The Impact of New Media on the Design and Advertisement Industries Term Paper

The Impact of New Media on the Design and Advertisement Industries - Term Paper Example New media is a recent term that has come to be used in reference to the digital world more so with reference to computers in information and communication technology. It is a product of the twentieth century that saw its evolutionary roots from analog technology. It has characterized relations of this era by making globalization a popular topic. Trade between people and organizations in far geographical locations now takes place by just a touch of a button behind the comfort of one's personal computer via the internet. The incorporation of new media into the society inform of a globalized world tends to bring in threats into the moral social set up as indiscriminate receivership of information on the internet becomes difficult to control exposing people to different unethical practices. A research done by Millward Brown agency in the UK relayed information to prove that new media can give maximum impact to observers of its advertisements. Millward is a mobile phone marketing organization that took the first study to ascertain the significance of mobile phones in the advertisement. Advertisements were sent to mobile phone users in the UK and measure the impacts it had on the people who received them. The research came up with the findings that the branded advertisements effected 32% awareness of the people approached. It further indicated that 22% of the mobile phone users who received the advertisements were willing to buy the products should they go to the markets. The research measured these opinions from about 600 male consumers between the ages of 16 to 36 over a period of 5 weeks during the air of the advertisements. The study concluded that single advertisements strongly increase advertisement awareness and the probability of purchase. (Brown, 2008)Â  

Identify the Differences Between a Cash Flow Statement and a Profit and Loss Account Essay Example for Free

Identify the Differences Between a Cash Flow Statement and a Profit and Loss Account Essay There is undoubtedly, a clear difference between what is termed â€Å"cash† and what â€Å"profit† is and by extension a cash flow statement and a profit and loss statements. Notwithstanding these differences, each statement gives a different yet important view of organisational performance. Cash according to Holmes et al 2005:166 is â€Å"cash in hand and deposits repayable on demand less overdrafts repayable on demand; i.e. they can be withdrawn at any time without penalty. Cash includes cash and deposits denominated in foreign currency. † Once, accounts were comprised of just the balance sheet and the profit and loss statements. However in the late 1960’s, a period characterised as a high inflationary period, it was felt that historical costing convention which is indicative of the profit and loss account, provided information that was outdated and as such provided little insight on the current market value of companies and by extensions their profits. Therefore, there became a need for an additional statement- the cash flow statement. â€Å"A cash flow statement is a statement produced either for management or external reporting purposes showing, by broad categories cash receipts and payments in a period† (Leicester, 2001. 10.3), and is intended to supplement the profit and loss account and the balance sheet. The cash flow statement therefore, assists creditors, investors and generally all stakeholders in evaluating the liquidity and solvency of a business or rather, shows changes in cash be it negative or positive i.e. cash outflows and cash inflows. The Cash flow statement is divided into three main sections: 1.Core operations (operating activities) 2.Investing 3.Financing A typical cash flow statement can be seen in Appendix B. Cash flows from operating activities generally include transactions that are associated with the calculation of income. It also includes items which are involved in the production or purchase of merchandise, the sale of good and/or services to the organisation’s customers and expenditure relating to the general administration of a business. Under the broad heading of investing activities, are found important element relating to cash flow in an organisation. These transactions involve making and collecting repayments on loans, purchasing and selling of plant assets and other productive assets. All other investment activities are generally classified under this heading. â€Å"Changes in debt, loans or dividends are accounted for in cash from financing. Changes in cash from financing are ‘cash in’ when capital is raised they’re ‘cash out’ when dividends are paid. Thus if a company issues a bond to the public, the company receives cash financing. However, when interest is paid to bondholders, the company is reducing its cash.† (Heakal, 2004) It is now important that the issue of profit and the profit and loss account be examined. Profit by definition is the excess of revenue over expenditure. Revenues are increases in the company’s assets from its profit-driven activities, resulting in positive cash flows (inflows). Conversely, expenses are decreases in the company’s assets from its profit-driven activities, which results in negative cash flows (outflows). Net income/profit is therefore, the difference between the two. According to Williams et al 2002:54 if a company’s expenditure exceeds income then the difference is a net loss, suggesting that the enterprise has suffered a loss. Alternatively if the company’s income exceeds its expenditure the difference is a net profit. â€Å"The profit and loss account is a financial statement which shows the profit (loss) made by a business during a defined period of time (normally one year). The account also shows the uses to which the profit has been put (or how losses were financed).† (Jewel 1998:327) Sometimes referred to as the revenue account, the profit and loss statement is divided into four parts: 1.How the profit (loss) was earned 2.The expenditure for the period under review 3.How much was taken by taxation 4.What happened to the profit (or loss) that was left after taxation Appendix A shows a typical profit and loss account. It is a truism that a business must make a profit in order to be successful. This is imperative since profits are needed to pay out dividends to shareholders in the case of a company and to reward partners of proprietors in the case of a sole trader or a partnership. Irrespective of the form of business organisation, â€Å"some profits are retained within the business as reserves or as proprietor’s funds, to finance the development and growth of the business† (Leicester 2001, 3.45). Consequently, although a business can experience occasional losses, it is imperative that it be profitable in the long run. A loss signifies that the value of resources used up in a period to generate sales/revenue is more than the sales/revenue generated in that period. These lose as a result, cause a reduction in the overall value of a business and can eventually lead to the collapse/liquidation of the organisation. When an organisation publishes its profit and loss accounts and a profit is shown, users of the statements may think that the business has â€Å"cash† and in turn expect different benefits. The Shareholders for example, might believe that if the company makes a profit after tax of say $200,000 then the company is in a position to pay out dividends. Similarly, employees might believe that the company can afford an increase in wages in the subsequent year. The fact is â€Å"profit does not always give a useful or meaningful picture of a company’s operations. Readers of a company’s financial statements might even be misled by a reported profit figure† (ACCA, paper 1. 1 Study text June 2003, 360). The fact is that profit does not necessarily mean an increase in cash. For example, an oil company on presenting its final accounts may show a large profit figure primarily because of large amounts of stock which it holds. Although the company may be profitable, it may be experiencing serious cash flow problems. Too much stock therefore according to many writers is tied-up cash and should be avoided as much as possible. Cash therefore according to Larson and Miller 1992:726 â€Å"is the lifeblood of a business enterprise. In a sense, cash is the fuel that keeps a business alive. With cash, employees and suppliers can be paid, loans can be repaid and owners receive dividends. Without cash, none of these things can happen. In simple terms, a business must have adequate amounts of cash to operate.† Hence, profits/losses shown by the profit and loss account and net cash inflow/outflow shown by the cash flow statement do not represent the same thing. Therefore, when businesses are profitable, which is a long-term requirement; it must pay in cash, its goods and services, capital equipment, the workforce and for that matter, all expenses incurred in the line of the business’ operation. If cash is not available to pay these expenses when the fall due, the business will slowly lose its goodwill, employees, suppliers and it will be forced into liquidation as was previously suggested. 1.If a non-current asset is purchased an outflow of the full amount is shown under Investing Activities in the cash flow statement for that period but only depreciation, which is part of the cost of that asset, is shown in the profit and loss account. This depreciation amount is not shown in the cash flow statement since it is not an actual movement of cash. The profit and loss statement therefore, attempts to spread the cost of the assets over its estimated useful life by a depreciation charge every year until it is expensed. By so doing the cost of the asset is not absorbed in the accounts in one year as is done by the cash flow statement, but over a period of time. 2.When shares are issued and cash is received from the sale, the cash flow statement will show this as a source of cash i.e. a cash flow under Financing Activities but this transaction does not have any effect on the profit and loss account. Similarly, if a loan is obtained, this is reflected as a cash inflow under financing activities but has no effect on the profit and loss account until subsequent interest charges have been made then it is shown. The same is also applicable for businesses which enjoy the overdraft facilities accorded to them by commercial banks. 3.After the sale of a non-current asset the profit or loss which is the difference between the sale price and the net book value of the asset is recorded in the profit and loss account while the entire proceeds is recorded in the cash flow statement as an increase in cash inflow under investing activities. Thus, while the cash flow statement shows inflow of cash, the profit and loss account may show a loss on disposal of the non-current asset simply because the asset was sold less than the net book value consequently representing a loss which the company has made. 4.The profit and loss account reports the total value of sale in a year less the cost of sales (â€Å"the costs directly associated with making or acquiring your products. Costs include material purchased from outside suppliers used in the manufacture of your product, as well as any internal expenses directly expended in the manufacturing process.†BusinessTown.com 2003) which is profit. Operational cash flow is the difference between cash received and cash paid from trading. If there are credit sales (receivables), cash received will differ form the value of the sales and conversely cash paid will differ from the cost of sales if there are credit purchases (payables). The difference therefore, between sales and cash received is because of changes in the amount of debtors and the difference in cost of sales and cash is because of changes in the amount of creditors. It is worthy to note that operational cash flow in the cash flow statement differs from profit in the profit and loss account. Because business accounts are prepared on an accruals basis and not on a cash basis, a sale or purchase is accounted for in the year in which it was made even if cash is exchanged in subsequent years. This practice is exercised in most businesses who, if they do not sell on credit may purchase on credit and if cash accounting is used, the accounts would not represent a â€Å"true and fair picture† of the business activity in a given period. The accounting convention when used is an application of the accrual concept. Therefore there is recognition that while the profit and loss account is affected by the accrual concept, the cash flow statement is not as was previously stated. It should be noted also, that profit, which is shown in the profit and loss account (Net profit before taxes†¦Appendix A) is really a reflection of future cash for the company because the entries recorded are from transactions done based on the accruals concept. This can be illustrated by means of a cash flow statement done using the indirect method. Using the indirect method of preparing a cash flow statement, â€Å"net profit or loss is adjusted for the effects of transactions of a non-cash nature e.g. depreciation, any deferrals or accruals of past or future operating cash receipts or payments and of income or expense associated with investing or financing cash flows† (ACCA, paper 1.1 Study text June 2003, 365). Appendix A confirms that the net profit of $ 3,390 million reported in the profit and loss account after adjustments became $ 410 million, the same cash amount reported in the balance sheet in Appendix C, extract under current assets. Users of the profit and loss account therefore as was established earlier may be missed by the profit figure reported. However, cash reported in the cash flow statement is authentic and represents the actual liquid position of a business organisation as at the balance sheet date. There have been frequent arguments that profit does not give an authentic view of the organisation’s performance as has been established thus far. Since the making of a profit will not necessarily result in an increased cash balance, one can conclude that a company’s performance and prospects depends not so much on profits earned in the period but more realistically on cash flow or rather the company’s liquidity. Bearing this in mind, many investors now find the profit figure reported in the profit/loss account less reliable than the cash balance reported in the cash flow statement because it is felt that the profit figure can be manipulated to reflect the producer’s bias. This notion is supported by Joseph Bernardino former chief executive of Anderson quoted in The Economist. Bernardino argued that â€Å"our financial reporting system is broken† with â€Å"many investors now believing that companies can manipulate their accounts more or less at will, with the aim of producing profits that increase steadily over time. Provisions are bumped up in goods years and later released; or the value of an acquisition is slashed; there are plenty tricks. The solution in the meantime may be to look at the cash, which is harder to disguise or invent.† The cash flow statement is therefore, unambiguous and provides information which is additional to that already provided in the other final accounts. Additionally the cash flow statement provides information based on activity instead of by balance sheet classifications and shows changes in actual cash, thus, providing additional information over the balance sheet and profit and loss accounts. The dilemma as a result becomes fairly simple: there is cash or there is no cash. For this reason, the cash flow statement has several advantages which give shareholders and investors an idea as to how the funds of a company are being managed. These advantages include: 1.Cash flows allow for better comparisons and an understanding of various companies financial performance as it reports on how the cash was earned and spent as well as the reason for the difference between reported profit and related cash flows. 2.It allows for easier preparation of cash flow forecasts which is more useful than profit forecasts. 3.Cash flow reporting satisfies the needs of its users. It provides the information that enables management to make well informed decisions. It also assists shareholders with stewardship accounting while better serving the information needs of employees and creditors on the company’s liquidity status. 4.Cash flow is easily understood than profit which is based on accounting conventions and concepts such as: accruals convention or the matching concept and therefore, is easier for the layman to understand. 5.Creditors are more interested in a business’s ability to repay their debts than its profitability. Profits may indicate that cash may be available at later date, while cash flow suggests a direct view of the business’s cash situation i.e. how much money is readily available. 6.Cash flow accounting directs management’s focus on the optimum use of company assets in order to generate positive cash flows bearing in mind that cash is essential for the survival of an enterprise. In any organisation, a strong financial position is one which shows that a business has relatively little debt and large amounts of liquid assets in comparison to its current liabilities. Additionally, a strong cash balance generating with ease and efficiency from its operating activities further indicate financial strength. Large companies are therefore, mandated by law to prepare financial statements and it is in these that their performance is assessed. The users of financial statements are interested in solvency, the ability to pay debts and profitability, which creates equity. Management is also interested in these statements as it will assist them in improving the areas where performance is weak. Despite the argument presented thus far, it must be noted that â€Å"no man is an island.† This suggests that in isolation, a true understanding of a business’ performance cannot be attained by an examination of only the cash flow statement. When used in conjunction with the profit and loss account and the balance sheet, the cash flow statement gives shareholders and the other users of the financial statements the required information on viability, solvency, liquidity and the financial flexibility of a company at a specific time, essentially at the balance sheet date. Furthermore, the conjunctive use of the cash flow statements give an indication of the relationship between profitability and a company’s ability to generate cash, consequently, defining the quality of the profits reflected in the profit and loss account. Should one therefore, require an overall well calculated view of an organisation, no statement, be it profit and loss account, balance sheet or cash flow statement should be looked at in isolation. For example, in St.Lucia a new shopping plaza is on the verge of opening. Needless to say that Blue Sky Limited is now investing heavily in the refurbishment of the building in which it is to be housed. A close examination of Blue Sky Limited’s accounts would reveal large outflows with little inflows. It therefore becomes necessary to examine Blue Sky Limited’s cash flow accounts in conjunction with the profit and loss account and the balance sheet so that a more wholesome picture can be obtained. Simply put, â€Å"the cash flow statement is simply a part of the puzzle. Analysing it with the other statements can give you a more overall look at a company’s financial health† (Investopedia.com 2005). This notion is supported by Aharony et al 2003 in their study who posits that in order to understand which statement gives a better view of organisational performance, it becomes imperative to look at the â€Å"life cycle status† (LCS) of the of the business in question. Aharony et al therefore argue: Previous researchers identify four LCS’s: Start-up, maturity and decline or stagnation. At the start-up stage there are normally only a few assets in place. Growth opportunities constitute the major asset of the firm at that stage. Cash flow operation and the earnings are low, and there is a relatively great need for cash to finance the realization of these growth opportunities. At the growth stage there are more assets in place and some income is generated (Black, 1998). Sales and revenue growth rates are higher than average in the growth stage and so are investments in production facilities (Anthony and Ramesh, 1992). At the maturity stage firms experience low or no cash and needs are mostly satisfied by internal sources and at the decline or stagnant stage growth opportunities, if any, are likely to be limited, competition intensifies, and the firm’s financing costs are more expensive.(Aharony et al 2003) The implication of Aharony et al’s argument is that the cash flow statements may not necessarily be the best statement to look at a particular point in a business’ LSC because at certain points, liquidity and solvency may be low. At such points, therefore a business’ performance can be better understood by introspection of the profit and loss statement which relies heavily on accrual accounting or a combination with the balance sheet and cash flow statement. Consequently the stage of a business’ life cycle plays an important role in the understanding of a business’ performance. Despite its limitations e.g. its inability to express opinions whether or not expenditure was necessary of will be profitable, or fail to report on the cause of an increase in the firm’s receivables due to poor stock control or changes in policy, the cash flow statement remains the most detailed and accurate statement when reporting on a company’s liquidity/solvency. Therefore, in comparison to the profit and loss account, the cash flow statement definitely gives a better view of organisational performance, if for example, each statement; the cash flow statement and the profit and loss statement, is to be examined in isolation.

