Man Caused Environmental Problem essays

Man Caused Environmental Problem essays Air pollution and air quality has been a topic of concern for decades in the United States. While great progress has been made toward cleaning up our air, there is still much left to do to make air quality healthful for the country's citizens. These experts note, "The United States has achieved remarkable progress in reducing air pollution since the Clean Air Act was established in 1970" (Mangun and Henning 229). However, most large cities still experience many days each year where air quality is unhealthful, and these days can lead to health and breathing problems for What causes air pollution' One of the major causes of unhealthy air is automobile emissions, and emissions from factories, power plants, and other industries. Fossil fuels are one of the biggest problems in controlling air pollution. Industries and homes that burn fossil fuels also contaminate the atmosphere, and these fuels must be replaced with cleaner technologies, such as solar and wind power, and other forms of power that are less costly in monetary and air pollution terms. The remainder of these dirty fuels accumulates in the atmosphere. Often they are invisible, but more often, when the accumulate in enough numbers; they become the glaze of smog that hangs over most large cities in the United States. In times of temperature inversion, when heat rises and traps colder air underneath, air pollution and ozone emissions can be trapped in valleys, creating a dangerous situation for the area's air quality. As the Utah Air Quality Web site notes, "Ozone is an invisible gas caused by vehicle emissions in the presence of sunlight and hot temperatures. [] Continued exposure to ozone can cause breathing problems, reduce lung function, irritate eyes and nasal passages and reduce resistance to colds and other infections" ("Air Quality"). Poor air quality can also exacerbate existing condit...

Equity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Equity - Essay Example Executive Summary: Owens & Minor Inc. Ticker: OMI Recommendation: Hold Price: $29.78 on 31.03.2010 Price target one year: $34.95 Highlights: A fortune 500 company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Wide distribution network throughout the United States. The provider of the broadest selection of branded products. Unique, superior products are offered through non competitive partnerships with leading manufacturers of health care products through cost effective product line labeled Medichoice, OM direct etc. Supplier assortment, community participation and sustainability are the guiding principles of the firm. Hospitals and Ambulatory surgery centers are the principal customers of the firm. Financial Summary: Market capitalization of $ 2.04 billion in 31.3.2010. The first quarter of 2010 saw an increase in the net income of the firm by 98% as compared to the previous year. Operating earnings in the firm increased by 23.3% as compared to the first quarter in the previous year 2009. Cas h and cash equivalents as on 31.03.2010 was $ 146.4 million. A review of the firm’s earning growth rate indicates an average earning growth of 5.4% over the past ten years. Dividend yield of the stock of the firm as on 31.03.2010 was 2.1%. Qualitative analysis: Company profile and industry overview: Owens & Minor makes sure hospitals are organized for main surgeries. â€Å"Its services include logistics, supplier management; analytics inventory management, outsourced resource management, clinical supply management, and business process consulting† (Owens & Minor Inc (OMI: New York) Par. 1). A primary dispenser of surgical and medical supplies, the industry takes about 200,000 products from 1,200 producers. Products distributed by Owens & Minor contain surgical dressings, intravenous and endoscope products, syringes, needles, sterile procedure trays, gowns, sutures and gloves. Owens & Minor consumers are chiefly health systems and hospitals and the purchasing associatio ns that serve them. It distributes products to about 4,400 health care contributors from above 50 distribution places from corner to corner the US. SWOT analysis: Strength: Owens & Minor offers a range of information investigation tools and consulting services and outsourced resource management. Weakness: In the recent times, their overall profits are down. Opportunities: The opportunities open to the Owens & Minor are measured in terms of its future development prospects. Threats: The company needs to evaluate prospective partners, vendors and suppliers. Porters 5 Competitive Forces: Porters 5 competitive forces consist of supplier power, threat of new entrants, and threat of substitutes, degree of revelry and buyer power of Owens & Minor. The healthcare supply chain expertise, joined with a continued responsibility to investing in information technologies and to bring a bounty of benefits to health provider customers and supplier partners alike. Threat of new entrants is a probabi lity of reaction from existing competitors and barriers to entry of the Owens & Minor. It consists of economies of scale, product differentiation, capital requirements and governmental and legal barriers of the Owens & Minor. Major Owners: Table 1 shows the major owners of Owens & Minor. Financial Statements Analysis: Ratio Analysis: I. Short term solvency or liquidity ratios a) Current ratio: Current ratio is defined as ratio of current assets to current liabilities. It is computed as follows. Current

