Preparing Facilitators Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Preparing Facilitators - Essay Example Facilitative training is a closely controlled information passing technique with defined participant roles (facilitator and trainees). Training sessions are typically held in a seminar format with multiple participants guided by a succinct agenda under the direction of a facilitator. This method is most effective for introducing new material to learners operating from the same knowledge base - for example, reviewing workplace policies with newly hired employees. Facilitative training begins with an overview of its purpose and a clarification of the training goals. The subject matter is then presented to participants and includes opportunities for discussion or question and answer periods which validate learning and goal achievement at an established pace. The role of the facilitator, who may or may not be a subject matter expert, is to clarify and attain learning goals, maintain order, create a comfortable environment that encourages open communication, ensure accuracy of information provided, gather information from learners and provide closure on punchlist items (those issues that arise which cannot be addressed during the session). Unlike facilitation, coaching is generally a more informal, individual and hands-on method, which involves a learner and a mentor. Research by Eraut et al (1998, p.48) has shown the importance of informal learning in the workplace and highlights that knowledge is "held by individuals" from whom other people need to learn. The coaching process entails defined goals, explicit step-by-step instructions given by the coach to the learner, technique demonstration by both coach and learner, review of the instructions followed by organized practice and concludes with feedback from the coach regarding learner's goal attainment. The role of the coach, who is likely to be a subject matter expert, is to ensure that each learner grasps both the subjective and objective aspects of the training. This ensures that when necessary, critical methods are employed by the learner (for example, patient case records are accurately completed) but individual work preferences can be recognized (for example, patient records may be completed during the course of treatment or after treatment is concluded). Behavioral rehearsal training is designed to be a simple, short, structured and skill-specific process that applies Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory through peer observation, feedback and practice. Social learning Theory focuses on the learning that occurs within a social context and considers that people learn from one another, including such concepts as observational learning, imitation, and modeling. (Ormrod, 1999) That is to say, people can learn by observing the behaviors of others and the outcomes of those behaviors. The process of behavioral rehearsal entails: stating a purpose, describing a skill and scenario,

Managing physical resources Essay Example for Free

Managing physical resources Essay Within this task I am going to produce data that is going to be included in a job information pack, as part of an advertisement campaign for a new post with a company that my supervisor has asked to to work on. The main factor that I am going to include is: Â  The key features of legislation, including Health and Safety, which effects the management of resources. It is important for employers to be aware that they have a responsibility for the health and safety of their employees. They are also responsible for any visitors to their premises such as customers, suppliers and and general public. Employers can help ensure of the health and safety of these people through conducting a risk assessment. A risk assessment can be defined as identifying a potential risk. Employers have a duty of care to ensure as much as possible of the health and safety of people involved with the business. Often an employer will appoint specific person to deal with risk assessments within the business that is trained within health and safety. This is highly recommended for a business to use as it is known to significantly decrease the risk of problems regarding health and safety within a company. This is because by analysing and then identifying potential risks, then strategies can be used in order to combat these potential risks so as an employer completes their duty of care for the people involved in the business. There are many factors that a company must take into account when opening there business so that they maintain their responsibility of ensuring the health and safety of people involved in the business. The first issue that I will look at is when a business is employing five or more people. In this case the business would have to have an official record of what the assessment consists of, meaning that that the employer would have to have certain plans in order to deal with potential risks. As well as this, there must also be a formal health and safety policy, which also includes arrangements to protect the health and safety of the employee. Health and Safety at Work Act The next issue I am going to focus on is the employers duty of care in practice. It is imperative that all employers, despite the size of their company ensure of certain factors, and examples of of these factors are shown below: Ensuring the workplace is safe. Â  Provide adequate first aid facilities. Â  Have emergency plans for potential risks. Firstly, employers should prevent the risks of injury within the workplace as much as possible. Following this, if an injury was to occur then there should be first aid facilities than can deal with the problem effectively. Finally, if an injury was to occur then the employer should have emergency plans so that it can be dealt with to the highest standard so as the person involved is treated in the most effective way possible. In order for the workplace to be safe and healthy, an employer should:Â  Light premises so that employees can work and move safety. Â  Ensure that employees are their necessary work break. Â  Store items so they are unlikely to cause an injury. These are some examples above of what an employer is expected to ensure of in the workplace for the health and safety of people involved with the company. Firstly, the premises should be at the correct light so as people an see what they are doing and the chance of an injury will therefore be decreased. The employers must also ensure that their employees have the adequate time break so that they are able to operate effectively, on both a person and business level. A hazard that is often a cause of injury within a workplace is when items are not stored correctly and when to storage cupboard is opened it falls, causing an injury. This is therefore vital for the employers to ensure that employees are able to store items correctly to prevent injury. The rights of an employee within the workplace with regards to health and safety are shown below. Â  To have any risks to your health and safety properly controlled by your employer. Â  To be provided, free of charge, any personal protective and safety equipment If there are reasonable concerns about your safety, to stop work and leave your work area, without being disciplined. To tell your employer about any health and safety concerns you have. COSHH This is a law that requires employers to control substances that are hazardous to health. This meaning of this law is shown below. C ONTROL O F S UBSTANCES H AZADOUS H EALTH An employer will be able to prevent employees exposure to these substances by: Â  Identifying the health hazards. Â  Creating a risk assessment. Â  Provide training to employees to understand these substances. Provide training to employees so they know how to deal with an accident involving these substances. Â  Planning for emergencies. There are often chemicals and substances within a workplace that are hazardous to employees healthy, and through using COSHH then the chance of employees having an injury that is related to chemicals or substances in the workplace is significantly reduced. This is on the assumption that the employer takes into consideration the points stated above. Most businesses use substances, or products that are mixtures of substances. Some create substances that could cause harm to employees and people within the workplace. Sometimes substances are easily recognised as harmful such as paint, bleach or dust from natural materials may also be harmful. The company itself would be responsible for carrying out the procedure above and any equipment necessary to ensure the employees and people within the workplace are not effected by hazardous substances. The necessary equipment needed to ensure this will also need to be maintained by the company itself. Fire Precaution Act 1971 This legislation deals with factors including: * The detection process and giving a warning in case of a fire. Â  The process of escape from the danger. * The way to fight and combat a fire. The training of staff with regards to fire safety. This legislation focusses on safety within the workplace with regards to the chance of a fire. This is designed to ensure that employees are able to prevent a fire occurring as much as possible. However, in the case of a fire employees would be able to deal with it effectively so as the safety of people involved are ensured. The first point looks at the importance of being able to identify that there is in fact a fire within the premises. This can be done through having adequate and effective fire and smoke alarms located thoroughly throughout the workplace. If a fire is identified then people within the workplace will need to know the process of escaping to safety. This can be done by having fire exists in the workplace, with employees of the company taking control of the situation and ensuring people within the premises are re-assured and are guided step by step to safety. In some cases there will need to be staff trained that are trained in being able to combat a fire whilst emergency services on on route to the premises. This can be done with effective training in fire extinguishers and necessary equipment used to combat a fire. As it is the resource managers responsibility to deal with the safety of employees and customers, then it will consequently have an effect on them. For example, they will have to send staff on training courses regarding fire safety which will be at a cost. However, this training is a necessity and will be needed by the company. As well as this, there will be changes in equipment such as more modern and effective fire extinguishers. Therefore, further training with regards to this be needed to be carried out by the resource manager to ensure that certain employees can use these pieces equipment effectively in the event of a fire. Employees may have to go on training courses mean that they will not be able to work whilst this training is being carried out. This training could be off the job and could be at a different premises to their workplace and therefore these employees need to be willing to commit to this so as the training on new equipment can be complete. This equipment would be the responsibility of the company who is providing the training to another company to make sure it is in the appropriate condition so that the safety of trainees is ensured. The Control of Noise at Work Regulation 1989 This legislation came into force for all industry sectors in Great Britain on 6th April 2006. The aim of this legislation is to ensure that employees hearing is protected from excessive noise in the workplace, which has the possibility of damaging their hearing or can be a cause of tinnitus. The level at which employers must provide hearing protection is 85 decibels, on the means that it is a daily or weekly average exposure. Employers must access the situation regarding this legislation and where it is necessary, ensure that: Hearing protection is provided and used. Â  They provide information, training and health surveillance where it is needed. Certain factors can be used to judge whether there is a problem with noise in a workplace. These factors are shown below: Â  Whether employees have to raise their voice to carry out a normal conversation from about two metres apart. Â  Whether employees use noisy powered tools or machinery for more than half an hour a day. Â  If there are noises due to impacts, such as hammering. The purpose of this act is to ensure of the health and safety of people within a business in regards to the noise in the workplace. The resource manager will have to purchase the necessary equipment to measure to decibel level in the premises so that the right precautions can be carried out if they do in fact reach a certain level. For example, if the noise in the workplace does exceed 85 decibels then it means that the resource manager will have to purchase the necessary equipment to ensure that the hearing safety of people with the premises are ensured. Equipment that would usually be used are ear plugs, which primarily cut out exterior noise pollution, and allow the person to hear people from a close range. Conclusion In summary, a resource manager will have to take into account certain legislations and factors so that the health and safety of people involved within a company, such as employees and customers are ensured. This may mean that they will have to purchase equipment and use training to have be able to do so.

