consumption of services from construction industry increases. A good incentive for job creation would be offering tax credits to employers who hire new, unemployed workers. Decreased taxes, again in theory, will create more disposable enabling individuals and corporations to increase their consumption. Increased consumption leads to, again, increase in job creation, corporate profits, consumer confidence, and real GDP. On the monetary side, the government should: * Lower interest rate * Lower reserve requirements * Purchase government bonds in the open market. All these lead to expansionary monetary policy. I disagree with Ms. Lopes’ opinion that The Fed should sell bonds, raise reserves, and leave interest rates. : To the contrary, purchasing bonds on an open market will increases the amount of money in circulation in the economy. When the Fed increases the money supply, it lowers the interest rate and increases the quantity of goods and services demanded at any given price level. Stone, 2008). As suggested by Mr. Burke, lowering the interest rates and reserve requirement enables banks to lend more money to consumers at a cheaper rate since the access to reserve capital more accessible. Lower interest rates encourage consumption and investment. As the economy recovers and moves towards full employment, the government should reconsider expansionary measures, since, in the long run, these measures can lead towards budged deficits and increased inflation. References: Gerald W. Stone, 2006, Core Economics federalreserve. gov/ www. investopedia. com

Leadership Development Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Leadership Development Plan - Assignment Example With the help of these techniques, individuals can make sure that they identify their strengths and weaknesses and carry out necessary initiatives for capitalizing on the requirements of the corporate world. One of the most effective framework developed for evaluating the competencies of an individual is MBTI which was developed by Isabel Meyers and Katherine Briggs. The main idea behind this inventory model is that everyone needs to appreciate the individual differences and look for developmental opportunities so that the skills are further polished and refined. Considering the matrix developed by the experts, there are four sets of preferences of individuals which are as follows: According to the developers, there are sixteen classes in which people’s personalities can fall. I believe that I belong to the class ‘ESFJ’ which means that I have high extroversion, sensing, feeling and judging capabilities. I believe that this reading is true to a great extent as I am friendly and outgoing person. I can easily express my feelings and make sure that people around me have a good time to cherish. Moreover, I make decisions on the basis of feelings which means that the decisions are already made either by my traditions, culture or ingrained perceptions. Moreover, I have the ability of leading people as I am aware of the techniques of inducing others to motivate towards achieving the desired objectives. In various life situations, I get a bit hard with myself. There is a gap between my own perceived performance and my ideal behavior and due to this discrepancy I struggle against the feeling of guilt and depression. Sometimes, I get overwhelmed with these feelings and I end up in moments of emotional pain. I try to motivate myself by showing the brighter side of various aspects of my life such as my kind, unselfish and charitable nature. I am always ready to help people out and

Mexican Immigration and American Identity Essay

Mexican Immigration and American Identity - Essay Example According to the author, even though other values and principles of non-Protestant immigrants have helped to shape and modified this concept, most Americans accept these basic elements of an Anglo-Protestant culture as the key defining elements of their national identity. Yet, the author states that in the last decades of the 20th century, this culture has been challenged by a context of globalization and ideas of multiculturalism and diversity. The rise of groups that focus on race, ethnicity, and gender over a more general national identity are regarded as a threat to 'the country's cultural and political integrity'. Huntington views immigration from Latin America, especially from Mexico, as the single largest threat to the American identity. This due to a combination of six unique characteristics that differentiate contemporary Mexican immigration from past immigrant flows, being contiguity (boarder proximity), scale (steadily increasing numbers), illegality (illegal entry and permanence into the country), regional concentration (particularly concentrated in California and the Southwest), persistence (no signs of decline over the years), and historical presence (historical claim to the US territory). The boarder proximity with Mexico in the Southwest region encourages immigration and illegal entry into the U.S., which results in the steady increase of Mexican immigration throughout the 20th century. Similarly, it increases the concentration of Mexican immigrants in that area of the country and the illegal characteristics of the flow. Since the conditions creating such immigration (economic cond itions of Mexico, boarder proximity, etc) are unlikely to change, the flow is expected to persist. These factors, the author argues, differentiate the Mexican contingent from previous immigrant groups and are likely to hinder the assimilation of Mexicans into the United States culture. One of the author's main arguments defending the poor assimilation of Mexican immigrants into the U.S. society is the persistent use of their native language through successive generations. Huntington admits that statistics on English proficiency and Spanish preservation are limited and ambiguous. Nevertheless, the author insists that particular characteristics of the flow - scale, persistence and concentration - are likely to encourage the perpetuation of Spanish among successive generations of immigrants. Huntington considers that Spanish retention has a negative impact on the assimilation of the new culture even when proficiency in English is achieved. In addition, bilingualism would affect earnings and put English-only families in disadvantage within the job market. Finally, the concentration of Mexicans in certain areas transform portions of the country into bilingual and bicultural areas, reinforcing Mexican values over the traditional Anglo-Protestant values, which, according to the author, threatens the integrity of the nation, possibly dividing the nation 'into a country of two languages and two cultures'. From my point of view, Huntington's concept of the American identity is limited and excludes a great portion of the nation's cultural and ethnic background. The author's

