The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 29

My Movie's Montage Explaining how I learned Tiffany's routine and became an excellent dancer would be difficult – mostly because our rehearsals are long and grueling and extremely boring. We do the same little things over and over again endlessly. For example, if I had to lift a finger in the air for the routine, Tiffany would make me do it a thousand times every single day until I could do it to her liking on command. So I will spare you most of the boring details. To make things even more complicated, Tiffany has forbidden me to document our rehearsals in any thorough manner that would allow others to steal her training techniques. As she wants to open up a studio someday, she is very guarded about her methods – and her choreography too. Luckily, as I am starting to write this part, I remember that in every one of his films, whenever Rocky needs to become a better boxer, they show clips of him doing one-arm push-ups, running on the beach, punching slabs of meat, running the stairs of the art museum, gazing at Adrian lovingly, or being yelled at by Mickey or Apollo Creed or even Paulie – all while his theme song plays, which is perhaps the greatest song in the world, â€Å"Gonna Fly Now.† In the Rocky movies, it only takes a few minutes to cover weeks of training, and yet the audience still understands that a lot of preparation went into the actual development of Rocky's boxing skills, even though we only get to see a few clips of the Italian Stallion working hard. During a therapy session, I ask Cliff what this movie technique is called. He has to call his wife, Sonja, on his cell phone, but she knows the answer and tells us that what I am trying to describe is called a montage. So that is what I am now going to create below, my movie's montage. Maybe you'll want to play â€Å"Gonna Fly Now† on your CD player, if you have a copy handy – or you could put on any song you find inspiring – and read along to the music. Music is not required, however. Okay, here it is, my montage: In anticipation of our big performance, I'm running a little faster with Tiffany every day. We push ourselves, and when we get to the park, we sprint the last mile to her house and get really sweaty. I always beat Tiffany, because I am a man, yes, but also because I am an excellent runner. See me pumping iron: bench press, leg lifts, sit-ups on the Stomach Master 6000, bike riding, squats, knuckle push-ups, curls – the works. â€Å"Crawl!† Tiffany yells. So I crawl on the hardwood floor of her dance studio. â€Å"Crawl like you have no legs and you haven't eaten for two weeks and there's a single apple in the middle of the room and another man with no legs is also crawling toward the apple. You want to crawl faster, but you cannot, because you are maimed. Desperation flows out of your face like sweat! You are so afraid you will not get to the apple before the other legless man! He will not share the apple with – no, no, no. Stop! You're doing it all wrong! Jesus Christ, Pat! We only have four weeks left!† â€Å"Jeanie,† I hear my father say. He is in the kitchen eating his breakfast. I am on the basement stairs listening. â€Å"Why does Pat close his eyes and hum every time I mention the Eagles? Is he going crazy again? Should I be concerned?† â€Å"What's this I hear about you missing the Saints game?† Jake says through the telephone when I call him back sometime after 11:00 p.m. He has called two nights in a row, and the note my mother left for me on my pillow read Call your brother back no matter how late. IMPORTANT. â€Å"Don't you want to see what Baskett does this week? Why are you humming?† â€Å"When you are a dancer, you are allowed to put your hands anywhere on your partner's body, Pat. It's not sexual. So when you do this first lift, yes, your hands will be cradling my ass and crotch. Why are you pacing? Pat, it's not sexual – it's modern dance.† See me pumping iron: bench press, leg lifts, sit-ups on the Stomach Master 6000, bike riding, knuckle push-ups, curls – the works. â€Å"I'm Okay, Pat. I'm fucking fine. You're going to drop me a few times while we're learning the lifts, but it's not because you're not strong enough. You need to center your palm directly at the base of my crotch. If you need me to get more specific, I will. Here. I'll show you. Put out your hand.† â€Å"Your mother tells me you will not discuss Eagles football with your – why are you humming?† Cliff asks. â€Å"I did not mention that certain saxophonist's name. What's this all about?† â€Å"I never thought I would say this, but maybe you should consider taking a break from your dance training and watch the game with Jake and your dad,† my mother says. â€Å"You know I hate football, but you and your father seemed to be making a connection, and Jake and you are just getting back to being brotherly again. Pat, please stop humming.† â€Å"For the second lift you need to look up at me, Pat. Especially just before I go into the flip. You don't have to look at my crotch, but you have to be ready to push up so I'll get more height. If you don't give me a push when I bend my knees, I won't be able to complete the flip and will probably crack my head open on the floor.† â€Å"I know you can hear me through the humming, Pat. Look at you!† my father says. â€Å"Curled up in your bed, humming like a child. Birds lose by a field goal in New Orleans, and your boy Baskett had zero catches. Zilch. Don't think your dancing through the game didn't affect the outcome.† â€Å"You look like a retarded snake! You are supposed to crawl with your arms – not slither or wiggle or whatever the fuck you are doing down there. Here. Watch me.† In anticipation of our big performance, I'm running a little faster with Tiffany every day. We push ourselves, and when we get to the park, we sprint the last mile to her house and get really sweaty. I always beat Tiffany, because I am a man, yes, but also because I am an excellent runner. â€Å"What's Tiffany holding over you?† Ronnie says. We are in my parents' basement. I have already spotted him as he benched one wimpy sixty-pound rep, and now he is taking a break. This is a surprise visit disguised to look like a prework lifting session. â€Å"I told you to protect yourself. I'm telling you, Pat, you don't know what that woman is capable of. My sister-in-law is capable of anything. Anything!† â€Å"You're making the sun with your arms. In the center of the stage, you represent the sun. And when you make the huge circle with your arms, it has to be slow and deliberate – just like the sun. The dance is one day's worth of sun. You are going to rise and set all onstage – to the flow of our song. Understand?† â€Å"I want you to talk to Tiffany and tell her it's important for you to watch the Eagles game with your father,† Mom says. â€Å"Please stop humming, Pat. Please, just stop humming!† â€Å"The second lift is the hardest by far, as it requires you to go from a squatting position to a standing position with me standing on your hands, which will be just above your shoulders. Do you think you're strong enough to do this, because we can do something else if you are too weak, but let's try it now and we'll just see.† â€Å"Why is this dance competition so important to you?† Cliff asks me. I look up at the sun painted on the ceiling of his office and smile. â€Å"What?† he says. â€Å"The dancing lets me be that,† I say, and point up. Cliff's eyes follow my finger. â€Å"It lets you be the sun?† â€Å"Yes,† I say, and smile again at Cliff, because I really like being the sun, exactly what allows clouds to have a silver lining. Also, being the sun is what will provide me with the opportunity to write letters to Nikki. â€Å"Please stop humming into the phone, Pat. I'm on your side here. I understand wanting to learn an art for a woman. Don't you remember my playing the piano for you? But the difference is that Caitlin would never ask me to miss an Eagles game, because she knows it's more than just football to me. I can hear you fucking humming through the phone, Pat, but I'm just going to keep talking, all right? You're acting crazy, you know. And if the Eagles lose tomorrow against the Buccaneers, Dad is going to think you cursed the Birds.† â€Å"Okay, you know your routine – roughly, anyway. So now I want you to watch mine. I'll say ‘lift' when it's time for one of your lifts, just so you know when they're coming. But don't worry, because as long as you do your routine, I'll make sure we link up with the lifts. Okay?† Tiffany is in tights and a T-shirt like every other day, but she transforms her face just before she pushes play on the CD player. So solemn. Those sad piano notes and those two dueling voices fill the room, and Tiffany begins to dance beautifully but sadly. Her body moves so gracefully, and it is only now that I understand what she means by crying through movement. She jumps, she rolls, she spins, she runs, she slides. She yells â€Å"Lift!† and then falls to the floor dead, only to explode upward in resurrection when the music picks up again. And her dancing is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I could watch her dance for the rest of my life, and strangely, watching Tiffany soar around the dance floor makes me feel like I am floating over waves with baby Emily. Tiffany is that good. â€Å"Your father has stopped eating dinner with me, Pat. He's not taking walks with me either. Ever since the Eagles lost to the Buccaneers, he's back to his – Pat, please stop humming. Pat!† In anticipation of our big performance, I'm running a little faster with Tiffany every day. We push ourselves, and when we get to the park, we sprint the last mile to her house and get really sweaty. I always beat Tiffany, because I am a man, yes, but also because I am an excellent runner. â€Å"I don't think you understand how much this means to my sister,† Veronica says, and I am shocked to see her and baby Emily in my basement gym. â€Å"Do you know that since Tommy passed, she has never asked her family to see her dance? In fact, for two years she's banned us from attending any of her performances. But this year she thinks she is going to perform flawlessly enough to invite her family – she's convinced, in fact – and while I am glad to see her so happy, I'm afraid to even think about what she might do if you guys screw up the performance. She's not a stable person, Pat. You do understand that, right? You do understand that your performing poorly will result in months of serious depression? So I need to ask you how are the rehearsals really going? Do you truly think you can win? Do you?† Before I turn off the lights, I stare into framed-picture Nikki's eyes. I see her freckled nose, her strawberry blond hair, her full lips. I kiss her so many times. â€Å"Soon,† I say. â€Å"I'm doing everything I can. I won't let you down. Remember – ‘Forever's gonna start tonight.'† See me pumping iron: bench press, leg lifts, sit-ups on the Stomach Master 6000, bike riding, knuckle push-ups, curls – the works. â€Å"The Asian Invasion will pick you up at – † Cliff nods at me and smiles. â€Å"Ah, the humming again. Your mother tells me you won't talk to anyone about Eagles football, but you aren't seriously going to miss a home game, are you?† â€Å"The most important thing is to make the lifts look effortless, as if you are holding up air. I should appear to be floating. Understand? Good, because I need you to stop shaking during the routine, Pat. You look like you have fucking Parkinson's disease, for Christ's sake.† â€Å"How does a four-and-one team lose three games straight?† Dad yells down from the top of the basement steps. â€Å"A team that beat the Dallas Cowboys handily? A team with a first-ranked offense and more sacks than any other team in the league? You can hum all you want, Pat. But that don't change the fact that you took the good luck away from the Birds and are ruining our season!† See me pumping iron: bench press, leg lifts, sit-ups on the Stomach Master 6000, bike riding, knuckle push-ups, curls – the works. â€Å"Okay. Not bad. You got the crawling down, and one of the lifts doesn't look awful anymore. But we only have a week left. Can we do this? Can we do this?† â€Å"I bought you a present,† Tiffany tells me. â€Å"Go into the powder room and try it on.† In her studio's washroom, I remove a pair of yellow tights from a plastic bag. â€Å"What's this?† I call out to Tiffany. â€Å"It's your outfit. Put it on, and we'll have a dress rehearsal.† â€Å"Where's the shirt?† â€Å"Again,† Tiffany says, even though it is 10:41 p.m. and my elbows feel as though they might explode. I am dancing on raw nerves. I am dancing on bone. â€Å"Again!† Eleven fifty-nine p.m. â€Å"Again,† Tiffany says, and then takes her place at the left side of the studio. Knowing that arguing is no use, I drop to the floor and prepare to crawl. â€Å"This might tickle some,† Tiffany says just before she slides her pink lady razor through the shaving cream coating my chest, and then she shows me how much hair is in the teacup she rinses the blade in. I am lying on a yoga mat in the middle of her dance studio. My chest is covered with some sort of green aloe shaving gel that turns white when you make foam. Being shaved by Tiffany sort of makes me feel strange, as I have never been shaved by a woman before and have never had my torso shaved at all. When she lathers me up, I close my eyes, and my fingers and toes tingle wildly. I sort of giggle each time she shaves a line of hair off my chest. I sort of giggle each time she shaves a line of hair off my back. â€Å"We want those muscles to gleam like the sun onstage, right?† â€Å"Why can't I just wear a shirt?† I say, even though – in a weird sort of way – I secretly enjoy being shaved by Tiffany. â€Å"Does the sun wear a shirt?† The sun does not wear yellow tights either, but I do not say so. In anticipation of our big performance, I'm running a little faster with Tiffany every day. We push ourselves, and when we get to the park, we sprint the last mile to her house and get really sweaty. I always beat Tiffany, because I am a man, yes, but also because I am an excellent runner. Two days before the competition, just before we are about to perform the routine for the twenty-fifth time that day – twenty-five being Tiffany's favorite number – she says, â€Å"We need to do this flawlessly.† So I try my best, and as I watch bits of our routine in the mirrors that surround us, I think, We really are dancing flawlessly! I am so excited when we finish, because I know we will win – especially since we have improved ourselves so much with sacrifice and hard training. This mini-movie will have a happy ending for sure! But something about Tiffany's demeanor is off as we take our water break. She is not yelling at me, nor is she using the f-word, so I ask, â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"How many people did you recruit to come to the competition?† â€Å"I asked everyone I know.† â€Å"Veronica tells me your family is mad at you for abandoning the Eagles.† â€Å"Not my mom.† â€Å"I'm worried that if we don't get enough fans there to cheer for us, the judges might be swayed by another dancer's larger fan base. We might not win, and then I would not be able to act as your liaison, Pat.† â€Å"Maybe if you are not doing anything tomorrow night, you might want to bring your wife and children to my dance recital,† I tell Cliff. â€Å"We've really got a good routine, and I think we can win if only we have enough audience support, and I don't think that my father or brother will be likely to show up, so – â€Å" â€Å"After tomorrow night, you'll be done with these long rehearsals?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"So you will be able to go to the Redskins game on – â€Å" â€Å"Hmmmmmm.† â€Å"Just tell me this, if I go to the dance recital, will you go to the Eagles game with us on Sunday? The Asian Invasion misses you, and truthfully, we sort of feel like you've cursed the Eagles by abandoning them mid-season. Poor Baskett has only caught two balls in the last three games and had zero catches last week. And the Birds have lost three straight. We miss you down at the Linc, Pat.† â€Å"I can't talk about that subject until my dance recital is over tomorrow night. I can only say that I need to recruit as many people as possible to cheer for Tiffany and me so the judges will be swayed. Let me just say that winning is really important, and Tiffany says that crowd reaction can sway the judges.† â€Å"If I come, will you talk to me about that-thing-you-are-not-allowed-to-talk-about after your performance?† â€Å"Cliff, I can't talk about that until after the performance.† â€Å"Well then, neither can I tell you whether I will be at your performance,† Cliff says. At first I think he is bluffing, but he doesn't bring up the subject again, and by the end of our therapy session I feel as though I have blown my shot at getting Cliff to bring his wife to my recital, which makes me feel very depressed. Hello, you've reached Jake and Caitlin's machine. Please leave a message after the beep. Beep. â€Å"Jake. Sorry to call so late, but I just got done rehearsing. I know that you are mad at me because you think I jinxed those-people-who-make-me-hum-at-the-present-moment, but if you bring Caitlin to my dance recital, there's a chance I might be able to do that thing we used to do on Sundays, especially if you cheer for Tiffany and me very loudly. We need people to cheer for us, because the judges are sometimes swayed by the audience. It's really important that we win this competition. So as your brother, I'm asking you to please bring your wife to the Plaza – â€Å" Beep. I hang up and redial the number. Hello, you've reached Jake and Caitlin's machine. Please leave a message after the beep. Beep. â€Å"That's the Plaza Hotel at – â€Å" â€Å"Hello? Is everything okay?† It's Caitlin's voice, which makes me nervous, so I hang up, fully realizing I have blown my shot at getting Jake to come to my dance recital. â€Å"Pat, you know I'll be there. And I'll cheer so loudly for you, but winning isn't everything,† my mom says. â€Å"It's the fact that you were able to learn to dance in only a few weeks that is impressive.† â€Å"Just ask Dad, okay?† â€Å"I will. But I don't want you to get your hopes up. A dance recital is not something he would have attended even if the Eagles won the last three games.†

