Childhood Obesity in America Essay

Ahhh there is nothing better than waking up at noon to the smell of some freshly cooked bacon and a heaping pile of blueberry pancakes. Mom makes them fresh every weekend morning. Usually the bacon and pancakes don’t quite do the trick so the pantry is raided next. At the top of the pantry next to the family size bag of Doritos, which will most likely be consumed later in the night, lays the hardest decision that will have to be made all day long. Which one of these sugary cereals shall be devoured this morning and fill up the rest of this already overstuffed belly? Reese’s Puffs, Lucky Charms, Fruit Loops, Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Puffs or the tasteless Raisin Bran that Mom and Dad prefer. You can definitely count out the Raisin Bran. Cocoa Puffs it is. After grabbing the largest bowl that could be found in the house, the Cocoa Puffs are smothered in chocolate syrup to make the already chocolate milk even more chocolaty and delicious. After every last puff goes down the hatch it is time to chug the extra chocolaty milk right from the bowl. Now that the belly is completely stuffed it is time for a nap. A nap is necessary after a long night of online gaming on the brand new Xbox 360 that mom bought last week. The other players don’t stand a chance after a week non-stop gaming with a few breaks here and there for the much needed meals and bathroom breaks. After the well- deserved napping session it is back to the big screen. Only this time it is not to play video games because the carpel tunnel is acting up in the left hand again. This time it is to watch the Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives marathon on the Food Network. You just can’t get enough of the food network. But all this talk about food is making the stomach rumble and it is time for lunch. Mom promised that she will take us to the McDonalds that is right down the street if the chores were done. Little brothers are great. After slipping him a whole two dollars, the chores are done in no time and a McDonald’s double quarter pounder with extra cheese is all that is on the brain. The clerk at the counter asked, â€Å"Would you like to Supersize that sir?† After thinking for a  second about the giant container of fries and the bucket of coke the answer was easy, â€Å"Yes, Ma’am!† But why stop there? It is March and all those commercials about the new Shamrock Shake make it nearly unbearable. After a delicious lunch the only thing on the mind on this beautiful Saturday afternoon is getting back to that big screen TV and playing the brand new Call of Duty game. While all the other kids are outside running around pretending to shoot each other, the real action is inside this intense videogame. After an exhausting night, it is time to go to bed with plans for tomorrows day on the mind. Obesity is one of the leading preventable causes of death in the Un ited States. The article, â€Å"Obesity in America: What’s Leading the Epidemic?† states that nearly one thousand people are killed each day from obesity. Obesity is measured by BMI or Body Mass Index. This measures how much body fat someone has based on their height and how much they weigh. The author, Harvard Men’s Health Watch states that a BMI of twenty five or more qualifies as overweight and a BMI of thirty or more qualifies as obese. About 63% of Americans are considered overweight and about 31% are considered to be obese (Harvard Men’s Health Watch 2012). These numbers are strikingly large. This article only focuses on the adults that are obese in the United States and doesn’t focus much on the children. The children are what America should really be focused on because some day they will make up majority of the population. The most obese child in the world is Jessica Guade who is seven years old and weighs four hundred and eighty two pounds. That is heavier than a majority of people in the entire world. Every single day she drinks ten thousand calories in Coca-Cola and consumes fifteen hamburgers. She can’t even walk and gets around by rolling. How can a parent do this to their child? Are they afraid to say no or do they just not care about their child’s health? This is what the American life is doing to children. These numbers will continue to go up and we will see more children like Jessica if nothing is done about this epidemic. American life is changing and people are adapting to new culture which is making them focus less on their weight and appearance. The main factors that contribute to the obesity outburst are the lack of exercise, watching way too much television, and eating too many foods that are high in calories and fat. With the changes in television and advertising on television, Americans crave things that they see on TV. When you are watching TV you will see countless fast food advertisements where they make the food look so delicious and look like it was prepared in a five star restaurant. This is just one of the many tricks that advertisers use in order to get people to buy their products. The sad part is that most