Global Internet Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global Internet Advertising - Essay Example This paper is going to highlight some of the unanswered questions in the global advertising medium. Although global internet advertising is a good thing to business all over the world there are some areas that need to be further researched. One is that there are privacy concerns on the advertiser’s side and even the potential customers (Tungate, 2013). Business owners when advertising need to prove authenticity of the products or services they are advertising this has caused issues like hackers accessing financial data and employee information via the internet and using it for illegal means (Taylor, 2012). On the customer’s side, some customers have been duped and lied to about keeping their queries or purchases private only for traces to be left that could jeopardize the customer’sreputation and life (St, 2007). This issue needs to be further researched. Secondly, through the research on global internet advertising, there is an issue of Global Internet Access 100% connectivity and when can it be a reality (Hanafizadeh & Behboudi, 2012). It emerged that the whole world knows about the internet and even about internet advertising but not all people have internet access 100% connectivity (Frith& Mueller, 2010). This is either because of high data and broadband prices, lack of data booster in the regions they are situated or partial network coverage (Kogut, 2004). This means that a lot of business will not be reaching the intended target customers while customers will not get the advertisement that could change their daily lives(Krishnamurthy & OConnor, 2006). Further research should be done to establish when 100%comnncevtivty will be a reality especially in developing worlds. A final unanswered question that emerged from the research on global internet advertising was the issue of Advertising & technology (Bidgoli, 2004). To advertise on the internet means that one must be able to use a computer and use their own website or use another

Need and Implementation of Change in General Motors

Need and Implementation of Change in General Motors The ever lasting truth of the universe is change. People, organizations, markets change every second. This change is stimulated by the environment. On individual level people manage change by changing there routines and habits, which is relatively simple. Change in an organization is complex but follows the same rules, organizations like an individual have to change there habits and routines. The organizations who have failed to cope with the change have crumbled under the feet of time either disappearing or being acquired by other companies. For example skybird, tucker corporation, wirgin, tohatsu, clover, British satellite broadcasting, world champion wrestling, archandor, and most recently general which filled chapter 11 bankruptcy. These organizations were unable to recognize the change in the environment and were rejected by the environment. The organizations that have been proactive and managed change have been success stories .i.e. Microsoft, 3com and us robotics, Cadbury and Kraft etc. these organizations have changed there strategies at the right time, they were the leaders of market change. Introduction to General Motors General Motors Corporation (GM) is the worlds largest full-line vehicle manufacturer and marketer. Its arsenal of brands includes Chevrolet, Pontiac, GMC, Buick, Cadillac, Saturn, Hummer, and Saab. Opel, Vauxhall, and Holden comprise GMs international nameplates. Through its system of global alliances, GM holds stakes in Isuzu Motors Ltd., Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., Suzuki Motor Corporation, Fiat Auto, and GM Daewoo Auto Technology. Other principal businesses include General Motors Acceptance Corporation and its subsidiaries, providers of financing and insurance to GM customers and dealers. In the early 2000s, struggling under the weight of escalating healthcare and pension costs, GM sought to shed some of its less profitable activities. Toward that end, among other moves, the company sold its stake in Hughes Electronics, phased out production of the Oldsmobile, and discontinued the Chevrolet Camero and Pontiac Firebird. Facing a tough economic climate, GM has nevertheless retained its position as the worlds leading automaker. Models of change management Now companies have realized the need for change and change management. That is the reason many scholars came up with different models of change management. There are some simple models of change and then there are some complex models. simple models are helpful but do not identify the needs of current economy Simple models which follow the approach that one size fits all Lewins model Unfreeze the current paradigm of the organization. This involves understanding the need for change. Then communicating that need to the people. People should be open to change in structure, behavior and thinking. Change the organization paradigm by introducing new theories in the organization. This is a lengthy process as the new method will take time to sink in. people will question the new method thus it is important that there is a strong channel for feedback. Refreeze the changed paradigm. This is the stage where the change is inculcated into the organization and people followed the changed methods as a part and parcel of the organization. Kotters 8 steps creating a vibe of change into the members gather supporters to guide change create a vision explain the vision to the supporters empower people to follow and spread the vision create shot objective or milestones improvements and feedback Inculcation of change by making it a part of structure and system. Complex model which recognize the need of individual organizations. Johnson Scholes and Whittingtons model identifies the variables that the organization faces. Time is how quickly change is needed. This can be identified by the Balogun and Hailys model. Scope is the degree of change that is necessary. Continuity what is the incremental factor History is the past experience of change Skills what capabilities are required and what do we have. Resources which are available for change management. Readiness is the willingness of people to accept change. Power is where the of the organization lies i.e. with management employees, stakeholders etc. McKinsey 7S framework identifies the areas that management need to focus on in order to manage change effectively Structure is the hierarchy and the departmentalization of the organization before and after the change. Strategy is the plans that organization makes i.e. when to compete? Where to compete? And when to compete? System is the alignment of the strategy with the business objective and at what level evolutionary stage the organization stands. Shared values is what type of culture prevails in the organization Style is the leadership style of the management. How are decisions made? Staff is the human resource of the organization. How trained they are and what staff is needed? Skill is the organizations ability to use its resources. Thus measure of the efficiency of the organization. Need for strategic change in General motors General motor is a fallen giant. Glory of the past from being a great market leader to bankrupt company General motors has come a long way. In 1980s GM was the top car manufacturer in the USA until the arrival of the Japanese cars. The Japanese sold cheap and better cars. GM failed to realize the change in the industry and technology and constantly lost market share to the Japanese companies. Even with government support the company filled chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009. The strategies of the Japanese and GM can be compared with each other and get to what GM needs to do in order to get its former glory. The strategies that have been used by GM are heavy discounting to capture or retain market share. Strategic intervention techniques The purpose of intervention techniques is to improve the efficiency and the effectiveness of the organization. Strategic intervention techniques focus on improving the processes through which ideas are generated and then gain feedback on the ideas. These techniques make some thing happen and also focus on what is happening French Bell Jr (1994). The reasons for interventions can be To gain feedback To educate people To invoke rapid change in the organization. Rapid and sudden change in the external environment Intense competition Driving forces for change in GM Driving forces are the reason that GM requires to change its strategy and align itself with the environment. Few of the forces that pressure Gm to change are as follows Low economic growth in the car manufacturing business has stumped most of the manufacturers. Car manufacturers on government support are making cars at a loss but yet there cars are in the market and cutting the market share of other companies. Japanese car manufacturers are making better cars at low price which is the main competition for GM. Change in technology in the industry has been an issue. Honda and Toyota have advanced in technology at a higher rate than GM. Rising oil prices have also caused the industry to rethink there strategy. Resource implications for GM GM CEO Rick Wagoner has put in a lot of effort to turn around GM since 1992.but his response to change in the environment was too slow. The resources of GM can be evaluated using 5 Ms model Money has been the problem for GM for sometime now but government is ready to help them but they do not have a turn around strategy. Manpower of GM has not been able to generate new ideas which show dulled motivation, and poor creativity skills by the management and other employees. Also GM is stuck in contacts with employees with huge pensions. Minutes time frame for adaptation has always been short for GM and it has always lagged behind the need of time. Material has very special item oil which has sky rocketed. So the price of car manufacturing is rising as well as the price of maintaining a car. Machinery has been the major issue for GM as its competitors have acquired new machinery and processes which are better than that of GM. Due to these factors GM has not been able to change. These are the forces that create resistance for change. Change and stakeholders Stakeholders are an integral part of the organizational paradigm. To bring change in the organization, stakeholders should own the change. The process of change should start from within the stakeholders. To change the culture stakeholders should realize that there is a need for change. Then they should be directed into the right direction. In Kotters 8 steps model for change the role of stakeholders can be incorporated. The model pushes the organization to make its own decision and define its process of change. Kotters model for change for GM Kotter gives a model of change in the organization in which the stakeholders are empowered to make change for themselves. I shall use this model to explain how GM can bring about change in the organization with the help of its stakeholders. Step 1: Create urgency For change to occur it is necessary the whole organization realizes the need for change and puts its effort in making the change. For this purpose managers can paint a grim picture of the future if continued on the same path. Explain to the shareholders the increase in ability of the organization to exploit its resources. There should be feed back from the stakeholders and there ideas should be incorporated in the change process. In case of GM it is not very difficult to paint a grim picture because the next step to bankruptcy is liquidation. The decline in the performance of the company has been a question mark for a long time now. So in GM people are ready for change and stakeholders support the management. Now there is need for discussions so that the ideas and the wills of the stakeholders can be incorporated in the change process. Step 2: Coalitions This is the point where the leadership emerges; people among the stakeholder should take charge of the groups. It is necessary that to identify the key leadership and make them commit to the change in the organization. This is necessary that people who are selected for the leadership believe in the change. In case of General Motors they have to find leaders in order to bring change. Recognition of the people who will help GM to evolve and to accept the changed processes is necessary, if it wishes to make any type of change in its strategy. Step 3: Vision for change When the process of change starts there are many idea of floating. All these ideals need to be linked together if in order to form a vision. This vision needs to be simple and understandable. The vision gives people a sense of direction; they understand the purpose of the change. For change to be successful you need to know the main idea behind the change. For this purpose prepare a summary of the future endeavors of the company. Knowing about the future helps people to support the organization. In case of General Motors the mission statement is quite clear G.M. is a multinational corporation engaged in socially responsible operations, worldwide. It is dedicated to provide products and services of such quality that our customers will receive superior value while our employees and business partners will share in our success and our stock-holders will receive a sustained superior return on their investment. But unfortunately General Motors has not been able to deliver. The vision of the General Motors needs to be communicated effectively through the organization. Every stakeholder needs to believe in the mission statement of General Motors. Step 4: Communication of vision Every person in the organization needs to know the objective of the change. The previous paradigm of the company will produce resistance against the new method. The New Mission statement needs to overcome the resistance and unite the organization on a single path to success. For this the management needs to address all the doubts and problems of the people. Divide the vision into smaller objectives and tie the performance of individual with the achievement of these objectives. In General Motors the management should take responsibility of communicating process of change through the organization. A process of change developed from the input of stakeholders is easier to communicate back. Step 5: Remove obstacles In the process of change, there will always be resistance. The objective of the management is to minimize this resistance and bring the stakeholders to a common platform on which everybody can express their opinion. As the process of change moves forward, there should be constant checks for any barriers to change. In General Motors the inner management has failed to provide change in the organization. The change in GM can be induced from the outside; perhaps a change agent will help GM over come change barriers. Another good way to bring about change is to award the people who embrace the change. Step 6: Create short term objectives For the process of change to work people need to know that it is working. For this management can divide the main objective in to simpler objectives. The management should thoroughly analyze the short term objectives such that they are achievable and motivation. For the achievement of every objective the employees should be rewarded. In General Motors that management need to step up and divide their long-term objectives into the short term goals. The management should make the stakeholders believe that they are capable of changing the business for the better. The most important stakeholder of GM is the government. The government needs to know that that GM can stand on its feet, for it to bail out the company. Step 7: Build on the change The process of change is not complete he unless and until the change culture has inculcated into the organization. Changes in many organizations fail because they do not fully implement the changed processes. The changed processes should become part and parcel of life in the organization. The people of the organization need to build on the changed processes and achieve even more success. The management of General Motors should not stop at making the government believed that they deserve a bailout, but should make efforts to build on the changed processes. Step 8: Change in corporate culture The most difficult thing to do in bringing about change into the organization is to change the culture of the organization. In history many of the mergers in companies have failed because they unable to merge the culture of the companies. Changing the culture of the company is a very long and hard process. General motors will need to change the culture and introduce a fresh method to succeed in an unattractive industry. At this point the employees of General Motor will not be motivated; the management needs to bring faith back into the employees. Monitoring progress and conclusion The final step in the management of change would be to monitor the performance of the company. For this purpose appraisal of each of the activities of the company will be performed. The justification of activity will provide grounds by which the productivity of the activity will be measured. The idea of kaizen should become a part of the activities of the business. The process of change is very lengthy; it takes years for change process to become part of the culture. The management of the organization needs to be very patient and need to prioritize their objectives. In General Motors it is necessary that people accept the change and once the changed processes have settled in there should be continuous evaluation and revaluation. The U.S market has become very saturated thus not allowing the companies to grow as fast as they would like. For the companies to survive they need to use there resources with utmost efficiency.

