Physical Restraints on Dementia Patients Essay

Introduction A patient’s safety is one of a nurse’s primary concerns. It has become a big issue focused on by the general public and policy-makers after medical errors have been increasingly publicized and more hospital-related injuries are reported (Stanford University, 2001). The International Council of Nurses define a nurse’s role as someone who can work on his own and/or in a team to care for people of all age groups, their families, social groups, and communities, whether well or unwell, and in different settings. Nurses promote health, prevent illness, and look after the sick, disabled and the dying. Furthermore, they advocate for a safe environment, participate in research and moulding new policies to better the health care system. (International Council of Nurses, 2010). But what happens if a nurse has to decide between a patient’s safety and upholding that patient’s right to freedom, dignity, and respect? For this assignment, the researcher wishes to take a closer look on physical restraint use in the elderly, specifically on dementia patients and why nurses find the need to use restraints important despite the drive of facilities and hospitals to eradicate or lessen their use. With the decrease in cognitive capability in some of the elderly patients, how comfortable are nurses in putting them on restraints? Do they find these patients are ripped off of their independence? If restraints are not to be used, then what alternatives are nurses left with? These are some of the questions the researcher aims to answer through a review of current literature on the topic. Background Old age brings about numerous problems including physical, emotional, and functional disorders. (Butler & Lewis, 2003). Storrs (2008) describes old age as a biological change which causes diminishing powers of adjustment. This is evident when we see patients unable to cope with their surroundings. Some common physical changes in old age include decrease in cardiac output, increase in blood pressure, impairment of gas exchange, elevation of blood glucose, decline in lean body mass, and loss of muscle mass which makes an elderly person’s locomotion difficult (Boss &  Seegmiller, 2001). Not only do changes occur physically, but the elderly also experience various mental alterations. Mental changes may occur following normal aging, medication side effects, and natural functional loss. (Woodward, 2004). Common mental impairments associated with old age include decline in memory retention, depression, and increased anxiety. (Woodward, 2004). Physical and mental changes in older adults make them vulnerable to accidents, often ending with them hurting themselves. This is more so if the patients suffer from Dementia. Although not a normal part of ageing, Dementia is a common disease in people over 65 years of age. (Ministry of Health, 2013). Dementia is a term used to describe decrease of brain function resulting in memory loss, poor communication skills, absence of reasoning, and inability to perform activities of daily living. (Bupa, 2010). It causes patients to be forgetful and confused, with little or no regard to hazards around them. Confusion, lack of insight, and impulsiveness can result to a display of behavioural problems, thereby making patients with Dementia prone to accidents and injuries (Ministry of Health, 2013). A study by Cunningham (2006) investigates why institutionalised Dementia patients tend to be more â€Å"disruptive†. He states that an unfamiliar setting combined with memory problems can be a scary situation for Dementia patients and they react to how they see fit. Adding to this, hospital routines may be misinterpreted which can lead to behaviours that are challenging. (Cunningham, 2006) However, there is a strong suggestion that nurses must try to understand the meaning behind challenging behaviours, and seek ways to inculcate familiarity and lessen distress amongst Dementia patients. (Cunningham, 2006). The numerous mental, physical, and emotional problems of patients with Dementia leave nursing staff to assist and supervise these patients in most of their activities (Weiner, Tabak, & Bergman, 2003). It is therefore vital that nurses take extra precautions when looking after patients with Dementia to prevent them from doing things that may hurt them or the people around them. Because of the continuous demands to keep patients safe while allowing time to perform daily tasks, some nurses are forced to involve coercion in the form of physical restraints. (Weiner, Tabak, & Bergman, 2003). A physical restraint is any mechanical or physical means or equipment attached to a person, which restricts movement, mobility, or access to a one’s body. (Health Care Financing Administration,  2000). It may include, but is not limited to, anklets, vest, straight jacket, and lap belts. A device may be considered as a restraint depending on its effect on a person. For example, a sheet may not be a restraint when used as a blanket; however, tucking the sides under the mattress and restricting the person from getting out of bed makes it a restraint. A geri-chair or a tray table are ordinarily not restraints but if they are used to stop a person from getting up, then it becomes one. (Health Care Financing Administration, 2000) Physical restraints are not medical interventions, and its application can be based upon a caregiver’s decision. The Nursing Interventions Classification define physically restraining a patient as putting on, taking off, or causing a device to limit his mobility (Sullivan-Marx, 1996). Account of current practice Dementia is the progressive decline in cognitive function which is more than what is expected to occur as a person advances in age. It is a non-specific disease which affects brain function, memory, communication skills, problem solving, and attention. (Nordqvist, 2009). In New Zealand, it is estimated that 60% of residents in care homes are diagnosed with moderate to severe Dementia, and every year an additional 250 beds are allocated for new admissions with the same diagnosis. (Bupa, 2010). An article in The New Zealand Herald reveals that 50,000 people in New Zealand are now living with Dementia, and the number could triple by 2050 (The New Zealand Herald, 2013). However, with the increase in dependency in aged care, there is an alarming decrease in the number of qualified staff willing and able to care for these patients (New Zealand Labour, 2010). Because Dementia patients are unable to reason and decide for themselves, their welfare is almost always left in the hands of the nurses looking after them. But with the complex patients that are handled by nurses daily, it is common for staff to use physical restraints on patients to get them to do what the nurses expect them to do, within the time frame they are expected to be done. (Weiner, Tabak, & Bergman, 2003). But nurses are not just to restrain patients. As professionals governed by a specific body, nurses’ use of restraints is to be limited. In 18 July 2005,  a policy was released by the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) Restraint Approval and Monitoring Group stating that all care facilities and acute hospitals in the region are to limit restraint use on patients. (Restraint Approval & Monitoring Group) In the United States, 7%-10% of Dementia patients are at one point restrained during hospitalisation, with 8% actually being tied down (McHutchion & Morse, 1998). These numbers were gathered 11 years after strengthening of the Residents’ Bill of Rights in the USA which included the patients’ Right to freedom from physical restraints. (Klauber & Wright, 2001) In New Zealand, 3.4%-21% of acutely ill patients were restrained during hospitalisation, with the restraint duration of 2.7 -4.5 days. It is quite different from the number of cases of restraint use in residential care. It was reported that 12%- 47% of patients were restrained in care facilities, with 32% of them restrained no less than 20 days a month. There is a wide range of duration of restraint use from a day to 350 days in a year. (JBI, 2002) These numbers paved way for more researchers to look into the finding ways to effectively lessen restraint use. However, most studies still show that nurses are resistant to the idea of totally removing restraints as an option. Review Aim The rate of prevalence of Dementia cases, the decline in the number of qualified staff to look after them, and the rampant use of physical restraints on these patients are all very alarming. Even with policies in place to limit restraint use, nurses seem to still use physical restraints on patients. Basically, this review will circle around how much knowledge nurses have about physically restraining dementia patients. This review aims to discover nurses’ understanding of restraint use and unmask the reasons behind their choice to use physical restraint on Dementia patients. It aims to discover any restraint policy on restraint use in Dementia patients. It will compare data amongst available literature on nurses’ perception of physical restraints and their take on the drive for minimisation of its use. The effects of physical restraint on patients will also be uncovered as articles are subjected to analysis. Literature will also be analysed for any suggestions on how to totally eradicate or avoid restraint use. A study by the Centre for Medicare and Medicaid Services reveal that within the last decade, there has been a constant decrease in the number of physical  restraint use in care homes. From 1999, 21.1% of care facilities would physically restrain elderly patients. However, in 2007, the report states that less than 5% support restraints use. (Center for Medicaid and State Operations/Survey and Certification Group, 2008) The researcher aims to draw out a conclusion on the reason behind this change and discover why despite the constant drive of administrative bodies to minimise restraint use, nurses still apply physical restraints on the elderly patients. Search Strategy Search engines like the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, and Medline were utilised to find significant articles in relation to the review aim. Key words ‘physical restraint’, ‘dementia’, ‘long term care’, ‘nurse’ ‘attitude’ and ‘behaviour’ were used. Google and Yahoo search engines, and the New Zealand Nursing magazine Kai Tiaki, were also used to find related studies. After reading the found articles, the researcher finalised the most relative articles based on search criteria set out. The search criteria included full reports, quantitative or qualitative studies, and literature reviews. The articles have to be in English, published from 2000 to present, can be accessed fully, participated on by nurses, and limited on physical restraints used on Dementia patients. Because of the limitation in results, the researcher broadened the search and included studies done in acute settings, as long as the patient in restraint has a diagnosis of dementia. After further deliberation, 7 journal articles were chosen for the review. Critical analysis of the literature Three themes were drawn from the literatures chosen. These themes are a) factors that affect a nurse’s decision to use restraints b) why restraints are used and c) effects of restraints on dementia patients. a. Nurse Education influences decision-making The studies revealed that the nurse’s level of knowledge about restraints dictates their decision on whether to use restraints or not. According to the study by Yamamoto et al (2009), a nurse must have either a positive cognition or a negative cognition about restraints to consider its use or  choose not to act on a situation. Nurses also have to analyse the situation and decide on how to cope. Their coping dictates their decision-making. (Yamamoto & Aso, 2009) For this study, the authors surveyed 272 nurses in general wards in Japan using a questionnaire involving the ethical dilemma of using restraints. This study wanted to elaborate on how nurses make up a decision of restraining a patient based on how well they cope with difficult or challenging patients. Another study by Weiner et al (2003), states that a nurse has to have knowledge on patient’s rights, code of ethics, and restraint guidelines for them to decide on restraint use. The study further shows that restraint application can be viewed beneficial either to the patient, the nurse, or the institution. Comparing nurses in acute settings to those in care homes, it was found that the latter are less likely to agree to the use of restraints. This may be because most nurses working in care facilities have more knowledge about their facilities’ restraint guidelines. (Weiner, Tabak, & Bergman, 2003) Unlike other researchers, this study involves the institution and gives light to how big a role it plays in how a nurse decides about restraints. Testad et al (2005) performed a randomised single-blind controlled trial in four nursing homes in Norway. In their study, they conducted seminars and guidance sessions over six months for nurses working in care facilities. There was a documented decline of 54% inrestraint use after the educational programmes were concluded. (Testad, Aarsland,, & Aarsland, 2005) b. Reasons for Restraint Use Though nurses are trying to keep patients safe by applying physical restraints, these restraints are more harmful. Scherder et al (2010) view restraint use as detrimental to a dementia patient’s cognition and physical activity. They emphasize that using physical restraints on dementia patients causes more harm than good. Keeping dementia patients on restraints reduce physical mobility, increase patient’s stress, and even accelerate incontinence. (Scherder, Bogen, Eggermont, Hamers, & Swaab, 2010) A study in Israel by Natan et al (2010) 120 nurses were used as samples. 67.2% of these nurses admitted to having had restrained a patient over the past year. Some decision-making factors that nurses point at are subjective norms, the resident’s physical state, and the nurse’s own stress level. Nurses turn to restraints when a patient becomes increasingly difficult to manage and starts to prevent treatments such as intravenous infusions, catheter or tube insertions. (Natan, Akrish, Zaltkina, & Noy, 2010) Cotter states there is a greater likelihood for restraints to be put on dementia patients because they pose the most threat to fall, hurt themselves or hurt others. (Cotter, 2005) â€Å"In moderate to severe dementia, the risk for falls is greater because of gait apraxia and unsteadiness. Agitation, disorientation, and pacing behaviours from delirium and dementia can precipitate staff to use restraints.† (Cotter, 2005) c. Effects of Restraints on Patients One common denominator amongst the literatures in the review is the concern for the dementia patients on restraints. Some of the listed effects of physical restraints mentioned in these articles include function decline, pressure sores, incontinence, and increased agitation. Cotter referred to dementia patients as most prone for restraint application because of their increased confusion, wandering, poor memory, poor judgement and distraught perception. (Cotter, 2005) Wang (2005) states that there is no scientific evidence that states physical restraints protect patients. Though nurses believe that restraints can keep patients safe, it may be contrary to the fact. (Wang & Moyle, 2005). Accidents like asphyxiation when patients are caught between their restraints, and falls from when they try to climb out of bed rails have been documented. Another reason that restraints are not so good to use is because patients get fatigued from struggling when in restraints and then become unsteady once they get off the restraint. (Cotter, 2005) Restraints also leave a very negative experience on the patient. Dementia patients respond with anger, resistance, fear, and humiliation. The following is statement made by a patient after being restrained: (Strumpf & Evans, 1998) â€Å"I felt like a dog and cried all night. It hurt me to have to be tied up†¦the hospital is worse than a jail† Discussion Recently not a lot of studies have been made on the use of restraint on dementia patients. Most articles are outdated and not applicable anymore. With the mushrooming of nursing care homes and the booming industry of  nursing facilities, researches should be made on how nurses feel about eradicating or lessening restraint use. The locale of these studies is also not very diverse. More studies should be conducted in various settings and environments. A patient in acute care may have a different set of concerns compared to patients in long term care facilities. A thorough analysis of why patients would need restraints in respect with the different settings they are in would have been beneficial. Like knowledge, cultural beliefs may impact on a person’s decision. A study by Hamers et al (2009) used cross-sectional method to find out about reasons, consequences, and appropriateness of restraint use as seen by nurses from different parts of the world. They discovered that some degree of cultural differences determine these nurses’ ideas towards restraint use. (Hamers, Meyer, Kopke, Lindenmann, & Groven, 2009). Conducting studies in a more global approach can draw out an idea of why some nurses prefer physically restraining patients while others don’t. The studies show a decline in restraint use after education sessions were presented to nurses. They occur at short term, all within a 6-month period which may influence the outcome of the study. The lectures may have influenced the participants’ attitude towards restraint use because they were recent, and not because they were meaningful to their practice. The studies in the review indicate that nursing education plays a very important role in influencing nurses’ decision on using restraints. A nurse has to be presented the rationale, risks, and alternatives to restraint use for them to be able to make a decision. The Hawthorne Effect may play a part in the studies conducted. The term Hawthorne Effect was coined Henry Landsberger in 1953 to refer to participants altering their answers because of the knowledge that they are being observed. (Sonnenfeld, 1985). The nurse-participants may have opted not to restrain patients at the time the research was being conducted because of fear of being judged for their decisions. Another grey area not thoroughly discussed in the literatures reviewed is the influence of policies set out by governing bodies or administration on nurses’ decision making. It was briefly mentioned in the study by Weiner (2003) but never really elaborated on. The study stated that the institution is taken into consideration when nurses decide on restraint use. Nurses view the institution as one that benefits if restraints are used. (Weiner, Tabak,  & Bergman, 2003) A comparison of institution policies should have been made. These institution policies on restraint use differ in most care facilities and comparisons of how well nurses are in following them can draw a different angle on the situation of physically restraining patients. Also, the effectiveness of these policies should be evaluated to allow for their improvement. The studies also focused on reasons why patients are put on restraint. Not very well discussed was what happens with the nurse before he/she decides to use the restraint. The studies in the review failed to look at the situation from a nurse’s perspective. The clear message of the literatures reviewed is that restraints can and must be avoided in patients with Dementia. No scientific evidence shows that restraints promote safety for these patients. On the contrary, more studies show detrimental effects of restraint application. Personal review and implications for nursing practice The results of the studies reviewed all indicate that there is a need to highlight lack of education amongst nurses regarding restraint use. Because knowledge and sense of accountability play major roles in restraint application, keeping nurses updated with trends and new policies should be prioritised. Even with reports of decrease in restraint use, a number of incidents involving misuse of restraints are still rising. One in particular is the incident last September 2010 involving a known nursing care facility wherein it was proven that an 85-year old patient has been wrongly restrained on numerous occasions. The patient’s wife has been repeatedly objecting restraint use but the hospital did not oblige. The staff reasoned that the patient had a high falls risk, and high levels of agitation, aggressiveness and restlessness. The cause of the breach was said to be due to systemic failure (Otago Daily Times, 2013). This shows that though policies may be put in place, it is not an assurance that they are being followed. A closer look at the effectiveness of these policies and their appropriateness to the setting has to be taken into consideration. Currently the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) has a restraint minimisation and safe practice guideline in place. This supports their aim to reduce restraint use and treat restraints as a last resort to protect patients from harm. Nurses can be directed with the guidelines to ensure  safe practice. (Canterbury District Health Board, 2012) As mentioned earlier, a nurse’s perspective is often looked past. A study by Lai (2007) indicate that at times nurses feel that when it comes to issues on restraints, their â€Å"inadequacy and inaccurate knowledge† have always been magnified but rarely is the pressure to â€Å"do what is right† in d ifficult situations brought up. According to the study, nurses still use restraints despite ambivalence because of fear of responsibility. A patient may fall and break his hip because he was not restrained despite poor mobility. Another reason nurses tend to use restraints is because of lack of support from management. As the nurses reported, even if they do their best, issues on short-staffing can still push them to use restraints as an aide to keep patients safe. (Lai, 2007) Another reason mentioned by Lai (2007) in her study is the constant pressure that nurses feel from management. Often it is the culture of the unit that dictates a nurse’s willingness to restrain a patient. A ward that strives to keep fall incidents at a low would be happy to apply physical restraints on patients to achieve that goal. Conclusion The researcher observes a strong connection between how a nurse views a situation and the options he has on how to act upon that situation. These nurses must be given the opportunity to learn and relearn restraints to help them make valid and safe decisions for their patients. Without available options in place of restraint use, nurses will continue to utilise physical restraints because of the pressures they have to face with regards to the patients’ needs. A discussion of available options in place of restraint application is needed to allow for a more acceptable choice. Accountability of outcomes because of failed actions, like not applying a restraint, appears to be greater than putting a restraint on a patient. A dementia patient is still a human being entitled to his rights of freedom and dignity, and nurses have to weigh this with the notion that these patients may also be challenging. It is therefore necessary to refer to available guidelines to assist nurses in making a decision with regards to patients care. Also, keeping updated with trends in patient care may help nurses make informed decisions. Restraint use can easily become a norm when nurses feel it has been a common occurrence in a unit. All decisions have to be weighed in and thought of properly, exerting all other possible  interventions before restraints are utilised. A restraint-free environment is far from being realised when nurses, families and administration still regard it as a solution and not a problem. With that said, nurses should not be viewed as the culprits in restrai nt application. Instead, nurses should be part of the solution.

