Wednesday, October 30, 2019
How have you used reflection (during work experience at a preschool) Assignment
How have you used reflection (during work experience at a preschool) to enhance your own practice and how has this impacted upon your own learning and potential development - Assignment Example For example, when I joined the preschool for teaching, I have used reflective thinking in my relationship with the existing staff members of the school. The new environment of the school challenged me because I meet people from different backgrounds and having different personalities. The reflective analysis enabled me to determine which members of the staff were outgoing while some were reserved. Additionally, the reflection allowed me identify the status of oneââ¬â¢s relationship with other staff members; that is if it is conflicting or healthy. Getting along well with other employees is a necessary idea. Therefore, reflection helped me improve my teamwork capabilities and developed positive interpersonal relationship that promotes harmonious existence at preschool (McCabe, 2006) Similarly, I used the reflective skills in examining the how effective I was in making the children enjoy their stay at the school, which I did by evaluating how the children behaved when I interacted with them. I reviewed the instances I have interacted with them; whether they were excited or bored during our meeting with them. Additionally, I considered on how they could look forward to our second meeting; whether they could enthusiastically wait for the meeting or just be disgusted at the thought of a possible meeting with them. Performance in a preschool teaching depends significantly on an individualââ¬â¢s ability to capture the attention of the kids and make them develop a liking towards the person interacting with them. Therefore, reflective thinking enabled me to improve my effectiveness in making the young learners develop a love for me as well as gain the knowledge at school. In other words, through reflection one learns the imperative factor that cements oneââ¬â¢s s kills in the field of dealing with children. Nevertheless, I have employed the reflective thinking when evaluating my methods of imparting knowledge to the young children.
Monday, October 28, 2019
Nissan Report Essay Example for Free
Nissan Report Essay Company Overview Established in Yokohama, Kanagawa in 1933, Nissan Motors Co. Ltd currently manufactures vehicles in 20 countries and areas around the world, including Japan. Global unit sales in fiscal 2009 totalled 3.515 million vehicles. In addition to vehicles, Nissan also develops, manufactures and markets marine equipment. Nissan has a portfolio of two brands, NISSAN and INFINITI, worldwide. NISSAN vehicles are marketed in all major market worldwide. INFINITI was launched as a luxury car brand in North America in 1989. The INFINITI brand has since expanded to Middle East, Korea and Europe, and will continue to enter into new markets globally. Nissan builds high-quality cars that are safe and have the bold design and innovative technology to satisfy our customersââ¬â¢ needs. Vision Nissan: Enriching Peopleââ¬â¢s Lives Mission statement Nissan provides unique and innovative automotive products and services that deliver superior measurable values to all stakeholders* in alliance with Renault. Long term goal Nissan wants to continue its quest to optimize product development and deliver highly innovative technology. Today, in various countries and regions around the world, they enjoy a stellar reputation for creating truly innovative vehicles and service programs. Short term goal The world is changing, and Nissan is adapting with it. Their short term goals are to harness the power thats inside Nissan to prepare solutions that their customers will want and value, now and in the years to come. Solutions such as: electric and fuel cell vehicles that are attractive, fun-to-drive cars with the appealing benefit of zero emissions; global entry cars that make mobility more accessible and affordable for all; and Innovative technological advances that are good for the environment, enhance safety, improve dynamic performance or provide greater life-on-board satisfaction. Organisational structure Nissan places high value on transparency, both internally and externally, in its corporate management. They focus consistently on the implementation of efficient management for the purpose of achieving clear and quantifiable commitments. In line with this principle, and in accordance with Japanââ¬â¢s Company Law and its related regulations, the Board of Directors has decided on the Internal Control Systems to pursue these goals and on its own basic policy. The board continually monitors the implementation status of these systems and the policy, making adjustments and improvements as necessary. One board member has also been assigned to oversee the Internal Control Systems as a whole. Nissan has adopted a system under which the Board of Statutory Auditors oversees the Board of Directors. The Statutory Auditors attend board and other key meetings, and also carry out interviews with board members to audit their activities. The Statutory Auditors regularly receive reports on the results of inspections and plans for future audits from independent accounting auditors, as well as exchange information to confirm these reports. The Statutory Auditors also receive regular reports from the Japan Internal Audit Office, making use of this information for their own audits. The organisational structure could also be explained with the help of the following diagram Here the Board of Directors overlooks the working of the CEO and President who is Carlos Ghosn. The CEO overlooks the working of the branch managers in various locations. Each branch manager handles a groups o VP marketing, VP production, VP finance, VP Public Relations, and VP Human Resource. Organisational Behaviour Nissan is deploying various activities under the banner of Blue Citizenship, which encapsulates their desire to preserve the blue Earth and to be a corporate citizen in harmonious coexistence with people and society. Those activities range from such global issues as the environment to contributing to communities, promoting diversity and making personal mobility available to as many people as possible. SUSTAINABILITY Nissan Green Program The history of Nissan taking environmental measures goes as far back as 1947. Since 1992, abiding to our environmental philosophy Symbiosis of People, Vehicle, and Nature, we have as an enterprise, been accelerating the activities pertaining to the said philosophy. At present we are promoting our mid-term environmental plan Nissan Green Program 2010, identifying the 3 crucial issues, and setting the ultimate goals of reducing CO2 emissions, cleaner (conservation of the atmosphere/water/earth) emissions, and resource circulation (the promoting of the 3 Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle). We are furthering our measures to achieve these goals. The 4 optimums, Nissanââ¬â¢s Powertrain Road Map In order to steadily reduce CO2 emissions, Nissan sees the total contribution of providing truthfully effective technology at an affordable price to its clients, while at the same time swiftly propagating these technologies, as crucial. That said, we believe the 4 optimums Investment in the optimum technology that fits the market needs, at the opportune moment, at the best value for the clients, as the basis of technology investment. Based on these 4 optimums, we will not only ultimately heighten the engine efficiency of petrol motor vehicles, but also proceed with the development andà investment of electrical vehicles which are zero-emission vehicles. Measures for a zero-emission vehicle For vehicle manufacturers, the best long-term policy that both creates demand and protects the environment, is to created a zero-emission vehicle that has no negative effects toward the environment. The Renault-Nissan Alliance sees the propagation and investment in electrical vehicles, which are zero-emission vehicles, as central to the corporate strategy, and committed to become a leader through electrical vehicles. The electrical vehicles that are being developed in Nissan will be introduced in the United States, Europe as well as in Japan in FY2010. By FY2012, there are plans to globally merchandise them. Lithium-ion Batteries Nissan had, at an early stage, taken interest in the development of motors, batteries, and inverters which are key technologies for electrical vehicles. Aiming to achieve the goals set forth in the Nissan Green Program 2010, we are striving to strengthen the developmental measures we have been taking up to this point. Additionally, we are working to develop technology for further practicability, and taking efforts in reducing their costs. In 2007, we established the Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC) that deals with the production and sales of compact lithium-ion batteries. The batteries that are to be developed will be used within electrical vehicles, as well as hybrid vehicles and fuel cell vehicles. Quality At Nissan, we believe that the quality of our products allows us to build a relationship of mutual trust with our customers and is the foundation for continual growth. Product quality is far more than just the performance of Nissan vehicles. It means everything related to our car that brings satisfaction to our customers, from the moment of seeing and touching a Nissan car in the showroom to the support given by the sales staff and the post-purchase driving experience. Nissan quality also extends to after-sales inspections and repairs. We will continue to evaluate and improve all areas of our operations in order to provide the products and services that will constantly give satisfaction to our customers. Safety Shield Nissan aims to halve the number of fatal and serious injuries from accidents involving Nissan vehicles in Japan by 2015 compared with 1995. Based on analysis of real-world accidents, Nissan has been working progressively to design and engineer safer vehicles. Safety shield is an approach to provide continuous support against dangerous situations, by activating various barriers according to the circumstances, from normal driving to post-accident. We are advancing development based on even more sophisticated and proactive safety policy. PARTNERSHIP Yokohama mobility ââ¬Å"Project ZEROâ⬠In March 2009, the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Yokohama City saw an agreement over the 5-year -plan, the `Yokohama Mobility Project Zero, which aims to realize the environment model city that is promoted by Yokohama City. In order to reduce CO2 emissions, this partnership will see cooperation in disseminating eco-drive, in addition to testing guidance routes that will contribute to reducing traffic, as well as propagating electrical cars. Additionally, Nissan is in works with Tokyo University in developing a joint industry-university research concerning vehicle transport that aims for the symbiosis of urban space and nature. In terms of the evaluation and the release of information concerning this times planned items, we are, in cooperation with Tokyo University, also furthering them. Yokohama City is planned to be one of the first markets where Nissans electrical vehicles will be supplied, similarly to the various regions throughout the world that have similar partnership agreements with the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Partnership regarding zero-emission mobility From January 2008, aiming for the realistic propagation of electrical vehicles, the Renault-Nissan Alliance concluded on the 40 cases (as of December 2009) of Partnership regarding zero-emission mobility along with governmental sectors, municipal sectors and other sectors. With this, we are working to prepare the social infrastructure such as by installing chargers, as well as taking into consideration benefit measures in times of purchasing the zero-emission vehicles. Through the cooperation with our partners throughout the world, we are contributing to a vehicle society that is bothà people-friendly and considerate of the environment. Sky Project In Sky Project, which has been implemented since October 2006 in partnership with non-automobile industries and in cooperation with government agencies, Nissan, with the participation of customers, has been working to reduce the number of traffic accidents and alleviate traffic congestion by using intelligent transportation system (ITS). While providing information to cut the number of encounter head accidents and reduce driving speed in school zones and other areas, we investigate the potentiality for the alleviation of traffic congestion, realized through daily use of ITS, to improve effectiveness of energy use and reduce CO2 emissions. In Beijing, China, we have been implementing Star Wings, a project to develop new transportation information system, in cooperation with Beijing Traffic Information Center (BTIC), in order to alleviate traffic congestion and improve traffic conditions in Beijing and China. Wind power Beginning in 2007, Nissan became an active Y-green partner when it harnessed wind-power for use in its facilities in Japan. The company, through its Yokohma plant facility and the new Global Headquarters, seeks to utilize green energy in its facilities and implement local green energy for local consumption. Since November 2005, Nissan Motor Manufacturing Ltd. (UK) has been using a wind-power facility at its Sunderland plant. Addressing the key issues of Nissan Green Program 2010, the company is reducing C02 emissions by utilizing wind derived power in its facilities worldwide. ACCESSIBILITY BUI-2 (Best usability interior-2) BUI-2 (Best Usability Interior-2) is a concept car, whose interior has been created with a focus to design the way people feel so that all the elements can smoothly appeal to people as they engage in cars. For Nissan, three types of design interface design, colour and material design, and sensitivity quality design are broadly defined as interaction design. Through various research activities, we are making efforts to realize even more convenient and attractive interior designs. Lifecare vehicles (LVs) Nissan lifecare vehicles (LVs) help bring mobility to the elderly or those with physical disabilities. We regard LVs as an essential part of our line-up of cars rather than specialty vehicles, and we are enhancing the products and services available to them. As of the end of January 2009, in Japan there were 401 certified dealerships with LVs on display and advisory staff with expert knowledge of the vehicles, and a total of 5,520 LV advisors. There are dealerships in every prefecture of the country meeting the needs of customers and offering the chance to test-drive these vehicles. Since 2003, we have also been carrying out an annual campaign of LV trial rides for people who have only limited opportunities to get out and about, so that they too can experience the joy of mobility. COMMUNITY Corporate citizenship activities distinctive of Nissan Nissan endeavours to fulfil its role as a corporate citizen