Manufacturing and Packaging Line

CASE ANALYSIS MEMO – SESSION 06 Keurig 2012. 11. 07 Entrepreneurial Management Dr. Sean M. Hackett Waseda Business School, MBA Fall, 2012 Panjapol wariratanaroj (pe)– #35112329-5 JOanna chen (joanna)– #35112318-7 li wei– #35122327-5 kemal SADULLAYEV (kemal)– #35129403-1 Gaetano d’imprima (tano)– #35129755-8 I. Identify/Define the Key Issues/Situation Analysis A. Key issues that will impact Keurig to survive, thrive and grow †¢ Strong bargaining power from a supplier: MTS, being the only supplier for the K-Cup packaging line, has a control over the machine.Having no substitution plan in place, Keurig is forced to follow MTS’s request to fulfill the K-Cup manufacturing capacity. †¢ Difficult to ‘reverse engineer’ the manufacturing technology: despite the alternatives of having new K-Cup suppliers, there is no assurance that the new suppliers could complete the project on-time and on-budget as the learning cu rve is hard to be built at an initial stage. †¢ Delays in the full roll-out of the new coffee brewing system: delays in manufacturing lines (both K-Cup’s production and brewing machines) caused a subsequent delay in distributing goods to consumers.Thus, it created risk of losing market opportunity to other competitors. B. Critical Success Factors †¢ Quality of the final product: despite marketing efforts and distribution channels, if either the final product (coffee) tastes bad or the brewer does not perform well, it can’t be sold. †¢ Consistent and sufficient funding prior to the product launch: in order to create an impact to the coffee market, the large amount of funding is required to support the operations. Ability to bring a brewer’s price down in a consumer segment while keeping the good quality product: considering the high quality coffees, people are more likely to purchase a less expensive household version especially at a supermarket or grocery, which has the highest percentage for buying locations. II. Mobilize Strategic Choices A. Choice 1 – Work with multiple packaging line manufacturers at the same time and take advantage of the brewer that would take Keurig more seriously – Pilla. 1. Significance of choice 1 †¢ The supplier in less favorable financial situations is more likely to pay attention to Keurig’s needs.In this case, Pilla also possesses the capability to support the brewer production. †¢ Keurig can prepare Pilgrim and Quantum for future production while MTS is currently manufacturing the K-Cup packaging lines. This will cover the delay time needed by Pilgrim and Quantum to deliver future productions. †¢ More risk averse, multiple suppliers will decrease Keurig’s dependency on suppliers. Delivery time and costs can be more efficiently managed. Also, Keurig can observe suppliers’ efficiencies before deciding the major supplier. †¢ Multiple packagin g lines can provide larger supply of K-cups for future expansion. . Reasons why choice 1 may not be optimal †¢ More price negotiations and work in progress varied by suppliers. Also, the working procedures may be different and buyers-suppliers relationship may be more complexed.†¢ The standard of the final products can be varied by suppliers due to a slight difference in manufacturing capability and technology. †¢ The financially unstable suppliers can be unreliable. For example, they may be in risk of facing bankruptcy, or they may lower SG&A expenses and it will affect the operations. B. Choice 2 – Continue cooperation with MTS and change brewer to Pilla . Significance of choice 2 †¢ Does not waste time on searching for alternative packaging line manufacturers. Hence, avoid the time to be consumed by ‘reverse engineering’ process. †¢ MTS already has experience in making the first packaging line. Moreover, the product quality delivered b y MTS is already known and acceptable. †¢ Good communication with MTS would ensure on-time delivery of future packaging lines. †¢ Enjoy cost-benefits from possibility of lower price from Pilla. 2. Reasons why choice 2 may not be optimal †¢ MTS still have very large bargaining power for future productions.Thus, the cost for K-Cup packaging line activities could be driven up significantly. †¢ Pilla, being financially insecure, can be a risk for the roll-out schedule in case there is a problem in the manufacturing processes as it links to the packaging line. †¢ Single packaging line supplier and brewer means lower production capacity compared with Choice 1, this would limit Keurig’s future expansion plans to go into the consumer market. C. Choice 3 Internalize brewer production and work with multiple packaging line suppliers 1. Significance of choice 3 Keurig will gain more control over the production because it’ll be easier to forecast production capacity and there’ll be more inventory control. †¢ Kuerig already have the people and the capabilities that it needs.†¢ Finally gaining the learning curve: product brewers will help Keurig to reduce its production costs and thanks to this reduction it’ll be easier to sell more brewers to distributors at less price and less defected products. †¢ Working with multiple suppliers on the packaging line side will give them less bargaining power making us more â€Å"independent†. 2. Reasons why choice 3 may not be optimal A big amount of investment required in terms of money to internalize the production †¢ Keurig need to buy new assets and it will need time to set-up the production in the new factory. †¢ Keurig will face the risks concerning the manufacturing activity. III. Recommend a Specific Strategic Choice Recommendation: . Choice 1 – Work with multiple packaging line manufacturers at the same time and take advantage of the brewe r that would take Keurig more seriously – Pilla. 1. Keurig will be much more independent and it’ll not face again another situation as those encountered with Vandelay and MTS.This choice, even if could be risky at the beginning due to possible delays in the delivery of the complete brewer system (K-cup+Brewer), will ensure Keurig not to rely too much to only one supplier with a lot of bargaining power. 2. Relying on many suppliers will give Keurig much more control over their suppliers’ prices, unleashing a competition between them to gain more and more orders. It’ll also help Keurig to draw up more precise budgets and business plans that will not be affected by suppliers’ whims. 3. Thinking on a future expansion, Keurig need to find new suppliers who can easily support the capacity it needs. Risks/Limitations: . Even if it is a good time to find new suppliers, the moment is very risky because we have a schedule that we need to respect to start bui lding the company reputation.Delays and other on-the-road problem with the new suppliers could be fatal for Keurig. 2. Some of the new suppliers suffer financial problems that, if not solved, can surely affect Keurig. A. Recapitulation of why this choice is the right recommendation We have a marketing plan that can be fulfilled only if everything on the supply side goes as it was supposed to. In order to penetrate the market K-cups will be sold to the Office Manager at a price of 0. 0$, with no charge to the coffee machine. The price of a cup of coffee is higher than our direct competitors but compared to other premium coffee (as Starbucks) the quality is very high and the people who tried our coffee â€Å"loved† it. The wholesale price to the OCS distributors and to the Food Service suppliers will be at 0. 25$ per cup and initially we will give them the machine for free if they buy a certain amount of cups. That’s the real marketing strategy, because distributors play a central role in this industry, so we need to be able to offer (actually fill them up with) machines so they’ll push hard to introduce it inside the market.The free machine plus high margin (100%) per K-Cup will help us penetrate the market. However to do so we need an efficient supply chain that could grow with us and not take advantage of us. We need to take the risk and diversify our suppliers so we will be able to give our machines for free to distributor. We also need to get ready with our capacity for when the demand will grow. We can’t manage such changes in our business plan if we are to haggle with insolent suppliers.

Marketing Strategies Of Greenwich Pizza Essay

Greenwich re-invents itself more with a more dynamic â€Å"G† logo to attract more customers. This brand look is also an indication of how attuned the company is with the ever-changing times and evolving customer lifestyles. From its previous dark green and red color scheme, Greenwich stores were redesigned with a contemporary motif using the brighter and more dynamic colors of brilliant green and vivid rose. The new colors and graphics help create a livelier, more inviting ambience in Greenwich stores. In addition to this, the new corporate visual identity graphics exhibit the dynamism of the brand. This new look is also complemented by crunchier and tastier pizza products. With rich loads of toppings on crunchy pizza crust, Greenwich created an ideal balance between the customer’s expectations of product quality and taste and a pleasant dining experience. A whole new look, a whole new Greenwich! This is part of Greenwich’s continuing effort to reach out to pizza lovers all over the Philippines. POWERFUL ADVERTISING Greenwich aggressively harnesses tri-media to communicate all the benefits consumers can enjoy at Greenwich. This is augmented by the use of outdoor advertising materials and merchandising collaterals that help heighten public awareness of Greenwich offerings. All these complete effective campaigns and exciting promotions that inevitably translate to high sales performance. Greenwich focuses its marketing campaign on the yindie groups and the strategy has worked wonders. The term â€Å"yindie† has been around for a while now, although it did not become a buzz word like â€Å"yuppie. †It is defined in dictionaries as an informal term referring to a person who combines a lucrative career with non-mainstream tastes. From a pizza chain that was ranked five years ago somewhere in the bottom of the industry ladder with other small pizza stores, Greenwich has become the No. 1 pizza chain in the country, accounting for at least 60 percent of the P5-billion market. â€Å"Our market share is now bigger than those of the other two major pizza chains in the country, combined,† says Luis U. Velasco III, marketing director of Fresh N’ Famous Foods Inc. , maker of Greenwich pizza and a member-company of the Jollibee Foods group. Velascosaysthecampaignfocusingonthebarkadasstartedwhen,after conducting research five years ago, the company realized it was nowhere to be found in the pizza industry’s list of major players. It was lumped with the rest of small players, which were hardly making a dent in the pizza market. â€Å"We decided that we want our brand to be stronger in the minds of our consumers. We took a closer look at our products, identified our strongest offering, which is pizza, and studied its characteristics. We then looked for the type of market that we wanted to talk to,† Velasco recounts. â€Å"Pizza is a fun product, adventurous considering the many kinds of toppings one can put on it, less formal as you eat it with your bare hands whether sitting or standing and it is a type of food that people enjoy eating when shared,† he says. Given the characteristics of its main product offering, it was decided that Greenwich pizza and the yindies were a perfect match. Just like Greenwich pizza, the yindie market is casual, more adventurous, hip and fun, and interactive and inclusive. As Greenwich turned its focus on this segment of the market, the company decided to level up and redefine itself from being a fast-food to a fast-casual chain of restaurants. â€Å"Our roots are fast food and we are not abandoning it, we are only upgrading the customers’ experience in our restaurants,† Velasco says. To transform into a fast-casual restaurant, Greenwich did a makeover of all of its outlets, improved on its pizzas in terms of quality and the varieties of its offering, made its pastas (especially the lasagna) at par with the offerings of even some fine-dining restaurants in the metropolis, introduced other fun food like chicken wings, offered full meals and even breakfast meals in some outlets. â€Å"We upgraded our looks and our service to customers. Our offerings now are not the usual fast-food type of products anymore,† Velasco says. We have been known as the affordable pizza option, that is fine and we are keeping that. But we also want to be known for good taste, quality service and a part of the barkada. †