Malaria and DDT Essay -- Health Biology Essays

Malaria and DDT Malaria has been a huge problem among many developing nations over the past century. The amount of people in the entire world that die from malaria each year is between 700,000 and 2.7 million. 75% of these deaths are African children (Med. Letter on CDC & FDA, 2001). 90% of the malaria cases in the world are located in Sub-Saharan Africa. Once again, the majority of these deaths are of children (Randerson, 2002). The numbers speak for themselves. Malaria is a huge problem and needs to be dealt with immediately. There have been many attempts at preventing malaria, none of which have been very successful. These have usually involved protecting human beings from mosquitoes, the dreaded carriers of the disease, by eliminating their breeding places. Attempts have been made at destroying larvae as they grow in the water, but none have managed to stop the onslaught of malaria. Recently (before 1999), in some locations, certain drug-resistant strains of malaria such as P. falciparum have arisen. The P. falciparum strain is considered the most lethal form of malaria and can cause neurological damage (Poser, 1999). This presence of strains of malaria that do not respond to conventional drug-treatment poses a new problem for malaria control. The hope is that a malaria vaccine can be developed. However, development of such a vaccine is far off. One possible developer of such a vaccine, Henri Vial of the Montpellier University II in France, has developed a drug that kills the malaria parasite by preventing it from replicating in the red blood cells. However, this drug, called G25, has only been tested on laboratory monkeys and still needs to undergo further testing. It is estimate... ...s way into the water where it is absorbed by fish and marine animals. The substance is stored in the fatty tissues of the animal where it stays until it is needed, like during a sickness or when one is deprived of food. This can cause the immune system of an animal to respond to disease with less efficiency. Fish such as carp have shown significant immune-system suppression and high levels of pesticide-induced toxicity (Repetto, Baliga, 1996). If birds feed upon these aquatic animals, then they too will pick up the chemical. The thinning of egg-shells and therefore a decrease in successful births has been linked with exposure to pesticides such as DDT. However, these studies have been done in the field and therefore the results are uncertain and inaccurate. It is difficult to tell the extent of the chemical’s effect on the biological system (Repetto, Baliga, 1996).

General Environment Analysis for Hsbc in Mainland China Essay

Economy -We know the high speed of China’s growing economy. With the development of the economy in China, Chinese customers’ consumption power has been going up. More people are accepting the consumption ways such as credit card and installment plan. -Not only individuals, small and medium sized enterprises play significant roles in China’s economy. Since China’s reform and open-door policy, huge amount of small and medium sized enterprises come out. They demand capital and it is relatively harder for them to get it so they rely more on banks. Demography Middle Class in China is growing and they own stronger purchase ability and at the same time they got the sense of investment. Political/ Legal Since entering the WTO and in December 2006, China formally opened the banking industry to the world, which means that foreign banks are able to conduct RMB business in China. However, every move of the foreign banks are regulated by the China Banking Regulatory Commission. For example, the loan-to-deposit ratio must be strictly controlled within 75%. Therefore, how to satisfy this number and how to deal with the numerator and denominator are what HSBC needs to take into consideration. Technological The development of Internet has led to the prosperity of e-commerce. HSBC might consider cooperating with such related companies like some online stores and payment platforms to expand the retail business. Global The destruction of the financial crisis on the global economy had in particular impact on the parent bank of HSBC, and this has inevitably affected the subsidiaries in China. Sociocultural Traditionally, Chinese people prefer saving than investing. As for investment, people prefer low-risk financial products. Low-risk with high-return investment products will be the one kind people pursue.

