Portfolio Effect on Risk and Return

ERC INSTITUTE Name : Kimberly Limanto Student ID : 1004434 Course Name: SADBA Title Of The Course : Investment and Fund Management Date of Submission : 15 November 2012 Instructor Name : Mr. Johnson Yang TABLE OF CONTENTThe Financial advisor’s investment case: Inferior investment alternatives Although investing requires the individual to bear risk, the risk can be controlled through the construction of diversified portfolios and by excluding any portfolio that offers an inferior return for a given amount of risk. While this concept seems obvious, one of your clients, Laura Spegele, is considering purchasing a stock she will bear. To convince her that the acquisition is not desirable, you want to demonstrate the trade-off between risk and return.While it is impractical to show the trade-off for all possible combinations, you believe that illustrating several combinations of risk and return and applying the same analysis to the specific investment should be persuasive in discour aging the purchase. Currently, US Treasury bills offer 7%. Three possible stocks and their beta are as follows:- SecuritiesExpected ReturnBeta Stock A9%0. 6 Stock B 11%1. 3 Stock C 14%1. 5 Required I. What will be the expected return and beta for each of the following ? portfolios? a.Portfolio 1 through 4 : all of the funds are invested solely in one asset ? (the corresponding three stocks or the Treasury bill) b. Portfolio 5: one quarter of the funds are invested in each alternative c. Portfolio 6: one half of the funds are invested in stock A and the other half in stock C. d. Portfolio 7: One third of the funds are invested in each stock. II. Are any of the portfolios inefficient? III. Is there any combination of the Treasury bill and Stock C that is superior to portfolio 6 (i. e. half the funds in Stock A and half in Stock C)? IV.Since your client’s suggested stock has an anticipated return of 12% and a beta of 1. 4 does that information argue for or against the purchase o f the ? stock? V. Why is it important to consider purchasing an asset as part of a portfolio ? and not as an independent act? Answers: I. Expected Return and Beta of each portfolio. a. All of the funds are invested solely in one asset. * Portfolio 1 : 100% in investment T-Bill E(R) = 7% E (beta) = 0. 0 * Portfolio 2 : 100% investment in Stock A E(R) = 9% E (beta) = 0. 6 * Portfolio 3 : 100% investment in Stock B E(R) = 11%E (beta) = 1. 3 * Portfolio 4 : 100% investment in Stock C E(R) = 14% E (beta) = 1. 5 b. Portfolio 5 : 25% investment in each security E(R) = (0. 25*0. 07) + (0. 25*0. 09) + (0. 25*0. 11) + (0. 25*0. 14) = 0. 0175 + 0. 0225 + 0. 0275 + 0. 035 = 0. 1025 = 10. 25% E (beta) = (0. 25*0. 0) + (0. 25*0. 6) + (0. 25*1. 3) + (0. 25*1. 5) = 0 + 0. 15 + 0. 325 + 0. 375 = 0. 85 c. Portfolio 6 : 50% investment in Stock A, 50% investment in Stock B E(R) = (0. 5*0. 09) + (0. 5*0. 14) = 0. 045 + 0. 07 = 0. 115 = 11. 5% E (beta) = (0. 5*0. 6) + (0. 5*1. 5) = 0. 3 + 0. 75 = 1. 05 . Portfolio 7 : one-third investment in each security E(R) = (0. 33*0. 09) + (033*0. 11) + (0. 33*0. 14) = 0. 03 + 0. 036 + 0. 046 = 0. 1122 = 11. 22% E (beta) = (0. 33*0. 6) + (0. 33*1. 3) + (0. 33*1. 5) = 1. 12 Each Portfolio returns and beta 100% in T-bill| 7%| 0. 0| 100% in stock A| 9%| 0. 6| 100% in stock B| 11%| 1. 3| 100% in stock C| 14%| 1. 5| 25% in each| 10. 25%| 0. 85| 50% in A and C| 11. 5%| 1. 05| 1/3 in each stock| 11. 22%| 1. 12| II. Inefficient portfolio is a portfolio where the expected risk is higher than the expected return in their comparison.In this case, portfolio 3 where the investment is 100% invested in stock B is the most inefficient because its expected return is 11% and its beta is 1. 3 while in portfolio 6 the expected return is slightly higher, which is 11. 5%, but the beta is lower, which is 1. 05. Therefore from this, we can conclude that portfolio 3, or when she invest 100% in stock B, is the most inefficient portfolio. III. The portfolio which combin es 50% investment in stock A and 50% investment in stock C generates an expected return of 11. 5% and beta of 1. 05.The combination on investment between T-Bill and stock C that will be superior to the previous portfolio is: E (beta) = 1. 05 = [X% * 0. 0] + [Y% * 1. 5] = 1. 05 = 0 + [Y% * 1. 5] = 1. 05 Y% = 1. 5/1. 05 Y% = 0. 7 = 70% X% = 100% – 70% = 30% E(R) = (0. 3*0. 07) + (0. 7*0. 14) = 0. 021 + 0. 098 = 0. 119 = 11. 9% The portfolio which combines 30% or less investment in T-Bill and 70% or more investment in stock C will e superior to portfolio 6 which combine 50% investment in stock A and 50% investment in stock C. IV. The portfolio that the client suggested which has 12% expected return and 1. beta is inferior compared to any other portfolio. To prove that this portfolio is inferior to another portfolio, we can try to calculate by : Beta of 1. 4 is a combine of 93% investment in stock C and 7% investment in T-bill. Calculation: (0. 07*0. 0) + (0. 93*1. 5) = 1. 4 This portfolio will generate an expected return of: (0. 07*0. 07) + (0. 93*0. 14) = 0. 0049 + 0. 1302 = 0. 1351 = 13. 51% This calculation prove that a beta of 1. 4 suppose to give 13. 51% expected return. Therefore, the client's suggested portfolio is inferior compared to any other portfolio.V. Purchasing an asset as a part of a portfolio is a much clever way than just purchasing one single asset. It is because by purchasing several assets, the investor can either have higher return with the same risk, or same return but with a lower risk. Therefore, purchasing more than one asset will give benefits to the investor. Also, by purchasing in more than one asset, the investor can be more â€Å"safe†. What safe means is when the other asset collapse, or its value decline, there are still other assets that can cover the losses.