toward the realization of a sustainable society, while providing attractive products and services globally, under the vision of enriching peoples lives. We are thus advancing corporate citizenship activities in fields centered on three priority areas support for education, environmentally friendliness, and humanitarian assistance in order to contribute to the sustainability of society. We share our vision globally with Nissan employees around the world and strive to strengthen our relations with local communities by conducting activities responsive to the circumstances and needs of each country and region. Corporate citizenship in education field (Japan) Nissans corporate citizenship initiatives have been always focusing on Cultivating Future Generation. In education field, we have many programs such as Nissan Childrens Storybook and Picture Book Grand Prix with its long history, and Nissan Joyful Picture Book and Storybook Exhibition, and in addition, we started the new programs such as Nissan Monozukuri Caravan and Nissan Design Waku-Waku Studio, which utilize Nissans strength for those original programs. Organisational culture The diversity of Nissanââ¬â¢s employees is the driving force enabling them to meet the varied needs of their customers and to maintain sustainable growth. The employees create greater value by sharing their knowledge, based on their individual experiences and different ways of thinking, in response to the various challenges they all face. For these reasons, Nissan have made diversity a corporate strategy and strive to create an environment where all their employeesââ¬âwho numbered 169,298 at Nissan and its affiliates as of March 2010ââ¬âcan extend their individual talents to the fullest. SUPPORTING CAREER DESIGN Continually Improving Human-Resource Systems A companyââ¬â¢s employees are its most important resource. So that both Nissan and its employees can reach their full potential, they constantly work to improve our human-resource systems. The evaluation-based remuneration system used to accurately gauge employee contributions is structured in a way that motivates them to set and achieve high goals. An employeeââ¬â¢s salary is determined through a combination of performance evaluations, which measure how well the employee achieved certain goals (commitments), and competency evaluations, which measure such intangible variables as technical skill, knowledge and attitude. Support for Self-Designed Careers Nissan believes that employees should ââ¬Å"design their own careersâ⬠and actively assists their efforts to do so. Employees in Japan meet with their supervisors twice a year to discuss their performance and competency evaluations, as well as to express their ideas on how to proceed in their career path. Employees in Japan also have the chance to take on the challenge of a new position through the Shift Career System (SCS) and the Open Entry System (OES). The SCS enables employees to apply for positions in other departments and work areas that interest them regardless of whether there is a position immediately available. The OES allows them to apply for all openly advertised positions. Around 250 employees applied for approximately 100 open posts during fiscal 2009, and roughly 80 of them were successful in getting the positions they applied for. Fostering Specialized Skills Helping employees develop specialized skills over the medium to long term is vital for a company to achieve sustainable growth. They introduced the Nissan Expert Leader System as a means of strengthening and fostering further development of specialized skills in a wide range of technical and nontechnical areas like purchasing and accounting. In fiscal 2009, the systemââ¬â¢s fourth year, they focused on 91 fields of specialization, designating 42 employees as Expert Leaders and 2 management-level employees as Nissan Fellows. The Expert Leaders and Fellows make use of their specialized knowledge to contribute to Nissanââ¬â¢s business endeavours overall. In addition to sharing their knowledge with others via our corporate intranet and other communication tools, they contribute to the fostering of the next generation of experts by passing on their specialized skills in seminars and training courses. CREATING A CULTURE FOR LEARNING A Variety of Learning Opportunities As an organization that continues to grow through constant learning, Nissan supports employeesââ¬â¢ personal growth with a proactive, systematic approach to human-resource development. The act of learning is one in which people stretch themselves to develop skills that create value. They believe that a corporate culture of learning cannot exist without the motivation to take part in this value creation. The Learning Navigation system on their intranet is one means of providing employees with opportunities for learning. This system lets employees search for information whenever they wish to develop specialized skills, receive training in management techniques, participate in e-learning programs or take distance-learning courses. The site is updated regularly to provide information our employees need to increase their skills and build their careers, meeting their growing thirst for knowledge. Management Institute The Nissan Learning Center Management Institute in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, was established with the aim of cultivating human resources withà the specialized skills and leadership qualities needed for future development. The institute contributes to the ongoing creation of Nissan value through a number of programs, including human-resource development seminars, which provide leadership training to pass on the companyââ¬â¢s accumulated experience and knowledge to the next generation; cultural diversity workshops; and our Consortium Program, in which they invite other global companies to take part in cross-industry exchange. Moreover, the leaders of our business activities around the world who have taken part in such programs as our Nissan Way Workshops are now active in educating fellow employees in the Nissan Wayââ¬âthe crystallization of experience and knowledge gained through our companyââ¬â¢s revivalââ¬âdemonstrating our commitment to promoting a corporate cult ure of learning. Global Training Centers With the globalization of production systems, manufacturers must ensure that all of their manufacturing sites maintain consistent standards of quality. Nissan established Global Training Centers (GTCs) at its Oppama and Yokohama Plants in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, and at its Sunderland Plant in the United Kingdom to educate trainers who share their knowledge at Nissan plants around the world. Trainees selected from among all employees at Nissanââ¬â¢s production facilities worldwide are brought to the GTCs to take part in the companyââ¬â¢s Master Trainer Program. Upon finishing the program they are certified as Master Trainers and charged with instructing other employees at Regional Training Centers using a globally standardized curriculum and materials. As of the end of March 2010, 466 Master Trainers were hard at work passing on their technical skills to local employees at Nissan plants worldwide. Nissanââ¬â¢s accumulated know-how has been put into audio-visual form as an educational tool, available in five different languages, for global-standards training at GTCs. They also conduct ââ¬Å"Nissan DNAâ⬠training seminars for all management-level employees at our production sites, working to strengthen skills that contribute to improved quality and lower costs and to foster the human resources that can carry out more efficient management of production operations. INTERNAL COMMUNICATION Employee Surveys Nissan carries out surveys to get employee input and suggestions for improvements, using the results to help improve the companyââ¬â¢s management quality and employee motivation. From the results of these surveys, they identify the strengths of the company as a whole and those of individual divisions, as well as areas for improvement. They then work to make improvements that will lead to the creation of a better work environment for our employees and to continued growth for the company. The results of these efforts are analyzed for the company as a whole and for each region and department. Based on these analyses, each level of management formulates and carries out action plans tailored to specific needs. Enhancing Communication Tools Nissan introduced a corporate intranet system called WIN (Workforce Integration @ Nissan) in 2005 as a tool to promote communication and information sharing. Since then they have continued to update the system with new technologies while encouraging employees to make active use of this tool for internal communication and collaborative activities. They have expanded the WIN network beyond Japan, North America and Europe to include other markets and our major business partners. They also use internal newsletters and in-house video broadcasts to provide a variety of information to be shared by all employees at Nissan production sites around the world with no difference in time. Employee-Executive Exchange Nissan holds opinion-exchange meetings involving executives and employees as a means of building trust through clear communication between these two groups, as well as among employees themselves. These meetings, held at Nissanââ¬â¢s corporate headquarters in Japan as well as the companyââ¬â¢s business offices in China, North America and other parts of the world, give executives a venue for informing employees of the current situation of the company and delivering management messages. They also provide employees with opportunities to ask questions and voice their concerns in a direct and open manner. They plan to continue these meetings as an important channel for active communication. Ethical Issues Global Educational Activities to Promote Compliance As a means of fostering compliance awareness throughout the company, Nissan has established groups and placed officers in charge of promoting compliance policy in each region where it operates. We place special emphasis on education to ensure that all employees have a correct understanding of the Code of Conduct and, as a result, make fair, transparent judgments in the course of their duties. To ensure full understanding of the code in Japan, all employees, including executives, take an elearning or video training course based on the Japanese version of the Nissan Code of Conductââ¬âââ¬Å"Our Promises,â⬠instituted in April 2004ââ¬âafter which they sign an agreement to abide by it. The revised parts of the code in fiscal 2010 were in response to legal amendments and retained all employees since fiscal 2010 to further strengthen the spirit of compliance within the company. Education programs to promote compliance are held regularly for all employees in North America, and a set of universal guidelines has been drawn up for each country in Europe. Compliance-related training is also being carried out in the General Overseas Markets based on guidelines that take into account conditions in each of those countries. Moreover, all group-affiliated companies have introduced their own codes based on the Nissan Code of Conduct. Additionally, they have created sets of internal regulations covering the global prevention of insider trading and the management of personal information. Nissan seeks to heighten awareness of compliance companywide through such measures as well as various education and training programs. Our Stance against Discrimination and Harassment Item 6 of Nissanââ¬â¢s Global Code of Conduct, ââ¬Å"Value Diversity and Provide Equal Opportunity,â⬠is our requirement to accept value and respect the diversityà to be found among our employees, business partners, customers and communities where we do business, and to reject discrimination and harassment in all their forms, no matter how minor they may be. Nissan executives and employees must respect the human rights of others, and may not discriminate against nor harass others based on race, nationality, gender, religion, physical capability, age, and place of origin or other reason; nor may they allow such a situation to go unchecked if discovered. We also work to ensure that all employees, both male and female, can work in an environment free from sexual and other forms of harassment. PEST analysis PEST analysis is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. The use of PEST analysis can be seen effective for business and strategic planning, marketing planning, business and product development and research reports. PEST also ensures that companyââ¬â¢s performance is aligned positively with the powerful forces of change that are affecting business environment. PEST is useful when a company decides to enter its business operation into new markets and new countries. The use of PEST, in this case helps to break free of unconscious assumptions, and help to effectively adapt to the realities of the new environment. Looking at the current condition of Japan, it is difficult to mention anything about its political, economical, technological or sociocultural since there is no stability in the country at the moment, due to the natural disaster crises they are facing. SWOT Analysis Strength: 1) Global Brand: According to business Week Global Brand Scorecard Nissan is the fastest growing automotive brand. Nissanââ¬â¢s brand equity was valued at $3,108 million in 2006. Some of the companyââ¬â¢s passenger car models include Maxima, Sentra, Altima, Versa, Z Roadstar and Z Coupe. Some of its truck models are Quest, Armada, Pathfinder, Murand and Xterra. Brand strength provides competitive advantage that can offset the increasing competition. Over the last five years company has establish the global brand by focusing on the brand pyramid and dynamics that caters the silky design, the vibrant experience, the interplay between serenity and driving pleasure has reached a high level of alignment and consistency. That makes it easier to communicate about the brand and specific features of its model. 2) Renault-Nissan Alliance: The alliance has provided advantages to both companies. They can move into new markets faster and with lower costs because they dont have to build new plants. (Renault builds cars in Nissans Mexico plants and Nissan uses Renaults Brazil plant and distribution networks) The companies are collaborating on building common platforms, components and engines, and each company leads engine design in their area of expertiseRenault in diesel and Nissan in gasoline. And they have increased purchasing power because they buy components for six million cars not three as will be in the case of Nissan alone. The alliance has so far boosted the profitability, market capitalization and sales in 192 countries for both partners. CEO and president of Renault to his titles in 2005, says hell rely on the strengths of two distinct work forces: French innovation in concept stages and Japanese dedication to process in manufacturing. 