Rosenbaum’s a Perversion of the Past (Mississippi Burning)

Oleh Jonathan Rosenbaum's critique of the 1988 film â€Å"Mississippi Burning† draws much of its intellectual adn emotional response to the film from Rosenbaum's personal experiences as a participant in the civil rights movement of the 1960's. The article — which casts the movie â€Å"Mississippi Burning† in a pretty much unfavorable light due to what Rosenbaum feels is a deliberate series of distortions of historical fact — recounts in equal portions, Rosenbaum's direct experiences of the era and the experience of the era as it is presented by the movie's director, Alan Parker, who Rosenbaum immediately identifies as a former advertising director. Rosenbaum also remarks that Parker's previous films: â€Å"all reek of advertising's overheated style† (Rosenbaum, 119). and Rosenbaum also makes it clear that he is not, himself, an impersonal interpretor of the era of the civil rights movement that Parker's movie attempts to cover. Rosenbaum's article appeared in a book-length collection of his essays entitled â€Å"Movies as Politics† published in 1997. The book contains numerous essays on Hollywood films and attempts to shed light on the political repercussions of the all-too-routine historical inaccuracies and poetic license which is deeply embedded in contemporary commercial films. Rosenbaum's thesis, relative to â€Å"Mississippi Burning† is that damage to American culture is, indeed, done by the making of a movie which focuses on superficial imagery: churches burning, people being beaten, etc — and in fact distorts the truth of factual occurrences — in order to fulfill the attributes of a successful commercial film. Rosenbaum claims that â€Å"Mississippi Burning† is a dangerous re-visioning of history for many reasons, foremost among them: the fact that the film features two white protagonists, both of whom are federal agents, plus the undeniable fact that Parker in shaping his protagonists as unambiguously moral agents with no trace of personal racism or fear of racists, completely distorts the historical truths behind the events of the film. For example, Rosenbaum remarks that in his personal experience, no agency or authoritative bureau seemed the least bit interested in helping civil rights activists: â€Å"the answer was no-one. Certainly not the local police or the FBI as I quickly learned† (Rosenbaum, 119) and his conclusion that Parker has not only re-envisioned, but wilfully perverted the historical facts behind the event of â€Å"Mississippi Burning† to create a more salable film are rational and just in my opinion. Within the format of the essay, which is more conversational in tone than scholarly, Rosenbaum relies primarily upon anecdotal remembrances and personal experiences than on solidly researched historical evidence or upon sociological references of any kind. His assertions are certainly emotionally convincing because it doesn't take much effort to persuade me, or probably many other people, that a big-money director of commercial films would distort or change whatever was necessary in order to make a successful film in economic terms. If it were not so, then said director would still be directing TV commercials. This seems to be the most onerous flaw in Rosenbaum's thesis, as I am not entirely convinced that Parker or anyone else associated with Hollywood movies ever intended to make anything other than a piece of entertainment posed as drama with a more or less obvious historical â€Å"hook. However, the use of serious cultural issues for the purpose of making money is usually referred to as exploitation and I think Rosenbaum does a quite convincing job of painting Parker as an exploitative director bent first on making money and success and only secondarily, if at all, interested in the issues of substantive historical record of the e vents the movie ostensibly was meant to cover.

Common Information Security Threats Essay Essay Example

Common Information Security Threats Essay Essay Example Common Information Security Threats Essay Essay Common Information Security Threats Essay Essay The cyberspace is about 40 old ages old and is go oning to turn at a rapid gait. This rapid growing and usage of the cyberspace for practically everything you can make in life has besides cause a major addition in menaces. Cyber-criminals are frequently interrupting into security on many major web sites and doing the intelligence. Information Security is turning into an of import portion in protect a business’s information. Amazon. com website went online in 1995 ( Byers. 2006 ) . Amazon offers there services and merchandises through the website Amazon. com to many states around the universe. which includes: United States. Canada. France. Spain. Japan. Italy. Germany. United Kingdom. and China ( Amazon. 2012 ) . Amazon has been around for about 17 old ages and uninterrupted to be a successful concern. One of the ground for this is because Amazon puting clip in Information Security. Amazon has a monolithic sum of information on waiters around the Earth contain sensitive informa tion. non merely information for Amazon but besides for Amazon’s clients. Some illustrations of the information Amazon maintains on the waiters they own: merchandise information. warehouse information. name centre information. client service information. service information. client history information. bank information. cloud calculating information. digital media download information. and reappraisals of clients for merchandise information ( Amazon. 2012 ) . There will ever be some sort of the possible hazards to the information maintained by any concern or individual because new exposures are found every twenty-four hours. Just late. on August 7. 2012. a wired magazine reporter’s information stored on his Google history. Twitter history. MacBook. iPad. and iPhone where erased without the user desiring this done. A hacker that goes by the name of Phobia comprised the newsmans Amazon history with a security feat. The security feat allowed Phobia to entree the reporter’s Amazon history by naming and resetting the watchwords over the phone with the newsmans compromised AppleCare ID and Amazon ID ( Kerr. 2012 ) . Amazon responded with the following. â€Å"We have investigated the reported feat. and can corroborate the feat has been closed as of yesterday afternoon ( Kerr. 2012 ) . † Another major breach in security for Amazon occurred on the Zappos. com. which Amazon besides owns. 24 million histories where compromised. which included the following history information: names. transportation references. charge references. phone Numberss. and email references ( Vilches. 2012 ) . Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh wrote in an electronic mail that the hackers gained entree to the internal web of Zappos leting the hacker’s entree to the waiter that was in Kentucky. On October 28. 2011 a research worker uncovered a monolithic security defect in the Amazon Cloud service that is provided by Amazon ( Hickey. 2011 ) . A squad of German research workers found a manner that hackers would be able to entree user histories and informations. The methods of onslaught the security research workers found that the Amazon Cloud service was vulnerable to where signature wrapper and cross site scripting. XML signature wrapping onslaughts were developed that could wholly take over a user history with decision maker permissions for the Amazon Cloud histories. The AWS interface could besides be manipulated to run an feasible codification and make cross-site scripting onslaughts. The research workers said that they had entree to all the client informations. including hallmark informations. items. and watchwords ( Hickey. 2011 ) . There are many other exposures for Amazon that may be but are non known. Intruders ( hackers ) are a major menace for Amazon as proven from the antecedently listed illustrations. When the onslaught is done by a little group or merely one individual the menace will fall into the unstructured class ( Conklin. White. Williams. Davis. A ; Cothren. 2012 ) . Menaces caused by onslaughts by hackers that are in a condemnable group are known to fall into the structured class ( Conklin. White. Williams. Davis. A ; Cothren. 2012 ) . Physical security is of import to retrieve because if a hacker can acquire into the internal web and substructure. it can be much easier to derive unauthorised entree to the web. Information Security hazard analysis is used to entree the exposures. menaces. and how to put controls for an organisation ( Whitman. 2011 ) . List of what can be vulnerable: Web Waiters. Computer Servers. Routers. Client. Databases. Firewalls. Software. Power. and Transmission. List of menaces: Denial of Service Attacks. Spoofing and Masquerading. Malicious Code/Virus. Human Errors. Insider Attacks. Intrusion. Spamming. and Physical Damage to Hardware. List of costs: Trade Secrets. Client Secrets. Trust. Lost Gross saless. Clean up Costss. Information. Hardware. Software. Services. and Communication. List of controls to be used: Firewalls. IDS. Single Sign-on. DMZ. Security policy. Employee Training. Configuration of Architecture. and Hardening of Environment. All of these lists can be put into a chart to assist organize a hazard analysis and apparatus controls to be used for Amazon ( Conklin. White. Williams. Davis. A ; Cothren. 2012 ) . The legal. ethical. and regulative demands for protecting informations demand to be thought about when it comes to Information Security. Statutory Torahs. administrative Torahs. and common Torahs presently exist and are involved in computing machine security. New cyber Torahs are being defined by the tribunals. but none of these Torahs have been used yet ( Conklin. White. Williams. Davis. A ; Cothren. 2012 ) . In 1986. the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act ( CFAA ) was established to do it a offense to entree computing machine systems when non authorized. Amazon has been around for 17 old ages and has a good path record for catching security hazards and piecing them rapidly. With the cyberspace go oning to turn at such a rapid gait. Amazon and everyone desiring to keep their informations unity needs to tight down on their Information Security protocols. Information Security is turning into an of import portion in protect a business’s information. MentionsAmazon. ( 2012 ) . Amazon. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. virago. com Byers. A. ( 2006 ) . Jeff Bezos: the laminitis of Amazon. com. New York. New york: The Rosen Publishing Group. Conklin. A. . White. G. . Williams. D. . Davis. R. . A ; Cothren. C. ( 2012 ) . Principles of Computer Security: CompTIA Security+ and Beyond ( Exam SY0-301 ) ( 3rd ed. ) . New York. New york: McGraw-Hill Company. Hickey. A. R. ( 2011. October 28 ) . Researchers Uncover ‘Massive Security Flaws’ In Amazon Cloud. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. crn. com/news/cloud/23190911/researchers-unconver-massive-security-flaws-in-amazon-cloud. htm Kerr. D. ( 2012. August 7 ) . Amazon addresses security feat after journalist drudge. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //news. cnet. com/8301-1009_3-57488759-83/amazon-addresses-security-exploit-after-journalist-hack/ Vilches. J. ( 2012. January 16 ) . Amazon owned Zappos hacked. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. techspot. com/news/47060-amazon-owned-zappos-hacked-24-million-accounts-compromised. html Whitman. M. E. ( 2011 ) . Readings and Cases in Information Security: Law and Ethical motives. New York. New york: Cengage Learning.

