Saturday, August 31, 2019
Green Marketing Critique
NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY AB 0501 Green Marketing Individual Critique Report Word Count: 1,079 By Desmond Leong The Subject Matter The subject matter of the article revolves around the benefits of purchasing an electric car over conventional fuel powered cars.The article also addresses the various aspects beyond the traditional debate on whether electric cars are simply a greener alternative to fuel powered cars, it dwells, albeit not too deeply, at the political perspective of sustainability, the economic advantages and convenience for consumers, the security provided with the shifting of reliance from fuel to electricity as electricity comes from a multitude of sources, being very well diversified in terms of their sources and the various kinds of pollution that electric cars reduce which include noise pollution and air pollution.These aspects discussed all have an intertwined relationship in the complex debate on whether electric cars are indeed better than fuel powered car s, for example, the political perspective of sustainability is intertwined with the security provided with the shift from fuel to electricity, especially for countries like the US. This is because in terms of sustainability, the US looks first at how their country can be sustainable, ergo, reducing their reliance on middle-east oil, and this involves attaining security in terms of diversity of sources of electric energy.Also, the economic advantages for consumers are intertwined in a relationship with the amount of pollution produced and the political agenda supporting the purchases of electric cars, as the economic advantages don’t only come in cheaper fuel, but also a generous tax rebate of up to US$7,500 from the purchase price per electric car. Hence, the various aspects on arguments for purchasing a car have an incredibly intertwined relationship amongst each other in their united front against fuel powered cars.First Argument However, there are always two sides to a coi n. For the political perspective of sustainability and the security provided with the shifting of reliance from oil to electricity, there is a counter-argument. The electricity generated to charge the cars are largely from power plants that require fossil fuel to work. There is a debate that gallon for gallon, electric cars are only 21% efficient compared to fuel powered cars (Minkoff, 2012).While it is true that electricity does come from multiple sources, the bulk of it still comes from burning fossil fuel and hence, doesn’t go a long way to ensuring sustainability in the long run. The evidence on the counter-argument points are true as they do cite information from government research (â€Å"Electric Vehicles,†n. d. ). However, there is the assumption that electric cars will not improve in efficiency over the years which due to the rapid advancement of technology in recent years, is very unlikely.Second Argument Next, the charge stations for electric cars lack the infrastructure for fast charge times. Addressing the perspective of consumers having huge convenience owning an electric car, in the article it wrote that charging your electric car is easy and you can just plug it into your home at night. However, people tend to overlook the charge time, which can range from 20 hours on a 120 volt outlet to 30 minutes on a 480 volt outlet (â€Å"Charging Basics,†2003).Compared to 5-7 minutes for petrol stations, even the fastest 30 minutes would be an eternity for someone charging his car on the go. However, there is also an additional argument that there has been a breakthrough in battery technology that allows batteries to get an extremely fast charge (Peters, 2011). The evidence for the charging times are accurate as it is published on Nissan’s official website, it does sound alright when charging overnight, but it does pose a problem when you have multiple cars or live in an apartment where you don’t have access to multipl e charging docks.For the source of extremely fast charging batteries, it is true and existing now, but there lacks infrastructure in today’s time because of the need of a smart grid. The assumption in this argument is that most families would only have one car they need to charge, have multiple charging terminals at apartments and everywhere around the world would have a charge station. I find this a huge assumption to overlook. If a family has multiple electric cars, they would face difficulties in rotating their charging schedules, not to mention that apartments and HDBs wouldn’t have sufficient charging points for the many cars.Lastly, for trips from Singapore to Malaysia, there is a huge risk that there are no charging points over there due to the electric cars not penetrating the market there yet, and this would cause a lot of problems similarly in other countries too. Third Argument For the argument that electric cars will reduce air pollution significantly, it i s true that electric cars produce tremendously little air pollution, however, their source of pollution is actually measured by the source of electricity used to charge them (â€Å"Will Electric Vehicles,†n. . ). An electric car that gets its energy from an unclean source like coal or oil, may produce more pollution than an internal combustion engine. Currently, most of the world get their electricity from coal burning, which produces the most pollution, rendering electric cars to be actually contributing significantly to pollution. The evidence from this argument is true, largely because it stems from the very common knowledge that electricity is generated from coal and oil power plants.However, I believe that it is easier to reduce and control pollution from a few thousand coal and oil burning power plants than a few million tailpipes, which means in the long term, electric cars do have pose a huge advantage in the areas of boosting control over pollution. The assumptions here are that cleaner sources of energy will not rise and contribute more to generating electricity. I find this assumption untrue as more and more effort is being put in to improve clean and renewable sources of energy (â€Å"What others are doing,†n. d. , hence, whilst coal and oil remains the largest generators of electricity, this is only for the short term. In the long term, other cleaner sources should take over. Conclusion In conclusion, electric cars will be the long term solution to a lot of our problems, they will solve air and noise pollution by cars, pollution by companies boiling crude oil to get petrol, reduce our reliance on non-renewable fuels which will increase our country’s security as we can seek alternative forms of energy, which will lead us closer to being a self-sustainable world.There are many areas that needs brushing up before electric cars can fully replace petrol cars, but the future is looking bright for them as tremendous advancement in technology has given us very encouraging signs along with the increased government support in encouraging greener technology and greener sources of energy. References Minkoff, M. (2012). Do Electric Cars Really Reduce Dependence On Fossil Fuels?. Political Outcast. Retrieved September 23, 2012, from http://politicaloutcast. om/2012/08/do-electric-cars-really-reduce-dependence-on-fossil-fuels/. Electric Vehicles (EVs). (n. d. ). Retrieved September 23, 2012, from http://www. fueleconomy. gov/feg/evtech. shtml/. Charging Basics. (n. d. ). Retrieved September 23, 2012, from http://www. nissanusa. com/leaf-electric-car/home-charging#/leaf-electric-car/faq/list/charging. Peters, J. (2011). New Structure Allows Lithium Ion Batteries To Get A Quicker Charge. Scientific American.Retrieved September 23, 2012, from http://www. scientificamerican. com/article. cfm? id=new-structure-allows-lithium-ion-batteries-quicker-charge. Will Electric Vehicles Really Reduce Pollution?. (n. d. ). Ret rieved September 23, 2012, from http://www. physics. ohio-state. edu/~wilkins/writing/Samples/policy/voytishlong. html. What others are doing. (n. d. ). Retrieved September 23, 2012, from http://www. cleanenergyfuture. gov. au/why-we-need-to-act/what-others-are-doing/.
Friday, August 30, 2019
Prostate Cancer in African American Men Essay
Cancer has always been one of the most dreaded diseases of humans. This incurable disease has broken the hearts and spirits of many, and has continuously left an indelible mark in its patients’ lives. One of the cancer types associated with men is prostate cancer. The National Cancer Institute website defined prostate cancer as the type of cancer occurring in the male reproductive system, more specifically in the prostate tissues. This type of cancer is normally triggered in older men (n.d.).            In addition to this, the disease also reiterates that genetically mutated cells, known as cancer cells, are present in the prostate. The Prostate Disease website also added that tumors are formed, spreading to the different areas in the body. The spread of the said cells causes permanent damage to the normal functions to the different organs (2006).            Aside from the fact that cancer is genetically transmitted, the underlying causes of prostate cancer are still undecipherable. The profile of an individual candidate for prostate cancer is usually taken into consideration. Since males are the only ones with prostates, the women are fortunately exempted from acquiring this disease. Race is another factor affected.            The Intercultural Cancer Council website stated that Prostate Cancer affects 37% of African American men (Baylor College of Medicine, 2007). It was also stated that the percentage rate of men afflicted with prostate cancer is relatively higher in Europe and in North America, as compared to Asia, Africa, and South America. Diet is one of the most unrecognizable causes of prostate cancer. Eating of food rich in carcinogens can increase the cancer rate in the body.            According to the National Prostate Coalition website, African American males are afflicted by Prostate Cancer far more than the other types of cancer. In an estimation made by the same website, there were 4,240 prostate cancer deaths in 2007. The chances of genetically acquiring the disease are very big for African Americans. For a close relative afflicted with the disease, the individual has a one out of three chance of acquiring the cancer. For those who have two relatives afflicted with prostate cancer, the chances increase, with an 83% possibility. Worse, if there were three or more members afflicted, the possible acquisition of the disease is 97% (NPCC, 2007). Quite disappointing, but true.            The early stages of prostate cancer inhibit the patient from experiencing and seeing the symptoms. This is primarily due to the fact that these symptoms may also be caused by the presence of other diseases. Such symptoms may include frequent urination, urinary incontinence, presence of blood in the semen and in urine, erection difficulties, and agonizing ejaculation. Presence of at least two of the above mentioned should be enough basis for the patient to consult an oncologist or urologist at the soonest possible time (Marks, 2003).            Biopsy is one of the most reliable tests done in the diagnosis of prostate cancer. With the presence of a Urologist, a tissue sample is harvested from the patient using a needle. The sample is then forwarded to the Pathologist for extensive examination that could lead to the possible detection of prostate cancer. Several other tests are also performed after biopsy that act as the other opinions in proving the presence of cancer cells. Some of the tests include a CT scan, bone scan, and an MRI (Strum, Pogliano, 2005).            With the rampant upgrades in technology, several treatment methods have been available for prostate cancer. According to the website of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the tumor spread of prostate cancer plays an important role in the type of treatment used (2008). The most common treatments used were Radical Prostatectomy, Radiation Therapy, Cyrotherapy, and Active Surveillance.            