of the time it works. Americans see all of these advertisements on TV and all they want to do is go out and buy it. These days children are watching so much television rather than playing outside. Young children are the main target for some advertisers like McDonalds and Burger King. In all of their commercials they show images of children eating their food and it makes children want to go and get it. Not only are there a lot of commercials about fast foods, but there are commercials about snacks and drinks as well. According to M. Mello in their article, â€Å"Federal Trade Commiss ion Regulation of Food Advertising to Children: Possibilities for a Reinvigorated Role†, a majority of the food and drink advertisements on television are advertising things that are unhealthy for the human body to consume (Mello 2010). The amount of these advertisements is ridiculous and according to this article the FDA has had to start cutting the airing of a lot of them. Not only are the advertisements on TV a problem, but the amount of television that children watch is an even bigger one. These days’ kids would rather stay inside and watch TV and play video games rather than going outside and playing sports like the past generations. The video games of this generation have made it possible for children to virtually play any sport that they want instead of going outside and physically breaking a sweat and playing them. Television has made Americans so much lazier than they used to be. People don’t get out of the house nearly as much as they used too. Instead of going out to the ballpark and watching baseball games, they just go out and buy big screen televisions and sit on their butts and watch them. Children look up to their parents and will adapt these kinds of habits from them. This is a huge reason why children are becoming so obese in America. The amount of television that kids watch and how many video games they play has a direct correlation to the lack of exercise in America these days. To children, a videogame or cartoon show is much more appealing than running around outside and exercising. Also, the developing culture of America as a whole has added to the lack of exercise in Americans.  Technology has simplified nearly every aspect of human life. Rather than walking everywhere like our ancestors did, everyone drives, or takes the bus, or does anything that keeps them from using up their energy and breaking a sweat. As the parents of children are doing this, their children adapt to that lifestyle and in turn they end up doing the same thing and start to live the way that their parents live. In the old days you would see people walking all over the streets, but now that there are automobiles the streets are just lined with traffic. As cities are bec oming more civilized and advanced, there are less and less places for people to work out, and for kids to run around and play outside. In the article, â€Å"Contributions of Built Environment to Childhood Obesity† by, T. Rahman, R.A. Cushing, and R.J. Jackson, it states that the neighborhood the child lives in has a huge impact on their health. For example, if there are bike paths and places to play outside and run around, the child will be more physically active, but if these things aren’t in place, then the child is more prone to stay inside and watch television and gain weight as a result of that (Cushing 2011). While watching television they don’t have to get up to do anything anymore. Remote controls have changed the world. You can change the channel on the television, turn on and off the lights, and answer the phone right from your chair without getting up to do anything. The only thing that people have to get up to do is go and get more food from the fridge. Less and less children are becoming involved in athletics and exercise. Going outside and running around is much less appealing to children then it used to be. Lack of exercise is a huge contributing factor to obesity and children and something needs to be done about it. Fast food is so easy, quick, and convenient. Most Americans live a lifestyle th at is always on the move and always busy. It is very easy for them to turn to fast food and grab a quick meal before they go to work. Not only is it fast and easy, but there are so many fast food restaurants in the United States. In 1970 McDonalds operated close to one thousand establishments; in 2002 nearly thirty-five thousand restaurants were being operated. An estimated two thousand new McDonalds are opened each year. That is the road that most Americans choose rather than trying to sit down and eat a home cooked meal. That goes along with the laziness of Americans. In this article from CBS news â€Å"Fast Food linked to Child Obesity†, it states that â€Å"Every day, nearly one-third of U.S. children  aged 4 to 19 eat fast food, which likely packs on about six extra pounds per child per year and increases the risk of obesity† (CBSNEWS 2010). Fast food is so much faster and easier than going to the grocery store and getting all the ingredients needed to cook a nice healthy meal