Are women likely to suffer from depression than men Essay

Are women likely to suffer from depression than men - Essay Example Proper treatment would alleviate the symptoms in over 80 percent of the cases. Yet, because depression is often unrecognized, depressed individuals often continue to suffer needlessly. Women are almost twice as likely as men to experience depression. Research continues to explore how this psychological problem affects women. At the same time, it is important for women to increase their awareness of what is already known about depression, so that they seek early and appropriate treatment. Major depression and dysthymia affect twice as many women as men. This two-to-one ratio exists regardless of racial and ethnic background or economic status. The same ratio has been reported in eleven other countries all over the world. Men and women have about the same rate of bipolar disorder (manic depression), though its course in women typically has more depressive and fewer manic episodes. Also, a greater number of women have the rapid cycling form of bipolar disorder, which may be more resistant to standard treatments. Many factors unique to women are suspected to play a role in developing depression. Research is focused on understanding these factors, including: reproductive, hormonal, genetic or other biological factors; abuse and oppression; interpersonal factors; and certain psychological and personality characteristics. But, the specific causes of depression in women remain unclear. Many women exposed to these stress factors do not develop depression. Remember, depression is a treatable psychological problem, and treatment is effective for most women The Dimensions of Depression in Women Adolescence:_ Studies show that the higher incidence of depression in females begins in adolescence, when roles and expectations change dramatically. The stresses of adolescence include forming an identity, confronting sexuality, separating from parents, and making decisions for the first time, along with other physical, intellectual, and hormonal changes. These stresses are generally different for boys and girls, and may be associated more often with depression in females. Some researchers have suggested that men and women differ in their expression of emotional problems. In adolescence, boys are more likely to develop behavioral and substance abuse problems, while girls are more likely to become depressed. Adulthood: relationships and work roles Stress can contribute to depression in many people. The higher incidence of depression in women may not be due to greater vulnerability, but to the particular stresses that many women face. These stresses include major responsibilities at home and work, single parenthood, and caring for children and aging parents. Social expectations play a role here as well. In two career families, women are more likely to have responsibility for a greater share of child care and household responsibilities. Role conflict is also an issue, as debate continues regarding whether women need to choose between family and work responsibilities, and about which choice is the "proper" one. Reproductive events:- Women's reproductive events include the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, the post pregnancy period, infertility, menopause, and sometimes, the decision not to have children. These events bring fluctuations in mood that for some women include

Fine and Gross Motor Skills Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fine and Gross Motor Skills - Research Paper Example Childcare means ensuring that the environment the baby is growing up in is safe and healthy enough for the child and this is the work of parents, guardians, grandparents and other relatives, babysitters or even nanny, licensed child care centers as well as older siblings. Even when the parents are working and have to leave the child with other people who are capable, they should still ensure that the environment is safe and healthy for the children and communicate the same to those taking care of the children. What should be considered before leaving the child with just anyone is the interaction of that person with the baby, the cleanliness and safety of the environment, activities the child can participate in, the food and beverages being provided and whether they are healthy enough as well as how the person engages in activities with the children. If the staff or individual does not look happy to interact, then the child will not have enough development with that person.  What so me parents do not realize when it comes to reading to children is that it is never too early to do so. The earlier the reading and frequency the more the baby starts learning vocabulary as well as getting their brain cells stimulated to grow. The baby also starts getting and strengthening listening skills as well as gaining memory skills. Reading also promotes bonding with the child with the soothing sounds of a parent’s voice. The baby also starts getting awareness of the world in addition to beginning a reading culture in them. Different age groups have different reading books as well as capacity they can understand. Their concentration span increases with age and hence only a few pages should be read at a time and increase as the child develops. The presence of animals and drawings in a baby’s book helps in learning while encouraging them to repeat as you read along with them builds their confidence and reading skills as they grow up and start pre-school.

Market Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Market Article Analysis - Essay Example The growth of mobile marketing upon which the Sorofman is stressing upon in his article can be substantiated by the following facts; There are 5x many cell phones in the world than PCs (Conner, 2013) 91% of adults keep their smart-phones within arm’s reach (Conner, 2013) By the end of 2013, there will be more mobile connected devices than there are people on earth (Brenner, 2013) The above mentioned facts authenticate the notion that mobile marketing has the tendency to emerge as the most powerful communication tool; with significant reach. It can be credited with innovative ways to connect with consumers and in giving a sales boost. A research conducted by Forrester Research in January 2013, depicts the increasing number of mobile commerce sales via smart-phones in American market (Siwicki,  2013). The author has further explained certain ‘ground rules’ to carry out an effective mobile marketing plan. He explains that bombarding smart-phone users with marketing content, by using location-based marketing, as soon as they enter a particular vicinity might be interpreted as ‘creepy’ and might be just simply ignored. ... Not to mention, that it might also dilute a brand’s image. This requires an integrated and holistic approach towards the marketing plan. Neil Richardson suggests that by adopting mobile marketing the marcomm activity would more effective, if the business’s website is accessible through a mobile phone. Because the consumers would not have to wait to log into their PCs or they would not have to take out specific time to go through a business website (Richardson, 2010) The businesses have to properly segment their potential market and identify the target audience, who should be specifically targeted. The nature of the content has to be carved out keeping in mind a particular set of target audience. Such a strategy has to be embedded in the overall communication plan of a brand. If the brands rely too heavily on discharging messages across fragmented media without adopting a properly devised strategy, then it might result have adverse affects such as; Wastage of time, costs , labor Misinterpretation of message Reaching wrong audience Reaching the right audience but failure to convey the message in the right way (Lieb, 2012) Sorofman has rightly said in his article that a combination of tools should be used rather than being â€Å"mono-focused†. This argument can be further supported by what Rachael Pashqua suggests in his book named ‘Mobile Marketing: An Hour a Day’ to integrate SMS in the overall marketing strategy of the firm (Pashqua & Elkin, 2013). This does not imply that the traditional mediums should be entirely ignored. The idea is to find a strategic fit between the traditional medium and the new mobile tools. The fundamentals of both the mediums should be well understood and its effects on customer response

World War I and the End of the Progressive Movement Essay

World War I and the End of the Progressive Movement - Essay Example at everything we learned about the war, and the weapons of destruction that were used during the battles were more than just mere bullets, grenades, and canons. In fact, World War I laid out the foundation for modern germ warfare as we know it today. It is just that very little is known about how gas warfare was originally conceptualized and launched during the era. But thanks to historical researchers such as Ulrich Trumpener and his essay â€Å"The Road to Ypres: The Beginnings of Gas Warfare in World War I†, the readers are given a look into the little known facts about the Battle of Ypres which many believe to be the very first time that gas warfare was used in battle. Trumpeners argument in the essay is that the successful mounting of gas warfare at Ypres on April 22,1915 is incorrectly celebrated at the day that modern chemical warfare began. It actually began much earlier than that since records show that primitive methods of gas warfare began to see its wartime function on the battle front a year earlier in 1914. Records indicate that the French forces actually started using something similar to chemical warfare early on in the war. Trumpener also discussed the facts pertaining to the weak methods by which the German military developed their germ warfare program. Trumpner was right in saying that very little information can be found about the germ warfare program of both sides back in World War I. Reading his essay actually had a profound effect on the way that I viewed the history of the first world war. For me, it went from a war that used the most basic of armaments, to the war that redefined the meaning of battle. I originally believed germ warfare to have been used to annihilate the Jews during World War II. Little did I know that the terrors of germ warfare had been around far longer than that. In fact, it is probably the early existence and experimenting of the German forces during World War I that led to the death camps of Nazi Germany during World

Successful life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Successful life - Essay Example At my house, we were four children, my parents and more often than not my grandmother would visit. This meant the house was always crowded and somewhat noisy, for me this was annoying and made me eager for college so that I could move out and go be on my own, in quiet. Nonetheless, this attitude transformed when I began college and within the first year I learnt that Mr Raphaels’ wellbeing had spun for worse. I had to make new friends and adapt to new surroundings, this made me miss the familiarity of home. Mr. Raphaels had been admitted to a rehabilitation centre as he had become an alcoholic. It occurred to me that a successful life is not guaranteed by material things and being alone is quite miserable. In my opinion, a successful life is achieved through contentment and fulfillment that are complementary feelings generated from within; whereby contentment implies accepting and appreciating the situation one is in, good health, social ties family being paramount and spiritu ality. These three things, from an individual viewpoint, allow us to realize success as a constant achievement. First and foremost, success is dependent on social ties because as human beings social connection is a prime need. Social ties allude to the rapport we have with our kin, friends, neighbors and colleagues. We need to maintain fruitful relationships that satisfy that basic need for connection, where we not only seek to keep ourselves happy but also those that are around us. Family is a key factor because they know us best and have supported us throughout our lives, that is, since childhood till presently. Hence, we ought to learn to be appreciative and tolerate them; moreover, the friends we keep are essential in our success as they either lead us to positive outcomes or negative outcomes. One should encircle themselves with people that inspire, support and complement. When we are vulnerable for example because of illness or frustrations from school, we will need someone to support us. As we go about our everyday life, we must treat people with respect and be humble because we are equal as human beings. Besides that, it is important that we adapt a sense of charity towards the less fortunate. Nothing is more rewarding than giving; it brings a sense of fulfillment which is the essence of success, as it breeds contentment. Spirituality, being the second crucial factor that guarantees success, requires that we develop a sense of mastery of ourselves. This implies discovering ourselves with regard to our weaknesses and strengths. As soon as we accept these, we can better our weaknesses and magnify our strengths. Self-mastery becomes significant because we train ourselves to accept that which we cannot change and improve that which we can, all through guidance. This requires that we adapt a different attitude and behavior towards life to this reality. Nevertheless, we should be careful not to develop a bleak perspective towards life. We must have hope, rem aining optimistic, as this provides us with a renewed strength whenever we feel overwhelmed by life. Of significance as well, is recognizing that when seeking pleasure we must choose pleasures that are deep and lingering. Not forgetting, having a charitable spirit as this provides a deep rewarding feeling. Thirdly, we must ensure that we are healthy in terms of