Environmental Science Essay

If you were the energy czar of your state, where would you invest your budget? What changes, if any, would you make to the existing program? I would invest on the renewable energy resources in the budget. This is because with the current expenditure on energy, renewable energy sources would reduce the monetary allotment on the energy budget. The changes I would make include, purchasing solar panels, wind turbines and also the geothermal energy equipments and have them installed in major government industries and buildings that have got very high energy consumption power. The installation would be very easy especially on the solar panels because they are fitted on the already existing buildings hence does not affect land use in any way. Other changes would include funding the projects that have to with installation of renewable energy sources and also encouraging citizens to switch to the renewable energy sources for their daily energy needs in seminars and through the media. Qn 3. What are some of the global environmental problems caused by the extensive use of fossil fuels worldwide? Pollution is a major environmental problem caused by use of fossil fuels. All fossil fuels are used by burning them. Burning produces waste products due to impurities in the fuel which are usually particulates and gases like sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds. These waste products affect the environment and people in a harmful way. This burning also produces carbon dioxide and water vapor as by-products. This is because carbon is a part of what makes fossil fuel useful. Studies have shown that these carbon dioxide emissions contribute to harmful heat retention by the air that is global warming and climate change. Qn 4. What are two of the advantages and disadvantages of each of the perpetual or renewable energy resources described in the text books? Which seem to be most desirable from an environmental standpoint? Why? Renewable energy sources consist of solar, hydro, wind, geothermal and biomass. They all have advantages which include the fact that each and every one of them is renewable. This is an advantage in the sense that they can not be depleted due to the reason that they are naturally and continuously replenished. The renewable energy sources also are clean energy that do not pollute the air hence do not contribute to global warming or greenhouse effects. A common disadvantage of the renewable energy sources is that the cost of initiating them is very high. For one to install the solar panels and wind turbines, a large amount of capital is required for purchase and installation. These energy sources have difficulties of producing the large quantities of as compared to their fossil fuels counterparts. From the environmental standpoint, solar energy source seems to stand out. This is because it uses the sun’s energy. The system can be fitted into existing buildings and it does not affect land use hence it has no negative implications on the environment. II. Qn 1. What is indoor air pollution and why has it become such a problem in recent years? Provide examples of at least three indoor air pollutants responsible for this problem. What might be done to improve the situation? Is this a problem in developing countries? Why or why not? Indoor air pollution is the contamination of air indoors. The person is exposed to air borne substances originating not from outdoors but indoors. This has become a problem over the years because studies show that people in industrialized nations spend more than 90% of their time indoors (Gammage & Kaye 10). This includes homes, school and workplace. The lung is the most site of injury by airborne pollutants. Among the acute effects that result include non-respiratory symptoms which mostly depend on the toxicological characteristics of the substance and host related factors. This then makes it a very big problem. The examples of indoors pollutants include; Environmental tobacco smoke, Combustion products such as stoves, fire places, space heaters and furnaces. There are also volatile organic compounds like cleaning agents, solvents and even pesticides. This situation can be improved by eliminating all smoking from the individual’s environment. This can be done through smoking prohibition or through restricting smoking to properly designed smoking rooms that are separately ventilated from outside. Periodic professional inspection and maintenance of installed equipments like furnaces are also recommended. Such equipments should be ventilated directly from outside. It is also advisable to increase ventilation when using products that emit volatile organic compound pollutants and meet the label precautions. One should also not store opened containers of unused paints and similar items within homes or offices. Indoor air pollution also affects developing nations. This is because the pollutants involved in indoor air pollution are also commonly found in developing nations in more or less the same environment putting the same risk to people of these developing nations. Qn 2. Summarize the problems with worldwide freshwater supplies. The major problem is water stress. This is a situation whereby, there is not enough water for all use. Inefficiency of fresh water affects its supply considerably. Population growth is also another problem. In most developing countries, the population growth is escalating and thus fresh water demands increase. This is a problem because there is no much increase in water conservation and recycling as compared to the population increase. Increased affluence, expansion of business activities and rapid urbanization also pose a challenge to fresh water supplies. Climate change has a significant effect on water resources. Fresh water supplies experience it a problem because, rising temperatures will increase evaporation and lead to increased precipitation which leads to floods (Almasi & Pescod 126). Higher temperatures also affect the water quality. Last but not least, water pollution. Many pollutants threaten supplies world wide and more especially in the underdeveloped countries. This is caused by discharge of raw sewage into natural waters, a very common practice in underdeveloped countries and even in the quasi-developed countries like China, India and Iran. Qn 3. What is eutrophication and why is it a problem? Provide examples of eutrophication in both the United States and European countries. What are some of the ways in which this problem can be mitigated? Eutrophication is a process whereby water bodies such as lakes receive excess nutrients that stimulate excessive plant growth (Khrisanov & Osipov 69). This excessive plant growth in turn reduces dissolved oxygen in the water so that when dead plant materials decompose, they can cause other organisms to die. The aquatic plants stimulated to grow include, algae, periphyton attached algae and nuisance plants weed. In the U. S eutrophication is mostly human induced. Nitrogen and Phosphorus concentrations for the U. S are estimated to exceed reference median values (Khrisanov & Osipov 103). According to information in the literature, a conservative estimate of the increase in nitrogen loads from land and atmosphere to the Baltic and North Sea regions is a doubling from the 1950s to the 1980s, and a fourfold increase in the phosphorus load from the 1940s to the 1970s. This is in the European countries. Eutrophication is in most cases caused by point inputs of phosphorus like in the case of sewage discharges mostly found in developing countries, or nonpoint inputs like runoff from agriculture, principally in developed nations. Mitigation differs depending on whether most of the phosphorus comes from point or nonpoint inputs. Therefore, decreasing soil phosphorus is a very important step towards the mitigation of eutrophication. Once soil phosphorus is decreasing, steps to decrease transport of phosphorus in surface waters and manipulations to decrease phosphorus recycling within lakes is recommended. III. Qn 1. How has population growth in less developed countries overwhelmed economic growth? What effect has this had on the environment? Population growth in less developed countries has an overwhelmingly negative effect on the economic growth. This is because, with land being fixed and not growing, increased population eventually leads to diminishing outputs. Thus shortage of food and hunger that makes the working population not put much into economy development due to famine hence the economy dwindles. Growing population also leads to capital and resource thinning. The low capital causes reduced per capita output resulting to lower economic growth rates. Population growth in less developed nations also leads to investments diversions from things like infrastructure development to provision of basic needs that are scarce due to the increase (Ehrlich, P. & Ehrlick, A 37). This results to lowering of the economic growth rate considerably. Population growth has a great effect on the environment in the sense that, the environment’s carrying capacity has been exceeded by population increase thus strain on natural resources leading to their depletion The more the people are, the more the houses there are to warm, so more trees are cut. The forests and atmosphere are most at threat from population increase. Hence, degradation of all facades of the environment can be blamed on population increase. Qn 2. What are cultural resources? Provide examples of cultural resources in the United States and in two of the less developed countries discussed in the text. Why is it important to make an attempt to preserve these resources? Cultural resources are archaeological and historical resources eligible for or listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They include buildings, sites, districts, structures or objects having historical, architectural, archaeological, cultural or scientific value. In Kenya which is a developing country there are quite a number of cultural resources that a big tourist attraction. In the U. S there is COSO Rock Art National Historical Landmark District, China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station, California and The Pentagon building as examples of cultural resources (Adams & Goldbard 37). There is the Kenya National Museum and also The Nairobi National Park. It is very important to preserve because they are a source of a country’s heritage. They also help in the economic growth of many developing nations through tourism hence should be preserved. Qn 3. What are the major environmental problems facing the National Park System? What is being done to minimize these problems? Which National Park has been most affected? National Park System faces various environmental problems which include insufficient funding for park operations. The increase of its visitors has increased the amount of wear and tear on the park. With limited funding, repairs and maintenance often take a back seat. According to Abramovitz, overuse is another problem in that the amount of visitors is increasing hence overusing the limited park facilities (17). Mining claims on national parks is another problem. If any of the claims were developed, it could directly impact on the health of the ecosystem within the park. Atmospheric pollution is yet another issue. Acid rains harm delicate organisms like amphibians. Laguna de Tacarigua National Park IN Venezuela has been most affected. This is due to the many problems that combine to threaten its biodiversity. High rates of sedimentation, solid waste contamination, water contamination and forest fires are just but some of the problems it encounters. Works Cited Abramovitz, J. Imperilled waters, impoverished future: The decline of freshwater ecosystems. Washington, D. C. , Worldwatch Institute, Mar. 1996. p. 5-66. Adams, Don, & Goldbard, Arlene. Creative community: The art of cultural development. New York. (2001).Almasi, A. and M. B. Pescod. Waste water treatment mechanism in anoxic stabilisation ponds. Water Sci. Tech. 33(7):125-132. (1996a). Ehrlich, P. & Ehrlick, A. The Population Explosion. New York: Simon and Schuster. (1990). Gammage, R. B. , Kaye, S. V. Indoor Air and Human Health. Lewis Publishers, Inc. Chelsea, MI. Khrisanov, N. I. and Osipov, G. K. Eutrophication control of water bodies. Gidrometeoizdat. Sankt-Petersburg, Russia, 278 p. (in Russian) (1993). Wadden, R. A. , Scheff, P. A. Indoor Air Pollution – Characterization, Prediction, and Control. 1983. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York, NY.