One of the used surgeries is Radical Prostatectomy. This process focuses on the extraction of the prostate gland and the nearby tissues from the body. This surgery requires the patient to undergo a general anesthesia, so as to avoid the unbearable pain that can be felt during surgery. As replacement, a catheter is placed through the penis so that urination may be facilitated while the wounds are healing (Blasko, Grim, Sylvester, 2003) .            Undergoing Prostatectomy is one of the most certain treatments for prostate cancer. The removal of the prostate and its nearby tissues inhibits the spread of the cancer cells to the other parts of the body. This also gives the doctor firsthand information of the results, giving them enough evidence as to whether the cancer will spread or not.            Radiation Therapy on the other hand, does not involve any surgery. Instead, the procedure makes use of x-rays whose energy is high enough to kill cancer cells. For this specific disease, two types can be used. These are the External beam and the Internal. The External beam uses a machine that beams radiation from the outside of the body. The target of the beam is the prostate, making sure that radiation is exposed on the pelvis and in the prostate. The side effects for this treatment include diarrhea, rectal irritation, bleeding and painful urination. Sometimes, this therapy may also cause impotence.            Internal radiation therapy, as compared to the external beam, emits radiation seeds that were implanted on the prostate. These seeds are powerful enough to kill cancer cells, but may be very painful.            Cryotherapy, according to the Prostate Cancer Institute website, is one of the newest therapies discovered in the 1990’s. The treatment utilizes the freezing of the prostate gland, destroying the whole organ, including the cancer cells that may be incorporated in the process. The process requires the patient to undergo general anesthesia, and is over in about two hours. The side effects experienced by the patient are usually treated after a few weeks. These may include urinary incontinence, pains in the pelvis, and swelling in the scrotum (2006).            Active surveillance, on the other hand, is yet the most simple among all treatments. The patient does not undergo a specific treatment, and instead is in close communication with the physician. This process includes regular tests and exams that monitor the health of the patients (2006).            Having to bear the pain of prostate cancer and the thought of actually dealing with the disease is heartbreaking for anyone. The best thing to avoid such heartbreaks is to try and avoid contacting the disease. According to the WebMD website, the consumption of food rich in fiber can be very beneficial in the prevention of the disease. These include the consumption of tomatoes, vegetables, and soy products. In addition to this, researches are being conducted in finding the correct preventive measures of prostate cancer. Some of these researches include the fact that the administration of a Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) helps in the protection of men from having prostate cancer. Another is the fact that drinking red wine also helps in the prevention of prostate cancer (July 24, 2006).            Regardless of what the effects of prostate cancer are, what is important is the fact that people, cannot avoid such disease. May they be Caucasians, Asians, or even African Americans; no one is exempted from having such. We all just have to take good care of our bodies, and of our lives. References (24 July 2006). Prostate cancer health center: Prostate Cancer-Prevention. Retrieved March 20,           2008 from http://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/tc/prostate-cancer-prevention.            American Academy of Family Physicians. (2008). Prostate Cancer Treatment Options.   Retrieved March 20, 2008 from      http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/cancer/treatment/264.html Intercultural Cancer Council. (2007). African Americans & Cancer. Retrieved March 20,           2008 from http://iccnetwork.org/cancerfacts/cfs1.htm Strum, S.B., & Pogliano, D.L. (2005). A primer on prostate cancer: The empowered patient’s    guide. Life Extension Media. National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Prostate Cancer. Retrieved March 20, 2008, from            http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/prostate Marks, Sheldon. (2003). Prostate and cancer: A family guide to diagnosis, treatment and           survival. Perseus Books Group. Grimm, P., Blasko, J., Sylvester, J. (2003). The prostate cancer treatment book. Contemporary  Books. Prostate Disease. (2006). Prostate Cancer. Retrieved March 20, 2008 from            http://www.prostatedisease.org/prostate_cancer/default.aspx Prostate Disease. (2006). Prostate Cancer- Causes and Risk Factors. Retrieved March 20,         2008 from http://www.prostatedisease.org/prostate_cancer/risk_factors.aspx Prostate Cancer Institute. (2006). Cryotherapy for Prostate Cancer. Retrieved March 20, 2008  from   http://www.prostate-cancer-institute.org/prostate-cancer–   treatment/cryosurgery.html
Inclusion in education: a challenge to make rhetoric a reality Essay
During the last decade the efforts to provide a more equitable and all-embracing educational system aimed at meeting the needs of all children have mended their pace in the United Kingdom. The noble intention to ensure a more just societal environment which gives every growing person an opportunity to participate in full measure in all aspects of life of society has been a locomotive power behind most developments in the field of special education (Rose 2003, p.12). In particular, New Labour government has been actively promoting an agenda of inclusion and participation for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream education (Atkinson et al. 2002, p. 4; Armstrong 2005, p. 135). This agenda of inclusion has not been limited to school placement but extends to the curriculum. Inclusion has been recognised by New Labour an important aspect of the call for high standards for all learners (Mittler 2000, p. 2). Although the process of steady development of the integration of children with physical and sensory disabilities from special to mainstream schools has been carried out in the UK since the early 1980s involving various spheres of social life and gaining extensive publicity, even to date for many lay observers of the educational context, the image of children in wheelchairs coming from the special school sector into the mainstream is what they imagine such integration to be (Corbett 2001, p. 16). Such interpretation of inclusion simplifies and emasculates its essence and purposes. At the same time, as Ainscow et al. (2006) so soundly remind us, the idea of inclusion cannot refer to just some students and not others. To be inclusive requires that society strives to identify and remove all barriers to learning for all children. This means that society must attend to increasing participation not just for disabled students but for all those experiencing disadvantage, whether this results from poverty, sexuality, minority ethnic status, or other characteristics assigned significance by the dominant culture in their society. To achieve this, as Booth and Ainscow (1998) argue, while working to understand inclusion society and responsible governmental bodies must give equal attention to understanding and removing the pressures for exclusion that exist within the cultures of both the schools and society. Thus, there is no surprising that recently policies of New Labour Government aimed at inclusive education have been subjected to sharp criticism as being superficial and inadequate to meet the real requirements of children with SEN (Corbett 2001, p. 39). In particular, Armstrong (2005, p. 149) argues that these policies â€Å"go no further than to redress the traditional deficit-driven discourse of special educational needs in the fashionable but illusionary language of inclusion†. Such criticism testifies that the issue of effectiveness of inclusion in education and in-depth substance of inclusive education is contentious and complicated one. The purpose of this study is to analyze the arguments by Armstrong and other critics of recent New Labour’s governmental policies, and to evaluate their relevance. Toward this end we will discuss existing legislative instruments and New Labour government’s initiatives on inclusive education, scrutinize the meaning of inclusion and its various interpretations, examine advantages and shortcomings of inclusive policies in force, and make the conclusion. A Concept of Inclusion in Education and Its Interpretations. Both among scholars and in society there are different views on what inclusion in education is, which suggest, as we mentioned above, that complex influences are at work in the development of this field (Armstrong 2005, p. 136). Some researchers view inclusive education as an ongoing development of special education (Farrell 2006, p. 24). Others believe that what is referred to as inclusion is, and should be, derived from mainstream approaches to instruction and school organization, creating an alternative to special education knowledge and practices (Skrtic 1995, p.194). From this latter perspective the idea of inclusion as a merger of special and regular education is seen as problematic because such an amalgamation appears likely to maintain a medical, curative model of education (which we will discuss in our study later) that excludes those labelled as children with SEN from the curriculum and from other experiences available to non-labelled students (Thomas & Loxley 2001, p.4). Mittler (2000, p. 2) in a very comprehensive manner defines inclusion in the field of education as the concept which involves: a process of reform and restructuring of the school as a whole, with the aim of ensuring that all pupils can have access to the whole range of educational and social opportunities offered by the school; [and which] [†¦ ] include the curriculum on offer, the assessment, recording and reporting of pupils’ achievements, the decisions that are taken on the grouping of pupils within schools or classrooms, pedagogy and classroom practice, sport and leisure and recreational opportunities. At the same time, application of the notion of inclusion to everything from school effectiveness to civil rights to political manifestos, which we witness recently, renders it vacuous and susceptible to those critiques which accuse it of masking inadequacies (Booth & Ainscow 1998). For example, Armstrong (2005, p. 136) admits that the statistics on academic achievements of children with SEN for the period, when New Labour government is in office actively promoting inclusion in every sphere of social life, do not demonstrate any â€Å"radical transformation of the social practices of inclusion/exclusion†. Besides, for the cynics, inclusive education means abandoning labelling and special resourcing for individual needs in order to cut costs in the name of equality. They emphatically ask the quality assurance questions of what it offers to enhance learning, how to measure its quality, and which strategies are selected as of proven value (Thomas & Vaughan 2004, p. 25). Addressing these types of questions is the current responsibility of any school which purports to be inclusive (Skrtic 1995, p. 206). The way in which inclusive education, or in its earlier incarnation – integration, has been researched over the last few years is an indicator of the political nature of research in any area in which ethical issues are paramount (Clough & Corbett 2000, p. 162). The shift of emphasis has been sequential albeit often complementary: from psychological and medical child-deficit models of integrating individual children; to a sociological critique of labelling and segregation; to inclusion being an integral element of school effectiveness; to a social model of disability, placing the onus on institutions to remove barriers which limit participation (Thomas & Loxley 2001). These tendencies demonstrate that inclusive education is an evolving and so to say ‘alive’ area influenced by prevailing educational trends, such as initiatives to reduce exclusions, and by the impact of external assessment measures and competition between schools (Clough & Corbett 2000, p. 152).