Digital Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Digital Economy - Essay Example An obvious reflection of the use of EFT is in the world of ecommerce. It has helped the companies outsource employment to other nations and transfer the compensation via wire transfer method and thus EFT has brought about a payment revolution as well. While some insecurity issues have been associated with such transfers, it depends on the individual to use this technology to the optimum advantage. It is important to know whom we are making the payment and why. With fraudulent activities on the rise EFT has given exposure to criminal activities especially when it is carried out through Visa or Master Cards online. Fraudulent agents make fake promises on the internet and hence tempt the users to make payments. Making the equal monthly installment payments for loans and insurance have become easier through electronic clearing system (ECS) and this has induced people to opt for insurance policies and credit. Above all wise decision-making is important to make proper use of EFT and hence optimize the digital economy. Introduction The popularity of Electronic Fund Transfer in the present days has become unimaginable and its importance is clearly undeniable with the fact that the process of fund transfer taking place through online internet media with cheap network and improved cryptography making it faster, quicker and accessible to a large mass thus saving a lot of time and making the process very much transparent. The following literature review will help in identifying the usefulness of this application in the modern context and various aspects associated with this particular component of the digital economy. Person-to- person Electronic Funds transfer According to Oz Shy (2010) there is a clear domination of the person-to-person Electronic Fund transfer system in the European countries in schools and in other service sectors, which has made the system vastly popular and noteworthy. For example in schools the parents transfer the money electronically to the bank a ccount number provided by the teacher adding a note stating the basic information checking the requirement for the fund transfer. Moreover the basic day-to-day household payments are also made electronically in virtual mode thus saving a lot of paper checks and time. Thus this electronic process of fund transfer is considered economically most viable and practical process in Germany although in United States this process of electronic fund transfer is not in much use where traditional methods of cash based transfers take place against writing suitable paper checks drawn in the name of the account holder. As per the research by the author in US the adoption of P2P online system is slow due to the fact that P2P transactions require the personal information of the payer to be revealed to the payee which cause concerns and fear for the US households. Using some theoretical framework and using analysis of costs required in delivering online payments and finally leveraging on the concept of critical mass of users the author finds out that the mass adoption of P2P system in Europe is basically of the natural extension of the earlier used ‘old Giro payment’ networks and due to the huge involvement of banks and financial institutions of Europe whereas as per strong prevalence of the Cheque 21 Act of 2003 the strong involvement of the US Fed has

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

Critical Review - Essay Example In general, there is a strong relationship between the oil prices in the world market and the number of registered vehicles in each country (Kenworthy). Basically, when oil prices in the world market suddenly increases, the urban transport systems within the U.S. will be negatively affected. To avoid sudden disruption in the U.S. transport system, the U.S. government is being challenged to promote the efficiency with the excessive consumption of crude oil on vehicles. Aiming to solve the vehicle problem related to energy wastage, air pollution and traffic congestion, a list of recommended strategies that can reduce the U.S.’s automobile dependence will be thoroughly discussed. There is a strong relationship between the high cost of maintaining private vehicles and the use of public transportation. (Kenworthy and Laube) Since the U.S. urban cities consume a large volume of gasoline for transportation use as compared to other developed countries like Canada and Europe (Kenworthy; Kenworthy and Laube; Khisty and Ayvalik), government internvention is necessary to effectively control the number of private and public transportation that travels around the city each day. As recently proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, there should be a US$0.50 cents increase in transportation sales taxes in order to solve the problem related to highway congestion (McGreevy and Vogel). Aside from increasing sales tax from the costs of public transportation, there was also a plan to increase the state excise tax on the sales of gasoline (Riphagen). Because of the added tax on gasoline, more people with private vehicles would eventually consider the use of public transportation like AC Transit or BART. On top of increasing the costs of gasoline through excise tax, increasing the number of metered parking places throughout each state is another way to encourage the people to reconsider taking the public transportation, the use of bicycle, and/or walking (De Turenne;

Togetherness In Baghdad Essay Example for Free

Togetherness In Baghdad Essay The article seems to say that elections in Iraq do not seem to be working as an envisioned long term plan of the Americans to sway Iraq’s government into a democratic form. What seems to come out of the argument is that the arrival of the Americans can be questioned as either intervention for justice or plain meddling. Intervention for justice and democracy has been America’s greatest alibi to test their new weapons and missile guidance technology, while plain meddling can be related to the monopoly of the gate valves of Iraq’s oil wells. To Americans, it could be a win-win situation, while to people of the 3rd world, it is a lose-lose situation. The author also seems to be beating around the bush from another very strategic issue: oil prices. (China’s oil bill in 2005 was estimated to be US$ 2.0 trillion). The article relates that the Iraquis are not playing the role they are supposed to take since Saddam’s removal. It is like â€Å"God helps those who help themselves†, bad as it may seem as America may be playing the God role. In the meantime, Iraq people seem to be straddling along until someone makes a move that would be global in impact awareness, from there they can decide their moves on whether the Americans were right or wrong in coming there. So, just like for Vietnam, the story goes that American intervention at the start will work, but not in the long run. There is no formula for free- flowing acceptance of America’s intervention. I think the author is biased in favor of American intervention, but is hidden between the lines. (What is real is that the Yuan, China’s currency, did not devaluate, even as their oil bill rose.) Long term plans of the U.S. are â€Å"colored† and towards bringing back U.S. economy to high brisk and China seems to be an emerging threat for substitutes for U.S. products. This is just one aspect, and there have been many other strategies, especially in bringing profits to U.S. agriculture. In short, the U.S. may turn around its own economy at the expense of the economies of other nations, but this is hard to prove. Lastly, there is a time constraint for the Americans to establish democracy in Iraq, and if democracy does not work there and, in order for the time constraint to be extended, issues on human rights, togetherness, supply of aid, etc†¦, may always be the focus and blow-ups of articles in U.S. press. The U.S. press alone is monopolized by U.S. satellites. So, where are the issues leading to? The mightiest and strongest nation in the world (the U.S.) could have made a mistake about Saddam (although at this time he has been tried and convicted to death). Let us all close our eyes and try to imagine that such a mistake can be put aside, look at the other issues, and move forward. That’s life.