The Influence of Homosexuality in the Media

The Influence of Homosexuality in the Media Free Online Research Papers The transition of our world is happening before our very eyes†¦ amongst the most talked about topics is the appointing and politics of President Barack Obama, the crashing economy and the issue of Ms. California and her views on homosexuality. Though the president and the economy have been unpredictable to some, homosexuality has always been a controversial subject. This alternative lifestyle does not fit into our social ideals, â€Å"the American Dream†. Established throughout the late forties and fifties, this â€Å"Dream† painted a very clear picture of what the pursuit of happiness in American society should be, stressing the importance of gender roles and the perfect family. Homosexuality was rarely heard of during this time and was considered shameful. Men, women, and children were told that â€Å"homosexuals are dangerous†. It was not long ago that homosexuality was considered a mental illness, and a sufficient reason to fire a federal employee from their job. It was not until 1975 that there was a public statement made that homosexuality was not a mental disorder. Since that time, this once taboo topic has become a familiar lifestyle and many activist groups have taken a stand for their cause that has captured the attention of the media. Spending an average of nine hours a day using some time of media, it is no surprise that through the support of the media; same-sex relationships have become more widely accepted. The effect that media influence has on society is not a new phenomenon; the media has been a concern of social influence since its beginning. It has the ability to dramatically shape the lives of viewer by setting a standard and relying on our perception of â€Å"what should be†. It is no longer uncommon to see a television or movie role being cast with a homosexual character. This common exposure to a once criminal act of sexual deviance has altered the minds of Americans and created acceptance by reducing the fear of the unknown. The grandfather of technological innovation, the media is responsible for social change, the standard of life and the decline of more traditional forms of direction, such as church, school, and family. Though all of these factors remain important, the media can be harmfully influential; many times the viewer does not even realize that they are being persuaded. The media is used as an instrument to influence people into certain beliefs and understandings, a funnel to social conformity, by the way of subtle hints and mild persuasion. In examining the possibilities of media influence, Jane Root wrote, â€Å"It has a role in defining what we think of as a natural, it helps to map out who we think we are†. This is what the media has done with homosexuality, they have made it seem natural, increasingly common and therefore acceptable. The effect that the media has on children has been a topic of debate for some time. A child’s mind can be so easily altered that with the vast media accessibility, children are likely to be learning more from television and internet than they are from school! This author believes this is the very reason why we are seeing a declaration of homosexuality at an earlier age than ever before. Youth are going to experiment with a variety of things, and now that same-sex relationships are not condemned and accepted as natural, this idea is more widely accepted amongst youth. The question then would be, what is it teaching them? Television is where children are finding their gender identity, learning about the common use of illegal drugs, seeing premarital sex, and being exposed to violent crimes. Children only know what they are taught, and through the media they are learning about sex, drugs, violence, and homosexuality at a far younger age than any other generation. In America everyone has the right to decide their sexual preference, and everyone deserves to be accepted despite their choice. Acceptance of the person does not require the condoning of their actions. Though my personal beliefs and Christian background leave little tolerance for the gay lifestyle I desire to see each person as an individual and have made a decision not to dismiss anyone based on only one fact of their life. Research Papers on The Influence of Homosexuality in the MediaEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andAnalysis Of A Cosmetics Advertisement19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraWhere Wild and West MeetMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesResearch Process Part OneStandardized TestingThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use

Biological Evolution and Genetic Variation

Biological Evolution and Genetic Variation Biological evolution is defined as any genetic change in a population that is inherited over several generations. These changes may be small or large, noticeable or not so noticeable.  In order for an event to be considered an instance of evolution, changes have to occur on the genetic level of a population and be passed on from one generation to the next.  This means that the genes, or more specifically, the alleles in the population change and are passed on. These changes are noticed in the phenotypes (expressed physical traits that can be seen) of the population. A change on the genetic level of a population is defined as a small-scale change and is called microevolution.  Biological evolution also includes the idea that all of life is connected and can be traced back to one common ancestor. This is called macroevolution. What Evolution Is Not Biological evolution is not defined as simply change over time.  Many organisms experience changes over time, such as weight loss or gain. These changes are not considered instances of evolution because they are not genetic changes that can be passed on to the next generation. Is Evolution a Theory? Evolution is a scientific theory that was proposed by Charles Darwin. A scientific theory gives explanations and predictions for naturally occurring phenomena based on observations and experimentations. This type of theory attempts to explain how events seen in the natural world work. The definition of a scientific theory differs from the common meaning of theory, which is defined as a guess or a supposition about a particular process. In contrast, a good scientific theory must be testable, falsifiable, and substantiated by factual evidence. When it comes to a scientific theory, there is no absolute proof. Its more a case of confirming the reasonability of accepting a theory as a viable explanation for a particular event. What Is Natural Selection? Natural selection is the process by which biological evolutionary changes take place. Natural selection acts on populations and not individuals. It is based on the following concepts: Individuals in a population have different traits which can be inherited.These individuals produce more young than the environment can support.The individuals in a population that are best suited to their environment will leave more offspring, resulting in a change in the genetic makeup of a population. The genetic variations that arise in a population happen by chance, but the process of natural selection does not. Natural selection is the result of the interactions between genetic variations in a population and the environment. The environment determines which variations are more favorable. Individuals that possess traits that are better suited to their environment will survive to produce more offspring than other individuals. More favorable traits are thereby passed on to the population as a whole. Examples of genetic variation in a population include the modified leaves of carnivorous plants, cheetahs with stripes, snakes that fly, animals that play dead, and animals that resemble leaves. How Does Genetic Variation Occur in a Population? Genetic variation occurs  mainly through DNA mutation, gene flow (movement of genes from one population to another) and sexual reproduction. Due to the fact that environments are unstable, populations that are genetically variable will be able to adapt to changing situations better than those that do not contain genetic variations. Sexual reproduction allows for genetic variations to occur through genetic recombination. Recombination occurs during meiosis and provides a way for producing new combinations of alleles on a single chromosome. Independent assortment during meiosis allows for an indefinite number of combinations of genes. Sexual reproduction makes it possible to assemble favorable gene combinations in a population or to remove unfavorable gene combinations from a population. Populations with more favorable genetic combinations will survive in their environment and reproduce more offspring than those with less favorable genetic combinations. Biological Evolution Versus Creation The theory of evolution has caused controversy from the time of its introduction until today. The controversy stems from the perception that biological evolution is at odds with religion concerning the need for a divine creator. Evolutionists contend that evolution does not address the issue of whether or not God exists, but attempts to explain how natural processes work. In doing so, however, there is no escaping the fact that evolution contradicts certain aspects of some religious beliefs. For example, the evolutionary account for the existence of life and the biblical account of creation are quite different. Evolution suggests that all life is connected and can be traced back to one common ancestor. A literal interpretation of biblical creation suggests that life was created by an all-powerful, supernatural being (God). Still, others have tried to merge these two concepts by contending that evolution does not exclude the possibility of the existence of God, but merely explains the process by which God created life. This view, however, still contradicts a literal interpretation of creation as presented in the bible. In paring down the issue, a major bone of contention between the two views is the concept of macroevolution. For the most part, evolutionists and creationists agree that microevolution does occur and is visible in nature. Macroevolution, however, refers to the process of evolution that takes place on the level of species, in which one species evolves from another species. This is in stark contrast to the biblical view that God was personally involved in the formation and creation of living organisms. For now, the evolution/creation debate continues on and it appears that the differences between these two views are not likely to be settled anytime soon.

The Fall Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Fall - Essay Example The book explores the themes of redemption, self gratification and personal growth and offers a critical view of the protagonist’s views and experiences during the Second World War. This essay sets out to take an analytical survey at the character’s attempt at reinventing himself. Jean Baptist was a lawyer, who had built a reputation for himself as being a good defense lawyer, who helped the less fortunate fight for justice where they could not afford to hire the services of one. He used to give alms to beggars on the streets and offer his aid to blind people cross the streets. His good charitable deeds made him feel different from other people who he saw as being hypocritical and selfish. His kindly deeds fed his ego and made him feel righteous. One day when he was heading home, he came across a woman on the Pont de Art Bridge standing on the ledge staring down at the water. He did not pause to afford even the woman a glance, but just passed her, and after a few paces, he heard a loud scream and the sound of a body splashing the water down below. Jean Baptist did nothing to help the woman who was swept away screaming for help. The incident of the woman who committed suicide on the Pont de Art Bridge marked the turning point of Jean Baptist’s life. ... He came to the realization it was a form of show off to the passersby. At this moment, he realized that he was a far much worse hypocrite and selfish than those he criticized among his peers and government. He tried convincing himself that he failed to rescue the woman because rescuing her, involved risking his own personal safety, so it was better off that he did not help her so that he could continue helping others. No matter how hard he tried to justify his actions on that day, his conscience did not allow him to feel better about himself. Jeans Baptist Clemence’s realization that he was no different from leaders, in government and his peers, triggered the process of trying to justify himself by denouncing the exact principles that he stood by and jeopardized his career, in the process. No one believed his utterances because according to his reputation and how people knew him, he could only have been joking. He said, â€Å"I wish I could wring the beggar’s necks and beat them up in the streets† (Horton 48). Jean Baptist proclaimed that the poor and the oppressed were oppressing the decent working class of people, and wished they could be banished from the streets. People around him and his friends who knew him well and understood him well thought he was just making fun. This got Jean Baptist frustrated and he started avoiding his friends and immersing himself into alcohol. He stopped practicing law and ruined his reputation. The World War started during, his dramatic turn around, and France was occupied by the German forces. He endeavors to believe that he is a reputable man, but he finds himself in a society that is full of forgeries (Horton 35). Horton relates this to Jean Baptist’s situation because

