I, Robot Film Essay

â€Å"I, Robot†, being the film released in 2004, has gained the huge popularity of the audience and the approval of many critics. In fact, the opening weekend proved to be very successful for the film that indicates to the huge interest of the public. In this respect, it is worth mentioning the fact that â€Å"I, Robot† has a budget $120,000,000 and the opening weekend in the US only has brought over $52 mln. (I, Robot, 2008). In such a way, it is possible to estimate that the film was basically very successful since it still remains quite popular, especially among connoisseurs of science-fiction. Obviously, the popularity of the film and the interest of the pubic is not only the result of a successful promotional campaign and celebrities starring in the film, but it is mainly due to the quality of the film that made â€Å"I, Robot† so popular and successful. In this respect, it should be said that â€Å"I, Robot† is a film focused on the problem of techn ologies of control. Speaking about the plot of the film, it should be said that the action takes place in 2035 when robots are widely used as assistance of human beings. In such a situation the main character, Chicago Police Detective Del Spooner (Will Smith) seems to be a bit paranoid because he is a kind of robotophobic. Strangely enough but it is him who is appointed to investigate the murder of Dr. Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell) who works at US Robotics. The number one suspect is a Nestor Class 5 robot who calls himself Sonny. This is where the paradox and the main dilemma appears: if Sonny really has killed a human, than he possesses consciousness and he can think and act independently from a human. Consequently if all this is true than robots can easily raise against their human masters and establish total control over the world. custom essays In such a way, the main theme of the film is revealed through the opposition of robots that gained consciousness and human beings who turned from masters that controlled not only robots but everything in the world and in their life into beings who have grown to become completely dependent upon their robo ts† (Wilson 2002:388). In fact this lead to the logical question the audience has to answer: â€Å"at what point does artificial intelligence cease to be artificial and true consciousness arise?† (Wilson 2002:389). Moreover, it is not less important to realize the consequences of such a shift in the machines created due to the most sophisticated technologies mankind possesses. The director of the film successfully used the scenes where the large masses of robots are shown resembling a kind of army which is able to destroy the mankind as soon as it goes out of human’s control. At this point the scenes in which robots attack humans are particularly noteworthy. Even though the director of the film probably pays too much attention of action scenes and violence, but still this violence does not seem to be excessive. Instead, it is intentionally used to demonstrate the power of the machines created by humans and which rebelled against humans’ domination. In such a situation, the first robot that actually started to act differently, i.e. the robot, who has gone out of control of humans, resembles a kind of Frankenstein, a creature that rebels against its creator. On the other hand, the robot does not produce an absolutely negative impression. In fact, the robot provokes rather controversial feelings since the only problem of the robot is its actions which are wrong and which are not conditioned by humans, but which, on the other hand, are too human. In such a way, the rebellion of robots may be viewed in the context of comparison of humans with robots. The latter rebel against humans but they behave in a similar way as humans do, the only thing they want to change is to accomplish humans efforts to create perfect creatures and create the perfect world. However, the film reveals the fact that in such an idealized world there is no room for humans that are too imperfect and their strife for perfection is just their vanity and an attempt to play God. In this respect, the main character is quite symbolic since he comprises vices which cannot be attributed to a real hero that is supposed to save the world from robots. In actuality, Del Spooner is a bit paranoid person who has some inexplicable phobia of robots and machines, a person who lives practically in the permanent state of fear. On the other hand, he is ready to face all the challenges in his life and he is ready to struggle. The main problem is whether humans can control their technologies and what are the consequences of the unplanned technological progress. Probably, the question is even more general: what human beings are and whether they can create working machines with high intelligence and remain safe. The director poses an eternal question what human beings are and willingly or not a viewer may have got an impression that humans are also someone’s creatures, as robots in â€Å"I, Robot†. I Robot I robot is a movie based on the works of an atheistic man, in which there are many theological themes present, which play toward the same questions we ask about our faith each and every day. I Robot is a movie based on the works of Victor Asimnov, a man who wrote several short stories about robots and human kinds interaction. The movie takes place in futuristic Chicago in the year 2035, at a time there are so many robots, that there will soon be one of them in each home. The story revolves around detective Del Spooner (Will Smith), a homicide detective who hates robots. The reason being that he had a bad experience with them, ever since a robot saved his life in a car accident when it could have saved a young girl instead. The movie starts off when the scientist who repaired Will Smith after the accident, named Alfred Lanning, is found dead in the lobby of the U.S. Robotics office tower. Del Spooner (Will Smith) assumes that the scientist’s death was not a suicide attempt, but a murder committed by a robot named Sonny. Everyone tells Spooner that he’s crazy, because robots cannot go against the three laws by which they are to abide by at any cost. THE THREE LAWS OF ROBOTICS: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first and second rule. Every robot is programmed to protect humans at all costs, and to obey them unless such obedience would harm a human life. Spooner very much doubts this because various robots keep trying to kill him, from a home-demolition robot, to a whole truckload of metal men that ambush him while he drives through a highway tunnel. The story continues, and the new robots go on a rampage, even†¦