Achievement Gap Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Achievement Gap - Research Paper Example that social equity cannot be attained in a society that still experiences achievement gap, and this is denotes that achievement gap is partly responsible for social inequity that prevails in numerous communities across the world. The assertions above infer that the elimination of achievement gap can create a scenario whereby every student will be equally competitive in the job market after finishing school and therefore, all of them will have equal chances in getting employment as well as improving their livelihoods. The possible benefits of eliminating achievement gap has necessitated and motivated numerous research studies that seek to analyse this problem and thereafter recommend a proper solution that can contribute to the body of knowledge currently been heaped by numerous educationists across the World. This present paper is a research project paper that seeks to contribute to the body of knowledge on achievement gap, is being continually developed by various educationists, psychologists, and other scholars across the World. In particular, the research will be field based, and problem based mini-research project on achievement gap. This mini research project will focus on the achievement differences between White and Hispanic students, especially those in similar socio-economic classes in Southern California. The research project will use the Erle Stanley Gardner Middle school in Temecula, and Menifee Valley Middle school both in California as the research case studies and the researcher will seek to describe and analyse achievement gap that exists in these two schools. In this regard, the research project will provide background information about the two schools, causes of the gap, and how it might effectively be eliminated. In the writings by Hernstein and Murray (1994), achievement gap is described as the persistent difference in terms of performance in educational measures such as standardized or common examinations, dropout rates, rate of college