Problem Formulation and Identification Paper Essay - 1

Problem Formulation and Identification Paper - Essay Example bable due to start-up financial constraints and approval difficulties from FDA, Chao faced reality; he opted to first enter the generic drug making industry where costs are lower and risks on FDA approval, lower. This decision was made after finding out in Chao’s research that though the generic drugs industry yielded lower margins compared to its branded counterpart they were able to gain handsome income. Watson’s finances were insufficient to operate the company in its early days. With this problem, Chao had displayed another of his quality in solving the problem, by persistently finding a method that works. After failed attempts to acquire funding from banks and other orthodox financial sources, instead of he decided to tap the Taiwanese community in his area for monetary aid. With Chao’s leadership, the company was also able to point out alternative opportunities that could eventually solve its problem. Knowing that he cannot squarely compete, Watson seized the market niche where his competitors had dared not to tap because of low margin. With the unique operating stratagem implemented by its founder and CEO, the company was able to capitalize on the territories that are untapped by its competitors in its early years to generate sales. By producing generic drugs these low margin niche drug markets, Watson Pharmaceuticals was able become pioneers in them. As profits went in, the company had again inked out another problem, how to make the company grow. This propelled them to product innovation, to improve the status quo by finding ideas that will make their products more effective and sellable. Watson had successfully gained the exclusive right to produce additional 17 generic products. This surged Watson’s profits even further. Having sufficient money to expand further, Watson Pharmaceuticals acquired other pharmaceutical companies that will extend their market reach. The company was able to incorporate 9 subsidiaries to its empire. Watson

China doing business in Venezuela Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

China doing business in Venezuela - Essay Example government has not made an official announcement, America feels threatened as an influence within the region. Currently, America is the largest importer of oil from Venezuela, and China will be taking away from this amount. 2) U.S. consumers may benefit from with deal through an increase in Venezuelan oil production. As of right now, Venezuela produces about 3 billion barrels of oil each day (James 2011). With help from the Chinese loans, oil production is expected to increase to increase massively. This, in turn, will benefit U.S. consumers because the oil price should hopefully come down. With more oil on the market, prices will be driven down. The cost of gas to U.S. consumers should reduce considerably. However, the United States government needs to be careful that there are not any deals going on between the Venezuelan government and their Chinese counterparts. Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez has said, â€Å"We don’t do discounts with anyone†¦We sell at international prices (James 2011). If the U.S. wants to remain competitive in the oil market, then it should hope that this is true. Associated Press. (2011, Nov. 25) Venezuela’s Chavez defends China ties as officials sign deals for $6 billion in loans. The Washington Post. Retrieved from

Organizational Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Organizational Ethics - Essay Example Businesses that operate ethically are assumed to have a lot of gains but it is not as simple as it sounds especially in an ever increasingly competitive environment. The leader has to make sure all the stockholder’s interests are taken care of and at the same time ensure all laws are adhered to and also act according to moral principles. The problem is; does the leader do what is right according to his or her opinion or what is right according to the moral standards of society? Sometimes these two views conflict and the leader have to make this important decision. This becomes more complex as the company becomes global due to diversity of cultures. Morality according to Fieser and Moseley (2012) guides what is permitted and what is not or what is â€Å"right† and what is â€Å"wrong†. However, it all depends on what moral theory one is applying. Understanding business ethics is important and as such this paper will focus on how various companies solve their ethic al dilemmas. This will be accomplished by using an example of a profit organization (Google) and a non-profit organization (United Service Organizations). First, the paper will give the profiles of both companies and the ethical issues they faced or are currently facing. Secondly, personal reflections on the ethical actions taken by the companies will be evaluated. This will be followed by a critique of these actions taken based on philosophical theories. Lastly, a brief summary of the main issues will be given. Company Profile: Google Google Inc is a global leader in the technology sector specializing in the search engine industry. It was founded and incorporated in 1998 by Larry Page and his co-founder Sergy Brin. It is a profit making organization whose mission is â€Å"to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful† (Google.com, 2013). It operates more than 70 offices situated in more than 60 countries and an employee base of more than 30,000 employees worldwide. Its headquarters are situated in Mountain View, California with various branches in the US, Asia Pacific, Africa, Europe, Latin America, United Arab Emirates, and Canada. It is a global company that offers services to both people and businesses. It is involved in offering search services, advertising, and cloud computing for businesses by offering products such as AdWords, AdSense, Google maps, blog searches, Gmail, scholarly papers, books, mobile content, chrome and translation. It started as a small company in a garage but through the years it has developed to become a dominant player in the search engine industry. This is through its aggressive acquisition strategy and new product developments (Google.com, 2013). The company derives its revenue mainly from advertising, websites, and hardware products. All these revenues are acquired through hard work as entailed in the company’s value statement â€Å"don’t be evil† (Google.co m). It has been experiencing a revenue and profit growth over the years as shown in the table 1 below. USD 2009 2010 2011 2012 Total Revenue 23650.56 29321.00 37905.00 50175.00 Gross profit 14806.45 18904.00 24717.00 29670.00 Table 1: Annual Data extracted from Google financial Reports. Most of this revenue comes from advertising and it is far above its competitors in the same industry such as Microsoft, eBay, Face Book, and Apple. Its sales growth of 15.48% year on year is above competitor’s average revenue growth of 6.45% according to CSIMarket (2013). The revenue growth of the various companies year on year is: Google 15.48%; Apple Inc 0.86%; eBay 14.1 %; Microsoft 10.17% and Yahoo Inc -5.22%. From these statistics, it is evident that

People and organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

People and organisations - Essay Example They were based on Taylor’s scientific management processes which emphasised close supervision. However, more advanced studies such as the Hawthorne studies found out that specialisation created boredom, low productivity and high turnover. Furthermore, modern organisations operate in a global competitive climate which requires them to be flexible enough to adapt quickly to changes. As such, modern organisations now rely on contingency factors to structure organisations and teamwork to motivate workers. The organisation culture also plays an important role in defining how employees experience their work and how organisations are operated. The paper will discuss how two organisations differ in the way they are operated and how people experience work. This will be achieved by looking at their approaches to teamwork and teamworking, approaches to organisation structure and design, and the organisation cultures. Biogenia plc is a world-leading business dealing with crop-protection products (herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides) with 15000 employees in over 80 countries and has manufacturing facilities in 10 countries. Its activities are grouped into four functional areas but employees also work in cross-functional teams. The company is driven by innovation and employs highly qualified employees from diverse backgrounds. It also offers room for development through training courses and sponsoring education. It is also engaged in community activities by offering sponsorship. Sleepeasy Hotels on the other hand, is a mid-market hotel chain offering services to traveller and city-break tourists. Each hotel is headed by a manager who is responsible to the head office and manages day-to-day activities of the hotel. All the hotels perform similar functions such as reception, bar tending, room-cleaning, and cooking according to standard procedures and routines. Each manager recruits employees with assistance of central Human Resource function; some room-cleaners ar e permanent while others work part-time. The chain has a culture of performance management and review and disciplinary procedures. Approaches to Teamwork and Teamworking According to Forsyth (2009 p. 351), â€Å"teams are groups but not all groups are teams.† Some organisations work as a group to accomplish organisational goals while others form teams for specific purposes which are aimed at accomplishing the organisational goals. He points out the difference between groups and teams in that, teams require more collaboration and coordination in addition to having multiple members, interdependence and sharing of collective goals (p. 352). Each member is also assumed to possess unique knowledge, skills and abilities that he/she contributes to the effectiveness of the team. Classical organisations stressed individual work hence complex division of labour and specialisation but contemporary organisations have realised the need to utilize teamwork to achieve goals as well as trans mission of skills and knowledge between individuals’ hence organisational learning and increased motivation. Sleepeasy is an example of a classical organisation as each employee is responsible for his/her work which is monitored closely by a supervisor. The room-cleaning employees are supposed to attend 4 rooms in an hour failure to which disciplinary action is taken. For Biogenia, even though workers belong to a functional area they also belong to a cross-functional team. As observed by Forsyth (2009) teams come in different forms and perform different functions depending on organisational needs. Cross-functional or project teams comprise of members from different functional areas or departments, have different backgrounds and areas of expertise. These teams may

New Labour and Globalisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

New Labour and Globalisation - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that New Labour’s economic policies are focused on sustained economic growth for the country, emphasis on cutting down inflation and unemployment rates and use of measures to cope with globalization for the best economic interests of UK. New Labour has also focused on globalization as the best political strategy for promoting British economic growth. Whether this has been done to exploit or cope with the social and political consequences of a global economy remain a controversial issue. Barry and Patterson discuss globalization policies within the context of ecological modernization and environmental reforms suggesting that globalization has to be understood in terms of political, social and environmental issues. Barry and Patterson analyze New Labour’s approach to globalization as aimed to create opportunities for ecological modernization and in some policy areas and hinder in some others. Thus Labour’s focus on global ization has its own advantages and disadvantages as far as environmental policy measures are concerned. Some of the prime areas of development are renewable energy strategy, transport policy, and genetically modified food. The issues of environmental degradation and environmental policy measures have direct implications for globalization and thus it is important to consider environmental aspects of globalization within Labour policy measures.... and equity, Hopkin and Wincott suggest that the European states are less flexible and may have to become more open to changes for successful social and economic reforms. Considering this, the economic reforms and approach to globalisation as taken by New Labour may be considered as comparatively rigid and a more flexible policy could be recommended. Cerny and Evans (2004) argue that the state policies are always aimed at restructuring the state to stabilise national polity and promote domestic economic growth. Some state political approaches are focused on reform of political institutions, functions and processes in keeping with the needs of globalisation. Apart from adapting to internal social and political problems, national political leaders take on processes of political and social coalitions to overcome structural and even functional constraints in the form of state intervention. All of state's policies are focused on promoting, sustaining and expanding an open and liberal global economy to take full advantage of the benefits of such systems. However Cerny and Evans claim that too much emphasis on the role of individual political leaders can undermine the generic functions of the state in terms of public interest and social justice and can also lead to social conflicts. Considering the case of New Labour's policy agenda, in UK, Cerny and Evans note that the British state has been undergoing a continual transformation to adapt to global realities through state action. The fact that Blair's government is focused on adapting to the changing needs of globalisation only highlights policy issues that are established by New Labour to promote economic and social growth. The question of whether New Labour is exploiting, coping with or actively supporting globalisation