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Price Ceiling and Price Floor Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Price Ceiling and Price Floor - Research Paper Example Defined in the simplest of terms, price controls can be defined as the definition of a certain maximum or minimum level of the prices by the Government at which a good will be available in the market. The two most basic level of price control mechanisms undertaken by the Government are Price Ceiling and Price Floor. The Price Ceiling is the maximum price at which a good can be sold in the market whereas Price Floor is the minimum price at which the good will be sold in the market. While price Ceiling is generally meant to save consumer interest, the price floor is intended towards saving the interest of the supplier. Price Ceilings can be categorized into two types: Binding Price ceilings are the one which is at a level lower than the equilibrium price and hence has a significant impact on the market equilibrium. Non-binding price ceilings are set at a level higher than the equilibrium level. Examples of price ceiling include setting up rent control in New York, while the setting of minimum wages is an example of a price floor. Price floors are often imposed during crises like wars, droughts or natural disasters. Price floors are generally set for agricultural products to save the interest of the farmers. Indonesia, where more than 20% of the population is below the poverty line, Government takes active participation in controlling the prices. In order to curb inflation, the Government of Indonesia has time and again imposed control on the price of rising. The price control is also aimed at helping farmers. Prior to this, the Government had imposed price controls on cement because of the strategic nature of the industry. The Government set a maximum retail price at which cement could be sold and allocated production and distribution quotas amongst all the players.Â
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 15
Humanities - Essay Example During the Justinian reign, a plan to reunite the Roman Empire succeeded. As a way of celebrating the success, they constructed Hagia Sophia, the church of Holy Wisdom. There were other successes, but after Justinian rule had come to an end, the empire suffered several losses (Halsall). Islam is a monotheistic religion that came to be during the 7th century CE in Middle East. The religion literally means submission or surrender. Its basis is on the readings of Prophet Muhammad according to the words of Allah. Allah is their creator; he brought them to earth and is sustainer of the world and life. The holy book (scripture) of the Islam is the Quran and carries all the teachings of the prophet as revealed to him by Allah. There are two divisions within the Islam tradition; the Shia and Sunni. The two hold differing views on maintenance of religious authority. A unifying factor among Muslims is the concept of Five Pillars. The Five Pillars are the practices of Islam, and they are; the hajj, zakat, ritual prayer, profession of faith, and fasting (Baksh, 1-10). In similarities, the three religions are monotheistic as they believe in one God. They take God as a source of everything that exists. They take God as caring and merciful. The religions take humans as the superior creatures on Earth. They are hopeful of future happenings and believe suffering evil cannot prevail. In differences, the religions have different scriptures. Christians use the Bible, Jews use Torah and Talmud, while Muslims use Quran. Christians and Muslims believe there will be a judgment day followed by Hell or Heaven. Jews believe on no immediate eternal life. Charlemagne, Charles the Great, lived between 747 and 814. He received training on leadership matters by participating in military, social and political activities organized by his father who was a mayor of
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
American Red Cross Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
American Red Cross - Assignment Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that American Red Cross provides all types of aids to victims of disasters. Since they provide all type of financial donations from the public, it is critical to give if you can or if in a position to fund it. Donating time as a volunteer can be rewarding. According to Red Cross annual report of 2011, there are over 70 thousand disasters where victims need aids. These disasters range from earthquakes, floods, tornados. In such situations, American Red Cross provides temporary shelter, prepare food and provide health services such as blood transfusion, screening, and vaccinations against any illnesses that may be prevailing. American Red Cross is the only non-profit organization that is conventionally mandated to provide aid to disaster’s victim and provides policy guideline on various disasters and their associated effects. We cannot fully train and be entirely ready for the disaster when it strikes but the Red Cro ss and its supporters are always there and ready to lend the hand.
Monday, August 26, 2019
Alternative Fuels for the Automobiles of Tomorrow Essay
Alternative Fuels for the Automobiles of Tomorrow - Essay Example Infact this sight serves as a resource sight for many private websites pertaining to the topic under consideration. This is a US government Department of Energy website that contains a plethora of information related to energy efficiency, alternative fuels and futuristic and hybrid vehicles. Being a US government managed website, it is high in credibility and veracity. This site is rich in informative articles, news reports and advanced search options. All the information furnished on this website is unbiased and professionally scientific in its approach. This website is updated on a regular basis and conforms to the currency of the issue being considered. The information provided by this website agrees with the data provided by other such scientific and policy related sites. This is a technical report published by Air & Waste Management Association of Canada. The experts associated with compilation of this report hail from prestigious academic and government institutions like the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto and US Environmental Protection Agency. This report compares the life cycles of the latest alternative fuels and their environmental impact. Going by the esteem and reputation of the experts and institutions involved in the compilation of this report, it is highly credible and authentic in its credentials. This a government website designed specifically from the students' perspective and contains informa
Sunday, August 25, 2019
CORPORATE FINANCE MINICASE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
CORPORATE FINANCE MINICASE - Essay Example Explain what these terms mean, and briefly describe each theory. Dividend irrelevance theory refers to a theory where there is a difference between the dividends, capital gains and making of dividend policy irrelevant and which do not have an effect on the value of the firm. This theory was developed and proposed by MM however there have been a number of assumptions that have been made to prove that it is zero. In the theory MM had argues that paying out a dollar on a share would lead to reduction of the growth of earnings, dividends as the stock require to be sold to be able to make up for the capital paid in terms of dividends. The ‘bird – in - the – hand’ refers a theory where the dollar of dividends in hand is a preferred solution rather than a dollar that is retained in the business. In these cases as well the dividend policy has not effect on the firm’s value. This theory on the other hand was identified and recognised by Myron Gordon and Jon Lintner. The major argument was that the investors note a dollar of dividend to be much less riskier when in hand rather than in the retained earnings of a company. In this case the investors will regard the firm with a high payout ratio than being a less risky with a low payout ratio. The two theories oppose one another as the MM stated that the Gordon Lintner spoke of the firm’s risk to be dependent on the riskiness of its cash flows from the assets and the capital structure. However it is not how its earnings are distributed among the investors. It is essential to understand that if the dividend irrelevance theory is accurate, then it would mean that there are no consequences of the dividend payout theory. In case the bird – in – the – hand theory is correct, then the firms would have a high payout if it maximised its stock prices. If the tax preference theory is accurate, it will be noted that the firm
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Is DES cipher not security anymore Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Is DES cipher not security anymore - Essay Example Although DES are still being used as a means of encryption by many organizations and governments, DES has significantly deprecated and is no longer secure as just anyone with a little technical know-how and time can break into the cryptographic keys. However, this does not mean that DES cipher should never be used all. It only means that it is important to evaluate the value of the information to be protected, both to the attacker and to the owner, and fully grasp the nature of the risks before making the decision to use Data Encryption Standard (DES) cipher. According to Stallings (2006, p.73), DES may still provide security if used in situations involving no real threats such as when encrypting files on a family PC. In conclusion, in view of the contemporary threats, DES algorithm offers very little deterrence for any determined adversary and should never be considered to be secure. Using more efficient and stronger cryptographic algorithms such as Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and 3DES among others may provide better
Friday, August 23, 2019
Carving Leaders from the Warped Wood of Humanity Essay - 34
Carving Leaders from the Warped Wood of Humanity - Essay Example A statement made by the author that was very interesting in regards to this discussion was, â€Å"We respect leaders who put the interest of the followers first, but most leaders don’t pay a price for doing that on a regular basis, nor do most circumstances require them to calculate their interest in relation to the interest of their followers†(Ciulla, 2001). I agree with the author that managers have to consider many factors and variables in their decision making the process that has nothing to do with altruism. The interest of the customers of a company and the community are important to consider, but managers are supposed to maximize shareholders wealth. For that to occur companies have to optimize the use of their economic resources to improve the sales and profits of the company. My personal opinion in regards to the topic of whether leadership and altruism are correlated concepts differs from the opinion of Joanne Ciulla. I think that altruism can enhance the perception of a company, thus the strategy can be beneficial for the profitability of the company. Altruism is a win-win proposition for all the parties involved. A company that has a true sense of the importance of ethics will make a concerted effort to help interest groups in need through altruism efforts. Altruism can enhance the public image of a corporation. The use of altruism reflects well on the leadership abilities of a manager. Altruism should not be visualized as a cost; instead, it should be viewed as a moral and socially responsible way to give back to the community that builds the brand value of a company. Despite my difference of opinion with the author in regards to the relation between these two concepts, I agree with the author in that it is possible to be ethically responsible withou t using altruism. There are lots of ethical decisions that managers must make that do not involve altruism.