Comparing Economy Size Of India And China

Comparing Economy Size Of India And China Over the next twenty years, what is the likelihood that India will overtake China in terms of the size of its economy? Evaluate each economy using Khans economic rent analysis and one other analytical framework. Identity the factors driving economic growth in recent years and the social and political bases of these factors. Will they sustain themselves over the next several decades? China and India are the two largest developing countries in the world and have both been experiencing rapid economic growth since the 1980s. With similar development strategies, the two economies have both insulated themselves from the world economy before eventually making the move to reform/liberalise (Srinivasan, 2002). Although, from similar economic backgrounds, the political environments of the two economies couldnt be more different and could be argued as affecting particular drivers of economic growth. FDI levels are seen as an important determinant of both the growth and size of an economy and there are notable differences between the two and thus it is around this topic the analysis will focus (Wei, 2005). FDI has been shown to greatly contribute to Chinas economic growth, in particular through a broad range of manufacturing activities. In comparison, India has attracted very little manufacturing FDI and instead any inward FDI has largely gone to services, electronic and co mputing industries (Huang and Khanna, 2003). This essay will argue that India is likely to overtake China in terms of the size of its economy in several decades and that India does not need to try to match Chinas levels of FDI due to the structure and composition of the economy, which reflect what it is, an international market niche (Balasubramanyam, Sapsford, 2007). In particular, the essay will begin by using Khans economic rents analysis to evaluate each economy before exploring the determinants of difference between China and India in market performance, including a look at the similarities and differences of both, and the advantages and disadvantages of investing in each in relation to the firm before drawing conclusions as to the future of these two emerging economies in the world market. Rent is defined as the portion of earnings in excess of the minimum amount needed to attract a worker to accept a particular job or a firm to enter a particular industry (Milgrom and Roberts, 1992, p.269). The existence of rent in capital employed to a particular activity implies inefficiency in the processes of that activity however not in some cases where their existence is necessary. Rent may sometimes indeed be efficient and even essential in promoting economic growth and development. These complexities were not duly explored in older rents analysiss such as: the competitive market model where no distinction was made between the minimum income that would be accepted (in terms of alternative comparison) and the minimum amount that would be realistically accepted before reciprocating with the goods service (Khan, 2000). Ultimately, previous models were unable to compare and explain the large differences in performance of countries. Firstly, this essay will explore corruption as a rent and its consequential effect as a driver of economic growth. Corruption is defined as when public officials break the law in pursuit of their private interest (Khan, 2006 p.1), ultimately allowing the creation of rents. Several economists have stated a link between corruption and economic performance (Knack and Keefer, 1997) and this will be explored in the case of China and India. Often the powers given to public officials enable the ability or someone to bargain for bribes in exchange for allocating rents to those who can pay for them (Khan, 2006, p.5). The bribes in such a situation are illegal; however, the creation of such rents is seen as worth the risk, thus the incentive outweighs the risk. There are two drivers of corruption; the first is the need for a formal state so that the government can create legal rents, and secondly, is the formation of obstacles which results in people willing to pay money to access certain rent s. Evidence suggests that corruption has a negative effect on society and in particular, China has a long history of corruption. Most recently, in 2000, Margolis noted that corruption in china has rarely been worse or reached higher (Margolis, 2000 p.1). Corruption in China is in many economists minds aiding the growth of such a large economy, and, due to its sheer size is difficult to regulate, however, measures are being taken to crack down on corruption due to increased tension between the state and the public. India reflects a similar story as with most developing nations that corruption is indeed widespread. However, corruption in India is lower than China and for many offers a more attractive host environment for international firms. Indias government have active responses to corruption and the results of such have seen India go down in rankings. Thus, using the rent of corruption, Indias economy could be said as being in a more politically stable mindset. Furthermore, other rents as highlighted by Khan can be applied to provide a deeper analysis of both economies. Monopoly rents are dependent on the level of market competition and barriers to entry. Freedom of entry and exit would ensure no rents as if any player was gaining rents then other competitors would enter the fray thus driving down prices. Therefore net-social benefit would reach an optimal level, as would economic growth and efficiency. However, certain common phenomena such as economies of scale will always create the possibility for reduced cost structures and therefore a cost/price advantage for larger competitors who can resultantly monopolize markets and gain considerable rents. Although this is less prevalent in developing countries such as India and China with massive fragmentation of their markets due to disparity of consumer demographic types between geographic regions, it is more prevalent in China than in India since China have an emphasis on mass production thus supporting our conclusion. Conversely, the existence of natural resources rents signals efficiency and therefore their maximization would optimize net social benefit. This is because increased use and hence depletion of natural resources (for example: numbers of fish) would increase the difficulty and costs of tapping those resources. This would eventually reach a point where the cost is only exactly covered by the price due to the greater interest phenomena. Finally, rents based on transfers, in developed countries income from production is often lost through transfers, however, in developing countries these transfers can become the source of additional income and the basis for asset accumulation. As it is rarely the case that both parties in a transfer value the item equally the social welfare effect of this would be typically positive. Schumpteranian rents are particularly salient as they regard the level of innovation within an economy, which has been pointed out by many scholars as a source of competitive advantage (Porter). Although innovations are economically beneficial they create rents for the entrepreneur who has created a massive competitive advantage. The optimal social benefit can therefore be reached through most rapid competitor innovation imitation. This is what would put India ahead of China as India has been shown to be seven years ahead of China in its ability to