Fusion or no Fusion of Equity and the Common Law at a Substantive Level

Since the administrative fusion of the Common Law and Equity Courts after the 1873 and 1875 Acts, there has been a lot of controversy over whether to fuse both equity and common law. There are valid arguments both for and against fusion. Those arguing for the fusion of Equity and Common Law at a substantive level often comment on the inconsistency created by equity’s intervention in law.‘There would sometimes be arbitrary gaps in the common law, that is situations where the common law refused a claim despite allowing claims in other situations which were materially similar.1 With both Common Law and Equity offering different solutions to the same legal issues, it is argued that for justice there must be consistency with judicial rulings.2 The current system means that in certain cases the right to an equitable remedy is more valuable.An example of inconsistencies between case verdicts due to Equity and Common Law having different principles is that of having legal and eq uitable title to property. If a person has the legal beneficial title to a house and the deeds are stolen and sold to a third party they can only claim the value of the house back. Whilst with equitable title the person could use Equity to get the house back. Examples like this reinforce the argument for fusion because everybody would get the same remedies.Some might also argue that rather than the facts of the cases being used to determine the outcome of a case, with Equity the fact that different people made the decisions at different times had an influence on the rulings. Using Equity to bypass the Common Law rather than amending the Common Law. Another reason for fusion is that Equity allows judges to depart from common law and statutes in order to create new law. With Parliament being sovereign the idea of unelected judges creating law is undemocratic.Without the power to use Equity to depart from Common Law judges would be more accountable to parliament. If Equity and Common L aw were both fused then the discrepancies between cases would disappear. A mix of Equity and Common Law principles would be applied and the same conclusion would be found in each case. Although Equity and Common Law have already fused the courts in which they apply the substantive law has not been fused yet. There is a good case against the fusion of the two on a substantive level.Many argue that the purpose of the Judicature Acts was only to fuse the administrative aspects of Equity and Common Law. Those who argue for a substantive merger are often accused of committing a ‘fusion fallacy’.3. Equity has often supplemented Common Law where the interests of justice and of social and economic change arose. Equity’s trust concept and the modern law of mortgages would not exist if it was not for the intervention of equity. Although it may seem that the day of equity establishing legal principles before their time has passed, one day equity may be needed again.However ‘there is a danger that we will have elevated equity to the status of free-standing moral guardian of society’4.If equity is still allowed to have the power of extending the boundaries of the law. This is dangerous because there would be no legislative body to check the power of equity. Despite all this it would be extremely difficult to actually integrate the two, let alone compare them because they are entirely different. ‘Equity accordingly gives the common law a much needed injection of morality.’If Equity was merged with Common Law it wouldn’t be able to express its identity and intervene in cases of unconscionability, due to the rigidness of common law. The two are so ideologically distinct that one of the two would be dominant over the other. They ‘are working in different ways towards the same ends, and it is therefore as wrong to assert the independence of one from the other as it is to assert that there is no difference between them.6 However it would be wrong to say that the two have not mingled. Many believe it is better to view the two as distinct and mutual dependent of each other.With the fusion of Equity and Common Law would come the destruction of equitable concepts; ‘Equitable concepts like trusts, equitable estates and consequent equitable remedies must continue to exist apart, if not in isolation, from common law rules.8 These concepts have been formed in areas where Common Law would not allow suitable solutions to be created. Equity and common law might well be merged one day but the harmonization process required to allow them to integrate with one another would probably change the two so much that they are no longer as they started as.This would mean one would likely become dominant over the other. I believe that the two should be kept distinct and separate from one another, Equity’s sole purpose is to supplement the Common Law where it would operate harshly. If the two became fused tog ether Equity would no longer be able to deviate from the strict rules of law to deliver an equitable solution for those in need. It is said that Equity works on discretion, though some might believe the common law now works on a degree of discretion, and so the need for them to be fused together is not even necessary never mind more desirable.

North Korea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

North Korea - Essay Example One, there is a need for these major economies to impose enormous economic sanctions and lack of cooperation to ensure these countries doesn’t run smoothly, and these go a long way in minimizing some of this dictatorial leadership. For instance, they could be by avoiding their export and importing to them. United States and China could otherwise pursue a more but stern approach. This can be through the assistance of the United Nations to develop policies to be adopted by these countries and if possible change the leadership through fair and transparent election conducted by United Nations. This can start with diplomacy and bilateral dialogue amongst them. The fundamental root of the production of extremism and even violation of human rights by various leadership lies in a culture of oppressive political exclusion, added with religious bigotry, changing the political culture particularly by the United States would involve laying radical reforms and staring the country to a democratic culture that again would mean change of leadership even if it means use of military by help of United Nation Security Council. Change of leadership in many of such countries is seen more often than not as a new dawn especially through a fair democratic process (Song,

What do you think is the most significant change in correctional Essay - 4

What do you think is the most significant change in correctional policy in the last 100 years and why important - Essay Example These groups have been attributed for the major changes in the correctional facilities. Changes in the correctional institutions range from decongestion, improved security and increased human contact with relatives. In all the implemented changes in correctional facilities, the most significant change is the change regarding the mentally disabled or unfit. Prior to the past century, mentally disabled individuals were held in the same correctional facilities as the normal persons. This was a breach of human rights according to modern day states. There should be a distinction between normal individuals and mentally disabled individuals as far as convictions are concerned. In many instances, mentally disabled individuals commit crimes unknowingly. In past centuries this claim was insignificant an all convicts were treated to the same levels of punishment (Doris & Frieda, pp, 102). Mentally disabled persons unknowingly commit crimes without their consent. This claim has been used by human rights. According to Levinson (pp. 39) the insane individuals in society should be given exceptions as far as convictions are concerned. In the 21st century, the most significant change in correctional facilities is the exclusion of mentally disabled persons in normal correctional institutions. The sensitivity of human nature has definitely increased for cing people in society to advocate for proper and secluded correctional facilities for the mentally disabled. In 2007, there was the emergence of the mental health act. This act advocated for a compulsory test to all potential inmates. This enabled the mentally disabled persons to give logic reasons as to why they committed crimes. The importance of this act was very significant because many serious federal offenders tested positive to mental instability. According to Landsberg (pp. 117) mentally instability individuals stand in a high position to commit crimes without their knowledge.