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Sales and Marketing Tourism Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Sales and Marketing Tourism Report - Essay Example There are decorations in the Edwardian style: chandeliers, specially commissioned hand- painted woodcarvings and furnishing, rich fabric, Persian state of the art rugs, sophisticated designer furniture and brass – railed quality staircases (Kerin, 2006). There is awesome comfort in the 459 rooms. The rooms are divided into 294 pleasurable standard rooms, 17 luxury suites, 101 fantastic deluxe rooms, and 47 classic single rooms. It won’t go unmentioned that Radisson Edwardian Heathrow has received awards as its Henley’s AA Rosette serves the modern British cuisines with high quality native ingredients and Brasserie cafe that offers a more informal choice of drinks and food alike. For instance, on March 25 – 27, 2005 Radisson Edwardian Hotel hosted a â€Å"Dawn of the Dead†convention. Similarly, on March 21 – 24, 2008 a Science Fiction Easter Convention was hosted in the hotel (Bodenberg, 2002). In the analysis of the macro environment of Edwa rdian Heathrow hotel, its essential for the identification of factors that may in the event have an influence on a number of variables that may affect the company’s demand and supply levels and the associated costs(Bodenberg, 2002). The PESTLE analysis is among the checklist that is a mere framework categorizing the environmental influences as political, economic, social, technological and legal forces. The analysis examines the impacts of each factors and their interplay on business in effect to Edwardian Heathrow hotel. Pestle analysis is the strategic tool for an in depth comprehension of decline and growth, the position of business, potential and operations directions. This outcome can be used to take advantage of opportunities and structure contingency plans for presumed threats when designing the business and strategic plans ( Kotler & Makens, 2006). To start with, we shall take an analysis of the political environment. The elections of the country in England take place in the stipulated duration and have an added advantage to Edwardian Heathrow hotel. The law on employment stipulates on the human resource policies on workers remuneration and terms of employment. For instance, workers at the Edwardian Heathrow hotel have their pay on time though they work tirelessly to the satisfaction of the customer needs. There is great protection of the consumer by our company to ensure that he is not exploited in terms of price and services offered to requisite standards. The environmental regulations of the country are followed to the latter like, air and water non-pollution. The company has ensured that there is safe collection, storage and treatment of its waste (Oeklers, 2007). The industry specific regulations in the country relating to the management and operations of hotels are strictly adhered to by Edwardian Heathrow hotel. This is the reason for the many expansions that have beesn made by the company. The company conducts sophisticated checks and ad vanced investigations on its customers for efficiency to combat the fight on terrorism and warfare. In addition, there is a frequent check in the premises of the company for drug and substance abuse. The political trend in England of the king and queen has also positively ensured that services for them are always available. Secondly, the economic situation in terms of the economic growth trend is analyzed. The taxation system in the country is not to the detriment of Edwardian Heathro
The Value of Digital Privacy in and Information Technology Age Essay Example for Free
The Value of Digital Privacy in and Information Technology Age Essay 1. List and describe at least three (3) technologies that allow an individual to research citizens private data. A technology that allows an individual to research private data is the Global Positioning System (GPS). This â€Å"is a navigation and precise-positioning tool†(Glasscoe, 1998) developed in the early seventy’s by the Department of Defense. Although GPS was originally designed for the military, its applications have extended into the public sector to provide researchers the specific location of an individual (Glasscoe, 1998). A malicious technology that can be used to research an individual’s private data is spyware. In general, it is software that can be loaded on an internet ready device, such as a computer or smartphone, with the sole purpose of gathering and transmitting one’s private data to another person. Spyware is â€Å"designed to be difficult to remove,†and the collection and transmission of information can be completed without the individual’s consent (Microsoft, 2012). In contrast to spyware, social networking services are freely provided with and individual’s private data. Social networking services are web based platforms built to facilitate communication between internet users. â€Å"When creating an account user[s] disclose private information about their social contacts and interests by including friends, business associates, and companies in their networks†(The White House, 2012). Services such as â€Å"Facebook, the largest social network service†(Halbert Ingulli, 2012) can gather enormous amounts of private data that is associated with an individual including: â€Å"written updates, photos, videos, and location information†(The White House, 2012). 2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of public access to this information, both for the researchers and those who are being investigated. â€Å"Personal data is valuable †¦[and]†¦ companies spend up to $2 billion a year to collect that informationà ¢â‚¬ (SENGUPTA, 2012). Retailers use the data to target advertising to consumers based on their geographic location, personal demographics, or interests. Annually personal data is used to generate as much as $145 billion in online sales (The White House, 2012). Personal information is often shared freely in a mutually beneficial relationship between an individual and researchers. Those who are being investigated may sign up for online services which deliver them free content, such as music or games. Consumers are pay[ing] for the service by agreeing to receive targeted ads†(Microsoft) from researchers. â€Å"Security failures involving personal data †¦ can cause harm†(The White House, 2012) to both the researcher, and those being researched. If a researcher’s data is breached resulting in the release of private data the organization’s reputation could be tarnished. Subsequently there would be financial impacts to the researcher as consumers and business partners sever thei r relationships. On the other hand, those being researched may be discriminated against due to misleading information or fall victim to â€Å"potentially life-disrupting identity theft†(The White House, 2012). 3. Determine what measures citizens can take to protect private information or information they do not want to be disclosed. First and foremost, citizens should â€Å"carefully read all disclosures, including the license agreement and privacy statement†(Microsoft, 2012) prior to downloading any software, shareware, or freeware to their computer or smartphone. Secondly, they should properly protect themselves utilizing updated anti-virus software and firewalls on their electronic devices. Finally, citizens should be familiar with privacy-enhancing technologies such as â€Å"Do Not Track†which enables individuals â€Å"to exercise some control over how third parties use personal data or whether they receive it at all†(The White House, 2012). 4. Discuss a federal law that grants the federal government the legal right to make private information on U.S. citizens available to the public, and whether or not you agree with this law. Any person has the right to request access to virtually every federally held record. Enacted in 1966, The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is federal law which â€Å"provides public access to all federal agency records except for those records †¦ that are protected from disclosure.†Nine exemptions and three exclusions to the FOIA prohibit the release of information in relation, but not limited to â€Å"information involving matters of personal privacy†(U.S. Department of Justice, 2009). In the wake of Waterg ate Congress enacted the Privacy Act of 1974 to protect citizen’s private data in the face of growing concerns of â€Å"illegal surveillance and investigation of individuals by federal agencies†(The privacy act , 2010). This federal law restricts disclosure of government held records which personally identify individuals, and increases an individual’s right to obtain and amend government held records kept on themselves. The Privacy Act also establishes a code of fair information practices which requires agencies to comply with statutory norms for collection, maintenance, and dissemination of records†(The privacy act , 2010). As Americans we â€Å"have always cherished our privacy†¦[and]†¦ we have the right to be let alone†(The White House, 2012). Much more than the right to solitude, Americans have the right to freely participate in commerce without the costly threat of identity theft. We should be empowered with the freedom to seek employment or heath care without discrimination. Federal laws should grant citizen’s peace of mind that our personal information it protected, and we have a choice regarding when and what portions of our personal information made available to the public. 5. Determine whether there are â€Å"electronic privacy laws†that can prevent others from having access to â€Å"private information†as well as how effective they are. Laws protecting electronic privacy include â€Å"the 1968 Federal Wiretap Law, as amended by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act 1986 (ECPA), [which] make it illegal to intercept, disclose, or access messages without authorization†(Halbert Ingulli, 2012). As with the FOIA there are exemptions to the ECPA which eliminate â€Å"protection from communications that are readily accessible to the general public†(Halbert Ingulli, 2012) and current federal law may not protect all of an individual’s private data. As of 2012, forty-seven States have Security Breach Notification (SBN) laws. These laws vary from state to state, however they â€Å"promote the protection of sensitive personal data†(The White House, 2012) which is not currently protect by federal law. In February of 2012, the Obama Administration presented the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights to Congress. This Bill of Rights attempts to establish a much needed national baseline to protect citizen’s private information and acts â€Å"as a blueprint for privacy in the information age†(The White House, 2012). References Glasscoe, M. (1998, August 13). What is gps?. Retrieved from http://scign.jpl.nasa.gov/learn/gps1.htm Halber, T. Ingulli, E. (2012). Privacy and Technology. In Law Ethics in the Business Enviorment (7th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Mao, C. (2012, March 28). Columbia business law review. Retrieved from http://cblr.columbia.edu/archives/12047 Microsoft. (2012). Microsoft. Retrieved from http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/spyware-whatis.aspx SENGUPTA, S. (2012, February 04). Should personal data be personal?. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/sunday-review/europe-moves-to-protect-online-privacy.html?pagewanted=all_r=0 The privacy act . (2010). Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/opcl/1974privacyact.pdf The White House. (2012, February 23). Consumer data privacy in a networked world:a framework for protecting privacy and promoting innovation in the global digital economy. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/privacy-final.pdf U.S. Department of Justice. (2009, November). Your rights to federal records. Retrieved from http://publications.usa.gov/epublications/foia/foia.htm