Auditing Special Assignment

Theresa Golding BA 418 – Auditing Dr. Charles Pineno April 25, 2010 PART 1: â€Å"Small Firms May Face Audit Music† (published in The Wall Street Journal on April 19, 2007) addresses the ending of the delay in applying portions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to smaller companies. At the time of the article, some 6,000 smaller public companies had yet to be required to â€Å"make an annual assessment of their internal financial-reporting controls with further review by the company’s outside auditor of these systems designed to help prevent accounting mistakes and fraud. The delay arose from complaints that compliance was overly costly and time consuming for larger companies. According to Mr. Cox, the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) are close to making less burdensome for all companies which would end the need to further exempt the smaller companies. The proposed changes would make realization of compliance in 2008 possible. Delays could again result if the new standards are not issued soon enough to meet the current deadlines. The chairman of PCAOB, Mark Olson, has blamed the high cost of complying on what is viewed as an overly cautious approach. PCAOB reports that progress is being made but there is still a way to go as some auditing firms still have not fully integrated an audit of the company’s financial statements with an audit of the company’s internal controls which are interrelated. PART 2 –RISK ASSESSMENT STANDARDS: Standard 1 – Reasonable Assurance, Evidence SAS No. 104 (â€Å"Amendment to SAS No. 1, Codification of Auditing Standards and Procedures) addresses â€Å"the attributes of audit evidence and the concept of reasonable assurance. This particular standard is closely related to General Standard 3: The auditor must exercise due professional care in the performance of the audit and the preparation of the report. Chapter 1: The Role of the Public Accountant in the American Economy The two forms of assurance services that CPAs perform with particular emphasis on â€Å"those that increase the reliability of information. † Since reliability enhancement is such a huge part of assu rance services, this standard is fundamental because proper assessment and testing of risk plays a critical role in the reliability of information. Chapter 2: Professional Standards This chapter introduced the 10 Generally Accepted Auditing Standards as set forth by the AICPA. As previously stated, there is a close relationship between Standard 1 and General Standard 3. Also, this standard also has a close relationship with Standard of Fieldwork 3 which reads: The auditor must obtain â€Å"sufficient appropriate audit evidence† by performing audit procedures to afford a reasonable basis for an opinion regarding the financial statements under audit. The gathering of evidence regarding risk falls into this standard of fieldwork. Chapter 3: Professional Ethics Within the chapter on â€Å"Professional Ethics,† we learned that Article V of the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct addresses â€Å"Due Care† and states: â€Å"A member should observe the profession’s technical and ethical standards, strive continually to improve competence and the quality of services, and discharge professional responsibility to the best of the member’s ability. Reasonable assurance and proper evidence regarding risk assessment would fall under the â€Å"Due Care† responsibility. Chapter 4: Legal Liability of CPAs Chapter 4 described the sources of CPA liability as: Contract, Negligence, and Fraud. Should the CPA not incorporate the appropriate levels of reasonable assurance and evidence regarding risk assessment, they could be found liable for at least ordinary or simple negligence. If there was a blatant disregard for this standard, the possibility of gross negligence could also exist. Chapter 5: Audit Evidence and Documentation The chapter detailed relationships among audit risk, audit evidence, and financial statement assertions and directly relates to the third standard of fieldwork stating that: the auditor must obtain appropriate audit evidence by performing audit procedures to afford a reasonable basis for an opinion regarding the financial statements under audit. This chapter also emphasizes the point of that there is an appropriate level of audit risk that must be met and the evidence collected and testing procedures utilized must be in keeping with this level. Chapter 6: Audit Planning, Understanding the Client, Assessing Risks, and Responding â€Å"Planning the audit† provides the foundation of the process. The reasonable assurance and evidence standard regarding risk assessment should be considered and integral part of the planning process. Chapter 7: Internal Control Assessment of internal control is part of knowing reasonable assurance can be given and regarding the reliability of the evidence acquired. Chapter 8: Audit Sampling Acceptable risk level is an important element of determining the proper sampling technique and size. Should an inappropriate sample technique/size be utilized, reasonable assurance will be lacking. Standard 2 – Internal Control, Evidence SAS No. 105 serves as an amendment to SAS No. 95, Generally Accepted Auditing Standards. Along with addressing work by the auditor on internal control, it further addresses audit evidence as well. This standard broadens the understanding the auditor must obtain of the business as well as its environment. Chapter 2: Professional Standards There is a relationship between this Risk Assessment Standard and Standard of Fieldwork 2. The fieldwork standard addresses the requirement for the auditor obtaining â€Å"a sufficient understanding of the entity and its environment†. It has now been further broadened when looking at the level of internal control. Chapter 5: Audit Evidence and Documentation The reliability of the evidence collected directly relates to whether it was â€Å"generated through a system of effective controls rather than ineffective controls. † Those controls will be more thoroughly assessed under this new Risk Assessment Standard. Chapter 6: Audit Planning, Understanding the Client, Assessing Risks, and Responding The scope of the audit plan is impacted by the level of internal control exercised by the client. Broadening the requirements regarding assessment will allow for a stronger foundation in how the plan is developed. Chapter 7: Internal Control This is likely the most important chapter regarding the ins and outs of internal control and this standard should be forefront when considering the content of the chapter. Chapter 8: Consideration of Internal Control in an Information Technology Environment Technological advances have done much to advance levels of internal control. However, if technology is not being utilized effectively, it can also raise the level of risk and under the new standard must be evaluated very carefully. Chapter 9: Audit Sampling Internal control plays an immense role in the level of sampling that should be done. Given the broader consideration now due to internal control, sampling levels will likely be impacted. Standard 3 – Evidence The standard defines evidence as comprising â€Å"all information that supports the auditor’s opinion on the financial statements. † It also â€Å"stresses the importance of supporting management’s assertions regarding the financial statements by gathering audit evidence. † Chapter 1: The Role of the Public Accountant in the American Economy The assurance service of reliability will only be at the proper level if the appropriate evidence is collected and examined with regards to the assertion of management. Chapter 2: Professional Standards Fieldwork standard 3 addresses the requirement of obtaining â€Å"sufficient appropriate audit evidence. This evidence directly ties to Reporting Standard 4 regarding the expression of an opinion regarding management’s assertions. Chapter 3: Professional Ethics Article II of the Code addresses serving the public interest. The public will look to the auditor’s opinion regarding management’s assertio ns and thus the evidence gathered should serve the purpose of protecting the public well. Chapter 4: Legal Liability of CPAs The inappropriate gathering of evidence could lead to the issuance of an incorrect opinion regarding management’s assertions and open the CPA to liability issues. Chapter 5: Audit Evidence and Documentation Audit risk, audit evidence, and financial statement assertions are closely intertwined and the Risk Standard puts more emphasis on that relationship and will do much to increase the reliability regarding the assertions about the financial statements. Chapter 6: Auditing Planning, Understanding the Client, Assessing Risks, and Responding To guarantee the opinions issued regarding management’s assertions, it is imperative that a CPA plan the audit appropriately and have a working knowledge of the client. This standard will strengthen risk assessment and the depth of knowledge the CPA will have about the client. Chapter 7: Internal Control Management’s assertions are influenced by their effective use of internal control. Analyzing and reporting on the level of internal control plays an important role in the opinion that will be issued regarding management’s assertions. Chapter 9: Audit Sampling The sampling scope needs to have the strength necessary to offer an appropriate opinion regarding management’s assertions. The evidence gathered determines the level of sampling needed and due care must be exercised throughout the process with the CPA remaining cognizant of management’s assertions. Standard 4 – Audit Risk, Materiality SAS No. 107 addresses the relationship between audit risk and materiality and has employed a Modified Audit Risk Model. Chapter 2: Professional Standards Assessment of the risk of material misstatement of the financial statements is covered heavily in Standard of Fieldwork 2. The level of risk will greatly determine the design of the audit procedures. Chapter 4: Legal Liability of CPAs Should the auditor not accurately assess the risk of material misstatement, issues of liability could arise. Chapter 5: Audit Evidence and Documentation The evidence collected and documentation kept is done in an effort to reduce audit risk and thus must be taken seriously and the level of risk must be adequately determined to provide this. Chapter 6: Audit Planning, Understanding the Client, Assessing Risks, and Responding The planning of audit should be undertaken in such a way that the level of risk determined can be sufficiently addressed. A clear understanding of the client and a clear procedure for assessing risks are fundamental to the overall process. Chapter 7: Internal Control The stronger the internal control, the lesser the risk and vice versa. It is imperative that a proper assessment of internal control be done to insure that the risk level is known prior to the collection of evidence and the conducting of sampling. Chapter 9: Audit Sampling The greater the amount of sampling conducted, the lower the level of audit risk. Proper risk assessment procedures are instrumental in determining the necessary level of sampling to be done. Standard 5 – Planning, Supervision SAS No. 108 â€Å"superseded guidance provided in previous standards and deals with the understanding of the engagement and planning issues. † This standard provides that the auditor plan the strategy concurrently with planning the engagement. Chapter 1: The Role of the Public Accountant in the American Economy The nature of the attest engagement must be clear to both the CPA and the firm and clearly defined at the onset of planning. Chapter 2: Professional Standards General Standard 1 requires â€Å"adequate technical training and proficiency† for the auditor and staff. Standard of Fieldwork 1 requires that the auditor â€Å"adequately plan the work and properly supervise any assistants. † Should these standards not be adhered to, the audit risk will be higher than an acceptable norm and during the planning of both the engagement and audit procedures, the auditor should remain cognizant of the roles these standards are playing/not playing. Chapter 3: Professional Ethics Auditors without proper training and proficiency that do not fulfill this responsibility are not acting in the ethical manner required of the profession and could likely face consequences. Chapter 4: Legal Liability of CPAs Auditors who do agree to an engagement for which they lack the proper training and/or technical ability (to include their assistants) could be open to liability issues in the area of contract and negligence. Chapter 5: Audit Evidence and Documentation Should proper planning and supervision not occur, the level of audit risk will be extremely high and likely not accounted for properly during the process. Chapter 6: Audit Planning, Understanding the Client, Assessing Risks, and Responding Planning of the audit is the first and probably most important step in the Audit Process. This step provides the foundation and it is critical that the auditor know the business at hand, and have the necessary personnel with the necessary training to undertake the engagement. With the new standard this step is concurrent with the planning of the engagement as a whole. Chapter 7: Internal Control If the auditor and team do not adequately assess the internal control, audit risk will likely be understated. It is essential that the risk assessment procedure implemented be understood by all and adequately applied. Chapter 9: Audit Sampling The risk determines the scope of sampling to be conducted. It is also important that ALL members of the team know the level of sampling to be done and have a clear understanding of the sampling procedure. Standard 6 – Understanding and Assessing Risk This standard again â€Å"supersedes previous guidance on the auditor’s consideration of internal control† and reiterates the need for the auditor to obtain â€Å"an understanding of the entity and its environment. Chapter 2: Professional Standards The easiest way for an auditor to adequately understand and assess risk to clearly understand the entity and its environment as well as the level and effectiveness of internal control which is once again in keeping with Standard of Fieldwork 2. Chapter 3: Professional Ethics Should risk not be properly understood or assessed, the subsequent reports issued will not be done with â€Å"Due Care† and thus, will not be in keeping with the Code of Professional Conduct as prescribed by the AICPA. Chapter 4: Legal Liability of CPAs Misunderstanding and improper assessment of risk will likely create issues of liability for CPAs. Chapter 5: Audit Evidence and Documentation The audit evidence and documentation gathered/prepared should adequately reflect the risk level and thus a clear understanding and assessment of risk need occur to guarantee the appropriateness of said evidence and documentation. Chapter 6: Audit Planning, Understanding the Client, Assessing Risks, and Responding Proper planning can only occur with a proper understanding and assessment of risk. So while planning the audit is technically the first step in the process, assessment/understanding of risk needs to be considered at the same time. Chapter 7: Internal Control Internal Control is at the center of risk assessment and should be considered part of the process of assessing risk, thus hopefully leading to a clear understanding. Chapter 9: Audit Sampling The needed level of audit sampling directly correlates to the perceived level of audit risk. Thus, a clear understanding and assessment of risk will do much to ensure the appropriate level of sampling. Standard 7 – Responding to Risks SAS No. 110 (covered as Standard 7) works in conjunction with SAS 109 (covered as Standard 6). Response to risk was covered exclusively for terms of our course in Chapter 6: Audit Planning, Understanding the Client, Assessing Risks, and Responding. As stated in both the article and our chapter, an auditor responds to risk at two levels: 1) overall level of financial statement and 2) level of relevant assertion. This will be of greater focus with the new standards and Response to Risk will be of as much importance as the assessment of said risk. Standard 8 – Sampling The purpose of SAS No. 111 is to provide guidance which addresses both statistical and nonstatistical sampling. The standard also â€Å"notes that the auditor should set tolerable misstatement at a level below that of materiality for the financial statements. † Chapter 2: Professional Standards Sampling is an integral part of obtaining sufficient evidence which is basis for Standard of Fieldwork 3. Chapter 5: Audit Evidence and Documentation There needs to be an adequate amount of audit evidence collected to meet the sampling need. The evidence collected also has to be adequate in amount to ease the risk which also applies to the sampling procedure in that the sample sizes need to be substantial enough to account for the risk. Chapter 6: Audit Planning, Understanding the Client, Assessing Risks, and Responding The level of risk is a crucial element in audit planning and the audit plan determines the level of sampling that must be completed to adequately deal with the risk level. Chapter 7: Internal Control The strength of internal control plays a major role in the level of sampling that will be required because of the inverse relationship between risk and internal control. Chapter 9: Audit Sampling Audit sampling provides the best method for collecting evidence and the amount needed is proportional to the level of risk assessed. PART 3: The SASs described in the article will now need to be at the forefront of the management accountant’s mind when preparing for an audit. The procedures will now be far more involved and as a result, procedural adjustments will likely need to be made. The auditors will likely expect far more from the management accountants because of the need to assess far more in terms of acceptable level risks. Management accountants would do well to address their internal control issues because the stronger the internal control the less the concern for risk in the eyes of the auditor. Clear understanding of the standards and what changes they have created will benefit a management accountant greatly as they will be better able to anticipate what an auditor and his or her team will likely be inquiring about and what evidence they will probably want to collect. PART 4: Internal Control when implemented effectively does much to reduce the overall risk of material misstatement by a company. With the drafting and release of these new standards firms will do well to assess their current internal control and consider previous audit reports regarding it. The firms would do well to first address all areas of weakness that have been previously denoted if it has not already done so. Under the new standards, those particular areas will likely receive the most scrutiny from auditors. Secondly, though other areas may not have been identified as weak in previous audits, they might likely be less effective under the new standards and as such should be assessed as to whether it will stand up under the scrutiny the new standards call for. The importance of quality internal control was not of much significance pre-Sarbanes Oxley, however 2002 brought an end to that and now with the more concise standards set forth recently, is of the utmost importance.