Female Genital Mutilation Extremely Controversial Topic Criminology Essay

Female Genital Mutilation Extremely Controversial Topic Criminology Essay An estimated 100 million to 140 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female gender mutilation/cutting (Population Reference Bureau, 2008). This figure is enormous and unsurprisingly, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is an extremely controversial topic within the international sphere. Whilst some may argue that it is simply natural and a general norm within certain areas and cultures, others, largely from the Western world, believe it to be an infringement of a basic human right and so many concerns and condemnations of the practice emerge from an ethical and humanitarian perspective. Engaging with this debate involves studying the works of two academics, Martha Nussbaum and Yael Tamir, both providing counteracting views towards such a complicated debate like this one. This essay examines the practice of female circumcision, arguing that it is legitimate for states like the UK to attempt to bring them to an end, thus agreeing with the argument made by Nussbaum, namely that we should be ashamed of ourselves if we do not use whatever privilege and power has come our way to make it disappear forever (Nussbaum, 1996). My argument however is one of states only being able to legitimately intervene where FGM is being practiced against the will of females, yet if the practice is warranted and women, of adult age, consent to it, then it is not as permissible for states to intervene. Cultural opinions and determination are not valid enough reasons to allow such a horrific process to continue, specifically due to the medical implications of the circumcision procedure as a whole. The Capabilities Approach by Nussbaum (1999) is examined within this essay therefore, in terms of arguing that females should have the choice of whether or not to go through with the act of FGM as this procedure removes their opportunity to fulfil their full capabilities as both human beings and as women. Thus this goes hand-in-hand with the argument that states are legitimate in interve ning to allow capabilities to be satisfied. Finally, a series of policy recommendations are made with respect to the ways in which states, such as the UK, can intervene legitimately to prevent such practices occurring in future years, the key one being education. These measures will therefore protect the human rights and social welfare of females across the world, along with other institutions i.e. Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). FGM is commonly performed on young girls as a rite of passage to womanhood (Rahman and Toubia, 2000, p.3). Since the early 1990s, FGM has gained global recognition as a serious health and human rights issue. Often this act is committed for social and cultural values as opposed to medical ones and so it is very difficult to begin a process of change as in order to do this, as the whole thinking of society and its actors would need be adjusted. Largely conducted within African countries, the practice, although having decreased in recent years, still poses a threat to the rights and capabilities of women in such areas. The fall in numbers of females undergoing such circumcision coincides with numerous global efforts to target excisors, medical professionals, and families who perpetuate the practice (Population Reference Bureau, 2008). Political will and implementation of such legislation however is the key hurdle to achieving this. FGM poses severe health risks, both physical and psychological in both the immediate/short-term and also the long-term. Some of these medical problems include: haemorrhaging, infections, septicaemia, shock from the severe pain and loss of blood, risks during childbirth, and in extreme cases, death (Slack, 1988, p.451). Other side effects include: infertility, cysts and abscesses, urinary incontinence and psychological and sexual problems (Population Reference Bureau, 2008). Intense trauma is often caused as many of the females who undergo this operation are of an incredibly young age, held down by force and circumcised with little, if any, anaesthesia (Slack, 1988, p.454).These medical consequences for women who undergo genital mutilation are unbearable to even think of, let alone experience, yet still the practice continues due to the myths which surround the issue i.e. females being sterile until they have been excised and so the procedure will supposedly increase fertility (Slack, 1988, p.447) and other myths that the clitoris is incredibly dangerous to women so if not excised will be harmful to the foetus, physically and spiritually (Slack, 1988, 460). Such myths are of course based on fictitious information but due to social pressures are not questioned but preserved, as has been the case for many years. The following map illustrates where FGM is at its highest and thus such areas are the first which need to be aided through state intervention to stop it. Statistics have shown though, that although the practice is still occurring, largely within third world countries, the number of women undergoing FGM has actually fallen and so this is indicative that some level of progress towards eradicating FGM is occurring. African countries, specifically Egypt, Mali, North Sudan and Ethiopia are (according to 2009 figures) experiencing the highest rates of female circumcision procedures. Source: Jaeger, Caflisch and Hohlfeld, 2009, p.28. In international relations, both high priority and low priority political issues need to be addressed, seeking global communication, negotiation and interaction. Globally, greater interconnectedness and increasing multicultural societies are leading to both domestic and international issues being discussed at a global level. This is indicative of states helping other states in terms of economics i.e. through increased trade and assistance during globalisation, and politics i.e. through the exchange of political ideologies and support. The argument here posits that if it is legitimate for states to intervene in economic and political issues, is it not also legitimate for states to intervene, when and where necessary, to improve social welfare and quality of life of the less fortunate? This does of course refer to intervention to stop FGM and resultantly improve the social welfare of women across the globe. Governments duty to take action against practices like female circumcision is e mbedded in international human rights treaties and thus states must comply with this (Rahman and Toubir, 2000, p.44). FGM is therefore a violation of a fundamental human right, and as the process cannot be reversed, the consequences are horrific. Bleeding profusely, reproduction problems, and even death are the terrible repercussions that those who undergo the process will endure. Hence these are serious medical implications and these are medical explanations for stopping the practice, as opposed to the usual moral explanations often spoken of within international ethics theory (Jaeger, Caflisch and Hohlfeld, 2009, p.31). Tamir (1996) however, makes the argument that before looking at other countries, we should look at our own countries as they are highly unlikely to be perfect. I disagree with this to some extent, particularly in relation to the issue of FGM. Countries where this occurs may simply believe this to be a custom or norm, something that is a normal and unquestionable pa rt of a females life. Without being educated and increasing awareness though, this disturbing process will continue. The people living in such small communities view FGM as normality, relying on myths on which to base the rest of their lives. Thus, it is the duty of those more educated i.e. in the West, to use education as the catalyst to bring about change and in turn stop this practice from occurring against the will of females. So why is it that FGM is seen as disgraceful whilst male circumcision is not seen with such unacceptability? A key reason for this relates to religion i.e. in Islamic teachings, male circumcision is natural and compulsory for all Muslim males. Male circumcision is not as harmful in any way when compared to FGM is and men are still able to fully function both physically and sexually whereas women arent. Male circumcision outside of Islam is often undertaken for hygiene reasons and so all of these reasons clearly display the picture that within most societies around the world, male circumcision is widely accepted as a type of norm. The term female circumcision seems to suggest an analogy with male circumcision yet in actual fact, the degree of cutting in female circumcision is anatomically much more extensive (Rahman and Toubia, 2000, p.4). In addition to this, FGM is seen as a way of sexually controlling females and although in current political debate this may seem to be rather liber al in appearance, references to cliteridectomy commonly reveal a patronizing attitude toward women, suggesting that they are primarily sexual beings (Tamir, 1996). Thus many advocates of cliteridectomy are concerned with corruption i.e. that the operation will restrict female sexual desires and in turn this will make them chaste wives and mothers (Tamir, 1996). The issue here though is that sexual enjoyment from women is not an openly discussed matter, but rather a taboo in many traditional communities, and so cliteridectomy is in itself symbolic of repressing female sexuality. Such non-Western cultural practices like FGM often symbolise resistance to the dominance of the West i.e. in Kenya, whereby cliteridectomy gained life as a political tool between British Colonials and African Nationals (Brown, 1991, p.262, cited in Jaggar, 2005, p.577/578). The counter-argument to this though lies within the hypothetical example given by Tamir (1996): mutilation enables women to be free of their reliance on men and thus they are able to function fully in order to follow social and political aspirations. The more common argument however is one of cliteridectomy and similar practices being corrupt in nature, restricting women and not allowing them to break free of the imposed barriers with respect to sexuality. All of these issues relate back to cultural and traditional values and so it often impossible to think beyond ones own culture. Nussbaum, a liberal feminist, provides an almost world-view which encourages people to think outside their own cultural box, raising the argument that just because something is done i.e. FGM, this does not mean that we cannot question it or interrogate it for the greater good. Her concerns therefore lie with issues of morality, freewill and choice. Nussbaum (1996) responded to Tamir (1996), focusing primarily on three points: (1) it is unfair to criticise another culture without being prepared to accept criticisms of ones own culture, (2) one cannot criticise another cultures acts without the certainty that their own culture is free of any evils, and (3) FGM is morally similar to dieting and body-shaping as within American culture. Nussbaum (1996) agrees with the first point, disagrees with the second and believes the third point to be egregiously wrong, con tending that the damage caused to women from extreme dieting and surgery can be undone in most cases, yet genital mutilation cannot be and so this is why it is of the greatest concern. The third critique Nussbaum (1996) makes is of greatest relevance as FGM is often compared cosmetic surgery and enhancements and so on by many theorists. It is often seen as the opposing argument, but as stated in the article, the eight differences between FGM versus dieting and surgery explain why Vogue is not illegal, whereas FGM is illegal in many of the countries where it occurs (Nussbaum, 1996). Nussbaum (1999) later built on Amartya Sens theory of Capabilities and this is of great relevance when examining the controversial topic of FGM. She understands capabilities to characterise each human life and is interested in ensuring that all persons have these capabilities to perform central functions, an explicitly Universalist standpoint. Her argument affirms that within the political arena, human beings exhibit moral capabilities which can in future be developed, yet such capabilities are deprived of the nourishment that would transform them into high-level capabilities (Nussbaum, 1999, p.236). Hence without these capabilities Nussbaum (1999) argues human beings are useless. With regards to FGM, the Capabilities Approach largely frowns upon the deprivation of individuals to have the opportunity to choose to be sexually active or indeed celibate (Nussbaum, 1999, p.238). Capabilities require constant development to be able to function fully. With respect to Nussbaums work, ten ce ntral human function capabilities are identified (Nussbaum, 1999, p.235). FGM breaks two of these capabilities, namely bodily health and bodily integrity (Nussbaum, 1999, p.235). Hence according to these, states are legitimate in intervening and influencing other states where practices like female circumcision are taking away the capabilities of their citizens. Resultantly, the Capabilities Approach is demonstrative of an accurate framework to use where the matter of states, like the UK, legitimising actions, such as FGM, is concerned. This Capabilities Approach was later put into action by the United Nations Human Development Reports, arguing that GDP per capita was not a true reflection of this and instead, Sen