Business Communication 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Communication 2 - Assignment Example The facilitation of nonverbal communication is featured by the use of gestures, body language, facial expression of eye contact etc. Besides these features, the prospect of one person’s speech being different from another by way of voice, style and stress also constitutes to the functioning of nonverbal communication. Similarly, even in written format of communication, there are certain features like handwriting, organization of sentences and the word selection can altogether constitute an insignia of a person’s nonverbal communication elements. The following paragraphs give a clear-cut ideal of the scope, function and practical application of nonverbal communication in different spheres of life. It is also essential to recognize the prominence of the seven aspects of this model of contact between people such as paralanguage, body language, environment, distance, touch, time and eye contact has to be clearly evaluated for their use and management in the practical applic ation of nonverbal communication. Managing nonverbal communication Managing communication in the absence of words is arguably one of the most challenging tasks for the managers of organized groups. It is equally important to manage the feelings and their reflections in the daily life of individuals. There can be many examples of the regular life of individuals in which they have to adopt the process of nonverbal communication aspects. Sometimes a look or a gesture does the role of a great command. In other contexts, body language or time set for a regular action can influence the stakeholders of the process of exchange of information. There can be certain references to prove that the use of words and their pronunciation doubtlessly making the communication easier and more cognitive; however, the transfer of feelings and intellectual significance of a conversation or relationship between individuals is influenced more by non-verbal communication channels than the routine voice based elements. For instance, as Soon (2012) points out, a meeting of two people is specifically garnished by their shaking each other’s hands or by a hugging; in either case, the process of the meeting commences with the routine greeting of the time covering that meeting. From a certain angle of view, it is visibly annoying to find that the absence of such a physical endorsement of feelings makes the communication less effective. In order to manage the communication using the nonverbal media, the communicator has to effectively analyze and make use of his body language, touch and vocal qualities with the careful concern for time, space and situations. Moreover, it may also be regulated and empowered by the use of symbols and graphic pictures developed by the modern technology such as printed documents, visual projects and placards etc (Pecha Kucha 6 minutes 40 seconds). The functional success of a nonverbal medium is directly connected to time and environment at which it is used. If a person winks an eye at a stranger as a gesture of information transfer, it becomes provoking sometimes to the opposite person. For another instance, the combined atmosphere and distance effect in a nonverbal communication event matters to a great extent in the completion of a meaningful transfer of information. In military operations and surgical or scientific experimental environments, the need for gestures as a device is necessary; and the right cognitive effect of this is analysed by the timing of such