imitate new technologies (Huang and Khanna, 2003), and this is resultantly the main factor in the conclusion that can be made from the consultation of Khans economic rents analysis. This essay will now move on to present the advantages of investing in both countries. The two emerging economies do share similarities which has lead to increased comparison, for example; both have large markets of one billion plus, and both have achieved high levels of growth in a short amount of time. On the basis of economic determinants China does better than India, but is this all that really matters? Chinas total and per capita GDP are higher and thus this makes it a more attractive location for market seeking FDI. Alongside this China reports higher levels of literacy compared to India, and thus is viewed as being able to provide a more skilled workforce and in turn this is attractive to efficiency seeking investors. However, there are advantages which cross between the two emerging economies. China has large natural resource endowments, in particular Chinas infrastructure makes it a more competitive place, particularly in richer parts of China on the coast. On the other hand, although China may have the advantage of natural resources and thus a greater potential for net social beneit in terms of natural resources rents (Khan, 2000), India is able to have an advantage over technical manpower in particular, in its skilled area of IT, India is able to provide the cheapest technically qualified manpower in the West however, a weakness arises in that India is yet to adopt a system of bulk production similar to China and therefore Chinas large domestic market with a system of mass production is attractive to multinationals. Compared to China, India has become known for its heterogeneity, it is diverse in culture, religions and language. Although this may pose a problem for multinational firms, we now live in a world where firms are increasingly adapting to local environments and thus in order to be successful in the Indian market it is necessary to locally adapt. However saying this despite an emphasis on local culture many Indians are fluent in English and this greatly enables Indian firms to do business in the West, unlike many Chinese firms where often language barriers arise. The Indian market does hold great benefits to a firm willing to overcome any problems associated with heterogeneity and in particular, India could provide a niche market for international investors. As well as its highly skilled technological staff, India has a democratic political system and western style financial systems. As noted in an article in economic and political weekly, Indias financial systems are more developed tha n China and this provides an advantage for firms investing in India over China. Indias ability to attract R and D centres, also provides India with the capability of absorbing industry know how quicker than China, India is likely to become more technologically superior as it continues to absorb information from firms investing. Chinas economy in its very nature requires high levels of FDI due to labour intensive technologies and therefore is attracting knowledge along the lines of management styles. In order to assess the strength of India, one particular aspect of Dunnings eclectic paradigm has been applied (Dunning, 1981). It is clear that China is the worlds global factory with high levels of FDI and an emphasis on manufacturing. However, to show that perhaps FDI figures are not the only economic factor such a theory will be applied to show other factors need to be considered and how such factors relate to India. Dunning (1988) related three factors to FDI, location, ownership and internationalisation factors. This essay will look at the first location factors to assess how they apply to India, such a theory may provide further understanding as to why, even though India has attracted considerably less FDI than China it is in good stead to compete and even overtake China in years to come. Dunning defined location-specific advantages as those advantages that a firm benefits from by choosing a particular location, as shown, India possesses communication facilities which enable i t to effectively communicate with the rest of the world. In particular, many call centres are in India and thus many time constraints are being over come through 24hour international call centres. India is pioneering new technologies and it is shown to be 6-7 years ahead of China in terms of its superiority (Srinivasan, 2004). It is Indias IT sector which has outstripped China and the widespread of the English language has allowed Indian companies to deal with Western companies. Secondly, Indian government policies are also allowing foreign firms to benefit from lower levels of corporate tax. Thirdly, infrastructure in India is good, particularly in areas which are considered technology hubs, more specifically areas such as Bangalore in India which is often referred to as the Indian Silicon Valley, offer great location specific advantages. Bangalore, is an organic phenomenon (Huang and Khanna, 2003) and is based on knowledge, education, ambition and intangible assets. The advantage gained here comes from the concentration of computer software and IT industries and arises from a network of firms which allows each firm to benefit from technological spillovers (Hill, 2009). This advantage is perhaps the most important advantage firms look to gain when investing in India. According to the BRICS study, the world economy is set to show dramatic changes over the next fifty years. If we look at the data from this study we can predict the future activities of China and India in order to further conclude the likely future of these two economies. In the study it was predicted that both India and China will overtake the likes of America, Japan and Germany in terms of GDP. Ultimately, the study shows that both India and China will be key players in the economy come 2050. More specifically, India is shown to have the most potential to show the fastest growth over the next fifty years, more specifically it is predicted that as India is less reliant on exports it is less sensitive to changes in the world economy and due to its organic progression many economists are tipping India to overtake China in the long run. What is particularly interesting to note is that India is following a strategy of that seen in developed countries by investing in IT and services unli ke most developing countries which follow Chinas strategy by offering a manufacturing base complete with cheap labour. In conclusion, the two emerging economies have very different strategies and this is reflected in the difference in their economic forecast. China has a strategy of labour intensive export led growth compared to India whom provides a more international niche, stepping away from the mass production market and moving towards providing a technologically superior nation focusing largely on IT and services. China has experienced great levels of growth and according to the predictions of the BRICS study is set to dominate the world economy by 2050. As it stands India is more technologically advanced Ultimately, however India holds great advantage over China as concluded in Khans analysis and referring to its developed private sector, stable democracy, and skilled workforce. As a final note as Huang and Khanna (2003 p.78) notes; China may have won the race to be the worlds factorywith the help of its diaspora, India could become the worlds technology lab.