CORPOATE FINANCIAL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

CORPOATE FINANCIAL - Essay Example Thus major companies conduct an investigation to discover the actual situation of the company. or ‘Is the profit generated by the company solely based on the sale of its product, or does a part of the profit comes from other sources such as investment in a financial market, or any other source which will not be possible for our company’s board to manage?’ (Hutchison, S., 1968) Well... considering the situation of these two companies at end, basically we have to imagine ourselves to be acquirers and analyze the best price for purchase and the viability of purchase of FKI for Wolseley. So, to be able to do that we will analyze the data of FKI Plc and compare its various figures against our company’s figures, so that we may establish a ratio based comparison between various factors such as Profits, Activity, Liquidity, Gearing ratio, etc. But we will not forget other positive factors such as the growing business in rest of the world, the creditability created by the brand names owned by FKI, and finally the fact that a larger and more renowned company such as Wolseley would definitely create a huge impact on the creditors and other parties (in a positive manner). Well... the current ‘ratio’ indicates that both the companies have a very similar assets and liabilities position, with 1.65 for Wolseley and 1.57 for FKI. Both these companies have their own plus points and loopholes. Overall, Wolseley is 6 times larger in terms of Working capital. But in terms of Net Asset (Total Asset – Total Liabilities) Wolseley has a much higher reserve by superlating FKI by 13 times, this has just doubled if we compare it to the current ratio. Primarily, we have evaluated the company’s balance sheet. According to the balance sheet as provided by the company’s Board of Directors, the situation doesn’t look good in the current year, Fixed and current assets combined have fallen by about 98.7 million pounds, not only that

Humanitarian logistics during the indian ocean tsunami in the andaman Essay

Humanitarian logistics during the indian ocean tsunami in the andaman and nicobar islands - Essay Example Placed within this supply chain is logistics – moving material from one place to another, which further comprises of inbound, outbound and/or reverse logistics (Figure 1). SUPPLIERS INBOUND LOGISTICS INTERNAL OPERATIONS OUTBOUND LOGISTICS RETAILERS /DISTRIBUTORS INTERNAL INTERFACES EXTERNAL INTERFACES From this profit-oriented point of view, logistics now finds itself on humanitarian grounds where a different war is waged and a different victory is aimed at – the victory of saving lives, minimizing destruction, and assuaging helplessness caused by disasters. Humanitarian logistics is an emerging field with functions similar to business logistics yet with different outcomes. Two main streams of humanitarian logistics can be distinguished: disaster relief and continuous aid work. The focus of disaster relief operations is to transport the immediate requirements of affected communities – first aid material, food, equipment and rescue personnel – where they are needed and to evacuate affected people to safe places rapidly (Barbarosoglu et al., 2002). Continuous aid is focused on re-building lives and re-establishing livelihoods and infrastructures. The Fritz Institute defines humanitarian relief logistics as â€Å"the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost-effective flow and storage of goods and materials, as well as related information, from the point of origin to the point of consumption for the purpose of alleviating the suffering of vulnerable people† (Thomas and Kopczak, 2005). Humanitarian logistics encompasses a range of activities including preparedness, planning, procurement, transport, warehousing, tracking and tracing, and customs clearance (Thomas and Kopczak, 2005).

Advertisement on coffee at Starbucks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Advertisement on coffee at Starbucks - Essay Example The advertisement is very plain in terms of creating attention and the words used appear as a command rather than a request or soft words to attract the target. The main aims of any advertiser are to create a good impression to a potential customer, make them their customer and retain them. To achieve these goals, they interact with the social world and are often faced by many social issues that create challenges as well as hindrances. The most pressing social issue is stereotyping by customers. Different customers have varying perceptions over advertisements, and this affects their effectiveness. Advertisers, therefore, face the challenge of designing an advertisement that will receive less criticism and achieve its aim. The picture in the advertisement of a young baby inside the tire is eye catching and hence anybody who sees it will want to know what it is all about (Moriarty, Nancy, and William 248). A person who sees the advertisement will immediately have an impression of safety while using the tires and is less likely to forget about it since the pictures used are very memorable.

Syrian & Libyan Revolution (Case Study) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Syrian & Libyan Revolution (Case Study) - Essay Example When citizens start calling for a different political system, existing governments are bound to resist such pressure in a bid to preserve power. Accordingly, the citizens are forced to use violence to achieve the desired political structures. A political revolution, therefore, takes place when the citizens of a given country start advocating for changes in the political system but the ruling class rejects such calls. What caused the Libyan and Syrian revolutions of 2011? Research shows that a myriad of factors including political (dictatorial governments), economic (class inequalities), and social (massive abuse of human rights) issues. The Arab uprising, as it has come to be known, began in 2010 and continued throughout 2011 affecting a number of countries across the northern part of Africa and the Middle East. Among the countries affected by the uprising were Tunisia, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Egypt, and Algeria. The aforementioned countries all experienced wide spread civil unrest accompanied by subsequent violence perpetrated by disgruntled statesmen. According to Bhardwaj (2012), as the waves of revolution began sweeping over the region, dictatorial regimes that were historically considered invincible started crumbling under massive pressure caused by over-arching civil unrest. As such, it is clear that despite how long an authoritarian regime may last, there will come a time when the citizens decide to take back power from the dictators and establish a more tolerant form of governance. The process of citizens deciding to oust an incumbent government and the actual ousting and subsequent replacement of the said rul ers is what is this study terms as a revolution. What were the probable causes of the Libyan and Syrian revolutions? Various theorists, scholars, and observers have come up with various ways of explaining the causes of the respective revolutions. An exhaustive appraisal of appropriate literature on the origins of the revolutions in Libya and

Character appraisal of green college conservation area and management Essay

Character appraisal of green college conservation area and management plan - Essay Example Conservation area is the government’s solution to save the English heritage sites that are at most risk of being lost in perpetuity (Heritage at Risk 2012). Development brings change. In the case of designated conservation areas, change is still inevitable. This important designation promotes change using manageable strategies that enhance the area and ensures that the new developments do not harm its present character recognised for the area’s special buildings and historic interest. This is implemented by giving additional controls over the demolition of buildings, minor developments and the loss of trees (A guide to living in a conservation area 2012; Effects of Conservation Area Designation 2012). Understanding the significance of historic buildings, streets and spaces is of utmost importance thus, assessment and recognition of historic areas are vital to the planning process. Including property in a conservation area benefits its character and tends to sustain property values due to the extra protection from insensitive development (Effects of Conservation Area Designation 2012). To provide an overview of planning policies and propose management guidelines that will ensure the preservation and protection of the characters of College Green conservation area in the myriad forms of urban development occurring within Bristol. The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 is the Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that empowered the designation of Conservation Areas and allowed the planning permission that relates to Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas. These are the sections relevant to Conservation Areas: â€Å"Section 69 (1) Every Council—(a) shall from time to time determine which parts of their area are areas of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance, and (b) shall designate those

Catholic University for independent thinkers Essay Example for Free

Catholic University for independent thinkers Essay Through the intensive research conducted by myself on finding the most optimal university, I noted that University of Dallas fulfils such aim. A University that is known as â€Å"the Catholic University for independent thinkers†, which was ranked as one of the top ten politically conservative schools. It has been highly accredited for its scholarly excellence, lecture delivery and character building. Above all it is graded as one of the best private school bargains in the nation. All the aforementioned positive features induce me to enrol in courses provided by such University to enhance my studies, because I am searching for the best education one can attain in order to make a difference in my future through the vast knowledge acquired from such educational institution. Reference: The Princeton Review. University of Dallas (on line). Available from: http://www. princetonreview. com/college/research/profiles/schoolsaysmore. asp? category=1listing=1022535LTID=1intbucketid= (Accessed 2nd April 2007).

Higher education Essay Example for Free

Higher education Essay According to my knowledge, education helps empower people. I think education helps shape people; it affects how we act, think and respond. Sometimes education can help a person find their path in life. The process of getting a good education, however, may have its flaws. Most of the time, kids who are raised in a poor neighborhood doesn’t get the same opportunities as kids who are raised in a wealthier community. Like Mike Rose, I believed that everyone deserves a second chance in education. Remedial education was created mainly for that reason. It was created to help students who are underprepared and students who are immigrants. Remedial education also helps many immigrants by developing their basic education. Mike Rose pointed out the importance of remedial education in chapters 9 and 10 of his book â€Å"Why School? Reclaiming Education for All of Us†. Remedial education is the foundation of the education system in the United States because it helps ensure the success of many students. Remedial education helps prepare students who has received a bad education and also offers students a second chance to acquire the fundamental skills needed to get back on track. A student’s backgrounds always have a big impact in their education. Most of the time, students who are in remedial education are students who came from a poor background. Living in a poor neighborhood can affects a student’s education greatly because of all the distractions. In chapter 10, Mike Rose talked about a student of his name Kevin. Mike Rose stated â€Å"He was a good student in poor schools, schools with dated textbooks, scarce resources for enrichment, high teacher turnover. † A person future should not be decided because he or she was born in a lower class. If Universities doesn’t offered remedial education, Kevin would most likely dropout of school. After Kevin’s dropout, the chance of him earning a high salary is slim. The result of that creates a cycle that many Americans are struggling to get out of. I think remedial education helps give these students a chance to break that cycle. Like Mike Rose said, remedial education helps these students greatly by giving the students a second chance at education. In chapter 10, Mike Rose stated â€Å"†¦that is the remediation in nation that prides itself as being a ‘second-chance’ society. † Where this nation is the land where everyone is supposedly given the equal opportunities, students should get equal opportunity. The United States was built on the quote â€Å"the land of opportunities†. It is one of the main reasons why the United States is number one on immigrant’s population. Immigrants who immigrate to this country are mostly non-English speakers, they should be able to receive the same opportunity to success like others students. Remedial education helps many immigrants who may need a little extra help for prepare for college. Some colleges view remedial students as a hassle and a waste of college resources. In chapter 9, Mike Rose stated â€Å"Kick remediation off campus, and the primary thing you will achieve is the greater exclusion of American youth from higher education† (Rose 124). Dismissing remedial education is like denying education from the students. Rose’s statement helps reinforce the fact that remedial education helps Universities and Colleges to reach it highest potential. I think that Universities and Colleges should invest more resources in remedial education because it makes them look good. Show others institutions that they are capable of training underprepared students to be highly qualified graduate, now that is an impressive accomplishment. .Remedial education has always been very important in my family. My uncle has always been a person that I admired the most, simply because he worked hard to achieve his American dream. My uncle was a professor teaching at a University in Vietnam. He came to the United State in the year 2000. He spoke no English, yet the desire to learn and succeed had driven him to the land of opportunities. It was very tough at first, but slowly after settling down, he decided to attend a community college. As he recalled, remediation classes helps build his skills. It helped him learn the about the culture, the language, and the importance of communication. He learned that real education come from engaging courses. Courses that help students develop their thinking, as well as, challenge the instructors. He admitted that without remedial education, he would never be able to fully be prepared for higher education. Now my uncle has developed his own business by using the communication skills and networking he learned in his remedial classes. He is the living prove that remedial education are the core of the education system. Although remedial education shows how unprepared American students may be  for college, it also revealed the false in our educational system. As much as the government tries to reform education, there will always be a loophole. For many students who are affected by this, they rely on remedial education as there last hope to get a good education. Remedial education also acts as a review for many students who feel that they are in need to revisit the basics. No matter what nationality or history a student has, he or she deserves a second chance at education and a remedial education ensures this.