Eq Is Better Than Iq

EQ IS BETTER THAN IQ! Government points| Opposition’s rebuttals| Necessary social skills that a student needs are associated with high levels of EQ or emotional intelligence. If a student does not develop the EQ skills needed to successfully transverse the maturation process he or she will be left in a situation of having the intelligence to functionally work or play but not have the emotional skills to successfully work or play, thus limiting their potential future.They may have received good grades on tests in school classes but without a working high level of EQ they are unable to function as adult people in an adult world| A person's IQ, on the other hand, measures concepts like logical reasoning, word comprehension, and math skills rather than creative potential or emotional abilities. People with a  high IQ  may be able to learn certain subjects very quickly and make connections between ideas that others miss. It's correlation coefficient is . so in most cases the hi gher IQ someone has, or the higher their potential to learn is, the higher their emotional intelligence is. | IQ tests are used as an indicator of logical reasoning ability and technical intelligence. A high IQ is often a prerequisite for rising to the top ranks of business today. It is necessary, but it is not adequate to predict executive competence and corporate success. By itself, a high IQ does not guarantee that you will stand out and rise above everyone else.Research carried out by the Carnegie Institute of Technology shows that 85 percent of your financial success is due to skills in â€Å"human engineering,† your personality and ability to communicate, negotiate, and lead. Shockingly, only 15 percent is due to technical knowledge. Additionally, Nobel Prize winning Israeli-American psychologist, Daniel Kahneman, found that people would rather do business with a person they like and trust rather than someone they don’t, even if the likeable person is offering a lower quality product or service at a higher price. What good does a  high IQ  do for you? The conclusion is: quite a lot. In our society intelligence is highly appreciated. If you have a high IQ, you have a better chance of being successful at school and professionally. | In 1995, psychologist Daniel Goleman released a book called â€Å"Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More than IQ. † Goleman tried to unravel how someone who graduates at the top of the class can spend years hoping for a promotion, whereas someone who barely cracked a book might be that class's top earner.He hypothesized that when it came to predicting success, standard intelligence mattered less than emotional intelligence. It's not what you know, but who you know — and how well you get along with them, to borrow an old adage. According to Goleman's research, a high IQ didn't help when it came to networking or collaborating, while those who could understand and regulate emotion could sail straight to the top of the corporate ladder. | | | | | | | | | |

George adams President of SA Recycling Assignment

George adams President of SA Recycling - Assignment Example The business commenced about thirty-five years ago through Adams’ father, who then owned a single scrap metal facility located in Anaheim, which later became known as SA Recycling. The business has grown significantly and now covers forty locations in three states, and has employed 1,500 workers and processes almost two million tons of recycled metals in a year† (Citizen of the Year 2010). Mr. Adams is an attorney by profession, after graduating from â€Å"Western State University in 1984, where he earned his Juris Doctor degree† (Citizen of the Year 2010). Aside from being a lawyer, Adams was also elected as â€Å"Chairman of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI) in 2008. ISRI is a private, non-profit trade association which based in Washington, D.C, also regarded as the Voice of the Recycling Industry† (Citizen of the Year 2010). This group represents more than â€Å"1,600 private, stock and profit corporations who process, acting as b rokers and may also be consumers† (Citizen of the year 2010) of scrap materials such as â€Å"old and new metals, glass, rubber, paper and plastics† (ISRI.org). The advocacies of ISRI are also laudable as they provide education, training, and promoting public awareness on the importance of recycling to help our Mother Earth.

Analyzing and Comparing the Mise-en-scene of David O'Russel's Three Essay

Analyzing and Comparing the Mise-en-scene of David O'Russel's Three Kings to Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan - Essay Example David O’Russell knew the power of setting a story during the time of war, thus he came up with the most finely tuned, eccentrically conventional film Three Kings. Both Saving Private Ryan and Three Kings have effectively shown war in a resolute way that serves similar aims but achieves this in different manners. O’Russell’s Three Kings clearly uses the narrative device of an ethical story to relate the Gulf War’s moral lessons as well as to rewrite America’s ethical position over the people of Iraq through revising what was viewed as a moral defeat. The film tells a narrative of a gang of four U.S fighters on operations at the Gulf at the end of the dispute as they find out a map to one of the secrete bunkers of Saddam Hussein, containing huge amounts of Kuwait gold, and plan to steal it for their own gains. On the other hand, Steven Spielberg has been criticized for failing to employ narrative action basing on the moral and national purpose in his film Saving Private Ryan. This criticism can be understood in the perspective of the constraints placed on modern cinematic stories of war by the Vietnam syndrome (Andersen 193). Even though Three Kings is developed around a definitely American-based fictional plot, this film typically aims to bring in issues concerning Iraq and addresses it to a certain extent as the film develops. On the other hand, Saving Private Ryan tries to reillusion American national distinctiveness in the wake of Vietnam by presenting a more distant past. The specific ethical justification for starting war and admitting its sacrifices and horrors is found in ethical campaigns against the Nazi plot of Holocaust. Through stitching the Holocaust into the movie, the film takes part in ‘Americanization’ of a memory of Holocaust, avoids Vietnam as a source of distressing memory, produces a redemptive national uniqueness, and constructs a moral usable past in the present. In both films, the use of ima gery has been clearly utilized. Saving Private Ryan starts and ends with a shot of a flag that is faded and desaturated of color. The red colors have turned to pink, white to gray, and the blue colors have lost their color completely. The flag is transparent, moving forth and back in the centre of a cool dusk as the sunlight penetrates straight through it. The reason behind this is that the flag symbolizes a lost time and a fading generation. The American elites who fought to keep such banners were gone and the film was developed for their sake. Such features show that Saving Private Ryan may be the greatest film ever produced about horror and heroism in war situations. It shows how heroic conduct can be unusually difficult, impulsive, lucky, instinctive, and deliberate, all at once. In contrast, Three Kings had mixed receptions on its release. In general, reviews involved praise for technical elements of the film as well as criticism of the way the Gulf War was presented. In the Wa shington Post, Stephen Hunter claimed the style of the film had the feeling second to none, as it re-imagines the past war movie post-modernly. He further concludes that the film was ideologically unremarkable. Similarly, Three Kings uses some sort of imagery in the storyline. At the start of the scene, a discussion goes on between Major Gates and his Staff Sergeant, standing near a helicopter. The image of a helicopter was used as an icon in this film, though not frequently used outside the scene (Andersen 194). At the beginning, when a shot cuts through, it is obvious that the positioning of the characters is to enable the blade to remain at the heart of the screen, right between the

Selp Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Selp Reflection - Essay Example Burke and several senior managers of J&J decided to recall Tylenol capsules even though there was no connection between the poisoning and the Tylenol capsules (Jackson, 2004, p. 75), and in spite of the risk that by pulling out Tylenol from the market, the company would forfeit its sizeable share in the pain medication market. The removal of the Tylenol capsule from the market was a business move that disagreed with the recommendation of the company’s legal adviser, who feared that the recall would be an acceptance of corporate negligence. Likewise, the FBI advised Burke not to recall Tylenol because J&J was not responsible for the poisonings (Anderson, 1989, 232). However, referring to the company’s principles, which declare, â€Å"We believe our first responsibility is to the doctors, nurses and patients, to mothers and all others who use our products and services,† (Pava & Krausz, 1995, 119) Burke decided to recall Tylenol, proclaiming that the production of these capsules will cease permanently. The company was the focus of Burke’s decisions. However, his main priority was the welfare or security of their customers, even though that move endangered the company’s profitability and image. It is without a doubt that Burke’s judgment was also in the companyâ€℠¢s continuing self-interest. However, it was somewhat surprising that the company would be triumphant in regaining their dominant share in the pain medication market even after withdrawing Tylenol capsules. In fact, according to Pava (1999), many analysts foretold the contrary. Serving one’s own interest does not automatically rule out giving consideration to the wellbeing of others, since the interests of others are usually crucial to success. In fact, it is not possible not to consider the interests of others, if philosophers are correct about human beings’ social nature. Thus, although some are distrustful about the response of J&J to the Tylenol incident, although

Error Simulation Enviroment For The Dicode Pulse Position Modulation Essay

Error Simulation Enviroment For The Dicode Pulse Position Modulation - Essay Example The number of erasure error symbols that is erased is within the capacity of the decoder in his recovery of the original data. In this test design, the number of erasure error symbols must be less or equal to 8 symbols per codeword. Figures (7.2) & (7.3) show the system input/output signals. Figure (7.2) shows the performance of the system when the number of erasure symbols equals 8 per codeword, while the figure (7.3) displays the system signals when the number of erasure symbols equals 5. In these figures, the fail output signal is logic 0. This means that the system has successfully decoded the original codeword. We can add or delete erasures by updating lines 294 and 295 inside the code. The number of erasure error symbols that is erased is greater than the capacity of the decoder to recover the original data. In this test design, the number of erasure symbols is greater than 8 symbols per codeword. Figure (7.4) shows the system input/output signals when the number of erasure sym bols equals 9 per codeword. In this figure, the fail output signal is logic 1, which means that the system has failed to decode the original codeword. We can add or delete erasures by updating lines 294 and 295. A VHDL test bench program Appendix ( ) has been built to provide an environment where errors can be injected into the system. According to equation (6.7), the designed system has the ability to correct up to 4 erasure errors only. Above this number, the system will fail to decode the original message.