Strange Place

Alayna Grant Dr. Bellah English 1301-015 February 15, 2013 Strange Place On July 11th it will be twelve years since I discovered the magical world of yuccas and mesquite trees. I remember the day like it was yesterday. I remember driving all the way down the road that seemed like miles and miles of nothing but wilderness. We seemed to have driven for forever. There were no houses or mobile homes or much of anything. Then we came to a dirt road, and I said â€Å"Daddy I hope we are not going to drive into there. † There looked like an unmarked, mysterious place.It was a new unfamiliar place that I would be the first to discover. As soon as we got out of the truck I started asking questions. â€Å"Daddy is there dinosaurs here? † Then he explained that I would have to go check for myself, so I made that my personal mission. We came back a few days later because he was going to set up the layout of the house, and all that good stuff was going to be put together. I came pre pared this time; I had my binoculars, my toy gun, and my camera. I had my pink binoculars so I could see trouble that I might get into far away.I had my gun in case there was a dinosaur. Finally I had my camera so I could prove to my dad that there were dinosaurs. â€Å"Well here I go. † I said to myself. I start walking and before I know it I’m in this mysterious place. I am seeing things I never saw before. All these trees around me look evil; they have very long, sharp, pointy thorns on them. There were these weird plant look-alike things that I accidently stepped on that poked me and made blood droplets on my leg. There was this mean looking frog that had horns. And before you knew it I had gotten in too deep and was lost.All I could see that was familiar was the baby blue sky and the bright golden sun. So I kept going hoping I would find maybe a sign or a trail. I held my gun close to me just in case I found a dinosaur. Then out of nowhere hops a little grey bunny , he stops to look at me for a second then starts to hop off. I thought to myself â€Å"Maybe if I follow him I can get back to my daddy. † So that’s what I did until he was out of sight. I grabbed my binoculars to try to find him, but he was long gone. He hopped way too fast and I could not hop over the weird looking plants fast enough.So there I was again stuck alone and there were still no signs of any dinosaurs yet. â€Å"Maybe there are not any dinosaurs out here in this place. † I thought to myself, but I’ll keep looking. Gazing through my binoculars I came across something black, something that looked like I had seen before. I start walking faster and faster towards it. And before too long I was back at my dad’s black truck. â€Å"Whoa I thought I was going to be lost forever out here. † I said to my dad. He asked me â€Å"Did you find any dinosaurs’ baby? † And with a sad sounding voice I said â€Å"No but if we build a house out here I can look forever! †