for your family. Instead most parents resort to the greasy, salty, and fatty foods that fast food establishments have to offer. According to J.Hariss’s article â€Å"Television Viewing and Unhealthy Diet: Implications for Children and Media Interventions†, â€Å"Humans possess an innate preference for sweet, high-fat, and salty foods, and a reluctance to try unfamiliar foods† (Hariss 2011).Although some fast food restaurants offer substitutions like how McDonalds offers apples instead of French fries, most people do not choose these substitutions. People are more concerned about taste then health and to them, greasy salty foods taste better than apples. The only time that children would choose to eat the healthier choice is when their parents are with them. According to M. Stutts in their article, â€Å" Nutrition Information and Children’s Fast Food Menu Choices†, when children go into fast food restaurants alone, they will choose to eat whatever they want regardless of the fat content. When their parents went with them they influenced them to choose the healthier items on the menu (Stutts 2009). The problem with the items on the fast food menus is that they are full of calories. The recommended calorie intake for a thirteen year old child that weighs ninety pounds is about thirteen hundred calories each day. A McDonlad’s cheeseburger happy meal with a low fat milk as a drink has approximately seven hundred calories. That is half of the amount of calories that is needed in one day. On top of that most chi ldren these days aren’t exercising at all and all of those calories turn straight into fat. Fast food in general is so unhealthy for your body and if it was cut out completely, the number of obese children would be reduced dramatically. There are so many factors that play into why children are becoming so obese, but eating too many foods that are high in calories and fat is the number one reason why they are so obese. Most people in the world worry about the way they look when they look in the mirror. They will do anything to make themselves â€Å"look skinnier† and make themselves look more attractive. Nobody every worries about what is going on inside of their body. Most Americans do not realize that being overweight or obese can have some serious negative health effects  on the body. There are so many aspects of life that are affected by obesity. Your metabolism, health of your muscles, bones, organs, and other parts of your body can be greatly affected when you are at an unhealthy weight. In the article â€Å"Obesity in America: Large Portions, Large Proportions,† the author talks about some of the health risks that are involved with obesity. Some of the health risks are coronary artery disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, strokes, diabetes, many forms of cancer, osteoarthritis, fatty liver, and depression (Large Portions, Large Proportions 2006). Obesity can ultimately lead to a shorter life span from the health risks. It is obvious from this article that there are some major health risks from obesity that can affect your body in a very negative way. It is important that people take care of their bodies so that they can live happy and healthy lifestyles. A huge part of the childhood obesity problem is that the children have no idea what they are doing to their bodies by not exercising and having unhealthy diets. The author of this paper had the opportunity to educate children on the proper nutrition and recommended hours of exercise daily through a service learning project that was completed with the help of a middle school from their hometown. Service learning is defined as â€Å"a method of teaching and learning that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities† (What is Service-Learning, 2008). The author was given the chance to strengthen the community and inform young children about the dangers of obesity. The author did so by creating an informative brochure that the principle of Rosa Parks Middle School Dr. Donna Redmond Jones enjoyed and agreed to hand out to students around the school. The brochures were also made available in the health room where students can just come in and pick one up. In completing the service learning project, the author was able to gain a lot of knowledge on obesity, more importantly the health risks and ways to prevent them. The author also gained the fulfillment that he had informed young students about these risks and was able to benefit the community. The service project was ultimately successful because the author was able to re-teach the knowledge that he had gained from research to the children that the research was about. The information that has been provided in this paper demonstrates how a lack of exercise, watching too much television, and eating too many foods high in calories and fat, has lead to the obesity epidemic that is in America today. The number of obese children in American is an absurd number. Children in America these days don’t worry about their image and their weight as much as they used to. All they are worried about is what TV