The Orthodox Tradition in Eastern Europe Essay -- Religion Russia 19th

The Orthodox Tradition in Eastern Europe After the 4th century when Constantinople emerged as a great capital and church center, tensions sometimes arose between its leaders and the bishop of Rome. After the fall of Rome to Germanic invaders in 476, the Roman pope was the only guardian of Christian universalism in the West. He began more explicitly to attribute his dominance to Rome’s being the burial place of Saint Peter, whom Jesus had called the â€Å"rock† on which the church was to be built. The Eastern Christians respected that tradition and recognized the Roman patriarch to a measure of honorable authority. But they never believed that this authority allowed the papacy to overrule another church or that it made the pope into a universally reliable figure within the larger church. The Orthodox tradition asserted that the character and rights of the church were fully present in each local community of Orthodox believers with its own bishop. All bishops were equal, and patriarchs or synods of bishops exercised only an â€Å"oversight of care† among the body of coequal bishops. The precedence of honor of individual national churches depended on historical rank. Therefore, the patriarchate of Constantinople understood its own position to be determined entirely by the fact that Constantinople, the â€Å"new Rome,† was the seat of the Roman emperor and the Senate in a world where church boundaries, for administrative reasons, reflected political limits. Apart from the different understandings of the personality of church power, the most significant doctrinal difference between Eastern and Western Christians arose over the exact wording of the Nicene Creed. The Orthodox churches demanded that no words be added to or taken away from the ancient and fundamental statement of the faith, as issued by the councils of Nicaea and Constantinople in the 4th century. During the early Middle Ages the Latin word filioque, meaning â€Å"and from the Son,† was added in the Latin Christian world, thus rendering the creed as â€Å"I believe †¦ in the Holy Spirit †¦ who proceeds from the Father and from the Son.† Charlemagne and his successors promoted the outburst, primarily opposed by the popes, in Europe. Eventually, it was also accepted in Rome in about 1014. Western theologians believed that this teaching preserved the spirit of the original creed. But Orthodox teachers believed that it had n... ...r tsars, Moscow had become the so-called third Rome, direct heir to the imperial and ecclesiastical supremacy of ancient Rome and Constantinople. The patriarchs of Moscow never enjoyed anything like the relative freedom of the Byzantine patriarchs, where church laws regulated the interference of the emperor and were generally respected. In Russia the tsars exercised complete domination over church affairs, except for the brief reign of Patriarch Nikon in the mid-17th century. In 1721 Tsar Peter the Great abolished the patriarchate altogether, and thereafter the church was governed through the imperial administration. The patriarchate was reestablished in 1917, at the time of the Russian Revolution, but soon afterward the Russian church was violently persecuted by the Communist government. As the Soviet regime became less repressive and, in 1991, broke up, the church started to regain its vitality. The Orthodox churches in Eastern Europe also faced persecution by oppressive Commun ist governments after World War II ended in 1945, but they too regained their authority in the 1990s and are slowly reestablishing their place in the moral, religious, and cultural life of their people. The Orthodox Tradition in Eastern Europe Essay -- Religion Russia 19th The Orthodox Tradition in Eastern Europe After the 4th century when Constantinople emerged as a great capital and church center, tensions sometimes arose between its leaders and the bishop of Rome. After the fall of Rome to Germanic invaders in 476, the Roman pope was the only guardian of Christian universalism in the West. He began more explicitly to attribute his dominance to Rome’s being the burial place of Saint Peter, whom Jesus had called the â€Å"rock† on which the church was to be built. The Eastern Christians respected that tradition and recognized the Roman patriarch to a measure of honorable authority. But they never believed that this authority allowed the papacy to overrule another church or that it made the pope into a universally reliable figure within the larger church. The Orthodox tradition asserted that the character and rights of the church were fully present in each local community of Orthodox believers with its own bishop. All bishops were equal, and patriarchs or synods of bishops exercised only an â€Å"oversight of care† among the body of coequal bishops. The precedence of honor of individual national churches depended on historical rank. Therefore, the patriarchate of Constantinople understood its own position to be determined entirely by the fact that Constantinople, the â€Å"new Rome,† was the seat of the Roman emperor and the Senate in a world where church boundaries, for administrative reasons, reflected political limits. Apart from the different understandings of the personality of church power, the most significant doctrinal difference between Eastern and Western Christians arose over the exact wording of the Nicene Creed. The Orthodox churches demanded that no words be added to or taken away from the ancient and fundamental statement of the faith, as issued by the councils of Nicaea and Constantinople in the 4th century. During the early Middle Ages the Latin word filioque, meaning â€Å"and from the Son,† was added in the Latin Christian world, thus rendering the creed as â€Å"I believe †¦ in the Holy Spirit †¦ who proceeds from the Father and from the Son.† Charlemagne and his successors promoted the outburst, primarily opposed by the popes, in Europe. Eventually, it was also accepted in Rome in about 1014. Western theologians believed that this teaching preserved the spirit of the original creed. But Orthodox teachers believed that it had n... ...r tsars, Moscow had become the so-called third Rome, direct heir to the imperial and ecclesiastical supremacy of ancient Rome and Constantinople. The patriarchs of Moscow never enjoyed anything like the relative freedom of the Byzantine patriarchs, where church laws regulated the interference of the emperor and were generally respected. In Russia the tsars exercised complete domination over church affairs, except for the brief reign of Patriarch Nikon in the mid-17th century. In 1721 Tsar Peter the Great abolished the patriarchate altogether, and thereafter the church was governed through the imperial administration. The patriarchate was reestablished in 1917, at the time of the Russian Revolution, but soon afterward the Russian church was violently persecuted by the Communist government. As the Soviet regime became less repressive and, in 1991, broke up, the church started to regain its vitality. The Orthodox churches in Eastern Europe also faced persecution by oppressive Commun ist governments after World War II ended in 1945, but they too regained their authority in the 1990s and are slowly reestablishing their place in the moral, religious, and cultural life of their people.