3) Most fuel efficient car: Nissan is known to m ake the most fuel efficient cars over the years and this has become one of its major strengths in the competitive market. Due to its fuel efficient car, the demand for them has also increased over the past few years. Weakness: 1) Product Innovation time lag: Nissan launched two new or redesigned vehicles, in comparison to 14 in the three previous years. Nissan has misjudged its model strategy in the United States over the past few years. Like the other Japanese automakers, the company was a relative late-comer to the countrys high-profit margin and high-volume pick-up markets. Nissans late entry meant that it has suffered from the decline in the sector as a result of rising fuel prices in Japan, While Toyota and Nissan have been well placed to benefit from a shift in emphasis in Japan market towards compact sales as a result of the Scion and Civic models respectively, Nissan at the moment has no competitive offering in this segment. However, thereà are a number of new models that should reinvigorate the companys fortunes in the United States, including the Sentra and Altima mid-size sedans, as well as its luxury-brand Infiniti G35 sedan. The company also desperately needs new offering in key segments in the European market. The Almera C-segment hatchback and Primera D-segment sedan are hopelessly outmoded and largely ignored by European buyers, although the new Note small multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) should provide Nissan with a sales success in Europe. 2) Lack of Diesel Technology: In the Japanese market, diesel accounts for only 0.4% of vehicles sold (Rowley, 2006). In contrast, diesel is very popular and its share in overall sales has been increasing. In the year ending 1st January 2006 the number of diesel cars sold increased by 7.5%. Some analysts believe that the diesel market will account for more than 80% of total vehicle sales in Europe by the end of 2008. Diesel technology has been improving significantly over the past decade reducing emissions, fuel consumption and cost. As Nissanââ¬â¢s home country has a low demand for diesel engines, Nissan lacks the technology and experience to produce diesel engines of comparative quality. Opportunity: 1) Asia market: Lower penetration coupled with strong rise in income levels, led to continuous jumps in car sales in markets like china and India. In fact china, followed by India is estimated to be major growth driver in the next decade. Hence it is necessary for global player to be present in these countries. Therefore all global players either have products for these markets or planning to develop products to enter into these markets. In India in year 2004-05 domestic sales of car and utility vehicles has crossed the 1 million mark. 2) Relocate its manufacturing unit to reduce cost: The Japanese car maker has stepped up their policy of producing where demand exists. Car making is an industry situated at a forefront of globalization and major player is accelerating their cross border activities. Manufacturing units in America and Europe have huge capacities in line with their vast domestic automobileà output. While this offered them the benefits of scale, the continuous sluggish growth in their local market and their inflationary increase in production cost, especially wage cost. Adoption of cost reduction measure became imperative for players to survive. China, India and Thailand have been regarded as the Low Cost Production bases with their unique offering to the outsourcers. Low cost country will provide them the global clientele and technology and also have synergetic operation. Area of opportunity for India lies in the products which have high level of design and engineering requirements, low level of auto mation and significant assembly requirement. 3) Renault-Nissan Purchasing Organization (RNPO): The RNPO, which was established in 2001 in the early stages of the alliance, was one of the key ways in which Renault-Nissan would combine their resources to create a more efficient organization. Currently Nissan and Renault share 60% of the same part and raw material suppliers. This has led Nissan to achieve greater purchasing power and has served to reduce costs and reduce the bargaining power of suppliers. There still remains significant opportunity through the RNPO to decrease costs and provide increased competitive advantage. Threats: 1) Cross-Cultural Disharmony: As Nissan and Renault become further integrated with one another, the risk of cross-cultural disharmony increases. If disharmony occurs then, as occurred at DaimlerChrysler, overall company performance may be reduced and the current strengths that the Alliance provides may become instabilities. Nissan is currently working to reduce the likelihood through its Business Way program but corporate and national culture takes a long time to change. 2) Rising Commodity Prices: Due to the economic expansion of China, changes in commodity prices could affect the costs incurred by Nissan. Over the past 12 months, the price of steel used in car production has risen by nearly 30% (London Metal Exchange, 2006). Nissan has taken steps to reduce the effect of rising steel prices; in 2000, Nissan began using hot dip zinc coated steel and converted to less expensive steel in 2002, which saved about $16 million per year (Nissan Motor Co., 2004). This however, has done little toà reduce the upward pressure on vehicle costs and prices. As this increase in cost has been passed on to the consumer, demand for new vehicles has reduced. This threatens Nissans viability in the region. 3) Market saturation: With overall industry sales number stagnant, if not declining in key economies term, the overall automobile industry has been significantly impacted. Due to overall market saturation, the individual company new product development strategy towards market expansion is changing from iterative year on year model changes to drastic innovation. The emergence of SUV market few years back is an evidence of how product and market innovation has changed the very composition of US auto market. Marketing Strategies TARGET MARKET Nissanââ¬â¢s target market will be the low-level income group and middle class. Whereas Infinitiââ¬â¢s target market is people looking for luxury, great driving experience with unparallel appeal. With constant awareness and education about Nissan affordability and safety features, different type of group could be acquired resulting in increase of brand loyal consumers. People are more aware and therefore, they are constantly more particular when deciding which car to purchase. With strategic advertisement, consumers can be attracted with its latest features and a new image Nissan will provide to owners. NISSAN TARGET MARKET: GEOGRAPHIC SEGMENT The major concern of Nissan is to capture all the district headquarters of the country resulting in its coverage of almost all over the country. NISSAN TARGET MARKET: PSYCHOGRAPHICS With new image Nissan will provide to its buyers, owners will feel more confident and proud considering that Nissan is an international organization with strong background resulting driving Nissan a status symbol. Also safety and comfort are big factors of considerations in a consumers mind so Nissan by focusing on these factors will attract safety and comfort conscious people. Seeing its potential, consumers will most likely shift to Nissan. NISSAN TARGET MARKET: DEMOGRAPHICS Primary Target market belongs to middle class, upper middle class and low earning income people in society, falling in income bracket of below $ 2500. Also the target will be people from 25 60year old who are major automobile buyers. DISTRIBUTION STRATEGIES Basically there are two types of distribution channels available: Direct distribution and In-direct distribution PROMOTION STRATEGIES Promotion is one of the most important factors of marketing; it is done to affect the consumer behaviour in order to achieve sales and increase product image. In promotion the major task is to make consumers aware of the product and to attract consumer towards the product by highlighting the advantages of the product. Also it keeps consumers aware and well informed about productââ¬â¢s features and improvements. ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH An extensive market research will be conducted to have better idea about consumersââ¬â¢ perception about Nissan and its competitors. For this purpose Nissan will acquire services of marketing and research agencies to better analyze market environment. This will enable Nissan to learn about the consumersââ¬â¢ behaviour, how they perceive us and compare with the competitor. The media of the advertising a product is always chosen after the market environment research to get knowledge that if the target audience is interested in that mode of advertisement or not. ADVERTISING To advertise the product better and create awareness about product; Nissan will use different advertisement methods to approach the consumers. The diversity of advertisement channels will help in reaching the masses of different mindsets. Following Advertisement methods will be used: â⬠¢ Nisan will use print and electronic media to introduce the product to consumers. â⬠¢ Special events will be sponsored by Nissan. â⬠¢ Use of Billboards, flex signs etc for massive introduction of carââ¬â¢s launch. â⬠¢ Special road shows and displays will be set at dealers outlets. â⬠¢ Prize contest will be conducted to attract people towards the car. Financial Review Net sales For fiscal year 2009, consolidated net revenues decreased 10.9%, to à ¥7.517 trillion, which reflected the strong yen offsetting the increase in sales volume. Operating profit Consolidated operating profit totalled à ¥311.6 billion, compared to a negative à ¥137.9 billion in fiscal year 2008. Net income Net non-operating expenses increased à ¥69.1 billion to à ¥103.9 billion from à ¥34.8 billion in fiscal 2008. Net income reached à ¥42.4 billion, an increase of à ¥276.1 billion from fiscal year 2008. Major competitors In Asia the 3 big of the automobile industry is Nissan, Toyota and Honda. But Nissan Motors major competitor is Toyota Motor Corporation. Toyota, much larger than Nissan and possessing deeper financial pockets, was better positioned to sustain the losses incurred from the global economic downturn. Consequently, Nissan entered its ninth decade of operation facing formidable obstacles. The first financial decline came in 1991, when the companys consolidated operating profit plummeted 64.3 percent to à ¥125 billion (US$886 million). Six months later, Nissan registered its first pretax loss since becoming a publicly traded company in 1951à ¥14.2 billion during the first half of 1992. The losses mounted in the next two years, growing to à ¥108.1 billion in 1993 and à ¥202.4 billion by 1994, or nearly US$2 billion. To arrest the precipitous drop in company profits, Nissans management introduced various cost-cutting measuressuch as reducing its materials and manufacturing costswhich sav ed the company roughly US$1.5 billion in 1993, with an additional US$1.2 billion savings realized in 1994. Nissan also became the first Japanese company to close a plant in Japan since World War II and cut nearly 12,000 workers in Japan, Spain, and the United States from its payroll. Nissan also was staggering under a debt load that reached as high as US$32 billion and threatened to bankrupt the company. Only intervention from Nissans lead lender, Industrial Bank of Japan, kept the company afloat. There were some positive signs in the early 1990s to inspire hope for the future. Nissans 1993 sales increased nearly 20 percent, vaulting the car maker past Honda Motor Co., Ltd. to reclaim the number two ranking in import sales to the all-important U.S. market. Much of this gain was attributable to robust sales of the Nissan Altima, a replacement for its Stanza model, which was introduced in 1992 and marketed in the United States as a small luxury sedan priced under $13,000. To the joy of Nissans management, however, the Altima typically was purchased with various options added on, giving the company an additional $2,000 to $3,000à per car. Nissan also was encouraged by strong sales of its Quest minivan, which was introduced in the United States in 1992 and had been developed jointly with Ford Motor, which marketed its own version, the Ford Windstar. Nissans losses continued through the fiscal year ending in March 1996, cumulating to US$3.2 billion over a four-year span. The companys return to profitability in fiscal 1997 came about in part because of the cost-cutting program and in part from the yens dramatic depreciation against the dollar. Despite the return to the black, Nissan remained a troubled company. From its 1972 peak of 34 percent, the companys share of the Japanese auto market had fallen to 20 percent by early 1997. Competition from the more financially stable Toyota and Honda played a factor in this decline, but Nissan also hurt itself by failing to keep pace with changing consumer tastes both in Japan and in overseas markets. For example, Nissan was behind its rivals in adding minivans and sport utility vehicles to its product line-up, having for years dismissed these sectors as passing fads. Meanwhile, minivans, sport utility vehicles, and station wagons accounted for half of all passenger car sales in Japan by early 1997, up from just more than ten percent in 1990. In the U.S. market, the Altima lost ground to two midsized rivals, the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry, because Nissans model was smaller and thus less desirable. In the luxury car sector, Toyotas Lexus line became the hot brand in the United States, triumphing over the Infiniti. Because of these and other factors, Nissan returned to the red for fiscal years 1998 and 1999. Although the losses were not as large as earlier in the decade, the companys continued sky-high debt loadwhich stood at US$19.7 billion in late 1998did not bode well for Nissans future. Business Strategies, Keeping Competitive Edge 1) Product Strategy To secure our profitability and sustainable growth based on our future product line up plan, in our product strategy developing process, we are monitoring the impacts of some different types of risk scenarios such as global market changes and demand deteriorations to our future profitability (COP) based on our plan. 1. Drastic decline of total global demand, past examples as reference case. 2. A demand shift between vehicle segments drastically faster than our assumptions in our mid-term planning. 3. A demand shift from the matured markets to the emerging markets drastically faster than our assumptions in our mid-term planning. We periodically monitor the impact of these scenarios to secure our future profitability and sustainable growth, and also update our future line-up plans periodically based on the results. To improve the robustness of our product line up against these risks, we take following countermeasures as our main direction when planning our product strategy. Expand availability of individual products across markets to mitigate the risk of single market demand fluctuations. Increase volume and efficiency per product through a consolidation and rationalization of the portfolio to lower the breakeven point and thereby reduce the profit risk of global Total Industry Volume declines. Prepare a more balanced product portfolio meeting needs in a broader range of markets and segments reducing reliance on specific large markets. 