argued that how people live their lives and other similar economic indicators, need to be examined. Tamir (1996) opposes such points, arguing that there is much to criticise about ones own culture before one is able to criticise another. So common Western practices such as cosmetic surgery, in her argument, would be open to the same criticisms from non-Western countries as FGM is for people within the West. In her critique, states are not legitimate in intervening in other countries before they have addressed all issues of a similar nature within their own home country. With respect to this argument though, the fact of the matter remains that those individuals who undergo surgery and other cosmetic enhancements are usually doing so out of their own personal choice and so this raises other concerns as to why people feel the need to do this, as opposed to intervening to stop it. Other theorists are generally more reluctant for intervention to occur i.e. Walzer, who would argue that intervention of any kind would only be necessary if a clear case of genocide was being demonstrated whe re thousands of victims were losing their lives. In my critique of this though, the practice of FGM, although maybe not as severe as genocide, is indicative of female oppression and so causes a predictable number of deaths which could have been prevented had the right systems been put into place through state intervention. The factor specific to FGM which makes it appropriate for outsiders to intervene and attempt to halt it is that of women not being given a choice of whether or not to undergo the procedure. Women should be able to decide for themselves whether or not they wish to be circumcised, with no pressure from external forces, yet before such a decision they must be made aware of the implications in terms of health and future capabilities. This is what Nussbaum (1999) is referring to in her Capabilities argument as outlined previously. As prosperous developing countries, it is the obligation and duty of states like the UK to intervene to stop FGM when it occurs against the will of women, at least until sufficient change is seen and this change fosters sustainability. The following section therefore examines the ways of doing this. Since the early 1990s, FGM has been recognised as a global human rights issue and so numerous efforts have been made to end it or to at least reduce the number of cases of it occurring. Initiatives such as the annual International Day Against Female Genital Mutilation on February 6th, introduced by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 2007, demonstrates this, calling for greater government commitment to programmes preventing the practice (Obaid, 2007). Although female circumcision is a heavily criticised practice in many developed countries, it is not feasible to simply condemn the practice as this suggests that Western culture is paramount. Understandings of cultural relativism need to transpire but more importantly, a process of change needs to be instigated. Nussbaum (1996) is correct in critiquing Tamir for this (suggesting cultural relativism is a valid argument), explaining how it is difficult to morally decide whether or not intervention should be committed in terms o f local or distant acts, and although individuals will legitimately prioritise about these decisions, this does not mean that we should not intervene. Poor education and low levels of income among women in African countries, coupled with inadequate governmental support (Wakabi, 2007, p.1069) are the key issues regarding the eradication of FGM and only when such problem areas are addressed, can progress begin to occur. Rahman and Toubia (2000, pp.58-68) identify three types of measure to be implemented in order to tackle the FGM issue: legal, regulatory and policy measures. It is important to note from the very beginning though that no single measure will be feasible if states are to intervene, but rather a series of combined approaches and changes must be adopted. Legal measures involve ratifying human rights arrangements to ensure that rights within such treaties are upheld and also carefully considering the imposition of criminal sanctions to dissuade people from committing the circumcision operation (Rahman and Toubia, 2000, pp.59-61). With regards to regulatory measures, suggestions have been made of disciplining those medical professionals who engage in the practice and removing their licences if they persistently offend (Rahman and Toubia, 2000, p.68). Finally, but most importantly, policy measure areas are discussed, these being: education, the media, empowering women and increasing access to reproductive welfare services (Rahman and Toubir, 2000, pp.68-71). The primary way of states intervening legitimately, in my argument, is through the process of education. By educating those within the countries where the practice of FGM takes place, the root cause of the problem can be targeted. This has previously been done through NGOs and alike, yet states too can intervene to promote adequate social welfare for the women within countries where FGM is a severe issue. Older generations need to be approached and made to understand the deficiencies associated with the practice and thus ultimately this will feed through to younger generations. Simultaneously though, younger generations too need to be targeted as t hey are the future and by educating them, forthcoming generations of females will be protected against such a painful practice. Governments need to begin devoting resources to providing FGM practicing countries and communities with information about the negative effects of the procedure and about human rights as important. Such information however must emphasize the potential psychological and physical impact[as well as] examine the history and purpose (Rahman and Toubir, 2000, p.68). If we now examine the media, the argument made is one of facilitating public dialogue and discourse about FGM along with the promotion of women to be free from FGM by various media outlets (Rahman and Toubir, 2000, p.69). This is a very good suggestion, yet in my critique, isnt feasible due to the fact that media within FGM practicing countries is relatively low, if at all existent. Thus this policy recommendation is good in theory yet in practice may not be as simple as first assumed. Empowering women is the third suggestion, self-explanatory in nature yet the ways of doing this include reforming policies which prevent women from improving their status i.e. social, economic etc, ensuring women can work alongside men and that issues of equal pay are addressed (Rahman and Toubir, 2000, p.70). Again this poses potential difficulties in that in certain rural communities, women are not seen as employable and do not have the opportunity to go out to work and more importantly have not been educated enough to undertake even the most low-skilled job positions. Hence such a recommendation is reliant on the previous policy suggestion of education, as only when communities are educated will the women within them be able to start working legitimately. The final proposal is that relating to reproductive services for females within the communities where female circumcision is occurring. These services are critical in providing women with accurate information about FGM as a whole in terms of th eir reproductive health (Rahman and Toubir, 2000, p.71). This is a great service as it is well-known that women who have been circumcised require regular medical attention and so this would address this issue and make it a more widely recognised initiative. Hence the ideal outcome of this is that women, who understand the severity of the practice for their health, will be less likely to make their daughters go through with it (Rahman and Toubir, 2000, p.71). This is ideal and would be the best possible solution but, Rahman and Toubir (2000) fail to consider the impact of community, religious, cultural, family and social pressures on women who do not undergo the FGM operation. Thus reproductive services although being an invaluable resource, are not as simple and easy in terms of changing social attitudes immediately. In the long-run however, reproductive services do have the potential scope to be a success. Other suggestions for intervention include: withholding aid to those countries where FGM is continuing to happen along with working with local groups to support advocacy efforts promoting negotiated, verbal intervention as opposed to plain physical intervention. The critique of this though relates to speaking but taking no action and some theorists would argue that an issue like FGM can only be tackled by head-on intervention that doesnt pussyfoot around the topic but rather stops the practice for the horror it causes, and rightly so. It can be argued by many that these policy recommendations are too simplistic and idealistic yet the fact of the matter remains that before any of these can be implemented, government structures need to be changed. In places like Somalia, several humanitarian organisations have launched campaigns to stop the spread of FGM, yet the widespread insecurity and absence of a central administration have only handed minimal success to their efforts (Wakabi, 2007, p.1070). A case study of Mali however informs us of the positive impact of NGO based intervention, working alongside local communities and governments. The initiative here used a mobile cinema travelling from village to village to encourage the open discussion of womens health issues and once trust had been established, discussed FGM more openly in an attempt to change social attitudes towards it (Good, 2010). This programme has increased awareness about FGM amongst the Malian community, and is beginning to get positive results in M ali, where women are deciding against their daughters being circumcised (Good, 2010). Kenya too has undertaken programmes, the key one being Ntanira Na Mugambo which translates to Circumcision by Words (BBC News, 1998). This week long programme secluded women from males, informing them about FGM in a subtle manner i.e. referring to anatomy, reproduction, self-esteem building, dealing with peer pressure and respecting adults (BBC News, 1998). Thus this type of programme didnt abhor FGM outright but rather tackled the issues surrounding it, offering an alternative view yet allowing the women to make up their own minds. Another project was employed in Uganda where an Outreach Plan was created, targeting leaders of rural communities who commit the practice of FGM. Such a plan provided local community leaders with economic incentives to stop the process i.e. that those women who undergo FGM find it incredibly difficult to work and thus their contribution to the workforce is trivial (Rahman and Toubia, 2000, p.78). Such intuition prevents women from being forced to be circumcised whilst also positively impacting upon productivity and as a result increasing economic efficiency. Outside pressure does still exist though and experts on FGM believe it is vital to actively engage with communities to ban the practice and penalise those who still conduct it. Thus as said before, education, although the most important element of this process of instigating change, cannot simply be the only solution, but rather must be combined with a series of other strategies. To conclude, FGM is a practice heavily debated about within international relations due to the ethical concerns it raises and ultimately infringes. Cultural relativist positions would argue that is necessary to understand the behaving of different groups due to cultural backgrounds, yet the stance that we should simply accept differences is highly critiques where FGM is concerned. In my critique, the practice is one worthy of severe condemnation, yet through little fault of the people continuing it but rather the myths and general history surrounding it. Hence, ultimately it is these myths and historical factors that need to be eradicated in order to promote the safety of women across the globe, particularly in less-developed countries. Thus this essay has agreed with and supported the argument put forward by Nussbaum that it is legitimate for states like the US and UK to intervene to bring the practice of FGM to an end yet this is relative to the situation. My core argument however remains that if women are being forced to undergo genital mutilation, then it is acceptable for states to intervene through the measures discussed previously. However, if the procedure if consented to and women are voluntarily wishing to go through with it out of their own freewill, then states are not legitimate in intervening. Intervention thus is dependent on the factor of choice towards FGM, yet women and men alike should be educated about the medical and psychological consequences of it. Additionally, such education should enlighten communities about the falsities of the myths they cling on to and how they are in actual fact untrue. The Capabilities Approach is fundamental to this process of education as it informs the public of how FGM can harm and worsen the capabilities of women. Education however will not work alone and must be accompanied by a series of other policy measures, namely legislation, regulatory policies and reproductive services. It is therefore legitimate for states like the UK to intervene to halt practices like FGM, according to the circumstances outlined in this essay and through the policy recommendations suggested.