Metaphysical Poetry Essay

The metaphysical poets is a term coined by the poet and critic John Dryden to describe a loose group of British lyric poets of the 17th century, whose work was characterized by the inventive use of conceits, and by speculation about topics such as love or religion. These poets were not formally affiliated; most of them did not even know or read each other. Their style was characterized by wit and metaphysical conceits—far-fetched or unusual similes or metaphors, such as in Andrew Marvell’s comparison of the soul with a drop of dew; in an expanded epigram format, with the use of simple verse forms, octosyllabic couplets, quatrains or stanzas in which length of line and rhyme scheme enforce the sense. The specific definition of wit which Johnson applied to the school was: â€Å"†¦ a kind of discordia concors; a combination of dissimilar images, or discovery of occult resemblances in things apparently unlike. † Their poetry diverged from the style of their times, containing neither images of nature nor allusions to classical mythology, as were common. Several metaphysical poets, especially John Donne, were influenced by Neo-Platonism. One of the primary Platonic concepts found in metaphysical poetry is the idea that the perfection of beauty in the beloved acted as a remembrance of perfect beauty in the eternal realm. Though secular topics such as scientific or geographical discoveries interested them, there was also a religious or casuistic element to some of their work, by which they attempted to define their relationship with God. John Donne (between 24 January and 19 June 1572 – 31 March 1631) was an English poet, satirist, lawyer and a cleric in the Church of England. He is considered the pre-eminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are noted for their strong, sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, satires and sermons. His poetry is noted for its vibrancy of language and inventiveness of metaphor, especially compared to that of his contemporaries. Donne’s style is characterised by abrupt openings and various paradoxes, ironies and dislocations. These features, along with his frequent dramatic or everyday speech rhythms, his tense syntax and his tough eloquence, were both a reaction against the smoothness of conventional Elizabethan poetry and an adaptation into English of European baroque and mannerist techniques. His early career was marked by poetry that bore immense knowledge of British society and he met that knowledge with sharp criticism. Another important theme in Donne’s poetry is the idea of true religion, something that he spent much time considering and theorising about. He wrote secular poems as well as erotic and love poems. He is particularly famous for his mastery of metaphysical conceits. A Burnt ShipOut of a fired ship, which by no wayBut drowning could be rescued from the flame,Some men leap’d forth, and ever as they cameNear the foes’ ships, did by their shot decay;So all were lost, which in the ship were found,They in the sea being burnt, they in the burnt ship drown’d. John Donne A Lame BeggarI am unable, yonder beggar cries,To stand, or move; if he say true, he lies. John Donne.

The Pictures from Iraq essays

The Pictures from Iraq essays There are no excuses for what some of our soliders have done; a life is a life no matter who these people are. I ponder. The circumstances leading up the Iraqi war were are unexcusable, but as Americans we are suppose to be more dignified. What comes to mind are the natives in a colony who run around bludgning everyone for the sheer thrill like riding a roller coaster over and over for that rush. Many lives have been taken on both sides. What are the significants for our soldiers to cause such an uproar with the prisoners and think it could be hidden from anyone on either side? In my opinion, this war is nothing but another Vietnam. There will be no victory for wither side. Death is not something we can ever celebrate. By now we as Americans should be satisfied with the Iraqi Commanders we have wither killed or captured and having Saddam in custody. The greed of our government to press on even at the expense of more lives will never be enough. It should nor be left up the the White House, nor the COngress or whomever, to make that decision for us. The pictures that have been released to the media are inexcuseable. This war should not be a trade, a life for a life. It was suppose to be to detoure terrorism from ever striking our country again. Now it has become a car and mouse game for which there will be no winners. Who will be the persons to hand our the punishment to these soldiers for the travisty they have inflicted on our country? I feel it will never be the punishment they deserve. Life is not a game nor a gamble that we should leave in the hands of others without having a voice. Americans should be allowed to decide whether we go to war and not our government even though we are the ones who elected them into office, but that should not be the end of our voices. At this time, we look like bigger fools then the Iraqis thought we were before. Our government will never be able to live this down. ...