Comparative Criminal Justice Systems Essays

Comparative Criminal Justice Systems Essays Comparative Criminal Justice Systems Essay Comparative Criminal Justice Systems Essay The goal of socialism is to minimize people’s suffering through public control of industry and social services; socialism rejects class-based society (TheFreeDictionary, 2010). Socialism promises prosperity, equality, and security to the people. However, in many cases socialism has brought poverty, misery, and tyranny to the people; equality is achieved in the sense that everyone is equal in misery (Perry, 1995, June). Key characteristics of the socialist system in Sweden and Russia are described in this paper, and advantages and disadvantages of the system are discussed. In 1917 the Russian Revolution overthrew the czarist regime that ruled the Russian Empire. The new leaders created the Soviet Union and attempted to establish a socialist state based on the writings of Karl Marx. However, Marx did not explain how the socialist system would function. Without a blueprint for establishing the socialist system, the leaders of the new regime of Russia struggled to invent one. Under its socialist system, the government of Russia declared its ownership of most businesses and forced peasants to turn over a share of their output to the government. This â€Å"war communism† allowed the government to take control of production and distribution of goods (Rittenberg Tregarthen, 2009, April). The new government replaced elected officials with its own, â€Å"took over† land, banks, insurance companies, and large factories. The new regime destroyed the pre-revolutionary legal structure of the Russian economy. The program of â€Å"war communism† devastated the economy and the people lived in poverty, tyranny, and misery. In 1921 Soviet communist leader Vladimir Lenin restored the legal basis necessary for the Russian economy to function, and he ordered that the government draft and enact a civil code based on western European civil law (Maggs, 2010). Russia and Sweden are socialist countries governed by European civil law. Socialism is an economic system that exists in environments where resources are plentiful, or populations are extremely small. Advantages of socialism include (Free, 1995): Socialism provides every member with survival needs, creating a stable social environment. Members who cannot participate economically because of disabilities, age, or illness are provided with survival needs by the government. Mandatory paid sick leave for an indefinite amount of time (Cooper, 2009, April 23). Unemployment rates low because of active labor market policies – including subsidized employment, training, and job search assistance (Card, Kluve, Weber, 2009, February). Providing members with à ¢â‚¬Å"cradle to grave† benefits includes free universal health care, dental care, free education, and child-care; however, these benefits are not â€Å"free. Sweden, commonly known as a â€Å"welfare state† levies a 57% income tax on its workers to pay for these benefits (Cooper, 2009, April 23). Although Swedish hospitals rank among the best in the world, waiting times are also the longest in Europe. In August 2007, approximately 33,000 people had been waiting more than three months for surgery or other major treatments. Waiting times for emergency care in the overcrowded hospitals was approximately four hours. Medical resources in Sweden are strained by the continued rising demand. More than 5% of Swedes are at least 80 and receiving pensions, and the overall population of Sweden has increased by 9% in the past 20 years (Magnusson, 2008, January 24). Swedes receive 80% of their salary while on sick leave. Abuse of sick leave is rampart, and at any given time at least 10% of Swedes are on sick leave. Over three-fifths of these workers tell pollsters they take leave when they have no health issues (Cooper, 2009, April 23). In 2006 Sweden had an official unemployment rate of 6% mainly because of active labor market policies. The government provides training to the unemployed, assist with job search, and sometimes creates jobs in the public sector for the unemployed (Cooper, 2009, April 23). However, this â€Å"coddling† from the government creates a lack of incentives for workers to work harder and to â€Å"fend† for their selves. The socialistic system provides no inherent incentive to participate; therefore, this makes the socialism internally unstable. The lack of incentives tends to make the socialistic system non-competitive, making them externally unstable (Free, 1995). References Card, D. Kluve, J. , Weber, A. (2009, February). Active labor market policy evaluations: a meta- analysis. Retrieved on September 7, 2010 from the Website operationspaix. net/sites/politiquessociales. net/IMG/pdf/dp4002. pdf. Cooper, R. (2009, April 23). Jon Stewart: socialism is awesome. Retrieved on September 8, 2010 from the Website http://blog. heritage. org/2009/04/23/jon-stewart-socialism-is-awesome/. Free, R. (1995). Economics. Retrieved on September 7, 2010 from the Website http://graphcomp. com/home/bfree/opinions/economy. html. Maggs, P. (2010). Soviet law. Retrieved on September 9, 2010 from the Website britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/557116/Soviet-law. Perry M. , (1995, June). Why socialism failed. Retrieved on September 7, 2010 from the Website thefreemanonline. org/featured/why-socialims-failed/#. Rittenberg, L. Tregarthen, T. (2009, April). Principles of microeconomics. Retrieved on September 7, 2010 from the Website flatworldknowledge. com /node/28416 #web-28416. TheFreeDictionary. (2010). Socialism. Retrieved on September 7, 2010 from the Website http://legal-dictionary. thefreedictionary. com/Socialism.

Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Rights - Essay Example re the human rights and the government should guarantee that regulations are enacted appropriately so that other individuals also admire human rights. Human rights were first identified globally by Universal Declaration on Human Rights in the year 1948. Subsequently, it was readily accepted by the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). In the year 1998, the Human Rights Act was approved, making the human rights and liberty directly enforceable in the UK (Liberty 80, n.d.). ECHR, which was adopted in the year 1950, came into practice three years later. It is a unique replication of values of society and fairness. It provides list of guaranteed rights such as right to life, right to be free from torture, right to freedom and security, right to fair trial, right to respect for private and family life, right to marry, right to effective remedy and right to enjoy other convention rights without discrimination among others [1] (The Law School, 2012). There are several accomplishments of ECHR that can be accounted since it was established, following which, it continues to encourage human rights and democracy across the European region. It has developed jurisprudence in human rights and has made significant influence to the sustained harmony and constancy in Europe. ECHR signifies that the right of individual petition is guaranteed where people are offered with adequate security assurance from the authority and by the influence of state. Over the years, the number of ‘High Contracting Parties’ (HCPs) has also expanded and the access to safety delivered by the provisions of ECHR has become available to almost 800 million European people [1] (The Law School, 2012). Whereas, this expansion of ECHR has been greeted in several nations, the number of legal cases was also observed at considerable rapidity. As the number of new member states in European Union increased, the continuous expansion trend of ECHR brought about many difficulties, particularly when assuring