Follow The Commandments - Or Else Essay -- essays research papers

There are public institutions that want the Ten Commandments displayed. If that is done the penalty for breaking a commandment should also be displayed. The New Testament teaches that the Old Testament should be obeyed. This includes both the Commandments and the results of not following the Commandments.Jesus said in John 10:35"Scripture cannot be broken."This statement was made after he had said in John 5:46-47"For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?"First Commandment, Exodus 20:3"Thou shalt have no other gods before me."The punishment - Deuteronomy 17:3-5"And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought i n Israel: Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die."More punishment - Exodus 22:20"He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed."New Testament punishment - Mark 16:16"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."Second Commandment, Exodus 20:4-5"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God."Third Commandment, Exodus 20:7"Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."The punishment - Leviticus 24:16&quo t;And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death."New Testament punishment - Matthew 12:32"And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh... ...wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."*********And finallyDeuteronomy 13: 6-9"If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people."

Mismatch between Supply and Demand Essay

(a) Natural environment = they are actually doing things that will help our environment be healthy. We are human beings and these environments are our necessary needs and they are taking good care of these, so when something natural hazards happen in the future, people will start to realize that Yuhan-Kimberly took care of the environment for our own goods. ìš °Ã« ¦ ¬Ã¬ Ëœ ì‚ ¶Ãª ³ ¼ ì §Ë†Ã¬ â€ž íâ€" ¥Ã¬Æ' Ã¬â€¹Å"í‚ ¤Ã«Å â€Ãª ²Æ' (b) Economic = They are contributing some of their profits to the society. People will someday realize these contributions and therefore, will buy Yuhan-Kimberly’s products, which means their revenue will go up. Consumers these days are smart and thinking and we have to realize this fact. (c) Demographic = Yuhan-Kimberly has been planting trees and donating to many other countries other than Korea. This is not an easy thing. Although the purpose of planting trees in China and Mongolia was to help protect Korean citizens from being sick from the winds that blow from these regions but their action has actually helped Chinese and Mongolians as well. These two countries are big countries with lots of potential power. By keep contributing to these countries, Yuhan-Kimberly would be able to branch out their markets to more regions. Threats in their long-term marketing environment (a) Natural environment = The fact that main products of Yuhan-Kimberly is of using all the natural resources, they would need to consistently appeal that they are really thinking about their environment just like now, but there will also need to be something new to remind their customers about it. (b) Economic = All the other companies are trying to follow the model of being ‘green.’ That means there are no points of differentiation at this point from Yuhan-Kimberly and all the other corporations. Consumers are smart these days. They know and care about companies’ they buy products from. Because business play a pivotal role in job and wealth creation in society, CSR is a central management concern. It positions companies to both proactively manage risks and take advantage of opportunities, especially with respect to their corporate reputation and broad engagement of stakeholders. Globalization Guidelines from the governments and intergovernmental bodies (UN) Advances in communications technology- easier to track corporate activities and disseminate information about the corporation- people do not like companies who do bad things. Consumers and investors are showing increasing interest in supporting responsible business practices and are demanding more information on how companies are addressing risks and opportunities related to social and environmental issues. Increasing awareness from consumers / investors/ governments 4. (a) Invested lots of money to develop functionally superior and comfortable products- made it to fit Korean consumers (b) Used non celebrity – usually college students (mostly feminine products are used by college students – attack these ë §Ë†Ã¬ Å')  © they took considerations on how to make specialized products for Korean consumers (ì ² ´Ã­Ëœâ€¢/ needs) (d) has their own research and development center ïÆ'   they took consideration on their consumer’s culture (í•Å"ê µ ­Ã¬ â‚¬ ë §Ë†Ã« £ ¨Ã« °â€Ã«â€¹ ¥Ã¬  ´Ã«â€¹Ë†Ãª ¹  ê ¸ °Ã¬  â‚¬Ãª ·â‚¬Ãª °â‚¬ ì ¢â‚¬ ë â€ íâ€" Ã«   Ã­â€¢ ´Ã« â€ž ì˜ ¤Ã« ¬ ¼Ã«â€œ ¤Ã¬  ´ ìÆ'ˆë â€ž ë‹ ¦Ã¬ â€ž 수 있ìÅ" ¼Ã«â€¹Ë† ê ´Å"ì ° ®Ã¬ Å') /

Clinical Experience and Medical School Application

Clinical Experience and Medical School Application What Is Clinical Experience? Clinical experience is volunteer experience or employment in the medical field, preferably in the area that interests you the most as a potential career. For example, if you want to work in a rural family practice, you might volunteer in a rural office for family medicine. Someone interested in pathology might shadow a pathologist. General experience in a hospital, nursing home, research lab, or clinic are additional examples. The depth and breadth of the experience can vary, but it is important that your experience gives you a firsthand look at the reality of your intended career choice. Either volunteer work or paid employment is acceptable. How Do I Get It? There are many routes to obtaining clinical experience. Your academic advisor or department chair should have contacts in place to help you find a position. You can ask your family doctor for names of contacts. You can call local hospitals or doctors offices. Check with labs, nursing homes, and clinics. Competitive experiences exist worldwide which may be advertised on a bulletin board outside science faculty offices. If you are having trouble finding a position, call admissions offices at medical schools and ask for ideas. Be proactive! Dont wait around for someone else to arrange this experience. Demonstrating initiative is a desirable trait for a medical college applicant. When Should I Get It? Ideally, you want to have started clinical experience prior to completing and submitting the AMCAS (American Medical Colleges Application Service) application. If you havent started it before then, at least have a starting date for the experience that can be placed on the application. Not only can this experience aid in getting secondary applications and interviews, but it is often essential. For traditional students looking to enter medical school the fall following graduation from college, this means you want to start this experience during your junior year or the summer between your junior and senior year. If your timeline is different, then plan accordingly. How Important Is Clinical Experience? Clinical experience is very important! Many schools require it; others strongly prefer to see it. Remember that admission to a medical college is competitive, so be prepared to demonstrate your commitment. There is no excuse for not getting clinical experience. The very least that you can do is to arrange a series of interviews with medical professionals to ask them about their work. Saying Im too busy or I dont know anyone who can help me or my advisor didnt get around to it will not impress the selection committee. Clinical experience is important because it documents that you know what is involved in the medical profession. You are entering medical school with an awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of medicine.

102 Rhetorical Analysis Professor Ramos Blog

102 Rhetorical Analysis Essay 2: Rhetorical Analysis

Top 10 Reasons to be The College Magazine Editor

Top 10 Reasons to be The College Magazine Editor You have decided to be a writer, and now you want to know what is the best way to get you prepared for a career once you leave college. Freelancing online for content writing, blog writing, and essay writing services can bring in lots of extra cash, but the best way to know the ins and out of the writing business is to become an editor of the colleges paper or magazine. Experience The editor is exposed to every level of writing that comes into the copy office. You would be responsible for reviewing proposals and drafts, planning, coordinating and editing the content of what gets published. Instead of just one genre of writing, becoming the editor in college will help you become a broader writer with exposure to more than general literature. It is beneficial to write technical and scientific papers, and as they come across your desk as you edit them; you will learn the formatting of this type of writing as well as some technical terms that you would not normally have been exposed to. Opportunities After Graduation Anyone can write, but not everyone is a writer. As you study your courses, the job as the college magazine editor will be the catapult to your writing career. When you are able to put the experience on your CV, it will open doors to the jobs you will be qualified for after graduation. Maintaining this position is equivalent to an apprenticeship as a professional editor. Books, Articles, and more Books As an editor of the college magazine, you will be sent articles to read all the time, but when you acquire the dream job in a publishing company, there will be books to read, and more books. Your love of words will be appreciated as a book/magazine/article editor. This is definitely the place for a bibliophile. You can even call for submissions if you dont think you have enough to read, but as an editor that is simply not going to happen. Ability to Choose Your Genre After spending time as the college editor you will definitely know what types of books and articles that you do not like to read. If you hate science fiction you will have the option of passing this type of reading on to a colleague that likes to read it. By the time you get out of college you will not be expected to know about everything you read but at least you will have much more exposure than those that did not use the time in college to write or edit. Your Importance to the Writer Every writer, no matter how good they think they are, needs an editor. You will always be in demand when you can tighten up a manuscript for an author that has spent years bringing their book to the publishing stage. You will be able to give them eyes that friends and relatives will not. An editor will be looking for the details and that is what you will be paid for. College Will Train Your Eye Many students that want to be editors for the college magazine will likely have to go through different aspects of editing that require different skillsets before being placed in the editor position. You will be better trained at the college paper that taking on an apprenticeship in an outside publishing house that may use you for free labor for 3-4 months and still not teach you any editing. In the college magazine offices, you will be learning the following skills: a. Acquiring editors: work directly with the author in the developmental stage of the manuscript and are concerned mainly with structure. b. Working along with the acquiring editor sometimes is a line editor, but they dont work as close to the author. They look through the writing but not as deep. c. The Copy Editor: Their focus is on the flow of the article or manuscript. They want to ensure consistency. d. Proofreaders: Finally, the proofreading position. This position is last and will not allow a book to be published without all the bells and whistles of grammar, style, and formatting in place. You Get to Help Authors Editors love to help authors do their best work, and as a college editor you will be working with your peers. These are new writers like yourself just starting out in the publishing world. These future number one bestselling authors may just end up being your clients for the rest of their lives. The networking in the college magazine offices is a gold mine for future writers. Many new writers see their by-line for the first time in this magazine or paper, and as the editor you will definitely make sure your by-line is published. In House Work The advantage that you will have when taking on college to get your BA degree is the acquiring of jobs outside of freelancing. A freelance writer who wants to go about editing, and is able to find work, can do so without a degree, but when you go into publishing houses looking for a position as an editor, they are going to hire those that have spent the time pursuing a degree in this field. English is not an easy degree to obtain, and neither is journalism. Your Reading will Improve There is a ton of reading involved in the editing process. A publishing house knows that if you took the time to get an English degree, you are a true grammarian, and will be an editor that has honed their critical research eye while in college. The more you read the better your eye for research will become. You will learn to read faster and smarter. You Typing Will Improve No more one-finger typing will haunt your hands. You may have taken a typing class in school, but when you become and editor for your college paper or magazine your speed will pick up and the mistakes will become less and less. Before you know it you will have finished typing papers in half the time it used to take you. You will not depend on your software programs to fix as many errors while you are working. You will become increasingly aware of your own errors and will auto correct them mentally as you go along. Becoming an editor and writer will help you start your own business if this is your career goal. Follow websites that give information on what the top writers in the industry are doing with the technology that is available on the market today. Every day look up what book publishers and e-zines are up too, and find sites that cater to writing and editing. These websites lead to job opportunities and have tutorials on how to further your career. Write on!