Famine in Africa

Help All You Want Imagine a small African family in Zimbabwe, a small child’s mother and father work the fields but due to further hunger are too weak to even stand up, let alone go out into the fields and work. This has started an entire chain reaction in the community. Since the child’s mother and father cannot go out into the field and harvest food, another family goes hungry, and then another and another, continuing on a path spiraling downwards.Now imagine this same family, but a stable government has been established in Zimbabwe, the child’s mother and father are both well fed because the food distribution organizations are well funded, your parents go out into the fields and harvest the crops, creating another chain reaction but with a positive spiral. This is an example of how food distribution plays a major role on famine and also how stable governments affect the food distribution in Africa.Most studies on the famine epidemic throughout Africa state tha t HIV/AIDS plays a major role in famine; this can be attributed to lack of health care in the continent which can be established if governments were established. Stable governments may also play a role in fighting rebel or terrorist like groups that steal food from the people and commit mass genocide. Stable governments also may regulate food distribution to families in need and also regulate the amount of food that is distributed, making the portions fair, depending on the size of the family.Some people believe that by just simply throwing money into the economy of Africa or by simply supplying food to the people of Africa will turn it all around. Although this may help, it will not completely fix the problem. This is due to the fact that the money will run out and the food will be used up in a matter of time. The familiar culprits of drought and mismanagement of national strategies are implicated; however, this crisis is distinct from conventional drought induced food shortages wi th respect to those vulnerable to starvation, and the course of impoverishment and recovery.It is proposed that these new aspects to the food crisis can be attributed largely to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the region. This information is provided to us in the article, â€Å"New Variant Famine: AIDS and Food Crisis in Southern Africa† by Alex De Waal and Alan Whiteside. â€Å"Millions Facing Drought and Famine throughout Africa† by Barry Mason, reports that aid agencies show that many areas in Africa are currently facing drought and threat of famine (Mason 1).In East Africa, some 11 million people are suffering a drought that is the worst in a decade and will mean that food aid is urgently needed over the next six months. The countries affected stretch from the Horn of Africa throughout Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique (Mason 1). This article is an example of those people in the world that believe that this is the main point fixing the famine pandemic. â€Å"Famine Mortality : A Case Study of Darfur, Sudan,† by Alex De Waal presents the results and analysis of a survey of mortality undertaken in the villages of the Darfur Region of Sudan in 1986.It illustrates a number of important aspects of famine mortality, and provides the only basis on which to estimate famine mortality for this region (De Waal 1). In 1983, the harvest failed in Northern Darfur, and in 1984, it failed in both northern and southern Darfur. Lack of pasture also led to the deaths of about half the livestock in the region (De Waal 1). Healthcare in Africa plays a major role in the famine epidemic sweeping through parts of the continent. Lack of a stable government can be blamed on lack of healthcare.Healthcare plays such a major role in the famine epidemic, due to the fact that research has proven that HIV/AIDS weakens and kills the farmers that would plant, take care of, and harvest the crops that would provide food to the communities. According to some reports, the African fami ne is a clear example of the impact of HIV/AIDS. The loss of life and health care costs are traditionally associated with the disease. More than 14 million people are now at risk of starvation in many countries throughout the continent.All of these predominantly agricultural societies are battling serious AIDS epidemics, with more than 5 million adults currently living with HIV/AIDS in these countries. Out of a total adult population of some 26 million, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is a huge contributor. Malaria and other diseases that can be vaccinated against are also not taken care of and play a major role in famine, this is because of the absence of hospitals or doctors. No other infectious disease, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, inflicts a more devastating economic toll, keeping whole populations trapped in poverty.This healthcare problem could be taken care of if there were a government present, but since there is no government, or the government is not very stable, the pandemic s continue and the people of Africa continue to get sick and die, unable to product food, the famine epidemic just gets worse. In other areas, not just that of the healthcare issue, is a contributing factor in the famine epidemic. News reports on the continent of Africa also state that there are many rebel groups in certain areas that are killing the people in some regions and also taking what little food the people have.Spreading fear throughout the people causes them to work less, or in some cases not at all. The mass genocide of the workers is also contributing to the lack of food in the most hard hit areas. With a more stable government, these groups could be weakened if not destroyed altogether, reassuring the work force and also creating a rise in the size of the workforce. This is the reason a more stable government plays a more pivotal role in famine. In â€Å"Blame Policy, Not Nature,† by Ann Gibbons, only one region of the world still suffers from widespread famine. This region is Africa. Why is that?. After all, many poor countries including India and China, have staved off famine in recent decades, even though starvation was common there earlier in the century (Gibbons 1). The conventional wisdom holds that the answer is a combination of droughts, deforestation, and war. The drought part of this theory is what I am sure first comes to mind with all of us, it’s Africa. The deforestation part of this theory is caused by the ever growing population and need for more land to create cities.Last on the list of three in this theory is war (Gibbons 1). War is part of the popular opinion that there is a need for a stable government in Africa; the wars in Africa are not between countries but between rebels fighting for control of some areas. These rebel groups exist because either the government in the area is too weak, or there is no government in place in that area (Gibbons 1). Many governments that have tried to rise up from the ground on the ir own have just been destroyed and overrun by the rebel groups.Without outside help from surrounding countries in Africa, which is not likely considering they have their own problem to deal with, or help from other countries across the world, for example the United States, these small governments trying to get on their feet will just continue to be overrun and destroyed, further devastating the local communities and worsening the famine epidemic. Just another reason stable government is badly needed throughout Africa. On top of the healthcare and rebel groups, perhaps the highest contributing factor in the famine epidemic going on in Africa is food distribution.Since food distribution is the highest contributing factor in the famine epidemic, the government has a huge role in this area. A stable government would be, and is absolutely crucial to the controlled distribution of food to the people. Not only could a stable government control the amount of food distributed, but it could also make wise decisions on the amount of food given to each family, depending on size and need of food by those people. Food distribution impacts the African societies immediately, but without the proper funding necessary to keep the distribution programs running, it is just a lost cause.By establishing stable governments, the distribution programs would have better funding and be able to continue the surges of food into the communities. There are many theories and opinions floating around out there on how famine in Africa can be reduced. Many studies show that a very vital factor in reducing the famine in Africa start with a stable government, one that can establish a working healthcare system that will lessen the effect HIV/AIDS has in the communities.Governments that can halt the rebel groups and make the people feel safe to go into the fields. Finally, a government that can set up well funded food distribution with equal distribution of food, just to give the communities of Afr ica that jump start they need to get back on the right path. These are but a few of the reasons that famine in Africa can be reduced, starting with the establishment of more stable governments throughout the continent.According to the article, â€Å"Famine in Africa: Causes, Responses and Prevention† by David Colman, most famines in the last 25 years have been in Africa. Most people in the world, therefore, confine attention solely to it, with a particular emphasis on Ethiopia and Sudan. The article by Colman sets out to increase understanding of famine, provide extensive empirical evidence on all aspects of causes of famine, household responses to it, market behavior in times of famine, and policy initiatives, and to assess famine prevention policies and their performance in the real world.In the article â€Å"Famine in Africa: Causes, Responses, and Prevention† by Joachim Von Braun, Tesfaye Teklu, and Patrick Webb, it is explained that famine in Africa makes an impor tant contribution to a better understanding of the causes of hunger in developing societies, while also providing the most thorough assessment to date through a synthesis of empirical research of policies implemented to prevent and mitigate famine in poor countries (Von Braun 1). On the basis of findings from six African countries in particular, the authors argue against single-cause explanations f famine, this including the opinion of some that an unstable government is the cause of the famine (Von Braun 1). There are many different opinions and theories in which people believe that famine in Africa can be reduced, many of which include, in some way or another, the fact that government is needed I those areas. Most of those theories or studies on the famine epidemic throughout Africa also state that HIV/AIDS plays a major role in famine. These theories all agree with each other while at the same time disagree with each other, so you could say they agree to disagree.However, they ar e all theories on how to help the people of Africa and stop the famine pandemic from spreading. The main opinion of most people throughout the world on the subject of reducing the famine pandemic in Africa is that stable government is needed. Stable government would provide better food distribution to the people, better healthcare, and would provide safety to the people by protecting them from the rebels of the areas and also the surrounding areas.These ways all combined from the theory that stable government is needed, as believed by many people, which is how famine in Africa can be reduced. Works Cited Colman, David. â€Å"Famine in Africa: Causes, Responses and Prevention. † Academic Search Premier. EBSCO, 1 Feb 2000, Web. 7 Oct. 2012. De Waal, Alex, and Alan Whiteside. â€Å"New Variant Famine: AIDS and Food Crisis in Southern Africa. † Academic Search Premier. EBSCO, 11 Oct 2003, Web. 8 Oct. 2012. De Waal, Alex. â€Å"Famine Mortality: A Case Study of Darfur, Sud an. † Academic Search Premier. EBSCO, Mar. 1989. Web. 10 Oct. 012. Dibie Roberty. â€Å"Famine Crimes: Politics and the Disaster Relief Industry in Africa. † Academic Search Premier. EBSCO, 12 Nov. 1998. Web. 7 Oct. 2012. Gibbons, Ann. â€Å"Famine: Blame Policy, Not Nature. † Academic Search Elite. EBSCO, 8 Nov. 1991. Web. 8 Oct. 2012. Mason, Barry. â€Å"Millions Facing Drought and Famine throughout Africa. † World Socialist Web Site. 23 Feb. 2006. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. Von Braun, Joachim, Tesfaye Teklu, and Patrick Webb. â€Å"Famine in Africa: Causes, Responses, and Prevention. † Academic Search Premier. EBSCO, 1 Dec. 1999. Web. 8 Oct. 2012.