Business Concept Rice Husk Electricity Production Environmental Sciences Essay

Business Concept Rice Husk Electricity Production Environmental Sciences Essay Most of us dont think much about organic refuse once disposed off. It is important to realize the importance of waste recycling, especially for power generation because it will pave way for preservation of the fast depleting natural resources. Organic materials from farm waste can very easily be treated to produce renewable energy. Biomass technologies make use of combustion processes for power generation and therefore can be harnessed at anytime unlike solar or wind energy which is dependent on natures whims. Ethanol can be extracted from crops which in turn is used to fuel cars powered by bio fuel and can also be used in producing electricity. Rice husk is generally used as solid fuel in combustion process by rice mills but around 50% still go waste. Many countries including Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Philippines use rice husk to produce electricity. These rise husks are used as fuel in small power generators that can be installed near factories and run by a small team. In Pakistan there are about 560 listed rice mills producing a large amount of waste in the form of rice husk which can be converted to producer gas by adapting simple technology of gasifiers and the equipment necessary for operations is cheap and can be easily procured locally. Hence, we are proposing the establishment of a business that will provide electricity by using rice husk that would otherwise be burned in the open air or left to decay. Biomass gasification system is being employed in order to generate electricity. Biomass gasification power generation  system adopts the draft-down fixed bed gasification furnace which saves electricity and operation is also convenient. Biomass gasification is a simple and relatively old process, in which biomass is heated to very high temperatures in an atmosphere of less than 1% oxygen. Under these conditions, it does not burn in flames, but turns into a producer gas. Next to the gasifier are four filters for cleaning tar and dust from the gas, and a generator in which the producer gas is used to drive a turbine and create electricity. Thats it. The plant proposed price is $1200 per KW. But the second hand plant is available at $600 per KW and $200 per KW is being charged to cover installment, structural changes etc. The total cost of building 200 KWH plant including set-up will be approximately Rs. 16 million. In 1st year the biomass gasifier plant is operated at average 70% capacity level. The projected cost of producing 1,176,000 KW/ year electricity will be approximately Rs 11 million that will yield income around Rs. 1,341,100. This project is very important from the Pakistan perspective. Pakistan has been facing an unprecedented energy crisis since the last several years. The problem becomes severe during the summers. Large numbers of users have to be disconnected from the energy supply system to prevent overloading the generating stations (load shedding). On occasions the urban dwellers had to suffer load shedding of 8-10 hours every day. During the same time rural consumers suffered it for up to 20 hours at a stretch. Such projects not only solve electricity problems, creates employment opportunities but also pave the way towards development. Throughout the world m of energy. It is a basic requirement for economic development and for an adequate standard of living. As a countrys population grows and its economy expands its demand for electrical energy multiplies. If this demand is not met adequately a shortage in supply occurs. 2.0 Introduction Every person is in the state of failure. Whether it is child who fails to get good marks in test or employee who has failed to achieve his target and get abominated by his boss whose business is suffering from losses. All this is happening in Pakistan because of one reason only, that is the electricity outages. Each day dozens of people are protesting on roads, outside the parliament, governor house, WAPDA, PEPCO to demand electricity round the clock. The role of electricity cannot be undermined in uplifting the economy of a country and improving the standard of living of its people. However many developing countries like Pakistan have been facing acute deficiency in electricity. Currently Pakistan is going through the crises of power outages causing destruction to our economy and increasing frustration amongst the people. At present, there is a dire need to explore alternative energy resources that are indigenous, cost effective, environmental friendly and quick to implement rather than just relying on dams that require long term construction process and heavy investments. The availability of heat and electricity forms an essential ingredient of a living society. The need for energy is ever increasing due to technological revolution occurring all over the globe. Hence, there is a pressing need to generate additional energy to bridge the supply demand gap. This calls for technologies, which is cost-effective and require less gestation period from conception to realization. Biomass is one such energy source that offers solutions matching the above requirements. Biomass has several aspects of utility in the society and there is substantive residue left unutilized after the societal needs are met with. Biomass is organic material, which has stored solar energy from sunlight in the form of chemical in the plants through the process called photosynthesis. Biomass fuels include agricultural wastes; crop Residues, Wood, Woody Waste Organic wastes etc. Unlike fossil fuels Biomass does not add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere as it absorbs the same amount of carbon while growing. It is the cheapest, eco-friendly, renewable source of energy. Here we have a business plan to use indigenous alternate energy sources to generate electricity which is cost effective and quick to implement. Pakistan is a country of diverse ecology. Northern areas have rich reserves of pine trees littering their needles and foliage the years around and covering vast land with thick biomass. The cultivable plans of Punjab and Sindh are producing crops with biomass like rice husk, cotton waste, corn empty combs, shells of peanuts, almonds, apricot and dates, even household garbage which is thrown away. 2.1. Potential Benefits of Biomass: Reducing carbon emissions if managed (produced, transported, used) in a sustainable manner Enhancing energy security by diversifying energy sources utilizing local resources Reduced problem of biomass waste management Possible additional revenues for the agricultural and forestry sectors Biomass (plant matter) used to generate electricity with steam turbines and gasifiers or produce heat by direct combustion is a substitute for fossil fuels and has environmental and social-cost benefits. Combustion of waste has been used for many years as a way of reducing waste volume and neutralizing many of the potentially harmful elements within it. Combustion can only be used to create an energy source when heat recovery is included. Heat recovered from the combustion process can then be used to power turbines for electricity generation. The role of biomass in electricity production is very important by using wastes. According to Indian company the distribution and installation cost by using rice husk is around $1/W, one of the lowest in the world and replaces around 42,000 liters of kerosene and 18,000 liters of diesel per year. The company also claims that it plans to save about $50 million in two years by providing an alternative to kerosene and diesel. 2.2. Business Concept: RICE HUSK ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION Pakistan is an agricultural country producing large amount of agricultural residues annually from bagasse, rice husk, palm oil and wood waste, which have a high electricity potential. If these unexploited residues are utilized, the total potential of biomass fuel sources and also power production capacity of the nation would be doubled. Based on this forecast we are proposing to start a business that will generate electricity by means of rice husk- biomass. Rice is more than a staple for Pakistanis. It has a prominent place in most of rituals from the wedding to the funeral. To produce rice in milling process, rice husk is removed when passing through the process. Rice husk is the outer cover of rice that accounts for about 20% by weight of the rice. Rice husks, which are a waste product of the rice crop and found aplenty in villages, has been used as fodder for cattle and to make particle boards by a few wood-based companies. In the past, rice husk was mostly dumped as waste that caused waste disposal problem for the mills. Also, when rice husk is fermented by microorganisms, methane is emitted contributing to global warming problem. Rice husk is a fine and light particle and can cause breathing problems. Rice husk is generally used as solid fuel in combustion process by rice mills but around 50% still go waste. Many countries including Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Philippines use rice husk to produce electricity. These rise husks are used as fuel in small power generators that can be installed near factories and run by a small team. In Pakistan there are about 560 listed rice mills producing a large amount of waste in the form of rice husk which can be converted to producer gas by adapting simple technology of gasifiers and the equipment necessary for operations is cheap and can be easily procured locally. Hence, we are proposing the establishment of a business that will provide electricity by using rice husk that would otherwise be burned in the open air or left to decay. In order to avoid failure, the business will be started at the small scale by producing electricity for rice mill using rice husks. If we get successful we will extend our boundaries and use every biomass to generate electricity and make the country a self sufficient electricity generation country. This development will most certainly improve the living conditions of people, allowing them to experience better standards of living, and possibly giving them the chance to develop better sources of livelihood. It involves the construction and operation of a new rice husk power plant with approximately 200 KWh. The process allows rice husks to be substituted for fossil fuel. This novel way of producing electricity will provide a reliable supply and is cheaper than alternatives, translating to a savings of million liters of fuel oil per year and precious foreign exchange. Taking advantage of biomass also decreases air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the quantity of fossil fuel burned 3.0 Description of venture We are proposing the establishment of a firm that will provide electricity at affordable price to industries and nearby residential areas. We are providing cheap electricity from rice husk at low rate. Rice husk is wasted in Pakistan but we can utilize it in producing electricity and its further waste (rice husk ash) can also be used in In rubber industry as reinforcing agent In cement industries Cosmetics In tooth pastes as anti-caking agents In water purifier as purifier The nature of our business will be partnership. Three principals would be involved each with their own share and contribution. The principals of this venture are fresh graduates of Management Sciences Department of Lahore College for Women University, Lahore. 3.1. Size of business The firm aims to start up its business at small scale catering only one region i.e. Gujranwala, Pakistan with a startup capital of 20 million. The small physical plant would be able to accommodate a small setup and the initial finance would be able to facilitate a small venture like this. After gaining success we can further try to provide electricity to different regions at low rates. 3.2. Plant equipment and personnel Our equipment divided into three parts Biomass gasifier Biomass purification system Generator 3.3. Availability of rice husk About 600 million tonnes of rice paddy was produced all over the world out of which an estimated 5.5 million tonnes was grown in Pakistan in 2005-06. Rice husk is the outer covering of the rice grain that is removed as a result of milling process on rice kernel. On average 20% of rice paddy is husk places the global estimate of the rice husk at 120 million tonnes. This means that in Pakistan alone, about 1.1 million tonnes of rice husk was generated in year 2005-06 [Bronzeoak Ltd, 2002 and Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan]. The amount of rice husk available depends on season and rice production capacity of the rice mill. If sometimes there are not enough rice husks from the Rice mill to meet the requirement, the power plant will buy from others rice mills within the province 3.4. Vision To lighten the ordinary peoples life 3.5. Mission Want to brighten peoples lives by providing affordable, local and sustainable energy solutions and promoting productive uses of agricultural wastes with the help of inimitable workforce 3.5. Objectives To provide cheap and environmental friendly energy solutions to the homes and industries of Pakistan To upgrade simple energy technology of rice husk in order to improve productivity of industries To reduce energy costs by substituting agricultural waste rice husk as bio fuel instead of costly fossil fuel 3.6. Keys to  success Following keys to success have been identified, that if they are followed, the likelihood of sustainable business and success will significantly increase: To offer products that are demanded by consumers To provide electricity at affordable prices To ensure 100% customer satisfaction by working 24/7/365. 4.0 Product Description Generating electricity from rice husk that is a outer cover of rice. The electricity we provide will be at lower rates than WAPDA. 4.1. Competitive Analysis The rice processing industry, through the implementation of plant can operate 24 hours a day, 346 days a year. The use of rice husks for fuel does not create competition with food crops since the rice husks would otherwise be agricultural waste 4.2. Environmental Friendly Biomass can be used for reduce greenhouse effect because trees absorb CO2 as they grow and this carbon is released when the biomass is combusted. Thus, the net amount of CO2 added to the atmosphere during energy production through the use of biomass over the entire life cycle is nearly zero. Also its combustion temperature is lower than fossil fuel combustion, it is anticipated that there will be lower NOx emissions. Since biomass contains little sulphur compared to coal, it is also expected that there will be lower SOx emissions. 