2) Quality of Products Services Nissan is working on the corporate task named ââ¬Å"Quality Leadershipâ⬠which aims for achieving top level quality by FY2012. In this project, actions are carried out with numerical targets for following 4 areas. 1. Perceived quality attractiveness: Customersââ¬â¢ impression on vehicleââ¬â¢s quality when customer looks it at a dealerââ¬â¢s show room 2. Product quality: Quality of product itself based on the experiences as an owner of the vehicle 3. Sales service quality: Quality related to behaviour or attitude of sales staff or quality of service when inspection and maintenance 4. Quality of management: internal management quality to improve employeesââ¬â¢ motivation which supports above 3 qualities For example, target of ââ¬Å"Product qualityâ⬠is to become top level at Most Influential Indicator (MII) of each region. In order to achieve the target, it is broken down to internal indicators by model which correlate with MII. Progress of all quality improvement activities are monitored with thoseà internal indicators. All the actions are taken based on rotating PDCA cycle, such as, the progress of activities are monthly reviewed by ââ¬Å"Quality Committeeâ⬠chaired by EVP and necessary actions are decided. Total picture of ââ¬Å"Quality Leadershipâ⬠on global base is monitored and discussed at the Global Quality Meeting chaired by COO annually. 2 years passed since this project started and it is going well. We are confident that we can achieve the target by FY2012. With respect to new model project, in order to achieve the quality target of each project, milestone meetings set at each key process of design, preparation for production and production, confirm key check points, such as achievement of quality targets, adoption of measures to prevent recurrence of past problem, adoption of measures for potential risks related to new technology / new mechanism / design change. Commercial production can be started after confirmation at ââ¬Å"SOP (Start of Production) Judgment Meetingâ⬠, which confirms all issues are solved and quality target can be achieved. Final decision that the model can be sold is made at ââ¬Å"Delivery Judgment Meetingâ⬠, after confirmation of quality of commercial production and preparedness for service / maintenance. As described above, Nissan is implementing thorough quality check before new model launch. Nissan is progressing quality improvement activities also after launch by gathering quality information from markets and prompt deployment of countermeasures. In case of occurrence of safety or compliance issues, necessary actions such as recall are implemented with close cooperation with market side team based on the decision by independent process from management. Occurred incidents are deeply investigated, analyzed and feed backed to models on the way of production or development for prevention of recurrence In addition to above described activities, such as quality assurance at new model project and quality improvement activities on daily basis, the ââ¬Å"Quality Risk Managementâ⬠framework has been newly developed from FY2009.à This is the high level system to ensure successful quality management for on-going and future projects. This includes assessment of quality related risks, evaluation of risk level, assignment of responsible person based on the level and to clarify organization for follow up. These processes are implemented at ââ¬Å"Quality Risk Management Committeeâ⬠chaired by EVP twice a year. 3) Compliance and Reputation As described above, Nissan produced the Nissan Global Code of Conduct for all employees of the Nissan group worldwide. To ensure thorough understanding of the code, training and education program such as e-learning is improved and compliant situation is monitored by Global Compliance Committee. Nissan has also adopted the internal whistle blowing system (Easy Voice System). This allows any employees to submit opinions, questions, requests or suspected compliance issue directly to Nissanââ¬â¢s management. Additionally, Nissan created sets of internal regulations covering the Global Prevention of Insider Trading and the management of personal information. Nissan keeps effort to prevent reputation risk to the company by continuous implementation of such measures as various education and training programs. Conclusion As the automobile industry is booming, It is necessary to keep up with the competition. The only way to compete with the competitors is to come out with innovative technology, fuel efficient cars, and luxury looking yet affordable cars. Nissan has not only concentrated on making cars but also provided their support to various stakeholders. Its working has benefited the environment by taking many environmental initiatives such as starting the Nissan Green Program 2010. The company also has worked towards effectively and efficiently developing their employees in terms of specialisation, or giving them a work-life balance. In line with its vision of Enriching Peopleââ¬â¢s Lives, Nissanââ¬â¢s desire is to provide attractive products and services to customers worldwide while at the same time fulfilling its responsibility as a corporate citizen to help realize a sustainable society.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
The Green Mile by Stephen King :: Movies Film
The Green Mile by Stephen King is the story of man with god-given powers of healing sentenced to death and the change he cause in the prison guards. The themes of compassion and sacrifice can be seen in this novel. The theme of compassion is very much a part of this book. One part especially shows this truth. Percy, a prison guard, crushes a death row prisoner's pet mouse, which the prisoner loved more than life itself. This cruel act displays Percy's extreme lack of compassion and how little he cares about other people. Also, this action blazes the way for another heartless act of ruthlessness. When Percy is scheduled to be the executioner on death row, he "accidentally" does something wrong. Instead of taking the standard precautions to make death by the electric chair swift and painless, his mistake makes the death of Eduard Delacroix go slowly and painfully. After causing this agonizing death, Percy gets what he deserves and is never mentioned again. When a towering black man named John Coffey is sentenced to death by the electric chair, the prison guards assume that he was as guilty as any death row prisoner. But later, they start to believe that he is being punished for a crime which he did not commit. They learn that he was found holding two dead girls and thought to have killed them. The truth was that he was trying to use his god-given gift of healing to save the murdered children. The prison guards made it their mission to keep John Coffey from experiencing the cruel death which so many before had faced. They had a plan for Coffey's salvation all worked out. Surprisingly, when they asked Coffey if he wanted to escape, he replied that he could not stand all the misery and hate going on in the world, and that he wanted to die.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Global Climate Change Technology and Carbon-Cycle Projection Models :: Greenhouse Gases Pollution
Global Climate Change Technology and Carbon-Cycle Projection Models Introduction ââ¬Å"Global climate changeâ⬠is the hippest buzz phrase for radical environmentalists, dutiful scientists, industry heads, and policy-makers alike. Philosophically, it is proof that the environment is humanityââ¬â¢s connective tissue; whether your lifeââ¬â¢s work is spent tilling a field, manufacturing steel, or conducting conference calls, global climate change affects you. The gravity of this human-environment issue is highlighted in the headlines of the EPAââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Science and Policy Newsâ⬠: ââ¬Å"Researchers See ââ¬ËNo Doubtââ¬â¢ of Human Influence on Climate,â⬠ââ¬Å"Climate Change May Be Greater Threat to Biodiversity than Habitat Loss,â⬠ââ¬Å"Largest Arctic Ice Shelf Breaks Upâ⬠(http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/NewsandEventsScienceandPolicyNews.html). To ensure the further sustainable progress of humanity, it is critical that we work to understand our relationship to climate and its changes. This paper is an assessment of the current work being done to foster that understanding. Specifically, it evaluates global climate change modeling technology, especially the carbon-cycle models imperative for emissions-reduction policy. Climate Science Driven by interactions between the atmosphere, the sea, and life on land, climate is the ââ¬Å"average weatherâ⬠of Earth (http://www.met-office.gov.uk/research/hadleycentre/models/climate_system.html). The climate system is the sum of the gas, heat, and momentum exchanges that take place between all the components of climate: the atmosphere, the biosphere, the cryosphere (icy earth surfaces), and the land surface. Global climate determines the Earthââ¬â¢s weather; tropical storms, drought, and other large-scale weather events can have catastrophic effects on human communities. Global climate determines Earthââ¬â¢s seasons; crop growing seasons ebb and flow with annual rain and sun variations. Global climate determines the terrestrial and oceanic composition of Earth; should average global temperature rise enough, ice caps and glaciers melt, increasing sea levels on coastal zone where millions of people live. In short, the global climate system influences the most ba sic processes we depend on for survival. A bare-bones definition of climate change refers to variations in climate within different time scales, or to a change in the long-term weather patterns on the planet. However, the broader connotations of the term are critically important to an understanding of climate technology and its applications. Though climate change can be caused by fluctuations in Earthââ¬â¢s cycles and temperature due to ââ¬Å"naturalâ⬠flux in solar radiation, seasonality, or atmospheric concentration (as happens after a volcanic eruption), the term increasingly implies changes in global temperature with significant economic, social, and environmental ramifications (http://nsidc.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Essay on Climate Change
Climate is the average condition of temperature, amount of water vapor in air that is humidity and rainfall that has persisted over years and centuries and millenniums. Does climate ever change? Yes! It had changed! Earth, when newly made, was hot and red! Eventually it cooled and biological life started. Then Ice age eclipsed whole of the Earth, with chilled winds blowing all over the place. Gradually, the climate again changed to normal. Then the question arises, ââ¬Å"What is actually normal temperature? â⬠It might be the range of level of mercury in which life can persist.The climate, therefore, has changed, starting from hot to normal to cold and then it began reversing to normal and then what? What is going to be the next? Are we moving to the starting? The Earth may get that hot again. As we are seeing, these days, the issue of Global warming, green house effect is becoming the primary talk. But which force is changing the climate? The earlier stages of climate change w ere supposed to be caused by natural phenomena such as meteor strike, volcanoes, air currents and many others.But presently, what is causing climate change? None of the natural effects is taking place. But still, the temperature is rising, the Ice at the poles is melting, carbon dioxide levels are increasing and the ozone layer is being damaged. These all disasters are taking place due only one parasite, the HUMAN RACE. Humans are setting up industries, power plants, using excess of air conditioners, burning fossil fuels and flourishing cities just for the sake of the rise of temperature and increase of toxins in the air.A person driving a car, relaxing in the cool air of ACs and listening to the radio does not realize that he is emitting thirty seven grams of highly toxic carbon monoxide every four kilometers and amounts of sulfur dioxide. A youngster spending time on social networking on a computer doesnââ¬â¢t realize that he is emitting two hundred fifty kilograms of Carbon di oxide every year. These all will invite doom. Sulfur dioxide will combine with clouds and sulfuric acid would rain. The reaction of sulfuric acid with life would turn the latter into pillars of carbon. Due to rise in temperature, our lakes and seas would evaporate.Our monuments would fall. To prevent ourselves from doom, we should use everything sustainably. Now, what is sustainability? It means the use of resources judiciously so that they sustain for the generations to come. Letââ¬â¢s map a dream city that is sustainable and comfortable. The main issue that is swallowing most of the natural resources and emitting a huge amount of heat and harmful gases is the production of electricity from power plants. These days, most of the electricity for domestic and industrial use is being created from the combustion of coal. Coal is a fossil fuel and may end up soon if used in excess.Besides when burnt, it gives out many poisonous fumes including oxides of sulfur, nitrogen and carbon mon oxide. It also gives out CO2, a greenhouse gas. We can use nuclear energy to reduce the emissions of poisonous fumes but may not be able to reduce CO2 content. The other options that arise are solar and wind energy, but they are a diffused source and not permanent. Hydroelectric energy and tidal energy is also getting famous and are also good alternatives. Then arises the second most alarming issue, that is, pollution by automobiles. Petroleum is quite polluting and limited fossil fuels.One good alternative of this may be hydrogen. Hydrogen is one of the most abundant element on Earth and the fuel with one of the highest caloforic value. But it may seem bulky plus it is highly explosive. CNG and LPG are also good fuels but are also a part of fossil fuels. Third issue is the increase in usage of non ââ¬â biodegrable materials such as plastics and synthetic fibres. Currently, usage of paper bags and jute bags is suggested to be the best. The last prominent issue is the scarcity of water. Water is being used in excess and soon potable water may perish.Good options are usage of special toilets designed to use less water in flush and usage of renewed water. So, my dream city would be like this: Everyone use electrical equipment judiciously. Electricity would be produced from Solar, Wind, and Tidal & Hydroelectric energy. Everyone would use jute and paper bags and wonââ¬â¢t do unnecessary shopping. Every bit of paper would be recycled. Cars would run on hydrogen, battery and car pool would persist. Cycles would be preferred more. Toilets would use less water and no tap would be kept open unnecessarily. Luxurious, Global warming free, green and sustainable, a dream city would beâ⬠¦..