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) 1. Introduction Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a procedure that requires developers to follow in order to be granted permission for a development and was first introduced in European Union (EU) in 1985 (Glasson, 1999). The guidelines and requirements of EIA come from a European Directive (85/33/EEC as amended by 97/11/EC). In this process, developer requires to compile an Environmental Statement (ES) where significant impacts and its effects on the environment as a result of a development are described including mitigation measures (Lee, 1995). However, there are weaknesses in EIA process. As a result of EIA weaknesses, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) was introduced. SEA process was first introduced by EU Directive 2001/42/EC which environmental protection and sustainable development may be considered. It ensures that potential impact of proposed plans, policies and programmes on the environment are taking into consideration so that mitigation and communication between public and decision-makers are provided (Benson, 2003). Therefore, SEA is undertaken in the decision-making process of a development much earlier than EIA. In this section, the differences between EIA and SEA as well as the weaknesses of EIA that led the development of SEA in EU Directive in 2001 are being discussed. 2. Differences between EIA and SEA 2.1. Differences in provisions between SEA and EIA Directives Table 1: Summary of differences in action for EIA and SEA processes (Partidà ¡rio, 2000). SEA EIA Nature of action It is more strategic and contains visions and concepts in its action Actions towards the construction and operation level Assessment Involved evaluation Involved only assessment Focus More critical decision moments (decision windows) along with decision processes Only in project level Level of decision It involves policy and planning Only project level Relation to decision Facilitator Involved evaluator which often taking into consideration of administrative requirement Alternatives Broader and spatial balance of location, social and physical strategies, technologies and economics. More specific alternative in construction, operation, locations and design Scale of impacts Macroscopic involved local, regional, national and global Microscopic mainly involved local Scope of impacts Sustainability issues, economic and social issues may be more tangible than physical or ecological issues Environmental with a sustainability focus, physical or ecological issues, and also social and economic Time scale and review Long to medium term (after 5 years and then 7 years interval) Medium to short-term (after 5 years then silent continuing review). Key data sources State of the Environment Reports, Local Agenda 21, statistical data, policy and planning instruments Field work, sample analysis, statistical data Data Mainly descriptive and mixture with quantifiable More quantifiable Rigor of analysis (uncertainty) More uncertainty and less rigor Less uncertainty and more rigor Assessment benchmarks Sustainability benchmarks (criteria and objectives) Best practice and legal restrictions Public perception Vague/ distant More reactive Post-evaluation Other strategic actions and project planning Objective evidence in relation with construction and operation 2.2 Differences in procedural requirements of the EIA and SEA Directives. Table 2: Summary of the main differences between EIA and SEA Directives in procedural requirements ( Sources from : Sheate et al., 2005). STAGE SEA EIA Screening It requires consultation from the environmental authorities. Publicity: SEA does not need determination and reasons. It requires no consultation. Publicity: EIA requires determination and reasons. Environmental information/report Member States (MSs) have to ensure that sufficient quality and stronger emphasis on alternatives are provided in environmental reports (ERs). No quality control requires in EIA and only minimun information shoud be provided Consultation Involved relevant parties other than MSs such as public and autorities. Involved relevant parties other than MSs such as public and autorities and also consultation provision from Public Participation Directive. Decision-making All consultation comments and ER are to be taken into account. Consultation comments and environmental informations are included in decision-making. Info on decision More specific and detailed requirements. Information provision from Public Participation Directive are mademore specific in the requirement. Monitoring Long term monitoring required Not require monitoring 3. Weaknesses of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) 3.1. Lack of consideration of cumulative impacts EIA process is often facing difficulty in addressing cumulative impacts of a development. The significant impacts of a development especially issues on biodiversity, human health and cultural heritage are no included in their assessment (McDonald Brown 1995). For example in Scotland, several developments of wind farms proposed in close proximity have led to a very complicated EIA process (Glasson, 1999). Each developer required assessing the cumulative impact of landscape and visual application with those of neighboring projects (Benson, 2003). The planning process could face a delay due to this issue. 3.2. Insufficient public participation Public involvement has shown to be insufficient in EIA process (Gailus, 1995). In a recent research suggested that this is due to the attitude of the developer that discourages the participation of public in EIA process in the European Community. Due to lack of legislation and extensive for public involvement in Europe in the early 90s to influence the decision of a development, the general public is not aware of their rights and causes them not interested in the development involvement (Caddy, 1996). 3.3. Little monitoring and auditing process Previous study has showed that monitoring and auditing issues are still weak in EIA. Follow-up process is only performed by developers in a minority of cases (Arts and Nootebloom 1999). Monitoring process enables practioners to have better understanding for future extension, design and restoration projects (Frost, 1997). However, the river restoration process in United Kingdom (UK) was hampered by lack of monitoring process in EIA. 3.4. Inadequate consideration of alternatives The compilation of alternatives appears to be very limited in EIA report (Tesli, 2002). For example in Hungary for radioactive disposal, the report did not provide in details or rather limited in reducing the impacts of the project to the human health (Benson, 2003). It is important to include various alternatives to allow solutions being taken in a development. 3.5. The poor quality of environmental impact statements and reports The reports produced in EIA are often too complex in term of length and technical which is not easily understood by the public and decision makers (Lee, 1995). It is important for ES to be simple as it has to be made available to the public. 3.6. The timing of decisions The decision-making process in EIA project enters too late where the effects of policy and planning critical decisions are not being considered (Lee, 1995). This is due to the absence of systematic impact assessment process where the outcome of it could subsequently influence the project planning and design (Harrop Nixon 1999). 4. Conclusion There were various weaknesses have been identified in EIA process. Due to these weaknesses, SEA was developed in 2001 under EU Directive to strengthen the environmental assessment process. 5. References Arts, J. and Nootebloom, S. (1999) ‘Environmental Impact Assessment Monitoring and Auditing in: Petts, J. (ed.) Handbook of Environmental Impact Assessment Volume 1, Blackwell, Oxford: 229-251 Benson, J.F. (2003) ‘What is the alternative? Impact assessment tools and sustainable planning, Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 21 (4): 261-266 Caddy, J. (1996). Working Group on Environmental Studies, European University Institute, Florence. [Online] http://www.iue.it/WGES/Iss16/caddy.htm [Accessed: 29/01/2010]. Frost, R. (1997) Planning and Environmental Impact Assessment in Practice. Chapter 7 EIA monitoring and audit in Weston, J (ed). Longman, Harlow. pp 141 175. Gailus, J. (1995). Regional Environmental Centre: Hungary. [Online] http://www.rec.org/REC/Bulletin/Bull52/PublPart.html [Accessed: 29/01/2010] Glasson, J. (1999) ‘The First 10 Years of the UK EIA System: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, Planning Practice and Research, 14 (3): 363-375 Glasson, J. Therivel, R. and Chadwick, A. (1999) Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment, Spon Press, London Harrop, O. and Nixon, A. (1999) Environmental Impact Assessment in Practice, Routledge, London Lee, N. (1995) ‘Environmental Assessment in the European Union: a tenth anniversary, Project Appraisal, 10 (2): 77-90 McDonald, G.T. and Brown, A.L. (1995) ‘Going Beyond Environmental Impact Assessment: environmental input to planning and design, Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 15: 483-495 Partidà ¡rio, M.R., 2000, Elements of an SEA framework improving the added-value of SEA, Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 20: 647-663. Sheate, W. Byron, H. Dagg, S. Cooper, L (2005), The Relationship between SEA and EIA Directives: Final Report to the European Commission. Imperial College London Tesli, A. (2002). The use of EIA and SEA relative to the objective of sustainable development, Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research (NIBR). 1. Content of an SEA report as required by EU Directive The implementation of plans and programmes (PPs) in which likely significant effects produce by the project on the environment is the key requirement in preparation of an SEA report (European Parliament and Council of the European Union, 2001). Figure 1 shows the summary of the contents required by EU Directive (2001/42/EC) in producing SEA reports. Not all projects need to perform SEA process (Barth Fuder, 2002). The diagram in Figure 2 shows a set of set of criteria for application to PPs under the EU Directive (2001/42/EC). It specifies whether SEA is required or not according to the Directive. For simplicity, the developments of the PPs and reasonable alternative options of SEA are summarized in five key stages according to the government guidance in England (URL 1). 1.1. The key five stages Stage A: Context, Baseline and Scoping (SEA Directive Annex 1) Authority needs to include indicators, objectives and background information for SEA in the plan. The decisions of the scope can be decide by the authority including consultation on the statutory environmental bodies (URL 1). Stage B:Alternatives and Assessment (SEA Directive Article 5.1) Authority need to identify reasonable alternatives and assess the effects of the project on the environment. Ways of reducing, preventing and offsets the effects have to be provided as well (URL 1). Stage C: Preparing the Environmental Report Draft plan/programme which includes the information of the effects has to be presented as a key output of SEA process (URL 1). Stage D: Consultation (SEA Directive Article 6.2 and Annex 1) The draft plan and environmental report should be ready together for consultation where a statement are made from the consultation responses in order to produce an evolving plan (URL 1). Stage E: Monitoring (SEA Directive Article 10.1) The implementation of the plan where environment effects are produced needs monitoring process. It helps to provide more baseline information for future plans (URL 1). 