Lesson Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Lesson Plan - Assignment Example Proper addressing of these objectives enable learners be in a position to write short stories that are not only complete but also creative. Secondly, teaching students on proper editing skills will result to the learners applying them effectively on their writing. Finally, learners will be in a position to write brief contents that are of high quality, this is due to their comprehension of the difference between quality writings and quantity. Since writing an outstanding mini saga requires a lot of creativity, I will ensure that I psychologically prepare the students for the lesson. First, I will introduce the topic by writing the word â€Å"Saga† on the board before asking students if they have any prior knowledge of the term. After informing them that a Saga is a long story normally comprising of heroic events or something dramatic, I will proceed to state that the day’s lesson will not be on â€Å"saga† but â€Å"mini saga†, an implication that it will be brief. Once the class is aware of the day’s lesson, I will start by first defining the term Mini saga as a brief form of writing, normally has exactly fifty words excluding the title. The fifty word mini saga comprises of three sections, which are beginning, middle and end. I will then state a brief history of the mini saga by stating that Brian Aldiss is the man behind this form of writing. The main reason why Aldiss came up with the mini saga form of writing is that according to him, telling a story in a few words not only was it fun but also a challenging experience (â€Å"British Council†). After ensuring the class has full knowledge on the term mini saga, I will begin the lesson teaching them on how to come up with an appropriate and magnificent mini saga. Learners will participate in a classroom discussion where they will display their writing and editing skills.

Amazon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Amazon - Essay Example This means that the company has successfully attracted the future clientele for itself. The young generation will continue using the online retailer throughout its life because they have had a good experience with the company. This is one of the greatest assets of Amazon.The company is also following cost leadership strategy with great success. The shift in the policy came after 2001 as it was the time when company decided that it has gained enough clientele to follow a cost leadership strategy. This strategy is working and it is expected to work in future as well. This is because in future more online retailers will come and competition for Amazon is increasing. The future competitors will come up with new innovations but the only way through which the new competitors can be fought is through cost cuttings. Any new competitor will not be able to compete with Amazon in future if the company offers excellent services at lowest price. Amazon is also currently trying to pursue a long te rm strategy and this is a good approach. The company should not focus on short term profits rather it should capitalize its brand name in a better way. The company is still in the growth phase therefore it should follow a growth oriented strategy. The lower profits in the short run can be accepted in favour of long term growth. The company is focusing on customer satisfaction and retention, according to the case. This strategy is also commendable as customers are the main source of revenue. Amazon is known to be customer friendly and this should remain the case in future as well. Customer base of the company is strong and this shows that customers are responding to the policies of the company. There are also certain problems in the long term strategy of the company. The company has not accumulated enough cash that is should have and it is not prepared to face any unseen economic disaster. Any unexpected economic problem can drive the company out of business and this is serious conce rn in the short run. The lower profits of the company through services are also a concern. The company should try to earn more and more revenue through advertisement. This is an area where the company is lacking. Google and Yahoo are making use of their brand name and presence to earn massive advertisement revenue. Amazon should do the same thing and should attract companies by selling places on its websites. This is an area where the company is lagging behind and more can be done in this regard. Long term growth strategy is good enough but short term cash accumulation should also under focus. Question 2 Turnaround strategy refers to a set of steps a company takes in order to rejuvenate its business that was previously not working in a desired manner. Businesses when facing serious problems are forced to think differently and come up with strategies that can bring new life to their company. Turnaround strategies help the company change its normal path and do something in order to pe rform better. Turnaround strategies involve reallocation of resources and the most common resource that is reallocated is the management. Companies are sometimes faced with problems that can only be solved by complete overhauling the way the business is run. Amazon is facing problems from its competitors and although the company is enjoying a first mover’s advantage, still competitors are quickly catching up. This is a problem for the company so turnaround strategy will aim at solving the problem of increasing competition. The company should start to think in a different way in order to save itself from the increased competition. The company should immediately turn its focus on its core activity and that is online

Multimedia Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Multimedia - Assignment Example The company will also be happy to avail additional services and reference upon the client’s request. The company has a precise understanding of software development needs, and the company also has the skills, experience and knowledge to complete the project in a successful manner. The company is also recognized by the association of software companies within the state and has been placed on the map to show its competency. The company shall be involved in developing the system from the start and customize it according to NPC needs that will make the system easy to use even minus technical support. Once agreed, the development phase takes off and a prototype is availed for demo is when NPC commits a down payment. After complete system development, the company shall offer training to the staff members and be available for any technical support that may be needed. NPC shall use the system for a period of three months for convenience purpose is when the final payment is made. IMS shall avail free consultancy service to the NPC for a period of six months from the time of system delivery. The system contains a home screen that can be viewed by both site visitors and staff members. The home screen has a login area that can be used by staff members while logging into the system. The clients can place orders and at the same time seek for vet services. A good system is supposed to be easily navigable by any type of user; hence the system should be simple to understand (Eurospi 2007, & Abrahamsson, 2007). This can be achieved by use of few pages to avoid mix up. The system uses a well-organized database that enables retrieval to be easy and secure. For security reasons, a back server is set on the cloud. Cloud computing is taking technology miles away and most tech companies prefer using cloud for the purpose of storing data and can be retrieved in case the primary storage fails at some pint. The main page is

An Analytical Remuneration of Writing Skills Personal Statement - 5

An Analytical Remuneration of Writing Skills - Personal Statement Example Initially, it was an intimidating experience filled with apprehensions and anxieties. However, the encouragement provided by a highly competent and qualified instructor prodded me to endeavor to enhance my writing skills. Through observing grammatical rules and by indicating weaknesses in structure and form, I had begun to improve in terms of gaining confidence in writing and in applying the rules for effective writing. In this regard, it is my personal conviction that I am given the privilege to pass the UWSK course as a prelude to more gratifying writing experiences in the future. The UWSK accorded me with the opportunity to develop diverse skills pertinent to writing. One of the major skills learned was an observance of essay structures which encompasses important rules in grammar, including observance of correct spelling and punctuation marks. My initial essay (Out of Class Essay #1) on Illegal Immigration observed appropriate structure by presenting an introduction (which could actually be fairly long), a body (with arguments presenting claims and reasons) and an appropriate conclusion. I took ample time to clearly evaluate correct spelling and phrasing with the use of the required punctuation marks. I realize that there is still a tendency for me to lengthen my discussion of a particular topic creating the tendency to divert into another topic. Of course, one cannot be expected to come up with a perfect essay in a few tries. Another skill that has been developed through the UWSK course is the skill of introspection – the ability to contemplate on one’s thoughts and feelings prior to writing. As indicated in the standard instructions prior to any writing experience, one must brainstorm to gather thoughts, information, details of what I want to write, and how I plan to write these ideas in a structure which would assist the reader in understanding the message that I want to relay.

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION - Essay Example These two areas are very important because the front office provide the first impression that guest have about a hotel. The front office agents must therefore exhibit high standards of mannerism in greeting guests, welcoming them; smiling and having guests feel at home. The root cause of negative mannerism and knowledge at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis hotels front desk services can be categorized as inadequacies in personnel, procedures, policies and equipment. The weaknesses on the blueprint are on the physical evidence and the onstage employee action areas since they affect customers’ actions. In the blueprint for the Marriott Marquis Hotel, front office is physical evidence. Physical evidence in this case is the environment and people within the front office area. For every moment of truth and each action taken by the customer, the physical evidence that customers come into contact with is critical (Baum & Odgers, 2001). Front office consists of tangibles, that customer come into contact with that are likely to influence how business customers perceive quality at the Marriott Marquis Hotel’s front desk. Poorly arranged front office will deter business customers from booking the hotel. Onstage employee action is the second area on the blueprint that is affected by the weaknesses mentioned above. Front office are onstage employees and are actively involved in making reservations, giving suggestions, phone calls receiving, manage registration process, fulfilling guest needs/delivering bags, solve their problems, and process the registrations of their business customers. There is high degree of interaction with business customers in the blueprint thus the type of interaction influences their action. Poor manners and knowledge by front office agents will definitely results into poor guest experience and impression of the hotel. In this respect, personnel attributes such as poor training, attitude, poor communication etiquette, bad customer

An Analysis on the Factors Affecting the Recent US Economic Growth Research Paper

An Analysis on the Factors Affecting the Recent US Economic Growth - Research Paper Example Since the degree of industrialization in the country is high, approximately 55% of its imports are crude oil (â€Å"The World Fact Book†). The economic prosperity of U.S. had declined to some extent during the oil price boom from 2001 to 2006 (â€Å"Recent U.S. Economic Growth†). The soaring prices of energy resources increased the cost of imports as well as industrialization in the nation. Moreover, the real estate sector of the nation was facing certain exuberances since the latter half of 2007 in U.S. (â€Å"The World Fact Book†). The real estate’s homes were traded for speculative purposes in the country. Over time, failure of some projects lead to severe crisis in the U.S. money market during 2008. The commercial banks were forced to offer to accept direct implicit bail outs and some of them like Lehman Brothers had collapsed due to severe financial crisis. The recession in 2008, had significantly lowered the economic growth of U.S. since the Great Depression. In order to set everything in the right state, the U.S. government in 2008 has decided to inject $700 billion in its market through the enactment of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) (â€Å"Recent U.S. Economic Growth†). Some of these funds were utilized by the state federal government for purchasing equities of banks and some industrial corporations. In addition to that in 2009, under the guidance of President Barack Obama, the Federal government injected an additional sum of $787 billion in the U.S. economy (â€Å"The World Fact Book†). It was claimed that this fund was supposed to be allotted for financing the expansionary fiscal policies of the country from 2010 to 2011. The federal budget defici t measured in terms of percentage change in GDP in U.S. was 9% in 2011 but it decreased to a level of 7.6% in 2012 (â€Å"The World Fact Book†). This proves that there are some substantial reasons for which the economic status of U.S. has

An Analytical Remuneration of Writing Skills Personal Statement - 5

An Analytical Remuneration of Writing Skills - Personal Statement Example Initially, it was an intimidating experience filled with apprehensions and anxieties. However, the encouragement provided by a highly competent and qualified instructor prodded me to endeavor to enhance my writing skills. Through observing grammatical rules and by indicating weaknesses in structure and form, I had begun to improve in terms of gaining confidence in writing and in applying the rules for effective writing. In this regard, it is my personal conviction that I am given the privilege to pass the UWSK course as a prelude to more gratifying writing experiences in the future. The UWSK accorded me with the opportunity to develop diverse skills pertinent to writing. One of the major skills learned was an observance of essay structures which encompasses important rules in grammar, including observance of correct spelling and punctuation marks. My initial essay (Out of Class Essay #1) on Illegal Immigration observed appropriate structure by presenting an introduction (which could actually be fairly long), a body (with arguments presenting claims and reasons) and an appropriate conclusion. I took ample time to clearly evaluate correct spelling and phrasing with the use of the required punctuation marks. I realize that there is still a tendency for me to lengthen my discussion of a particular topic creating the tendency to divert into another topic. Of course, one cannot be expected to come up with a perfect essay in a few tries. Another skill that has been developed through the UWSK course is the skill of introspection – the ability to contemplate on one’s thoughts and feelings prior to writing. As indicated in the standard instructions prior to any writing experience, one must brainstorm to gather thoughts, information, details of what I want to write, and how I plan to write these ideas in a structure which would assist the reader in understanding the message that I want to relay.