What are the key contributions of buyers in the successful completion Essay

What are the key contributions of buyers in the successful completion of the company budget - Essay Example The links of buyers on myriad operational activities provide great influence in budget allocation. Since the responsibility of overseeing interrelated functions concerning a product range within a particular category which includes selection, sales and profitability lies on the buyer, creating the company budget entails major involvement of the buyer. Starting from the analysis of potential movements in the market, the buyer assures that buying operations fit within the overall financial budget by providing the appropriate information during the planning stage of the company when budget setting takes place. Historical analysis is a useful tool for the buyer in making judgments that concern market developments particularly on the acquisition of supplies. Aside from looking at past sales, the buyer also looks at expectations of price fluctuations and movements taking into consideration various factors that affect the market value of production inputs based on opportunities present in t he market. With market analysis, the buyer provides the information necessary for the generation of the budget.Trading operations of the company depend on a structured, achievable and accurate budget derived from sound information and because the buyer is involved in liaising with other departments and suppliers, the understanding of the buyer in relation to the market is the key for presenting the outline of finances. Through thorough research and evaluation of product and price trends, the buyer assures that the company budget sustains organizational activities. ... The collection of garment supplies revolve around the budget constraints set by the company. Through budget allocation, decisions on acquisition take place. In the process of allocation, the paths of the company money is traced in every aspect it is used. Money spending decisions of the company in the course of acquisitions of necessary supplies provide an outline of the range structure. With the range structure, the buyer makes decisions on the selection of product ranges aimed at a specific market that will make the department operations together with other related business functions run smoothly and in line with the set objectives of the company. What Are the Key Inputs of Buyers into the Promotional Calendar In the pursuit of accomplishing the series of events planned by the company to make products known to the market, the buyer is involved and functions in coordination with the marketing department. The buyer ensures that purchasing activities complement the visions of the marketing department as set on the promotional calendar. This is undertaken through an efficient and effective planning of ranges to assure that actions of the buyer in relation to the collection of garments for the specified period coincide with what the marketing department is trying to pursue. Promotion is an essential factor in the success of the fashion products of a company since the activity provides the target market with the vital information regarding the products offered to them. Brand awareness and brand recall is instituted in the course of promotional undertakings of products targeted to be sold. With the promotion of a product, demand is expected to be created and as a result boost sales. The impact of the promotional campaign whether in print advertisements

Summarise the strategic options that are appropriate to ZARA and make Essay

Summarise the strategic options that are appropriate to ZARA and make definitive for ZARA to sustain its future position in the - Essay Example This difficulty of the imitation is one of the foundations the leadership strategy relies on. Zara has managed to successfully exploit its economic of scale through its size and volume of production. Passemard observes that there is a relationship between firm-size measured in terms of volume of production. Based on this understanding, and considering that Zara sells medium quality fashion clothing at affordable prices, its unit production is minimum. The optimum volume of production is reached when the average cost per unit production is minimal. (Passemard, 2006). Zara has also managed to sustain the leadership strategy because of its volume of production. Passemard, points out that with a high level of production, a company is able to purchase and use specialized manufacturing tools which other small companies are not able to afford (Passemard, 2006). The study indicates that the merchandize in the rain facility has a capacity of only 45,000 folded garments per hour and that this facility has its limitation unless more capacity can be created elsewhere. A further study by Adams observes that cost advantage may be associated with division of labor, which apparently is one of the key ingredients of Zara efficiency of work. The study indicates that at Zara, the design collections are developed by creative teams rather than groups of designers. In general implementation of leadership strategy requires firms that are able to produce relatively simple standardized products and at the same time are able to sell those products at comparatively low prices. This mechanism contrasts other companies who pursue business or corporate strategies from Zara. Zara has managed to keep its low cost production by ensuring that they maintain the supply and provide the variety to the taste of the supplier. The study points that Zara stores is stocked with items tailored to the taste of the local clientele and that one would never end up looking like someone else. According to Adam s, for the cost producer strategy to work best, buyers must be able to use the product in the same way and have much same needs and requirement when buyers are large and have significant bargaining power (Frankl & Rubik, 2000). This is underscored by Porter in his analysis of the buyer power while examining the Porter’s Five forces. Porter points out that this strategy will be efficient if the industry’s product is a standard product which is readily available from variety of sellers. In the case of Zara, there are several outlets providing almost the same ambience all over Northern Spain and the rest of the world. In observation of the Porter Five forces, Zara has been able to protect itself from the rivals, buyers, suppliers, potential entrants and substitutes. The study reveals that Zara has managed to keep off the new entrant by sheer reduction of prices for artificial purposes as well as using its dominance and economies of scale to contain the competitors like GA P. Identify the corporate level strategies In identifying corporate growth strategies, this paper will consider that use of Ansoff matrix. Zara has exploited the use of the matrix.Ansoff matrix portray alternative corporate growth strategies. This strategy explores the present and future potential growth of the business based on the products and markets. While looking at the position of Zara, it is important to points out that

How could HMV survive in digital word Literature review

How could HMV survive in digital word - Literature review Example At the same time, presence of a large population of suppliers has their bargaining power related to packaging materials and recording disks (Watson and Spence, 2007). The bargaining power of retail music customers have increased substantially. Customers in the UK music sector can be divided as corporate and individual. With evolution of download services and legal streaming, the e-shops and streaming services, such as, iTunes, have become popular among consumers. As a result of rise in illegal streaming, people are currently buying lesser number of records (Wikstro, 2005). Corporate consumers in this industry include offline and online retailers involved in bulk purchases of albums from the music labels. These entities include stores like, Game and HMV, as well as online stores like, AmazonMP3, iTunes and Zune. Stringent contracts, along with increasing sources where consumers can download songs and videos illegally, have lowered the bargaining power of corporate customers (Rust, Kannan and Peng, 2002). Established and branded music labels are spending millions in test marketing, recording as well as image-development campaigns so as to ensure competency and quality of the artist, before making a public launch. These areas need implementation of special skills as well as huge access to money. Furthermore, these campaigns are supported by exhaustive distribution network and wide reach in terms of online distributing partners (Michel, 2006). These online partners are also helpful for immediate album distribution to exact locations. Also, the bigger brands can easily use their industry contacts during concert organisation, album promotion shows or for creating buzz for different artists. As these facilities are not available to newer brands, initial risks as well as capital expenditures are higher compared to that of the established brands. Then again,

Great West Casualty V. Estate of G. Witherspoon Case Study - 1

Great West Casualty V. Estate of G. Witherspoon - Case Study Example Gertie Witherspoon was on her way to work on July 1 1998 at 4:30 AM when one of her tires on her automobile blew out and the car careened into a roadside ditch. With her car disabled, Witherspoon decided to walk along US route 71 near Adrian Missouri. Still shaken from the accident, Witherspoon attempted to cross the highway to reach for help. At that moment, two trailers, each moving at a speed of 70miles side by side spotted the small figure as she crossed the highway. The truck drivers tried stopping the vehicle but could not avoid hitting her and she died on the scene. In the weeks following the incidents, Mrs. Lang, the only daughter to Mrs. Witherspoon sought more information on the death of her mother. However, all she got was indifferent information from the highway patrol and the owner of the truck company. Frustrated, Lang rang the adjuster at Great West Casualty to ask for more information regarding the case. However, according to the adjuster, there was no fault on the pa rt of their client, Vernon County Grain and Supply. The adjuster pronounced the case closed prompting Lang to seek out help from an attorney. Believing that the family was preparing to sue the company, the claims representative at Great West Casualty filed a suit on behalf of the company against the estate of Mrs. Witherspoon. Five months later, Mrs. Lang received notice of a legal suit filed against her family for damages on the truck that hit her mother.