Formal Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Formal Report - Assignment Example Business Transportation Services Co. Ltd. has a proven track record of providing transportation methods that are both affordable and efficient. We have a huge fleet of cars which cater to our customer’s need as and when it is required. We provide the best solutions. We guarantee to meet or beat the price of any other carrier. Just show us your current contract and we’ll show you how we can do better. We are a Pacific Northwest regional carrier, so our drivers know the area and are not as fatigued as long-haul carriers. We have a variety of trailer sizes and types, so odds are good that we can always provide you with dedicated runs from pickup to delivery at your facility, instead of less-than-truckload (LTL) runs that must make stops for multiple customers. At Business Transportation Services, the client satisfaction sits on top of our lists. Our fleet of cars have been specifically numbered keeping in mind the large number of clients we cater to. Discussing of Findings : Business Transport Consultancy has a fleet of cars which can be sent at any time. We have done some interesting research and found out that quite often, companies have to go through the following problems: 1. Fuel Cost 2. Car Effeciency 3. Labour Charges Let’s deal with the first problem right now. As mentioned before over here the fuel is the most important issue. To tackle the fuel cost issues, we have further divided the proposal into 1. Cost Saving 2. Efficiency So, in the purview of dealing with the high rise fuel costs, the first step is to understand cost saving. How can we do cost saving? The answer lies in managing the fleet of cars only when their requirement happens to arise. We provide quick and fast solutions whenever our clients have to transport their goods from one place to another. At our company, we provide our clients with the best solutions catering to their time and need. In the field of fast moving business, one cannot rely on renting the transport, bu t we go much further than just providing for rental solutions. The way we operate is that we provide our customers with an option to run our vehicles at any given time. You can chose from a range of vehicles which we have to provide your suitable needs. However, it must be kept in mind that the vehicle you chose is efficient in managing its fuel consumption. For you, the best strategy at this time in order to avoid the fuel consumption issues would be to hire or rent for purchase depending upon the user ability of the vehicle. Since you had 10 SUVs earlier to manage you daily transport needs, we have got down that figure to five high capacity vans which have special cabins for housing the maximum amount of goods. The per ton capacity of this high capacity van far outreaches the number you would have attained with a normal SUV. The petrol efficiency arrived at is less than the SUV, but since you can carry more goods, the overall ratio has drastically improved. Now, when we looked at the date and compared the fuel efficiency, we found out that in engaging 10 SUVs you were spending close to 40 USD on a barrel. However, once you start using our high capacity vans which have been specifically designed and built for carrying lots of goods and in the most efficient way, you realise that the fuel consumption for every journey goes down to 20 USD a barrel. That’s a drop of half the price. This is a remarkable stat as it provides us with the correct way of dealing with t

Global operation and risk management of Qinetiq Group plc 01303 Essay

Global operation and risk management of Qinetiq Group plc 01303 - Essay Example The company holds a business portfolio of military weapons and systems within mode of travelling including land, air and sea (QinetiQ, 2015b). In 2003, LTPA was made with the agreement of providing all means weapons and system to MOD for next five years. In 2006 company repurchased its stakes from the Carlyle group and get IPO status. Value development flow for the business till becoming an IPO entity is depicted below. Currently company is dealing globally for its business and mainly generates revenue from UK and US via generating a strong existence in US market as well. QinetiQ is considered for the assessment of performance and risk management due to its declining performance over last three years and a highly exposed to risk business model in the underlying document. After developing basic grounds of study via reviewing the business and market trends as well as financial performance indicators, an assessment of risk and performance management skills of the company will be presented with proposed recommendations. Understanding the sensitivity-level of the business category, the company operates with the strategy namely â€Å"Organic-plus† strategy with considering customers, people, innovation and productivity as core drivers (QinetiQ, 2014). Reported financial trends of key indicators in the annual report for the year 2014 (QinetiQ , 2014) depict a continuous decline in revenue generation for the company with fluctuations in other drivers as well. However, company claims to be strongly operating and increasing dividends continuously as depicted above. Dealing with two main divisions, company categorizes its revenue generation in three categories namely EMEA, US and global product. EMEA is the leading business and revenue generation unit with UK as the largest geographical and customer country of the business as depicted below. According to the Aerospace and defense industries

Light Weight Material for Automobile Essay Example for Free

Light Weight Material for Automobile Essay General segment car with light weight alloys and metal matrix composites 1. 1 Analysis An automobile is a single biggest polluter, as emissions from millions of vehicles add up. As motor vehicles have been huge sources of pollution for the world since the last hundred years, the major car companies and market see profit by introducing some new technologies to reduce emission and delivering best solutions to customers. One of the major reasons for emission is weight of the vehicle. As weight increases carbon emission increases and fuel efficiency decreases. Both equally reduce customer perceptions. Present market battles to reduce carbon emissions and to fulfill customer demands for highly fuel efficient vehicles. As the above statement is top priority in present market and coming future, metallic parts of a general segment car will be replaced by light weight alloys by coming decades. However significant cost challenges are there for using light weight materials from manufacturing process to end life cycle. Smartly tackling of this cost will be the key to market applications. 1. 2Strategic sense which helps to make light weighting vehicles Global warming, global fuel prices and fuel demands are going to a critical situation, which makes human to think alternatively. As more fuel uses, more CO2 produces. If majority of vehicles made by steels are replaced by lightweight vehicles, it will reduce the global fuel needs. As this initiative makes very good advantages to world, it will get a lot of co-operation from other industries governments and political systems. Technologically and economically there are a lot of challenges and things to be done. Much RD works to do. Right from material selection, product design, process design, manufacturing methods, joining methods all has to be redesign for established organizations. It is a very big challenge. 1. 3 Initiatives taken to make light weighting vehicles To achieve a light weight structures, without compromising rigidity auto engineers have been researching the replacement of steel with plastics, aluminum and magnesium. Using of advanced material for reducing weight is the least expensive way to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. It is found that; * For every 10% weight reduction in weight of a car will result in 5% -7% improvements in fuel efficiency. * For every kilogram of weight reduction of a car will result in the reduction of carbon dioxide about 20kg. [1] 1. 4 Weight saving and relative cost for light weight material Figure 1. 1 Relative material properties and cost [2]. Important key factors while using advanced light weight materials are manufacturability, cost and joining processes. But as requirement is the mother of invention, manufacturability of aluminum and its composite’s will become easier and economical by coming years. Different manufacturing techniques are there to form aluminum into desired shape. 1. 5 Vehicle Case Study Super light Car Project: Figure 1. 2 Light weight materials, a vehicle case study [3] The objective of this project was to make an innovative idea by multi-material and light weight structure. This project proved that, BIW panel structure weight can reduce by 30%, multi material manufacturing with reduced cost, recyclability and sustainability of light weight materials. This project was a benchmark performance by joined venture of many sectors and seven vehicle manufactures (including Volkswagen and Volvo), 10 suppliers, 10 RD companies and seven universities. The final product was a mix of different materials and a wide range of joining technologies. The figure 1. 2 shows the benefits, that Super Light Project achieved.