The Sugar Industry of India

The Sugar Industry of India INTRODUCTION Sugar industry is one of the most important agro-based industries in India and is highly responsible for creating significant impact on rural economy in particular and countrys economy in general. Sugar industry ranks second amongst major agro-based industries in India. As per the Government of Indias recent liberalised policy announced on 12th December, 1986 for licensing of additional capacity for sugar industries during 7th five-year plan, there will be only one sugar mill in a circular area of 40 sq km. Also the new sugar mill is allowed with an installation capacity of 2500 TCD (Tonne Sugar Cane crushed per day) as against the earlier capacity norms of 1250 TCD. Similarly, the existing sugar mills with sugar cane capacity of about 3500 TCD can crush sugar cane tothe tune of 5000 TCD with a condition imposed that additional requirement of sugar cane be acquired through increased productivity and not by expansion of area for growing sugar cane. Cane sugar is the name given to sucr ose, a disaccharide produced from thesugarcane plant and from the sugar beet.   The refined sugars from the two sources are practically indistinguishable and command the same price in competitive markets. However, since they come from different plants, the trace constituents are different andcan be used to distinguish the two sugars. One effect of the difference is the odor in thepackage head space, from which experienced sugar workers can identify the source. In the production scheme for cane sugar, the cane cannot be stored for more thana few hours after it is cut because microbiological action immediately begins to degrade the sucrose. This means that the sugar mills must be located in the cane fields. The raw sugar produced in the mills is item of international commerce. Able to be stored for years, it is handled as raw material shipped at the lowest rates directly in the holds ofships or in dump trucks or railroad cars and pushed around by bulldozers. Because it is not intended to be eaten directly, it is not handled as food. The raw sugar is shipped to th e sugar refineries, which are located in population centers. There it is refined to a food product, packaged, and shipped a short distance to the market. In a few places, there is arefinery near or even within a raw-sugar mill. However, the sugar still goes through rawstage. The principle by-product of cane sugar production is molasses. About 10 15% of the sugar in the cane ends up in molasses. Molasses is produced both in the raw-sugarmanufacture and also in refining. The blackstrap or final molasses is about 35 40% sucrose and slightly more than 50% total sugars. In the United States, blackstrap is used almost entirely for cattle feed.   In some areas, it is fermented and distilled to rum or industrial alcohol. The molasses used for human consumption is of a much higher grade, and contains much more sucrose. Sugarcane characteristics: Sugarcane contains not only sucrose but also numerous other dissolved substances, as well as cellulose or woody fibre. The percentage of sugar in the canevaries from 8 to 16% and depends to a great extent on the variety of the cane, its maturity, condition of the soil, climate and agricultural practices followed. The constituents of ripe cane vary widely in different countries and regions but fall generally within the following limits: Constituent Percentage range Water 69.0 75.0Sucrose 8.0 16.0 Reducing sugars 0.5 2.0 Organic matter other than sugar 0.5 1.0 Inorganic compounds 0.2 0.6 Nitrogenous bodies 0.5 1.0 Ash 0.3 0.8 Fibre 10.0 16.0 Organic matters other than sugar include proteins, organic acids, pentosan,  colouring matter and wax. Organic acids present in cane are glycolic acid, malic acid,  succinic acid and small quantity of tannic acid, butyric acid and aconitic acid. SUGAR INDUSTRY OF INDIA Introduction Sugar is extracted from two raw materials beet root and sugarcane, both produce identical refined sugar. Sugar cane accounts for two-third of the raw material used for sugar production in the world and beet root one third balance of the world production. India is the second largest producer of sugar in the world with 10 to 12% production of the world.( Brazil is the first) In India sugarcane accounts for the key raw material for production of sugar. Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh account for majority of produce of sugar in India. Sugar industry is the 2nd largest agro-processing industry in India accounting for 1 % of India s GDP for fy2005. Indias cultivation area of 4-4.5 million hectare accounts for Indias 2.7% cropped area. The production of sugar has always been in deficit over the demand with production of only 17.5 million tonne over the 19 million tonne consumption for the year 2005-06 a factor leading to industry attractiveness. Key Characteristics of Sugar industry: Capital intensive Government regulated Seasonal fluctuation in the industry(demand increases during festive season) Raw materials constitute major cost No proper substitutes Key success factors (key performance indicators) Capital utilization Optimum utilization of by-products for additional revenue Captive power generation Sugar is one of the oldest commodities in the world and traces its origin in 4th century AD in India and China. In those days sugar was manufactured only from sugarcane. But both countries lost their initiatives to the European, American and Oceanic countries, as the eighteenth century witnessed the development of new technology to manufacture sugar from sugar beet. However, India is presently a dominant player in the global sugar industry along with Brazil in terms of production. Given the growing sugar production and the structural changes witnessed in Indian sugar industry, India is all set continue its domination at the global level. The report provides a comprehensive picture of the Indian sugar market. The status of Indian sugar industry has been compared with the rest of the world in terms of raw material availability, crushing period, size of the sugar mill, production cost and prices in the report. The advantages that Indian sugar mills have over others in cost terms have been emphasized too. Indian sugar industry is highly fragmented with organized and unorganized players. The unorganized players mainly produce Gur and Khandari, the less refined forms of sugar. The government had a controlling grip over the industry, which has slowly yet steadily given way to liberalization. The report provides comprehensive analysis about the structure of Indian sugar industry by explaining the above facets. Besides the classification of sugar products and by- products like molasses, their uses too have been extensively covered. The production sugarcane is cyclical in nature. Hence the sugar production is also cyclical as it depends on the sugarcane production in the country. The report provides extensive information on the production of sugarcane, sugar and other sweeteners in the country in the recent years along with trends and analysis. This also includes a discussion about existing capacities in the country, trends in capacity additions, imports and production of by-products of sugar (molasses and cogeneration of power). The report features a detailed demand analysis discussing the actual demand for sugar and other sweeteners, gur and khandari and their per capita consumption in India. This includes a trend analysis in demand in various regions of the country. The role of exports in the sugar industry has also been discussed. The report gives an exhaustive cost analysis along with the pricing practices. Dual Pricing System is adopted in the Indian sugar industry, which includes sugar price in Public distribution system and the free sale sugar price. An analysis has been provided on the relationship between Indian and international sugar prices. As the industry is a fragmented one, even leading players do not control more than 4 percent market in India. However, the situation is changing and players offlate are striving to increase their market share either by acquiring smaller mills or by going for green field capacity additions. Another notable trend is the shift from Gur and Khandsari to sugar in the rural areas. This should further increase the per capita consumption of sugar in India (currently around 15.6 kg). Besides the Indian urban market is slowly moving towards branded sugar. The potential in this segment seems to be very high. These trends along with the other trends like increase in the production of by-products have been captured in detail. The market shares of the leading players and financials of following players are given in the report. Balrampur chini mills ltd, Bajaj Hindustan Ltd, Andhra sugars ltd, Thiru Arooran Sugars Ltd and Dhampur sugar ltd The major revenue drivers like change in the governments policies and increasing per capita consumption have been comprehensively pictured in the report. The reports ends with outlook for the sugar industry both at the Indian and POLITICAL IMPACT ON SUGAR INDUSTRY Sugar row accentuates Indias political fragility Sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh are yet to begin crushing for this season, which typically begins in November, due to non-availability of raw materials. Reports suggest that sugar mill owners have agreed to pay Rs 180 per quintal for sugarcane, which is Rs 50 higher than the fair and renumerative price fixed at Rs 129.84 per quintal. Farmers are demanding Rs 280 per quintal and have stopped supplies in anticipation of a higher price. Meanwhile, Parliament was adjourned on the first day of its winter session due to protests by opposition parties against the Centres sugarcane price move that discourages states from fixing higher prices. Thousands of farmers protested inDelhiagainst the low, state-controlled sugarcane price. The protests highlights the rural discontent over the governments sugar ordinance. Raw-sugar prices have almost doubled this year, with future contracts recording a 28-year high in September. Sugar stocks tumbled on news of a delay in the crushing season and protest by farmers outside Parliament. Bajaj Hindusthan, Balrampur Chini, Dhampur Sugar, Dharani Sugars, Dwarikesh Sugar, Shree Renuka, and Triveni Engineering fell 5-8%. Andhra Sugar, EID Parry, KCP Sugar, Oudh Sugar Mill, Ponni Sugars (E), Simbhaoli Sugar, Upper Ganges Sugar, and Uttam Sugar were down 2-4%. Ambareesh Baliga  of Karvy Stock Broking says the risk-reward ratio is not in favour of sugar stocks. If you assume that the sugar prices will move up 10-15% from here, Balrampur Chini or Bajaj Hindusthan could possibly move another 10-15% more from here. But if you see the sugar prices coming down 20% over the next 4-5 months, these stocks will crash by more than 30-40% because the good news is already there in stock prices. Sugar prices move in cycles and this is clearly a cyclical industry. We have seen a good part of that over the last 6-8 months. Going ahead, whatever adverse news comes, it will actually batter these stocks. The routine reopening of the parliament has suddenly emerged as an awkward test for the Congress-led governments ability to push reforms such as price deregulation in the face of opposition from its rural base. Tens of thousands of farmers from Uttar Pradesh protesting against low state sugarcane prices forced the postponement of the winter session of parliament on Thursday in a major political headache for the government, re-elected in May. Now, a once-divided opposition seemingly unable to recover from election loss have vowed to disrupt parliament until the government reverses a policy aimed at bringing in more market forces to the sugar industry, one of Indias biggest cash crops. On Friday, the opposition forced an adjournment for a second day, with lawmakers running into the house shouting slogans. The massive street protest that brought much of central Delhi to a standstill also reflected the fragility of political stability in India, with its myriad caste, class and ethnic issues always simmering among its 1.2 billion people. Such a display of opposition unity, has rarely been seen outside parliament, The Economic Times commented on Friday. The UPA government has only itself to blame for giving an issue to the opposition on a platter. The ruling  United Progressive Alliance  coalition has given states greater autonomy in fixing sugarcane prices to help lift restrictions on the heavily regulated sugar sector and stop sugar mills bearing the fiscal brunt of subsidised prices. But a backlash has played into hands of the opposition, including the Hindu nationalist  Bharatiya Janata Party. Bye-bye global politics Only a week ago, domestic politics appeared to be playing second fiddle to international issues, such as global climate change negotiations and Prime Minister Manmohans Singhs visit to Washington D.C. next week. That mood has changed. Buoyant from the closure, protesters say the ball is now in the governments court. The government may hold an all-party meeting on Monday over the issue. We have now adopted the policy of wait and watch for next two to three days, Anil Singh, national secretary of the National Alliance of Farmers Associations. The response to Thursdays rally was satisfying. Now the government has come to its knees. It signals the reform in India will not be plain sailing, despite a large majority for the Congress-led coalition. Singh has promised economic reforms such as the deregulation of state-run sectors, introducing more foreign investment into areas like insurance, and boosting spending on infrastructure to allow India to compete with the likes of China. But some reforms face endangering the Congress partys pro-poor inclusive growth manifesto and dashing hopes of a major revival in Uttar Pradesh, where Gandhi scion  Rahul Gandhi  has reached out to the poor in high-profile campaigns. Any reforms face the stark fact that two-thirds of Indias population lives in villages. One reform, bringing in foreign investment in retail, has already floundered because of opposition in rural areas. Indeed, Gandhi was reported to have phoned Singh over worries that the sugarcane issue could derail Congress inroads into Indias most populous and politically important state. The protest does not mean all of the Congress partys reforms will be in trouble. It still has a clear majority in parliament. For example, most analysts expect the government to raise limits of foreign investment in the insurance sector, a policy aimed at allowing Indias near 40 percent savings rate to be recycled into investment and sustain higher growth rates. Disinvestment, etc, will go on, even though there will be protests as usual, political analyst Amulya Ganguli said. The opposition is delighted to have got an issue. In the evening, the Prime Minister finally gave into political pressure saying that he would amend the sugarcane pricing ordinance in farmer interest. In a latest development it has been learnt that both the houses of the Parliament have againbeen adjourned on sugarcane price issue. Is it the death of FRP or is it just a temporary stalling? How will sugar companies do with or without FRP next year? While Narendra Murukumbi Managing Director at  Shree Renuka Sugars  hails the FRP concept, Investment Advisor  SP Tulsian  considers it to be an ill-conceived move and says that the farmers should be happy with Rs 210 per quintal. However, Murukumbi says, â€Å"We are currently paying Rs 230 per quintal in Karnataka.