show they are going to watch next, what video game they are going to play, and what type of fast food they are going to eat today. The idea of going outside and exercising never crosses their mind. If parents gave their children a little motivation to get involved in sports and exercising, the number of obese children in America would decrease substantially. Parents don’t motivate their kids because they are doing the same exact thing as them. Not only are there a lot of obese children in America, but there are an incredible amount of obese adu lts as well. Children are prone to learn from what their parents do and inherit the bad habits that they have. So therefor if a parent is eating fatty foods and sitting around watching TV all day, their children will do the same thing. There are so many health risks that can come from obesity that you would think people would be more worried about it. Do people not pay attention to the warnings and health risks? Do they not really care about the way they look and the negative effects that it can have on the body? The prevalence of technology in America has changed the world greatly. It has made things so much easier, but in turn it has made Americans so much lazier. Everything can be done from a seat on the couch without having to get up at all. Watching too much television, lack of exercise, and eating too many foods that are high in calories and fat are the three biggest factors that play into the amount of obese children these days, but there are a ton of factors that play into why Americans are so overweight. Something needs to be done about this epidemic before we see more serious side effects from obesity. References La Merrill, M., & Birnbaum, L. S. (2011). Childhood Obesity and Environmental Chemicals. Mount Sinai Journal Of Medicine, 78(1), 22-48. doi:10.1002/msj.20229 Anzman, S. L., Rollins, B. Y., & Birch, L. L. (2010). Parental influence on children’s early eating environments and obesity risk: implications for prevention. International Journal Of Obesity, 34(7), 1116-1124. doi:10.1038/ijo.2010.43 Harris, J. L., & Bargh, J. A. (2009). Television Viewing and Unhealthy Diet: Implications for Children and Media Interventions. Health Communication, 24(7), 660-673. doi:10.1080/10410230903242267 Rahman, T., Cushing, R. A., & Jackson, R. J. (2011). Contributions of Built Environment to Childhood Obesity. Mount Sinai Journal Of Medicine, 78(1), 49-57. doi:10.1002/msj.20235 Stutts, M., Zank, G. M., Smith, K. H., & Williams, S. A. (2011). Nutrition Information and Children’s Fast Food Menu Choices. Journal Of Consumer Affairs, 45(1), 52-86. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6606.2010.01192.x Mello, M. M. (2010). Federal Trade Commission Regulation of Food Advertising to Children: Possibilities for a Reinvigorated Role. Journal Of Health Politics, Policy & Law, 35(2), 227- 276. doi:10.1215/03616878-2009-051 Obesity in America: What’s driving the epidemic?. (2012). Harvard Men’s Health Watch, 16(7), 5-7. Anderson, S. E., & Whitaker, R. C. (2010). Household Routines and Obesity in US Preschool-Aged Children. Pediatrics, 125(3), 420-428. doi:10.1542/peds.2009-0417 Obesity in America: large portions, large proportions. (2006). Harvard Men’s Health Watch, 10(6), 1-5. Fast Food Linked to Child Obesity. (2009) The Associated Press. CBS News.

Explorations of Astrology

One of astrology's first graces on human minds was with the Babylonians and Ancient Egyptians, and then spread throughout the Arab world. Since, there has been explorations of astrology through manuscripts and celestial objects made by Arab craftsmen. Many islamic ornamental motifs and architecture references astrological findings. The Islamic calendar says that the day begins at sunset and the five prayers start from that time. Adjusting times for prayer grew out of observing the heavens, a practice known since the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians. The Arabs, for centuries, studied the sky and examined the groups of stars and phases of the moon on their long desert travels. This education of space was adapted and developed to conform to the practice of Islam. During the medieval period of the Islamic world, the science of astrology as a branch from astronomy was translated by the Greeks into Arabic, along with Sasanian, Indian and ancient Egyptian influences, allowing more scientific and mathematical development by mathematicians and scientists of the Arab world. The subject came to be a very popular one, as it was taken interest in by scholars such as Abu Ma'shar al-Balkhi, al-Biruni, and Nasir al-Din al-Tusi. There is evidence of this topic being widespread throughout the Islamic world, such as manuscripts and astrological records found in al-Fustat in Egypt. Since there has proven to be much scientific evidence and involvement in the study of the stars and planets, how did this outbreak of information in the Islamic world affect Islamic Art? And why was it so significant?There is much architecture, objects and textiles from the Islamic World that express the significance