People and organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

People and organisations - Essay Example They were based on Taylor’s scientific management processes which emphasised close supervision. However, more advanced studies such as the Hawthorne studies found out that specialisation created boredom, low productivity and high turnover. Furthermore, modern organisations operate in a global competitive climate which requires them to be flexible enough to adapt quickly to changes. As such, modern organisations now rely on contingency factors to structure organisations and teamwork to motivate workers. The organisation culture also plays an important role in defining how employees experience their work and how organisations are operated. The paper will discuss how two organisations differ in the way they are operated and how people experience work. This will be achieved by looking at their approaches to teamwork and teamworking, approaches to organisation structure and design, and the organisation cultures. Biogenia plc is a world-leading business dealing with crop-protection products (herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides) with 15000 employees in over 80 countries and has manufacturing facilities in 10 countries. Its activities are grouped into four functional areas but employees also work in cross-functional teams. The company is driven by innovation and employs highly qualified employees from diverse backgrounds. It also offers room for development through training courses and sponsoring education. It is also engaged in community activities by offering sponsorship. Sleepeasy Hotels on the other hand, is a mid-market hotel chain offering services to traveller and city-break tourists. Each hotel is headed by a manager who is responsible to the head office and manages day-to-day activities of the hotel. All the hotels perform similar functions such as reception, bar tending, room-cleaning, and cooking according to standard procedures and routines. Each manager recruits employees with assistance of central Human Resource function; some room-cleaners ar e permanent while others work part-time. The chain has a culture of performance management and review and disciplinary procedures. Approaches to Teamwork and Teamworking According to Forsyth (2009 p. 351), â€Å"teams are groups but not all groups are teams.† Some organisations work as a group to accomplish organisational goals while others form teams for specific purposes which are aimed at accomplishing the organisational goals. He points out the difference between groups and teams in that, teams require more collaboration and coordination in addition to having multiple members, interdependence and sharing of collective goals (p. 352). Each member is also assumed to possess unique knowledge, skills and abilities that he/she contributes to the effectiveness of the team. Classical organisations stressed individual work hence complex division of labour and specialisation but contemporary organisations have realised the need to utilize teamwork to achieve goals as well as trans mission of skills and knowledge between individuals’ hence organisational learning and increased motivation. Sleepeasy is an example of a classical organisation as each employee is responsible for his/her work which is monitored closely by a supervisor. The room-cleaning employees are supposed to attend 4 rooms in an hour failure to which disciplinary action is taken. For Biogenia, even though workers belong to a functional area they also belong to a cross-functional team. As observed by Forsyth (2009) teams come in different forms and perform different functions depending on organisational needs. Cross-functional or project teams comprise of members from different functional areas or departments, have different backgrounds and areas of expertise. These teams may

Importance of Risk Assessment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Importance of Risk Assessment - Research Paper Example Effective risk assessment is quite crucial to the success of every organization or business activity.Risk assessment requires consistently applying and defining an approach that is tailored to the organization. Any assessment activity begins with the outlay of a plan and scope considering objectives, timing, input, output and responsibility requirements (Wenyuan 21). These responsibilities are assigned to parties that can provide a meaningful perspective on relevant risks. In implementing these responsibilities, one requires input sources which are determined by the information available such as prior assessments, lessons learned and loss data. On the other hand, output requirements are determined based on specific requirements of sponsors and stakeholders. The execution of the assessment process is done once the planning and scoping have been determined. Â  There are several important steps required in carrying out a risk assessment.The first step involves the identification of relevant organization objectives. Identifying relevant objectives provides a basis for ascertaining the potential risks that may have an impact on the achievement of certain objectives. It further ensures relevance of consequential risk assessment and management plan to important organizational objectives. These objectives are usually defined as a number of organizational levels and it is necessary to comprehend how they are formulated. (Vose 12). Moreover, well-formulated objectives are analyzed by considering the weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and strengths.

Business Messages Essay Example for Free

Business Messages Essay In a traditional workplace, memos are the usual form of business messages that are sent from officers to employees. With the advent of technology, the issuance of memorandums is often limited to topics of general interest, like organizational meetings or policy changes. If I were a lead engineer in Cards4U, Id maximize the use of faster and more efficient tools to aid me in communicating with other members of the team, as well as company executives and potential customers.    That means e-mails will be the primary source of communication among the team members, since sending and receiving messages take only a few seconds to a few minutes.   E-mail communications are convenient, does not need to be too formal, and can be accessed anytime, anywhere.   The memos will be utilized to inform the CEO or customers regarding product presentations and updates. Since Im a lead engineer in a creative design group, presentations using PowerPoint or Flash would be very useful in showcasing latest designs and innovations.   Reports are also necessary to document the progress, activities, and changes in the production department.   Face to face meetings with customers are important to establish rapport and get them to buy your designs, or get their feedback. If face-to-face meeting is not possible, conference calls can also be used.   Meeting the CEO for updates and developments would also require face-to-face encounters.   However, if the chief executive initiated conversation using e-mails, then, I should take his lead and reply using the same medium.   But if the message were sent through the more formal memorandum, then the reply would also be of that kind. More importantly, in any type of business communication that I would send, the messages should be concise, direct to the point, and professional. References Business/Professional Writing.(1995-2004). OWL at Purdue University.   Retrieved December 4, 2007, from:   http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/pp/index.html#business Ramsey, L. (2005). Business E-mail Messages Professionalism.   Retrieved December 4, 2007, from, http://website101.com/email_e-mail/e-mail_business-etiquette.html Kotelnikov, V. Effective Business Communication. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/biz_communication_main.html

The Traditional Culture of Asian Civilizations from 1500 to 1700 Essay

Do you feel that Asian Civilizations from 1500 to 1700 veered towards modernity or careened back toward traditional culture? From the 16th to 18th century, the prominent Asian Civilizations were the Mughal Empire, the Ming Dynasty of China and the Edo Period of Japan. There was an obvious trend that these empires leaned toward traditional culture mainly because of political influences. Although there were also several aspects of each society such as the more important role of women in the Mughal Empire, the interactions of the Jesuits with China and Japan that might be indicative of modernity or act as a precursor to modern values, the reversion of traditional culture in each civilization is so much greater that it outweighed the progress towards modernity. The early Mughal Emperors were religiously tolerant, unlike previous Muslim rulers and they embraced the cultures of the Indians that they conquered. Even though they were Muslims, Hindu art and literature once again flourished and the rulers themselves followed a traditional Maharaja style of ruling that paralleled themselves to divine avatars with absolute authority. Respect from commoners was thus mandatory. (Murphey 190) The Ming Dynasty was established when a rebel by the name of Hongwu successfully reclaimed China from Mongolian Rule. Triumphant in breaking free from their Mongolian oppressors, the people of China tried to restore the former glory of their ancestors by embracing their traditional customs that their Mongolian rulers forbade. This started a trend in conservatism where there was fervent determination to establish the original Chinese way of life after Mongol humiliation. (Murphey 213) Due to paranoia, Emperor Hongwu tried to prevent intellectua... ... in gender equality was no different than their traditional customs. In conclusion, Asian civilizations from the 1500 to 1700 were generally not open to radical changes; they were more comfortable embracing old customs. The Indians fell back on their age old Hindu practices and caste system. The Ming Chinese were influenced to practice conservatism and upholding original Confucian Ideals by their Emperor. The Edo Japanese upheld the Imperial tradition of having an Emperor as well as secluding themselves from foreigners to protect their customs from Western cultural corrosion. The first wave of Europeans to reach Asia did not manage to influence much of these civilizations since they already had a proper, formalized government and hundreds even thousands of years of culture. Therefore, Asian civilizations from 1500 to 1700 were generally traditionalistic.

Huntingtons Disease :: Essays Papers

Huntington's Disease Huntington's Disease (HD) is a dominant genetic disorder. Each child of a person who has HD has a 50% chance of inheriting the disease, and the disease does not skip a generation. HD is caused by a larger than normal CAG repeat in the Huntington gene. This larger than normal CAG repeat produces an abnormal protein that begins to kill brain cells when the person who has the gene reaches middle age. The loss of these cells causes intense symptoms and eventually death. HD was named after Dr. George Huntington. In 1872, he was the first person to document an accurate description of the symptoms and course of the disease. At the time he called it â€Å"hereditary chorea†. The Huntington gene was discovered in 1993 by the Huntington Study Group. The CAG repeats in the Huntington gene, which is located on chromosome 4, code for the protein huntingtin. The larger than normal number of CAGs in a person with HD causes the huntingtin protein to be abnormal, which leads to symptoms. Even though every cell in the body has the gene, only the cells in the brain seem to be affected. A person has two alleles for every gene. One allele is inherited from the mother and one allele is inherited from the father. If either allele of the Huntington gene has the larger than normal CAG repeat, the person will have HD. If neither allele has the larger than normal CAG repeat, the person will not have HD and will not pass it on. When a person has children, only one allele of each gene is passed on. If a person with HD passes on the allele with the larger than normal CAG repeat, the child will have HD. If the allele with the normal CAG is passed on, the child will not have HD. Early signs of HD are mood swings, irritability, depression, memory loss, and uncontrolled movements. As the disease progresses, it becomes more difficult to walk and speak. Also, memory and intellectual functions continue to decline. A person who has a chance of inheriting HD can be tested any time after they reach the age of 21. Testing for the HD gene entails a blood sample genetic test that analyzes DNA for HD mutation by counting the number of CAG repeats in the HD gene region. A person will not get HD if their CAG repeats are lower than 30. Huntington's Disease :: Essays Papers Huntington's Disease Huntington's Disease (HD) is a dominant genetic disorder. Each child of a person who has HD has a 50% chance of inheriting the disease, and the disease does not skip a generation. HD is caused by a larger than normal CAG repeat in the Huntington gene. This larger than normal CAG repeat produces an abnormal protein that begins to kill brain cells when the person who has the gene reaches middle age. The loss of these cells causes intense symptoms and eventually death. HD was named after Dr. George Huntington. In 1872, he was the first person to document an accurate description of the symptoms and course of the disease. At the time he called it â€Å"hereditary chorea†. The Huntington gene was discovered in 1993 by the Huntington Study Group. The CAG repeats in the Huntington gene, which is located on chromosome 4, code for the protein huntingtin. The larger than normal number of CAGs in a person with HD causes the huntingtin protein to be abnormal, which leads to symptoms. Even though every cell in the body has the gene, only the cells in the brain seem to be affected. A person has two alleles for every gene. One allele is inherited from the mother and one allele is inherited from the father. If either allele of the Huntington gene has the larger than normal CAG repeat, the person will have HD. If neither allele has the larger than normal CAG repeat, the person will not have HD and will not pass it on. When a person has children, only one allele of each gene is passed on. If a person with HD passes on the allele with the larger than normal CAG repeat, the child will have HD. If the allele with the normal CAG is passed on, the child will not have HD. Early signs of HD are mood swings, irritability, depression, memory loss, and uncontrolled movements. As the disease progresses, it becomes more difficult to walk and speak. Also, memory and intellectual functions continue to decline. A person who has a chance of inheriting HD can be tested any time after they reach the age of 21. Testing for the HD gene entails a blood sample genetic test that analyzes DNA for HD mutation by counting the number of CAG repeats in the HD gene region. A person will not get HD if their CAG repeats are lower than 30.