Dream of the Rood Essay

In the poem The Dream of the Rood, many parallels between a seemingly inanimate object directly correlates with the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Although, Christ is mentioned in the poem he is never the speaker, rather the Rood is personified and is the central speaker and theme of the poem. The poem begins with the dreamer’s account of what he experienced as he saw the rood â€Å"gloriously graced† then bleeding as the tree spoke directly to the dreamer. Like Christ has done in biblical stories, the â€Å"tree† speaks him in a dream, depicting the first parallel of the Rood and Christ. The rood tells of how soldiers were forced to carry â€Å"him† on their shoulders and set him up on a mountain, just as Christ was forced to do before his crucifixion. The rood continues to display his bravery as he stands steadfast even though the earth was trembling, for he â€Å"dare not act against the Lord’s word. † This depiction of bravery in the rood is to parallel the bravery Jesus showed and his experience as there was an earthquake during his crucifixion. He expresses how he was â€Å"pierced† just as Christ was pierced, and how he was mocked just as Christ was mocked by onlookers. The cross seems to physically suffer as it â€Å"raised up a mighty king, the heaven’s lord; I dared not bow in homage. † This scene represents all the suffering that Christ endured, yet his bravery prevailed. The rood continues his account as he illustrates his and Christ’s death; â€Å"Finally men brought axes to fell us to earth. That was a frightful destiny! They buried us in a deep pit. Although in the biblical account of Christ’s crucifixion the cross was not buried, the author choose to show a connection between Christ and cross by showing they both perished that day. In the same likeness as Christ, the rood is resurrected and adorned by â€Å"friends â€Å"who learned about him, just as Christ was adorned after his resurrection. The rood announces to the dreamer that he must tell others of his triumph â€Å"so that far and wide men worship me everywhere on earth, and all creation pray to this sign. This metaphor shows the correlation between the rood and Christ, and the reason for which Christ endured all the suffering, so that all those who worship him shall have everlasting life. The rood states: â€Å"On me the son of God suffered a time; therefore I now tower in glory under heaven, and I may heal any of those in awe of me. † The rood explains that he is adorned above all other trees, just as Christ was after his resurrection. He continues to tell the dreamer that he must let all know about Christ and use the rood as a tool to explain his second coming and mankind’s salvation. Although no biblical stories tell of Christ coming to one in a dream, this was to represent God’s plan in sending his Son to tell of God’s plan and their salvation through his crucifixion and resurrection. This idea is clearly displayed when the rood professes â€Å"And on this earth each soul that longs to exist with its savior forevermore must seek His kingdom through that cross. As the dialogue of the poem switches back to the dreamer, he states that he was renewed with hope and joy as he â€Å"prayed to that tree. † Again another depiction of a parallel between Christ and the rood, instead of being described as a rood or crucifix, it’s described as a tree, something unlikely for one to worship. Perhaps the tree is to symbolize Christ, as the tree of life who should be worshiped and adorned with â€Å"gold and gemstones† just as the tree gleamed at the opening of the poem.