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Biography of William Boss Tweed, American Politician
Biography of William 'Boss' Tweed, American Politician William M. ââ¬Å"Bossâ⬠Tweed (April 3, 1823ââ¬âApril 12, 1878) was an American politician who, as the leader of the political organization Tammany Hall, controlled New York City politics in the years following the Civil War. Tweed leveraged his power as a landowner and corporate board member to extend his influence throughout the city. Along with other members of the ââ¬Å"Tweed Ring,â⬠he was suspected of siphoning untold millions from the cityââ¬â¢s coffers before public outrage turned against him and he was finally prosecuted. Fast Facts: William M. 'Boss' Tweed Known For: Tweed commanded Tammany Hall, the 19th-century New York City political machine.Born: April 3, 1823 in New York CityDied: April 12, 1878 in New York CitySpouse: Jane Skaden (m. 1844) Early Life William M. Tweed was born on Cherry Street in lower Manhattan on April 3, 1823. There is a dispute about his middle name, which was often mistakenly given as Marcy, but which was actually Magear- his mothers maiden name. In newspaper accounts and official documents during his lifetime, his name is usually printed simply as William M. Tweed. As a boy, Tweed went to a local school and received a typical education for the time, and then apprenticed as a chair maker. During his teens, he developed a reputation for street fighting. Like many youths in the area, Tweed became attached to a local volunteer fire company. In that era, neighborhood fire companies were closely aligned with local politics. Fire companies had illustrious names, and Tweed became associated with Engine Company 33, whose nickname was ââ¬Å"Black Joke.â⬠The company had a reputation for brawling with other companies that would try to outrace them to fires. When Engine Company 33 disbanded, Tweed, then in his mid-20s, was one of the organizers of the new Americus Engine Company, which became known as Big Six. Tweed was credited with making the companyââ¬â¢s mascot a roaring tiger, which was painted on the side of its engine. When Big Six would respond to a fire in the late 1840s, its members pulling the engine through the streets, Tweed could usually be seen running ahead, shouting commands through a brass trumpet. A fire company of the type led by young Boss Tweed. Library of Congress Early Political Career With his local fame as the foreman of Big Six and his gregarious personality, Tweed seemed a natural candidate for a political career. In 1852 he was elected the alderman of the Seventh Ward, an area in lower Manhattan. Tweed then ran for Congress and won, beginning his term in March 1853. However, he did not enjoy life in Washington, D.C., or his work in the House of Representatives. Though great national events were being debated on Capitol Hill, including theà Kansas-Nebraska Act, Tweedââ¬â¢s interests were back in New York. After his one term in Congress, he returned to New York City, though he did visit Washington for one event. In March 1857 the Big Six fire company marched in the inaugural parade forà President James Buchanan, led by former congressman Tweed in his firemanââ¬â¢s gear. Tammany Hall Boss Tweed depicted by Thomas Nast as a bag of money. Getty Images Picking up again in New York City politics, Tweed was elected to the cityââ¬â¢s Board of Supervisors in 1857. It was not a highly noticeable position, though Tweed was perfectly positioned to begin corrupting the government. He would remain on the Board of Supervisors throughout the 1860s. Tweed eventually rose to the pinnacle of Tammany Hall, the New York political machine, and was elected the ââ¬Å"Grand Sachemâ⬠of the organization. He was known to work closely with two particularly unscrupulous businessmen, Jay Gould and Jim Fisk. Tweed was also elected as a state senator, and his name would occasionally appear in newspaper reports about mundane civic matters. When the funeral procession for Abraham Lincoln marched up Broadway in April 1865, Tweed was mentioned as one of many local dignitaries who followed the hearse. By the late 1860s, the finances of the city were essentially being overseen by Tweed, with a percentage of nearly every transaction being kicked back to him and his ring. Though he was never elected mayor, the public generally regarded him as the true leader of the city. Downfall By 1870, the newspapers were referring to Tweed as Boss Tweed, and his power over the cityââ¬â¢s political apparatus was nearly absolute. Tweed, partly due to his personality and his penchant for charity, was very popular with the common people. Legal problems began to appear, however. Financial improprieties in city accounts came to the attention of newspapers, and on July 18, 1871, an accountant who worked for Tweeds ring delivered a ledger listing suspicious transactions to The New York Times. Within days, the details of Tweeds thievery appeared on the front page of the newspaper. A reform movement consisting of Tweeds political enemies, concerned businessmen, journalists, and the noted political cartoonist Thomas Nast began toà attack the Tweed ring. After complicated legal battles and a celebrated trial, Tweed was convicted and sentenced to jail in 1873. He managed to escape in 1876, fleeing first to Florida, then Cuba, and finally Spain. The Spanish authorities arrested him and turned him over to the Americans, who returned him to prison in New York City. Death Tweed died in prison, in lower Manhattan, on April 12, 1878. He was buried in an elegant family plot at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. Legacy Tweed pioneered a certain system of politics that came to be known as bossism. Though seeming to exist at the outer fringe of New York City politics, Tweed actually wielded more political clout than anyone in the city. For years he managed to keep a low public profile, working behind the scenes to orchestrate victories for his political and business allies- those who were part of the Tammany Hall machine. During this time, Tweed was mentioned only in passing in the press as a fairly obscure political appointee. However, the highest officials in New York City, all the way up to the mayor, generally did what Tweed and The Ring directed. Sources Golway, Terry. Machine Made: Tammany Hall and the Creation of Modern American Politics. Liveright, 2015.Sante, Luc. Low Life: Lures and Snares of Old New York. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003.
Monday, October 21, 2019
Brown vs. Board of Education essays
Brown vs. Board of Education essays Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka was the landmark case that resulted in desegregating of public schools. On May 17,1954, the United States Supreme Court issued an unanimous decision that it was unconstitutional, violating the Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection clause) to separate children in public schools based on their race. Advocates of desegregation were certain that racially mixed schools, more than any other institutions , would facilitate the cherished American dream of equal opportunity. In this belief they reflected long standing assumptions about the powerful role of education in life. In many instances the schools for African American children were substandard facilities with outdated textbooks and often no basic school supplies. What was not in question was the dedication and qualification of the African American teachers and principals assigned to these schools.(www.hrcr.org/docs/usconstitution/brown2.html, p.1) Black schools were not only inferior in terms of facilities. As Peterson emphasized, segregation was as damaging as inequality. It shunted black students from the mainstream, isolating them and depriving them from association or competition with whites. Separation of African American children from others of similar age and qualifications because of their race "generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone.""(Gollnick,p.169) As early as1849 with the Roberts case in Boston, Massachusetts, African American parents challenged the system of education in the United States which mandated separate schools for their children based on race.(1) There have been six cases involving the "separate but equal" doctrine in the field of public education in American courts, prior to Brown case in 1954. (Carson,p.69) In Cumming v. County Board of Education, 175 U.S. 528, Gong Lum v. Rice, 275 ...
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Words Based on Portare
Words Based on Portare Words Based on Portare Words Based on Portare By Mark Nichol The Latin verb portare, meaning ââ¬Å"carry,â⬠is the basis of many words pertaining to moving things from one place to another, as detailed in the discussion below. The direct descendant of portare is the verb port; the noun port, meaning ââ¬Å"harborâ⬠or ââ¬Å"opening,â⬠is distantly related, with a common proto-Indo-European root. More specific compounds pertaining to the sense of ââ¬Å"harborâ⬠include airport and seaport (and, so far only in fictional contexts, spaceport). Port also once referred to oneââ¬â¢s personal bearing; this term is obsolete, though the sense is preserved in the noun deportment. (Comportment, meaning ââ¬Å"behavior,â⬠has a similar sense, although the verb comport means not only ââ¬Å"behaveâ⬠but also ââ¬Å"agree with.â⬠) Meanwhile, the verb deport less often refers to deportment than it applies to banishment; the noun form for the latter sense is deportation.) The two senses of porter derive from the distinct meanings of port; one describes a person who carries (also the source of the surname Porter and the name of a type of dark beer once favored by porters and other laborers), and the other refers to a gatekeeper. (The name of the cut of steak called porterhouse derives from the name of a type of restaurant where porter was served.) Portmanteau (literally ââ¬Å"carry cloakâ⬠) originally referred to a court official responsible for bearing a royal personââ¬â¢s mantle, or cloak, and later came to describe a suitcase with two compartments. Lewis Carroll gave the word a metaphorical new meaning of ââ¬Å"a word with two meanings packed into one,â⬠a designation for such coinages of his as chortle (probably intended as a mash-up of chuckle and snort). Something that is portable is able to be carried. Portage, which in its identical French form originally referred to a tax paid for entering a town, as did its Medieval Latin forebear portaticum (also derived from portare), came in English to mean ââ¬Å"an act of carryingâ⬠and later developed the specific sense of carrying boats across land from one body of water to another. Portfolio derives from the Italian noun portafoglio, referring first to a case for carrying papers and later to government documents as well as samples of an artist or designerââ¬â¢s work. ââ¬Å"Prà ªt porter,â⬠adopted directly from French, literally means ââ¬Å"ready to carryâ⬠but pertains to clothing that is ready to wear- that is, bought off the rack rather than custom-tailored. Asportation is a legal term referring to the element of larceny that consists of carrying away another personââ¬â¢s property. To disport is to amuse or divert, from the notion of emotionally or mentally carrying one away. To export is to carry out, and to import is to carry in; the noun forms are exportation and importation. Import, in the sense of ââ¬Å"implyâ⬠or ââ¬Å"signifyâ⬠(as in ââ¬Å"to be of great importâ⬠), and the adjective important, the adverb importantly, and the noun importance stem from the notion of ââ¬Å"carryingâ⬠significance. Purport has the same derivation; as a noun, it is synonymous with the ââ¬Å"conveyedâ⬠or ââ¬Å"impliedâ⬠senses of import, though as a verb it can mean ââ¬Å"intendâ⬠or, more often, suggests a specious claim. Rapport originally meant ââ¬Å"referenceâ⬠or ââ¬Å"relationâ⬠but came to specifically describe interpersonal harmony, as in the case of two people who develop a close affinity. Report derives from the sense of carrying information (including an explosive sound, as that produced by firing a gun); a person who does so is a reporter, and what the reporter accomplishes is reportage. To support is to carry as an act of assistance or reinforcement; one who helps by literally or figuratively carrying for another is a supporter. To transport is to carry something or someone from one place to another. A person or device that does so is a transporter (as in the case of the teleportation devices in the Star Trek entertainment franchise), and the act is called transportation. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire YouProbable vs. PossibleWriting a Thank You Note
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Management and Financial Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Management and Financial Accounting - Essay Example The management account is a system of Accounting which deals with the information that is useful to the managers and employees with in the organization. Information of M A can be money or non money process. It helps in Management of plan, control and decision making process. It does not require any kind of legal requirement. In simpler words MA is useful in the assistance of planning, controlling, decision making and motivation. On the other hand financial accounting deals with the reporting of the official accounts on demand of the shareholder, government agencies and other parties external to the firm. FA deals with the accounts, records and the performance of the firm over a considered period. FA is limited to some companies and FA must be prepared by law. They are to be produced every year. FA mostly deals with money. It should operate with in the framework determined by law and IASS. FA represents the historic picture of the past operations. Preparing of these accounts gave birt h to the some other standard boards under the authorities of the previous standard boards and the government authorities and the main aim of such standard boards is to build up a firm in which such standards are introduced which are useful all over the world and their principle is to from such standards which are useful all over the world and useful for education and, implementing in the calculation of accounts in the multi nationals. And they hope and try their best to create an international standard so compatible that no other firm can be compared with it.