Graduation Speech Essay

â€Å"The heights by great man reach and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they while their companions slept were toiling upwards through the night. †Ã‚  (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow  ) Members of the school board, principal and staff, distinguished guests in the audience and on the platform, parents, guardians, graduate, good afternoon. Our guest speaker for this afternoon is Mrs. Merlette Barrett-Fender. She was born in the parish of St. James. There, she attended the Salt Spring All Age School- later the Mt. Alvernia High School then went on to further her education at Shortwood Teachers’ College. She has worked at the Jamaica Telephone Company as an international operator. She later acquired a Bachelor’s Degree in Middle Grades Administration offered by Western Carolina University, at the Montego Bay site. Her zeal for leadership led her to access the Master of Science in Educational Leadership just two years later with the Jamaican Programme of Central Connecticut State University. She has worked at the Primary, Secondary and Tertiary levels of the education system, having the experience as class teacher, subject teacher of English Language and Literature at Cornwall College and as Principal. She presently holds the position of Academic Vice-Principal of Knox Community College. Mrs. Barrett-Fender posses a great love for her country and as a result has made the decision to remain in Jamaica. She takes great pleasure in working amongst Jamaica’s poorest, to help train and educate them and being the voice for some who are voiceless. As a member of the Upper St. James Consultative Committee, she conducts motivational talks to students and teachers. She is the lay preacher of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. She is dedicated to spreading the work of God for the upliftment of people. She possesses a vibrant personality, loves the outdoors, loves good company and enjoys helping others. Mrs. Barrett-Fender believes in having a sound character thus her everyday life is grounded in integrity. Her community involvement includes being a member of the Friends of the Hospital, the founder of Salt Spring All Age Past Students’ Association, past president and fund raising committee member, speaking at graduation exercises, Patron of the Knox Early Childhood Institute, motivational speaker, mentor and counselor. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls; please put your hands together as I introduce to some and present to the others Mrs. Barrett-Fender.

A Philosophy on English Education

Education is a philosophy within itself without even responding to the different categories of a student's learning day. English education is, in my opinion, kind of a shady subject. When one talks about their English class, what aspects are they talking about? Is this referring to the grammar sections, the vocabulary sections or the criticizing of novels? Through the use of grammar a person can increase the way others perceive what they are writing. In my opinion it is not the way something is written that is important, but the content of what is written. Vocabulary is another such device. It is said that a person can feel only what they can express. In other languages around the world, there are words that put more emphasis on the same word. For example the word love, in the English language means one thing. Wether it is toward a mother or toward a spouse it has one meaning. Now is the love you feel for a mother the same as for the love you feel for a spouse? No, and in other languages there is a difference between these two emotions. If a person cannot express the way they feel how can they feel this way? I feel vocabulary is an asset that needs to be cultivated in order for a person to evolve into an educated person of society. The other aspect of English education however is not as particular as the other two. The analysis of literature is in itself a whole philosophy as well. It is a way for a person to open their mind into different thoughts that would not have been open to them otherwise. The idea of group leaning is for different ideas and interpretations to be presented. I believe this is a main part of English education. I believe the purpose of education is to better a persons life through knowledge and assist them later in life. Education is a vital part of anyone's life. Without it a person could not get a job and make it in the real life. I believe however that teachers must keep in mind that one's education is up to the individual student. A teacher should support the student, as well as the student supporting the teacher. If a student feels that a specific assignment or subject is unneeded then it should be reviewed. If it is vital the teacher should simply explain why the assignment in necessary, and the student will then have the desire to do the task at hand. Education is a vital part of my life. I believe that I have the materials to go far in life but without the knowledge base that is given in a learning atmosphere such as school, this will not be possible. I would however like to be given the choice of what to learn instead of being forced to do certain activities. Young people today do not like to read. Why is this? I believe is it because all their lives books and school have been shoved down their throat by teachers and professors who do not care about the student's desires and opinions. My personal feelings on the English language are stated above. I feel that there are not enough words in the language and therefor people of different cultures have language differences as well as differences in the way they think. I believe many English teachers are forced to presaent the curriculem in a repetitious tedious manner. I believe that there is too much emphasis put on writing and grammar and not enough on oral presentation and giving students the skills they will need later on in life. The ability to stand in front of someone and present one's feelings or opinions is a necessary ability for one to have. If a student can explain in detail orally what they have learned without writing it in a formal paper, that should be just as sufficient. As I said before, I believe its not the way a person states something that is important, but what is being stated. Regardless of this short bashing of mine, I do not want you to feel this is my perception of you. This is my past experiences with English teachers and the way they presented themselves and the material to the class. In no way do I feel bias to your thoughts or ideas. I look forward to many interesting conversations and debates in your class. I realize that my desires are not realistic and formal papers must be written in order for a teacher to be able to evaluate each student in an organized and timely manner.