Integrated Spatial Fire and Forest Management Planning Article

Integrated Spatial Fire and Forest Management Planning - Article Example The article puts forward the notion that fire science should reapply many of these metrics so that human activities, the impact of access roads, and other factors are counted alongside the information that has traditionally been accounted for with regards to fire loss estimates as a means of more realistically relating key information to the concerned parties. An alternative view of this particular debate is with regards to the fact that many individuals within the fire service community and forcefully management communities are of the opinion that human impacts upon natural environments cannot be categorically stated or counted in a verifiable manner due to the fact that many of these impacts are created long before forcefully management and/or subsequent forest fires actually take place within the region. Although it is true that certain human impacts to forest management and forest fires as a whole can take place long after the region has been designated as a forestry management a rea or even experienced a forest fire. This disconnect between time periods and the means by which human impacts affect different regions to a different degree casts a level of doubt with regards to the metrics and means by which the authors of this particular article measure it against is somewhat worrisome due to the fact that the metrics by which the authors propose would necessarily have the individual believed that any and all forest fires are impacted upon by the very same mechanism.

Database management systems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Database management systems - Research Paper Example Organizing and maintaining such enormous amount of data in only papers is almost impossible. If back up is not maintained properly, the business might lose critical information which could lead to losses. Thus, the migration of existing and current data to cloud based platform will require well defined architecture as well as strategies. The cloud database model should have specific objectives in line with policies of the organization. The model should also include sufficient security, encryption, and control over information which will be transferred. The biggest challenge lies in maintaining the balance between speed of data transfer, cost of data transfer, data accuracy and consistency. If all these aspects of cloud database management are not ensured then the consequences could be data loss, wrong location data placement or data alteration during transfer process. Even though cloud based computing platforms are becoming popular, especially for e-business and MNCs, due to cost eff iciency, there are issues related to data safety, speed and security. The objective of this paper is to critically analyze the cloud database by pointing out disadvantages of cloud data. Introduction and Background of the Research The cloud computing technology has been receiving significant attention in the market lately. For many sectors and companies in various industries, cloud is not just an umbrella for marketing but a consolidated technology that offers grid computing, SAAS (software as a service), distributed computing, and so on. There are many companies that offer cloud services including Amazon RDS and Microsoft SQL Azure. A cloud database is basically a database management system that runs on cloud computing platform (Curino, pp.1-2). Some of the cloud computing platforms are Go Grid, Amazon EC2, and Rack space. (Source: Curino and et.al, n.d, p.2) The main vision on the basis of which cloud computing was developed is based on certain key features that cloud database is expected to perform. Some of the important features that was kept in mind while creating cloud data platform were data storage, processing, software installation, software delivery from local servers and desktops across various networks. The key concept was that the target users must get access to remote data from anywhere at any time without requiring to carry a hard drive or other storage device. The concept was created to free big corporations from generating own power and capital investment. Thus, the most important candidate of cloud computing is the database management applications. The main reason behind this is that large corporations spend huge sum of money to safely manage enterprise data which involves upfront investment in both hardware and patented software services. The advantage that the different enterprises would get from cloud computing is that they could reduce their annual data management cost significant with the help cloud database. By using cloud data the comp anies will not have to install, own and maintain dedicated expensive software packages. The reason is that cloud computing service providers or vendors provide their customers with virtual machines or platforms from where the customer will be able to install and manage software services without having to own and store a version in their

Advertising Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Advertising Paper - Essay Example ommercial media advertising can bring out the unique taste and natural additives such as fruit nuts differentiating the product from other chocolate brands. Starbucks coffee is a branded product that can be differentiated through advertisements based on hidden differences. Starbucks coffee may look and taste the same as any other brand, but the unique preparation recipe of artificial sweeteners different. The combination of social media, internet, and out-of-home advertising can be used to inform the consumer on the unique recipe to achieve the hidden difference of Starbucks coffee. Wall Street Network Solution provides telecommunication services that can be differentiated through advertisements based on induced differences. Each telecommunication offers similar services, but Wall Street Network Solution has sponsored and helped financial institutions grow making it unique from similar service providers offering networking services. Advertising campaigns and special event sponsorships can be used to portray the induced differences in that the service is not only focused on only providing networking services to the financial community, but also provide support. Additionally, support provided by the service feature in most newspapers forming a part of advertising that indicate favorable publicity; hence, most consumers would choose the service given its uniqueness bringing about induced

Macroeconomics written paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Macroeconomics written paper - Assignment Example Hence, indifference analysis takes into consideration the concept of indifference curves and budget line constraints (Dwivedi, 2010). In the situation above, Commuters consider that Bus journeys are an inferior good while Car journeys are a normal good. The two modes of transport employ economic aspects of transportation to differentiate the two aspects of travelling, which is car travel and Bus travel. Both modes of transportation have their own advantages and disadvantages. Bus travelling is cheaper and perhaps safer compared to car journeys whereas, car journeys are considered much faster, comfortable and convenient when compared top bus travels. Income is a budgetary constraint and a rise in income will affect consumer behavior according to consumer theory. The income effect as proposed by the consumer theory indicates that a rise in income makes a consumer to have more purchasing power of a product. Increasing income leads to a shift of the budget constraint line out parallel. The relative pricing of the two goods or services, which are, car and bus travel do not change meaning that the gradient of the budget line remains the same. The income has increased and this means that there is more resources to purchase the same products in more quantities. The new combinations of products that maximize utility can be identified; from this, the impact of income changes on the demand for a product can be analyzed (Friedman, 2007). In summary, economists decompose this effect of change in price on the quantity of the demand into an income and a substitution effect. The income effect theory proposes that due to increase in real income, which is closely related to a fall in prices or the real income associated with a rise in prices. On the other hand, the substitution effect proposes that due to change in the relative price of the product, cheaper products are substituted for more expensive goods. Two major economists have proposed the effect of price

GOOD CITY FORMS AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GOOD CITY FORMS AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY - Essay Example In the article, the author argues going back to these basics to make new cities worth living in. A re-examination of the urban planning ideas of Lynch includes efficiency and justice as well. It further appeals to consider city size, future growth, and conservation measures when making plans, as most cities today are also ill and sterile, lacking diversity and vibrancy (Ford 247). In this second article by Y. R. Jabareen, entitled â€Å"Sustainable Urban Forms: Their Typologies, Models, and Concepts† and published in the Journal of Planning Education and Research back in September of 2006, the author who is connected with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the Department of Urban Studies, he identifies the four sustainable types of major urban forms, namely: neotraditional development, the compact city, urban containment, and lastly, the ecological city. Any of these urban forms utilizes a combination of the seven main design concepts in terms of environmental planning for sustainability which are compactness, transport, density, mixed-land use, diversity, passive solar design, and lastly, greening (Jabareen 39), which is essentially just an elaboration of the ideas of David Lynch. In â€Å"Urban Development and Climate Change† and published in 2008, an entirely new perspective was drawn based on concerns of climate change as countries grapple with the issue of urban sprawl, and that is how to reduce gas emission by reducing the vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) by using compact development as the role model (Ewing et al. 201). By their estimates, compactness helps to reduce VMT by approximately 20% to 40% because it eliminates long commutes, which in turn reduces the gas emissions by around 7% to 10% as they made some plausible assumptions in their study models, up to the year 2050. For most of local governments worried about global warming, it is a good idea as it

THE DREAM ACT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

THE DREAM ACT - Essay Example ve become the victims of government deportation due to their illegal immigrant status in the United States and have found themselves in very different environments from what they know, not able to fit in the culture, and not knowing the languages of the countries in which they were born but not raised. This has been a gross injustice on the part of the American government because whichever way they got to America, these so called illegal immigrants are still American through culture, language, and thought, and should be recognized as such. The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act is a bipartisan legislation that was pioneered by the Republican senator Orin Hatch and Democrat senator Richard Durbin, with the intention of solving this injustice in the American society. Under its provisions, qualifying undocumented youth would be eligible for a six year long process which would require them to complete a college degree or to serve at least two years in the military, and would eventually lead to their gaining American citizenship. This piece of legislation has come up twice for a vote in the senate, once in 2007 and again in 2010, but both times, it has failed to pass. In June 2012, the Obama administration issued a policy directive which would make over a million young people who were brought to the United States illegally as children free from deportation proceedings and which would make them eligible to get work permits. The government had been under considerable pressure from various circles to take action on behalf of those young immigrants due to the fact that Congress had been deeply split about the DREAM Act legislation. Furthermore, since this is an election year, this move by the Obama administration was most likely aimed at securing the votes of Latino voters, considering that the bulk of those would have been deported if this policy had not been put in place would have been Latino. According to Welner, K and Chi, W (178) every