Use Of Literary Devices In Julius Caesar Essay Example for Free

Use Of Literary Devices In Julius Caesar Essay Authors use literary devices in their works for a variety of reasons. The same holds true in Shakespeares Julius Caesar. The use of these devices has an effect on the plots development. Several literary devices can be seen in Julius Caesar, and they all have an effect on the plot. Foreshadowing is a key literary device in the play. We see foreshadowing from the beginning of the play, when the Soothsayer tells Caesar to Beware the Ides of March in Act I, Scene I, which happens to be the day that Caesar is killed. Calpurnia later dreams of Caesars death, but he does not heed her warning. this not only tells us what is going to happen, but it also shows us how Caesars status and ego are getting to his head. Foreshadowing gives us a hint of what is to come, and can also reflect upon a character or characters. A second literary device used in the play is the use of puns. A pun is another element noted early on in Julius Caesar. When Marullus addresses the Cobbler, the pun begins. Cobbler is meant to have two meanings in this dialog: 1 a shoemaker and 2 a bungler. The Cobbler refers to himself as a mender of bad soles, playing with the word soles. Marullus interprets the Cobbler as a mender of souls. The usage of puns adds some light humor to the play as well as reflecting on the characters of the play. This also shows that the so-called upper class can still be fooled by the commoners. The usage of puns adds to the story of Julius Caesar. During Antonys funeral speech, which is the climax of the play, several literary devices are used, including rhetorical questioning, sarcasm, and repetition. Antony frequently uses the question of Brutuss honor in killing Caesar to win over the people of Rome. His repetition of But Brutus is an honorable man is used to persuade the people that Brutus has done wrong. His entire speech makes the people think: Has Brutus really done a good deed? It is this use of literary elements which earns Antony the respect and loyalty of the people. This, in turn, shapes the plot later in the play. This is one of the best examples of how literary devices have an effect on the plot of a piece of literature. It is easy to see that literary devices not only make a story more interesting and colorful, but also have a direct effect on the plot of the piece. Shakespeare, like any writer, uses these devices in his works. The use of literary devices in literature is a necessity, and it is clear that Julius Caesar. is an excellent example of these techniques being used.

The Rates Of Chemical Reaction

The Rates Of Chemical Reaction The rate of a chemical reaction is a measure of how fast the reaction takes place. So, a rapid reaction is completed in a short time. Some reactions may be very slow, e.g. the rusting of steel. A chemical reaction only occurs when particles collide with each other. Particles which move fast are more likely to collide with each other; you can do this by heating them up (raising temperature). This means more particles collide with each other every second, so the rate of reaction increases. There are more particles of hydrochloric acid atoms if there is a higher concentration of them. More particles means there will be a higher amount of collisions so the reaction should be fast. Other factors that affect the rate of reaction are; temperature, catalysts and surface area. Temperature affects reaction rates as it dictates how much energy the particles in a substance have, at higher temperatures particles have more energy and so move more quickly and collide more. As the particles are moving faster the collisions between them have more energy, this means that they are more likely to create a reaction and so reaction rate increases. Catalysts lower the amount of energy needed for a collision to be successful, so adding a catalyst to a reaction increases the amount of successful collisions and therefore increases reaction rates. The larger the amount of surface area, the faster the reaction rate is. Independent Variable= Hydrochloric acid concentration Dependent Variable= Time taken for magnesium to dissolve Aim To investigate the reaction time between magnesium and hydrochloric acid. Prediction I think that my results will show that the hydrochloric acid with a molarity of 2 will finish reacting the quickest because it is the strongest hydrochloric acid and I predict that the slowest experiment to finish reacting will be the 0.4 molar strength of hydrochloric acid. I think that the results will go slower and slower the nearer they are to the 0.4 strength of hydrochloric acid. The reason that the experiment with hydrochloric acid at 2 molar will dissolve the magnesium ribbon faster is because it is of a stronger concentration and so the molecules in the hydrochloric acid move faster and so react with the magnesium ribbon quicker. Fair Test To make sure my experiment was a fair test, I had to keep these factors the same: Surface area of magnesium Volume of acid used (10ml) Used the same type of beaker (80ml) Length of magnesium (1cm) Clean the magnesium with emery paper before the experiment Temperature of the hydrochloric acid The factor of which I will change is the concentration of the hydrochloric acid. Apparatus I used the following equipment: 80ml beakers (x5) Equal strips of magnesium (x5) Stopwatch Hydrochloric Acid A measuring cylinder Gloves Safety I will need to make my experiment as safe as possible. It will be safe for me and other students around me. Precautions will be made if someone is harmed, such as there will need to be a first aid kit nearby accessible, also a water tap in case acid touches the skin or eyes. This is what I will need to do: Care in using glassware as when broken is sharp and can cut the skin Wear safety goggles as I am using concentrated hydrochloric acid Care in returning all the equipment at the end of the experiment Care to eyes and skin plus to be aware of other students around the class Risk Assessment The acid that we are using in this experiment is of 1.0 molar strength, which is strong enough to at least cause irritation to the skin if spilled on it; the hydrochloric acid would also cause irritation to the eyes and mouth if ever spilled into those. Another risk is that magnesium is flammable especially if in powder form, but we are using it in a ribbon form and we are not using any flames in any part of the experiment. The gas which is given off from the reaction between hydrochloric acid and magnesium ribbon is hydrogen which is a flammable gas. We will reduce the risk of these hazards by wearing protective eyewear for example laboratory goggles, we will also measure out the hydrochloric acid pouring away from the body, over the sink. We will not be using flames in our experiment so the risk is reduced from the hydrogen and magnesium but still other experiments could be using flames so we will still have to be careful and make sure to stay away from any other experiments using flames. Introduction Firstly, we had to record (in a table) the time taken for a 1cm magnesium (Mg) strip to completely dissolve in a beaker containing hydrochloric acid (HCl). I had five different concentrations of the hydrochloric acid: 1.0m, 1.2m, 1.4m, 1.6m, 1.8m and 2.0m. I put 10ml of hydrochloric acid in a glass 80ml beaker, and then one by one I began putting the magnesium strips into each beaker and timing the duration taken for the magnesium to dissolve. The first thing we noticed is that the lower the concentration of the acid, the longer the magnesium took to dissolve. We were trying to find out how the concentration of the acid affected the speed of which the magnesium dissolves. The equation for this experiment was: Magnesium + Hydrochloric Acid à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Magnesium Chloride + Hydrogen Mg + 2HCl à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ MgCl2 + H2 Collision Theory The theory that we use to explain how different variables change the rate of reaction is called the collision theory. For a reaction to take place, the particles of the substances that are reacting have to collide. If they collide, with enough energy then they will react. The minimum amount of kinetic (movement) energy that two particles need if they are going to react when they collide is called the activation energy. Method I needed to collect: Safety goggles, five 80ml beakers, a lab coat, a measuring cylinder, and a pipette. Safety goggles were very important because of the chemicals we were using. Hydrogen gas was also being released, which is highly flammable so we had to be aware if we were to ignite anything near it. This was the method I used: Put on safety goggles and a lab coat Collect (80ml) beakers (x5) Collect a pipette and a measuring cylinder Measure out 10ml of hydrochloric acid with a pipette Release the acid into the beaker Make sure we have a stopwatch at the ready Collect magnesium strips Put the magnesium into the acid and make sure at the exact same time the stop watch has started The hydrogen produced makes the reaction mixture effervesce (fizz). The faster the reaction, the shorter the time taken for the effervescence to stop. My results may not be completely accurate, as the person using the stop watch may not react quickly enough to stop the time. Also the amount of milliliters put into the cylinder may not be exact due to the accuracy of the apparatus. Although the results are likely to be reliable as we used the same type apparatus for each experiment, and concentration we tested on, we followed the method exactly the same for each repeat We used the same method for all five different concentrations of the hydrochloric acid. We used the same pipette and measuring cylinder but made sure they were washed with water and then dried ready for the next concentration. We repeated the whole experiment for a second time to gain a better insight of our results; this would also allow us to spot outliers and discuss how we got them. If we found an outlier we repeated the reading. We then worked out an average between both of our results, although we did not find any outliers so our average wasnt affected. Time taken for the magnesium to dissolve (s) Hydrochloric acid concentration Experiment 1 Experiment 2 My graph which is attached to this document, it shows that the slope of the curve was negative due to the huge decrease in the seconds taken for the magnesium to dissolve (negative correlation, as you increase the concentration of hydrochloric acid, the amount of seconds to dissolve decreases). As seen in my graph the difference within the amount of seconds from concentrations 1.0m and 1.2m is the biggest difference of 51.45 seconds. This similarity continues all the way through until the last two concentrations have a small difference of just 4.3 seconds. Conclusion To conclude I realised the higher the amount of concentration in the beaker, the faster the magnesium dissolved. A scientific explanation to this would be that there were more particles in the beaker meaning the there was less space resulting to larger amount of collisions. More collisions The rate of reaction depends on the rate of successful collisions between reactant particles. The more successful collisions there are, the faster the rate of reaction. Surface area could have affected the experiment, but as these factors were controlled my results werent affected. I predicted that the higher the concentration the faster the reaction. The reason for this is as the concentration increased the rate of reaction increased. The line showing the results of 1.0 molar acid is the steepest. The reaction is faster with stronger acid because it contains more acid particles. The greater number of acid particles the more chances of a collision between acid and magnesium particles therefore the faster the reaction. The strongest acid also produces the most gas because it contains more reactant acid particles. You can see from the graph below the higher the concentration of acid the faster the rate. There is now evidence to back up my prediction. My hypothesis has been proven correct, in that beforehand I believed increasing the concentration means that we have more particles in the same volume of solution. This increases the chance of collisions between reactant particles, resulting in more collisions in any given time and a faster reaction. This can show us a general rule about concentrations and rates of reactions. Analysis During my investigation there is a possibility that I may have come across errors. These errors were linked to my measurements. The timing of the magnesium dissolving in the hydrochloric acid could have plus or minus a second due to the reaction speed of the person timing it. Also the (measurements of the hydrochloric acid volumes were accurate to +/- 1cm ³. Many of the errors are down to human judgement, Measuring of volumes Reaction speed of the timer From the results in the table and the graph we can see a steady increase in the rate of reaction as the concentration of the acid increases. This complies with my prediction. The graph shows that there is an increase in the rate of reaction as the concentration increases because the graph has its largest gradient or it is steepest at this point.). Also we can see that as the reaction continues the concentration of the reactants decrease and so does the rate of the reaction as we can see the decreasing gradient on the graph steadily falling and coming to a stop when the reaction is complete and the magnesium has completely disappeared. Evaluation I think my experiment went well as a whole. I could have possibly improved the accuracy of some of my results I could have used more concentrations of acid to see if the pattern carried on as it did previously or changed, I could have repeated the readings more times to make them more accurate. In some occasions I could have done things to make my experiment a fairer test. I could have repeated my experiment at least one more time to increase reliability. I could have possibly concentrated more on my experiment than get distracted by peers. If I repeated this experiment I could have tried investigating other aspects of the experiment which could change the rate of reaction. One example could be changing the surface area, the concentration of acid and pressure can affect the reaction. I could have also tried using different acids, such as sulphuric acid. Different metals could allow me to investigate their (relativity) reactivity and the affect this has on results and reaction rate. The reaction could relate to a real life situation, such as if someone were to walk into a crowded area, there would be more collisions rather than if the place was empty. Therefore people in the area get more annoyed, which results in even more collisions, therefore this example relates to the rates of reaction. The results lined up very well on the graph with a very close curved line of best fit that all the results fall directly onto or very close to with only two off the line and only 1 second away. This backs up the consistency and reliability of the results, which makes my evidence good enough to support a firm conclusion. To improve my knowledge of reaction rates I could and how concentration affects them I could conduct experiments using different metals and different acids. I could also use a larger range of concentrations to extend my results and give me more evidence. Using smaller gaps between concentrations would also further my evidence as it would improve my rate graph allowing me to draw a more accurate line of best fit therefore allowing me to make more accurate estimates for results of concentrations not yet tested. And it could have been improved by the repetition of each concentration 3 times; instead of the one time I was able to conduct, to eliminate all anomalous results. As from 3 sets of readings, an average can be calculated which will provide a more reliable result as it is based upon 3 readings, not just the one reading which may be wrong. The investigation could be done using one variable and therefore have a set of results which were related in some way. The variables that could be used are: Concentration Particle size/surface area Temperature These variables can be used because: The more concentrated the reactants, the greater the rate of reaction will be. This is because increasing the concentration of the reactants increases the number of collisions between particles and, therefore, increases the rate of reaction. When one of the reactants is a solid, the reaction must take place on the surface area of the solid. By breaking up the solid into smaller pieces, the surface area is increased, giving a greater area of collisions to take place and so causing an increase in the rate of reaction. An increase in temperature produces an increase in the rate of reaction. A rise of 10 ° C approximately doubles the rate of reaction. When a mixture of substances is heated, the particles move faster. This has two effects. Since the particles are moving faster they will travel greater distance in a given time and so will be involved in more collisions. Also, because the particles are moving faster a larger proportion of the collisions will exceed the activation energy and so the rate of reaction increases. Looking at the set of results obtained, you can clearly see that they all follow the expected pattern. This is pattern suggests that the reaction rate increase when the concentration of the acid increases because if you increase the concentration of the acid you are introducing more particles into the reaction which will in turn produce a faster reaction because there will be more collisions between the particles which is what increases the reaction rate. There will always be ways in which you can improve your investigations and the same thing goes to my investigation. Every time I washed a test tube or a measuring cylinder, I did not dry it before using it. This may have affected the rate of reaction, as water would dilute the acid. To improve my results, I could dry the test tubes and the measuring cylinder after they are washed to prevent diluted acids. The size and weight of the magnesium would have affected the rate of reaction. The experiment could be improved by measuring, adjusting and weighing the magnesium ribbons so they all are the same size and weight.