Friday, October 18, 2019
In Class Essay #2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
In Class #2 - Essay Example weat shop labor has become the major means of producing fake and cheap goods especially in the textile market and the working conditions are deplorable with meager wages being given to the workers. While Goodwin argues that sweatshop labor provides a means of employment for women who are dominated by men. The employment gives them a chance to be financially independent and to make their own choices. However, it must also be borne in mind that the women are subjected to horrendous working conditions and paid very little wages. It is their employer who enjoys maximum benefits out of the profit. This inequality in profit distribution will never help the working class to grow and lead a better life. Additionally all the goods produced by such companies are counterfeit and intellectual property theft has risen drastically over the past years. Purchase of such goods by consumers with the notion that they are genuine and later realizing that they arenââ¬â¢t results in loss of consumer tr ust and that in turn could be a major blow to design houses that invent the goods. Among the other countries China produces a major chunk of such fake products which have created a market for themselves. The massive unemployment coupled with economic restructuring has resulted in many people including children opting for job that pay meager wages. Employment of children by such companies has been on a rise as recent reports in China indicate that children could constitute about 20 percent of the workforce which prevents them from fulfilling their right to education. While men and women are paid only a fraction of the minimum wage that they are due, the plight of the children could be even worse. Their young age and vigor are misused and are expected to work day and night and in some cases with only one day off in a year. While the law states that it is illegal to employ children who are under 16 for work, it is not strictly enforced. Thus the entire scenario includes breach of human rights,
Nanogene Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Nanogene - Essay Example From this study it is clear thatà the founders came together with common interest of setting up their own company that would provide breakthrough products in the biotechnology domain such as a product to isolate specific genes responsible for a disease and further help in inventing specific treatments.à Each founder had different expertise within the same domain.à With such diversified experience and knowledge, these founders could foresee a fortune in this company and was thus expecting something similar.à All founders decided that each would draw the same salary and have equal proportion of options.à Paige Miller was an external consultant and was being considered to be hired as the VP Operations. She was expecting to earn much more than what the founders offered considering her experience, market value and the value addition should could make to NanoGene.This essay declares that a ââ¬Å"founderâ⬠is an entrepreneur or the starter of a company based on an idea c onceived by himself.à In the present case, the ideation involves five different people and hence five founders of NanoGene Technology.à A founder is intellectually, financially and morally committed to his/her company, whereas an employee is only morally and intellectually committed to the company for which he gets financial or monetary benefits from the company.à A founder owns complete responsibility of the company and the people associated with it.à He is also obliged to follow external social, legal, cultural, and economic policies. Ã
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Polar bears do not need endangered species protection Research Paper
Polar bears do not need endangered species protection - Research Paper Example There is petition filed in America for the protection of polar bear as they are thought to be endangered However in reality, the polar bear population is in good shape and do not need protection. The population of polar bear was supposed to be little less before few decades however in recent times the population of polar has been increasing. According to ( Unger)ââ¬Å" Lets start with what we know. Almost everybody agrees that there are between 20,000 and 25,000 polar bears alive today. Heres another thing almost everyone agrees on: That number is a whole lot bigger than it was 40 years agoâ⬠. Much news about the decrease in the population of polar bear is speculation.Peopel has been seeing more of bear population in recent times than before. Many facts about population of polar bears are assumptions with no factual evidence. Many conclude that the survey number of polar bears is not credible as it have certain limitation. On the contrary it has been said that the growing population of polar bears is threatening people. The people who enjoy summer vacation and outdoor activities are threatened due to bears. As per ( Kirk) ââ¬Å"In the Western Hudson Bay area, where harvest quotas were reduced by 80 percent four years ago, communities are complaining about the number of polar bears. Now people can look out the window and seeà as many asà 20 polar bears at the ice-flow edge,â⬠Flaherty saysâ⬠. In such a situation, the polar definitely do not need endangered protection. Arctic ice is the habitat of the polar bears. There had been lot of controversy regarding the melting of Arctic ice owing to global warming. However, this seems to be a distorted fact as of 2012, the arctic ice seem to be flourishing. ââ¬Å"Sea ice in the Arctic Ocean underwent a sharp recovery this year from the record-low levels of 2012, with 50 percent more ice surviving the summer melt season, scientists said. It is the largest one-year increase in Arctic ice
Discuss religion and religious freedom in Somalia Essay
Discuss religion and religious freedom in Somalia - Essay Example The paper begins by explaining the meaning of religious freedom, and then goes ahead to explain religion and religious freedom in Somalia. Freedom of religion is the individuals right or freedom to hold whatever religious beliefs he or she believes to be the best for him/her. Religious freedom, also known as the freedom of worship, allows people to freely practice their religion as long as they donââ¬â¢t infringe upon the rights of other people by practicing their preferred religion. Religious freedom is one of the basic human rights universally recognized. Somalia is a country found in the Horn of Africa; Somali borders Ethiopia to the West, the gulf of Eden to the north, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, and Indian Ocean to the east. Somali is predominantly a Muslim country; majority of the Muslims in Somali are Sunni Muslims, according to the Pew research conducted in 2010, 99.8% of Somali people are Muslims (Pew Research Centre, n.p). But, there are also a few other religions in Somalia, although these other religions have very few followers; Christians are minority in Somalia and they constitute less than o.1% of the Somalia population. According to the Catholic diocese of Mogadishu estimates in 2004, there were less than 200 Catholics in Somalia in the year 2004 (The economist, 22/10/2009). The Mogadishu Catholic diocese is the only Catholic diocese in Somalia. Besides Muslim and the few Christians, there are religions in Somalia. According to the Pew Research conducted in 2010, the other religions in Somalia, in cluding Hinduism, Judaism, and Buddhism constitute less than 0.1% of the Somalia population (Pew Research Centre, n.p). For better explanation of Somali religion and religious freedom in Somalia, it is important to briefly look at the political situation in Somalia because religion and politics in Somalia are inseparable. This is because the constitution of Somalia
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Polar bears do not need endangered species protection Research Paper
Polar bears do not need endangered species protection - Research Paper Example There is petition filed in America for the protection of polar bear as they are thought to be endangered However in reality, the polar bear population is in good shape and do not need protection. The population of polar bear was supposed to be little less before few decades however in recent times the population of polar has been increasing. According to ( Unger)ââ¬Å" Lets start with what we know. Almost everybody agrees that there are between 20,000 and 25,000 polar bears alive today. Heres another thing almost everyone agrees on: That number is a whole lot bigger than it was 40 years agoâ⬠. Much news about the decrease in the population of polar bear is speculation.Peopel has been seeing more of bear population in recent times than before. Many facts about population of polar bears are assumptions with no factual evidence. Many conclude that the survey number of polar bears is not credible as it have certain limitation. On the contrary it has been said that the growing population of polar bears is threatening people. The people who enjoy summer vacation and outdoor activities are threatened due to bears. As per ( Kirk) ââ¬Å"In the Western Hudson Bay area, where harvest quotas were reduced by 80 percent four years ago, communities are complaining about the number of polar bears. Now people can look out the window and seeà as many asà 20 polar bears at the ice-flow edge,â⬠Flaherty saysâ⬠. In such a situation, the polar definitely do not need endangered protection. Arctic ice is the habitat of the polar bears. There had been lot of controversy regarding the melting of Arctic ice owing to global warming. However, this seems to be a distorted fact as of 2012, the arctic ice seem to be flourishing. ââ¬Å"Sea ice in the Arctic Ocean underwent a sharp recovery this year from the record-low levels of 2012, with 50 percent more ice surviving the summer melt season, scientists said. It is the largest one-year increase in Arctic ice
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Outline Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1
Outline - Thesis Example 1. Saline wastewater: Agro-food, petroleum and leather industries. The discharge of such wastewater continually increases in salinity and organic content. Without prior treatment, there is adversely effects on the aquatic life, water portability and agriculture (Wadvalla, 2011). 2. Menopause and ovarian cancer: the rodent ovary contains an enzyme system capable of metabolising polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. It occurs with reactivation of electrophilic intermediates known to cause cytotoxicity, mutation and cancer (Rodrik, 2009). 3. Wildlife extinction: industrial air pollution have been known to cause sickness and death of the later for over 100 years. Primary effects include direct mortality, debilitating industrial related disease, anaemia conditions, physiological stress and bioaccumulation. Some air pollutions have caused a change in the distribution of certain wildlife species (Pascual Khalil, 2014). The questionnaires were assessed by using the SPSS and that most of the people living near industrial places were affected more than those living far away from industrial places among the people in the Middle East. Most of the industrial pollution levels affects people living on the planet and r all linked to the emergence of industries. The more reason for agencies and governments t take action is because environmental degradation is at a very high rate. In addition, most countries are at the industrial stage hence developing more industries currently without view of the pollution effect. The governments and bodies in charge of the environment should act and act
Of Personal Development, Critical Thinking and Enhanced Quality of Care Essay Example for Free
Of Personal Development, Critical Thinking and Enhanced Quality of Care Essay In this reflection paper, I would like to relate some unforeseen events during the course as well as my experience of being assessed. The medical practitioner assigned to me was a consultant of medicine for geriatric patients. The fact that he is not a physiotherapist may be considered an unforeseen occurrence. I did not really expect him to come from a different field. The similarity in language and way of thinking of practitioners from the same field would have facilitated the process. At first, similar to my feelings in collaborating with my nurse classmates, I had the same feeling of hesitation in associating with my DMP. However, as the course progressed, I realized that he could be a very good mentor. He patiently guided me throughout all the pertinent tasks that I had to carry out. I attended the clinic with him at Saint Pancrase Hospital for the morning Clinic, which finished at twelve oââ¬â¢clock, then the Ward round from two oââ¬â¢clock at Saint Pancrase hospital for two hours. I then went to University College London Hospital for My OSCE after four oââ¬â¢clock at the T10 ward. For the last fifteen years I have been working in a community, this is my first time to examine a patient thoroughly in a hospital, not only to examine the patient but also to perform my Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Since he wanted to examine me on COPD patient with some complications, he was right that it was hard on me. Yet I did it and enjoyed the experience despite the situation under pressure. It was very long observation from my DMP, which again for long time I did not observe, was indeed a complicated but a true learning experience. I am grateful to my DMP and the way he taught me. I enjoyed his teaching, his approach, and his skills as a consultant were excellent. I will miss his teaching. My experience with him made me see the value of having a competent mentor regardless of the field that one is interested in. The presence of a coach and mentor made learning easier because it made me confident that I can rely on someone who is an expert and possesses a learning attitude, as well as one who is willing to help