Starbucks Company Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Starbucks Company Paper - Essay Example As a company, Starbucks has various strengths that have seen it make such great achievements. Starbucks is a large international company, which has expanded its operations in 58 countries globally. This expansion on the global arena has allowed the company become one of the most profitable, generating a revenue in excess of $5000 million in 2004 (Goldman, 2007). The other strength associated with the company is the well and already build brand name, which is well known globally. The company’s brand name is well recognized and is associated with quality products, allowing the company to be very competitive in the market segment that it serves. Another strength associated with the company is that it is one of those companies that respects and greatly values their employees. In the year 2005, the company was ranked among the top 100 companies most coveted by employees (Eicher, 2006). The company is recognized for its culture of rewarding its employees, while providing them with a very conducive working environment, rating as one of the most respected employer. More to the strengths of the company is its ethical values, mostly focused towards environmental preservation and conservation, as it undertakes its business. Lastly, the company has diversified its range of products offer, including within its offers hot and cold drinks, snacks and entertainment such as music, films, and books (Sull, 2007). However, there are some weaknesses associated with the company. Though it is well known for its innovation in product range offers, the innovation of the company is in doubt, regarding its sustainability (Goldman, 2007). The expansion strategy of the company is the other of its weakness. The company is known to be the most expanding companies, more so in the 1990s, having an average of a new branch open every single day. Such expansion strategy poses a threat in the management of the company. Lack of portfolio risk spreading is yet another weakness associated with the company. Over a third of the company’s stores are located in the USA. This dependence on the home market is not in the very best interest of the company’s future, which needs to seek a number of other portfolio countries, to make it possible for the company to spread its business risks (Charles, 2006). The comoany is mostly dependent on a single product range, coffee. It only engages in the sale of other products at minimal levels, specializing in coffee products as its main product offering. This reduces the economies of scale of the company, while at the same time increasing the business risks involved with a single line of product offer for a business (Sull, 2007). The company has been able to capitalize on opportunities that come its way, such as diversifying to the entertainment sector, where the customers can access music, films and books, while at the same time enjoying the coffee and snacks offered by the company (Eicher, 2006). The company has other oppor tunities, which it can take advantage of, such as the diversification to fair trade products, which will integrate well with its entertainment and beverage offering, owing to its wide customer base and the well-built company’s brand name (Goldman, 2007). The company has another great opportunity, of collaborating and co-branding with other manufacturers, to increase its sources of revenues, through taking the advantage of its well-known brand name to

Fingerprints Essay Example for Free

Fingerprints Essay My science fair project is called â€Å"Are Fingerprints Inherited?† I will try and determine if fingerprint patterns from biological siblings are inherited however, I will also have control so that I can compare the data. I am interested in finding the results of this because of me having an half brother and sister. I will use a table to take fingerprints and next to each fingerprint is a code so I don’t use names on the same page as the actual prints. Hypothesis My hypothesis is that I think these fingerprint patterns will be inherited. I believe this because I have learned about heredity and genetics in school. Hair color, eye color and skin color all have to do with heredity and genetics. It has interested me if fingerprints are inherited because fingerprints can also be a form of identification. If they are inherited, it could determine what the child’s fingerprints could be. Method and Procedures For this science experiment. I used the following, an ink pad, coded forms for fingerprints (biological and non-biological) consent forms that will keep the name and signature separate from the actual prints, folder for organizing purposes, human subjects ( biological and non-biological and all age groups) wipes for cleaning fingers, a magnifying glass , and research information to determine the three fingerprints patterns. I will classify each fingerprint pattern into one of three groups. The whorl, loop, and arch patterns. I will analyze the data carefully and make a percentage for each group. I will the compare the two percentages. Then, I will have my results. Discussion Before I started the experiment, I thought there would be a higher number of the same patterns of biological fingerprints. But my results showed me something different. You can also have error when doing experiments. I could have misread the fingerprints or the fingerprints could have been unable to read clearly. If I restarted the project, I would do things differently. I would have the Mom and Dad fingerprint and compared it to their child fingerprint. Conclusion I found the my results for biological and non-biological siblings were the same. Forty-nine percent of biological and non-biological siblings had the same fingerprint patterns. Fifty-one percent of non-biological and biological siblings had different fingerprints patterns. I never would have thought that my results would be the same. I am also surprised that fifty-one percent of biological siblings were different.