Information System For Caterpillar Information Technology Essay

Information System For Caterpillar Information Technology Essay Information is a vital to running a business today, hence the needs to control and utilise information has been developed rapidly in order to gain a competitive advantage. Information system is a useful general term which used to describe about the way of organisation manage their information successfully. Today is twenty first century and computers and computer-based system are very essential to run and setup the organisation. A comprehensive and integrated information system provides a space to consolidating fragmented pieces or sub systems, improving country decision-making capabilities, implementing evidence-based decision making and providing easy access to reliable and valid data and subsequently to good quality information for better decision-making. Caterpillar is one of the worlds foremost manufacturers of earthmoving machinery and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and electrical power generation systems. Caterpillar has declared that the Caterpillar Inc. Company was officially established in 1925.Since it was founded in 1925, Caterpillar has a proud history in product development, technological innovations and globalizations with presence around the world in Europe, South-North America, Russia, China, Japan, and Africa, the company provides products and services in a multinational market, Caterpillar employs about 200.00 people around the world between dealers, employees, and suppliers. In 2006, Caterpillar reported Sales and Revenues of $ 41.517 billion and profit of $ 3.537 billion, up 28 percent compared with the previous year. (General Motors Annual Report 2005) Introduction: To ensure the success, organization always depended on information system. For their continued survival all the medium to large organizations depend on their information technology. All kind of business like small to co-operation enterprise everyone use their own information system. In daily Telegraph they published a recent article; IT supplement advises that many large organizations could not survive longer than 24 hours without IT support! Day by day, year by year organizations have changed their information systems from dealing purely with data processing to strategic and decision support. Without the valid information is impossible to find success in the short, medium and long term plan. At present situation it is also recognized that in an organization information is very common required at all levels and that information can have find from many source. To gaining competitive advantage the valid information is very Importance to needs to be stressed. INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR CATERPILLAR: The different kind of Information System depends on different needs of the company. Today the market offers a range of software; accounting programs, management programs. The company depending on its budget have to identify the most effective system which will bring about more benefits. Despite using the information systems in each level, an alternative system called Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) may be used to replace all the other systems mentioned above for each level within the organization. The information systems mentioned before address different functional areas usually in fragmented and incoherent fashion. The systems are created to meet the particular needs of the organization. On the other hand, the ERP system leads to more effective sharing of information and eventually to the production of more precise forecasts and plans. It is a package of programs that allow the company to integrate and share information by linking the subsidiaries, suppliers, employees, sales analysis, human resources, inventories, and financial issues simultaneously with managers and customers. It is an all-in-one package. The adoption of a single system has advantages such as dealing with only one software vendor, reduced maintenance and other repair costs, comparability between systems within the organization; and a more unifying strategy for the organization. However, it may be an expensive system to purchase and operate; and may lack flexibility to adapt to changing business need. ERP has been an effective system to adopt and Caterpillar will definitely gain competitive advantage over its rivals. INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION: These systems are focused on determining what information must be provided in order to achieve the objectives of the business strategy. Caterpillar being the worlds leading producer of earth moving equipment, industrial gas turbine engines and a global leader supplier of diesel engines, selling over 300 products with a service life of fifty or more years to support distributors in over 120 countries, needs to plan and establish accurate designs of Information system for each level within the organization. These systems will help the organization to make reliable decisions within each level of the organization as mentioned below. a) STRATEGIC LEVEL The strategic level is the top most level in an organization and through the use of Executive Support System (ESS) which is the highest level of information systems used within the senior management, it establishes medium to long term strategies which assist in strategic decision making. Caterpillars strategic decisions will have a major impact on the organization and will be based on future assumptions rather than the current. It is analysed from external sources (market surveys, trade publications, demographic studies, government reports and commissioned research from specialist suppliers). The information will tend to be highly uncertain and more of a general nature or summary. The organization needs to make decisions which will help them gain a competitive edge within the market by maximising its share, attaining huge profits, develop quality and right products, control the costs and provision of satisfaction for customers. Information Requirements at this level would therefore include: Profit forecasts Patterns of expenditure Sales analyses Demographic Survey Development of market forces General economy Information Technology: The organization needs to understand and forecast customer demands so as to keep up with the future trends. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a system which provides information about customers such as categories of customers and predicts their behaviours. This system would update Caterpillar to be able to fulfil customers demands (by innovating new products) and prevent wastage of customers to competitors. b) TACTICAL LEVEL This is associated with the middle management and involves medium term decisions. The information required will normally be in aggregate form and it is subject to less uncertainty compare to information required in the strategic level. Within this level, the organization can use two types of systems; Decision Support System (DSS) and Management Information System (MIS). MIS facilitates routine summarizing and reporting while DSS allows ad hoc queries and analytical reporting. Caterpillar will have to effectively manage and control its finances (prepare budgets), labour, inventories, machinery and other resources. Information Requirements at this level would be: Variance Reports Sales analysis Cash flow forecasts Personnel Records Management Reports Information Technology: The organization needs to maintain good relationships with its suppliers since they provide the necessary inputs and components for its production. One way of doing so is by creating Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) which establishes an electronic connection between the business and its suppliers and automatically sends messaged to the supplier when orders are to be made. c) KNOWLEDGE LEVEL This level is often present in some organizations and helps to keep up to date with the technology and makes use of the Knowledge Work Systems (KWS). For Caterpillar, this level would help to create designs and graphics of its machinery and other forms of design specification. Information Requirements: Design Specifications Drafts Previous or existing models Information Technology: Through the use of expensive Computer Aided Design/ Computer Aided Manufacturing equipment, Caterpillar has a chance to produce differentiated products which would act as a barrier to entry for other firms and to gain competitive advantage over other firms within the industry. d) OPERATIONAL LEVEL This level is concerned with the decisions made in the normal day to day operations within a business. Decisions in this area are designed to ensure the effective and efficient use of existing resources to realise budget objectives. This level makes use of the Transaction Processing System (TPS) which includes systems such as payroll, order tracking, machine control and employee records. Information Requirements: Personnel information Inventory and production levels Pricing decisions Credit control over customers Cash controls and other forms of accounting Cloud computing: Cloud computing is a term that normally using for anything that involves delivering hosted through the internet. Generally these services are divided in to three categories: Infrastructure-as-a-service (laas) Platform-as-a-service (paas) and Software-as-a-Service (saas).The name of cloud computing is stirred from the cloud symbol that usually symbolized the internet in flowchart and diagram. In the simplest, cocktail-hour terms, cloud computing is managed, shared applications, development platforms or computing infrastructure accessible via a network such as the internet. Above the clouds: Managing Risk in the World of Cloud Computing By Kevin T McDonalds. Cloud computing technology boasts all the benefits of multitenant, including built-in security, reliability, upgradeability and ease of use. Normally cloud computing platforms are growing in popularity, its exceptional advantages does a cloud computing architecture offer to companies in todays economic climate. Suitability of cloud computing: Proven Web-services integration: Cloud computing technology is most easier and quicker to compare with other enterprise applications by their unique nature. Such as McDonalds company using their web site logo I am loving it this is proven that all over the world for McDonalds recognition. World-class service delivery: Cloud computing infrastructures offer much greater scalability, complete disaster recovery and impressive uptime numbers. McDonalds offer their same service to the customer all over the world and they maintain their service in the same label. No hardware or software to install: The main beauty of cloud computing technology is its simplicity. This doesnt require any software to install and it requires significantly fewer capital to get up and running. Faster and lower risk development: No more waiting moths or years and spending millions of dollars before anyone gets to log into new solution. Cloud computing technology applications are live in a matter of weeks or months, even with extensive customization or combination. Support for deep customizations: Several IT professionals mistakenly think that cloud computing is difficult to customize as a result it is not a good choice for complex enterprises. This infrastructure not only allows deep customization and application configuration, it preserves all those customization even during upgrades. This is also ideal for application development tosiness support organizations evolving needs. Empowered business users: cloud computing technology allow on the fly, point and click customization and report generation for business users, so IT doesnt spend half its time making minor changes and running reports. Automatic upgrades that dont impact IT resources: These infrastructures put an end to a huge IT dilemma; if we upgrade to the latest and greatest version of the application, well be forced to spend time and resources to rebuild our customizations and combinations. Cloud computing doesnt force to decide between upgrading and preserving all hard work. Because all the customization and integrations are automatically preserved during an upgrade. Conclusion: According to research literature and Caterpillar information system it is evident that well establish system running by the company. From particular store to head office and also around the world the whole company running by one network. Every store is monitored by head office and how they operate business operation, tracking stock, ordering system, distribution channel, internal communication going through one IT network. Caterpillar has very strong relationship with cloud computing technology that gives great security and data storage facilities without investing additional amounts. Around the world data transfer and hassle free communication with secure system made Caterpillar in driving position in construction and mining equipment industry. Quality development strongly controlled and improved through latest technology and that made customer satisfaction and also keep customer loyal for future business. References: Above the Clouds: Managing Rusisk in the World of Cloud Computing  By Kevin T. McDonald