4.3. Production Plan Biomass gasification plant is being employed in order to generate electricity. The production process starts with the continuous conveying of rice husks in a sequential order as follows: from the storage yard to the indoor storage, to the grinder, to the service silo and finally to the furnace chamber of a boiler. The process of gasification involves controlled burning of the biomass to produce a particular cocktail of gases, called the producer gas. This gas is a mixture of carbon monoxide, nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and a little bit of methane. Producer gas is a combustible gas. It is fed into a gas engine, which drives an alternator to produce electricity. Next to the gasifier are four filters for cleaning tar and dust from the gas, and a generator in which the producer gas is used to drive a turbine and create electricity. The design of the plant involved a lot of research and development, especially regarding the fuel feeding, combustion regulation and ash removal. Raw a nd hot producer gas could be used for meeting thermal needs or could be cooled and cleaned, and used in reciprocating engines or gas turbines for power generation. Biomass gasification power generation  system adopt the draft-down fixed bed gasification furnace which saves electricity and convenient. The engines and generator, electrical equipment should be arranged indoor, but other equipment can be arranged outdoor. The area of building for each 200KW generator unit is approximately 40-50m2. Through the above process, biomass gasification power generation converts various kinds of wastes into electricity, reducing pollution due to waste disposal and making better use of energy. 4.4. Feasibility Study According to analysis done by Southern Brazilian Rice Processing Cooperative Agriculture return on investment through Payback, or return on invested capital (one of the simplest indicators of investment that considers the time at which the project will pay the initial investment) is 3.86 years if they install micro power system. Rice husk electricity generation project is really successful in India. According to Indian website rice husk is burnt to produce enough energy for powering a turbine and producing electricity. As of now, there are 60 mini-rice husk powered electricity plants that light 25,000 households in different parts of the country. According to them production cost will be Rs. 2/K Wh. Any industry persons would be ready to have power at Rs. 2/KWh. India who has built its first plant in Bihar has extended his netwok in various villages. Moreover, Golden Rice Cambodia has invested $2 million in a rice-husk electricity plant in order to power local rice mills. In Thailand a pilot plant project of capacity 9.8 MW is installed and is successful. The project has been established since July 2000. In Thailand, a large portion of the electricity production is from fossil fuels causing concern for energy security as well as environmental emissions of CO2, SO2 and NOX. Biomass has been proposed as one of the alternative (renewable) energy sources of energy which can, to extent, offset the use of fossil fuels. Experts said that Pakistan has great potential to produce electricity from rice husk because it holds important place in rice producing countries (The nation, 8th June 2009). The use of husk power allows cheap electricity to reach homes without relying on expensive and polluting electricity imported from China. He also advised the rice mills to build up biomass power plants, which can be fuelled by rice husk and get output ranging from 100kw to 1.2MW for each unit of equipment. By utilizing of waste heat, the millers can get much steam that is useful for a rice mill, he maintained. The secret lies not in the biomass gasification system, which is so simple that even a person who cannot read and write can operate it with a little bit of training, (Indian website source) 5.0 Market Analysis 5.1. Industry Analysis WAPDA is the sole producer of electricity in Pakistan. It is providing electricity to the commercial as well as the residential areas. But unfortunately WAPDA performance is not good in the last two decades. According to Pepco, nationwide demand went beyond 16,337MW but the company could not manage more than 10,261MW leaving a shortfall of 6,070MW.Earlier, PEPCO had claimed that load shedding will be carrying out according to schedule. However, no schedule has been released so far and load shedding is carried out for 7 to 10 hours in the cities and for up to 15 hours in rural areas. Because of which industries are suffering loss and our economy is also going down and our exports are becoming less which further decreases balance of payments. Moreover, after frequent intervals the per unit price also increases that increases the cost of production and ultimately producer increase their prices and shifts their burden to consumers. 5.2. Market Segmentation The market segmentation for biomass gasifier electricity plant will provide electricity to the: Commercial areas Industrial zones The areas where are initially targeting is Gujranwala. The rationale of choosing this region is that Gujranwala possesses many rice mills that make availability of rice husk around the clock. Moreover, if in any year rice production decreases we can easily import rice husk from Narowal and Kasur where there are availability of rice mills. 5.3. Target market Nowadays in Pakistan the electricity consumption has been surpassed and supply of electricity is insufficient to meet the demand. Many industries have been shut down causing unemployment due to this critical situation. These industries use more amount of electricity due to which provision of electricity to households also affects badly. Industries should have their own separate setup for electricity generation instead of depending on government to provide them electricity. So the major targeted areas where we can provide electricity through rice husk are: Industries Households Commercial areas Industries: Industries especially the rice mills can get electricity at a very affordable price through biomass power production without relying on fossil fuel combustion. The small scale power plant will help to meet the needs of power of the specific factory. It will assist Pakistan sustainable growth to keep up with the industrialized world. Households: As the major source of electricity in Pakistan is WAPDA. Citizens cant do anything when the light has gone so all the routine and lifestyle of citizens get disturbed by this situation. Thats why by using biomass production plant we produced electricity so households also enlightened their houses and do their work freely. Commercial areas: Biomass production plant is able enough to provide electricity to majority of people. Commercial areas such as main bazaars, small outlets are also affected by the deficiency of electricity as their business stuck by the deficiency of electricity. So by producing electricity through rice husk we can make this situation better. Hence our target market is meeting the criteria of effective targeting which includes the following characteristics: The characteristics of the segments targeted are identifiable. The target market is sizeable enough to generate reasonable profits. Our target market is stable in terms of life styles and consumption patterns. Our market is accessible in an economical way. 5.4. Marketing Mix PRODUCT The company aim to produce electricity by using rice husk biomass gasifier plant. The conversion of plant material into energy takes place inside a biomass gasifier. So through this process more electricity will be produced. PRICING STRATEGY Cost pricing strategy will be used that is after determining the cost, profit will be added to decide at which price per unit electricity will be sold. We will charge different prices to residential and commercial areas. Rs. 9.90 per unit will be charged to residents and Rs. 13.90 per unit to industries. PLACE The power plant will be besides the rice mill so that transportation cost will be minimal. The areas where are initially targeting is Gujranwala. The rationale of choosing this region is that Gujranwala possesses many rice mills like Adil company, Agroman Crystal rice mill, Ahsan rice mill, Al Fajar rice mill, Al haidi rice mill, Al hameed rice mill, Al Riaz rice mill, Al Shauq Rice and processing mill etc. that make availability of rice husk around the clock. Moreover, if in any year rice production decreases we can easily take rice husk from Narowal and Kasur where there are availability of rice mills. So, availability of rice husk will not be a problem in this region. PROMOTION The basic marketing challenge is to come up with a cohesive campaign to attract rice millers to take electricity from our company. This can be achieved by a giving them a solid value proposition, that they can get reliable energy for substantially lower rates. We will make them see the comparison of prices between rice husk electricity and the alternatives that they have. 5.5. Analysis of competitors In Pakistan, WAPDA enjoys the monopoly in producing electricity at such a big scale. The main problem with WAPDA is that it has a high demand for electricity but its supply to its users is low. Because of its failure in providing electricity around the clock and continual increase in per unit electricity prices at frequent intervals many industries has built up their own power set-ups like Bahria town. But they arent our direct competitors. The primary reason is that our target market is different. We are targeting those areas that are getting electricity from WAPDA at high rates. We will provide them electricity at not only at cheaper rates but also the availability of electricity will be ensured around the clock. 5.6. Assessment of risk Main risk will be continuous supply of biomass and Climatic conditions. This can be mitigated by carrying out an in depth survey of the biomass availability in the area and ensuring that the plant can use a variety of biomass. 5.7. Internal Analysis Strengths The resources used for rice husk energy technology are mainly by-products that result minimal cost for the raw materials in electricity production. Rice husk technology is more reliable than the alternative energy sources. Unlike wind turbines and dams, it is not dependent on geographic areas Rice husk is also more strategic than other forms of biofuel because it does not take away materials that are still edible, unlike in corn or wheat fuel. A source of revenue is the sale of ash, a waste- product that emerges by using rice husk technology. Having this secure source of raw materials supports Pakistan to become more energy-independent Weaknesses: Shortage of raw material Low production of rice due to floods Latest technology not being used in Pakistan No government support. 7.0 Management Summary The organization will be led by three principals. 7.1. Authority of principals There will be equal authority among the principals. The signatures of at least 3 members would be required to take any decision financial or otherwise. 7.2. Roles and responsibilities of members of organization Mubeena Farasat will deal in accounting and finance Ayesha Aleem will deal in marketing Abeera Pervaiz will deal in technical and production 8.0 Financial Analysis 8.1. Statement of financing needed The amount of Rs. 20 million is used as a start up finance. This amount will cover the initial financial requirement for setting up a small production plant. The costs relating to the purchase of machinery and the setup; the physical place for operation; the contract with the firms for the regular supply of rice husk, fuel to burn the rice husk will be the major cost; also the hiring of human resource for operating the machinery is the cost that would be borne at the end of the month. Composition of Capital Plant and Machinery Purchase of machinery is the major decision as it requires heavy financing. Because of capital shortage manual feeding of rice husk is done instead of purchasing belt conveyor that can convey the material to the gasifier furnace. Our equipment is majorly divided into three parts, biomass gasifier, biomass purification system and generator. Major machinery may includes feeding machine, gas tank, gasifier furnace, purifier, filters, pipeline network etc The major supplier is Mr. Muhammad Duja, owner of Ducon Energy Management System having office at DHA Karachi. His proposed price is $1200 per KW. But the second hand plant is available at $600 per KW and $200 per KW is being charged to cover installment, structural changes etc. The total cost of building 200 KWH plant including set-up will be approximately Rs. 16 million (800ÃÆ'-100ÃÆ'-200). Capacity of plant The installed production capacity of the proposed unit would be 200 KWH eggs. However, the capacity utilization of 70% and 80% is envisaged during the first two years. Capacity utilization Per day Capacity 100% 70% 80% Electricity production 200 KWH 140 KWH 160 KWH Rice Husk 1680 tons 1176 tons 1344 tons Land A plot of around 3 kanal will be sufficient as the built-up area requirement is not more than 16 mrlas. Building would be taken on rent at Rs. 60,000 per month that will be around 720,000 lacs per annum or 0.72 million. Accessories Necessary furniture like tables, chairs, desks, storage cupboards; a small amount of stationary; water coolers, split a/cs in the office are required that will take approximately Rs. 5 lakhs for its arrangements. Vehicles Carriage Vans will be needed to bring rice husk to the desired location. Second hand vehicles will be purchased that will approximately cost Rs. 6 lakhs. 8.3. Manpower Requirement In order to execute the work, employees, labors are required. Particulars Quantity Rs Operation Manager 1 60,000 Machine Operators 2 40,000 Skilled workers 2 30,000 Unskilled workers 10 60,000 Guard 3 26,000 Clerks 4 26,000 Cost of Goods Sold RICE HUSK ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION Projected C0st of Services sold As of year ended 31 Dec, 2012 2012 2013 2014 Merchandise inventory opening 26,000 66,700 99,000 Add: Purchases 7,644,000   8,064,000 10,080,000 7,056,000   8,130,700 10,179,000 Add: Wages (116,000*12) 1,392,000 1,670,400 1,770,400 Rent expense (50,000*12) 720,000 720,000 720,000 Fuel charges 1,200,000   1,600,000 1,700,000 Miscellaneous 300,000 255,000 275,000 Cost of goods available for sale 10,668,000   12,376,100 14,644,400 Less: Merchandise inventory closing 66,700   99,000 127,000 Cost of goods sold 10,601,300   12,277,100 14,517,400 EXPLANATION In 1st year the biomass gasifier plant is operated at average 70% capacity level. So total rice husk needed in the first operating day will be 4 tons that will be purchased at a price of 26,000.The total rice husk purchased in the year will be around 7,644,000 (1176 tons ÃÆ'- Rs 6,500 per ton) needed in the year. Direct expenses may include the wages given to the labors that are breaking eggs and operating machines, rent that will be available at Rs. 60,000 p.m., fuel charges that will be outsource. Miscellaneous includes the transportation charges, cl