International trade and specialisation

International trade and specialisation The nations economic structures was formed by the pervasive power of internationalisation which is a substantial phenomenon improved rapidly especially in the last decades. International business, one of the constituents of globalisation and liberalization in todays world, International business from Toynes perspective is the process that involves the exchange of goods and /or services across or within national boundaries between two or more social actions in different countries for commercial reasons (Vaghefi et al., 1991). A broad definition provided by Aswathppa those business transactions that involve the crossing of national boundaries which include, product presence in different markets of the world, production bases across the globe, human resource to contain high diversity, investment in international services, transactions involving intellectual properties ( Aswathppa, 2008) , these definitions embraces the immense global companies with high scale operations and coalition ar ound the world, and the small companies which run low scale operations and may be only with one country. International business is the major key drive behind the raising for a lot of economies like China, India and Brazil, also the backbone for thousands of the multinational organisations. Increasingly, world business was shaped by the flow of goods, services and investments among countries under globalization perspectives. The dynamicity of the international business is accessible in two major ways; the international trade and the equities or investments, this paper will discuss in a critically approach these two major categories of international business in favour of free trade, with clarifying the costs and benefits of International trade and specialisation. 1-International trade The first pace to international trade is the Mercantilism that promote to posses more gold and silver by enlarge exporting and shrink importing by tariffs and quotas. But this approach pours the benefits only to one side of the trade neglecting the other side of the trade (Piggott, 2006). However, Mercantilism from Heckschers point of view is a system provides a confederation to the country (Haley, 1936) but, mercantilism does not show the ideal paradigm for free trade it advocated barriers for the foreign investments and does not encourage the competition which can lead to monopolism (Tuldar, 1987). The actual step towards international free trade was the absolute advantage by Smith and it substantiates that trade is a positive-sum game, there are gains for both dealers, opposing the mercantilism that see the trade is zero-sum game. The basic concept of smiths theory is specialisation should be given to the goods which produced efficiently, and certainly not turn out commodities that can purchase it in a lower cost. For example, Saudi Arabia has an absolute advantage in oil, according to Smith Saudi Arabia will specialise on producing oil and within trade Saudi Arabia will export oil and import goods that she can not produce it effectively. Smiths theory is oversimplified because he assumed that the labor is the only factor of production and labor is uniform, nevertheless labor is skilled and unskilled, and labor is not only the comparative factor of production (Piggott and Cook, 2006). Not only absolute advantage in one good can be profitable but also for all good, Ricardo stated in the comparative advantage theory that the trade is also profitable for the state by specialise in the most efficient production and import the goods are less resourceful in production, therefore, the international trade streams is determined by a countrys product that comparative to another country. By an empirical study by Neven to find out the comparative advantage between the European countries using the production factors, he concluded that labor presented the dominated advantage and human capital offered the solidest disadvantage (Neven, 1990:27). Some criticism faced the Ricardian model, for example, the assumption of transferring factors of production and this has limited possibility, the transportation cost and economies of scale were ignored by Ricardo and Smith (Chacholiades, 1990) Alternatively, Heckscher and Ohlin argue that the trade is based on the endowments or the factors of production (land, capital, labour). However, they agree with Ricardo about the lucrativeness of international trade. Consequently, the countries which have abundant of labour should be specialised in products like textile and shoes, and the countries which have abundant of land should produce land intensive goods such as corns and wheat. Therefore, these countries will export those goods because they have a comparative advantage in it, and rare factors dependant goods should be imported. H-O theory was tested by Leontief on the US exports and imports and regarding to H-O theory US is capital rich country it will export capital rich products and import for example labor intensive goods. But, as a result for his test in 1947 and 1951, he found that US imports were more capital intensive goods. However, this result varied with the same test in the 1970s (Piggott, 2006:40). Baldwin claimed that Leontiefs result, in that time was directed by the American tariffs and non-tariffs, like quotas and safety and health regulations and if it was against labor consummate goods so, the capital-consummate goods was the only way to trade with US moreover, he confirmed that the economists who was highly confidences of H-O theory was diminished by Leontief empirical result (Baldwin, 1971). Like H-O theory Leontief ignored the Human capital that considered as one of the factors of production. It displays the knowledge and skills for the labour therefore; human capital intensive goods fo r example computer software and aerospace could be one of the determinants of the trade. (Hill, 2006 global business today) While H-O and Leontief ignored technology, Product life cycle theory takes in the account the technology as a comparative advantage. In the high-tech countries this model put forward that any product starts to be new product to become standardised, in the last stage, where the dispersion and the adoption of innovations form other organisations, the product will be produced massively, and the necessity of shifting production to get a low cost location arise and steadily the production in the host country will start to export the same product to the Home country for the product. Similarly, because the rapid growth of the multinational organisations around the world, it might be favourable for the organisation to produce the new product from the host or the foreign country (Ajami et al., 2006) Focusing on the economic of scale is the main concept of the new trade theory. By adopting this theory the country can specialise in a limited rang of goods with a high scale of production to gain the low-cost production, and then the free trade will expand the market size beyond national boundaries. So the availability for producing a variety of goods and conducting low cost will attain reciprocally beneficial. However, for the industries that conduct a substantial share in the world demand by accomplish the economies of scale the trade will support a few of the organisation or the first entrants to this industries like aerospace industry. Since the fast growing of international business and according to the trade liberalization , the need for some standards was raised, Criterions for international trade was established to control and arrange the international trade therefore, the idea of World Trade Organisation (WTO) had raisin with a structure designed to offer the coordinated polices and support liberalization in the global market besides the free flow for goods and services (Hornsby, 2010).In addition General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) to insure about the reduction of tariffs and quotas. Moreover, trade blocs were a significant movement towards free trade for example: EU, G20, APEC, NAFTA and CARENS GROUP. (BBC, 2005) Advantages and disadvantages for international trade and specialisation One of the main benefits of international trade is economic growth and this concept was proved by Edwards (1992), the study defined that international trade have a significant influence on growth, how can the developing countries as poor nations attract and adopt the technological progress from the industrial economies the study was based on 30 developing countries and appeared that the more opened and non restrictive trade policies the faster growth. In the same vein specialisation support the economic growth, the economic development can conduct by an efficient specialisation (Enright, 1996). Growth could happen in a long-standing by specialisation as a result of Page study on small mining centres in Canada (Page, 2002). International trade can improve the environment, Bhagwati stated that the economic growth will consequence an expansion in production therefore, the countrys revenue will increase as such the state can spend for improving the environment (Bhagwati, 1993).however, (Mullen et al., 2009) argued that developing countries turn over from agriculture to industrial activities and they may produce for example chemical products which cause absolute pollution. From another side, the more production and the more exporting the more revenues that can spend to improve the environment. For example Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) that signifies in the first phases of the growth it is obvious the dilapidation for the environment and this degradation will decrease by the rising in the income (Gryz, 2008).Hence this could be a benefit and a cost in the same time for international trade. The increases of international trade and in turn the economic growth will raise the gross national product as a result it will recuperating the individual freedom (Mullen et al., 2009) furthermore, higher levels of educations will be an outcome also new initiatives and individual freedom(Mullen et al., 1996 cited in Mullen, 2009) Advance physical quality of life correlated to International trade, according to a study run by (Mullen et al., 2009) importing enhance PQOL since the importing process will increase the supply then decrease the prices so the individuals can satisfy easily they essential needs therefore importing enhance PQOL . But increasing exporting will increase the demand in the country and then will rise the prices consequently it will be difficult for the individuals to satisfy their vital requirements will increasing exports will lessen PQOL. Source: (Mullen et al., 2009) From the environmentalists shore there is a significant drawback for international trade, they see that the more international trade the more pollution, and the more progress of technology the more utilization of the natural resources and deforestation this confirmed by Gryz in a study focusing on the developing countries that international trade contribute in air pollution by enlarge the emissions of CO2 and SO2 (Gryz, 2008). Specialisation as the key driver for the international trade, it can enlarge production of products and services and consequently high quality with lower cost. Specialisation will increase the size of the market resemble international trade which make the option for conducting the economic of scale clear. Consequently, the competition will be a vital element which result low prices for individuals. From the other side, specialisation could bring risks. Using specialisation very excessively is able to bring inflation (Watkins, 1963 cited in Clower and beer 2009). Moreover, specialisation can affect inadequately on the stability of the economy (Barkly et al., 1999). 2-Equities The second category of the international business is equities which composing of: foreign direct investments (FDI) and foreign portfolio investments (FPI) 2-1 foreign portfolio investment (FPI) The investments by individual, firms or public bodies in foreign financial instrument like bonds and stocks or other financial assets and the portfolio proportion in the total foreign equity is less than 10% (Hill, 2006) without managing or controlling these investments. Although most of the barriers were fallen in favor of international business, the foreign portfolio investment is tremendously limited; Kang and Stulz justify this phenomenon that most of the investment was held by the domestic investors raising the home-bias issue as a determinant of FPI. (Kang and Stulz, 1995) Two main obstacles facing the FPI: First, political threat in the foreign market and the caution from impound the shares or the potentialities to return the investments so that, we find the majority investors in FPI are home residents. However, the risk in the short-term money market is less than the FPI equity because is more liquidity with low cost. Second, information asymmetric, Kang and Stulz stated the positive relationship between information and investments if the foreign investor has less information he will invest fewer. FPI could be a good source for foreign investors if they familiar with these investments abroad like the weighty exporters, and they concluded that the more organisations export the more shares possessed by foreign investors (Metro, 1987). In addition, Razin and Goldstein see the information problem arises when the investors need to sell the shares in advance, therefore the investors will go through the FPI if their probability to get liquidity shock fewer and invest in the FDI if they are less expected to get liquidity shock (Goldstein and Razin, 2006), liquidity shock could be considered a determinant for FPI. 2-2 foreign direct investment (FDI) FDI is the investment that happen directly in production or other facilities in a foreign country over Which it has effective control. (Shenkar and Luo, 2004) The main important feature that differentiates between FDI and FPI is control over the assets in the foreign countries by the affiliates, supporting these affiliates with management team locating near the selected market, therefore the decisions that related to this market will be effective. There are three types for FDI: First, Greenfield investment, and this form occurs when the company decides to start a new business in a foreign country. Second, mergers and acquisitions by merging with the local companies in the host countries or acquiring companies in the host market this, this is the widespread element to FDI, M As share in FDI raised from 80% in 1997 (UNCTAD, 2007).However, it is argued that MA will diminish the competition because there is no add to the capital, but the supporter for this pattern argued that MA is mainstay to stand in the global competition by insert new technologies and new management strategies (Shenkar and Luo, 2004:78) Third, reinvestment by using the profits in the foreign markets to make further investments. FDI theories Product life cycle theory, the same theory of international trade. Internalization theory, the way that the diffused operations in the foreign countries internalized by unified governance structure, it argues that because the deficiency of the intermediate products the internalization will create contracting. However, Shenkar and Luo see that the internalization a way to gain from intra-organizational system. (Shenkar and Luo, 2004:62) The Eclectic paradigm, this theory show the joint of microeconomic of the firm and macroeconomic of international trade by perceiving three interdependent factors: ownership specific factors like tangible assets and intangible assets, location specific factor like endowments and countries policies and internalization. It argued that this theory is broad-spectrum and does not propose a macro clarification for FDI and its factors is not reliant. Dunning the founder of the theory replied that he presented a general framework with interdependence level, and from a perspective of the country level he provides a macro-analysis of FDI. (Piggott and Cook, 2006) Reasons for FDI Penetrating the foreign market could be with exporting, licensing or FDI. Companies adopting FDI rather than exporting to keep away from the tariffs and quotas that imposed by host markets, and avoid the high transportation cost especially with the low value-to- weight ratio goods for example, cement products. Also firms choose FDI than licensing (allow certain foreign firms to produce home firms product and gain fees on each product) because the licensing does not give the stiff control over the production or marketing also, licensing could be a way to present a significant technological idea to a likely foreign rivals. (Hill, 2006) Increase sales and profits in the foreign markets is main reason for FDI most of the firms to fulfill considerable profits in the foreign markets especially if the local firms are not able to gratify the demand of goods and services, for example, Intel corporation, Coca Cola, Wal-mart, Carrefour, Pepsi Cola, CEMEX, Aflac and a lot of them. But there is a criticism on most of these opportunities seized in the same area for example Wal-mart has 72.36% (Wal-mart, annual report 2010) of his stores only in North America. Tesco has 73% (Tesco annual report 2009) of his Stores in Europe. Reducing costs is another motive for FDI, seeking for the low-cost production is crucial aspects for gaining profits so, firms decide to go through the foreign markets to accomplish low labor cost especially in the developing countries Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and Latin America. Moreover, low material cost, low power cost and low transportation cost. Acquiring a place in the powerful economic community like EU in Europe, NAFTA In North America and ASEAN in Asia, could be very profitable to a firm to gain alliance in one those blocs without any restrictions besides the entrants firms can acquire new technological and managerial concepts by observing and analysis the top competitors in the market. (Rugman and Collinson, 2006) Mostly the FPI located in the developed countries than developing countries because: first, the unambiguousness in the developed economics makes the FPI efficient. Second, FDI will not be profitable in the atmosphere of the high production cost of developed countries. So, FDI located in the low-cost environments apparently the developing countries. From an empirical study by Razin and Goldstein they stated that FPI is more volatility and more withdrawal rates that FDI. (Goldstein and Razin, 2006) Conclusion International business with its both significant categories: international trade and equities created an evolution in the global business. While the mercantilism established the theory on base of the restrictions to gain economic-political power, the follow theories stated that international trade is beneficial game and the key driver is specialisation with awareness of the control of inflows and outflows of goods and services (Warburton, 2010) through WTO, GATT or trade blocs. Equities was shaped with FPI and FDI, FPI is limited, less controlled and provides the investors with fast liquidity investments and FDI has the big share of equities and depend on control and management. The significance of these topics rises in its consequences. In other words the economic growth and quality of life for some of the developing countries attributed to international business. Vaghefi M., Paulson S. and Tomlinson W. (1991) International business theory and practice. New York: Taylor and Francis New York Inc. Piggott J. and Cook M. (2006) International Business Economics, a European Perspectives. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Haley, B. (1936) Heckscher, Mercantilism. The Quarterly Journal of Economics.50 (2) pp. 347-354 Tuldar R. (1987)subsidy polices for production automation mercantilism and liberalism revisited. Comparative Political Studies.20 (2) pp. 192-228 Baldwin R. (1971)Determinants of The Commodity structure of US Trade. The American Economic Review.61 (1) March pp.126-146 BBC (2005) BBC News: Business. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4510792.stm [Accessed 28th Oct 2010] Hornsby D. (2010)WTO effectiveness in resolving transatlantic trade-environment conflict. Journal of international trade law and policy. 9 (3), pp. 297-309 Warburton C. (2010)International trade law and trade theory. Journal of international trade law and policy.9(1) pp.64-82 Edwards S. (1992) Trade orientation, distortion and growth in developing countries, journal of development economics.39 (1) pp.31-57 Beer A. and Clower T. (2009) Specialisation and Growth: Evidence from Australias Regional Cities. Urban studies. 46(2) pp.369-389 Mullen et al., (2009) Effects of International Trade and Economic Development on Quality of Life. Journal of Macromarketing. (29)3 pp.244-258 Gryz A. (2008) Economic growth, international trade and air pollution: A decomposition analysis. Ecological Economics.68 (5) pp.1329-1339 Riley G. (2006) Economics: As markets and market system. Available at http://tutor2u.net/economics/revision-notes/as-markets-specialisation-trade.html. [Accessed 29th Oct 2010]. Kang J. and Stulz R. (1997) Why is there a home bias? An analysis of foreign portfolio equity ownership in Japan. Journal of Financial Economics.46 (1) pp.3-28 Merton, R.C., 1987. A simple model of capital market equilibrium with incomplete information. Journal of Finance 42(1) pp. 483 510 Goldstein I. and Razin A. (2006) An information-based trade off between foreign direct investment and foreign portfolio investment. Journal of international economics.70 (1) pp.271-295 Chacholiades, M. (1990) international economics. New York: McGraw Hill Neven D. (1990) EEC integration towards 1992: some distributional aspects. Economic policy. 5(1) pp.13-62 UNCTAD (2007) World investment report 2007.transnational corporations, extractive Industries and development. United Nations. Ajami R. et al. (2006) International Business: trade and theory. New York: M.E. Sharp Inc. Aswathappa K. (2008) International Business (3ed). 3rd ed. Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill publishing Company Limited.