Visions and Missions Essay Example for Free

Visions and Missions Essay Apple- Mission Statement: Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings. How we calculate our carbon footprint. To accurately measure a company’s environmental footprint, it’s important to look at the impact that company’s products have on the planet. For the past three years, Apple has used a comprehensive life cycle analysis to determine where our greenhouse gas emissions come from. That means adding up the emissions generated from the manufacturing, transportation, use, and recycling of our products, as well as the emissions generated by our facilities. Weve learned that about 98 percent of Apple’s carbon footprint is directly related to our products. The remaining 2 percent is related to our facilities. Samsung- We will devote our human resources and technology to create superior products and services, thereby contributing to a better global society. Since its founding in 1938, SAMSUNG has maintained a mission statement that responds both to its own change, and to new developments in the world: Economic contribution to the nation, Priority to human resources, Pursuit of rationalism. Each slogan represents significant moments in SAMSUNGs history, reflecting different stages of the companys growth from a domestic industrial leader into a global consumer electronics powerhouse. In the 1990s, we transformed our mission statement to keep pace with our growing global operations, rapid changes in the world economy, and escalating competition from well-established rivals. Samsung Management Philosophy: We will devote our human resources and technology to create superior products and services, thereby contributing to a better global society. SAMSUNG management philosophy represents its strong determination to contribute directly to the prosperity of people all over the world. The talent, creativity and dedication of SAMSUNG people are key factors to its efforts, and the strides theyve made in technology offer endless possibilities to achieve higher standards of living everywhere. SAMSUNG management believes that the success of SAMSUNG contributions to society and to the mutual prosperity of people across national boundaries truly depends on how they manage their company. SAMSUNG goal is to create the future with its customers. Rimm- Mission Statement: Research In Motion (RIM) is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, text messaging (SMS and MMS), Internet and intranet-based applications. RIM technology also enables a broad array of third party developers and manufacturers to enhance their products and services with wireless connectivity to data HTC- HTC Company Origins and Point of View Founded in 1997, HTC built its reputation as the behind-the-scenes designer and manufacturer of many of the most popular OEM-branded mobile devices on the market.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Since 2006, we have regularly introduced many critically acclaimed mobile devices under our own brand, and our portfolio includes smartphones and tablets powered by the Android or Windows Phone operating systems.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨We are dedicated to enabling a customized user experience based on the belief that each mobile device needs to fit its owner, and not the other way around. What we make is not merely the product of focus group tests, but of observing and honoring how individuals choose to interact with technology.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Our customers guide everything we do at HTC, and it’s this commitment that defines the company. Success Starts Where It Ends: With the Customer Strong recommendations from retailers, press reviews, consumer opinions, and friends and family, contribute to a high rate of product referrals, brand recognition and ongoing momentum. Combined, these recommendation channels nourish the connection between HTC and its discerning community as market share increases. And because we invest wholeheartedly in refining the personalized communications experience, we champion the customer as the hero through every stage of innovation. Dedication to Experiential, Interactive Design A focus on product design with performance, endurance, craftsmanship, and intuitive tools and interfaces ensures an elegant experience in a beautiful, minimalist package. HTC contributes a variety of innovations that include an amazing camera — cameras that rival leading point-and-shoot models and HD video that turns mobile screens into intimate, state-of-the-art theaters. And we make authentic sound a priority — we integrate Beats technology because it’s not just the music you play that matters, but also the quality of the sound. We recognize that, for our customers, a mobile device isn’t just a smartphone but an A/V entertainment system, communications control center and important instrument of individual expression, all in one. Innovation Through Collaboration Our longstanding working relationships with fellow technology leaders such as Google, Microsoft and Qualcomm are more than strategic partnerships: They serve as active labs of research and development and product evolution. At HTC, collaboration is a means to a very important end: creating a holistic experience for the customer. Our partnerships ensure that hardware, software, and content management and delivery systems are united in seamless and intuitive ways that give consumers control. Empowering the Most Personal Experience Discovering the best ways to integrate state-of-the-art technologies with effortless user experiences has always been, and will always be, our passion. New products simply enable and enhance these experiences. And when our customers share their personal experiences with our products, they speak with passion and conviction. That’s why we encourage, embrace and celebrate users sharing their perspectives. The strength of the HTC community lies in its authenticity; it’s the most accurate and honest voice of real-world understanding available. We insist on seeing through the eyes of this community, because doing so teaches, challenges and prods us to get better at what we do — empowering our customers through personal experience.