me out in the process. Admittedly, there were some difficulties in relating with him at the beginning because we were from different fields of study. But again, this experience is a test of flexibility in adjusting to the demands of the situation. I my best to work with him and follow the guidelines and advice which he gave me. In the course of our interaction, I have learned to become more comfortable in dealing with him. There is value in having a good working relationship with oneââ¬â¢s superiors and colleagues; it makes the learning journey so much easier. I also feel that I should further develop a mentoring relationship with an expert in this field to be able to reach my full my potential. Empirical research from both educational and industrial settings suggests that students and employees both have increased probability of success if they have had a mentor. While mentors are effective for everyone, sometimes organisations implement mentoring programs to support particular parts of their populations, often newer employees. And while mentoring programs are always established with the best of intentions, their results are often mixed (Werner, 2004). To make the most of my clinical exposure, I hope to establish a strong mentoring relationship with a doctor or a medical allied professional who will be able to coach me on increasing competence in my clinical practice. I have realised that coaching and mentoring are very effective ways of developing my leadership potential because it does not only develop me in terms of technical expertise, but it will also allow me to actually experience how these experts undergo the coaching and mentoring exercise. I have also realised that a novice in any medical allied field acquires clinical judgment and skill over time. Knowledge is refined through actual clinical experience; this moves her from a rule-based, context-free stage to a more analytical, logical and intentional pattern of thinking (Benner, Tanner, Chelsea, 1996). To effectively provide a conducive learning environment, these medical professionals need venues for examining and developing their problem solving and reasoning skills towards making clinical judgments (Miller, 1992). I realised that such venues transpire through numerous learning experiences. In particular, I am contemplating about being able to practice in a large hospital to permit such comprehensive clinical exposure. I have also realised that participating in varied learning experiences offers the chance to apply classroom theory in the clinical setting. This was a point that was shared with me by my DMP. Clinical experiences enable the formation of meaningful related information on the basis of what the nurse has learned in the classroom. There is an expectation that with more experience, this novice can move from the level of advanced beginner to the level of competence by program completion. Clinical judgment is defined as nursing decisions about which areas to assess, analyzing health data, prioritizing which task to do, and who should carry it out (Carnaveli Thomas, 1993). For clinical judgment to be assessed as sound, it should be arrived at using critical thinking and logical reasoning, that will enable the deduction of valid conclusions, and the decisions that may be borne from these. I am thankful for this experience as they have given me profound insight on the areas that I could further develop to become a more competent professional in this field.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Solid Waste Management Case Study In Bristol Environmental Sciences Essay
Solid Waste Management Case Study In Bristol Environmental Sciences Essay The management of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is a major environmental crisis throughout of the World, which everyone is concerned about. In the United Kingdom, the quantity of municipal waste has increased and 46.9 per cent of the total collected waste has disposed of in landfill in 2009/10 (DEFRA, 2010b). In comparison, the Netherlands and Denmark have disposed of almost no municipal waste to landfill and other members of European Units such as Germany and Sweden have less than a quarter of municipal waste to landfill (DEFRA, 2010b). Therefore, the UK Government published Waste Strategy for England 2007 on 24th May 2007 in order to meet EU strategy and set out a sustainable method for hierarchy of waste management options within climate change and population growth. The fundamental goals of the strategy are to set out a blueprint for waste prevention, reduction, re-use, recycling and recovery and improving environmental and economic outcomes through increased recycling of resources and recovery of energy from residual waste using a mix of technologies. There are some actions of the proposal strategy outlined, for example, energy from waste is expected to account for 25% of municipal waste by 2020 compared to 10% in 2007 and the standard rate of landfill tax increase by eight pounds per year from 2008 until at least 2010/11(DEFRA, 2010c). As a result, it is necessary to set up a variety of waste treatment for recovery material in the UK, such as Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) and Energy from Waste (EfW). There is no doubt that a number of local authorities face major challenges when they manage residual waste sustainably. Take Bristol for example, 59% of waste has been sent to landfill and 40% has been recycled or composted in 2009/10 (DEFRA, 2010d). According to Bristol City Council (2000), 100,000 tonnes of household waste will remain to be treated if 40% waste is recycled or composted. Thus, the council wants to make a 25 years Residual Waste Management Contract with company to treat 100,000 tonnes of Residual MSW by one of three options which include MBT with composting or anaerobic digestion and Energy from Waste. In this paper, the environmental impacts of each option will be assessed in order to find a sustainable method for residual waste management in Bristol. Furthermore, some relative mitigation meas ures and remediation approaches for chose option will be mentioned, focusing key issues of development and land redevelopment after 25 years. 2. The Description of Development and Site Bristol city council aims to set up a waste treatment plant in the city in order to not only meet their recycling needs but also make efficiently recover value from the residual waste produced. There is no doubt that a hundred thousand tonnes of rubbish send to the new plants for processing in the coming years rather than dumping it in landfill sites. The possible potential site is assumed as previously used land which locates in the main industrial estate (Avonmouth) in the northern part of Bristol. It would generally be preferred in planning terms, as no new land would be used and contaminated land restored. In addition, the facility has good transportation infrastructure, which results from closely primary road network and alternatively rail access. Figure 1 shows some potential previously land in the potential area, which have several large chemical manufacturing plants and also has a significant residential area in Avonmouth between the industrialised zone and the M5 motorway. M oreover, a large scale of green sites and water body around the assumed site. Figure 1. The Potential Site for Waste Treatment Plant in Bristol alll sites.jpg (Source: Google Map) There are three potential options including MBT using composting (In Vessel Composting) or anaerobic digestion (AD) or EfW provided in following details. The local waste strategy officers assume that: 100,000 tonne residual MSW will be treated; the detailed value of treatment for each option is described in Figure 2; Figure 2. The Value of Waster Treatment Process mixed recyclates are worth on average à £50/tonne; all plants operate 90% of the 8760 hours in a year; both digestate and compost are disposed to landfill at the full tax rate; however, the digestate is charged the full dispose cost, compost is disposed for free; bottom ash can be processed and used as a secondary aggregate, making profit at à £5/tonne; gas cleaning residues are hazardous waste and landfilled at à £100/ tonne plus landfill tax at à £48/tonne; electricity from AD is worth à £135/MWh, electricity from EfW and In Vessel Composting is worth à £60/ MWh. 3. Introduction of Three Processing Options for the Residual Municipal Solid Waste Management This section focuses on introduction of the process and principals of three options including In Vessel Composting, Anaerobic Digestion and Energy from Waste. MBT mainly follow two processes including mechanical sorting and biological process. Mechanical sorting is to sort mechanical element such as metal, plastics, glass paper, which is made by hand and is a basic process in both composting and anaerobic digestion. However, the biological processes are different because of the variety of treatment principals. Anaerobic digestion, which is the biological treatment of organic waste without oxygen, utilise microbial activity to break down the waste in a controlled environment with mesophilic and thermophlic digestion and produce biogas (e.g. Methane and Carbon Dioxide) and digestate at the same time. In Vessel Composting is an enclosed compost system and is the treatment of organic matter with aerobic microorganism to produce a mixture of stable humic substances and inorganic plant nu trient (Agrivert, 2010). In comparison with AD, there is no green energy produced through the system, therefore, the extra energy will be used in the processes. Energy from Waste is process incorporation the thermal decomposition of the waste include waste reception and storage, combustion system, heat recovery, flue gas cleaning, power generation and process control and monitor. Compared with MBT, EfW can disposal of all types of waste without other pre-treatment and the temperature has a minimum requirement of 850oC for 2 seconds (March, 2010a). Additionally, incineration offers a further option for the treatment of residual MSW and is already proven and bankable technology in the UK with 26 EfW plants (March, 2010a). However, there is no incineration in Bristol at the moment. 4. Environmental Impacts Assessment of Three Processing Options In order to achieve the UK governments fundamental goals and Bristol waste strategy, assessment of the environmental and economic impacts of each processing option should be undertaken in the following section. Local facilities of waste treatment would provide much local employment opportunities. Moreover, the number of legislation and planning policy comprising international, national and local policy will also be introduced to make sure the sustainable development. Therefore, this section focus on the key issues of waste treatment options such as air emissions / health effects, dust / odour, noise, water resources, visual intrusion and public concern. According to analysis of environmental impact assessment, one of the options will be identified as the Best Practicable Environmental Option for Bristol City Council. 4.1 Planning Policy and Context i) International Policy The European Union has instigated a range of Directives at a European level that should be suitable for each EU member and transposed into national laws in order to adopt the local environment. The following International policies provide the European framework for Waste applicable to the United Kingdom. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ European Community (EC) Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC; à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ EC Framework Directive for Waste 75/442/EEC as amended by 91/156/EEC; à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ Waste Incineration Directive 2000/76EC (WID). ii) National Policy The Waste Strategy for England (2007) sets out the Governments vision for sustainable waste management. The key objectives and targets of the strategy are to reduce the amount of waste produced and increase the rate of recovery of municipal waste. There are also some other legislation created to achieve the target in the following: Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS); Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPG) and Planning Policy Statements (PPS); Planning Policy Statement 1 (PPS1): Delivering Sustainable Development (2005); Planning and Climate Change (PCC): The purpose is to set out how climate change considerations should be taken into account at different stages of the planning process. Planning Policy Statement 10 (PPS 10): Planning for Sustainable Waste Management. During Annex E of PPS 10, the main factors have been taken into account by waste planning authorities when testing the suitability of a site for waste management purposes. iii) Regional and Local Planning Policy Planning policies for Bristol are set out in the Statutory Development Plan which includes the following documents (South Gloucestershire Council, 2010): Regional Planning Guidance for the South West (RPG10) (September 2001) Joint Replacement Structure Plan (as saved) (September 2002) Bristol Local Plan (as saved) (1997) Regional Planning Guidance for the South West (RPG10) (2001) RPG10 comprises the Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West and the Regional Transport Strategy, and aim to meet sustainable development in terms of environment, economy and society. 4.2 Anaerobic Digestion In terms of biodegradable waste either by anaerobic digestion or by composting MBT technologies helps to reduce the contribution of greenhouse gases to minmise the impacts of global warming. IPPC (2010) stated that AD technology for various homogenous waste streams is widely proven in Europe, but there are no full scale plants in operation in the UK on municipal derived wastes. Thus, environmental and economic impacts should be assessed in order to develop facilities at present. 