Catcher In The Rye And Huck Finn :: essays research papers

All novels contain common elements and qualities. In most cases the plot, conflict, and a narrative voice forms the style of writing. Frequently the incidents told are direct experiences from the narrator himself. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger and Huckleberry Finn by Samuel Clemens employ these characteristics, particularly using a constructive voice, symbolism, and a complex connected sequence of events, dealing with human experiences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many instances in The Catcher in the Rye which deal with such characteristics. The novel is told in first person through the eyes of the narrator, Holden. He recalls the events as a series of flashbacks placing the setting of the story in his mind. Next, there is the repeated use of symbolism throughout the novel. Three major symbols were the ducks, the Museum of Natural History, and Jane Gallagher. While Holden is wandering around New York City, he asks many people about what happens to the ducks in the pond when it freezes. In actuality, the ducks represent Holden wondering about himself. Jane Gallagher and the Museum of Natural History, both represent the theme of the past in two different aspects. Jane Gallagher was an old friend of the past, and he mentions calling her repeatedly throughout the story. She is a significant part of his past that he misses a lot, which makes him want to reminisce those times once again. The Museum of Natural History, o n the other hand, makes Holden realize he will never be the same as he used to be, and this changes his mind on wanting to return to the past. All of these hidden messages represent Holden, revealing the way he thinks and acts. Throughout the novel there’s continuance of events that deal with human experiences. The novel is based on the story of his nervous breakdown lead by being expelled from Pencey Prep, increasing feelings of loneliness and desperation brought on by the insincerity and ugliness of the adult world, and the tormenting memories of the death of his younger brother Allie.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Huckleberry Finn was also written in first person but through the eyes of the Huck Finn. Huck tells about a series of adventures, making many observations on human nature and the South as he does. The use of symbolism is again portrayed throughout this novel. It is often said that the story of Huck Finn is about Mark Twain himself.

Thomas Batemans Ten Years Diggings :: Archaeology Archaeological Essays

Thomas Bateman's Ten Years' Diggings Thomas Bateman at Brushfield, Derbyshire, 1850 On the 3rd of August, we opened a finely shaped barrow near Brushfield, upon Lapwing Hill, overlooking Cressbrook valley, measuring seventeen yards across and four feet high in the centre, composed of earth, with a few stones in the middle, where a shallow grave, about a foot deep, was sunk in the rock. In it lay extended the remains of a human body, so very much decayed as to be almost undistinguishable, but which we ascertained to have been deposited with the head to the west. Beneath the remnants of bone were many traces of light-coloured hair, as if from a hide, resting upon a considerable quantity of decayed wood, indicating a plank of some thickness, or the bottom of a coffin. At the left of the body was a long and broad iron sword, enclosed in a sheath made of thin wood covered with ornamented leather. Under the hilt of the sword, which like most of ancient date is very small, was a short iron knife; and a little way above the right shoulder were tow small javelin heads, 4 1/2 inches long, of the same metal, which had lain so near each other as to become united by corrosion. Among the stones which filled the grave, and about a foot from the bottom were many objects of corroded iron, including nine loops of hoop iron about an inch broad, which had been fixed to thick wood by long nails; eight staples or eyes, which had been driven through plank and clenched; and one or two other objects of more uncertain application, all which were dispersed at intervals round the corpse throughout the length of the grave, and which may therefore have been attached to a bier or coffin in which the deceased was conveyed to the grave, possibly from some distant place. The only specimen of a Saxon sword, which was the weapon of the thegn, previously found in this part of Derbyshire, was singularly enough found with the umbo of a shield on the same farm in 1828; thus indication the connection of a noble Saxon family with Brushfield in the age of Heathendom, the name of which is perpetuated in a document of the 16th century, preserved in the British Museum. On the same afternoon, we examined a mutilated barrow nearer Brushfield, called the "Gospel

Tanning

Welcome to Four Seasons Tanning, the quintessential consultant for today’s salon owner. From the hottest new arrivals in lotions, to the most advanced tanning beds on the market, Four Seasons gives you everything you need to run a successful salon, and for those thinking of opening a salon. Four Seasons Sales and Service is the one source solution. Saving time and stress by putting decades of experience to work to help your salon profit. Four Seasons Sales and Service is a professional indoor tanning distributor with over twenty years of industry experience that was founded in 1983 by twin brothers, Ronnie and Johnny Allen. Ronnie’s wife owned a small beauty salon, and she decided to add tanning as an additional business. At that time, they were one of the few individuals in the area with any experience on tanning products and tanning equipment. The business started when Ronnie and Johnny worked on their own tanning beds and began to repair other salons in the area. Before long, they began carrying tanning products to help their clients achieve maximum tanning results, and teaching them how to properly take care of their skin while tanning. This was the largest and fastest growing part of the business. What began as a business promoting products and services out of the back of their truck rapidly grew into a large-scale warehouse operation that expanded to shipping nationwide. Four Seasons Sales and Service also have proven management in distribution of and consultation on tanning products, parts, services, and marketing advantages, while also staying well equipped with first-class investigative, design, and problem solving skills. The Allen brothers always reinvested in the company, and prided themselves on taking care of the heart of the business; their employees. Currently Four Seasons Sales and Service provide approximately two-hundred full time professional specialists that are friendly and efficient, and are dedicated to partnering with salon owners to help them achieve their very best. Four Seasons is proud to be the only employee owned company in the Indoor Tanning Industry. This means that Four Seasons' specialists and team members have the ability to share in our company's success. Throughout this paper, you will read and learn about a team of incredibly productive and highly motivated individuals that will settle for nothing less than excellence.

Aquarius: A New Isotonic Sports Drink In Asia Essay

Background Aquarius is a new isotonic sports drink launched in Asia at the year 2012 by The Coca-Cola Company. Aquarius was introduced in Japan in year 1983 as a grapefruit flavored sports drink as a response to compete for market share with other isotonic sports drinks such as Pocari Sweat,H2O and 100plus.Aquarius was also the official sports drink for Olympics game in Barcelona in 1992 and 2012.As it’s a new launch product in Asia, there’s a need to create awareness to enable consumer to know and have a better understanding about this product. Aquarius is not only an isotonic drink that is able to replenish health but also contains various minerals such as Potassium, vitamins B3, B12, B6 and Guarana. Target Audience With the knowledge of psychographic characteristics is used to describe and identify customers and prospective customers and to aid in developing strategies designed to appeal to specific segments of the market for Aquarius. Aquarius is created to target sports and health cautious consumers as there is a raise in health awareness as people are leading in a more health cautious behavior. Exercise had become a more regular routine and Aquarius is the right isotonic drink to replenish and crunch thirst after a good workout. Thoughts and Feelings Consumers are able to trust Aquarius as it is a product from a reputational beverage company The Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola had been a leading beverage brand in the market; with a good history background it created trust in its products. Aquarius is an official isotonic drink for Olympics 1992 and 2012. With such a massive event and being the official drink had proven its value and gain trust in the market. Well known athletic had consume Aquarius during the game had given it trust on the brand. Objectives and Measures The objective of Aquarius is to become the leading isotonic drink in the market. Measures can be achieved by conducting personal interviews, focus group interviews or conduct public survey to measure how recognized is the brand to consumers. Behavioral Outcome Aquarius would become a brand recall, a brand that will imprint in a person mind. As Aquarius is targeting sporty and health cautious consumers, therefore after a workout or they feel like getting a soft drink to ease the thirst, Aquarius will be the number one brand they will think of and reach out for. Positioning Television advertisement, sports events and sports and health magazines will be heavily advertising Aquarius to promote this product as it is new in Asia. Asia marketing would be on a heavier focus. Aquarius must be easily available, places such as school; stadiums, drinks stores, vending machines and supermarkets will be carrying Aquarius. Pricing plays an important role; it will be sold at an affordable rate. A slogan can be proposed such as Always Energized, this create a catchy term for people to have deeper impression of Aquarius isotonic drink. A striking logo to imprint in person mind, whenever consumer sees similarity will easily associate to Aquarius. Strategy A marathon run that held island wide can be a campaign to promote Aquarius. Proposal like Aquarius run which is held and official drink will Aquarius. Aquarius logo can be printed on the goodies bag and other merchandised included. By holding this event, it can create awareness and publicity, participants also get the chance to taste Aquarius and feel its benefits. Celebrity endorsement is also recommended, by getting a sporty and well known celebrity such as Jackie Chan. Jackie Chan is a well know international artiste and also an athletic, with his martial arts history and stunt act. He would be a good choice to endorse Aquarius. It will gain attraction and create notice of the brand in Asia or globally. Nitty Gritty Details The deadline for client is 13 December 2012 as client had a month to consider and get back. The budget for the production would be estimated at Eight hundred thousand dollars, this include marathon events and celebrity endorsement fee. Bibliography The Coca Cola Company, 2012,[Online],available: http://www.coca-cola.com.sg/beverage_benefits/aquarius.asp view on [13 November 2012] Rtbot,2012,[Online],available: http://www.rtbot.net/Aquarius_(sports_drink) view on [13 November 2012] Conteneo,2012,[Online],available: http://www.infodrinks.com/soft-drinks/sport-drinks/isotonic/aquarius/ view on [13 November 2012]