Pythagoras of Samos Biography

Pythagoras of Samos Biography Pythagoras, a Greek mathematician and philosopher, is best known for his work developing and proving the theorem of geometry that bears his name. Most students remember it as follows: the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. Its written as: a 2 b2 c2. Early Life Pythagoras was born on the island of Samos, off the coast of Asia Minor (what is now mostly Turkey), about 569 BCE. Not much is known of his early life. There is evidence that he was well educated, and learned to read and play the lyre. As a youth, he may have visited Miletus in his late teenage years to study with the philosopher Thales, who was a very old man, Thaless student, Anaximander was giving lectures on Miletus and quite possibly, Pythagoras attended these lectures. Anaximander took a great interest in geometry and cosmology, which influenced the young Pythagoras. Odyssey to Egypt The next phase of Pythagorass life is a bit confusing. He went to Egypt for some time and visited, or at least tried to visit, many of the temples. When he visited Diospolis, he was accepted into the priesthood after completing the rites necessary for admission. There, he continued his education, especially in mathematics and geometry. From Egypt in Chains Ten years after Pythagoras arrived in Egypt, relations with Samos fell apart. During their war, Egypt lost and Pythagoras was taken as a prisoner to Babylon. He wasnt  treated as a prisoner of war as we would consider it today. Instead, he continued his education in mathematics and music and delved into the teachings of the priests, learning their sacred rites. He became extremely proficient in his studies of mathematics and sciences as taught by the Babylonians. A Return Home Followed by Departure Pythagoras eventually returned to Samos, then went to Crete to study their legal system for a short time. In Samos, he founded a school called the Semicircle. In  about 518 BCE, he  founded another school in Croton (now known as Crotone, in southern Italy). With Pythagoras at the head, Croton maintained an inner circle of followers known as mathematikoi (priests of mathematics). These mathematikoi lived permanently within the society, were allowed no personal possessions and were strict vegetarians. They received training only from Pythagoras, following very strict rules.  The next layer of the society was called the akousmatics. They lived in their own houses and only came to the society during the day.  The society contained both men and women.   The Pythagoreans were a highly secretive group, keeping their work out of public discourse. Their interests lay not just in math and natural philosophy, but also in metaphysics and religion. He and his inner circle believed that souls migrated after death into the bodies of other beings. They thought that animals could contain human souls. As a result, they saw eating animals as cannibalism.   Contributions Most scholars know that Pythagoras and his followers didnt study mathematics for the same reasons as people do today. For them, numbers had a spiritual meaning. Pythagoras taught that all things are numbers and saw mathematical relationships in nature, art, and music. There are a number of theorems attributed to Pythagoras, or at least to his society, but the most famous one,  the Pythagorean theorem, may not be entirely his invention. Apparently, the Babylonians had realized the relationships between the sides of a right triangle more than a thousand years before Pythagoras learned about it. However, he spent a great deal of time working on a proof of the theorem.   Besides his contributions to mathematics, Pythagorass work was essential to astronomy. He felt the sphere was the perfect shape. He also realized the orbit of the Moon was inclined to Earths equator, and deduced that the evening star (Venus) was the same as the morning star. His work influenced later astronomers such as Ptolemy and Johannes Kepler (who formulated the laws of planetary motion). Final Flight   During the later years of the society, it came into conflict with supporters of democracy. Pythagoras denounced the idea, which resulted in attacks against his group. Around 508 BCE, Cylon, a Croton noble attacked the Pythagorean Society and vowed to destroy it. He and his followers persecuted the group, and Pythagoras fled to Metapontum. Some accounts claim that he committed suicide. Others say that Pythagoras returned to Croton a short time later since the society was not wiped out and continued for some years. Pythagoras may have lived at least beyond 480 BCE, possibly to age 100. There are conflicting reports of both his birth and death dates. Some sources think he was born in 570 BCE and died in 490 BCE.   Pythagoras Fast Facts Born: ~569 BCE on SamosDied: ~475 BCEParents: Mnesarchus (father), Pythias (mother)Education:   Thales, AnaximanderKey Accomplishments:  first mathematician Sources Britannica: Pythagoras-Greek Philosopher and MathematicianUniversity of St. Matthews: Pythagoras BiographyWikipedia Edited by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