The Nature of the Law of Nature :: Philosophy Science Essays

The Nature of the Law of Nature Humans are complex beings. They adapt, learn, have intelligence and free will, can reason, feel emotions, and have a conscience. Although such qualities and attributes raise humans above the rest of other life forms, it is questionable as to where the idea of a conscience and emotions come from. What exactly is it that stimulates our responses to certain situations and problems? The answer lies in human nature. What we as humans feel is right or wrong is somehow dictated by something beyond merely the individual. The underlying question, therefore, becomes what that outside influence is: nature, our inherent human qualities themselves, or some man-made composite of other people and experiences? In more specific terms, the question is whether or not our morality and our adherence to a moral code is something fixed and constant throughout humanity itself. Francis Bacon stated that nature must first be obeyed before it can be put to use, and the same concept applies to humans. Before an y judgment can be made about people, groups, ideas, or beliefs, one must first have a standard to compare this behavior to. If there is no real Law of Nature, then no standard is set, and one thing cannot be compared to another because the standard is only set by opinion, not by fact. In reality, the Law of Nature is a reality which is independent of man-made ideas, although the way in which humans think is definitely influenced by the environment. Let us first address the issue of the impact of the environment on a person’s moral development. In Bonfire of the Vanities, author Tom Wolfe quotes physiologist Josà © Delgado, saying that â€Å"each person is a transitory composite of materials borrowed from the environment† (Wolfe 512). This concept is significant because it demonstrates that people take from the environment certain aspects which eventually come to mold their characters. The idea of a composite also shows that we are not merely independent individuals, but, as O’Malley describes, we are social beings (O’Malley 104). However, this does not mean that our inherent human nature is dictated by the environment; remember, Delgado says that the composite is transitory. If each person is not constant, then that person’s instincts do not change, merely his own rationale. C.S. Lewis described the scenario of a man who sees a drowning person and has two instincts: to help him or to go on, a nd usually the instinct which is more self-protective is stronger (Lewis Ch.

Realistic Dual Natures in Louisa May Alcotts Little Women Essay

Realistic Dual Natures in Alcott’s Little Women â€Å"Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual†²s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is† - Carl Jung Each of us has the capacity for virtue or vice, and our daily actions reflect the combination of both.   In literature, however, people are sometimes depicted as being completely one or the other, giving us inaccurate views of human nature.   We identify better with characters who are more like us--neither completely good nor bad.   Meg, Jo and Amy March in Alcott’s Little Women do not flatly portray complete good or complete evil, but their realistic dual natures increase their believability and intensify their moral influence on us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This character duality is first evident in Margaret, the eldest sister, as we receive a description detailing her looks and countenance.   Meg is â€Å"very pretty† with â€Å"large eyes, plenty of soft, brown hair, a sweet mouth, and white hands, of which she was rather vain† (Alcott[1] 5).   This description leads the reader through sweetness and innocence, finishing with a flaw.   From the beginning, her vanity glares at us as her most obvious fault.   Yet, in â€Å"spite of her small vanities, Margaret had a sweet and pious nature, which unconsciously influenced her sisters† (LW 16).   Contrasting the negativity in Meg’s personality is a kind and remarkable side.   Both vanity and kindness represent themselves throughout the novel as we evaluate the effects this duality has upon our judgment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Leading the novel, Meg’s vanity manifests itself in her desires for Christmas.   Times are difficult and money is tight, yet Meg has ideals of her own regarding the Christmas money.   She explains to ... ...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The implications of the novel may not fully impact us until later, after we take the time to examine the flaws and strengths we see in Meg, Jo, and Amy.   Like us, these three March girls are completely human--possessing dual natures of both good and evil--and because of their realistic natures, they have a greater moral influence on us.   Once we fully examine the characters, we examine ourselves and have the responsibility to act on the characters’ influence.   We can learn willingly from these characters and use their experiences to recognize our faults, like the March girls who are always quick to note their own shortcomings. Note: 1 All further references to Alcott’s Little Women are to the edition listed in the Works Cited and will be labeled simply LW followed by page numbers. Work Cited Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women. New York: Signet, 1983. Realistic Dual Natures in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women Essay Realistic Dual Natures in Alcott’s Little Women â€Å"Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual†²s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is† - Carl Jung Each of us has the capacity for virtue or vice, and our daily actions reflect the combination of both.   In literature, however, people are sometimes depicted as being completely one or the other, giving us inaccurate views of human nature.   We identify better with characters who are more like us--neither completely good nor bad.   Meg, Jo and Amy March in Alcott’s Little Women do not flatly portray complete good or complete evil, but their realistic dual natures increase their believability and intensify their moral influence on us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This character duality is first evident in Margaret, the eldest sister, as we receive a description detailing her looks and countenance.   Meg is â€Å"very pretty† with â€Å"large eyes, plenty of soft, brown hair, a sweet mouth, and white hands, of which she was rather vain† (Alcott[1] 5).   This description leads the reader through sweetness and innocence, finishing with a flaw.   From the beginning, her vanity glares at us as her most obvious fault.   Yet, in â€Å"spite of her small vanities, Margaret had a sweet and pious nature, which unconsciously influenced her sisters† (LW 16).   Contrasting the negativity in Meg’s personality is a kind and remarkable side.   Both vanity and kindness represent themselves throughout the novel as we evaluate the effects this duality has upon our judgment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Leading the novel, Meg’s vanity manifests itself in her desires for Christmas.   Times are difficult and money is tight, yet Meg has ideals of her own regarding the Christmas money.   She explains to ... ...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The implications of the novel may not fully impact us until later, after we take the time to examine the flaws and strengths we see in Meg, Jo, and Amy.   Like us, these three March girls are completely human--possessing dual natures of both good and evil--and because of their realistic natures, they have a greater moral influence on us.   Once we fully examine the characters, we examine ourselves and have the responsibility to act on the characters’ influence.   We can learn willingly from these characters and use their experiences to recognize our faults, like the March girls who are always quick to note their own shortcomings. Note: 1 All further references to Alcott’s Little Women are to the edition listed in the Works Cited and will be labeled simply LW followed by page numbers. Work Cited Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women. New York: Signet, 1983.