2. Difficulties and limitations in fulfilling these requirements Table 1: Summary of the difficulties and limitations of SEA reports as required in EU Directive. Requirements issues Difficulties and limitations Availability and access to data Environmental data is often limited and not relevant because it is not collected and stored systematically. The process of data collection requires extensive resources and using these data are difficult because different departments tend to collect different set of data. The quality of good data is lacking and this issue has been reported by Member States such as Germany and Poland (European Commission, 2009). Best example of this issue is Poland. They are facing difficulties of generating and collecting data of affected area because of the implementation of a plan/programme. The current picture of the environment has to be identified especially in large areas but they indicate that it is very problematic (European Commission, 2009). Sometimes, the coverage areas of SEA are large (including few countries and produces large amount of alternatives (URL 1). This will increase the complexity of data collection and analysis (URL 1). Public Participation The availability of the data for the public is limited. In the UK, documents and information of the plan are not required to be published on their website until ER is finalized according to the draft Regulations (Partidà ¡rio, 1996). As a result, public participation is limited as not many public will travel to the plan-makers office to view the documents at a minimum time period for consultation. It is important to set up a website to facilitate the consultation process for the public to participate (Partidà ¡rio, 1996). Else, public is unaware that inspection of these documents are available to them and no feedback can be made (Kà ¸rnà ¸v Thissen, 2000). EA at higher levels of decision making As SEA involves higher levels of decision making, the implementation policy of PPs are subject to various departments decisions (Kà ¸rnà ¸v Thissen, 2000). For example, a Local Transport Plan requires policy from Regional Spatial Strategies, Aviation and Transport White Papers and Sustainable Communities Plan and Planning Policy Statements (Brown Thà ©rivel, 2000). Due to these requirements, a complex screening process has to be performed and decisions for PPS are even more very difficult in the assessment (Brown Thà ©rivel, 2000). Deciding on the level of detail of the environmental report The details of require information in SEA reports are vary due to lack of adaptation in assessment for the level of abstraction in PPs (European Commission, 2009). According to Member States (Latvia and Germany), the possible impacts of PPs are difficult to be included in SEA reports because of less information of the right scale and level required (European Commission, 2009). Therefore, important information for long term PPs is difficult as no appropriate spatial scale of information need to be included in the report (European Commission, 2009). Development of assessment methods As there are no specific guidelines, strong methodological background and lack of exchange for best practices, developing an effective assessment is very challenging (Brown Thà ©rivel, 2000). For example in Operational Programmes objectives, high level plans in a viable assessment do not necessary show the actual physical ground effects although strategic policies are implemented European Commission, 2009). Assessment of impacts Although SEA addressing the importance of cumulative impacts, there is no standard and effective assessment methodologies are being developed (Partidà ¡rio, 1996). The significant environmental impacts of PPs are difficult to assess and the identification of these aspects are limited (Partidà ¡rio, 1996). Monitoring and enforcement (Including issues of indicators) The assessment of plans is limited because there is no sustainability and environmental criteria developed in the monitoring programme (European Commission, 2009). Therefore, monitoring indicators (local agenda 21 for instance) is being used however it is difficult for monitoring process as mentioned by Member States like France. Environmental authorities have no proper enforcement tool to ensure that monitoring programme is being performed (European Commission, 2009). For example in the UK, no quality control body is being set up by the government to monitor the efficiency of monitoring process which is a limitation for SEA (Verheem, R. Tonk, J. 2000). Institutional and legal issues The supports for SEA process are still insufficient politically (European Commission, 2009). The bureaucratic prerogatives may hinder the effectiveness of SEA performance. As SEA process is relatively new, lack of human resources especially knowledgeable authorities is a major limitation for SEA (European Commission, 2009). 3. Comparison between requirement of SEA Directive (2001/42/EC) and Sustainability Appraisal (SA). In the United Kingdom (UK), SA and SEA are required in planning system and law for Government Plans and Programmes (Smith Sheate 2001). For most Development Plan Documents (DPD) and Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD), both SA and SEA process have to be carried out and include in the Local Development Framework (LDF) in the UK (Smith Sheate 2001). SA was developed to assess the likely economic, social and environmental impacts so proposed PPs can be implemented that leads to sustainable development unlike SEA which was previously described (Lee Kirkpatrick, 2000). The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (2004) and European Directive EC/2001/42 require both SA and SEA processes to be performed in any planning (Smith Sheate 2001). It is also requires by the Environmental Assessment Regulations for Plans and Programmes in UK (Smith Sheate 2001). In table 2, comparison of SA and SEA in terms of UK planning system for Government PPs are being summarized. Table 2: Comparison between SA and SEA requirements within the UK planning system Requirements Strategic Environmental Assessment Sustainability Appraisals Overall aims The aim of SEA is to raise the profile of environmental considerations as part of an advocative approach during decision-making process (Kà ¸rnà ¸v Thissen, 2000). In contrast to SEA, it is use as a support process in decision-making and representing an integrated approach that working towards in all aspects of sustainable development. Therefore, the interests at stake are remained neutral during this process (Minas, 2002). Focus Environmental effects (Lee Kirkpatrick, 2000) A full range of environmental, social and economic issues (Minas, 2002). Environmental/ Sustainability aspects It involves 15 components which is suggested in the 1993 guidance with additional social and economic factors to be considered in 1999 guidance (Thà ©rivel, Minas, 2002). Aspects of biodiversity, human health, cultural factors, water, landscape, population and material assets are considered primarily (Thà ©rivel, Minas, 2002). Report requirements There are no formal requirements for SA. In good practice guidance, identification of scoping and impacts stages is recommended (Thà ©rivel, Minas, 2002). The 1999 guidance also recommends that planners should provide and evaluates alternatives. Environmental baseline conditions should be considered as well. It involved extensive requirements of Annex 1 which have previously discussed (Barth Fuder, 2002). Methodology According to DETR Guide, the appraisal should emphasize on strategic options, alternatives, and policy impact matrices in achieving sustainable development. Therefore, the methodological statement is very brief if compare to SEA (Minas, 2002). In contrast to SA, heavy emphasis is in place on actually baseline data which set as a benchmark to assess the alternatives performance. It is also requires authorities to consult the final environmental report from the public on the scope of the assessment (Thà ©rivel, Minas, 2002). Timing The process is being carried out very early where every stage of the development plan process is considered as an important element (Thà ©rivel, Minas, 2002). In contrast to SA, it is usually being carried out during the preparation of a plan before the submission to the legislative procedure (Thà ©rivel, Minas, 2002). Involvement The appraisals are subjected to consultation with outside groups such as public consultation during the plan preparation. The appraisal usually made available on the internet where it is being carried out sporadically (Thà ©rivel, Minas, 2002). It is not required to make available on the internet. The consultation can be done during scoping stage by specified environmental authorities. Opportunity has to be given to the public to comment the draft plan (Partidà ¡rio, 1996). Documentation required No formal requirements according to the guidance A statement need to be produced by an authority to summarize all the considerations of the plan have been integrated. They need to provide a report of consultees opinion which taken during the consultation process and valid reasons on why the alternatives are being chosen (Partidà ¡rio, 1996). 4. Success of SEA report in delivering sustainable development objectives A wide range of processes has been integrated with SEA report. It has shown to be a systematic process where accountable decision making can be achieve due to the earlier evaluating process being taken with strong alternative visions (Wood Dejeddour, 1992). All these have incorporated in SEA policy, planning and program initiatives (PPPs) to ensure sustainable development with full integration of economic, social and political considerations (Partidà ¡rio Clarke, 2000). Although SEA shows to be a great tool in project level but the process of SEA is not easily accepted or consider as an effective solution due to its complexity (Thà ©rivel Partidà ¡rio, 2000). Recent research has shown that SEA produces both great opportunities as well as failures in sustainable development (Sadler, 1998). 4.1. Sustainability objectives are included in the integrated process of policy making and planning During the design stage of SEA, objectives of sustainability are being considered which provides a greater plan and policy in decision making (Thompson et al., 1995). It gradually delivers its objectives of sustainable development because the use of SEA articulates sustainability goals by enhancing the political action where substantive action can be taken (Partidà ¡rio, 1996). As the expectation of internal and external public of its delivery increasing, it offers the possibility of bringing better policy towards sustainable development into success. The transition of SEA involved two main steps: Information gathering and analysis work The core of strategic decision making Sustainable development consideration is being covered in a broader range where strategic level matters are separated from advisory conventionally-focused (Pezzoli, 1997). Sustainability criteria are used as the key bases to help in strategic decision making on the selection among best options available (Pezzoli, 1997). With these steps being taken, larger context of core policies and programmes in strategic assessment are identified in pursuing the objectives of national sustainability. Therefore, SEA report may be an important instrument in promoting sustainable development when it is fully integrated (Partidà ¡rio, 1996). 4.2. Operationalises sustainability principles In practical application, the concept of sustainability is very difficult because it faces high complexity and uncertain reality (Pezzoli, 1997). Interconnected generational boundaries and disciplinary of sustainability may further complicates the concept (Marsden, 1998). Therefore, the application of specific context of sustainability and commonly recognized principles are being clarified by SEA. SEA identified three key principle of sustainability: Integrated pursuit of ecological and socio-economic improvements Uncertainty imposes precautionary obligations Public choices involved SEA is a visible confirmation of commitment to sustainability as it offers broader exposure to notions such as natural capital and the precautionary principle (Pezzoli, 1997). Therefore, it can be translated into the language of politics of sustainability and functions as a heuristic device (Thà ©rivel et al., 1992). 4.3. Improves analysis of broad public purposes and alternatives With alternative technologies, lifestyle choices and better resources, SEA offers better possibility in achieving sustainable development because it has the capability to contemplating these factors that cannot be address at lower levels (Wood Dejeddour, 1992). Therefore, SEA report is the most effective and efficient point in finding alternatives and addressing the needs in pursuing the objectives of sustainability development (Thà ©rivel et al., 1992). 4.4. Facilitates proper attention to cumulative effects Strategic level proves to be the best way to deal with increasing number of cumulative impacts. The scope of SEA helps to identifying these impacts because of its space scales (Ortolano Shepherd, 1995; Scott, 1992). As SEA is performed in an early stage, this assessment allows assessors to provide more attention in a wider range of actions in a larger area. It allows them to provide a broader context of cumulative impacts in addressing each of the impacts (Thà ©rivel Partidà ¡rio 1996). According to Thà ©rivel Partidà ¡rio, undesirable activities as a results of a project can be removed before the project stage begins because these cumulative impacts have influence the project decision where SEA has incorporated environmental issues intrinsically during the planning stage. Earlier detection of these impacts helps to promote sustainable development. 4.5. Facilitates greater transparency and more effective public participation at the strategic level With the extensive involvement of public participation in SEA, it has improved the credibility and accountability of SEA in sustainability where they facilitating external scrutiny of decision (Wood Dejeddour, 1992). It creates increasing pressures in strategic decision making process to overcome bureaucratic fragmentation because in many jurisdictions, bureaucratic disorganisation and wastefulness in citizen has been declining. The expanding role of public provided in SEA allows an intrinsic connection between environmental sustainability and equity (George, 1999) to promote basic sustainability goals. 5. Conclusion There are many challenges ahead for SEA report. There are many difficulties in producing a good SEA report. Nevertheless, SEA report requirements did show success in achieving sustainable development goals. In order to ensure SEA report success, weaknesses and limitation needs to be considered and solution needed in order to overcome it. 6. References Barth, R. Fuder, A. (2002) Implementing Article 10 of the SEA Directive 2001/42/EC. Final Report : Freiburg, Darmstadt, Berlin. Brown, A L, and Thà ©rivel, R. (2000), â€Å"Principles to guide the development of strategic environmental assessment methodology†, Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal , 18(3), September, pages 183-189. Environment Agency (2004) SEA Good Practice Guidelines www.environment-agency.gov.uk/seaguidelines. Accessed on 27/01/10. European Parliament and Council of the European Union (2001) Directive 2001/42/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment Commission of the European Communities, Brussels. www.europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2001/l_197/l_19720010721en00300037.pdf European Commission (2009) Study concerning the report on the application and