Victoria Secret in Turkey

The Middle East consists of several countries in West Asia. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Gaza Strip, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, West Bank, and Gaza, are all the 19 countries that are categorized as the Middle East. The term Middle East is considered to be a Eurocentric term and is used as a synonym for the Near East. Since the Middle East extends over so many countries, there are major economic, cultural, and religious differences.Some of the countries in the Middle East are extremely wealthy oil nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates, that generate large amount of revenue and are on the top list of the world’s wealthiest nations based on income per capita. And then there are some really poor nations, like Gaza and Yemen, which are characterized by unrest and war. The Middle East also varies a lot when it comes to culture and religion. Islam is the biggest religion i n the Middle East and many of the countries have really strict religious rules, with little freedom for women.But there are also countries where Judaism and Christianity are represented, and women have equal or almost equal rights as men. Victoria’s Secret was founded in 1977, in San Francisco by Roy Raymond. It started with three stores and a mail-order catalog. In 1982, after only five years of operations, Raymond sold the company to Leslie Wexner for $4 million. During the 80’s Victoria’s Secret rapidly expanded into U. S malls. By the early 90’s Victoria’s Secret had become the largest American lingerie retailer, topping one billion dollars.There are approximately 1,000 Victoria’s secret lingerie stores and 100 independent Victoria’s Secret Beauty stores in the U. S. We sell a range of brassieres, panties, hosiery, cosmetics, sleepwear, and other products. In 1995 Victoria’s Secret had their first fashion show, which today has become a huge hit. The show features some of the world's leading fashion models such as current Victoria's Secret Angels Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Miranda Kerr. Because of the huge differences in economy, culture, and religion, we at Victoria’s Secret decided to focus on one country at a time.We decided that it would be the best opportunity to open our store in Turkey. Turkey has the largest economy in the Middle East based on nominal gross domestic product (GDP) and the cultural and religious barriers are not as dominant as in some of the other Middle Eastern countries. Turkey also has a huge market for tourism. Market Turkey has a large population with 71 million people. They have generally a young population, with 61% of the people being younger than the age of 35. Turkey’s average gross national product (GNP) per capita is $7,500.About 71% of the population lives in the urban areas. Istanbul is Turkey’s largest city with about 12 million peo ple, and Ankara, the capital, has about 5 million people. Turkey is located in Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea. Turkey’s location gives them an excellent base for economic activities throughout the region. Turkey has a budget revenue of $176. 8 billion and a budget expenditure of $189. 2 billion. Turkey is running a budget deficit of 1. 6% of real GDP.This budget deficit, together with uncertainty related to the monetary policy-making, and political disorder in Turkey’s neighbor countries, makes the Turkish economy vulnerable to destabilization shifts in investors’ confidence. Turkey has a young and well-educated population, but 10. 3% of the Turkish population is unemployed. The labor force is 27. 43 millions, where 25. 5% works within the agricultural sector, 26. 2% works in industries, and 48. 4% works within the service sector. Young people between the age of 15 and 24, 25% are unemployed. Women are still an untapped labor force in Turkey.Researchers say that about half of all Turkish women enter the labor market at some point in their lives, but most end up quitting because of family obligations or poor working conditions. We feel that this is a great opportunity for our company, because our target market is women. We will strive to create ideal working conditions for all of our employees so they feel that they want to keep working for Victoria’s Secret. Economic and Political Climate We at Victoria’s Secret have been attracted to the Turkish market by the country’s rapidly expanding economy, political and economic stability, and the possibility of European Union membership.Since Turkey is an associated member of the EU, it had to adopt many directives, regulations, and laws that are required by the EU. Turkey is going through changes, to strengthen its democracy and integrate its economy into the global market. The changes that Turkey is going through are goin g to be beneficial to us, because it will make Turkey an easier market to enter and to do business in. It is also crucial for us that Turkey’s government are become a more stable government. It would be hard for Victoria’s Secret to thrive when the government is unstable and there are rapid and drastic policy changes.For a business to survive in a foreign country, it is crucial that there is a government that can maintain itself in power and whose fiscal, monetary, and political policy are predictable. Turkey has an open market economy, with a blend of both modern and traditional industries. Turkey’s industry and service sector are becoming the major drivers of the Turkish economy. Their private sector is becoming increasingly important, as state involvement is reducing. The traditional textiles and clothing sectors, still account for one-third of industrial employment in Turkey.During 2011, the United Sates exported to Turkey for $15 billion, this is 34% increa se from 2010. Foreign direct investment (FDI) has in the recent years been attracted to Turkey because of their market reforms, strong growth and economic and political stability. The U. S. has officially invested about $6-7 billion in Turkey, a number that is understated because U. S. companies have invested through third countries. There are no restrictions over the export of goods from Turkey. Exports are exempt from the value added tax (VAT), duties and transaction taxes. Goods manufactured in Turkey have a duty free access to the EU.There are also no import restrictions over goods imported to Turkey, with the exclusion of some restraints of very minor character. For imports that are imported to Turkey from countries other than European Union, customs duties and charges are applicable in agreement with the requirements of the customs union. Regardless of origin of goods, whether from the EU or a non-EU country, VAT is at a rate 18% (1% or 8% for certain basic goods). Good and se rvices imported into the country, industrial, commercial, agricultural goods and services, and deliveries of goods and services caused by other activities, are all subject to VAT.The guidelines involving to the remittance of foreign capital and dividends out of the country are set out in Law No. 1567. According to these regulations, foreign investors have the same privileges and responsibilities as Turkish investors. The regulations also guarantee the transfer of profits, fees, and royalties and the repatriation of capital in the case of a liquidation or sale. For foreign businesses to enter into Turkey there is no longer a minimum amount of capital requirement, due to Turkey’s new Foreign Direct Investment Law. â€Å"It is no longer obligatory to bring a minimum of $50,000 in share capital. As long as the form of company is included in the Turkish Commercial Code, it is your own choice on what company you want to establish. â€Å"It is no longer obligatory to establish eit her a limited liability company or joint stock company. † In 2006, Turkey cut its corporate income tax rate from 30% to 20% making it one of the most competitive rates in the OECD. These corporate income tax rates, has mad Turkey an attractive business environment that presents advantages and potential opportunities for business wishing to enter the market. Culture and InfluencesCulture is defined as â€Å"the sum of the total of the beliefs, rules, techniques, institutions, and artifacts that characterize human populations. † Societies are composed of its people and their culture; it is therefore difficult to talk about one aspect without referring to the other. Sociocultural has become the term that is used among businesspeople when talking about cultures and societies. For Victoria’s Secret to be successful in opening a store in Turkey it is crucial for us to realize that there are a culture differences from that of our own, as well as learning the characteris tics of the culture so that we can adapt to them.Since culture is so broad, a listing of its components may ease the analysis of the sociocultural viewpoint. These components include: aesthetics, attitudes and beliefs, religion, material culture, language, societal organization, education, legal characteristics, and political structures. The component that apply for Victoria’s Secret launch in Turkey is in particular religion, but aesthetics, and societal organization can also have an impact.Religion is an important component of culture and holds responsibility for many attitudes and beliefs the people have. In Turkey, the people practices the religion Islam and the population consist of 99. 8% Muslims, mostly Sunni. The Muslims follows the Koran, which is the collection of Allah’s revelations to Muhammad, and is said to be the messenger of God. Following the Koran means freedom, and it is said to bring happiness for the Muslim to follow Gods word. For all Muslims the basic spiritual duties consist of the ive pillars of faith: accepting the confession of faith; making the five daily prayers while facing Mecca; giving charity; fasting during the daylight hours of Ramadan, a 29- or 30-day month in Islam’s lunar calendar; making a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a person’s lifetime. The Turkish state is becoming more and more modernized, and so is also its religion. Turkey seeks to modernize Islam because they believe that it might hinder their development in becoming a more globalized and modern country. We believe that Turkey is a good place to open our next store in the Middle East because they are open for this kind of new businesses.Aesthetics refers to a culture’s sense of beauty and good taste. As the Turkish people are getting more modernized, they will also get more influenced by the rest of the world. We believe that the fashion trends that are popular in the U. S. will become popular in Turkey as well, and that V ictoria’s Secret lingerie can become part of the Turkish women’s daily life. Societal organization â€Å"is the patterned arrangement of relationships defining and regulation the manner by which its members interface with one another. The women in Turkey don’t have the same status as women in the U. S. , and the men and women’s roles may vary a lot. This might cause a problem when launching Victoria’s Secret in Turkey, nevertheless, we believe that the Turkish women, as they get more influence by the fashion trends in rest of the world, they will create a desire to buy our products. Victoria’s Secret is facing some sociocultural challenges when launching our business in Turkey, and we will have to give our customers some time to adapt to our products.However, when considering Turkey is development toward a more modern and global nation we have a bright outlook for the future, and believe those challenges will be exciting to tackle. Competit ion â€Å"International strategy is concerned with the way firms make fundamental choices about developing scare resources internationally. † It is going to be crucial for Victoria’s Secret to implement an international strategy because it involves decisions that deal with what products or services to offer, which markets to enter, and how to compete.It also deals with all the various functions in the organization, such as marketing and production. The goal with an international strategy is to create competitive advantage, which means that the business has achieved and maintained a unique and valuable position both globally and within a nation. To create sustainable competitive advantage it is important that a product or service creates value for consumers and for which customers are willing to pay for, are rare, are difficult to imitate or substitute, and are organized in a way that allows the company to fully exploit and capture the value of the product or service.Th ere are numerous lingerie companies in Turkey that can act as competitors when launching Victoria’s Secret in the country. The Turkish economy is growing and the local companies are developing great skills when it comes to adapt to customers demand, which results in companies that are becoming stronger when competing in the global market. However, the main reason why Victoria’s Secret has become so successful is because we have been able to create products and services that meet the criteria for a sustainable competitive advantage. Therefore we believe that we will be able to successfully compete against the Turkish lingerie companies.Turkish is the predominant language in Turkey, spoken by 90% of the population. Minority languages include Kurdish, which is spoken by 6% of the population, although this isn't recognized as an official language. 1. 2% of the Turkish population speaks Arabic but most of those speakers are bilingual and speak Turkish as well. Because we wi ll compete at a local level we believe that it will be important to communicate in Turkish. We will make sure that we have employees that are fluent in Turkish to be a part of our marketing and business team in order to establish a local presence with our products.Because verbal communication is more dominant than written expression in business in Turkey we will focus much of our advertising through media such as radio and TV. Since most of population is Muslim we have to take this into consideration when creating our advertising campaigns. Something that could be a challenge for us is the variable prices many stores and competitors have. This cultural difference where everything is negotiable have to be considered when entering Turkey. A wide range of shops has no prices listed. Customers simply have to ask the price of everything and the sales person will have the right answer.Even luxury shops selling diamond jewelry are open to negotiation. We have chosen not to adjust to this c ultural difference. It does not go well with our business model and we believe that customers will be able to adjust to Victoria’s Secret stricter price listings. But, it is still something to be aware of when training our employees that will be working in our stores. Special offers and other sales or marketing tricks are common in the Turkish business environment. The â€Å"buy one, get one free† offer can be seen in most retail stores in Turkey. This is something that we will use and take advantage of.We will use the same strategies as we have in the US. Making special offers for customers if they buy more than one of selected items. Seasonal offers will also be implemented. Victoria’s Secret in the Middle East We want to make Victory Secret the most known lingerie brand in the world. By expanding with a third store in the Middle East, and more specific in Turkey, we are certain that we will be able to reach this goal. Works Cited https://www. cia. gov/library /publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tu. html http://blog-en. icanlocalize. com/2008/09/marketing-challenges-turkey/ http://www. communicaid. om/access/pdf/library/culture/doing-business-in/Doing%20Business%20in%20Turkey. pdf http://export. gov/turkey/doingbusinessinturkey/index. asp http://www. isik-ymm. com. tr/doingbusinessinturkey. pdf http://blog-en. icanlocalize. com/2008/09/marketing-challenges-turkey/ http://www. drpatrickcarter. com/blog/2010/09/marketing-in-turkey/ http://www. bbc. co. uk/languages/european_languages/countries/turkey. shtml https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tu. html http://www. nytimes. com/2011/05/05/world/middleeast/05iht-M05-WORK-WOMEN. html https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tu. html