Piracy of Technology Essay -- Computers Electronics Papers

Piracy of Technology The topic that I chose for my website and thesis project is piracy of software, music, and video from the Internet and other digital sources. With technology growing at faster rates than ever, this has become a very large problem practically overnight. Even though software and video piracy has become a huge problem, music copyright infringement has by far overshadowed these two. You can find a new article in the news about it almost every day and every one has an opinion including me. And I will be more than happy to share mine later. I will begin by discussing software piracy. This crime has been around for a long time. Unlike the others, it has been a problem ever since the advent of computers. It also comes in many shapes and sizes. It is also very easy to copy and the duplicate is usually as good as the original. From the day that a piece of software is created, federal copyright laws automatically protect it. The only way that a consumer can copy a piece of copyrighted software is to copy it onto a single computer or to make another copy for archival purpose only (Computer 2). It is very illegal to copy and sell copyrighted software, and there can be very heavy fines if a violator gets caught. It is considered a federal crime and comes with punishments of up to five years in jail and a $250,000 fine (Computer 2). There are many types of software piracy including soft loading, which is the purchase of a single user software license that is then loaded onto many computers (Computer 1). This occurs in the office most frequently. Counterfeiting is making and selling fake copies of real software. People also rent software to consumers when they do not have permission from th... ...stm. â€Å"Computer Software Piracy†. 26 March 2003. http://bbb.org/library/pastip.asp. â€Å"How to Stop Online Music Piracy† 9 April 2003. http://www.pan.com/piracy/. â€Å"MacOpinion: In Defense of Piracy† 9 April 2003. http://www.macopinion.com/columns/curmudgeon/99/01/28.html. â€Å"Music Piracy and the Home Audio Recording Act† 9 April 2003. http://www.law.duke.edu/journals/dltr/articles/2002dltr0023.html. â€Å"Music Piracy Report 2002† 26 March 2003. http://www.ifpi.org/site- content/antipiracy/piracy2002.html. â€Å"Music Piracy Can Be Controlled† 9 April 2003. http://www.pcworld.com/resource/printable/article/0,aid,16895,00.asp. â€Å"Software Piracy and the Definition of Shareware† 9 April 2003. http://www.notepager.net/piracy.htm. â€Å"Kazaa Taunts Record Biz: Catch Us† 9 April 2003. http://www.wired.com/news/mp3/0,1285,55356,00.html.

The Art of Calf Roping :: Expository Process Essays

The Art of Calf Roping It’s 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning. Jake and I are headed down the longest stretch of road in Texas. We have just pulled out of El Paso and are on the way to Fredericksburg to participate in the Frontier Days Rodeo. We were fortunate to have put together a decent run on our last draw and win enough day-money to keep us going for a while. Jake and I are rodeo-bums, to be specific, calf ropers. I am the one who tries to throw the loop of a rope around a calf’s neck and Jake is my partner, the best roping horse a cowboy ever mounted. By the way, how many understand the art of calf roping? I thought so. Let me walk through the steps of what it takes to put together that perfect run, not that I can do it that often. Contestants arrive at the arena an hour before the performance to draw the calf each will be roping. A large pen of calves is assembled, each calf branded with a different number. Corresponding numbers are placed in a hat and each cowboy draws his calf for the first go-around. There is always some cowboy who knows what rodeo string these particular calves are from and can discuss some trait of nearly all of them. For example, " number 16 breaks hard and heads straight to the far end of the arena. Number 8 will break hard but tends to veer sharply right on nearly every run. Number 21 breaks slow and many a good horse has run right past him". Having studied the calf, the run put together in my head several times, I am ready to rodeo. Jake is anxiously waiting and ready to be saddled. Mounting up, I pat Jake gently on the neck and we make several trips through the parking lot to get warmed up. The announcer calls my number and I walk Jake into the arena and check the calf in the chute to be sure he is the one we are to rope. I back Jake into the roping box and the judge stretches and secures the barrier. (The barrier is a small piece of rope pulled tight across the exit of the box designed to give the calf a 10- foot head start. If the horse leaves early and breaks the barrier, 10 seconds are added to the completion of the run).

Medicine in Ancient Egypt as seen by the Archaeological Evidence of Pap

The Ancient Egyptian civilization’s development centered around the luxurious, green and fertile Nile river. Astonishingly, they accurately predicted Nile floods to produce surplus crops and allow the growth of society and culture. In the North of Africa, Egyptians flourished until 525 BC. The lands were ruled by powerful pharaohs who provided dominance and control to their people. The Egyptians every day lives centered around an elaborate system of religious and spiritual beliefs. In tribute to their religious beliefs, pharaohs and gods, the Egyptians built breath taking monuments that often included decoration and hieroglyphs that were symbolizations of their spirituality. The amazing architecture and the mystery to how they built these gigantic structures is one of the most intriguing issues of the ancient world. However, the aspect of society and culture also inspire individuals to ask questions about how the Ancient Egyptians went about their everyday lives, and how the y managed to develop such a civilized way of living. The illustrations that adorned tombs, and monuments all around Egypt added insight into the lives of the Ancients. Along with the development of writing, the depiction of effective use in medicine became evident. â€Å"Medicine was one of the oldest professions in the Nile valley.†(White 1970) Their medical practices were highly advanced for their time and included several doctors and medical practioners. Medical care was provided by workers who laid claim to specific title such as a specailist in animal bites. Or patients would resort to traditional cures handed down throughout generations.(Donadoni 1990) Doctoral specialization was apparently related to the fields of expertise and included surgeons, general pr... ...nderstanding of human anatomy. The Kahun Gynaecological papyrus was the first to acknowledge the female anatomy almost solely. Ancients were able to detect pregnancy, as well as how to prevent pregnancy. The Kahun papyrus also included a short section on veterinary medicine which shows their level of understanding of animals anatomy as well. The Hearst papyrus is composed of several general medical problems and how to treat them. Finally, the Berlin papyrus is made up of several sections including : general treatments and diagnoses, gynaecological prescriptions, and a large portion dedicated to spells and magic. Overall, as shown by the five papyri the Ancient Egyptians had an extremely civilized manner of diagnosing and treating common aliments of their time. Their incredible knowledge not only human but animal anatomy allowed them to successfully treat patients. Medicine in Ancient Egypt as seen by the Archaeological Evidence of Pap The Ancient Egyptian civilization’s development centered around the luxurious, green and fertile Nile river. Astonishingly, they accurately predicted Nile floods to produce surplus crops and allow the growth of society and culture. In the North of Africa, Egyptians flourished until 525 BC. The lands were ruled by powerful pharaohs who provided dominance and control to their people. The Egyptians every day lives centered around an elaborate system of religious and spiritual beliefs. In tribute to their religious beliefs, pharaohs and gods, the Egyptians built breath taking monuments that often included decoration and hieroglyphs that were symbolizations of their spirituality. The amazing architecture and the mystery to how they built these gigantic structures is one of the most intriguing issues of the ancient world. However, the aspect of society and culture also inspire individuals to ask questions about how the Ancient Egyptians went about their everyday lives, and how the y managed to develop such a civilized way of living. The illustrations that adorned tombs, and monuments all around Egypt added insight into the lives of the Ancients. Along with the development of writing, the depiction of effective use in medicine became evident. â€Å"Medicine was one of the oldest professions in the Nile valley.†(White 1970) Their medical practices were highly advanced for their time and included several doctors and medical practioners. Medical care was provided by workers who laid claim to specific title such as a specailist in animal bites. Or patients would resort to traditional cures handed down throughout generations.(Donadoni 1990) Doctoral specialization was apparently related to the fields of expertise and included surgeons, general pr... ...nderstanding of human anatomy. The Kahun Gynaecological papyrus was the first to acknowledge the female anatomy almost solely. Ancients were able to detect pregnancy, as well as how to prevent pregnancy. The Kahun papyrus also included a short section on veterinary medicine which shows their level of understanding of animals anatomy as well. The Hearst papyrus is composed of several general medical problems and how to treat them. Finally, the Berlin papyrus is made up of several sections including : general treatments and diagnoses, gynaecological prescriptions, and a large portion dedicated to spells and magic. Overall, as shown by the five papyri the Ancient Egyptians had an extremely civilized manner of diagnosing and treating common aliments of their time. Their incredible knowledge not only human but animal anatomy allowed them to successfully treat patients. Medicine in Ancient Egypt as seen by the Archaeological Evidence of Pap The Ancient Egyptian civilization’s development centered around the luxurious, green and fertile Nile river. Astonishingly, they accurately predicted Nile floods to produce surplus crops and allow the growth of society and culture. In the North of Africa, Egyptians flourished until 525 BC. The lands were ruled by powerful pharaohs who provided dominance and control to their people. The Egyptians every day lives centered around an elaborate system of religious and spiritual beliefs. In tribute to their religious beliefs, pharaohs and gods, the Egyptians built breath taking monuments that often included decoration and hieroglyphs that were symbolizations of their spirituality. The amazing architecture and the mystery to how they built these gigantic structures is one of the most intriguing issues of the ancient world. However, the aspect of society and culture also inspire individuals to ask questions about how the Ancient Egyptians went about their everyday lives, and how the y managed to develop such a civilized way of living. The illustrations that adorned tombs, and monuments all around Egypt added insight into the lives of the Ancients. Along with the development of writing, the depiction of effective use in medicine became evident. â€Å"Medicine was one of the oldest professions in the Nile valley.†(White 1970) Their medical practices were highly advanced for their time and included several doctors and medical practioners. Medical care was provided by workers who laid claim to specific title such as a specailist in animal bites. Or patients would resort to traditional cures handed down throughout generations.(Donadoni 1990) Doctoral specialization was apparently related to the fields of expertise and included surgeons, general pr... ...nderstanding of human anatomy. The Kahun Gynaecological papyrus was the first to acknowledge the female anatomy almost solely. Ancients were able to detect pregnancy, as well as how to prevent pregnancy. The Kahun papyrus also included a short section on veterinary medicine which shows their level of understanding of animals anatomy as well. The Hearst papyrus is composed of several general medical problems and how to treat them. Finally, the Berlin papyrus is made up of several sections including : general treatments and diagnoses, gynaecological prescriptions, and a large portion dedicated to spells and magic. Overall, as shown by the five papyri the Ancient Egyptians had an extremely civilized manner of diagnosing and treating common aliments of their time. Their incredible knowledge not only human but animal anatomy allowed them to successfully treat patients.