The Fertilizer Industry In India Environmental Sciences Essay

The Fertilizer Industry In India Environmental Sciences Essay The fertilizer plant was established in 1906 in Tamil Nadu. The growth of the fertilizer industry began in 1951 with plant establishment by Fertilizer Corporation of India. The constant demand of fertilizer resulted in Green Revolution and lead to spreading of industry in industry in several parts of India. Today, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala and Punjab produce over half of the total produce of fertilizer required in India. Apart from them, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, Bihar, Assam, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Goa and Karnataka are also important producers of fertilizers. The ease of obtain ability of natural gas resulted in the wide spread of the fertilizer industry. India produces nitrogenous nearly 11 million tones, phosphate 4 million tones and potash fertilizers to 1.7 million tones. The country imports potassium from abroad. Chemical and bio fertilizers play a vital role in the success of green revolution in India. India is basically an agriculture focused economy flourishing on Indian fertilizers. With green revolution, Indian fertilizer manufacturers and suppliers have enhanced their production and have attained self-sufficiency in the needs of Indian fertilizers. The industry of Indian fertilizers is associated sectors of agricultural sphere. India surfaced as the largest producer of chemical fertilizers, nitrogenous fertilizers as well as bio fertilizer in association with unvarying endeavour of manufacturers and suppliers of fertilizer. Today, India can boast of having surplus food grain and this excess are facilitated due to the Indian fertilizers. The manufacture and fertilizers supply is viewed as the most energy process in the Indian industry. The nitrogenous as well as bio fertilizers have great impact on the use of energy and the determining factors for efficiency of energy in the industry are feed stocks, technology, capacity utilization and plant age. Indian government formulated policies favourable to the fertilizer suppliers, consumers and manufacturers. This was supported by numerous committees and was formulated by the Indian government to determine the policies regarding fertilizers. The increase in the fertilizer industry is approved to favourable policies. Now, there are many fertilizer units and supply a wide range of fertilizers. This is apparent from the steady global demand for Indian fertilizers that is being fulfilled. Recent years is viewing a demand for organic fertilizers besides inorganic fertilizers. Many private fertilizer companies are showing positive gesture by setting plants in various countries and are elevating the demand for chemical and bio fertilizers. The fertilizers industry in India has a good and bright future in the market. The Indian government is offering optimal support by subsidizing raw materials as well as by relaxing the export policies and this is found to be favourable to the fertilizer co mpanies. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fertilizers are chemical compounds applied to promote plant and fruit growth. Fertilizers are usually applied either through the soil (for uptake by plant roots) or, by foliar feeding (for uptake through leaves). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fertilizers can be placed into the categories of organic fertilizers (composed of decayed plant/animal matter), or inorganic fertilizers (composed of simple chemicals and minerals) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ .Organic fertilizers are naturally occurring compounds, such as peat, manufactured through natural processes (such as composting), or naturally occurring mineral deposits à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fertilizers typically provide, in varying proportions, the three major plant nutrients: Industrial Environment of Fertilizers. . Cadmium is produced mainly as a by-product of mining, smelting and refining of zinc and, to a lesser degree, as a by-product of lead and copper production. It is therefore primarily a function of zinc production rather than cadmium demand. Major shifts in smelting and refining technology (from pyrometallurgical to hydrometallurgical processes) have led to significant decreases in releases of cadmium to the environment. Cadmium is used and traded globally as a metal and as a component in various products, in particular in batteries until it was banned in a number of countries. Other major uses of refined cadmium are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Pigments for plastics, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ceramics and enamels; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Stabilizers for plastics; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Plating on iron and steel; and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ alloying element of some lead, copper and tin alloys. Since 1990, the consumption of such products has been decreasing significantly because of the awareness of the detrimental impacts on health and the environment. Waste management systems have increasingly been put in place in industrialized countries to reduce releases of cadmium into the environment. However, some of the uses of cadmium which have been phased out in developed countries have continued or even increased in developing countries. INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY This leads to the rise of very large cities and surrounding suburban areas with a high rate of economic activity. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ These urban centers require the input of external energy sources in order to overcome the diminishing returns of agricultural consolidation, due partially to the lack of nearby arable land, associated transportation and storage costs, and are otherwise unsustainable. Industrial societies are generally mass societies. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Industrial society is characterized by the use of external energy sources, such as fossil fuels, to increase the rate and scale of production. The production of food is shifted to large commercial farms where the products of industry, such as combine harvesters and petroleum based fertilizers, are used to decrease required human labor while increasing production. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ No longer needed for the production of food, excess labor is moved into these factories where mechanization is utilized to further increase efficiency. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ As populations grow, and mechanization is further refined, often to the level of automation, many workers shift to expanding service industries. MAJOR PRACTICES IN AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Agriculture refers to the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants (i.e. crops) creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and stratified societies. The study of agriculture is known as agricultural science (the related practice of gardening is studied in horticulture). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Agriculture encompasses a wide variety of specialties and techniques, including ways to expand the lands suitable for plant raising, by digging water-channels and other forms of irrigation. Cultivation of crops on arable land and the pastoral herding of livestock on rangeland remain at the foundation of agriculture. In the past century there has been increasing concern to identify and quantify various forms of agriculture. In the developed world the range usually extends between sustainable agriculture (e.g. permaculture or organic agriculture) and intensive farming (e.g. industrial agriculture). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Modern agronomy, plant breeding, pesticides and fertilizers, and technological improvements have sharply increased yields from cultivation, and at the same time have caused widespread ecological damage and negative human health effects. Selective breeding and modern practices in animal husbandry such as intensive pig farming (and similar practices applied to the chicken) have similarly increased the output of meat, but have raised concerns about animal cruelty and the health effects of the antibiotics, growth hormones, and other chemicals commonly used in industrial meat production à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Tillage is the practice of plowing soil to prepare for planting or for nutrient incorporation or for pest control. Tillage varies in intensity from conventional to no-till. It may improve productivity by warming the soil, incorporating fertilizer and controlling weeds, but also renders soil more prone to erosion, triggers the decomposition of organic matter releasing CO2, and reduces the abundance and diversity of soil organisms à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ . Pest control includes the management of weeds, insects/mites, and diseases. Chemical (pesticides), biological (biocontrol), mechanical (tillage), and cultural practices are used. Cultural practices include crop rotation, culling, cover crops, intercropping, composting, avoidance, and resistance. Integrated pest management attempts to use all of these methods to keep pest populations below the number which would cause economic loss, and recommends pesticides as a last resort. . à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Nutrient management includes both the source of nutrient inputs for crop and livestock production, and the method of utilization of manure produced by livestock. Nutrient inputs can be chemical inorganic fertilizers, manure, green manure, compost and mined minerals Crop nutrient use may also be managed using cultural techniques such as crop rotation or a fallow period Manure is utilized either by holding livestock where the feed crop is growing such as in Managed intensive rotational grazing, or by spreading either dry or liquid formulations of manure on cropland or pastures. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Water management is where rainfall is insufficient or variable, which occurs to some degree in most regions of the world. Some farmers use irrigation to supplement rainfall. In other areas such as the Great Plains in the U.S. and Canada, farmers use a fallow year to conserve soil moisture to use for growing a crop in the following year. Agriculture represents 70% of freshwater use worldwide . The role of the fertilizer industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The fertilizer industry helps ensure that farmers have the nutrients they need to grow enough crops to meet the worlds requirements for food, feed, fiber and energy. The nutrients supplied by the industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The fertilizer industry encourages the adoption of Fertilizer Best Management Practices (FBMPs) as part of good agricultural practices. Future trends in this industry Fertilizer technology may be predicted by extrapolating from current developments. Mixtures and materials with high percentages of plant nutrients will dominate the field. Better ways of providing nitrogen, the most expensive of the three major nutrients, will be forthcoming, including increased use of anhydrous ammonia, ammonium nitrate, and urea. No leachable nitrogen, for example, can be obtained through the urea-formaldehyde (ureaform) reaction, and ammonium met phosphate offers a concentrated liquid product. Micronutrients, or trace elements, specific to particular geographical areas will come into increasing use, as will custom mixing and bulk selling of mixtures containing several nutrients based on reliable soil and plant data. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ may come into use; with the tape planted, no further fertilizer or water will be needed until growth is well established. Such techniques using biodegradable tapes have already been developed on a small scale for use by home gardeners. Finally, larger and more precise fertilizing machines will be developed and adopted. The fertilizer sector in India holds a major share among the energy intensive industries of the country. The industry has shown unparalleled growth in the past few years. Although growing in an accelerating rate, the industry is faced with a number of challenges, inter alia, the lack of major plant resources such as nitrogen, phosphate and potassium . à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The government has established nine public sector undertakings in the Indian fertilizer market and one cooperative society, known as the Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO) that functions under the supervision of the Department of Fertilizers in India. There are 63 large units dedicated to the production of fertilizers. Among these, 9 units produce ammonium sulphate while 38 units produce urea. There are 79 small and medium scale units producing single superphosphate. ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE INDUSTRY The economy of the country does have considerable impact on the fertilizer industry in the following ways: The cost of this industry is quite high which is very difficult for the economy of the country to support especially in current circumstances. Natural Gas is the main requirement of this industry and it is very difficult to fulfill that. Recently the government has announced the cut in the supply of the Natural Gas in the shape of load shedding. When there is a boom in the agriculture sector of the economy, the demand of the fertilizers also gets increased which puts positive effects on the industry. HUMAN RESOURCE ISSUES IN INDUSTRY There would not be any of such issues in the industry as the educated human resource is easily available and for further enhancement in performance training should be conducted in companies both technical and interpersonal. HURDLES IN MARKETING: Ineffective distribution process. Prices are not same in all over Pakistan. Uneducated target market because of this marketing is difficult. New entrants discouraged. Rigid and slow reaction to market changes. Weak competition or shortages may lead to price gouging and/or product adulteration. FINANCING EASILY AVAILABLE Financing is easily available in this sector. The government is willing to develop this sector so that it would fulfill the requirements. Recently, two plants are opening; one is of Fatima Fertilizer and one of Engro Ammonia Plant. In project of Engro Ammonia Plant there is total investment of $1billion is needed, for which it has signed a syndicate loan of Rs 18.3 billion. IMPACT OF POLITICAL PARTIES As in India, there is a culture that all of the work related to Government would be easier only when you have good relationship with these parties. Fertilizer Industry has too much concern with the Government for availability of Natural Gas and Water, subsidy, anti-dumping duty, and custom free import and so on. All these factors have considerable effect on the profitability of the companies and without political parties help, companies will not be able to get these benefits. In the industry, all companies have very good and stable relation with the political parties and therefore enjoy benefits which they want to. So, we can say that the impact of political parties is positive on this industry TRADE ISSUES RELATED TO FERTILIZER INDUSTRY 1. Agreement is being made that the market forces will be allowed to work, in the case of fertilizer imports. 