† Cane prices need to be resolved bilaterally—two-third share to farmers would be fair, he adds. Sugar deficit is a global phenomenon.â€Å"Last year there was a deficit of about nine million tonne. However, this years deficit is probably five-six million tonne and prices have reacted accordingly,† says Kingsman Sas Managing Director Jonathan Kingsman. Though the situation is expected to remain tight, there is a possibility that we move to a surplus from a deficit in 2010-11, according to Kingsman. He expects prices to be maintained in the next few months. On the global footing, Kingsman says the industry knows it has to work together. So in most countries like Thailand and Brazil, there is now a revenue sharing system in place, where in roughly about two-thirds of the revenue go to the cane growth and about one-third to the millers. †That has taken a lot of the politics and a lot of the conflict out of the situation.† Sugar stocks were seeing huge selling pressure on news of sugar companies yet to begin crushing for the season. There were reports that sugar mill owners have agreed to pay Rs 180 per quintal for sugarcane. The farmers were demanding Rs 200 plus for the same. The crushing could not start as farmers have stopped supplies in anticipation of higher price. Bajaj Hindusthan,  Balrampur Chini,  Dhampur Sugar,Dharani Sugars,Dwarikesh Sugar,  Shree Renuka  and  Triveni Engg  fell 5-8%. Andhra Sugar, EID Parry, KCP Sugar, Oudh Sugar Mill, Ponni Sugars (E), Simbhaoli Sugar, Upper Ganges Sugar and Uttam Sugar were down 2-4% Q: What should one expect from our neck of the woods? A: On day one and probably through first few days this entire battle of sugarcane prices will dominate the Parliaments Winter Session. Sugarcane farmers have picketed the Parliament and the entire opposition  Mulayam Singh Yadav  to  Ajit Singh  to Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP)is also united on this one issue. I think this will be a precursor to wider debate that is likely to take place on Parliament on rising prices per se. However, this opposition unity, which is critical, is unlikely to hold because of the Pension Bill. The one economic legislation that, perhaps, could be at least debated in this session of the parliament, at least the government says it is determined to put it before parliament is the Pension Bill. So when that bill comes across will this unity within the Parliament stay, particularly, in the Rajya Sabha led by the Left and prevent legislation from going through? That is the space we will have to see, but at the moment, it seems that rising prices will create some element of opposition unity in the first few days of Parliament. Q: Was it a surprise that insurance did not make it this time or was is expected that it wouldnt get taken up for discussion in the Winter Session? A: What is happening is that the government is going step by step.  Pranab Mukherjees strategy is to try and get legislation through in an incremental manner. The fact is that the Insurance Bill is still before a Standing Committee and there is still discussion going on. So rather than bring it in the Winter Session, when it seems unlikely that it will go through, it will probably come up in the next sessionthe budget sessionin February. However, it seems at the moment that governments focus as far as economic legislation is primarily on the Pension Bill, can it get that bill through? I think that will be a test of the governments attempt to build some kind of consensus on critical economic reforms. Q: There has been a fairly clearly laid out divestment policy as we step into the Winter Session, might that come up for discussion or is that a done deal and the government will go about its business? A:  Pranab Mukherjees strategy is to do this by stealth, which means you dont necessarily have to bring any legislation when it concerns disinvestment before Parliament. There could be a debate on it; but the government is now determined to use the Cabinet route rather than the Parliament route to pass contentious economic legislations. I expect in the next couple of months many more PSUs to be on the chopping block. The government is very clear, before the next budget in February at least three-four more PSUs will be part of the disinvestment roadmap that the Finance Minister has drawn for himself. Q: So from our part of the world do you expect a likely dull session or exciting? A: The good news is that politics seem to mater less and less. The fact is that you have got a government which has a remarkable victory in the general elections and then again inMaharashtra, it has led to some element of complacency and the opposition is still to get its act together. In that situation, I dont see many political contentious issuesbeing raised in the Parliament ona regular basis. It will be a relatively dull session barring the fact that you have got all the sugarcane farmers picketing the Parliament on day one and there by providing  Ajit Singh  his 15 seconds of glory. Q: That is important though because there are fairly liquid well-tracked sugar stocks in the equity market. Will the government have to blink on this one? A: They might have to because Uttar Pradesh is the one state which is being looked at very seriously by the government in terms of the congresss future prospect there. Already we are told today there could be an Rs 7,000 crore package for Bundelkhand in the Cabinet meeting later today. The sugarcane farmers issue is one which even Congressmen are saying that farmers need to be provided higher price for sugarcane and then this ordinance which this government is planning to bring is not acceptable.Sharad Pawarhimself leads a powerful sugar lobby inMaharashtraand he will have to a do a balancing act between the demands that the sugarcane farmers are placing on him. So you will perhaps see the government bending on the issue of sugarcane pricing. Thousands of farmers protesting low state-controlled sugarcane prices forced the postponement of the first day of the parliamentary winter session on Thursday, highlighting rural discontent over government policy. Some 5,000 farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Indias biggest cane producing state, marched to the opening of the parliament to demand higher state-set prices for sugarcane. Parts of the capital was disrupted by the protests, that were backed by opposition parties. The Congress-led coalition won re-election with a stronger mandate in May, raising hopes of quick reforms, but it has moved slowly and is still answerable to a reform-shy rural base. It faces political opposition to rapid change and deregulation as protests on Thursday highlighted. The government has given the states greater autonomy in fixing sugarcane prices, one of Indias biggest cash crops, in order to lift restrictions on a heavily-regulated sugar sector. But many farmers are unhappy with those state-set prices, saying they benefit sugar firms. The government has set a series of reforms ranging from the financial sector to law and order and gender equality as priorities for the winter parliament session. Investors are following whether Prime Minister  Manmohan Singh  will follow up on his pledge to push ahead with difficult financial reforms, particularly in the insurance and pension sectors. The state government has fixed the price the mills must pay to farmers at Rs 165-170 (USD 3.55-USD 3.66) per 100 kg, and farmers have been seeking a higher price that corresponds more to the rise in retail prices. We demand at least Rs 215 as the cane price, Anil Singh, national secretary of the National Alliance of Farmers Associations, told Reuters. Sugar output in Uttar Pradesh is likely to fall below estimates as the weakest monsoon in more than three decades has hit sucrose content in cane. As Pakistanis face an acute shortage of sugar, some families have found an easily available alternative to sweeten their tea: instead of a spoonful of sugar, they dissolve sweets in their tea. Shaikh Kashif, an embroiderer for a boutique in Karachi, said his favourite was a  Cadbury  Eclair. We cant live without tea so we had to do something, said Kashif, 27, from his small workshop in an upmarket city neighbourhood. It just costs a rupee (Pakistan rupee) per candy and is easier to get these days than sugar, he said. Pakistan is facing a shortage of more than 1 million tonnes of sugar largely because of a poor crop of sugarcane. Supplies have been particularly scarce since last month when surging prices led to a Supreme Court order to millers to sell sugar at Rs 40/kg (48 U.S. cents), compared with the then-market price of about Rs 46/kg. Government attempts to implement the court decision have led to confusion, sparking even higher market prices. Authorities are trying to get cheap supplies out to shoppers but sugar has almost disappeared at main retail markets in Karachi. Where it is available, it sells for as much as Rs 70 a kg. Thats not a problem for Kashif who said the sweets he put in his tea gave it a chocolaty taste. Some in my family didnt like that so theyre using a local candy which melts easily when you put it in a hot cup of tea, he said. We had to think of something to replace sugar and its worked for us. SOCIAL IMPACT ON SUGAR INDUSTRY Sugar Industry in India Indian sugar industry is the 2nd largest agro-industry with approximately 50 million sugarcane farmers and a large number of agricultural laborers (7.5% of the rural population) involved in sugarcane cultivation and ancillary activities. Though consumption of sugar in India has been growing at a steady rate of 3%, and is currently at 23.1 million tones, per capita consumption at 18 Kg (lower than world average of 22 Kg) indicates potential upside from a demand standpoint. Raw Material (Sugarcane) n India, sugarcane is the key raw material, planted once a year during January to March. It is the major cost driver for the production of sugar. It being an agricultural crop is subject to the unpredictable vagaries of nature, yielding either a bumper crop or a massive shortfall in its cultivation from year to year Industry Structure About 50% of the sugar capacity is controlled by Cooperatives Public sector mills. There are 566 sugar mills installed in the country, of which about 100 (mostly cooperatives) are not in operation. Almost half of the operational sugar cooperatives are in Maharashtra alone. Though most private players have been moving towards larger and integrated complexes, most cooperatives are still much smaller in capacity, and are standalone sugar mills. This has resulted in their becoming uncompetitive as compared to private mills. Government Policies Sugar has historically been classified as an essential commodity and has been regulated across the value chain. The heavy regulations in the sector artificially impact the demand-supply forces resulting in market imbalance Sensing this problem, since 1993 the regulations have been progressively eased. The key regulatory milestones include de-licensing of the industry in 1998 and the removal of control on storage and distribution in 2002. Value drivers Economical impact UP sugar mills agree to pay Rs 205-210 a quintal for cane  Sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh have offered to pay Rs 205-210 a quintal of cane for the ongoing 2009-10 crushing season. This is against the state advised price (SAP) of Rs 165-170 a quintal. The UP Sugar Mills Association (UPSMA) had on November 14 agreed to pay Rs 180 a quintal for regular cane and Rs 185 for early varieties. When this failed to enthuse growers, the mills announced an additional Rs 10 as incentive, taking the effective cane price to Rs 190-195. On Sunday last (November 29), they offered a further increase of Rs 10, translating into a price of Rs 200-205 a quintal. But these sweet offers failed to placate the growers, particularly in the western UP belt and the stir by farmers of the region culminated in a hugely attended sit-in at Shamli in Muzaffarnagar. On Tuesday (December 1), all the mills in western UP have accepted a new rate of Rs 205-210 per quintal. Following this offer, the farmers have also called off their stir and the industry hopes crushing will resume in full swing. The state has a total of 132 running sugar mills, out of which 90 are private mills. Last year mills in UP paid a SAP of Rs 140-145 a quintal. However, with more than 100 per cent jump in sugar prices due to a 43% drop in production in the year ended September 2009, farmers have been pressing for a higher price of Rs 280 per quintal. Sugar output in India, the worlds second largest producer, may fall short of the earlier estimate of 16 million tonnes in 2009-10 season. Sugar prices have touched Rs 40 a kg in the cities and with the hike in sugarcane prices, retail prices of sugar is bound to go up further. UP sugar mills enter price war to procure cane Low availability of cane and higher price realisation force mills to pay more. Low availability of sugarcane and high price realisation have forced a majority of sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh (UP) to enter into a price war quite early in the 2009-10 season (October-September). The mills are paying Rs 10 a quintal higher than the price of Rs 190-195 a quintal agreed unanimously by the private millers last week. UP is the second-largest sugar producing state after Maharashtra and top producers such as Bajaj Hindusthan and Balrampur Chini have all their operations in the state. A majority of sugar mills in western UP districts such as Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur are now paying a price of Rs 200-205 a quintal for sugarcane. The state government had announced a state advised price (SAP) of Rs 165-170 a quintal. However, farmers association in the state led by the likes of Mahendra Singh Tikait and V M Singh have been protesting and seeking a price of Rs 280 a quintal since sugar realisation has moved to a record of Rs 33-34 a kg. Last year mills had paid a SAP of Rs 140-145 a quintal. However, with more than a 100 per cent jump in sugar prices due to a 43 per cent