Ethical Enviromental Issues

â€Å"Ethics is the study of the choices people make regarding right and wrong† (Ruggiero, 2008). Environmental ethics, it is more of a study about moral relationships of human beings to, and also the value and moral status of, the environment and its nonhuman contents. Humans have been sharing our lives with nature for many of years; we have to make many ethical decisions with respect to the environment everyday. We have been concentrating on finding ways and ideas to make our lives easier. Over time we have forgotten to take in the immoral consideration of what we might be doing to our environment itself. In the past, future and even present, there have been many controversial issues on environmental ethics that need to be answered. There are environmental issues affecting our world today such as deforestation and pollution. These problems have even begun to affect us at a global scale and not only have we put ourselves in grave peril but we have also managed to endanger every other species that exist on earth. As noted by Yamamoto (2001), â€Å"In Buddhism, human life, and other forms of life are regarded as being of the same matter. Therefore, since they are always related to living things, Buddhism regards environmental problems as essentially an issue of ethics. † There are many environmental issues that need to be taken care of as soon as possible. One issue would have to be deforestation. For years we as humans have depended on trees as a resource to our everyday life. We have built homes, paper, and many other products from this precious resource. If the forest provided us with low cost homes and so many good resources, why is it an ethical issue or problem? This is a problem because deforestation destroys not only forests but also reduces the biodiversity, which means a reduction in the amount, as well as variation of, living things which can cause havoc on whole ecosystems. † â€Å"The cutting down of tropical rain forests is particularly detrimental to wildlife and other living things. â€Å" (Yamamoto, 2001) We have been so concern in finding different ways to make our lives easier. Pollut ion is another issue that is affecting our environment. Pollution is killing off our wild life each and everyday. We as humans must take control of this problem very quickly. With so much pollution we are killing plants, animals, polluting our water, and causing the depleting of the Ozone layer. I once had to do a project about the effects of The Morris J. Berman oils spill of the coast of the Escambron beach in the island of Puerto Rico. From the pictures that I saw, I can say that I had never seen a more horrendous sight. This beautiful blue beach whose waters had turned into a murky black and filled with dead fish covered in oil. The damage was vey overwhelming especially. I will never forget the awful pictures of so many animals suffocating with the poisonous oil. Luckily this problem has been dealt with by the government for many years and they have found many solutions to ensure that these disasters do not repeat themselves. This is a great example of how government involves itself in Environmental Ethics. It was evident to every one the damage and the horror that was inflicted on nature by this human mishap. It is a fact that the government had always prioritized the restoration of the ocean that was damaged by the barge when it crashed and destroyed the homes to a vast number of oceanic wildlife. Last year the government of Puerto Rico was compensated with $10 million for damages caused by the oil spill almost 14 years ago. These funds will be used to build an artificial coral reef and a shore line nature reserve (Michael Melia, FoxNews. com, 2007). Our rain forests and the tribes that live in there are being affected by this pollution and deforestation also. â€Å"The Kayapo are an indigenous group of Indians living in the rainforest of Brazil. The dominant ecosystems are tropical rainforest and grassland in which the Kayapo hunt, fish, and practice Sweden agriculture (slash and burn). (Goodale, 2004) Their way of life is being threatened by pollution, land grabs, and dams. There are many environmental ethics at stake. The first problem was the pollution from agricultural runoffs from acres of soybean and cattle just outside the boundaries of the Kayapo Indians. The pollution from the headwaters of the Xingu downriver flowed down to the Kayapo Indians, contaminating water supplies and food resources. The second issue was land invasion. â€Å"Parts of the east bank of the Middle Xingu called Kapotnhinore are being illegally invaded and sold. This is creating a hostile, dangerous environment and also blocking river travel. (Goodale, 2004) The last issue not only affects the Kayapo Indian but also affects the rainforest that they live in. According to Goodale (2004), the Brazilian government has revived plans for several hydroelectric dams along the Xingu River. â€Å"The proposed project would displace Kayapo from their homes, because a loss of sustenance for those living downstream, disturb fish populations, and damage terrestrial ecosystems† (Goodale, 2004). In a situation like this, there are many views from both sides. Some people believe that this is just wrong to disrupt a tribe’s natural way of life. If you take the river that they solely depend this will hurt their way of living. Some people think that proposed plan should go forward. Some believe that the dams will regulate the flow of water which will help prevent flooding and dry seasons and that the creation of the hydroelectric dams will create a clean source of electricity for millions. With an ever growing population, it does not make economic sense to have 28. 4 million acres set aside for only 5,000 people. When thinking about environmental ethics, there are many consequences that humans have to take in account. Some are good and some are bad. Weighing the consequences of the dam project, is it ethically right to proceed with the project? Personally, I do not think it is right. Although the dam can produce electricity for many people, many others are being displaced from their homes without any compensation. I think that there are many other alternatives in creating electricity without displacing the Kayapo Indians. This is not my decision to make. If these issues are not dealt with in time, they could lead to severe consequences such as the extinction of many species of both flora and fauna, and the dilapidated conditions of different habitats. Many people manage to go carefree through life; unconcerned of the harmful changes that are inflicting upon our environment. It is imperative that we come to the understanding that even if humans are the dominant species on the planet; the earth does not solely belong to us but to other life forms. Even though many of our ethical views on Environmental issues are Anthropocentric as mentioned by Andrew Brennan and Yeuk- Sze Lo (Environmental Ethics, January 3, 2008), we as the primary species have a responsibility not only towards the environment but we also have a moral commitment towards every other species that share our world with us. We are the only species capable of reasoning and reflection on ethical matters, thus giving all moral debate a definite â€Å"human-centeredness. † Personally I believe that perhaps it is exclusively up to us humans to deal with these issues immediately. The survival of all other species is imperative; especially when the truth is that we are the causes of many of the planet’s damages. Many of the social and ethical obligations we have towards the planet consist primarily of extending our moral standing beyond human centeredness. Humans must come to terms that we are just a fraction of living beings in this vast world and we must care for our planet and the respect the other living creatures that live on it also. Many people do genuinely feel that it is our moral duty to preserve every aspect of beauty in nature by treating wildlife of all species with a â€Å"Big brother complex. † I also believe that there are many human factors that are helping humans to become more aware of our duties towards helping the environment. We live in a time of great social turmoil and strife between nations. Many recognize an imminent doom to our species bordering a not so distant future. It is only logical that many humans are trying to get back in touch with nature, as if looking for a sense of innocence that one looses as a child. This is an innocence that was lost when man became careless with its potential to create and better his way of life. This mindset is becoming mixed and intertwined with the current growing consciousness that our world is changing and it might be too late to bring it back to the way it was. It is important that humans begin to take action by engaging ethical protocols that concern our environment. In my recent research, I have found that the existence of solid Environmental Ethics is vital for a shift in a social mindset towards awareness on the subject uphold. These rules of conduct and the values they signify must be maintained primarily by the people, the government, and the branches of science that study global and geological issues. Professor Alasdair Cochrane of the London School of Economics and Political Science writes, â€Å"First of all, environmental ethics needs to be and will be informed by changes in the political efforts to ameliorate environmental problems. Environmental ethics concerns formulating our moral obligations regarding the environment. While this enterprise can be, and often is, quite abstract, it is also meant to engage with the real world†¦ However, without the participation of so many large polluters, with the agreed reductions in greenhouse gas emissions so small, and with many countries looking like they may well miss their targets, many commentators already regard it as a failure. Ethicists need to respond not just by castigating those they blame for the failure. Rather they must propose alternative and better means of resolving the problems we face. † (Alasdair Cochrane, Environmental Ethics, 2007) Society of today has forgotten the importance and seriousness on environmental ethics. The consequences of our actions are affecting our future very rapidly. We humans are so consumed and focused on different ways that will make our lives so simple, that we ignore the fact of taking action in finding other methods in utilizing our resources better. Our children will be the ones affected and so will nature itself. Animals will be extinct in our children’s time and the world will gradually lose all its natural resources because we never thought to conserve source of electricity for millions. With an ever growing population, it does not make economic sense to have 28. 4 million acres set aside for only 5,000 people. Social involvement is also vital when addressing these environmental issues. It is important that environmental concerns are discussed in educational institutions as with the inclusion of dynamic exercises that can benefit both the student who is learning to tackle ecological concerns and nature itself. During my elementary school days, my school would organize supervised visits to beaches and other natural locations where we would engage in cleaning and picking up garbage left by campers and beach goers. This was very helpful towards our city. This type of dynamic disciplined helped us in knowing that even if we did not put this garbage there, we definitely have the power to preserve the beauty of this environment. I think that this is a very decent value that should be taught to kids who are currently developing an ability to question why things are as they are. It will not only teach them to preserve our planet, but it will also help them appreciate how very nourishing this world is to us. This may also help mold them into some very sanitary adults. It is very important that the scientific community should be concerned with environmental issues also. Scientific perspectives can not only help us to understand better what is happening to our environment, but it will also permit us to find better solutions to these problems. Professor Alasdair mentions in his work that, â€Å"Environmental ethics will of course be informed by our scientific understanding of the environment. Whether it is changes in our understanding of how ecosystems work, or changes in the evidence concerning the environmental crisis, it is clear that such change will inform and influence those thinkers writing on our environmental obligations. † (Alasdair Cochrane, Environmental Ethics, 2007) I honestly believe that we, as humans, are advancing towards a time of global awakening and consciousness. Due to the fact that we think that there is nothing seriously wrong with our environment due to the cruel treatment we have inflicted on it for the past hundred years. Still, we are not late in focusing on these problems by establishing new lines of thought on our ethical and moral obligation towards the environment. By exploring the options that are needed to prevent future damages to our environment, we will be able to save not only ourselves as a species, but also the many other forms of life that inhabit our fertile earth. It is also very important that we apply ethical and philosophical values to the way we interact with our planet. This is a requirement that men and women who are willing to become advocates of this cause, by thinking and analyzing what is the problem that if being faced, and what is must we resort to as a solution to that problem. Governments have begun to embrace this and so have many other corporate institutions and social groups. We hold the fate of our future in our hands. So it is up to us humans to choose in which direction to steer our fates and the fates of all living creatures on earth. In conclusion, I do believe that ethics plays a major part in the solving our environmental issues. When people are contemplating obligations towards the environment and making judgments on policies and procedures, ethics often come into the picture. When members of society are determining responsibility for future generations, morality is often a factor and ethics could be a component of the process. How do we answer the question; â€Å"What are the guidelines for farmers that use chemicals to fertilize their fields, when that water may eventually make its way to a water source? † Ethics are part of answering this question. Where things have not been solved, more issues are stacking on them day by day. Environmental Ethics is a very important field. It continues to supply humans with valuable information on current environmental issues to which society needs to react swiftly. These reactions will provide critical information to address the issues at hand. Societies need to make good decisions and those decisions will have ethics at their root. Personal thoughts and opinions, and ultimately decisions, will shape the environment for generations to come. We as people can make this world a better place to live.