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Neo-Marxist analysis: Neo-liberal policies
Neo-Marxist analysis: Neo-liberal policies What is the neo-Marxist assessment of neo-liberal policies and to what extent do you agree with this assessment? Neo-Marxism is a school of economic thought which applies Marxist ideas to the present global economic conditions. It became prevalent during the 1960s and 1970s as neo-Marxist scholars demonstrated how capitalist policies hindered development and increased the inequality between the Global North and South. Henceforth, neo-Marxists produced the dependency and modern world system theories as clear illustrations as to how neo-liberal capitalism has brought increased inequality to the global economy. Therefore, in order to examine neo-Marxist assessments of neo-liberal policies, it is firstly important to consider different neo-Marxist perspectives in detail and analyse the elements which are contested and by whom. It is also important to evaluate the arguments for and against the doctrine, which would help to gauge to what extent the neo-Marxist assessments are credible. Thus it will be argued that neo-Marxist theories provide an accurate analysis of how neo-liberal capitalism has crea ted an increase in political and economic subordination of the South to the North and further, its critical examination of the New International Economic Order. The argument which supports the development problem analysis stems from neo-liberal economics. The theoretical basis is that, ‘rather than protecting national markets and production, neo-liberal theory promotes openness and allows more efficient use of resources, exchange of technology and greater opportunities for economic growth.’ This approach has been influential in modernisation theory, which asserts that, once states implement neo-liberal restructuring measures and entrepreneurs accumulate sufficient capital, the benefits of growth and efficiency would ‘trickle down’ to the poor. Neo-liberals argue that underdeveloped societies, ‘should learn from the development experiences of the already developed or pioneer countries,’ striving to become more like existing developed societies. In the early 1990s, the IMF and World Bank in conjunction with the US Treasury Department ‘arrived at a consensus that neo-liberal policies were needed in l ess developed and emerging market economies.’ These policies included the strengthening of the free market, supporting private enterprise and increasing deregulation allowing entrepreneurial initiative. The Washington Consensus had several key policies for the Global South to increase development and these were said to be market-led. These included the issuing of loans so long as ‘Southern’ governments followed strict policy conditions, state-led development was replaced with market-led development and to use foreign exchange from export-led growth to pay off debts and promote development. However, neo-Marxists criticise these policies and have lead them to introduce theories which address the level of underdevelopment caused by neo-liberalism and the Washington Consensus. The neo-Marxist theories of Dependency and World System Theories both share the idea that the Global North and South are in a structural relationship with one another. The former theory originated in the South, and its subject area is explicitly geared towards the problems and interests of the South and is seen as, ‘bottom up,’ approach to international political economy, which prioritises the conditions faced by the poor and the oppressed. Furthermore, having emerged from the development economics studies of the 1960s, dependency theory simultaneously links underdevelopment and capitalist exploitation to trade and monetary relations, and the role of corporate actors and economic institutions. The theory claims that the impoverishment of the South is a direct outcome of their exploitation by the advanced countries in the age of imperialism, which led to the superior development of the North. While the countries in the North accumulate sizeable capital, the countries in t he South are further plunged into underdevelopment. The dependency theory further claims that a new form of imperialism is now dominant, ‘in which an economic imperialism continues the exploitation of the South, without the direct political rule of colonialism.’ When analysing neo-Marxist assessments of neo-liberalism it is important to consider where neo-liberalism has been implemented in both developed and underdeveloped nations. When taking the example of how neo-liberalism was embedded in Latin America; there were several distinct policies that lead the transition into neo-liberal economics. A specific policy was the exchange-rate overvaluation which, ‘artificially reduces the local price of imports,’ however lead to a, ‘devastating impact on the balance of payments and employment.’ Other policies such as domestic financial liberalisation and liberalisation of capital account of the fiscal reforms lead to investment and savings rates declining and public debt levels increasing sharply due to high interest rate levels respectably. Neo-liberal economic policies were implemented by Thatcher’s government of 1979-1990. However, she left behind the highest inflation and interest rates among advanced economies, including large scale bankruptcies, high and rising unemployment and the largest current account deficit in history. The UK’s economic downturn highlights and emphasises the weakness within the doctrine of neo-liberalism. Critical analysts, including those associated with World Systems Theory, neo-Marxism and postcolonial theory; suggest that underdevelopment is actually a problem of dependency, arising within a world system operating as a whole. Underdeveloped societies are not in the position they are in due to internal inadequacies, but because of an ongoing history of dependency, economic exploitation, political subordination and military violence. Whereas the mainstream analysis suggests that any and all underdeveloped societies can in principle â€Å"catch up†with the West through the adoption of development-led, typically neo-liberal policies, critical theorists suggest that such a â€Å"catch-up†cannot happen in a world dominated by the developed societies. Any improvement in the status of underdeveloped societies would require a radical transformation of the entire world system, including the position within it of the developed societies. It could not take the form of a  "catch-up†but only of a general structural transformation. This is because the position of developed countries is itself a product of the world system and requires the continued existence of underdevelopment to sustain it. Despite significant differences, critical approaches share the view that, ‘there exists a world structure in which dominant interests located in the advanced industrial world dominate and exploit the rest of the world using economic, political and military means.’ Andre Gunder Frank argues that, ‘the global system is a whole chain of metropolis-satellite relations. Each metropolis dominates, exploits and draws wealth from its satellite or satellites.’ This chain, with northern societies at the top, keeps societies in Africa, Asia and Latin America at the bottom of a global system. Frank sees surplus exported upwards and outwards from the bottom of the chain to the top. For Frank, development is not possible without a complete break from the system. Once a state has become a satellite, it can only develop when its ties with the metropolis are broken or weakened, for example in times of war or recession. In this view development is always dependent development and a â€Å"catch-up†is ruled out. Any context in which development occurred would involve the construction of a new international economic order which, far from conforming underdeveloped societies to models set in the north, would alter economic relations in a manner which would transform developed as well as underdeveloped societies. However, Dependency theory is weak in its analysis of capitalist relations as being inherently negative and based purely on exploitation. Although underdevelopment and poverty are vital problems of a global scale, they are not sole features of the international economy. Development has occurred in peripheral areas, and not all relations between the North and South are about exploitation; indeed, not all international relations involve interrelation between underdeveloped and developed as Dependency focuses, but relationships between advanced states must too be studied. Therefore, the extent to which one believes the issue of underdevelopment is salient in the international political economy can dictate how much one believes dependency theory enables an understanding of these economic relations to a degree, however this approach is inherently limited because International Political Economy must also be studied by looking at a system of wealth production and not just monopolistic explo itation of wealth. Similarly, the even faster growth of development in less industrialised states over the industrialised in examples of Taiwan and Singapore indicate that Dependency theories do not encapsulate fully the potential nature of economic relations through ignoring any possibility of cooperation and mutual advantage through capitalism. Additionally, in the Dependency theory’s analysis of underdevelopment itself, flaws are also found. The fact that the ‘development of the underdevelopment.’ is still as crucial an issue today as it was when Gunder Frank wrote his piece in 1969 is proof that ‘dependency’ does not offer a real understanding of underdevelopment, despite highlighting it, because it cannot offer a solution to it. Its analysis in explaining the reasons why certain countries are underdeveloped is singular and base because it is using dependence alone as justification, and so is not able to offer structural adjustment programmes to actually change the economic position of the underdeveloped in the international economy. The fact that underdevelopment is always equated with capitalism also adds to a tendency for Dependency to criticise capitalism rather than explain the reasons why underdevelopment is not solved and analyse the causes of poverty. When placing primary emphasis on the level of economic development, with political or ideological differences, this approach yields the ‘North-South’ divide. Though there are some anomalies, such as South Africa and Australia, the world is seen as divided essentially between the wealthy and powerful countries of the Northern Hemisphere and the poor, less-developed countries of the Southern Hemisphere. However, the North-South dichotomy, though useful in debate, is inaccurate and misleading. A more precise economic model of the world system distinguishes among the superpowers, solely the United States at the end of the 20th century; other developed countries, such as Japan, Germany, and Britain; and the underdeveloped countries, such as China and Bolivia. We then have First, Second, and Third Worlds. A further refinement of the economic model looks past the level of three worlds of development to a single underlying and developing world system. Based on a historical perspective, this view, advanced especially by the American theorist Immanuel Wallerstein, argues that there is but a single world economy, the capitalist world economy, which has been expanding since the 17th century. Wallerstein’s World Systems Theory, developed in 1974, utilised many features found in the Dependency Model, such as viewing development in global conditions rather than focussing on economic development in individual countries. However, there are differences between the two theories and Wallerstein, ‘moves beyond the static dualism of the dependency models†¦rather than viewing the world in terms of ‘core’ and ‘periphery.’’ There are ‘core countries,’ such as the United States and Japan; ‘semi-peripheral countries,’ such as Bra zil, most eastern European states, and China; and ‘peripheral countries,’ such as Cuba and most of the poor countries of Africa and Asia. Depending on economic fortunes and fluctuations, as well as the logic of the developing system itself, countries can move in and out of these categories. This is in stark contrast to the Dependency Theory which advocates that periphery nations would permanently be in a state of exploitation, ‘some countries of the world were experiencing economics development in terms of industrialisation†¦including the ‘Asian Tigers’ of South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, as well as Latin American nations such as Brazil.’ In order to move a country’s status from the periphery to the core, Wallerstein proposes import substitution as a solution. Import substitution is a phenomenon that responds to external disruption of trade by domestically producing substitutes for those goods previously imported. This is a policy that the governments in less developed countries may use to undertake industrialisation and structural changes. Wallerstein supports the core and periphery to create globalization. Wallerstein’s theory helps globalization in the international context. He believes that the rich creates the poor. Unless the poor country eventually changes it economy and accumulates its own capital, it will continue to stay in the periphery. The plausibility and appeal of this model lie in its recognition of the growing internationalisation of the industrial economy. Nation-states, whether capitalist or communist, are becoming increasingly subordinate to world economic developments. Decisions about capital investment and growth are made in a world context and on a global scale. The giant multinational corporations are the most significant new actors on the world stage and have been establishing a new international division of labour. From their point of view, it makes more sense to manufacture goods in South Korea or Taiwan, where labour is still cheap and governments compliant, than in the United States or Britain, where labour is expensive and regulation stringent. Such high-level functions as central planning and research and development can be retained in their Western homelands, where there are the necessary reserves of highly trained professional and scientific personnel. Profits can be declared in those countries where taxes are lowest. In such a way do the multinationals illustrate, even embody, the interdependence of core and periphery nations. In order to move a country’s status from the periphery to the core, Wallerstein proposes import substitution as a solution. Import substitution is a phenomenon that responds to external disruption of trade by domestically producing substitutes for those goods previously imported. This is a policy that governments in less developed countries may use to undertake industrialisation and structural changes. However, there are criticisms of Wallerstein’s theory with regards to the semi-periphery. They describe it being an improvised, ‘invention to deal with those cases that do not fit neatly into the core-periphery framework.’ Critics deduce this because the majority of development economic theory in recent years has centred upon, ‘the elaboration of dependent development in the countries of the semi-periphery.’ Furthermore, other criticisms include the fact that the theory is, ‘too deterministic both economically and in terms of the constraining effects of the global capitalist system.’ Therefore, it is arguable that the neo-Marxist assessments of an increased inequality and subordination between the Global South and North which has been constructed through neo-liberal policies are valid and well-founded. The development of critical theories such as the Dependency and Modern World System have accurately criticised neo-liberal policies of market-led reforms and how underlying capitalism will lead to the core being concentrated in areas of the North. However, there are flaws in the Dependency Theory, as mentioned, including the need to address the solutions of development in peripheral countries. Furthermore, Wallerstein’s World Systems Theory has successfully been able to incorporate not only core and periphery states but that of the semi-periphery, which include emerging market economies such of India, Brazil and China. These states act as a buffer between the core and periphery countries. Despite these flaws both theories present an excellent assessment of n eo-liberal policies. BIBLIOGRAPHY Balaam, David and Veseth, Michael – Introduction to International Political Economy (London: Pearson Prentice Hall 2001) pp. 70-90 Brewer, Anthony – Marxist Theories of Imperialism: A Critical Survey (London: Routledge, 1990) pp. 60-73 Byres, Terence, ‘Neoliberalism and Primitive Accumulation in LDCs’ in Saad-Filho, Alfredo and Johnston, Deborah – Neoliberalism: A Critical Reader (London: Pluto Press, 2005) pp. 83-91 Chase-Dunn, Christopher and Grimes, Peter, ‘World-System Analysis,’ Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 21. (1995), pp. 387-417 Chomsky, Noam – Profit Over People: Neo-Liberalism and Global Order (New York: Seven Stories Press, 1999) p. 7-34 Corbridge, Stuart Development Studies: A Reader (London: Edward Arnold, 1995) pp. 1-15 Frank, Andre Gunder – Capitalism and Underdevelopment in Latin America: Historical Studies of Chile and Brazil (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1969) pp.3-12 Helleiner, Eric, ‘Alternatives to Neo-Liberalism? Towards a More Heterogeneous Global Political Economy,’ in Stubbs, Richard and Underhill, Geoffrey Political economy and the changing global order (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006) pp.77-88 Nicholson, Michael International Relations: A Concise Introduction (Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1998) p. 4-23 Olson, Richard Stuart – ‘Economic Coercion in World Politics: With a Focus on North-South Relations,’ World Politics, Vol. 31, No. 4. (Jul., 1979), pp. 471-494 Radice, Hugo, ‘Neoliberal Globalisation: Imperialism with Empires?’ in Saad-Filho, Alfredo and Johnston, Deborah – Neoliberalism: A Critical Reader (London: Pluto Press, 2005) pp. 91-99 Saad-Filho, Alfredo, ‘The Political Economy of Neoliberalism in Latin America’ in Saad-Filho, Alfredo and Johnston, Deborah – Neoliberalism: A Critical Reader (London: Pluto Press, 2005) pp. 222-230 Scharpf, Fritz and Schmidt, Vivien – Welfare and Work in the Open Economy Volume II (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000) pp.36-41 Sklair, Leslie – Globalization: Capitalism and its alternatives (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002) pp. 30-48 Smith, Tony, ‘The Underdevelopment of Development Literature: The Case of Dependency Theory,’ World Politics, Vol. 31, No. 2. (Jan., 1979), pp. 247-288 Thomas, Caroline, ‘Globalization and Development in the South,’ in Ravenhill, John – Global Political Economy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005) pp. 317-344 Willis, Kate – Theories and Practices of Development (London: Routledge, 2006) pp.62-75, 173-179
Monday, August 19, 2019
The Nature of the Mind :: essays research papers
A leading exponent of the substantial view was George Berkeley, an 18th century Anglican bishop and philosopher. Berkeley argued that there is no such thing as matter and what humans see as the material world is nothing but an idea in God's mind, and that therefore the human mind is purely a manifestation of the soul. Few philosophers take an extreme view today, but the view that the human mind is of a nature or essence somehow different from, and higher than, the mere operations of the brain, continues to be widely held. Berkeley's views were attacked, and in the eyes of many demolished, by T.H. Huxley, a 19th century biologist and disciple of Charles Darwin, who agreed that the phenomena of the mind were of a unique order, but argued that they can only be explained in reference to events in the brain. Huxley drew on a tradition of materialist thought in British philosophy dating to Thomas Hobbes, who argued in the 17th century that mental events were ultimately physical in nature, although with the biological knowledge of his day he could not say what their physical basis was. Huxley blended Hobbes with Darwin to produce the modern materialist or functional view. Huxley's view was reinforced by the steady expansion of knowledge about the functions of the human brain. In the 19th century it was not possible to say with certainty how the brain carried out such functions as memory, emotion, perception and reason. This left the field open for substantialists to argue for an autonomous mind, or for a metaphysical theory of the mind. But each advance in the study of the brain during the 20th century made this harder, since it became more and more apparent that all the components of the mind have their origins in the functioning of the brain. Huxley's rationalism, however, was disturbed in the early 20th century by the ideas of Sigmund Freud, who developed a theory of the unconscious mind, and argued that those mental processes of which humans are subjectively aware are only a small part of their total mental activity. Freudianism was in a sense a revival of the substantial view of the mind in a secular guise.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
My Life :: essays research papers
To be given the chance to play little league was one of the greatest times of my life. I played little league for four years, and every year I made the all-star team. My best friend and I played on every regular season team and every all-star team together. The final game of our career was unforgettable. It had been 4 years of great enjoyment with my best friend, Cody Smith. We always clowned around in practice, but when the game would start we had a high intensity. Cody would pitch, and I would play second base. When he wasn’t pitching, I would, and he would play third base. We were the top players in little league, or so we thought. Our all-star team had made it to the championship of our state tournament. Before our team took the field our coach John Zamouski gave us a talk. He said, â€Å"Well men, we’ve came a long way. Today’s the day we’ve all practiced so hard for, but I want to have fun with it. Lets treat this like every other game we have won. You’re all winners, win or lose. I want you all to know that I feel privileged to have coached such a fine bunch of men. So lets go out and play this game as hard as you can. What do you say, lets go have FUN.†We all got up and yelled, â€Å"YEA.†â€Å"Let’s play hard.†â€Å"Yea†As we all got more pumped up. â€Å"Who are we?†â€Å"N.I.†As we got more loud and more intense. Coach said, â€Å"Bring it in. Win on 3. One, two, three†as we all yelled together â€Å"WIN.†As I ran on to that field I recalled all the practicing I had done, and I knew I owed most of it to my father. He started me throwing and hitting when I was about four-years-old. As my passion grew more and more I wanted to go practice all the time. So I would ask my father to practice with me. Even though my father was tired or in the middle of a good TV show he would practice with me. I remembered my father sitting on an old milk crate while I pitched to him. This made me chuckle a little because I would throw a low wild pitch on accident that would hit him in the legs, but he kept positive. Cody was pitching a 3 hitter and I was playing well too. The score kept going back and forth. There were a lot of errors because the field was all dirt and
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