Accounting and Bookkeeping Services Marketing Plan Essay

Marketing Vision Sorcerer’s Accountant will fit the needs of transitional small businesses, dealing with the growing pains of leaving an owner-operator model to hiring employees and expanding. These clients will see that Sorcerer’s Accountant is competitively priced, both compared with the market and with the substitute option of hiring their own bookkeepers. Clients will see that Sorcerer’s Accountant is extremely flexible and scalable in a way that in-house bookkeepers cannot be. To move forward with this new business line, Sorcerer’s Accountant will make the bookkeeping services the core of its business and a source of leads for its additional accounting services, rather than the other way around. Over time, as this transition happens, the marketing plan will be revisited to see how these clients can be better used as a source for referrals and more business. See more: The Issues Concerning Identity Theft Essay Goals Sorcerer’s Accountant’s goals include Personal, Marketing, Business, and Client Satisfaction goals. They are: 1. Personal – To reduce the time spent on the business by Max Greenwood to a more sustainable level over a few years and to achieve professional recognition 2. Marketing – Generation of large numbers of leads and press mentions 3. Business – Expand sales significantly over the next three years 4. Client Satisfaction – To achieve a high level of very satisfied clients Purpose Sorcerer’s Accountant seeks to provide a full suite of tax and management accounting services for small businesses in Chicago, Illinois, allowing business owners to not only save money over in-house accounting and ensure their compliance with tax laws, but to make valuable management decisions from their numbers. Picture When clients come to Sorcerer’s Accountant, the frustration of dealing with in-house bookkeepers and low-quality providers will recede. Clients will be given the time to have all of their questions answered and valuable accounting and systems advice will be given even in the initial meetings. The client will quickly understand that Sorcerer’s Accountant will scale their services to meet the client’s needs and can add to those services as the client’s needs change. They will understand that they are not entering into an onerous contract and that the cost of getting started is low. The client will be delighted the first time they receive a thank you card and small gift when they’ve made their budgeted numbers for the quarter. At this point it will truly sink in that Sorcerer’s Accountant has their bookkeeping and accounting needs covered and that they can put away any worry that this area will be a weak link in their business. Gap Dashboard Weekly measurements of key metrics will be averaged for each month and entered in the Gap Dashboard. Personal goals will be tracked by Max Greenwood directly to make sure he is moving towards both professional recognition and a sustainable work/life balance. Marketing goals will be tracked by the CRM system and business goals will be tracked by QuickBooks. Client satisfaction numbers will be derived from the survey provider’s database. Whether numbers are met or not, the news will be shared on a monthly basis with the entire staff, with congratulations and discussion as to what is going right as well as a look at what is going wrong and how it can be rectified. These reports will be shared in full with the bookkeeping program manager and partially with the bookkeepers. Ideal Customer The ideal customer for Sorcerer’s Accountant is an owner of a very small business. Having launched within the last few years, the customer has just hired his first employee. The bookkeeping work (accounts payable and receivable, payroll, bank reconciliations, tax preparation) that the owner did for the first few years is taking more and more time and is holding him back from working on sales, marketing, and strategy for the business. The new employee has been hired to handle more of the technical work of the business, not to do bookkeeping. However, when considering the type of bookkeeping help he can afford, the customer realizes that a ten-hour-a-week employee would most likely be a student or low-skills worker who would require a great deal of training. The customer is put off by the idea of spending a great deal of time training such an individual, who may leave within a year (or even less) due to school schedule changes or finding a full-time job. He realizes that keeping the books correctly is important work, but because he understands his own value to the business, his knows his time is better spent elsewhere. He might then begin to search for professional bookkeeping options that can offer just a low-level of support by doing his own research and asking other business owners he knows. Market Description The small business accounting market consists of virtually every small business in the United States. As businesses grow larger than one person sole proprietorships, they generally require expert help with at least their tax preparation, and often with additional bookkeeping and accounting services. Even many non-employer sole proprietorships will use accounting help at some point. While some small businesses hire bookkeepers or CFOs directly, many successfully outsource these types of services. The market for Sorcerer’s Accountant is small businesses in the city limits of Chicago. This will represent approximately 85,000 businesses in 2010. This market can be subdivided into three groups: Non-employer firms: Without employees, these firms do not have many of the concerns of larger businesses. However, the owners must be vigilant to protect their own tax liability and sort out how their personal and business tax returns intersect. These firms are generally buyers of QuickBooks services and tax preparation services. As they grow, this group becomes ripe for outsourced bookkeeping services before they can hire a full-time in-house bookkeeper. Very small businesses: Defined for our purposes as businesses with 2-10 employees. Made up of businesses that are designed to stay small and those which are growing through a phase, these businesses require payroll services, bookkeeping, and tax preparation. They are concerned about losing control, but can generally be convinced of using outsourced accounting and bookkeeping with cost analysis. With the stakes higher, these businesses can make greater use of management accounting services, especially as most cannot afford a dedicated CFO. Many do not need a full-time bookkeeper, but can made due with part-time help, which limits their hiring options. Other small businesses: Defined for our purposes as businesses with 11 to 99 employees. Many of these businesses will have some in-house financial management and bookkeeping help. However, they may be able to save money by outsourcing these services as they are not generally core to what the business seeks to do. These businesses may be comfortable with their situation as a cash producer for their owners or intent on g rowing or positioning themselves for sale. Remarkable Difference Sorcerer’s Accountant offers the flexibility and low rates of an in-house bookkeeping employee, while providing all of the training, oversight, and deep knowledge of a Certified Public Accountant. Differentiators Sorcerer’s Accountant will achieve a competitive edge among Chicago bookkeeping services due to its combination of CPA oversight with lower-level, inexpensive labor to solve the specific problems of small business owners. Clients will receive the advantage of having a CPA review their books and propose additional advice when appropriate, while not paying much more than they would to hire their own part-time bookkeeper. This is not an inimitable competitive edge, but the market in Chicago is significantly large enough to allow for the success of Sorcerer’s Accountant with this strategy. Large firms ignore the small business market because they are better positioned to serve larger businesses. They are unlikely to imitate this strategy as they will find it difficult to convince small businesses that they can offer services which are affordable to them.

buy custom Dreams of Trespass essay

buy custom Dreams of Trespass essay This novel has been written by Fatima Mernissi, and is considered to be one of the most significant books in explaining the social position of Arab and Muslim women. This novel is an autobiography of Fatima herself as she had spent her childhood in Morocco during the 1940s. Fatima presents the ideas, thoughts and dreams of the local people in a very effective way. She weaves in and out of these features putting forward her life in a very appealing manner. Fatima does ensure that she puts forward the religious aspects and the cultural importance of various things, and how they tend to change with the changes in technology. These changes in technology had caused people to travel more and as a result people of different cultures and backgrounds had come together. The author uses the book as a medium to explain things which she once did not understand and did not expect the people to understand them as well. Collectively the book has a very long lasting effect on the reader as they face the world through the eyes of Fatima and how she tries to make snse of the world around herself. She is faced by many rules and laws which she does not understand fully but has to follow because of living in the society in which she was born. One of the major themes of this book is the covering of the women. Women were required to stay inside harem in the house and were not allowed to leave the house until they received consent of the male authority of the house. Even then they were allowed to leave being completely covered and their attire included a veil. The world was progressing swiftly and there was a shift towards protecting the rights of women and granting them freedom. This was also affecting the Muslim world. Even within Fatimas household there was a consistent shift towards the women rights. Some opposed to deviate from the traditional customs and principles and others were pushing hard for liberation and freedom. With all the conflict going on inside the household relating to the rights of women, the eight year old Fatima tries to understand the essence behind these problems. She beggins to search answers for essential questions that what was a harem and why were Muslim women forced to inhabit it. A large portion of the book has this theme and how the females of the society feel about it. The authors recalling of her childhood memories may seem to many as criticism of the lives of the women. However, what the author is aiming to highlight that there are some instances when a person is bound by the culture of the society which they live in. But, the essence is that how they are able to face it and how the women in her community were able to channel their thoughts and live in the society. Therefore, by using the innocence of an eight year old child Fatima puts forward many themes which and eight year old child is unlikely to understand. These themes in fact help the other people in the society and the readers to realize that there is always a clash between cultures and within them as well. This may not be easy to understand always but it exists and shapes the way of our lives. The women in the childhood of the author are faced by a similar situation. Buy custom Dreams of Trespass essay

Free Essays on The Unternet

The Internet has revolutionized the computer and communications world like nothing before. The invention of the telegraph, telephone, radio, and computer set the stage for this unprecedented integration of capabilities. The Internet is at once a world-wide broadcasting capability, a mechanism for information dissemination, and a medium for collaboration and interaction between individuals and their computers without regard for geographic location. The Internet represents one of the most successful examples of the benefits of sustained investment and commitment to research and development of information infrastructure. Beginning with the early research in packet switching, the government, industry and academia have been partners in evolving and deploying this exciting new technology. Today, terms like "bleiner@computer.org" and "acm.org" trip lightly off the tongue of the random person on the street. 1 This is intended to be a brief, necessarily cursory and incomplete history. Much material currently exists about the Internet, covering history, technology, and usage. A trip to almost any bookstore will find shelves of material written about the Internet. 2 In this paper, 3 several of us involved in the development and evolution of the Internet share our views of its origins and history. This history revolves around four distinct aspects. There is the technological evolution that began with early research on packet switching and the ARPANET (and related technologies), and where current research continues to expand the horizons of the infrastructure along several dimensions, such as scale, performance, and higher level functionality. There is the operations and management aspect of a global and complex operational infrastructure. There is the social aspect, which resulted in a broad community of Internauts working together to create and evolve the technology. And there is the commercialization aspect, resulting in an ex... Free Essays on The Unternet Free Essays on The Unternet The Internet has revolutionized the computer and communications world like nothing before. The invention of the telegraph, telephone, radio, and computer set the stage for this unprecedented integration of capabilities. The Internet is at once a world-wide broadcasting capability, a mechanism for information dissemination, and a medium for collaboration and interaction between individuals and their computers without regard for geographic location. The Internet represents one of the most successful examples of the benefits of sustained investment and commitment to research and development of information infrastructure. Beginning with the early research in packet switching, the government, industry and academia have been partners in evolving and deploying this exciting new technology. Today, terms like "bleiner@computer.org" and "acm.org" trip lightly off the tongue of the random person on the street. 1 This is intended to be a brief, necessarily cursory and incomplete history. Much material currently exists about the Internet, covering history, technology, and usage. A trip to almost any bookstore will find shelves of material written about the Internet. 2 In this paper, 3 several of us involved in the development and evolution of the Internet share our views of its origins and history. This history revolves around four distinct aspects. There is the technological evolution that began with early research on packet switching and the ARPANET (and related technologies), and where current research continues to expand the horizons of the infrastructure along several dimensions, such as scale, performance, and higher level functionality. There is the operations and management aspect of a global and complex operational infrastructure. There is the social aspect, which resulted in a broad community of Internauts working together to create and evolve the technology. And there is the commercialization aspect, resulting in an ex...