2. To stop dumping in fertilizer industry the WTO regulation related to anti dumping must be applied in the industry for the industry benefit. 3. In case of import the fertilizer producing companies are exempted where as the non 4. The introduction of General Sales Tax on fertilizers should be carefully considered since it would have serious implications on price relations. 5. Market information and monitoring by the National Fertilizer Development Centre should be strengthened to serve as a real information centre for the fertilizer sector. PROPOSALS GIVEN BY PEOPLE OF FERTILIZER INDUSTRY The first point in proposal was about career development of employees People working in one section or department from years are still with the same knowledge and style of doing job. There should be proper career planning of employee which results in better and improved output for the organization. Some employees are working in the same department or section since they are appointed. Employees should be transferred with in departments so there is job variety that develops their interests, update their information and improve their performance. Due to high rate of unemployment in the country people join those jobs which are against their interest so proper analysis should be done and explore those employee which can do better what they are currently doing in the organization Management should take necessary action in implementing the safety organization. OUR PROPOSALS Strict quality control and monitoring should be there to prevent import of sub-standard products. The problem of logistics should be looked into. Transportation through railway (being cheaper), especially during peak seasons should be made available. There is a need to educate the farmers on balanced fertilizer use so as to neutralize the adverse impacts of constant use of nitrogenous fertilizers. HUMAN RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS OF FERTILIZER INDUSTRY Hiring quality manpower, keeping them happy, satisfied and motivated are the pillars of the Human Resources Department; justice, fair play and merit oriented treatment are some of the ingredients of processing cases by the Human Resources Department. For Human Resource development, another aspect which receives its due share is training. The employees are exposed to various kinds of cross training, technical courses, management courses, workshops and seminars both at home and abroad. Employees welfare has all along received due consideration by the Management SPECIFIC TRAINING INSTITUTIONS Following training institutions are available: 1. NFC Institute of Engineering and Technological Training 2. Technical Training Center (TTC) NFC INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY : The NFC Institute of Engineering and Technological Training is the training centre of the National Fertilizer Corporation of Pakistan. It is a small engineering college established to meet the requirement of trained manpower for chemical process industry, especially in the fertilizer sector. A Training Centre was established in 1985. Operators and Technicians Supervisors Engineers. 2. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTER 25 Technical Training Center (TTC) lies in its expert faculty having rich plant operation and maintenance experience, functional pilot plants, well equipped shops for practice and access to FFC operating plants for real life demonstration. This institution conducts following programs: Training of engineers technicians customized to Clients specific needs. Fertilizer Technology Course for fresh engineers. Professional Management Curses. Apprenticeship Programs for operators technicians. Skill Improvement Programs for operators technicians in the areas of Plant Operations, Maintenance Safety. Supplier Power No threat of forward integration. High Switching cost because it is difficult to contract with other groups and deal with them. Concentration is low. They act as separate groups competing for the same project. In this industry supplier has a high bargaining power, as most of them are Foreign Groups. Buyers Power Switching cost is low but does not have significant effect due to fixed prices. There are two substitute products available, Imported Fertilizer and Bio-Fertilizer. Production of bio-fertilizer is almost over and imported fertilizer is available at the same price because of anti-dumping duty and Government regulations for the prices of fertilizer for particular seasons are fixed. Although Buyers are large in numbers and purchases a large quantity as well, but buyers do not have a bargaining power. There is no forum available that protects them, and this group is not educated enough to fight for their rights. All what has happened, is done by the Government. Potential Entrants Brand reputation of existing companies is also one of the barriers because customers do not easily get ready to switch. Massive Ecological surveys must be done before companies can begin production. Government Policies and regulation are also act as barriers; because Natural Gas which is the main raw material of the industry, and the prices and supply of it is completely depend upon the Government. As before government was charging feed gas at lower rate and Fuel gas at higher rate. But now they are being charged at the same rate. Government does not easily give permission for manufacturing plant due to shortage of Natural gas and harmful environmental effects, this also act as a barrier. Huge capital requirement is one of the greatest barriers for entry. There are number of barriers to entry such, as capital requirements, government policies, reputation of existing firms and ecological surveys. Substitutes Switching costs is low. Suitability of Alternatives: imported fertilizer is as suitable as the industry products are. Bio-fertilizer is more suitable to use then the industry products, as it has no harmful environmental effects, cheap to produce and it also enhance the fertility of the soil. Where as our product reduces the natural fertility, but its production is almost over. Therefore industry does not have a threat of substitutes. There are two substitutes available 1. Imported Fertilizer 2. Bio-Fertilizer Rivalry Competition is only on the basis of Quality. Prices are fixed for every season so no competition on the basis of pricing behavior. Industry is at maturity stage so; competition on the basis of growth is low. Fixed Costs are too high, which is