The Berlin Blockade

For many historians, the Berlin Blockade effectively started the Cold War era. This is because it happened to be the first major issue which took place between the United States and her allies, on one hand, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), on the other hand, after which years of tension between the two camps ensued (Byrnes). Essentially, The Berlin Blockade took place when the USSR cut off all access to Berlin in an attempt to force the United States, Britain, and France to the negotiating table for the purpose of discussing the future as well as the division of Germany (Wilde).Historical Background When the Second World War ended in 1945, the victorious allied forces which consisted of the United States, Great Britain, France, and the USSR occupied Germany and divided the country into four zones and its capital (Berlin) into four sectors. Berlin, however, was located well inside the zone which was occupied by the Soviets. In other words, before the three other occ upiers could gain access to their Berlin sectors, they had to pass through the Soviet-occupied zone.Under their arrangement, although the country was already divided into four zones, it would still be considered as one economic entity to be controlled by the â€Å"Allied Control Council (ACC)† (Russian History Encyclopedia). Based in Berlin, the ACC was also known as the Allied Control Authority or the Alliierter Kontrollrat in German. It was essentially a â€Å"military occupation governing body of Germany† composed of the representatives of the United States, Great Britain, and the USSR. A later addition was France whose representative was granted with the power to vote but did not have any duties.The ACC was formally constituted on August 30, 1945. Its initial members were General Dwight Eisenhower of the United States, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery of Great Britain, Marshal Georgy Zhukov of the USSR, and General Jean Joseph-Marie Gabriel Lattre de Tassigny of Fr ance (Spiritus-Temporis. com). Unfortunately, the relations between the USSR and the three other occupiers of Germany did not last that long because their self-appointed task of administering the occupied Germany under the provisions of the ACC agreement did not go as envisioned.For one, the Soviets insisted on collecting huge reparations from its controlled eastern zone while the United States, Great Britain, and France, instead of demanding for reparations, wanted to revitalize the economy of their occupied zones in order to improve the living conditions of the residents (BBC Bitesize). Their disagreement was sparked by the January 1, 1947 decision of the British and the Americans to merge their zones and form the Bizone. Then the two countries spent the rest of 1947 and the early part of 1948 in the preparation of a currency reform that would ultimately introduce the Deutschmark.This currency reform was only the first step towards the establishment of a separate West German state . This move was opposed by the Russians because, according to them, it showed that the Americans and the British were no longer interested in taking part in the â€Å"four-power control of Germany. † The Russians further argued that the American and the British move would ultimately result to the death of the ACC (Spiritus-Temporis. com). By January 1948, the Soviets were already starting to severely criticize the intents and methods which the Americans and the British were employing in dealing with the economic problems of West Germany.Their disagreements remained unresolved until finally, in March of the same year, the Soviet delegation to the ACC staged a walkout. That Soviet act effectively dissolved the council because no further meetings had been conducted after their walkout (Russian History Encyclopedia). In spite of their disagreements, all four victorious countries were wary of the rebirth of a unified Germany. They all agreed that allowing Germany to regain its eco nomic and military strength would be a very risky proposition because the country might again represent a threat to world peace.However, they differed in their methods and intentions regarding the future of the country. First, the USSR wanted to convert the eastern territory into a communist state. Then it feared that if the zones controlled by the United States, Great Britain, and France would be totally integrated into the capitalist West, its control over its own Russian zone would be threatened, considering that the three Berlin sectors controlled by the three occupiers were located deep inside the Soviet-occupied zone.Stalin, in particular, who was known to have been consumed by paranoia, suspected that the western occupied sector in Berlin would first attempt to alienate the eastern sector from Russian influence and later serve as a staging point of a destabilization campaign against the Soviet Union itself, including the entire Eastern European communist bloc. For this reason alone, Stalin could not allow the emergence of a unified and rejuvenated West Germany inside the Russian zone. The other three occupiers, on the other hand, were bent on working together towards their common objective of rejuvenating their occupied territories.Their intention was to unify their three zones into a capitalist West Germany and integrate the same into their economic and defense organizations. Their purpose was to exercise complete control over West Germany while providing all the necessary assistance it needed in order to become a self supporting state (Wilde). In all indications, the disagreement over the Berlin question was already the start of the Cold War era. Both the western bloc and the Soviet Union were already considering their positions in the new world political order.So that when the Soviet delegation walked out of the ACC meeting, the United States and Great Britain became really convinced of the urgency of the establishment of a West German state. It coul d not be denied that they, themselves, did not want to give the Soviet Union the opportunity to consolidate its hold over all of Europe. For this purpose, a â€Å"Six Power Conference† was convened. Delegates from the United States, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium sat down and discussed the issue.

Titration Lab

Lab Report: Titration Lab Prepare a solution of a given concentration; understand titration including acid-base reactions, pH, stoichiometry and molar equivalence. Chemicals and equipment: NaOH pellets close to purity, HCl 3M, phenolphtalein Beckers, flasks, burette, magnetic or manual stir pHmeter Waste management: The waste disposal will be handled through neutralization of your excess reactant to a pH between 4. 0 and 10. 0 and disposal with abundant rinsing. As a preparation for the lab you may want to practice with The experiment: We will do a titration in which the reaction type is acid-base.The equivalence point is characterized by a sharp change of pH which can be followed with a pHmeter. A graph of pH versus concentration will indicate the molar equivalence at the inflexion point of the curve. The point observed experimentally is never exactly the molar equivalence but a â€Å"best estimate† and is given the name â€Å"end point†. It is easier and cheaper to id entify the end point with an indicator instead a pHmeter. Some chemicals such as phenolphthalein will change color when the pH changes sharply between two given values called the indicator’s range.The range of phenolphthalein is 8. 3 to 10. 0. The shape of a pH curve varies widely with the type of reactants and needs to be taken into account when choosing an indicator. We will titrate a strong base (NaOH) of unknown concentration with a strong acid (HCl). The objective is to find the purity of NaOH pellets. The pellets are close to purity but not 100 % because NaOH is very hydrophilic and the pellets are likely to be slightly hydrated. The procedure: The first part of the laboratory experiment will be the preparation of the reactants and the choice of an indicator.You will need to prepare the analyte, a solution of NaOH, of a chosen concentration and volume and prepare a solution of HCl, the titrant, accordingly. Accordingly means that the end point should be reached after th e delivery of manageable volume. If a 50. ml burette is used the volume to be delivered should be between 15. ml and 40 ml. The chosen concentration of NaOH means the concentration of NaOH that you would obtain if the tablets were pure, with the understanding the objective of the titration is to give you a more accurate measurement that you will use to calculate the purity of the tablet.Acid-base chemistry tells us that the reaction between the hydronium and hydroxide ions is extensive and that the pH of the equivalence point should be close to 7. You will design a titration procedure indicating the reactants, the equipment, the data to be collected and the calculations. You will then proceed with two or three measurements depending on the precision of the first two. Your report will review the chemical background, present the data and the result and justify in your error analysis the number of significant figures of your reported concentration.Trial 2| | Initial Volume of HCL in bu rret 0. 1M| 50. 00 ml| Drops of phenolphtalein| 2| Volume of NaOh in beaker 0. 1M| 15. 0 ml| Final measurement after titration| 24. 4| Initial PH| 12. 8| Final PH| 6. 8| Data: Trial 1| | Initial Volume of HCL in burret 0. 1M| 50. 0ml| Drops of phenolphtalein| 2| Volume of NaOh in beaker 0. 1M| 15. 0ml| Final measurement after titration| 24. 3| Initial PH| 12. 9| Final PH| 6. 5| Calculations HCl + NaOH > NaCl + H2O moles HCl = moles NaOH MHCl  x volumeHCl  = MNaOH  x volumeNaOHMHCl  = MNaOH  x volumeNaOH  / volumeHCl MHCl  = 25. 00 ml x 1. 00 M / 50. 00 ml MHCl  = 0. 50 M HCl Conclusion A titration was performed using 50ml of 0. 1M HCl and appropriate amount of NaOH solution. Titration was repeated 2 times to find the amount of NaOH used to achieve endpoint. 24. 2 And 24. 5 is final measurement. The average of the trial is 24. 3 mL. The molarity of NaOH was found by using the M1V1 = M2V2 equation, resulting in 1. 1 M of NaOH. Discussion In the Titrations Lab, 50. 0 mL of 0. M HCl and appropriate amount of NaOH were titrated to find  the molarity of NaOH and the pH of the solution after x mL of NaOH has been added. The lab discussed the difference between equivalence point, the point at which the reaction between titrant and unknown is complete, and the endpoint, the point where the indicator turns color. The color change occurs when the concentration of more dominant form is ten times as great as the less dominant. However, color changes in a solution does not necessarily equal to the equivalence point.Equivalence point can be found by observing the indicator, or using a pH meter and finding midpoint of vertical line in the titration curve. Endpoints can be found by observing the color change of the indicator. The titration lab also involved indicators. Indicators are substances which undergoes a color change in the pH interval of the equivalence point, allowing physical observation of pH change. Most indicators are weak acids, so protons shif t from acid to conjugate base. The concentrations of indicators in a solution do not change molarity value.