The History of the Telescope and Binoculars

The History of the Telescope and Binoculars Phoenicians cooking on sand first discovered glass around 3500 BCE, but it took another 5,000 years or so before glass was shaped into a lens to create the first telescope. Hans Lippershey of Holland is often credited with the invention sometime in the 16th century. He almost certainly wasn’t the first to make one, but he was the first to make the new device widely known. Galileo’s Telescope The telescope was introduced to astronomy in 1609 by the great Italian scientist Galileo Galilei   the  first man to see the craters on the moon. He went on to discover sunspots, the four large moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn. His telescope was similar to opera glasses. It used an arrangement of glass lenses to magnify objects. This provided up to 30 times magnification and a narrow field of view, so  Galileo could see no more than a quarter of the moons face without repositioning his telescope. Sir Isaac Newton’s Design Sir Isaac Newton  introduced a new concept in telescope design in 1704. Instead of glass lenses, he used a curved mirror to gather light and reflect it back to a point of focus. This reflecting mirror acted like a light-collecting bucket the bigger the bucket, the more light it could collect. Improvements to the First Designs   The Short telescope was created by Scottish optician and astronomer James Short in 1740. It was the first perfect parabolic, elliptic, distortionless mirror ideal for reflecting telescopes. James Short built over 1,360 telescopes.   The reflector telescope that Newton designed opened the door to magnifying objects millions of times, far beyond what could ever be achieved with a lens, but others tinkered with his invention over the years, trying to improve it. Newton’s fundamental principle of using a single curved mirror to gather in light remained the same, but ultimately, the size of the reflecting mirror was increased from the six-inch mirror used by Newton to a 6-meter mirror 236 inches in diameter. The mirror was provided by the Special Astrophysical Observatory in Russia, which opened in 1974. Segmented Mirrors The idea of using a segmented mirror dates back to the 19th century, but experiments with it were few and small. Many astronomers doubted its viability. The Keck Telescope finally pushed technology forward and brought this innovate design into reality. The Introduction of Binoculars The binocular is an optical instrument consisting of two similar telescopes, one for each eye, mounted on a single frame. When Hans Lippershey first applied for a patent on his instrument in 1608, he was actually asked to build a binocular version. He reportedly did so late that year.   Box-shaped binocular terrestrial telescopes were produced in the second half of the 17th century and the first half of the 18th century by Cherubin d’Orleans in Paris, Pietro  Patroni in Milan and I.M. Dobler in Berlin. These were not successful because of their clumsy handling and poor quality. Credit for the first real  binocular telescope goes to J. P. Lemiere who devised one in 1825. The modern prism binocular began with Ignazio Porros 1854 Italian patent for a prism erecting system.

Historical and contemporary issue in aging-Death Assignment

Historical and contemporary issue in aging-Death - Assignment Example Aging has become debate, especially with the various scientific advancements that seek to lengthen human existence (Heery & Richardson, 2009). However, this has received mixed responses at cross-cultural levels with some cultures in support and others in opposition. The mixed responses often concern the acceptance of longevity of lives among the society, with contemporary society in support of these advancements (Overall, 2006). Different individuals bear varying perspectives and attitudes concerning their demise thus bringing about death-stage theories and management of death attitudes among these individuals. People from diverse perspectives possess differing viewpoints concerning aging, with the physician perspective being in favor of death after aging since at this moment, the body is usually worn-out to handle daily struggles. Theological perspective considers death appropriate up to the period one dies a natural death, other than utilizing other methods such as euthanasia (Mitchell, Orr & Salladay, 2004). In modern-day world, death emanating from old age has considerably declined with physical fitness that enables the aging to regain cognitive strength in order to diminish cases of dementia and strengthen cardiovascular for extended existence and normal aging. Activities for instance contemporary dance have considerably influenced lifespan for aging individuals thus assisting in reducing negative death attitudes (Coubard, Duretz, Lefebvre, Lapalus & Ferrufino, 2011). This is because the aging have the assurance of a normal death compared to death that occurs due to aging complication s. Individuals within certain countries have positive attitudes towards death considering that they have completed their lifespan, and are often involved in professional dancing that has considerable influence on their end-of-life-care. The aging in the Japanese culture considers dancing corresponding to aging, since it assists in reducing death

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol - Term Paper Example Advantages/ Benefits of DHCP 1. minimized IP Address configuration errors as is attributed with the manual IP address configurations to computers 2. Network administration tasks are reduced since the TCP/IP configurations are now centralized and automated, it’s easy to handle efficiently ip addresses for client machines whose IP addresses change frequently i.e. devise on wireless network. 3. There is no address duplication since there’s automatic assignment of IP addresses. Significance of DHCP All devices on a TCP/IP-based network are required to have unique IP addresses to help the computers access the network and share resources. Without using a DHCP, it means that IP addresses must be reconfigured anytime a computer is added or moved to a different subnet and similarly the IP addresses be reclaimed when a computer from the network. DHCP on the other hand comes in handy by automating the entire process as well as central management of the same. The DHCP protocol is c ontained in the DHCP server which holds a pool of IP addresses and leases the given IP addresses to client machines which join the network. It uses the concept of ‘lease’ or time length that a particular IP address remains valid. The DHCP is an extension of BOOTp protocol which is an earlier network IP management protocol. Implemeting a DHCP eliminates some of configuration problems associated with manually configured TCP/IP. Some of the parameters that are passed to a DHCP client include: The clients IP address A subnet mask Default gateway Domain Name Servers Network servers Time synchronization information. Manual TCP/IP addressing Configuration The limitations of configuring TCP/IP manually mean that: 1. It’s easy for users to pick a random IP address instead of getting a valid IP address. These incorrect IP addresses lead to network problems which become difficult to trace 2. Manually typing of IP addresses, subnet masks or default gateways leads to communic ation problems if the credentials are wrong. 3. There are administrative overheads on internetworks when computers are frequently changed between subnets. How DHCP works DHCP server offers an automated method for IP address distribution and updating on a given network. The server offers this information to the particular client through a series of message exchanges called DHCP conversations or DHCP transactions. For communication on different subnets, a DHCP relay agent is preferred to aid the conversation. DHCP Architecture A DHCP architecture consists of DHCP servers, DHCP clients and DHCP relay agents. The DHCP client is a network-enabled device that enables the communication with the DHCP server for the purpose of getting a dynamically leased IP address. DHCP is supported in the following operating systems: Windows NT version 4, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows server 2003, windows 98, windows ME. The DHCP Server is in charge of maintaining the scope, reservations as well as op tions as set by the given administrator. Configuring a DHCP client Normally the DHCP client TCP/IP software is never configured with a static IP address but instead configured to get/obtain the IP address dynamically from the DHCP server. The leasing process of TCP/IP configuration involves the following four steps: DHCPDISCOVER-the DHCP client will broadcast a DHCP discover message that contains its specific MAC address as well as the computer name in attempt to request for an IP address from

REFUGEE LAW AND PROTECTED PERSON in Canada Essay

REFUGEE LAW AND PROTECTED PERSON in Canada - Essay Example Firstly, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada together with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) provides for protection when a person cannot live permanently without fear of persecution (Canadians, 2010). In assessing gravity of Serbians in Croatia, we find that the client meet this constitutional provision. In assessing magnitude of torture and persecution in Croatia, it will be prudent to examine Croatia and â€Å"Ethnic Cleansing† (http://www.cgs.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/download/cgs01_07_shimizu). In this article, it details how hundreds of thousands of Serbian became victim of genocide. As early as 1941, 750,000 defenseless Serbs were killed in cold blood (Daiute & Turniski, 2005). UNHCR report blames political rivalry during these early phases of anti-Serbian campaigns (http://www.refworld.org/country,,,,HRV,,553f617f4,0.html). In the recent past, the Croatian captured media attention when Whistle blower Chris Hedges came out to highlight plight of Serbians in 1998. The International Criminal Court (ICC) implicated Defense Minister Gojko Susak for the senseless killings of Serbians (http://45lines.com/levar/scare/scare.html). More recently, the cry to end tribulations of the Serbian population continues to grow. Many young and old are living in fear. Roman Catholic Church, the majority rising against Orthodox mainly the Serbians is evident (http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/2011/04/at-last-true-horror-of-persecution-of.html). The report further is supported by the ICC decision that found guilty Anto Gotovina and Mlade Markac of commanding operations to kill the Serbian

Michele Moody-Adams argues that moral progress is possible Essay

Michele Moody-Adams argues that moral progress is possible - Essay Example The Concept of Moral Progress Throughout History Considering the evolution of morality throughout the historical process, it should be emphasized that moral progress can be traced only from the instance the human life gained its uppermost value. This instance came with the Renaissance period in Europe. The Renaissance Humanism is featured with the appearance of the specific behavior codex that can be regarded as the initial step of the moral progress. This codex involved refusal from slavery, admiration for the human body and soul, human rights protection, and so on. The next step of the moral evolution of the humankind is the post World War I period. The global society became obsessed with the issues of war prevention and conflict resolving on a world scale, and the foundation of The League of Nations, as the global arbiter can be regarded as the further moral growth of the humanity. The further assimilation of the moral progress, discussed by Moody-Adams (259) is the result of the post World War II morality expansion: democratic movements, the wars for independence are the key aspects of the further morality assimilation, and moral progress throughout the world. Moral Progress In defining moral progress as a global perspective, the necessity of defining some common moral standard is crucial. Particular arbitrary decisions, needed for judging morality, have to be developed in accordance with the moral progress principles, such as: 1. Equality 2. Justice 3. Righteousness However, different moral groups cannot be included into a single judgment system otherwise dominant society will declare and impose its own moral system on the other weaker one, which exceeds the morality requirements. In the light of this statement, it should be emphasized that creation of the global arbitrary organizations cannot resolve moral conflicts, and creates the hierarchically arranged global society, where Superpowers declare their own values and moral standards for subdominant gover nments and societies. This originates the silence concept offered by Fricker (287). Considering the fact that cultural relativism offers the clear definitions of right and wrong, these definitions can be relevant and righteous only within the society that originated these definitions. Therefore, in the given circumstances of the global arbitration, the moral progress is featured with the local character mainly (Moody-Adams, 258). Moreover, if the morality values system of the â€Å"convicted† society contradicts the morality system of the global arbiter, the institutional prejudice is inevitable (Fricker 291) In general, the dialogic morality is almost meaningless without the basic persuasion that the humanity is constantly moving to greater equality, compassion, and justice. Nevertheless, the skepticism among scientists is enormous, since hierarchically arranged societies are not featured with high virtues. Nevertheless, the very fact that these societies are based on the le gislative activity signifies that such a progress has to be pursued. The evident logical contradiction in cognitive and moral relativism can be enunciated with the following question: considering the fact that all the members of the given society are ethnocentric, does this mean that cultural relativism is one of the forms of ethnocentrism? Moreover, cultural relativis