An Analysis on the Factors Affecting the Recent US Economic Growth Research Paper

An Analysis on the Factors Affecting the Recent US Economic Growth - Research Paper Example Since the degree of industrialization in the country is high, approximately 55% of its imports are crude oil (â€Å"The World Fact Book†). The economic prosperity of U.S. had declined to some extent during the oil price boom from 2001 to 2006 (â€Å"Recent U.S. Economic Growth†). The soaring prices of energy resources increased the cost of imports as well as industrialization in the nation. Moreover, the real estate sector of the nation was facing certain exuberances since the latter half of 2007 in U.S. (â€Å"The World Fact Book†). The real estate’s homes were traded for speculative purposes in the country. Over time, failure of some projects lead to severe crisis in the U.S. money market during 2008. The commercial banks were forced to offer to accept direct implicit bail outs and some of them like Lehman Brothers had collapsed due to severe financial crisis. The recession in 2008, had significantly lowered the economic growth of U.S. since the Great Depression. In order to set everything in the right state, the U.S. government in 2008 has decided to inject $700 billion in its market through the enactment of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) (â€Å"Recent U.S. Economic Growth†). Some of these funds were utilized by the state federal government for purchasing equities of banks and some industrial corporations. In addition to that in 2009, under the guidance of President Barack Obama, the Federal government injected an additional sum of $787 billion in the U.S. economy (â€Å"The World Fact Book†). It was claimed that this fund was supposed to be allotted for financing the expansionary fiscal policies of the country from 2010 to 2011. The federal budget defici t measured in terms of percentage change in GDP in U.S. was 9% in 2011 but it decreased to a level of 7.6% in 2012 (â€Å"The World Fact Book†). This proves that there are some substantial reasons for which the economic status of U.S. has

Entrepreneurship Education as the Emerging Trend in Pakistan Essay Example for Free

Entrepreneurship Education as the Emerging Trend in Pakistan Essay For the developing world, the emerging trend is entrepreneurship education in itself. It is significant and considered a powerful tool for propelling economic growth, as significant as venture capital and incubators. The youth today is exposed to a world of information and rapid change. He is prone to be the captain of his ship more than ever before. Hence the objective is to create awareness of trends and issues being faced in Entrepreneurship Education programs and see how Pakistan can gain from the experience of the developed world. It is also the objective to see how programs have to be designed for teaching and learning by the new generation of the future. The research methodology has been to examine relevant literature of other regions and compare this to the work done in Pakistan. Its been observed that it has acquired its own field of research methodology and finally is a standalone discipline, with ample work to show its breath and depth. Our finding is that it’s going to be a different world, calling for planning for a world unknown? Our conclusion is that it is significantly important to make the youth of today gainfully employed after imparting education to them. And Pedagogy is one of the issues that deserve attention in the Entrepreneurship Education. It is a question of evolving knowledge and evolving pedagogy to impart knowledge. Local experience and theory has to be evolved building the subject. Developing countries will have a host of issues far different from the developed countries. Education policy will play very significant role to resolve these issues. The authors conclude with suggestions that there is now a need to develop theory of entrepreneurship education based on the education theory and not on the theory of management and economics. There should be all out effort to build the ‘entrepreneurship capital’ and to give it central place in the education place. Keywords:Entrepreneurship Education, Entrepreneurial Generation, Pedagogy, Entrepreneurship Capital Entrepreneurship Education as the Emerging Trend in Pakistan: Confronting the Issues I. Introduction: a. Background: The field of entrepreneurship education is in the process of growing and gaining legitimacy and being recognized in the developing countries. In Pakistan it has been an up-hill task and despite efforts it is still an unknown academic field. But it is somewhat different in USA and in Europe and Japan. There it has recognition and there it has immense recognition as an important factor to keep pace with the economic growth and change required for economic efficiency. It is nurtured to impact the economies of the ‘technological tripod’ of economic growth. No doubt USA leads the way but European Council through the Lisbon Proclamation 2000 had launched itself in pursuit of economic growth through Entrepreneurship. The then President of EC committed the European Union to become the Entrepreneurship Leader as it was acknowledged that new economic growth, and productivity is generated by entrepreneurial activity (as cited by Audretch 2008). The statement is proclamation of the significance and importance of Entrepreneurship for economic development. In pursuit of entrepreneurship what is required is Entrepreneurship Education and the observation is that the trail it leaves behind is host of the emerging trends and issues which need to be examined and evaluated and worked out. Entrepreneurship Education is the path and road to developing an enterprising environment, building ‘social capital’ and ‘Entrepreneurship Capital’. â€Å"This refers to institutions, culture, and historical context that is conducive to the creation of new firms. This involves a number of aspects such as social acceptance of entrepreneurial behavior the activity of bankers, venture capital agents â€Å"(Audretsch 2008). The rationale of this paper evolve around the spirit of these terms and the process of evolving this capital is entrepreneurship education. The purpose of this paper is to explain the importance of entrepreneurship education in the light of compelling evidence surrounding us that it produces an enterprising society or ‘The Entrepreneurial Society’ and economic development. There is significant evidence about the impact of entrepreneurship on economic development (Wennekers et al 2005, Verheul Thurik 2003, Caree et al 2002, Audretsch et al 2006). â€Å"The way entrepreneurial activity has an effect on economy is that it is reflected in the macro-economic growth, value addition, employment generation, export growth, industrialization and poverty reduction†. (Wagha 2010) Entrepreneurship in the last two decades has achieved a central place in all recent discourse and debate and policymaking on education. There is a need for appropriate educational program at all academic institutions, universities, business schools and secondary schools. â€Å"So significant is the role of Entrepreneurship Education that it is considered a powerful tool for propelling economic growth as significant as venture capital and incubators†. A look at policy on education recently framed in different countries around the world reveal that there is emerging need to focus on entrepreneurship education and research. (Lee Wong 2005, Khan 2006) We realized through this research that there is a need to look at Entrepreneurship Education from the teaching and learning perspective. And of importance is how Entrepreneurship Education should be taught and the paradigm of research should be education and not merely economic and management. Bechard Gregoire (2002). It was also observed through empirical research and interviews that there is also the need to focus on the faculty of Entrepreneurship Education. There is an acute shortage of such teachers who are well versed in the pedagogy of Entrepreneurship Education. And according to Dr. Hasan Sohaib Murad, Rector, University of Management and Technology Pakistan (while addressing the audience at a Junior World Entrepreneurship Forum Pakistan (July 2011) : â€Å"The problem is our faculty, those who are teaching in business school today. They are teaching in business schools because they were not entrepreneurs. The other factor that has to be taken in consideration is the role of entrepreneurship in economic development. According to Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) entrepreneurship and economic development are exclusively mutual â€Å"GEM is based on the following premise. An economy’s prosperity is highly dependent on a dynamic entrepreneurship sector. This is true across all stages of development. Yet the nature of this activity can vary in character and impact. Necessity-driven entrepreneurship, particularly in less developed regions or those experiencing job losses, can help an economy benefit from self-employment initiatives when there are fewer work options available. More developed economies, on the other hand, can leverage their wealth and innovation capacity, yet they also offer more employment options to attract those that might otherwise become entrepreneurs†. (GEM 2010) It goes onto explain that the capacity of an economy is dependent upon highly competent individuals and positive societal perception about entrepreneurs. â€Å"An economy’s entrepreneurial capacity requires individuals with the ability and motivation to start businesses, and requires positive societal perceptions about entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship should include participation from all groups in society, including women, a range of groups and education levels and disadvantaged populations. Finally, high-growth entrepreneurship is a key contributor to new employment in an economy, and national competitiveness depends on innovative and cross-border entrepreneurial ventures†. (GEM 2010) b. Objectives of the Study: So significant is the role of entrepreneurship that the developed countries are perusing it by adopting new educational policies and by introducing strategies to create an ‘Entrepreneurship Capital’. For the developing world that has lagged behind, this is a wakeup call. Therefore the Objective is: to be aware of the