Color of America :: essays research papers

Color of America Essay 1.) During the last few centuries many people have migrated to America. One of the main reasons for that is that they all hear about the American Dream and the Promise of America. The American Dream/Promise of America is pretty much a false idea. People from many different places hear that there is freedom and fairness here in this nation, and they hear that there is opportunity in America for everyone and that everyone had a word in things. This promise wasn’t really a promise though. For Native Americans, African-Americans, and other groups†¦this promise has been broken†¦mostly because the American Dream is obtainable†¦but very difficult to achieve. Let’s take African-Americans for example. African-Americans obviously have a very large difference compared to most others in the world. They are black. People seemed to have a difficult time accepting this and because the farmers and people working on plantations with slaves all got their slaves mainly from Africa and the blacks were chosen to be used by them to do all of their work. This made the blacks immediately a lower class of people and before they knew it they were getting pushed to the back of the bus and not allowed to use the same bathrooms or water fountains as white people. 2,) Today American life is like a tossed salad. When people starting migrating to America many years ago, this country was known as a melting pot. Meaning that everyone just pretty much blended in with each other. This became a problem though. People didn’t always mix very well, as they all had come from different cultures and had many cultural differences and also just many different lifestyles. If this country were a melting pot with immigrants from all over bringing over their culture, this country would be very difficult to live in. You could have people like the bushmen living right next door to upper class Americans that just don’t want people who walk around pretty much nude right next to them. That then has people of different groups striving for their cultural identity to be shown because they aren’t fitting into the Eurocentric ideal of an â€Å"American† culture. Saying that this country is like a tossed salad though is a lot different and a lot more realistic. This is saying that like vegetables in a salad, ethnic groups are being able to maintain their own identities while they can still participate in the culture of Americans.