not easily possible to tolerate. It reduces the competition. MARKET The target market of the industry can be divided in to two parts: 1. Farmers 2. Land owners TREND ANALYSIS Political Trend: Gas for balancing, modernization, replacement expansion for existing plants has been filed for 7 years. Gas price has been fixed for 10 years for new investments. Export benefit to suppliers of capital goods for new/modernization projects of fertilizer. Tax relaxation has also been offered by the Government. Import by manufacturers of Rock Phosphate and Phosphorous of fertilizer free of customs duty. The Government is providing concessionary feed stock gas to the fertilizer plants for production of urea. Investors will be allowed to relocate second hand plant, equipment and machinery, with the same concession/exemption as applicable to new plants. To fulfil local demand of fertilizers at affordable prices, the Government is providing subsidy on production and import of fertilizers. Political trends are always in favour of this industry. The Government has provided following incentives under Fertilizer Policy, 2001, to encourage fertilizer production in the country: Economical Trend: Import by manufacturers of Rock Phosphate and Phosphorous of fertilizer free of customs duty.ØOne of the main sectors of economy is Agricultural as it contributes 22% to the GDP and without Fertilizer industry this sector would not able to work. Due to that Government always gives support to the fertilizer industry. PHOENIX Tax relaxation has been offered in order to attract new entrants. Export benefit to suppliers of capital goods for new/modernization projects of fertilizer. To reduce the dependence on Ban on export of fertilizer is also imposed so that economic stability would be gain.Ø The Government is providing subsidy on production and import of fertilizers. a massive subsidy of Rs. 27 billion in the supply of urea and DAP in 2009. imported fertilizers by enhancing the local production capacity. Social Trends: Although the adverse effects of this industry is very high because of the improper handling of the waste. Due to this, many diseases like asthma, kidney diseases, hepatitis etcare caused. Still, the usage of the fertilizers cannot be stopped because it gives farmers so much ease in terms of saving time and actually, using it. Making bio -fertilizer has now become an old usage and farmers dont prefer to use it against artificial fertilizer. Technological Trend: The fertilizer plant operators have now fully absorbed and assimilated the latest technological developments, incorporating environmental friendly process technologies, and are in a position to operate and maintain the plants at their optimum levels and on international standards in terms of capacity utilization, specific energy consumption. To meet the demand of fertilizers in the country through indigenous production, self-reliance in design engineering and execution of fertilizer projects is very crucial. This requires a strong indigenous technological base in planning, development of process know-how, detailed engineering and expertise in project management and execution of projects. The fertilizer industry is also carrying out de-bottlenecking and energy saving scheme in their existing plants and to enhance the capacity and reduce the specific energy consumption per ton of product. Companies are also planning to convert to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).pollution standards. The ave rage performance of gas-based plants in the country today is amongst the best in the world. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths: All companies in the industry have developed a well planned network field warehouses to ensure that fertilizers are available to the farmers uninterrupted. Fertilizer industry peruses an innovative education oriented advertising policy utilizing electronic/ print media and road side advertisement. Industry has well distribution centers. Demand is heavy because, being an agriculture country and due to increasing awareness about the balanced use of fertilizer, demand for the fertilizer will increase. All the fertilizer plants are producing at more than 100 per cent installed capacity of utilization. Adding some new unit can enhance the production capacity of the plants. Weakness: Low advertising campaigns as growers and farmers are not educated and lives in Fertilizer sector is backward in technology and also lack in resources. villages, so they dont exactly know the balanced use of fertilizer. Demand is more and capacity of plants to produce fertilizers is less. Due to the existence of black market and heavy demand, farmers have to pay above then the stated price. Opportunities: As India is an agricultural country and farmers are getting awareness about the balanced use of fertili As demand is high comparing to supply, fertilizer sector has an opportunity to expand the capacity to fulfill the local demand. Government is giving support to fertilizer sectorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Availability of gas from Iran can increase the production of plants and industry c an fulfill the demands. There is no quota restriction by WTO since 2005, so there are more chances of export. If the quality is good customer will buy your product. By improving the quality of products, industry can attract more customers and can retain customers by satisfying their needs. zer, demand of fertilizer has increased. Threats: Government policies are not consistent regarding fertilizer industry. Bio fertilizer is the main threat to the industry because it is cheap and also environment friendly. Global prices of fertilizer products are also increasing which is causing increase in fertilizer prices in the country. Prices of fuel and gas have increased enormously. Unstable political condition in the country is also a big threat to fertilizer industry. Imported fertilizer is available at cheap prices than local fertilizer. As natural gas is the main raw material, load shedding of natural gas is big threat. CONCLUSION Planning and Administration and Vigilance. It makes an assessment of the individual requirements of the states and union territories and then lays out an elaborate supply plan. Though the soil in India is rich in silt, it lacks chief plant nutrients like potassium, nitrogen and phosphate. The increase in the production of fertilizers and its consumption acts as a major contributor to overall agricultural development. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Size of Indian Fertilizer Industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Growth of Indian Fertilizer Industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Private Companies in Indian Fertilizer Market à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Public Sector Companies in Indian Fertilizer Market à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Major Players in Indian Fertilizer Fertilizer industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Global Demand for Indian Fertilizer à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Government Policies and Indian Market à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Challenges before Indian Fertilizer Industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Concluding remarks on Indian Fertilizer Industry Posted by ICM IM