Ebola Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Ebola - Essay Example The disease again struck in West Africa in March 2014 and had been the most lethal outbreak of the disease where cases of death outnumbered all of its previous outbreaks combined (World Health Organization). The host of Ebola virus is not yet known. The first patient who contracted the virus was believed to have been infected through a contact with an infected animal such as apes, monkeys or fruit bat. Among humans, the virus can be transmitted through direct contact with blood or body fluids (urine, sweat, saliva, feces, breast milk, semen) with person who has the Ebola virus. The virus can also be transmitted to another person through the medium of objects such as using needles and syringes that was contaminated by the virus or through primates and fruit bats (since the first patient was known to be infected by a primate or fruit bat). Ebola is not airborne or it cannot be transmitted through the air. Once a person has contracted Ebola, the following symptoms may appear – â€Å"fever, muscle pain, weakness, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal (stomach) pain, unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)† (Center for Disease and control Prevention). These symptoms may appear between 2 to 21 days after a person has been exposed to the virus. There is no FDA approved vaccine for Ebola yet. Ebola is treated as the symptoms and complications appear. Experimental vaccines are now being developed to arrest the disease but are not yet fully tested for their effectiveness (Center for Disease and control Prevention). At present, health care professionals administer the following interventions to increase the probability of survival of Ebola patients: One of the unorthodox treatment of Ebola is the infusion of body fluids of a person who recovered from Ebola believing that the antibodies in that person will help the immunity of the infected person to fight the

Retail Sales Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Retail Sales - Essay Example For the tobacco industry, Producer Price Index identifies the total cost incurred in the production of materials or certainly and most commonly called the "output prices". Is considered as an individual's own total earning from salaries, wages, commissions and investments. It is equal to the total and actual value of income received by, or on behalf of, all the residents of a particular area. Gross Domestic Product In a given year, total consumer investments of all goods and services in the entire country are reported and government spending, value of exports minus the value of imports. It measures the output of goods and services produced by labor and property. It is released at 8:30 am EST on the last day of each quarter. Each report is viewed before the final figure is settled upon the "advance report". Inflation rate refers falling back of the dollar when the buying power has gone down. Inflation is mostly affected by the consumer prices of goods which have towered over the actual buying power of people creating an imbalance. For ex: When consumer price index are high owed to diminished supply naturally prices for the specific item shoots up, yet the buying power of the dollar remains the same. When a person desires to work at a prevailing rate acceptable to him yet he still couldn't

Ebola Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Ebola - Essay Example The disease again struck in West Africa in March 2014 and had been the most lethal outbreak of the disease where cases of death outnumbered all of its previous outbreaks combined (World Health Organization). The host of Ebola virus is not yet known. The first patient who contracted the virus was believed to have been infected through a contact with an infected animal such as apes, monkeys or fruit bat. Among humans, the virus can be transmitted through direct contact with blood or body fluids (urine, sweat, saliva, feces, breast milk, semen) with person who has the Ebola virus. The virus can also be transmitted to another person through the medium of objects such as using needles and syringes that was contaminated by the virus or through primates and fruit bats (since the first patient was known to be infected by a primate or fruit bat). Ebola is not airborne or it cannot be transmitted through the air. Once a person has contracted Ebola, the following symptoms may appear – â€Å"fever, muscle pain, weakness, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal (stomach) pain, unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)† (Center for Disease and control Prevention). These symptoms may appear between 2 to 21 days after a person has been exposed to the virus. There is no FDA approved vaccine for Ebola yet. Ebola is treated as the symptoms and complications appear. Experimental vaccines are now being developed to arrest the disease but are not yet fully tested for their effectiveness (Center for Disease and control Prevention). At present, health care professionals administer the following interventions to increase the probability of survival of Ebola patients: One of the unorthodox treatment of Ebola is the infusion of body fluids of a person who recovered from Ebola believing that the antibodies in that person will help the immunity of the infected person to fight the

Measuring Disease Frequency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Measuring Disease Frequency - Essay Example This means that if the birthing process is in order, there can be no odds or complications. c. On the last day of the school year, the number of freshman college students who are at least 15 pounds heavier than when they started the school year. The measurement process that must be used is the so-called cumulative incidence from the start.1 http://www.supercourse.cn/new_scc/ppt/ppt_checkformat.phple.. b. Shorter duration of health condition. Naturally, shorter duration decrease the risk rate prevalence since the number of cases which is usually included as part of the numerator is lesser. Resultantly, there will also be reduction in the prevalence rate. d. Loss of healthy people from the population for other reasons. In this case, the factor of loss of people due to other reasons cannot be a determinant. In short, it has no effect. For example, if we are to calculate the rate of mortality covering persons with tuberculoses and, after say a month, healthy members in the given population disappeared due to migration or travel, such incident or event has no bearing at all to the reckoning of the health risk rate. Works Cited Hami, Dr. Abdul Samad. Measure of Disease Frequency. United States Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3. Accessed July 1, 2009.