How Humans Have Contributed to Climate Change

CLIMATE CHANGE: HOW THE HOMO SAPIENS HAVE CONTRIBUTED By Ernest Ebo Jackson TERM PAPER Climate change refers to change in average weather patterns and can be caused by both natural processes and human activities. In the past, the earth's climate has been affected by natural factors such as changes in solar output and the discharge of volcanic ash. In fact, the planet has been through many periods of cooling and warming. The last period of major cooling ended about 10,000 years ago. The physical evidence that suggests that the earth’s climate is changing is truly overwhelming. The world’s glaciers are retreating and disappearing, extreme weather is occurring more often now than in the past, the sea’s level and temperature is on the rise and it’s becoming more acidic, increased evaporation is drying out the earth’s supply of fresh water found in lakes and rivers, heat waves kill thousands in Europe, uncontrollable forests fires are destroying forests reserves in places like Australia and Africa, and increasing atmospheric temperature is raising the budget of many families in tropical countries use in cooling their homes. Need I say more? The sun's warmth heats the surface of the earth, which in turn radiates energy back to space. Some of this radiation, which is nearly all in the infrared spectrum, is trapped in the atmosphere by greenhouse gases. For instance, water vapor strongly absorbs radiation with wavelengths between 4 and 7 micrometers, and carbon dioxide (CO2) absorbs radiation with wavelengths between 13 and 19 micrometers. The trapped radiation warms the lower atmosphere, or troposphere. Some heat then finds its way back down to the Earth's surface, making it hotter than it would otherwise be. This is the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere over the last 400,000 years show a rise since the industrial revolution. Analysis of ice in a core drilled from an ice sheet such as the Antarctic ice sheet enables scientist to arrive at this conclusion. But since when did humans becoming aware of the potentially adverse effects of Carbon dioxide emissions on the climate? As early as 1827, French polymath Jean-Baptiste Fourier predicts an atmospheric effect eeping the earth warmer than it would otherwise be. He is the first to use a greenhouse analogy. Also in 1957, US oceanographer Roger Revelle warns that humanity is conducting a â€Å"large-scale geophysical experiment† on the planet by releasing greenhouse gases. Colleague David Keeling sets up first continuous monitoring of CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Keeling soon finds a regular year-on-year rise. Over the years, there have been many conferences aimed at finding solutions to climate change or global warming. In 1985 for instance, there was a major international conference on the greenhouse effect at Villach, Austria, which warned that greenhouse gases will â€Å"in the first half of the next century, cause a rise of global mean temperature which is greater than any in man's history. † This could cause sea levels to rise by up to one meter, researchers say. The conference also reports that gases other than carbon dioxide, such as methane, ozone, CFCs and nitrous oxide, also contribute to warming. The world’s nations however have not been united in their quest to curb global warming or climate change. Many nations have been selfish, especially developed ones, seeking first to achieve or maintain economic growth and thus world dominance rather than make the sacrifices needed to reverse the negative trend of climate change. . A revisit to some historical event will help buttress this point. 1995 proved to be the hottest year recorded to date. In March, the Berlin Mandate is agreed by signatories at the first full meeting of the Climate Change Convention in Berlin. Industrialized nations agree on the need to negotiate real cuts in their emissions, to be concluded by the end of 1997. In 1996, at the second meeting of the Climate Change Convention, the US agrees for the first time to legally binding emissions targets and sides with the IPCC against influential skeptical scientists. After a four-year pause, global emissions of CO2 resume their steep climb, and scientists warn that most industrialized countries will not meet Rio agreement to stabilize emissions at 1990 levels by the year 2000. Furthermore, in 1997, Kyoto Protocol agrees legally binding emissions cuts for industrialized nations, averaging 5. 4%, to be met by 2010. The meeting also adopts a series of flexibility measures, allowing countries to meet their targets partly by trading emissions permits, establishing carbon sinks such as forests to soak up emissions, and by investing in other countries. The precise rules are left for further negotiations. Meanwhile, the US government says it will not ratify the agreement unless it sees evidence of â€Å"meaningful participation† in reducing emissions from developing countries. In 2001, the new US president, George W Bush, renounces the Kyoto Protocol because he believes it will damage the US economy. After some hesitation, other nations agree to go ahead without him. Talks in Bonn in July and Marrakech in November finally conclude the fine print of the protocol. Analysts say that loopholes have pegged agreed cuts in emissions from rich-nation signatories to less than a third of the original Kyoto promise. Signatory nations urged to ratify the protocol in their national legislatures in time for it to come into force before the end of 2002. Now let’s talk about a second human behavior that is negatively impacting the climate – deforestation. Deforestation is the permanent destruction of indigenous forests and woodlands by the processes of humans such as logging and/or burning of trees in a forested area. Deforestation occurs because of many reasons: trees or derived charcoal are used as or sold for fuel or a commodity to be used by humans, while cleared land is used by humans as pasture for livestock, plantations of commodities, and settlements. People's removal of trees without sufficient reforestation has resulted in damage to habitat, biodiversity loss and aridity. It has adverse impacts on biosequestration (the capture and storage of the atmospheric greenhouse gas carbon dioxide by biological processes) of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Deforested regions typically incur significant adverse soil erosion and frequently degrade into wasteland. Forests (an area with a high density of trees. ) are the most natural biological formation. They serve many functions. Firstly, forests protect and form other natural resources. Thanks to the processes of photosynthesis, they renew the oxygen stock in the atmosphere by fixing atmospheric carbon dioxide and moderating the greenhouse effect. Forests also allow for the existence of many species of plants and animals, thus protecting diversity of nature and its gene stock. Forests clean the environment by muffling noises, lowering the wind strength as well as stopping dust and gases. They have a regulatory influence on surface water runoff; they moderate high and low temperatures and prevent soil erosion. By performing all of the above listed functions forests stabilize the climate and shape the landscape. Forests create conditions for relaxation, recreation and improvement of health. Only when actively growing can trees or forest remove carbon over an annual or longer timeframe. The decay and burning of wood releases much of this stored carbon back to the atmosphere. In order for forests to take up carbon, the wood must be harvested and turned into long-lived products and trees must be re-planted. Sadly consumer trends indicate the humans like to discard products such as furniture after only a few years of usage and buy new ones, increasing the need for wood and thus deforestation. Reducing emissions from the tropical deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries has emerged as new potential solution to complement ongoing climate policies. The idea consists in providing financial compensations for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from deforestation and forest degradation†. The earlier these ideas are implemented, the better for us. The hydrological effects on climate as a result of deforestation are even more alarming. The water cycle is probably the most affected by deforestation. Trees extract groundwater through their roots and release it into the atmosphere. When part of a forest is removed, the trees no longer evaporate away this water, resulting in a much drier climate. Already, acute water shortages in countries like Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq has resulted in armed conflicts with factions fighting to control the scanty water resources available. Water prices increase too is an indication of global water shortage. In Britain, water and sewage bills increased 67 percent between 1989 and 1995. The rate at which people's services were disconnected rose by 177 percent. Deforestation also contributes to decreased evapotranspiration (the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration from the Earth's land surface to atmosphere), which lessens atmospheric moisture which in some cases affects precipitation levels downwind from the deforested area, as water is not recycled to downwind forests, but is lost in runoff and returns directly to the oceans. According to one preliminary study in deforested north and northwest China, the average annual precipitation decreased by one third between the 1950s and the 1980s. Trees, and plants in general, affect the water cycle significantly: their canopies intercept a proportion of precipitation, which is then evaporated back to the atmosphere (canopy interception); their litter, stems and trunks slow down surface runoff; their roots create macropores – large conduits – in the soil that increase infiltration of ater; they contribute to terrestrial evaporation and reduce soil moisture via transpiration; their litter and other organic residue change soil properties that affect the capacity of soil to store water. Their leaves control the humidity of the atmosphere by transpiration. 99% of the water pulled up by the roots move up to the leaves for transpiration. As a result, the presence or absence of trees can change the quantity of water on the surface, in the soil or groundwater , or in the atmosphere. This in turn changes erosion rates and the availability of water for either ecosystem functions or human services. Tropical rainforests produce about 30% of our planet's fresh water. So what are we waiting for? When will human start acting to reverse these trends? I wish I knew. The third human activity that has contributed to global warming is the use of chlorofluorocarbon. A chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) is an organic compound that contains carbon, chlorine, and fluorine. Many CFCs have been widely used as refrigerants, propellants (in aerosol applications), and solvents. Applications exploit the low toxicity, low reactivity, and low flammability of the CFCs. During World War II, various chloroalkanes were in standard use in military aircraft. After the war they slowly became more common in civil aviation as well. In the 1960s, fluoroalkanes and bromofluoroalkanes became available and were quickly recognized as being highly effective fire-fighting materials. By the late 1960s they were standard in many applications where water and dry-powder extinguishers posed a threat of damage to the protected property, including computer rooms, telecommunications switches, laboratories, museums and art collections. Beginning with warships, in the 1970s, bromofluoroalkanes also progressively came to be associated with rapid knockdown of severe fires in confined spaces with minimal risk to personnel. By the early 1980s, bromofluoroalkanes were in common use on aircraft, ships, and large vehicles as well as in computer facilities and galleries. A planet's climate is decided by its mass, its distance from the sun and the composition of its atmosphere. Earth's atmosphere is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other gases. Carbon dioxide makes up just 0. 03 – 0. 04% with water vapour varying in amount from 0 to 2%. Without the greenhouse gases, Earth's average temperature would be roughly -20 °C. The use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in machinery and other purposes have resulted in the release of CFCs into the atmosphere which intensifies the heat-trapping properties of the atmosphere as a whole. There is no natural process that release CFCs. In addition, CFCs rise into the upper layer of the atmosphere, the stratosphere, where they destroy the protective layer of ozone, a gas that forms a shield against ultraviolet rays that can harm many forms of life. About l million tons (over 900,000 metric tons) per year of CFCs have been released worldwide since the mid l970s. Demand for refrigeration (which has cooling systems that use CFCs) in developing countries is projected to increase greatly, especially in China and India. Ozone losses in the upper atmosphere are occurring at all latitudes in both hemispheres. The most striking example of ozone loss occurs over the South Pole during September and October. As ozone is lost, the amount of biologically harmful UV-B radiation will increase. Skin cancer rates are expected to increase. Other health effects will likely include an increase in cataracts and suppression of the immune system. Increased UV-B radiation may also harm plants and animals. These CFCs have a global warming potential of up to 11,000 times as strong as carbon dioxide by weight. Unfortunately, millions of products such as refrigerators, air conditioners, fire extinguishers and aerosol cans that contain CFCs are still in use around the world and are nearing the end of their usable lives. The next 10-20 years present a unique one-time opportunity to prevent emissions from these products as they are retired and therefore mitigate ozone damage and global climate change. The damage caused by CFCs was discovered by Sherry Rowland and Mario Molina who, after hearing a lecture on the subject of James Lovelock's work, embarked on research resulting in the first publication suggesting the connection in 1974. It turns out that one of CFCs' most attractive features—their low reactivity— is the key to their most destructive effects. CFCs' lack of reactivity gives them a lifespan that can exceed 100 years, giving them time to diffuse into the upper stratosphere. Once in the stratosphere, the sun's ultraviolet radiation is strong enough to cause the homolytic cleavage of the C-Cl bond. Since the late 1970s, the use of CFCs has been heavily regulated. By 1987, in response to a dramatic seasonal depletion of the ozone layer over Antarctica, diplomats in Montreal forged a treaty, the Montreal Protocol, which called for drastic reductions in the production of CFCs. On March 2, 1989, 12 European Community nations agreed to ban the production of all CFCs by the end of the century. In 1990, diplomats met in London and voted to significantly strengthen the Montreal Protocol by calling for a complete elimination of CFCs by the year 2000. On October 2 2009, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing about the stockpile of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in old equipment and building infrastructure, and the enormous potential for these potent greenhouse gases to accelerate climate change. These CFC â€Å"banks† store the equivalent of 18 billion tons of carbon dioxide, approximately one-third of which will be emitted over the next decade under business as usual. EESI estimates that the destruction of CFCs could cost $62 -$180 billion globally. No wonder institutions are reluctant to destroy them though they are very much conscious of the effects CFCs are having on our climate. As the evidence shows, we have ourselves to blame for the unfavorable climate in recent history. Our practices are changing the climate and we are conscious of it but still keep on living life as if nothing is at stake. The billions of dollars that we gain from over-exploiting the earth are the same billion we spent on relief for victims of extreme weather. What then do we gain? The U. S. has sustained 96 weather-related disasters over the past 30 years in which overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion. The total normalized losses for the 96 events exceed $700 billion. Read an instance in the paragraph below. Southwest/Great Plains Drought persists for an entire year in 2009. Drought conditions occurred during much of the year across parts of the Southwest, Great Plains, and southern Texas causing agricultural losses in numerous states (TX, OK, KS, CA, NM, and AZ). The largest agriculture losses occurred in TX and CA. Estimate of over $5. 0 billion in damages/costs. I believe the arguments presented herein are very conclusive. Humans have contributed immensely to climate change and they are paying for it.