The impacts of EU Policy on Sustainable Energy Essay

The impacts of EU Policy on Sustainable Energy - Essay Example The European Union has recognised the citizens of the member countries need to be responsible and generate a reliable supply of sustainable energy which is also cheaper to afford so that the living standards are maintained. Furthermore the union also advocates for the reduction of the negative effects of the fossil fuels on the climate and the regional environment at large. The EU policies are designed to create a competitive internal energy market that would offer quality and cheaper services. This would mean that there would be enhanced development of renewable energy sources and cut down reliance on imported energy sources. The European Union has targeted to use features that address energy education, conservation of energy, environment resource protection, energy policies, renewable energy, and distribution of energy (Mcgowan & Mansell 1992), dissemination of useful information and maintainability of energy from producers to consumers. The sustainable energy addressed includes solar power, wind power, geothermal power, tidal power, bio-fuels and wave power. Nuclear fission is some times included but it usually presents the risk of disposal problems and peak uranium levels (Haughton & Counsell 2004). The EU has The EU has not been taking the energy conservation as a serious issue until the approval of the European Energy Policy in the year 2005 in London. EU had to come up with a strategy to fund the research to exploit sustainable energy. The seventh frame program (FP7) was formed to finance the research that is underway from 2007 to 2013. The FP7 fell short of the main intention of its formation and is currently also funding Fusion research which will not achieve results on the climate change until beyond the year 2050 (Lovegrove & Dennis 2006). Currently the strategic energy technology plan is in the lead and has put up plans for the EU technology procedure to develop and enhance the use of low carbon energy technologies. Some of the initiatives in the SET plan include the European Wind Initiative where turbine s will be used to generate energy. This is dependable on the daily whether variations though it can be used to provide base load electricity together with tidal wave energy. The European solar Initiative is also another type of energy that is dependent on whether and can be stored in water as heat, thermo-chemicals as ammonia and in rocks (Lovegrove & Dennis 2006). European also works under the carbon dioxide, transport and storage initiative to address the requirements of safe production of the energy implying that there should be zero emission, the sustainable nuclear fission is very important and has been put under way so that the generation of the type IV reactors are achieved. Energy Research The European Union has established an energy research alliance to facilitate the capabilities of the EU energy research which would achieve world class performance thorough sharing of the global facilities. This strategy will be the major driving force to achieve low carbon technologies and help reduce global warming. The research alliance is the chief player in development of the new energies to ensure that European Union achieves the low carbon

Service Experience Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Service Experience Report - Essay Example In fact, employees showed a negative at attitude towards customers like us, which is evident from the details posted in my blog 1. They tried to discriminate us from other customers. On the other hand, the manger was an understandable person who knows the importance of treating all customers equally well for the development of the business. He tried to settle the issues rather than complicating it. Thus, the manager’s behavior generated a good impression of the hotel in our minds. Moreover, the manager had shown high levels of maturity and responsiveness while attending our problems and settling it (Shiqi: Service Industries Marketing Blog 1) Reflection on second service encounter My second experience Palazzo Versace Hotel, in Gold coast is also generated mixed feeling about the customer services in hospitality industry. I encountered the best and worst customers’ service experience from this hotel at the same time. Check is has been taken more than half an hour which s hould be avoided to satisfy the visiting customers. The person who is charge of the check in operation was getting lot of phone calls and hence the customers forced to wait for a substantial period of time to find out their rooms. However, customer service after the check in process was satisfactory and outstanding. In short, the reception at the entry level was poor whereas the rest of the services were excellent. The receptionist and the welcome staff in this hotel need more training and empowerment. However, the rest of the services were outstanding (Shiqi: Service Industries Marketing Blog 2) Report: Customer servicing is the most important thing in any business in the modern era and the hospitality business is not an exception. Marketing activities in the service industry in the past concentrated mainly on the canvassing of customers at any cost. In order to attract customers to the hotels and restaurants, marketing executives provided fake offers and attractions to the custome rs. They concentrated more on attracting the customer rather than servicing the customer. They thought that their job is only to lead the customers towards their hotel or restaurant and the rest of the jobs should be look after by others. Modern customers are particular about the service they receive from hotels and restaurants. The reflections given at the top of this report clearly indicate the problems in customer servicing in service industries. This report analyses the critical service points/theme in the service encounters that are informed by services marketing theory and concepts, based on the above reflections. My analysis and evaluation of critical service points/theme in the service encounters that are informed by services marketing theory and concepts All the employees in a service organization should work for the betterment of the organization rather than the betterment of their careers alone. Even if a visiting customer experiences hundreds of good service from a hotel , one bad experience may prevent him from visiting that hotel again. In other words, all the employees should work collectively for the improvement of customer servicing. Responsiveness of the employees paly vital role in the success and failure of service organizations. Pleasant attitude, timely servicing, and helping mentality of the employees encourage customers to revisit the same hotel or restaurant regularly. It should be noted that the employees and