Leadership Development Case Study

Leadership Development Case Study Student Name: Yu Bao Assumption1: Susan is an Authority-Compliance leader. This kind of leader just like Susan places heavy emphasis on task and job requirements, and less emphasis on people, except to the extent that people are tools for getting job done (Northouse 2017, p75). During Susans work, she likes to her staff have high efficiency and demonstrating strong organizational citizenship behavior. Assumption2: Susan and in-group members have high-quality leader-member exchanges. Mature partnership refers that high degree of reciprocity between leaders and followers (Northouse 2017, p143). In-group members are skilled in getting job done that cause General Manager trust Susan can get everything done. At the same time, members can gain more opportunities. Assumption3: Susan and out-group members are during stranger phase. During this phase leaders and followers relate to each other within prescribed organizational roles (Northouse 2017, p142). when out-group members have some mistakes or problems in work, Susan just asked the assistant managers to make a strict task criteria attached to solving the issues rather than talk to members who have some negative emotions. Assumption4: Susan is a Transactional leadership. This kind of leader is in the best interest of followers for them to do what the leader wants instead of focus on followers need and their personal development. Susan likes to train her staff to be more efficient and task-focused, and also doesnt suffer fools lightly. Its means she doesnt have patience to help some staff to develop their capacity. Assumption5: If Susan want to her staff getting better she needs to change her leadership to Transformational Leadership. Transformational leadership produces greater effects than transactional leadership. Whereas transactional leadership results in expects outcomes, transformational leadership results in performance that goes well beyond what is expected (Northouse 2017, p142). Question2 In this case, there are two kind of relationship between Susan and her staff. Susan is known as a heavy emphasis on task and efficiency. Under her leadership, she likes to see staff who shows highly organizational citizenship behaviors(OCBs). Because of that, a part of her staff who adapts to her style or willingness to get the job done form an in-group. In the Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory of Leadership, followers who are interested in negotiating with the leader what they are willing to do for the group can become a part of the in-group. In the meantime, leaders prefer to provide more information, opportunity, right to followers (Northouse 2017, p139). This is due to LMX makes the concept of the dyadic relationship the centerpiece of the leadership process (Northouse 2017, p146). It is focus on both leaders and followers perspective. In this way, followers also pay more attention, show more trust, provide more support to their leaders. As mentioned earlier, this kind of bi-directional theory will train a virtuous cycle. In other words, it will foster h igh-quality leader-member exchanges. Graen and Uhl-Bien (1991) suggested that leadership making develops progressively over time in three phases: (1) the stranger phase, (2) the acquaintance phase, and (3) the mature partnership phase. In Susans case, she and her in-group members are in the phases 3, they are highly efficient, getting things done, and also have more opportunity to new internal job as well as which is the most favored by management team. Overall, Susan and her in-group members have same goals and more egalitarian , the most important, they have a reciprocal influences to each other. On the other hand, Susans leader style is focus on task and job requirements. She does not like to sitting down and askingwhy. Because of this, a number of members who are oppose to Susans leading method become an out-group. followers in the out-group are less compatible with the leader and usually just come to work, do their job, and go home (Northouse 2017, p139). In this case, Johnson Fellows who is a member of out-group start to absent demonstrations of company products, morning teas and so on. After Susan hear about this, she just uses a transactional technical approach and never solved emotional states. Therefore, this situation become worse and worse. Susan and out-group members are in the stranger phase. The interactions in the leader-follower dyad generally is rule bound, relying heavily on contractual relationships. They have lower-quality exchanges. The motives of the follower during the stranger phase are directed toward self-interest rather than toward the good of the g roup (Graen Uhl-Bien 1995 ). Because of Susans leadership style, the out-group members are increasingly demonstrating. The LMX theory also has some criticisms, one of the most important drawback is the theory runs counter to the basic human value of fairness. it gives the appearance of discrimination against the out-group. (Northouse 2017 ,p147) It is perhaps the mean reason why Johnson does not attend to some meeting hostile to other staff. The felling about unfair will cause conflict and deteriorate relationship between leader and members. This situation would tend to low staff morale even to increasing the rote of staff turnover. Question3 In Ridgeway case, there are several problems. In the first place, staff is divided into two organize under Susans leading. In addition, because of Susan used modulating the emotional strategy during her work and does not acknowledge her staffs feeling as valid also not going to work to alleviate them. It causes that out-group members are dissatisfied to her. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, some staff who have worked for Ridgeway for more than 10 years miss and hope to the high-quality LMX. To the first problem, Followers in the in-group receive more information, influence, confidence, and concern from their leaders than do out-group followers (Northouse2017, p139), so that, out-group members have no chance to communicate with their manager, and also the manager would not waste time on contribute a high-quality LMX with members. After that, the relationship between Susan and out-group will be worse. The solution to this problem Susan should to spend more time on talk with the staff who have negative emotions and try to address the source of the problem. And also need her to treat every employee fairly. In this way, she maybe will enhance the quality of LMX. And try her best to narrow the gap between two group. To the second and third problem, Susan can use the strategies of interpersonal emotion management(IEM)In her case, she like to solve problems via strict task criteria instead of address why they have negative emotions. It makes a lot people resent her stance or complain her. Williams (2007) outlined four interpersonal emotion management strategies used to manage others emotions: situation modification, cognitive change, attentional deployment, and modulating the emotional response. (GootyWilliams 2016) Hence, there are two kinds of solutions. In short-term, Susan can use attentional deployment in this case. Attentional deployment involves distracting attention away from the elements of a situation. Susan can use humor distracting the follower in order to induce more positive emotions.it will reduce negative emotions over a period of time. By using this strategy, leader does not alleviate source of negative emotion in the environment. Meanwhile even though followers feel good at that time, after a few days or several times, they will feel leaders ignored their emotion and also not be concerned. GootyWilliams(2016) suggest Attentional deployment is a kind of emotion-focused IEM. And it will negatively relate to LMX. In this way, Susan just could use it during a period of time. In contrast, she can use situation modification or cognitive change in long-term. In her case, she has to change her mind, she can address why the staff do not want to attend the meeting and try to fix the problem by communicate with who has negative emotions. On the other hand, she also can courage the depress staff, show them the situation in a positive light, and everything will be better day by day. In both way, they are problem-focused strategy. Leader who use these strategies should attain 3 main points: met role expectations of the leader, create an attribution of benevolence, emotion rich communication in the relationship. After that, followers obligation is created, followers will fell their leader care about them and is watching out of them, and validated and promote open communicate of followers thought. Thus, LMX is enhanced, the core of IEMS is formed, the stage for the relationship better is set. (GootyWilliams 2016) Question4: Susans leader style is quite conform with Transactional Leadership. In this kind of leadership have two factors: Contingent reward and Management-by-exception. Contingent reward is an exchange process between leaders and followers in which effort by followers is exchanged for specified rewards. (Northouse 2017, p171) In Susans case, staff by improving the efficiency for more opportunities or appreciated from general manager. Management-by-exception It is leadership that involves corrective criticism, negative feedback, and negative reinforcement. (Northouse 2017, p171) Susan also using passive corrective criticism during her work. She gives employee a poor performance evaluation without ever talking with them about their prior work performance. Then she uses more negative reinforcement patterns to forcing staff depressive emotions and improving the efficiency. Meanwhile her method is quite similar with some part of Pseudotransformational leadership, which refers to leaders who are se lf-consumed, exploitive, and power oriented, with warped moral values. (Northouse 2017, p163) In brief, Susan always focus on her own goal instead of listens carefully to the needs of staff. She does not like her staff have different idea with her and would not give her subordinates more time to find a unique way to solve problems. For example: Ben and his group. If Susan want to change her leadership to transformational leadership, she has to following the four components of transformational leadership: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. (Northouse2017, p167) At first, individualized consideration, Susan needs to help her staff to achieve their true potential by considering their unique needs and desires. She should to find out why out-group members have negative emotions. she also can create a learning environment to solve the problems both in work and in emotions. Thus , it will help growth development. After that, be a charisma leader, using Idealized influence and inspirational motivation. Image of an attractive, realistic, and believable future to her staff, articulating a direction and then consistently implementing the direction even though the vision may have involved a high degree of uncertainty. (Northouse 2017, p173) In addition, instead of criticism show more benevolence and patience to staff and also need to expression high expectation to them. In this way Susan will be admired, trusted and respected by their followers. In the end, intellectual stimulation which means leaders challenge their followers to question long-held assumptions and approach old situations in novel ways, stimulating them to be more innovative and creative. à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ Anderson Sun 2015à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °Ben already showed a kind of tendency that he want to solved the problem in a more creative way, but Susan was really hurried to the result. Maybe she should give him more time to done this on his own way. Follow these steps transformational approach can be implemented. But when Susan Implement this method she also need to be cautious to negative impacts of transformational leadership. Such as followers may have the tendency to free-ride on the transformation leaders social networks to conserve resources so they will perhaps be less likely to develop their own social networksà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ Anderson Sun 2015à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °or followers will think leaders not be harsh if they slack on performance.(NgChua 2016) Question5: Unlike many of leadership theories, authentic leadership is still in the formative phase of development. Formulations about authentic leadership can be differentiated into two areas: (1) the practical approach; and (2) the theoretical approach. On the practical approach side: Bill George identifies five dimensions of authentic leadership: purpose, values, relationships, self-discipline, and heart. In Susans case, which aspects will appropriate to her are values, relationships and heart. Values or values and behave means leaders who have a clear idea of who they are, where they are going, and what the right thing is to do. (Northouse 2017, p199) In this aspect, Susan need to realize that she is a leader, she just need to uses her value guide her leadership instead of hands-on everything. Relationship refer to leaders have the capacity to open themselves up and establish a connection with others. Through mutual disclosure, leaders and followers develop a sense of trust and closeness. (Northouse 2017, p199). The mean reason that Susans staff opposition to her is she never talk to them and address the source of problems. It makes their relationship became distant and lack of trust. Therefore, she should to communicate with her subordinates to create a trusting relationship. Heart and compassion is an important aspect of AL. It refers to being sensitive to the plight of others, opening ones self to others, and being willing to help them. (Northouse 2017, p200) Susan like her staff have high efficiency and doesnt suffer fools lightly. But, as an AL she need to empathizing with others and try to help them pull through. On the theoretical approach side, Walumbwa identified four components: self-awareness, internalized moral perspective, balanced processing, and relational transparency. In Susans case, balanced processing, and relational transparency will be appropriate. Balanced processing It refers to an individuals ability to analyze information objectively and explore other peoples opinions before making a decision. (Northouse 2017, p203) When Ben has different idea with Susan, as an AL, who will open about her own perspectives, but are also objective in considering others perspectives. In another word, she need give more time to Ben to complete his idea before her tell the GM. Relational transparency is about communicating openly and being real in relationships with others. As previously mentioned about relationship, Susan need to talk with her staff more not only Job-related but also about daily life. It is noteworthy that there are other factors such as positive psychological capacities, moral reasoning, and critical life events that influence authentic leadership. (Northouse 2017, p203) A lot of findings show that AL is directly and positively related to followers trust in the leader and the experience of positive emotions. (AgoteAramburu 2016) Susan could show more positive emotions just like confidence, hope and so on. It will have a positive impact to implement AL. List of references Agote, L. Aramburu, N. Lines, R. (2016), Authentic leadership perception, trust in the leader, and followers emotions in organizational change processes. The Journal of Applied Behavioural Science, Vol. 52, (1), 35-63. Anderson, M. H. Sun, P. Y. T. (2015), The downside of transformation leadership when encouraging followers to network. The Leadership Quarterly, 26, 790-801. Graen, G. B., Uhl-Bien, M. (1991). The transformation of professionals into self-managing and partially self-designing contributions: Toward a theory of leadership making. Journal of Management Systems, 3(3), 33-48. Graen, G. B., Uhl-Bien, M. (1995). Relationship-based approach to leadership: Development of leader-member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership over 25 years: Applying a multi-level, multi-domain perspective. Leadership Quarterly, 6(2), 219-247. Little, L.M. Gooty, J. Williams, M. (2016), The role of leader emotion management in leader-member exchange and follower outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly, 27, 85-97. Northouse, P. G. (2016), Leadership: Theory Practice. Sage Edge. London Ng, K.Y., Chua, R.Y.J. (2006). Do I contribute more when I trust more? Differential effects of cognition- and affect-based trust. Management and Organization Review, 2, 4366.

Heracles as a Paradox in Women of Trachis Essay -- Women of Trachis Es

Heracles as a Paradox in Women of Trachis Using the portrayal of Hercules in Sophocles' tragedy Women of Trachis, a puzzling image of the Greek hero emerges. Most of the myths of Heracles portray him as a fierce warrior, tamer of beasts and a master of everything he attempts. This myth however, shows honorable traits juxtaposed with very negative aspects of the same man. Heracles is a paradox because even though he is a very great man and ideal hero, in some ways he is savage, highly emotional and even vulnerable. Sophocles' version of Heracles' life, or at least part of it, made Heracles look less like a Greek hero and more like an ordinary Greek warrior. There are a few exceptions though. For one, Zeus was his father. Not many of the children of gods were thought of as ordinary. All of them had some terrific power or ability like Hercules. Secondly, his ability to fulfill his assigned tasks in the way in which he does shows in no uncertain terms, he is more than a common man is. Lastly, Hercules is granted immortality as a reward for impressing the gods on Mount Olympus. This final item is of special importance because it itself is a paradox. Was Hercules a Greek hero or was he a God? These things all lead me to see Hercules the man clearly but his relationships to things outside his heroic motif are a puzzle. Let us start by identifying the purpose of identifying Hercules as a hero. There are eight identifiable traits that must be present in order to declare somebody a Greek hero. The first point is divine birth. Hercules being a son of Zeus meets this requirement. He is threatened almost immediately by a jealous Hera but saved by his own strength and fearless valor. His up bringing was by an outsider, actually ... ...ignity but Heracles refused to admit his end was coming. All the times he left for a task he went in search of fame but "not to die." (Sophocles, Women, l 159-60) Then why did he think to leave his will with Deianira? It was obvious the tablet described the way his land should be divided up amongst his children so why was he still not ready for his fate? It is because Heracles thought of himself as a hero and could not imagine the gods fate him to death. All these contradicting sides of Heracles makes him a more interesting figure in ancient texts but they also create quite confusion. Why after all the evil, horrid things he did would the gods make him immortal? Heracles truly is a paradox. Works Cited: Sophocles. The Women of Trachis. Trans. Michael Jameson. Sophocles II. Ed. David Grene and Richmond Lattimore. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957.