Public Meeting Okaloosa County Commissioners

Public information update included Stillwell Park, which had replaced an old sewage plant. Two future additions to the park include a water feature and special needs section. Reported that a plaque, US Saloons PAP 21 9 was present to the County and placed in one of the County buildings. The County Administrator updated the board about money saved by purchasing TV less expensive vehicles to complete work in the county. He related that it is normal business to discuss these items with the board, but felt that when employees save monies for the County he wanted to bring this to the Boards for acknowledgement.Commissioners updated section included them commenting about employ awards, and the great staff that the County has to sustain the County. Commissioner Goodwin discuss the need to evaluate how well the contracted lobbyists are representing the County. He suggested adding this to agenda to discuss coming up with quantitative measures to evaluate the lobbyist's effectiveness for the c ounty. Several of the County Commissioners attended the Florida Association of Counties meeting in Tampa where they discuss priority list for the upcoming legislative session.Some of the priorities that were mention were set funding priorities, priority sit for upcoming legislative session, and collecting monies from DEJA. Commissioner Bowels volunteered to prepare the packet for the next meeting for both the funning priorities and the priority list for the FACE. He also related that the City League has requested placement on the next agenda for a round table discussion about reported cross–jurisdictional issues that both the County and sister cities in Saloons County are experiencing.They also brought up in the meeting to set up an ordinance in the county for assisting residents with road grading on non-county roads by using County equipment and staff. The Commissioner reiterated that the County would receive consent from the effected residents and bill them for the services . They approved the recommendation from the Saloons County School board to add Dewy Destine to the of ORCA committee. Visitor, Dry. Karen Chapman provided a presentation to the Board on status and history of Bola virus.A Public hearing request for plan amendment and rezoning was heard and the board approved the plan amendment and rezoning as requested of T. Davis Gordon. Consent agenda where they approved 22 of the 23 items and discussed item number 16. They discussed Medicaid Amendment for approval the contract for transportation to assist medically needy patients. Change orders to extend time limit for completing of the contract at West Hangar Area Parking Facilities. Request for approval of five FOOT Airport Grants more change orders to reduce contract amounts on the Administration Building and Sheriffs New Building.New business on the agenda was a request from board member to select for Chairman and Vice Chairman for 201 5, and discussion of County Administrator selection. They unanimous elected a new chair and vice chair for County Commissioners Board. All parties agreed to elect the current acting County Administrator because he has done an outstanding job. The Commissioners open the floor for comment and Tim Anderson owner of an Airport Shuttle / Taxi business requested to address the Board.He reported that he was unsure as o how he went about making a request. He wanted to request a change in how Valparaiso conducted business. He reported that he had a letter for each of the Board members to read. The Chairperson advised him that he could pass the letter to the clerk for their review and they would contact him. Attending this meeting was very educational by learning the recess to petition the board for a hearing or about other request and concerns that we might have for our neighborhood and community.Speaking with our County Commissioners could make a change for the community and people who need assistance. It is important to be prepared and confident about any request that you plan on making. Lastly, the board controls the monies that legislators approve for the county level. An Advocate could use this venue to request funds to provide services to clients or even use of a county building. My impression of the speakers who address the board meeting from the audience seem direct and to the point, UT seemed a little nervous about the process.

Tallgrass Prairie

The tall grass prairie is an ecosystem native to central North America, with fire as its primary periodic disturbance. In the past, tall grass prairies covered a large portion of the American Midwest, just east of the Great Plains, and portions of the Canadian Prairies. They flourished in areas with rich loess soils and moderate rainfall of around 30 to 35 inches per year. To the east were the fire-maintained eastern savannas. In the northeast, where fire was infrequent and periodic wind throw represented the main source of disturbance, beech-maple forests dominated.Once this prairie covered approximately 140 million acres; now only isolated remnants exist. (Heat-Moon 261). The homesteaders saw it as a nuisance to be replaced as soon as possible with crops that paid their way. Within one generation a great majority of the native land was plowed under and developed. Currently, less than 4% remains, while the majority is located in the Kansas Flint Hills and surrounding areas. (Manning 76). Today, prairie is being brought back in places using a land management technique borrowed from the Plains tribes: controlled burning.Spring fires clear out non-native grasses before the later â€Å"sun-seeking† native grasses begin to grow. ( Heat-Moon 43-44). Fire also burns up dead plant debris on the ground, allowing the sun and rain to penetrate the soil, and releases nutrients, promoting growth and increasing seed yields. This and other prairie restoration methods help ensure that, at least in some places, we can look out over a sea of grass and feel the wonder of the first homesteaders.According to a long-term research study on tall grass prairies done at the Konza Prairie Research Natural Area by a trio of Kansas State University biology professors, bison grazing or mowing increases the species diversity or the number of plant species that exist at a particular site of grasses on the prairie. (KSU 1). Grazing and mowing keep plant diversity high even in annually burned or fertilized prairie where some plant species would otherwise be lost. Their research was published today in the journal Science.Alan Knapp, John Blair and John Briggs, along with two other colleagues have been conducting long-term studies on the effects of fire, grazing and climatic variability on tall grass prairies. This on-going research looks at these various factors alone and in combination. â€Å"One of the things we have learned in the past is that if you burn a prairie annually, species diversity tends to decrease,† Knapp said. â€Å"Grazing the prairie or removing part of the plant canopy, tends to offset the effects of frequent burning. Knapp said the re-introduction of bison, the prairie's native herbivores, over the past decade also has increased species diversity. (Cushman 13).â€Å"Bison, which were historically a very abundant herbivore on the tall grass prairies, played an important role in maintaining the plant species diversity in these systems,â €  Knapp said. â€Å"The increase in plant diversity we see at Konza Prairie after bison are re-introduced can be related to increases with bison grazing activities. (KSU 1). The bison that once roamed these prairies numbered close to 30 million, once settlers began to encroach on the area, and began to use the land for homesteading and agriculture the numbers dipped to nearly 500 individuals. As the bison left, the domestic cattle moved in with the homesteaders, once again disrupting the natural biodiversity of the land. In addition to the loss of the bison, fire on the prairie was a key element as well. (White 88).Typically, prairie fires were naturally occurring due to lightening strikes, and were in fact beneficial. As people began to settle and live in these areas these fires were seen as a hindrance, and were extinguished as quickly as possible. (Savage 124-26). These actions were not favorable for the grasses as these fires typically helped the natural species regenerate and helped to keep trees at bay as well. As time went on, the more human interaction that took place, the more it was destroying the natural tall grass prairie as it once was.

Business analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business analysis - Essay Example The figure has covered all necessary parts that it could however it represents a very narrowed approach in terms services imported by Australia from US. Instead of the portion of ‘other services’, there should have been defined and represented the services more clearly than just putting them all into one category. Other than that, the diagram perfectly presents the actual message, i.e. increased imports since the last 20 years and does not seem to be misleading. The second figure shown below is a table that discusses the total trade that has been made between US and Australia in four different fiscal years. (Figure 2) The main conclusion that has been actually been drawn from the figure is that the total trade has been increasing between Australia and US. The total exports have risen from 1984-85 to 1999-00, where the pace of rising imports has been faster than imports. Resultantly, the trade balance of Australia has been affected in negative numbers, where the country i s importing more and exporting less to US, but over the trade has been expanded. The data given in the table has projected the authentic information. Therefore, given the context of the information, there might not be need for an improvement in the figure. Additionally, the diagram could be misleading if the currency value had not been defined above, as then the numbers could not describe the actual value in financial terms. The third figure selected is a histogram which shows the levels of foreign investments made in Australia by different countries in the world. (Figure 3) The figure concludes the fact that highest investments have been made by US and the European countries which are directly the part of European Union. The data is selected from the 6 years period, i.e. from 1994-95 to 1999-00. The increasing trend in each case (EU, ASEAN, China/HK, USA, NZ, Japan, and Other) shows that foreign direct investment got an overall increment of 150% in Australia only. A further improve ment in this histogram can be made in terms of separating the significant countries from EU so that they could be individually compared to the FDI made by US alone. The only misleading thing that can be noticed in the figure is about the colors of the bars that represent a specific financial year, as it is a bit confusing as only grey and blue colors have been represented to describe 6 years, whereas different colors could show the figure more clearly to those who don’t understand it well. 2 (B): The data given below in figure (4) is related to the top 15 countries of very high human development index (HDI). The values of HDI of different periods/years are shown below: (Figure 4) The figure represents simple data with HDI of 15 countries over a 31 year period. The one factor common in all the countries is that HDI is increasing, and how much or with what percentage it is increasing can be represented through a histogram, shown in figure 5 below: (Figure 5) The figure above no w shows a clear representation of the values of HDI for 15 countries. A keen look at the picture shows that HDI among the top 15 countries has significantly increased for Norway, Ireland, Germany, Hong Kong, China, Iceland, and Denmark. The mentioned countries seem to