4.2.1 Environmental impacts As we all know that anaerobic digestion is totally enclosed system, which may reduce environmental impacts. As it may achieve a key aim of the landfill Directive and reduce organic wastes from landfill which reduces the production of landfill gas and leachates. Although the facility has pollution control technology in order to control the sustainable processes not only for the company but also for the public, each development has some relevant impacts on air, water resources and local residents. For example, odour emissions should be released during material handling and other air emission (Methane) would be release during the process. This may affect the local living condition if the pollution will not be controlled and visual intrusion, pests and noise problems. In order to predict how odour will be transported, some information such as meteorological conditions (e.g., wind speed and direction, temperature, and inversion conditions) in the proposal site can be obtained from a local weather station. Moreover, contamination of final product is often difficult to avoid, which means digestate from residual MSW connot be used for food growing; only regeneration of contaminated land or landfill cover (McKendry 2010). Therefore, AD also has slightly negative impacts on environment during the handling and processes of the facility. According to Figure 2, net energy (0.5 MWe) will be produced for National Grid, which also can save energy and reduce environmental pollution from power generation. To sum up, compared with no waste treatment in Bristol, AD is a better environmental practical option for waste recovery and also can achieve the UK fundamental target. 4.2.2 Economic impacts It requires comprehensive pre-processing of the waste or source separation and larger digestion tanks as it does not treat the whole Municipal Solid Waste stream but may be used on residual municipal waste stream with contaminants rejected as part of the process. Thus, AD is more capital intensive than composting and cost more for landfill tax. Moreover, the output of digestates is generally hazardous and set to landfill, which will also cost more for the process than production from composting. However, compared with composting, energy should be produced and is worth à £532,170 which is less than profit of net energy from EfW (Figure 3). Someone (City and County of Swansea, 2011) mentions that AD is relatively low capital costs compared to most thermal processes. On the other hand, anaerobic digestion has not enough profit which created from by-products compared to EfW (Figure 3). In terms of economy, anaerobic digestion is the secondary choice in three waste management options for Bristol. Figure 3. The Analysis of Input and Output of Economy in Proposed Waste Treatment Plant Anaerobic Digestation In Vessel Composting Energy from Waste Input à £2,380,000 (Landfill) à £ 1,564,000(Digestate) à £2,040,000 (Landfill) à £2,880,000(Compost) à £408,000 (Landfill) à £888,000(Gas Cleaning) Output Profit à £1,500,000 (Recyclates) à £532,170 (Net Energy) à ¹Ã £Ã £1,911,830 à £1,500,000 (Recyclates) à ¹Ã £Ã £473,040 (Net Energy) à ¹Ã £Ã £3,893,040 à £375,000 (Recyclates) à £185,000 (Bottom Ash) à £3,784,320 (Net Energy) à £3,048,320 4.3 In Vessel Composting Actually, this technology has only had limited experience in the UK; however, it is rapidly increasing in number due to recent legislation of waste management such as Landfill Directive. The advantage of In-Vessel Composting is that the processes are more controlled and can be designed to achieve specified temperatures of facilitate bacteria destruction. 4.3.1 Environmental impacts Composting can reduce volume of organic waste fraction of MSW by 25-50% and minmise landfill rate (IPPC, 2010), which avoid environmental pollution (Landfill gas and leachate) similar with AD. However, some potential odour and leachate also should be produced, which can result in air and water resources may be polluted to some extent. Although it is suitable for green and kitchen waste, it is potential of co-composting operations with other waste streams such as paper, sewage sludge (IPPC, 2010). On the other hand, it requires careful source segregation of further post or treatment as sensitive contamination of glass and plastics. Furthermore, in comparison with other options, In Vessel composting has no energy output and need extra energy for operation, which will affect more issues from power generation such as air pollution. It is similar with AD that the development is not bad for ecosystem and visual instruction as the proposed site is previously used land which may be contamina ted or brownfield site. The technology has a greater ability to control air pollution emissions than mass burn EfW in theory, but this has not yet been demonstrated in practice in the UK (Environment Agency, 2010). 4.3.2 Economic impacts Although the capital cost is not quite expensive than Energy from Waste, the balance of input and output of waste treatment process is totally different than other options. According to Figure 3, the developer or government should invest more money for rejected waste to landfill and extra energy (à £473,040), which means the profits of recyclates cannot make sure the continuously process of operation. Thus, in terms of economic aspect, this technology is not suitable for the UK fundamental sustainable development target and is the worst option. Energy from Waste In the UK, Energy from waste has a particularly poor public image and has been debatable by environmental groups on the grounds of perceived health impacts from emissions to air. Combustion of residual MSW can produce or release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Hence carbon emissions should to be considered in terms of composition of the residual waste stream, the type of energy produced (heat and/or power) and the overall generating efficiency of the facility. 4.4.1 Environmental impacts Compared with other options, EfW can disposal of a variety of waste without limitation and pre-treatment required. However, dust problem may exist within the waste reception hall or drawn into the furnace. Moreover, there is a WID emission limitation and air quality standards regulated in order to control the air emission especially greenhouse gases from factories. The advantage of this technology is that the state of the art of pollution control technology is completed for global use. In addition, energy recovery includes Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants and opportunity for district heating programmes. However, the temperature is not easy to control during the operation processes, which may affect the efficiency of residue quality and disposal when combustion is not completed. Although EfW can resolve waste to landfill and emission reduction (methane)from landfill and residual waste, which to some extent may address climate change, air pollution of EfW is more significant than o ther options (Hong, 2010). The WID emission limits to air shows daily average emissions limit from incineration in the following (Veolia, 2011): Dust (Particulates) 10mg/m3 Total Organic Carbon 10mg/m3 Hydrogen Chloride 10mg/m3 Carbon Monoxide 50mg/m3 Sulphur Dioxide 50mg/m3 Oxides of Nitrogen 200mg/m3 According to Figure 2, the number of waste can be combusted and bottom ash can be used for construction applications, which reduces the quantity requiring landfill disposal to under 10% of the feedstock mass (IPPC, 2010). In comparison with others, 8MWe net energy should be produced and deliver cheap heat and power either to the National Grid or local users. On the other hand, it also save more energy and reduce pollution from power generation plants. EfW is not long term liability facility, thus, local EfW would provide the best global solution for Bristol depending on the Life Cycle Assessment. Furthermore, the impacts of visual, pests and noise and ecosystem are similar and related to other waste management options and with proper planning can be minimized to acceptable levels. As for the visual impacts, the following factors should be considered: direct effect on landscape by removal of items such as trees; potential of an exhaust stack associated with air clean up systems; scree ning features and scale of vehicles accessing site. 4.4.2 Economic impacts There is no doubt that EfW is one of the high capital costs technology, however, it also create net profits from the processes. According to Figure 3, although, gas cleaning residuals are hazardous wastes and landfilled at à £148 per tonne, the facility can create à £3,048,320 net profit from operation system except the capital investment, which including à £185,000 income from bottom ash, à £3,784,320 profit from electricity and à £375,000 worth from recyclates. Thus, EfW is the best option for waste treatment for Bristol in terms of economy compared to other options. On the other hand, the facility will waste more investment and energy during the process stopped when there is no enough waste for combustion process. 4.5 Summary In summary, each option may achieve the UK and local waste management and recycling target and to some extent reduce waste and air emission such as methane and carbon. However, in terms of sustainable development which related to economic, social and environmental aspects, each option has its own disadvantages and advantages. As for economy except the capital investment, Energy from Waste can make more profit in 25 years than MBT using Composting or Anaerobic Digestion. Although air emission from EfW is more significant than other options, EfW has been used for a long time and is improving or mitigating more sustainable technologies to avoid the negative impacts on environment. It is true that Energy from waste has a particularly poor public image; however, public attitude will be changed within the situation changing. Therefore, Energy from Waste is the best value options for Bristol City Council to reach the waste treatment target and follow sustainable development. 5. Mitigation Measures and Remediation Approach Energy from Waste is the Best Practicable Environmental Option for Bristol waste management programme based on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). As we all know that each option has its limitation, EfW is also a case in point. EIA states that the efficiency of combustion, air emission (flue gas emission and cleaning) and public image are the mainly significant issues of EfW facility implementation for Bristol. Moreover, the land restoration after use should be considered at the beginning of construction in order to be able to use as sustainable as possible. Mitigation measures should aim to avoid, reduce, or remedy any significant adverse effects that a proposed development is predicted to produce. First of all, because it is a smaller scale EfW plants, it is better to maximize the scope for dealing with risk events and other potential adverse impacts. Moreover, more information qualitative and quantitative assessment of impacts such as meteorological conditions and ambient air q uality should be collected for the next depth assessment. The recommended mitigation measure for efficiency of combustion is to use more effective techniques. For example, the techniques such as Flue Gas Recirculation (FGR) can control the incomplete combustion in order to increase efficiency and to reduce the flow rate of pollutant emissions (Liuzzo, 2007). In addition, the chimney should be high enough to furnish adequate draft and to discharge the products without causing local sir pollution. There are also some methods to increase positive public image, such as enhancing propaganda or media spread and improving education. The risk management including accident management/plan and security precaution also should be undertaken to avoid the health and safety of employees. As for the future development after use, the land should be careful managed to avoid potential hazardous components released into the land whether it is current contaminated or not (McKendry, 2010). The first recommendation aims to used less penetrability materials for land construction and reduce pollutants released. Moreover, the regular clean up system is recommended to collect the residual waste during transporting system and clean up the dirty area such as oil releasing sites. Contaminated Land Management Regulation indicates that the polluter or owner has responsible to deal with pollution if the land will be contaminated by human activities. In my view, the proposal site is hard to change to an eco-green site after development, thus, it is better to develop as commercial or industrial use in the future. 6. Conclusion In conclusion, Environmental Impact Assessment of Anaerobic Digestion, In Vessel Composting and Energy from Waste were analysed in this paper in order to find out one of the best sustainable development for Bristol and also achieve the UK fundamental goals for waste management. It is certainly that each option has both negative and positive impacts on environment and economy. The main aim of them is to reduce waste sent to landfill and achieve the UK waste management target; moreover, they also have same impacts on environment such ac visual intrusion, public image, potential contaminated land after use and air pollution. However, the significant impacts of facilities are different in different technologies; for example, odour emission is more significant during anaerobic digestion approach, visual intrusion, public image and air emission is more significant for Energy from Waste, and energy use and odour and leachate are significant in composting process. In terms of economy, EfW is the best option with highest net profits during the process; on the other hand, In Vessel Compost is the worst approach because of extra energy supply. At the last, EfW has been chose to treat residual Municipal Solid Waste with the additional mitigation measures in Bristol, which results in the development is not only suitable for international, national and local strategy but also meet the Best Practicable Environmental Option which is sustainable and integrated in the further development.
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