of this topic, such as Qusayr ‘Amra (figure 1) in Jordan, built by Umayyad caliph Walid II in the early 8th century, which features a frescoed caldarium ceiling depicting the twelve Zodiac constellations. The exterior of the construction is very minimal; the only ornamentation being small domes and triple arches. Otherwise, the ornamentation becomes servant to the architecture. The techniques that were contributed into constructing Qusayr ‘Amra references the Roman and Byzantine techniques: predominately limestone and terracotta brick, along with other types of stones. The frescoed ceilings in the caldarium, or the hot plunge bath, is said to be the earliest depiction of the stars painted on a domed surface. It features 35 recognizable constellations along with, as mentioned previously, twelve zodiacs. There has been reported to be one mistake: the order of the stars in the counterclockwise direction, which tells that it is possible that the fresco was copied from a flat surface. This fresco, however, is not the only one in Qusayr ‘Amra: there were many brilliant murals in several of the other chambers that suggest that the caliphs of this â€Å"pleasure palace† lived a luxurious lifestyle. This luxury tells of an involvement in The use of imagery in relation to astrology began in the twelfth century, and eventually taken in for its visual decorative quality, by the Ghaznavids and the Seljuqs among others, and they adopted it with their own meanings and influences. The gilded and over glazed bowl (figure 2) depicts figures very close to those of the Kashan. There is Kufic inscriptions around the rim of the bowl, and the focal point is the sun-shaped face in the center, with a classical depiction of the six planets surrounding it. There are images of figures sitting on thrones, riding on horseback, and playing instruments composed in a radial composition, following the form of the object. The only two seated figures on thrones sit across from each other on the band, with the other figures surrounding it. This motif combines two different motifs that are common in Islamic art together: the image of figures performing activities or in a scene depicted centrally to the object, as can be seen in the Stain- and overglaze-painted bowl (Ettinghausen, Grabar, Jenkins-Madina, 175), for example, and images of a single figure repeated to create a visual pattern, as demonstrated in the outer rim of Glazed and lustre-painted composite-bodied bowl (Ettinghausen, Grabar, Jenkins-Madina, 174). This royal bowl is very similar to the Stain- and overglaze-painted beaker (Ettinghausen, Grabar, Jenkins-Madina, 176) in the way that it has different tiers showing different figures in action repeated across the band of the beaker. The copper-alloy mirror (figure 3) is another royal artifact that utilizes the zodiacs as symbols of power made for Artuqid ruler Artuq Shah. The heavy-relief bird in the center of the mirror

English Track Paper

Even as an early age, I was always hypnotized whenever I watched any sport. It was as if I were starring at a wizard’s enchanted globe. I remember being fascinated with the skills demonstrated by athletes in their particular arena of sports. Whether it was good dribbling skills of a basketball player, great footwork of a boxer, or incredible running power of a running back, any athlete with a good amount of skill was able to enslave my attention. My dad first encouraged my passion for sports at the age of 5. I remember watching basketball, football, boxing, track, tennis, and other sports in the living room with him. On the weekends, my dad would always spend a couple of hours throwing the football, shooting a few hoops, and racing to see who was the fastest with me. This not only fueled the flame of my sports passion, but it sowed the seeds of growth in my young physical and mental well-being. To me, my dad is like a great scientist or teacher when he introduced me to the concept that good physical and mental fitness go hand-in-hand. Even though I am an avid fan of many sports, the one I actively participated in was track. I ran track during my middle and high school years. During my middle school years, I was a decent track runner as most middle school students are. When I reached high school, I was an ok runner at first, nothing exceptional. Then my parents made the decision that would bring my running game to the next level and I didn’t even know it. During the summer after my sophomore year, my parents decided to enroll me in K-Y track club. It was basically a summer league track team that competed with other local and regional teams. When they first told me, I wanted to stage violent protests and start a bloody revolution. I was thinking, I don’t want to run in the summertime you idiots! If you think it’s such a good idea why don’t you get out there and run! † I thought to myself, wishing I had the guts to say it to my parents. Despite my protests, I was forced to go. Little did I know I was going to meet another one of my great teacher of sports; Coach Willie. Coach Willie is a well known and respected