Un Kyoto Protocol

What is the Kyoto  Protocol? The  Kyoto Protocol  is an amendment to the  United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change  (UNFCCC), an international treaty intended to bring countries together to reduceglobal warming  and to cope with the effects of temperature increases that are unavoidable after 150 years of industrialization. The provisions of the Kyoto Protocol are legally binding on the ratifying nations, and stronger than those of the UNFCCC.Countries that ratify the Kyoto Protocol agree to reduce emissions of six greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, HFCs and PFCs. The countries are allowed to use emissions trading to meet their obligations if they maintain or increase their greenhouse gas emissions The Kyoto Protocol sets specific emissions reduction targets for each industrialized nation, but excludes developing countries. To meet their targets, most ratifying nations would have to combine several strategies:   * place restrictions on their biggest polluters manage transportation to slow or reduce emissions from automobiles * make better use of renewable energy sources—such as solar power, wind power, and biodiesel—in place of fossil fuels Background The Kyoto Protocol was negotiated in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997. It was opened for signature on March 16, 1998, and closed a year later. Under terms of the agreement, the Kyoto Protocol would not take effect until 90 days after it was ratified by at least 55 countries involved in the UNFCCC. Another condition was that ratifying countries had to represent at least 55 percent of the world’s total carbon dioxide emissions for 1990.The first condition was met on May 23, 2002, when Iceland became the 55th country to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. When Russia ratified the agreement in November 2004, the second condition was satisfied, and the Kyoto Protocol entered into force on February 16, 2005. As a U. S. presidential candidate, George W. Bush promised to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Shortly after he took office in 2001, however, President Bush withdrew U. S. support for the Kyoto Protocol and refused to submit it to Congress for ratification. Rationale of UNFCCC and the Kyoto ProtocolThe ultimate objective of this Convention and any related legal instruments that the Conference of the Parties may adopt is to achieve, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Convention, stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Such a level should be achieved within a time-frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner.Concluding Remarks While international agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol are certainly a step in the right direction in that they raise awareness about the severity of global climate change, they are not a complete solution and will not solve the problem alone. Real results and improvements will be seen when fundamental reductions in energy consumption and changes in lifestyle are achieved on an individual level across the globe. Continue by reading about  What You Can Do  to contribute towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving your lifestyle.The Effectiveness of the Kyoto Protocol Kyoto Protocol has several provisions and established mechanisms concerning technology transfer which is supposed to favoring technology transfer for reducing the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the world. However, mainly due to the flaws of the provisions and mechanisms, the environmentally sound technologies have not been transferred as smoothly as possible to realize the Kyoto Protocol’s objectives.Therefore, the international community shall take the effectiveness o f Kyoto Protocol as a fresh impetus to consummate the legal system of international technology transfer, that is, developing a uniform technology transfer agreement under the WTO with a focus on promoting environmentally sound technology, which may make the developing countries to acquire the technologies they need under the fair conditions and help them build their capacities to develop in a sustainable manner. China does not need to perform the obligation of reducing GHG emission until 2013 according to Kyoto Protocol, but recautions shall be taken to improve its legal systems on technology transfer to make preparations for implementing the policy of scientific development and playing roles in related international legislation. Impact on Spain of Meeting the Kyoto Commitment in 2008-2012 Impact on Delivered Prices to Households and Industry Meeting the Kyoto Protocol target in 2008-2012 through a combination of domestic actions plus purchases of international credits would increas e the price of home heating oil by more than 32%. Consumers would also pay more for gasoline and diesel.If the Spain participates in the Kyoto Protocol’s economy-wide emission reduction program, prices for industry would rise dramatically. Spanish industries would pay more than 42% more for natural gas and 24% more for electricity than under the baseline projection. Under the assumption that the Kyoto Protocol’s emission targets are made even more stringent in the post-2012 period, the impact on household heating oil prices would rise to more than 43% above the baseline estimate by 2025. Gasoline and diesel prices would rise substantially, between 15-19% by 2025.Impact on Energy Consumption In general, the percentage reduction in energy demand would not need to be as large as the required percentage reduction in carbon emissions because not all Btus of energy have the same carbon content. Additionally, purchase of international CO2 credits means that foreign CO2 reduct ions lessen the need for domestic reductions, thereby avoiding some domestic reductions in energy used. However, use of international credits does have consequences, as companies pass the cost of the international credit onto final consumers of energy via higher prices.Implementation of a limit on carbon dioxide emissions via an international carbon dioxide allowance trading system would result in the following impacts. November 2005 Global Insight, Inc. Page 12 Domestic Sector: The dramatically higher energy prices would force consumers to cut their consumption of energy. Since there is only limited opportunity to substitute more energy efficient appliances and furnaces for the period 2008- 2012, consumers would reduce their consumption of energy services. Longer term, consumers would attempt to replace some of these services by replacing their energy consuming equipment.Industry Sector: Industry would respond to the dramatically higher prices through several mechanisms. First, ind ustry would reduce energy consumption through process change. Second, industry would replace energy-consuming capital with more efficient capital. Third, to the extent possible, production of energy intensive goods would move to non-participating countries. Power Sector: The power sector would be hard hit under these scenarios. The imposition of carbon permits would lead to extremely large increases in the delivered price of electricity, particularly to the industrial sector.Imposition of ever decreasing carbon permit levels would set in motion dramatic changes in this sector. Coal use would decline, slowly at first and then rapidly, as the price drove electricity prices up reducing demand and encouraging the substitution of natural gas or renewables. Investment in natural gas fired generating capacity would alleviate some of the pressure on electricity prices, but with the ever increasing stringency of the target, investment in end-use efficiency would need to be as great or greate r than improvements in power supply efficiency.Transportation Sector: The impact on the transportation sector would be significant. However, due to the high taxes already in place on transportation fuels, the percentage change in price due to the addition of the carbon permit fees is less than the change in price in other sectors. Longer run, the permit price would have to be high enough to reduce energy use in this sector as the target tightens. Even assuming an international carbon dioxide emission allowance trading scheme, meeting the Kyoto targets would result in the following: ? Coal, with the highest carbon content of the energy sources, would be the hardest hit. Petroleum would experience the smallest percentage decline of the fossil fuels because of strong demand and limited technology substitution options in the transportation sector over the forecast horizon. ? Natural gas demand would initially increase relative to the baseline as it is substituted for coal and petroleum but ultimately would need to decline as the cutbacks in demand outweigh this substitution effect. ? The demand for renewables would increase in all the cases. ? For this analysis, it was assumed that nuclear and hydroelectric energy would not change.Economic Impacts Output and employment losses would be expected under the Kyoto Protocol because: energy-using equipment and vehicles would be made prematurely obsolete; consumers would be rattled by rapid increases in living costs; and financial ministers would most likely need to target more slack in the economy to deflate non-energy prices and thus stabilize the overall price environment. The analysis assumes that the cost of emission allowances would be passed along to consumers in the form of higher energy prices and ultimately high prices for all goods and services.Consumers’ purchasing power would be reduced by the higher cost of using energy, reducing real disposable income. Consumption and residential fixed investment wou ld be the hardest hit components of real GDP because of the direct loss in real disposable income. The short period to phase in the permit prices (2005-2008) would lead to substantial declines in real consumption from Base Case levels in the 2008-12 period. Imports would strengthen relative to Base Case levels, spurred by the competitive price advantage of non-participating Annex B countries, and non-Annex B countries. Real GDP would fall 3. % (26 billion Euros) on average below Base Case levels during the 2008-12 budget period, and 4. 3% (48 billion Euros) below in 2025 under Case 1 and 5. 6% (63 billion Euros) below under Case 2. The economy’s potential to produce would fall below Base Case levels initially with the cut back in energy usage, since energy is a key factor of production. Stronger investment would be required over the longer-term to build capital as a substitute for this lost factor. The decline in consumption and residential fixed investment relative to Base C ase levels, however, would have a depressing impact on business fixed investment in the near-term.Annual employment losses are projected to be 611,000 jobs in 2010 in the Spain The percentage reduction in employment relative to Base Case levels would be less than the drop in output. This is due to an increase in the labor-to-output ratio (or a decline in labor productivity) attributed to the permit program. Labor productivity would decline because the other factors of production would be less efficient. Only as investment grows and the capital stock is expanded would productivity begin to improve.Post 2012, if the target emission level under the Kyoto Protocol is maintained, the impact on economic performance would begin to lessen. The extreme change in the energy prices experienced during the years between 2008 and 2012 would not be repeated. While the percentage change in prices relative to the baseline would increase somewhat, the year-over-year change in prices would be reduced. However, achieving even more aggressive targets would take ever larger carbon fees, and would continue to take a significant toll on economic performance. http://www. studymode. com/essays/The-Kyoto-Protocol-Business-Ethics-202293. html