issues and see how Pakistan can gain from the experiences of the developed world and evolve a suitable strategy for implementing entrepreneurship education effectively. It is assumed that, some of the best practices if disseminated will have an impact. c. Justification: As can be seen that it is essential for all developing countries and Pakistan in particular to undertake various studies pertaining to entrepreneurship, simply because this era of entrepreneurship is as potent as the era of Industrial Revolution. It has the potential for developing countries to catch-up with Developed Countries if the national economic agendas are prudently organized. d. Statement of the Problem: However some issues surrounding Entrepreneurship Education are: How should entrepreneurship education courses be designed, what should be the structure of courses? What should be the balance between activity based and text based teaching? What should be the ethical domain, and what disciplines would fall in the entrepreneurial ambit of subject? What pedagogy would be considered appropriate to teach entrepreneurship? In the midst of this expansion of courses, these emerge as a challenge how to make teaching entrepreneurship effective. Years of research and considerable debates has dispelled earlier doubts that entrepreneurship cannot be taught, and it was Drucker (1985) who said, â€Å"like other disciplines it can be taught†. But the emerging trend of Entrepreneurship Education is compounded by such factors as IT revolution and globalization. The youth today is exposed to a world of information and rapid change. He is prone to be the captain of his ship as he sees opportunities far beyond his imagination. He can evaluate the advantage of going for his own venture. He can see that Entrepreneurship is about change and competition, changing in its wake markets and ushering in technologies that entrepreneurship binds as the ‘social glue’ high-tech and ‘main street’ activities (SBA 1998). e. Research Question: Therefore the research question that we will attempt to find answer to is: 1. What issues and trends are being faced by Pakistan in Entrepreneurship Education and what adoption is required to benefit from this trend? II (a)Research Methodology: My goal is to determine the current status of the subject, by looking at the theory based on the published articles of other regions by leading authorities such as Bechard, Audretch Fayolle, Dana, Plaschka, Hindle Kuratko. This will help guide future research, but beyond literature review, I also recorded empirical findings and interviews and survey of literature to see the emerging trends in Entrepreneurship Education in Pakistan. The literature reviewed has been some grey literature and some conference papers as these were very current and contemporary thinking on emerging issues and trends. Furthermore the research has been enhanced by visiting foreign conferences for gathering data at doctoral seminars in Europe and America on Entrepreneurship Education. In that sense this is rather epistemological analysis of educational theories and reports on Entrepreneurship Education Trends and Issues. But the problem encountered was that there is not much data a vailable on this subject in Pakistan. This paper therefore undertakes the qualitative approach based on survey, interviews and literature review of this region and of the academic body that has taught the subject and also of others who have written papers on the status of Entrepreneurship Education in Pakistan. â€Å"Primary data include such facts collected from observation, surveys, and even interviews. When secondary data are unavailable and our research questions are unanswered, we have to collect data from primary sources. This proves useful because they are collected specifically for the particular study† (Ghauri Gronhaug 2002). This is obvious in the case of Pakistan where there is no secondary data on this subject. The investigation attempts to determine differences between the developed and developing countries, describing conditions that already exist, (Say in Pakistan) and why conditions in European and America are different from it. The collection of data is ongoing and eventually synthesized and conclusions are drawn. II (b)Limitation: The fundamental limitation is that hardly any journals are available in Pakistan on Entrepreneurship Education. No doubt that recent support provided by HEC for library data bases and resource centres has been greatly useful. The other fundamental handicap that the Pakistani researchers or students seeking to adopt this as their subject of specialization would face is lack of faculty. Currently there is no known or accessible faculty available in Pakistan having a PhD Degree in Entrepreneurship Education. Hence there are no doctorates of Entrepreneurship Education available to supervise or act as advisers to students desiring to do a PhD in Entrepreneurship. III. Literature Review: Discussing the Definition of Entrepreneurship Education as Emerging Trend: The subject of entrepreneurship education begins with the entrepreneur. The study of the Entrepreneur goes beyond the study of the characteristic and the traits of the entrepreneur which is the psychological profile. The entrepreneur is part of the complex process of new venture creation (Gartner 1988). And new venture creation is new economic growth which brings the importance of entrepreneurship and the education process for developing entrepreneurs. Say (1816) defined the entrepreneur as the economic agent. Hence the entrepreneur is one of the dimensions of economic growth. If we were to examine the quotation by Cole (1946) we realize that this unleashes a host of issues and trends associated with entrepreneurship and the promotion of Entrepreneurship Education. Cole (1946, p.3) states that Entrepreneur is one who â€Å"Unites all means of production – the labor of the one, t he capital or the land of the others – and who finds in the value of the products which results from their employment the reconstitution of the entire capital that he utilizes, and the value of the wages, the interest, and the rent which he pays, as well as the profits belonging to himself†. This statement explains the process of new venture creation which the entrepreneur is prone to do. It is a complete picture of the role which an entrepreneur performs as an economic player in an economy. Whereas the behavioral view of entrepreneur defines the entrepreneur as a very special person but calling for investigation to understand and define Entrepreneur and Entrepreneurship. They even cropped up when Gartner (1988) examined in what way do we define the Entrepreneur. According to him since the entrepreneur causes entrepreneurship you could explain Phenomenon of Entrepreneurship through traits approach or explain Phenomenon of Entrepreneurship through Behavioral approach. Subsequently this leads to disseminating the knowledge of entrepreneurship education. We are once again confronted with trends to adopt in Entrepreneurship Education and issues to deal with to establish the infrastructure of Entrepreneurship Education e.g. there is no evidence to support successful or unsucc essful leaders. The new trend is to focus on behavior of the leader. What they do as a leader, and not on what they are, and this aptly applies to research on entrepreneurship and hence the definition which explains and determines for us what influences behavior and performance which define entrepreneurship. (Van de Ven 1980 p.86) We have been amply warned that we should study the behaviors and activities of entrepreneurs. This brings us to the performance of an entrepreneur, the dynamism by which he proceeds as an entrepreneur and hence we call it entrepreneurship. We have come to realize that entrepreneurship can be enhanced by entrepreneurship education. Hence our question is what is entrepreneurship education. According to Bechchard Toulouse (1998) the definition of Entrepreneurship Education is â€Å"A collection of formulized teaching that informs trains and educates anyone interested in participating in social economic development through a project to promote entrepreneurship awareness, business creation or small business development†. Jones English (2004) define Entrepreneurial Education as: â€Å"Entrepreneurial Education can be viewed broadly in terms of the skills that can be taught and the characteristics that can be engendered in individuals that will enable them to develop new and innovative plans†. The creation of a discipline confronts trends and issues: Therefore the emerging trends and issues are related to multi-dimensional aspect of entrepreneurship education. The gathering of information and knowledge of this aspect is the fundamental activity of research and education to understand the behavioral phenomenon of entrepreneurship (Gartner 1988).Following the line of reasoning if personality traits could define entrepreneurs, the question of education, training and development would seem irrelevant and the foregone conclusion would be that those who possess the requisite traits should be successful entrepreneurs. As that is not the case we seek constantly ways of educating the entrepreneur to behave in a particular way to become successful. The contemplation of this fact has created a series of issues and trends required for the development of entrepreneurship education programs. In our quest for this answer we get a response from Gartner (1988) that we should follow Mintzbe rgs advice. Issues that confront entrepreneurs should be resolved to develop a profound entrepreneurship program along with its multiplicity of dimensions. Each question throws up a new philosophy and search for truth that could be developed into an answer to the issues confronting entrepreneurship education. What roles does the entrepreneur perform in moving information, in making decisions, in dealing with the people? How and why do individuals enter a new venture? The other emerging issue from this kind of reasoning is to what extent is entrepreneurship a science? To what extent is the entrepreneurs work programmable? All such questions resolve the issue of designing new branches of education in the domain of entrepreneurship. These would have to be dealt in accordance to the trends in development, competitiveness, economic growth and resource allocation.