Life and works of John Steinnbeck Essay example -- biographies bio bio

John Steinbeck was probably the best author of all time. He was the winner of a Nobel Prize, and along with many other accomplishments, Steinbeck wrote twenty-five books, including sixteen novels, six non-fiction books and several collections of short stories during his lifetime. Seventeen of his works, including The Grapes of Wrath, Cannery Row, The Pearl, and East of Eden, went on to become Hollywood films, some appeared multiple times, as remakes. Steinbeck also had some success as a Hollywood writer, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Story in 1944 for Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat. Many of his life experiences are shown through his novels. Someone can tell, by reading one of Steinbeck’s novels that he had been through a lot, throughout his life. Also, Steinbeck worked hard to accomplish everything that he did, during his lifetime. Nothing came easy for him, and had to earn everything on his own, and this helped him in his works. He also had the ability to write about real people and real experiences. John Steinbeck got his inspiration from his life experiences such as people he knew, and places he had spent time at. Many of Steinbeck's views of the world are shown through his novels. Some of Steinbeck’s most influential works are included in this paper and are summarized, to show how many Americans living in poverty today can relate to some of Steinbeck’s works which are also set during a recession era. Growing up in Salinas Valley, Steinbeck had the chance to spend a lot of time outdoors. His uncle used to take him on fishing trips, and spent time visiting his mother’s grand-fathers' farm near King City, it gave him a large respect for nature. Later on he became a caretaker on a large piece of land at Lake Tahoe, ... ...life experiences, events, and people which makes it easier for the reader to connect if they too had the same experiences first-hand. Although John Steinbeck has been gone for awhile, his legacy continues to thrive on Americans today. Steinbeck’s influence not only flourishes across the United States but has also been all around the world. His influnces have also attracted the attention of film production studios in which the have created movies based upon stories from Steinbeck. His legacy is also continued through high school reading, a study by the Center for the Learning and Teaching of Literature in the United States found that Of Mice and Men was one of the ten most often read books in public high and independent schools. Steinbeck has been honored in many ways having, places dedicated to him and having his name inducted into the California Hall of Fame.

Climate Change Essay

To put it in its simplest terms, climate change refers to the long term change in the earth’s temperature, particularly an increase in the average atmospheric temperature (Dictionary.com). Although there are some natural causes for climate change, most scientists are in agreement that humans are at least in part responsible for some of the effects we have already seen and must therefore take corrective action immediately to slow the process before it is too late and irreversible catastrophic damage has been done. The consequences of climate change, also known as global warming include extreme weather instances such as extensive drought, severe hurricanes and tornadoes, increased wild fires and melting of the polar caps (dosomething.org). In addition, there are hotter, longer lasting heat waves causing added health issues and even death, especially to the already frail elderly or those who are already sick and may be more easily susceptible to health risks (dosomething.org). Si nce 1870, sea levels have risen by about eight inches globally. Coral reefs are in danger due to the warmer water temperatures and higher sea levels. The coral reefs are lacking the sun they need to thrive and are becoming diseased. Here in the United States, temperatures have risen by two degrees over the last 50 years and precipitation is up by 5% (dosometing.org). According to Motherjones.com, the 2000’s was the hottest decade on record in the US and 2012 was the hottest year ever. With the rise of sea levels, comes the loss of land across the world. Globally the average land loss is eight inches. What that means to America is we are shrinking. Those in danger are people who live closest to the shoreline. It varies storm by storm, but those living closest to the shoreline during each mega storm, such as Hurricane Sandy, are in critical danger of losing not only their personal property and their lives but the actual earth beneath their feet. Everything could all be swept away by the wind and sea. There are currently almost five million A mericans living within four feet of the ocean at high tide. It is expected that over the next century, sea levels will rise by anywhere from one to four feet (Motherjones.com). Climate change affects rainfall as well and it can be devastating. A warmer planet means the air can hold more water vapor. That means when it rains it pours. The United States has seen record precipitation and flooding â€Å"significantly above average†Ã‚  (Motherjones.com), especially since 1991. The Northeast alone has seen a 71% increase in precipitation since 1958 (Motherjones.com). Nowhere has climate change left its mark more so than in Alaska. Due to melting glaciers no longer insulating the land, arctic storms are battering the now unshielded coastline that used to be protected by the now steadily melting glaciers. Additionally, 80% of the state has permafrost beneath its surface and as it thaws, the ground is literally giving way causing damage to roads and infrastructure. Currently, Alaska is spending about $10 million annually in repairs due to permafrost thawing and is projecting $5.6 to 7.6 billion for infrastructure repairs by 2080 (Motherjones.com). Extreme heat waves are becoming commonplace. Texas had one of the â€Å"hottest and driest summers on record† (Motherjones.com) in 2011 reaching over 100 degrees for 40 days in a row. It’s projected that if we continue on the same path, we could have a â€Å"once every 20 years extreme heat day† every two to three years by the year 2100 (Motherjones.com). In addition, we are feeling some of the driest conditions we’ve experienced in some 800 years. This has resulted in a loss to agriculture of as much as $10 billion in Texas and Oklahoma in 2011 & 2012 (Motherjones.com). Because we have more heat and drought, we have the potential for more wildfires. We have had record setting wildfires in both 2007 and 2011. And to make matters worse, these very wildfires, as dangerous and deadly as they are also add to the climate change problem. Wildfires actually release more carbon from the ground and only make the climate problem even worse. According to Mothorjones.com, â€Å"a single large fire in 2007 released as much carbon to the atmosphere as had been absorbed by the entire circumpolar Arctic tundra during the previous quarter century,† (Motherjones.com). There are some natural causes of climate change that we can do nothing about, but we have fast tracked global warming since the start of the industrial revolution. While volcanoes and solar patterns certainly are a small contributor to climate change, humans make a much greater impact. Due to deforestation and the massive amounts of fossil fuels consumed, there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today than at any point in the last 800,000 years (Dosomething.com). Carbon dioxide is widely believed to be the most harmful of all greenhouse gasses. The US alone emits approximately 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year; 40% of which comes from power plants. As early as the 1700’s, we began emitting  more and more greenhouse gasses, mainly carbon dioxide by using coal, oil and gas to run our cars, trucks and factories (Dosomething.com). It is the increasing use of fossil fuel along with deforestation that is keeping greenhouse gasses closer to the earth not allowing it to escape the atmosphere thereby raising the earth’s temperature (Dosomething.com). We can’t fix this problem overnight, but the solution begins with us. The NRDC, National Resources Defense Council suggests a five step plan to insure a longer lasting planet for our children and we must begin today. 1. Set Limits on Global Pollution 2. Invest in Green Jobs and Clean Energy 3. Drive Smarter Cars 4. Create Green Homes and Buildings 5. Build Better Communities and Transportation Networks Some of these steps are already in place. Take for instance the Clean Air Act which established emissions and fuel economy standards for all cars. For power plants and factories, the impact could be as great as 560 million tons of carbon per year by 2026 under the Act. This is estimated to avoid anywhere from $25-60 billion in health costs (NRDC.com). Another great option is electric cars. They save on carbon emissions because they do not require gas to run. They are also cheaper to run for that very same reason. Case in point: Paul Scott from Santa Monica, CA bought an all-electric version of the Toyota Rav4 in 2002. It runs purely on sunlight and he charges the battery with the solar panels he heats his home with so essentially it costs him nothing to run. He hasn’t been to a gas station in 12 years (NRDC.com). If you can’t afford a new electric vehicle, at least you should be driving a high-mileage vehicle to cut down on emissions. Drive only what you need. We must cut down our dependence on oil and thereby reduce our consumption of fossil fuel. We can invest in retrofitting our homes; install energy star appliances, insulation and seal leaks where cool and warm air is escaping. This can save hundreds to over a thousand dollars annually to the homeowner but if just one in five American homes were retrofitted to save energy, we could avoid the need to build 13 mid-sized power plants every year. On a national level, we could cut as much carbon pollution as taking half a million cars off the road if every  house in America were energy efficient (NRDC.com). There are folks who believe global warming is a fallacy or work of fiction; people who think that because of the recent cold weather that we experienced in the Winter of 2013 and 2014, the Polar Vortex for example that global warmi ng cannot possible be real. These are people who have done no research or who do not have any facts. That very cold trend was a result of climate change (Climtecentral.org). There are also those that will cite â€Å"facts and myths† and counter with their own version of beliefs. They simply do not want to believe what is so vastly evident in research. Robert M. Carter, a research professor has written a myth v. fact document (globalresearch.ca) disputing the facts. Everyone is entitled to their opinion; that’s what makes our country so great. Based on my research, it is my belief that humans are in fact greatly responsible for the increase in climate change. Global warming is probably the wrong terminology and it makes perfect sense that it has been updated to climate change however there are still skeptics. There probably will always be nonbelievers. But I feel the data is undisputable. It is up to us to make the necessary changes before it is too late. We must make changes or we could face dire consequences. There are so many ways each individual can make small changes. Every one of us must do our part and we must begin today! Your new America (observed temperature changes over the last 22 years). National Climate Assessment. Source: Motherjones.com, National Climate Assessment Reference List 1. Multiple sources. (date unavail.). 11 Facts About Global Warming. www.DoSomething.Org. Retrieved from https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-global-warming 2. Carter, Robert N. (2009, Dec. 9). www.Globalresearch.org. Global Warming: Ten Facts and 10 Myths on Climate Change. Retrieved from http://www.globalresearch.ca/copenhagen-and-global-warming-ten-facts-and-ten-myths-on-climate-change/16467 3. Mooney, Chris. (2014, May 6).