Donnie Darko †Detailed Summary Essay

Donnie Darko is an intelligent, yet delirious and emotionally-ill teenager, who’s idealistic fantasy of correcting the wrongs in society, finally appears possible in a ‘tangent universe’ (an imaginative reality), where he is guided by an imaginary friend Frank, who appears as a malevolent giant bunny in Donnie’s day-time hallucinations. In the early stages of the film, Frank literally lures Donnie from reality and introduces him to a tangent universe where Donnie observes what would’ve been, (yet ultimately is) his own death in reality, where he is crushed by a plummeting airliner engine that crashes through the roof of his house directly above his bedroom where he sleeps. In the tangent reality though, he is merely a bystander, bemused and frightened by the calamity of the aftermath, as he returns home the morning subsequent to the disaster. He realizes that his long sleep-walk adventure the previous night, (Summoned by Frank) had ensured the avoidance of his death. The viewer is initially under the impression that Frank is a product of Donnie’s disturbed and inventive sub-conscious, as he is but a vehicle to allow Donnie’s inhibitions to express themselves through acts of desecration. In many ways, Frank seems to take advantage of Donnie’s mental state by coercing him to perpetrate crime. Yet Donnie appears to advocate his own actions, indicating his intentions for societal change, reformation, and also for companionship – he fears the prospect of â€Å"dying alone,† in which case, Frank is an ally who can assist Donnie in coping with his emotional struggles and hardships. The fact that Donnie’s mental condition is later classified as ‘paranoid schizophrenia’ by Dr Thurman (Donnie’s psychiatrist), would appear as another viable theory or impression, for the viewer to follow. However, it proves not as strong. The reason being, is that the initial or aforementioned theory supports the film’s noteworthy theme that ‘destruction is a form of creation’ (an idea propagated by Donnie’s secondary literacy teacher, Mrs. Pomeroy), whereas the latter is a shallow, yet logical conclusion that isn’t glaringly in keeping with any underlying messages of the film itself. Later in the film, the tangent universe allows for the discovery of Frank, as an authentic person, who is murdered by Donnie as he is directly responsible for a fatal car accident involving Donnie’s much- adored ‘tangent’ girlfriend, Gretchen. This enlightens us as to the reason for Frank’s contact with Donnie. – Frank has traveled back through time, to in-turn; open a port-hole to Donnie’s future and enable Donnie to view aspects of his life ahead as a series of visual manifestations, (ie post airliner engine catastrophe). In doing this, he informs Donnie that Armageddon will arrive in twenty-eight days, which conveniently serves as a manipulative motive to aid his primary objective: – To discourage Donnie in continuing his life in reality; in the hope that Frank’s life will be spared. At this point in the film, the recurring theme of time travel claims its stronghold, regardless of previous acknowledgements and inferences. For instance, in one particular scene Frank implies he is from the future, and in numerous others, Donnie is seen eagerly researching and discussing theoretical revelations, pertaining to the philosophy of time travel. Evidently though, these scenes and others, such as the ‘Frank-influenced’ despoilment of Donnie’s school and the arson of a corrupt perverts house, illustrate critical stages of Donnie’s inner journey – that is, from a disillusioned teenager, troubled by the folly of mainstream attitudinal beliefs, to an individual who transcends reality in order to subsist in an idealistically superior society, of his own invention. After twenty-seven days of endeavor through outrageous public displays and clandestine defilement, the foretold event of Armageddon looms near. Donnie ambles through the final moments of his tangent existence (inner journey), as his character-defining tenacious dynamism begins to fade. As expected, he assumes his fatalistic mentality of â€Å"all living things have a set path,† and that humans are merely vessels traveling along â€Å"God’s channel,† gradually nearing a pre-determined destination. At this stage, Donnie’s mindset suggests a search for spiritual solace and religious meaning. Whilst denying an utterly defeatist outlook, Donnie exerts a courageous exterior by modestly welcoming his fate, in the hope that there will be â€Å"so much to look forward to.† He is of course referring to a reformed humanity that is devoid of inadequacy, corruption and suppression. It is here, that the film takes an unexpected turn, whereby Donnie’s inner journey in the tangent universe is virtually thwarted due to the sub-conscious acknowledgement of an audible phrase, originally voiced by his late girlfriend, Gretchen. It is part of her conjecture of emotional solace: â€Å"What if you could go back through time, and replace all those hours of pain and darkness with something better?† At this point, Frank uses his god-like essence to summon Donnie in reality, assuming that he’d been subjected to enough to be dissuaded, and, much to the viewer’s astonishment, Donnie awakes in bed, hysterically laughing in awe and disbelief of his ‘dream.’ Whilst conscious, he remembers the tangent visions of pain and anguish, including Gretchen’s death, and the murder of Frank, and decides that his future should be exempt from more emotional suffering. Donnie opts to conclude his inner journey heroically, by means of self-sacrifice – that is, to allow the plummeting airliner engine to destroy him, thus ensuring an extended life for his beloved female tangent counterpart, Gretchen. The film Donnie Darko is significant to the theme of ‘imaginary journey’ as it details a person’s sinister epigrammatic voyage into the future, and consequent development of emotional alteration. Director Richard Kelly uses the character Donnie as a representation of idealistic thought inherent in society. It is no undisclosed fact that society itself, is pervaded by thoughts and ideals that are in contrast with expected societal opinion. Kelly hints at the notion that we are engaged in the journey of life, yet our propulsion is suppressed somewhat, by the  undeniable need to conform to society’s bounds and restrictions – thus society would seem to preclude humans from achieving their primary goal(s) or concluding their journeys. Also intertwined with this perception, is the suggestion of the faà §ade of human nature. Kelly suggests it is unnatural for veritable human inclination to be constrained, hence the rationale of life-long journeys that are embarked upon to discover a sense of self. Donnie’s self discovery is shown through his sacrifice for Gretchen. Whilst on his imaginary journey, Donnie identifies with her troubled emotions and sinister background of family trauma. He discovers a person remarkably similar to himself, so his sacrifice in essence could be perceived as an effort of self-preservation as he was intent on ensuring continuity of his ‘spirit’ within a physical entity other than himself. This is a viable interpretation, relevant to a reflective ‘inner’ journey, as it is a primary motive for initial commitment to the journey itself. Kelly realizes that Donnie’s journey is exceedingly implausible and unrealistic. Without detracting from the intended solemnity, it seems a feat such as Donnie’s could only be surmounted by a ‘philosophical super-hero’ with ethereal powers. Kelly deliberately captures the fervent yet slightly naà ¯ve central vision of Donnie’s ideological expectations in the films title, and in Donnie’s heroic bravado. Nonetheless, he encourages provocation of thought and motivational urge on our set path in life, or inner journey. The reason being is that humans are inclined to stray from reality, if indeed; there is an absence of true accomplishment in their existence. By this, Kelly infers that an inner journey is necessary to undergo, as it induces self-gratification and contributes to the conservation and perpetuation of ones psyche. Director Richard Kelly uses the medium of time travel to symbolize the eternal human endeavor/journey in Donnie Darko. I use eternal, because we yearn for such an easy method as time travel to reveal future outcomes and destinations, yet we are simultaneously disenchanted by its obvious  impracticalities. Kelly expresses his interpretation of fatalism via ‘liquid spears,’ which consist of water and metal, and appear as a cylindrical protrusion from a human’s chest. In the scene known as the ‘liquid spear waltz,’ (tangent universe), Donnie in his hallucinatory state, sees these spears connected to the chests of his friends and family. He observes that the individual always follows the path of the spear, to their immediate destination. For example, Donnie’s spear leads him to the fridge on one occasion, whilst he was thirsting for a drink. He would’ve made that same trip even if the spear wasn’t there. Furthermore, the inclusion of mystical activity in the film, such as the liquid spear, adds to the surrealism of the tangent universe, reinforcing the ‘imaginary’ focus of Donnie’s journey. Kelly has portrayed the same dream-like atmosphere via other medium also. For example, many of the tangent universe scenes are in slow-motion, and filmed from an aerial perspective. This informs the viewer of the simulation of the tangent universe, whilst creating a mystic atmosphere and mood. Finally, Kelly’s concept of fatalism may well be perceived as a mere scapegoat for human failure, yet such a perception would be grossly incorrect. He emphasizes that; we shouldn’t knowingly inhibit ourselves because we travel on a set path in life. If anything, a pre-determined future should provide motivation, and encourage one take advantage of daily opportunities and prospects. After all, we are oblivious as to when exactly, our journey of life shall ultimately cease.