Goodisons Absolute Essay example -- essays research papers

Goodison’s Absolute In For My Mother: May I Inherit Half Her Strength, Goodison publicizes the private issue of her parents’ less-than-perfect marriage, and, in turn, unfolds a powerful dialectic on female self-sacrifice and subjectivity. She wonders at the prolonged strength of her mother- a woman who, regardless of being the victim of an unfaithful marriage, neither confronts nor flees her fate. And at the core of Goodison’s poem is her own conflicted decision, as the female product of this union, to define her mother’s attitude as unwavering strength, worthy of reverence, or as passivity, masked by nonchalance. The title of this work illustrates this ambiguity: does the clause â€Å"may I inherit half her strength†, translate into â€Å"may I be permitted - by the same mysterious influence that affected my mother - to remain strong just like her† or â€Å"may I never allow myself to be quite as tolerant as she was.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first stanza, Goodison suggests that the â€Å"absolute,† â€Å"my mother loved my father,† had governed her perspective of her parents’ marriage for twenty-nine years. Its indisputability may have functioned as a motivation for her father’s on-going extra-marital affair(s). But even more explicitly, this absolute implied that despite the pain inflicted by her father, â€Å"whom all women loved†, Goodison’s mother’s love remained unshakably loyal, and that that was somehow all that really mattered. At least, up until Goodison wrote this poem. â€Å"In this my thirtieth year/ the year to discard absolutes† signals Goodison’s revolt against this belief that had relentlessly threatened to break her mother’s â€Å"straight-backed,† fronted dignity and that absolved the indifference of her father’s â€Å"always smile†. The lack of control of Goodison’s writing in the first stanza points to something deeper about her relationship to this absolute. Since absolutes are characteristically irrefutable and deemed factual, I had expected that Goodison’s writing would have illustrated the finiteness of this absolute by sealing it with a full stop. However, here, in the most transparently opinionated stanza of her entire poem, there is no punctuation whatsoever; each distinct thought simply spills into the next, and even farther into the following stanza where her topic diverges. It is difficult to say whether or not Goodison’s omission was deliberate; noneth... ..., â€Å"on her wedding day she wept† and at its setting. She endured â€Å"better† and â€Å"worse† and at last, â€Å"she fell down†¦to the realization that she did not have to be brave, just this once.† Her tears functioned to honor the sacrifices of â€Å"her body†¦ twenty years permanently fat,† of her sewing machine, the emblem of her livelihood, to pay her daughter’s â€Å"Senior Cambridge fees,† but also to purge â€Å"the pain she bore with the eyes of a queen.† Nevertheless, mingled with Goodison’s mother’s sorrows, are tears of love for the husband that betrayed her. For My Mother makes a complete revolution, in that it begins with the acknowledgement and criticism of Goodison’s mother’s love for her mother and ends with the reverence for this kind of love that, a seemingly astonished Goodison, cannot comprehend. Even after giving justifications of why her parents’ marriage was far from ideal, the absolute that she so wanted to discard in the first place looms over her unaffected and, of course, undisputed. In an alpha and omega fashion, this absolute in Goodison’s work proves its place amongst other absolutes as an unfathomable force that refuses to be contested and most assuredly, will not be discarded.

Racial Diversity in Society Worksheet Essay

African Americans are more involved in the American political process than other minority groups in the United States, because, as indicated by the highest level of voter registration and participation in elections among these groups in 2004. African Americans have achieved higher levels of education than immigrants to the United States. African Americans also have the highest level of Congressional representation of any minority group in the United States. A large majority of African Americans also support the Democratic Party. In the 2004 Presidential Election, Democrat John Kerry received 88 percent of the African American voters compared to 11 percent for Republican George W. Bush. Historically, the African Americans who supported the Republican Party only votes were because of the Republican President Abraham Lincoln due to him helping grant freedom to American slaves. At the time, the Republicans and Democrats represented the sectional interests of the North and South, respectively, rather than any specific beliefs, and both Republicans and Democratic were represented equally in both parties. The African American trend of voting for Democrats can be traced all the way back to the 1930’s during the Great Depression. When Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal program provided economic relief to African Americans; Roosevelt’s New Deal coalition turned the Democratic Party into an organization of the working class and their liberal allies, regardless of region. The African American voters became even more exclusively Democratic, when Democratic presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson pushed for the civil rights legislation during the 1960s. After over 50 years, the marriage rates for all Americans began to decrease while the divorce rates and out-of-wedlock births have increased. These changes have been the greatest amongst the African Americans.

Different Ways of Learning Languages Essay

Being able to speak more than one language I think it’s a gift from God that not every person is blessed with. Having this gift makes me fell very special because I can travel, communicate, and understand others’ people language and culture. At a very young age I started learning French, German and Italian besides my native language, Romanian. Learning a language to me in learning how to ride a bicycle, once you get it going it’s hard to stop. I learned them the natural way without trying or putting to much effort. To me, learning English it was much easier than the other languages I have studied. When I came to America I didn’t speak English at all and I thought that it would take a long time before I learn anything. To be successful learning a new language you must want to learn it, because if you don’t and not interested in you’ll never get it. At the very early stages of learning a language I think going by the book it is not a very good idea. At the beginning you need as much practice as you can get. In my case television played a major role in learning English. Watching TV and trying to understand the conversation helped me improve my vocabulary and pronunciation at the same time. Reading magazines and articles in the newspapers is another way to approach a new language. This way you learn the spelling of words and can look up in the dictionaries for words that couldn’t be understood. Another thing that helped me was being surrounded by people that only spoke English. Having almost no contact with people that spoke Romanian, forced me learn faster than some people. Communicating with others helps also. Making mistakes and having other people correct you helps and improves your skills. The best way to learn is learning from mistakes. Some people are afraid and embarrassed of speaking in front of others. This only holds them back and keeps them away from learning because there is nobody to correct them if necessary. When you want to get deeper into a language you must concentrate on grammar and vocabulary. This is the key of being successful as well as thinking in the target language. Translating from one language to another is a waste of time because you’ll never be good enough. Learning languages it has always been fun for me. I never looked at it as a must but more as a hobby. Learning a new language, to me, is like discovering a new side of me that has been kept in dark for to long and waited to be taken out.