Mimic Essay -- Matrix Snow Society Essays

Mimic Throughout history, writers have attempted to mirror reality in their literature. Sometimes, an author may attempt this feat using the tool of realism, trying desperately to replicate the world that surrounds them everyday. They make only subtle changes, perhaps inventing characters, maybe even a location or two. In other stories, the creator will attempt to parallel life using exaggeration and some rather complex warping of reality and time. This method of well placed hyperbole, and inventive worlds could be considered the foundations of movies such as The Matrix and novels such as Snow Crash In many ways, the motion picture and the book resemble our society. In other ways, they demonstrate what we may become, or extremes of what we are. Either way, they are both thought provoking, albeit sometimes frightening glimpses into the darkness of humanity. The future is a desolate place. The United States as we know it has collapsed, shriveling up into little more than a vague notion of th e great nation that once was. From the ashes of this distraught realm has risen a system of countries within a country. Individual neighborhoods have broken down to become their own independent nations. In this wasteland of a society, laws no longer exist. Such absence of authority has allowed the mafia to grow, or rather morph into what would appear to be a legitimate pizza franchise. This is the future as predicted by Neal Stephenson in Snow Crash. On the other hand The Matrix, written and directed by the Wachowski brothers, shows an alternate outcome of human existence. With the rise of artificial intelligence, man and machine wage war against each other. The society of men think that without the sun, the machines will not survive. T... ... find our world today more chaotic than we, in the modern world, find the future civilizations portrayed in these modern works of literature. The authors may have intentionally made life more complex in the future, to make it seem as overwhelming to us as our world may seem to someone living a hundred years ago. Throughout time societies have changed greatly, and if all goes well, it will continue to do so. But one thing that has not changed very much is the desire of writers to write what they see. Often writers will take what is around them, and distort it into some sort of setting that is more pleasing to the storyline. But one their characters and situations still mirror the current life. This is true most great literature. Works Cited Stephenson, Neal. Snow Crash. New York: Bantam Dell, 1992. Wachowski, Larry & Andy. The Matrix. DVD. Warner B Mimic Essay -- Matrix Snow Society Essays Mimic Throughout history, writers have attempted to mirror reality in their literature. Sometimes, an author may attempt this feat using the tool of realism, trying desperately to replicate the world that surrounds them everyday. They make only subtle changes, perhaps inventing characters, maybe even a location or two. In other stories, the creator will attempt to parallel life using exaggeration and some rather complex warping of reality and time. This method of well placed hyperbole, and inventive worlds could be considered the foundations of movies such as The Matrix and novels such as Snow Crash In many ways, the motion picture and the book resemble our society. In other ways, they demonstrate what we may become, or extremes of what we are. Either way, they are both thought provoking, albeit sometimes frightening glimpses into the darkness of humanity. The future is a desolate place. The United States as we know it has collapsed, shriveling up into little more than a vague notion of th e great nation that once was. From the ashes of this distraught realm has risen a system of countries within a country. Individual neighborhoods have broken down to become their own independent nations. In this wasteland of a society, laws no longer exist. Such absence of authority has allowed the mafia to grow, or rather morph into what would appear to be a legitimate pizza franchise. This is the future as predicted by Neal Stephenson in Snow Crash. On the other hand The Matrix, written and directed by the Wachowski brothers, shows an alternate outcome of human existence. With the rise of artificial intelligence, man and machine wage war against each other. The society of men think that without the sun, the machines will not survive. T... ... find our world today more chaotic than we, in the modern world, find the future civilizations portrayed in these modern works of literature. The authors may have intentionally made life more complex in the future, to make it seem as overwhelming to us as our world may seem to someone living a hundred years ago. Throughout time societies have changed greatly, and if all goes well, it will continue to do so. But one thing that has not changed very much is the desire of writers to write what they see. Often writers will take what is around them, and distort it into some sort of setting that is more pleasing to the storyline. But one their characters and situations still mirror the current life. This is true most great literature. Works Cited Stephenson, Neal. Snow Crash. New York: Bantam Dell, 1992. Wachowski, Larry & Andy. The Matrix. DVD. Warner B

The Dalai Lama: A Path to Greater Happiness Essay -- Happiness Essays

The Dalai Lama is a profound believer of peace, compassion, love and nonviolence. He is considered by Tibetan Buddhists to be the reincarnation of the Buddha of Compassion and was meant to lead the people. Even though he has had a tough time throughout most of his life time and has struggles to free his homeland from the Chinese occupation he has consistently opposed the use of violence. â€Å"He has instead advocated peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and mutual respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of his people.† (The Dalai Lama A Simple Path and An Open Heart pp. 800).Dalai Lama, since then, began teaching about the Four Noble Truths, in order to demonstrate that they offer an insightful path to greater happiness for individuals, and for humanity. The first noble truth is The Truth of Suffering. Dalai Lama says that we face three different types of sufferings: the suffering of suffering, the suffering of change, and all pervasive suffering. An example of the first category of suffering can be poverty and disease in countries, where these two can be eliminated and improved. The suffering of change can be seen in such places where poverty is not much of a problem. For instance, we may be happy of overcoming a problem an ancestor faced but when we least expect it new problems will arise. People who suffer from pervasive suffering can be those in developed countries who have everything and become bored of the feeling of happiness and begin to seek the feeling of equanimity. The second noble truth is The Cause of Suffering. Dalai Lama states that â€Å" †¦ the ultimate cause of suffering is the mind; the mind that is influenced by negative thoughts such as anger, attachment, jealousy, and s... ...and tension. We would not have any basic human problems. People would have serenity and be content with the world. The world we live in would be the total opposite of today. Society wouldn’t have any crime, violence, war, or disasters. Human beings would not be facing each other with hatred, jealousy, greediness, and all those negative attitudes towards people. Works Cited Susan McLeod, John Jarvis, Shelley Spear Writing About the World "The Dalai Lama A Simple Path and An Open Heart" Thomson Wadsworth, Third Edition. 2005 pages 800-8005 Lama, Dalai. â€Å" His Holiness the Dalai Lama† Web. 8 Apr. 2015. http://www.dalailama.com/messages/world-peace/a-human-approach-to-peace Lama, Dalai. â€Å" Four Noble Truths.† Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. 2005. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. http://www.lamayeshe.com/index.php?sect=article&id=380