Alternative Sources Of Energy

Alternative Sources Of Energy Bio-fuels are formed from biomass, normally plants seeds, and liquid bio fuels can be use for transportation. We are one of the worlds leading distributors of bio fuels and we are developing enhanced bio fuels that could see CO2 reductions and a sustainable alternative fuel source. The two main forms of bio fuel today are ethanol and FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Esters), which have largely relied on food crops such as wheat or sugar cane as their source. We are working to find a source material that does not compete with food crops, to develop a conversion process that will produce low CO2, and to produce efficient fuels. Our bio fuels research includes finding alternative feedstocks. We are looking into finding tough new enzymes to break down the cellulose in plants such as straw. Algae have potential as a sustainable source of vegetable oil that could be used for the production of bio fuel for diesel engines. It is early days but algae hold promise, as they grow rapidly and can be cultivated in ponds of seawater and minimise the use of fertile land and fresh water. Alternative Energy The world has plenty of potential renewable energy sources, but each has its own technical challenges. Scientists are working to develop alternative energy sources that are sustainable, clean and convenient. Fossil fuels are expected to remain the worlds main source of energy for decades to come but sustainable, clean and convenient energy sources will also be needed in the mix. Todays most widespread biofuel, ethanol, is commonly made from starchy or sugary plants. Hydrogen is seen by many as the fuel of the future, but it still has a long way to go. It is an energy carrier, in the same way as electricity, and so must be produced from another substance. Most commonly, hydrogen is produced using steam that reacts with methane and converts it into hydrogen and carbon. It can also be produced from water through electrolysis. The hydrogen can then be stored and converted to energy via hydrogen fuel cells, now available for cars. In hydrogen fuel cell vehicles a chemical reaction inside the fuel cell usually between hydrogen and oxygen creates electricity for the motor and the only resulting exhaust pipe emission is water vapour. We are learning as much as possible about hydrogen refuelling and how to meet future customer needs. We are involved in research and demonstration projects and have already opened a cluster of commercial hydrogen filling stations. biomass Biomass is any plant derived organic matter available on a renewable basis, including dedicated energy crops and trees, agricultural food and feed crops, agricultural crop wastes and residues, wood wastes and residues, aquatic plants etc. The energy in biomass can be harnessed in waste-to-energy plants or cogeneration plants. Waste-to-Energy Plants All incinerable waste not recovered, reused or recycled is sent for incineration at the waste-to-energy plants operated by the National Environment Agency. The combustion of municipal waste including renewables in the waste produce heat, which is recovered to generate electricity. The electricity generated is fed into the electricity grid. The biomass in Singapores municipal waste are mainly wood waste, horticultural waste, food waste and waste paper. Waste-To-Energy Plants Turbine Capacity (MW) Ulu Pandan Incineration Plant 16 Tuas Incineration Plant 46 Senoko Incineration Plant 56 Tuas South Incineration Plant 80 Biomass Cogeneration Plants Cogeneration is the simultaneous production of electricity and heat, both of which are used. Through the utilisation of the heat, the efficiency of cogeneration plant can reach 80% or more. Cogeneration therefore offers energy savings ranging between 15-40% when compared to the supply of electricity and heat from conventional power stations and boilers. Cogeneration plants that use biomass fuel are carbon-neutral compared to those using fossil fuels. Two companies, M/s ECO-IEE Pte Ltd and M/s Bee Joo Industries Pte Ltd have biomass cogeneration plants. The ECO cogeneration plant has a turbine capacity of 0.53 MW and uses wood waste as fuel. The Bee Joo cogeneration plant has turbine capacity of 1.0 MW and uses wood waste and horticulture waste as fuel. Alkaline fuel cells (AFC) Alkaline fuel cells use compressed hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity. They normally operate at 70-90 °C, with 300-5000 W of power at about 25-30% system efficiency. The Apollo astronauts used alkaline fuel cells to provide both electricity and drinking water. However, pure hydrogen fuel was used. More information on AFCs may be found here. TOP Phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC) Phosphoric acid fuel cells use phosphoric acid as the electrolyte to produce electricity. Types of fuel that PAFCs can use include anaerobic digester gas, natural gas, gasoline, etc. They operate at 190-215 °C, generating up to 200 kW of power at about 35-40% efficiency. The internal parts of the fuel cell must be able to withstand the corrosive acid. More information on PAFCs may be found here. TOP Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (also known as polymer electrolyte fuel cells) use a polymer-based electrolyte, typically in a thin, permeable sheet. This membrane must not leak or crack, while a platinum catalyst must also be coated on both sides of the membrane. The operating temperature is about 70-90 °C, with outputs of between 1W and 20 http://www.nccc.gov.sg/renewables/fct.shtm (1 of 2) [17/7/2010 2:07:03 AM] Fuel Cell Technologies kW of power. System efficiency is about 30-35%. The low temperature makes PEMFCs suitable for use in homes and cars. The fuel (typically hydrogen) must also be highly purified. Natural gas can also be reformed to produce hydrogen for fuel cells. More information on PEMFCs may be found here. TOP Molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC) Molten carbonate fuel cells use high-temperature carbonates (of sodium or magnesium) as the electrolyte for generating electricity. Hence, the normal operating temperature is around 600-650 °C, producing 250 kW 2 MW of power at about 45-50% efficiency. Waste heat produced by the reaction can be utilized to maximize system efficiency. This also means that MCFCs would be too hot for home applications. More information on MCFCs may be found here. TOP Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) Solid oxide fuel cells use a hard, ceramic compound of metallic oxides (of calcium or zirconium) as the electrolyte. They normally operate at about 700-1,000 °C, producing up to 100 kW of power. System efficiency is around 50-55%. At such temperatures, reformers are not necessary for producing hydrogen from fuels, eg natural gas. Waste heat from SOFCs can also be recovered for use in other applications, eg making more electricity. However, SOFCs are large in size, hence limiting its applications. More information on SOFCs may be found here. Introduction The tide moves a huge amount of water twice each day, and harnessing it could provide a great deal of energy around 20% of Britains needs. Although the energy supply is reliable and plentiful, converting it into useful electrical power is not easy. There are eight main sites around Britain where tidal power stations could usefully be built, including the Severn, Dee, Solway and Humber estuaries. Only around 20 sites in the world have been identified as possible tidal power stations. A few years ago, tidal powermeant tidal barrage. But these days there are other options as well. How it works: Tidal Barrages These work rather like a hydro-electricscheme, except that the dam is muchbigger. A huge dam (called a barrage) is built across a river estuary. When the tide goes in and out, the water flows through tunnels in the dam. The ebb and flow of the tides can be used to turn a turbine, or it can be used to push air through a pipe, which then turns a turbine. Large lock gates, like the ones used on canals, allow ships to pass. If one was built across the Severn Estuary, the tides at Weston-super-Mare would not go out nearly as far thered be water to play in for most of the time. But the Severn Estuary carries sewage and other wastes from many places (e.g. Bristol Gloucester) out to sea. A tidal barrage would mean that this stuff would hang around Weston-super-Mare an awful lot longer! Also, if youre one of the 80,000+ birds that feeds on the exposed mud flats when the tide goes out, then you have a problem, because the tide wont be going out properly any more. Advantages Once youve built it, tidal power is free. It produces no greenhouse gases or other waste. It needs no fuel. It produces electricity reliably. Not expensive to maintain. Tides are totally predictable. Offshore turbines and vertical-axis turbines are not ruinously expensive to build and do not have a large environmental impact. Disadvantages A barrage across an estuary is very expensive to build, and affects a very wide area the environment is changed for many miles upstream and downstream. Many birds rely on the tide uncovering the mud flats so that they can feed. Fish cant migrate, unless fish ladders are installed. Only provides power for around 10 hours each day, when the tide is actually moving in or out. There are few suitable sites for tidal barrages Is it renewable? Tidal energy is renewable. The tides will continue to ebb and flow, and the energy is there for the taking. Can tidal energy work in Singapore? Windmill under the sea The New Paper 11 Nov 08; This week, Singapore hosted the International Energy Week where policy makers from all over the world met academics and industry players to talk about energy options and strategies for the future. CHNG CHOON HIONG looks at tidal energy as it is used in the UK while TEH JEN LEE asks whether it could work here. PICTURE a 37m-tall, 1,000-tonne windmill that is submerged under the sea and you get a good idea of what the SeaGen Tidal Energy generator is. 11 November 2008 PICTURE a 37m-tall, 1,000-tonne windmill that is submerged under the sea and you get a good idea of what the SeaGen Tidal Energy generator is. Situated in Strangford Narrows, off the coast of Northen Ireland, the SeaGen is the worlds first commercial-scale tidal energy turbine, harnessing the virtually inexhaustible energy carried by tidal currents. Tidal currents are caused by the gravitational interaction between the earth and the moon arising from their relative motion. As such, the tidal cycle is perfectly predictable, an advantage over power generated by wind and sunlight. There are, however, some drawbacks in harnessing tidal power. It has some prerequisites which limit its use to just a few regions in the world. There are also worries such as the possible disruption of marine life and the ecosystem. However, the concerns about damaging the ecosystem are yet to be firmly established. Costing more than  £8.5 million ($20 million) in development, the SeaGen is commissioned for operation till 2013. During this time, it will generate 1,200kW of clean renewable power, enough to provide for the electrical needs of 1,000 UK households. Can this work in Singapore? USING current technology, Singapore cannot harness tidal energy because our mean tidal range of about 1.7m is too low. The New Paper 11 Nov 08 USING current technology, Singapore cannot harness tidal energy because our mean tidal range of about 1.7m is too low. Mean tidal range is the difference in height between mean low water and mean high water levels during spring tides, which occur during new moon and full moon, when there is greatest variation in tides. The tidal range is low all around South-east Asia because of the configuration of the land fairly straight coastlines which are surrounded by seas. In contrast, there are beaches in some countries elsewhere with a tidal range of more than 10m. For example, in the Bay of Fundy on the Atlantic coast of North America, home to the worlds highest tides, the tidal range has been measured in excess of 15m. These high tides produce swift-flowing currents when the tide is coming in and going out. In Singapore, because of the low tidal range, the tidal currents are not strong enough to generate electricity. It would be like trying to get power from water flowing through a monsoon drain. Professor Teh Tiong Sa, visiting senior fellow at the Tropical Marine Science Institute, said: To have viable energy from tides, the higher the tidal range the better. For Singapore, its too low to even think about it now, unless technology changes and things become more efficient. Singapore, August 12 Somewhere off the coast of Invergordon in Scotland on Thursday, the worlds largest tidal turbine will be unveiled, marking a turning point in the global renewable tidal energy industry. This turbine, which can generate consistent electricity to power 1,000 British homes, may be located thousands of miles from Singapore but it represents a key moment for the city-states growing clean technology or cleantech industry. This is because the AK1000 turbine, as it is called, was tested in Singapore waters and designed on Singapores shores during key periods of its 10-year research history. Chief executive Timothy Cornelius of Atlantis Resources Corporation the firm behind the turbine said the unveiling and installation of the one megawatt turbine was the culmination of 10 years of hard work and belief from all partners and staff. It is an important milestone not only for Atlantis, which has invested S$100 million of private investors funds into developing the turbine to date, but for the global marine power industry, he said. This is when ocean power generation goes from being in the research space to the commercial space. The company, which originated in Australia before moving its headquarters to Singapore five years ago, is now looking at possible locations to build a manufacturing plant that will mass produce its turbines for commercial application. Dwindling fossil fuel resources and growing concern on its negative impact on global climate change has resulted in a global race for clean energy in recent years. Tidal energy has potential to be a key energy source for a world grappling with rapid urbanisation. Apart from Scotland, countries such as Japan and India have vast untapped tidal energy resources that could be converted into renewable energy, thus reducing the countrys reliance on fossil fuels, said Mr Cornelius. If all goes well, the firm will begin looking to list on an Asian bourse possibly in Singapore next year, he added. He credited the companys success to its move to Singapore, where the firm had access to a highly-skilled labour workforce and research collaborations with institutions such as Nanyang Technological University. It now has a local staff of 15. Singapore has strong intellectual property laws too, which was a key pull factor for us, he said. The turbine was also tested in the southern waters of Singapore near the Raffles lighthouse in 2008 to collect key data. Its waters are however too busy due to shipping routes for tidal energy to be tapped, added Mr Cornelius. When installed, the AK1000 turbine weighing 150 tonnes and at a height of 22.5 metres, will sit at a dedicated berth at the European Marine Energy Centre, located in Scotlands Orkney. It costs about US$3 million for one turbine and the payback period is five to 10 years depending on the flow rate of the waves, he added. Cleantech director Goh Chee Kiong of the Economic Development Board said yesterday that Atlantiss presence in Singapore will increase the vibrancy of the fast-growing cleantech industry here. This project affirms Singapores attractiveness as a global home for cleantech businesses, said Mr Goh, who also highlighted that Atlantis benefitted from Singapores strengths in existing industry clusters such as precision engineering, offshore and marine. Atlantis said it is now actively pursuing projects in the Asia Pacific region, especially to power hungry markets. We are confident of developing tidal power as a credible new renewable asset class in Asia, said Mr Cornelius. Source: The Straits Times