Stellers Sea Cow - Facts and Figures

Name: Stellers Sea Cow; also known as Hydrodamalis Habitat: Shores of the northern Pacific Historical Epoch: Pleistocene-Modern (2 million-200 years ago) Size and Weight: About 25-30 feet long and 8-10 tons Diet: Seaweed Distinguishing Characteristics: Enormous size; small, flexible head About Stellers Sea Cow Although its much less well known than the Dodo Bird or the Giant Moa, Stellers Sea Cow (genus name Hydrodamalis) shared the unfortunate fate of these famous birds. Widespread across the northern Pacific Ocean for hundreds of thousands of years, by the mid-18th century this giant, 10-ton ancestor of modern dugongs and manatees was restricted to the obscure Commander Islands. There, in 1741, a population of a thousand or so survivors was studied by the early naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller, who remarked on this megafauna mammals tame disposition, undersized head perched on an oversized body, and exclusive diet of kelp (a type of seaweed). You can probably guess what happened next. As soon as word of Stellers Sea Cow got out, various sailors, hunters and traders made it a point to stop over at the Commander Islands and bag themselves a few of these gentle beasts, which were valued for their fur, their meat, and most of all their whale-like oil, which could be used to fuel lamps. Within three decades, Stellers Sea Cow had breathed its last; fortunately, though, Steller himself bequeathed his studies of live specimens on future generations of paleontologists. (Its important to realize that Stellers Sea Cow had been on the decline for tens of thousands of years before Europeans arrived on the scene; according to one theory, early human settlers of the Pacific Basin overhunted sea otters, thus allowing the unchecked proliferation of sea urchins, which feasted on the same kelp as Hydrodamalis!) By the way, it may yet be possible for scientists to resurrect Stellers Sea Cow by harvesting scraps of its fossil DNA, under a controversial research program known as de-extinction.