McDonald’s - Success through Development of a Rational System Essay

McDonald’s - Success through Development of a Rational System At first, most people must have laughed at the idea of a chain of restaurants selling identical products all over the country, but little did they know that the genius idea that they had mocked would go on to revolutionise the business environment of the future. McDonald’s is now the international market leader for fast food, and has been ever since its pioneering first restaurant was launched in San Bernardino, California in 1948. Historical Background The original founders of McDonald’s, and the fast-food concept, were brothers Dick and Mac McDonald. In 1948, they modified their drive-in restaurant, creating the standard for the contemporary fast-food restaurant of modern times. From the introduction of a limited menu of just nine items, and by focusing on efficient production and service, the brothers were able to halve the price of their hamburgers to 15 cents. Ray Kroc, who, at this time was a 52-year-old milkshake machine salesman, heard of the brothers’ generation of around $350,000 in annual revenues, and instantly became convinced that its concept could work in other cities. Kroc became the first franchisee appointed by the McDonald brothers, and opened his first restaurant the following year in Des Plaines, Illinois. In 1961, Kroc bought all the rights to the McDonald’s concept from the McDonald brothers for $2.7 million. Kroc was somewhat of an obsessive individual, fixated with rules, regulatio ns, procedures, and obedience to his strict rules of discipline. Kroc was especially concerned with maintaining McDonald's clean image, as well as that of life in general, and could regularly be seen picking up litter outside of his restaurants in order t... ...o follow. However, as stated earlier, rational systems tend to generate irrational consequences, and it is the impact on society as a whole that a business must consider before adopting a similar code of practice. I feel that if too many businesses follow this model, it wouldn’t make the world a better place, but simply a bigger breeding ground for exploitation, pollution, and concealment. Bibliography Shook, C. / Shook, R. (1993) – â€Å"Franchising: the business strategy that changed the world.† London. Prentice Hall. Ritzer, G. (1996) – â€Å"The McDonaldisation of Society.† California: Pineforge Press. Daniels, J. L. (1993) – â€Å"McDonaldisation revisited. Critical essays on consumer culture.† Westport: Praeger Publishers. McDonald's Corporation (1996) – â€Å"Crew Handbook.† London. Microsoft ® Encarta ® (1999). Microsoft Corporation. www.mcspotlight.org

Running Head: North Sea Oil and Gas

Every business or industry is prone to various risks which include floods, earthquake, terrorists which the industry should put mechanisms in place to avoid such. Effective contingency planning has been of importance to most industries that embrace the idea. North Sea oil and Gas has for a long time been prone to the problem of changing weather conditions which is especially experienced in the sea. The companies that exploit the North Sea oil and gas have put a lot of emphasis on risk management and most of the companies have set up risk management departments (Leslie and Michaels, 1997).Numerous deaths had occurred during the exploitation of North Sea oil and gas in the 1970s and 1980s and this called for effective contingency planning to reduce the losses incurred by loosing workforce and by spillage of oil and gas due to buckles. The companies that exploit the gas and oil have invested in the contingency planning as a way of way of managing the risks (Leslie and Michaels, 1997).No rth Sea oil and gas has been a source of wealth to the countries that exploit the resource. North Sea oil has been used to refer to the oil and natural gas exists beneath the North Sea. The countries that exploit the North Sea oil and gas include Netherlands, Norway, Germany, United Kingdom and Denmark. Most countries and especially companies that have been given license to exploit the resource have taken proactive measures of risk. Mining beneath the sea has led to many deaths of the people involved and this has called for heavy investment in risk management projects undertaken by the companies.The pipes that transfer the oil and natural gas from underground reservoirs to processing plants which are mainly located some distance from the sea must be strong to withstand the waves in the sea. Depending on weather changes, waves differ in their height and this call for contingency planning otherwise heavy losses are incurred by the particular company (Leslie and Michaels, 1997).In the 1970s, the North Sea oil a gas companies took proactive measures to avoid heavy losses that resulted when waves exceeded the height of 3 meters. The operators laid many pipes which assumed the shape of S to maintain smoothness between the large barge and the ocean floor. The operators used bow anchors to further buckles by raising and resetting the pipes at the barges. The operators had to be keen because improper lowering of pipes would result into a pipe buckle which presented a serious threat in laying the pipes.The excessive height of waves which exceeded the anticipated height resulted in further risk of pipe buckles due to uncontrolled lowering of pipes. The companies therefore had to purchase a large number of steel pipes to avoid delays incase of any pipe buckle and this methods was not cost effective as the company would have desired. Any proactive measure that is taken to manage risk should be cost effective, utility effective and must therefore be maximizing benefits for the company while minimizing cost (Leslie and Michaels, 1997).An effective contingency planning in managing risks in project requires good planning and coordination of all the stakeholders in the project to ensure maximum desirable result. Risk management involves taking measures in dealing with uncertainty. The North Sea and oil contingency planning that was adopted in 19790s involves dealing with uncertainty because in favorable weather conditions, there is less cost involved in dealing with risks since pipe buckles will be few and hence very few new pipes will be required to be laid. However, since it’s hard to predict the height of the waves in the sea which can cause heavy losses if unchecked, the companies that explore the oil and gas in the areas must take precautionary measures (Leslie and Michaels, 1997).Exploration of North Sea oil any natural gas involves making wealth for the companies that are undertaking the projects. The importance of contingency planning in th e exploration project is very essential in risk management because it’s used to assess the possibility of bad weather condition which is a threat to the project. The assessment is consequently used to reduce the possibility of underperformance that may be realized when no measures are undertaken to reduce or avoid the pipe buckles. The cost of replacing buckled pipes reduces the profit margin that is realized in the project and therefore effective contingency planning help to manage the risk.Effective contingency planning helps to capture the benefits of fair weather. Uncertainty about weather conditions is a threat that faces the North Sea offshore pipe laying. If effective contingency planning is observed, long periods of bad weather can be sustained because the project major should be able to recognize and deal with the bad condition threat which is inevitable. The project managers should ensure there is plenty supply of pipes during bad weather condition to avoid delays i n replacing the buckle pipes.The project managers should observe good contingency planning by ensuring that the oil and gas pipeline are complete before the bad weather sets in and this will assist in reducing the costs associated with contingency planning. Laying pipelines in time helps in avoiding major delays in the project which may result in heavy monetary losses.Contingency planning for reducing possible threats that are associated with North Sea and oil exploration could be a possible way of increasing income to the companies that are undertaking the project. American project management institute (PMI) argue that there is a possible opportunity associated with the risks that threaten the project in winter, bad weather conditions has been known to lead to gas shortage in most cities which due to law of demand, the prices increase.This could be an opportunity for those companies that are concerned with the project. Effective contingency planning in managing risk North Sea oil a nd gas has created an opportunity to the companies undertaking the project. This is attributed to the precautions taken by the companies in anticipation of bad weather threat. The project involves paying for delivery before the contract begins. Most companies that want to protect themselves from the deficient supply of the resources therefore buy the resources before the contract begins. The high demand has contributed to higher revenue derived from the project and this consequently results to higher profitability (Leslie and Michaels, 1997).Contingency planning which is mainly associated with managing risks should not only focus on the threats that hamper the success of the project but should also view threats as an opportunity to achieve the objectives of the project. Achievement of objectives means the project has succeeded. Therefore effective contingency planning in addressing risks should recognize the close relationship of threats and opportunities. The actions taken by the p roject manager in reducing the risks should seek to create an opportunity for excellence (Leslie and Michaels, 1997).Effective contingency planning should not focus on managing threats. Instead the project should seek to identify the different sources of risks and consequently how to manage the risks. Focus on risks draw emphasis on the anticipated failure. Therefore, assessing the various sources of uncertainty and how those uncertainties can be a threat to the project and consequently how to manage the uncertainties involves application of effective contingency planning.North Sea oil and gas exploration is associated with many uncertainties which present various threats to the project. Focus on the opportunities created by the uncertainties management can lead to profitability and success of the project. The project manager should identify the origins of uncertainties instead of managing risk first and this will assist in addressing the root of the problem. Most projects have fail ed to meet the set objectives due to their failure to address the root of the problems. Superficial problem solving has led undesirable results. Therefore identification of the source of uncertainties should be considered as the beginning of the risk management process in effective contingency planning (Leslie and Michaels, 1997).Uncertainty is present in every project and in all stages of the project life cycle (PLC). The uncertainty is contributed by various reasons which are inevitable. All projects success is based on various assumptions which are the main sources of uncertainties. Differences in the performance of project concerning cost, quality and duration that is required to complete the project bring a lot of uncertainties. In laying pipes in the ocean in a way that will avoid pipe buckles involved a lot of uncertainties. This is attributed to the changing weather conditions.Its hard to forecast the height of the waves in the ocean in a particular season and this present s ource of uncertainties since its hard to know with certainty the cost of dealing with the threat since its hard to tell the amount of pipes to be knocked down and therefore requiring replacement (Leslie and Michaels, 1997).Proactive risk management in the North Sea oil and gas project should be entrenched in both base plans and contingency plans. It’s argued that if a project focuses very much on being cost effective it’s bound to fail on risk management in some occasions. However, crisis management should only be used as principal management in some occasions. However, crisis management should only be used as principal management mode if the risk management fails completely (Leslie and Michaels, 1997).ReferencesLeslie, Keith, J. and Michaels, Max, P. â€Å"The Real Power of Real Options†. The McKinsey Quarterly 3 (1997):134-225.