track coach in the Baton Rouge and surrounding areas. He has been coaching track for several years, and has coached several local, regional, and national champions. He was one of the greatest and most knowledgeable athletic teachers and trainers I have ever met. He re-programmed my running game to give it maximum efficiency and output, as he has done for several kids. The road to improvement was not easy; I had no clue of what I was in for during the first day of practice. The first practice took place by memorial stadium in Baton Rouge. After running many laps around the stadium, running up and down the hills the surround it, and numerous other sprints and exercises, I threw up which was usually a sign that I had a good practice, learned something, and was ready to go home. I asked one of the other kids a seasoned veteran of Coach Willie was it time to go home. He looked and laughed and said, â€Å"Practice just started that was just warm-up exercises. † I think I was too shocked to faint at first. â€Å"Just a warm-up! School track practice wasn’t this hard! † Now I really hated my parents, what kind of death-camp had they signed me up for?! I could have just gotten a job! This is pretty much how the first half of the summer went. I would wake-up thinking of a lie that could get me out of practice for the day. Try the lie on a parent, have lie fail and have to go to practice anyway. While at practice, would engage in what Coach Willie termed â€Å"up-grading† and â€Å"re-building†. Up-grading ourselves from the laziness we had acquired in his absence and re-building ourselves from the current level of garbage we were at, to the machines we should be. â€Å"I’m actually saving your lives. † Coach Willie would say as he walked watching us practicing and training with sweat-drenched bodies. â€Å"You should be paying me a hundred thousand, no a million dollars for even being out here looking at y’all. Not to mention getting you right† He would shout as he watched us from behind his aviator shades, barking commands as he watched us get in training formations like an army of well-muscled children soldiers. We were trained to be the most lethal competitors that stepped on the track at any meet we went to, to kill and dismember competition with no remorse. â€Å"Training and attitude separates winners and losers ladies and gentlemen. † Coach Willie would preach while bearing down us from beneath those shades, his silver-whistles hanging from his neck, reminding me of a slave-master’s whip. Every time he blew it, the mass of us would change exercises, or slow down or speed-up while running, mostly speed-up. For me the first half of the summer was brutal, not to mention the track meets. Whereas the competition in my school district had been kind of good the completion in summer league track was next level. I mean fourteen, fifteen and sixteen year olds were walking around reminding me of Nazi experimental super-soldiers. Every race I ran in I was pretty much punished and embarrassed. By the time the fifth or sixth meet came, Coach Willie had begun to give me a few pointers during practice and he began to gradually bring the dog in me out. I was a sprinter so he helped with getting a good start or â€Å"getting out of the starting blocks good† in track-talk. â€Å"A good start can win the first 40 yards of the 400 meter dash. So being able to get out the blocks smoothly is important† Coach Willie told me, he trained me on that and maintaining explosiveness of my speed during the race. I also begin to push myself and train a little harder during practice. It was difficult at first, but I began to notice the pointers Coach Willie was giving me would always shave a second or mille-second off my running time. I went from being last in the races, to being second-to-last, to being third-to-last, and so on. I knew I had truly made improvement when I placed third at a meet. Yes, I was actually in the top three and not last for once! I was ecstatic! Right about that time the summer track season was ending and school was re-starting. I was surprised to see myself actually feeling regret that summer-league season was over. When school track season started back I had forgotten that the competition in our school district was not on the same level as the competition in summer league track. I had gotten used to competing against some seriously good runners. The first day of track practice bore a hint of what was to come. When I emerged on the football field, which was where we practiced, something was different about me. My eyes had keen and dark look of wolf, my walk was well-coordinated like a boxer. My face bore a mean frown. My teammates watched as I stripped out of my tracksuit to warm-up. Eyes widened, jaws dropped, where there had been a skinny wimp now stood a finely-muscled, well-trained, running-assassin. I began to institute my new world order in our school track district. I quickly began decapitating the competition in track meets. I went from being a joke to being feared on the track, every meet I left opponents disemboweled on the track, showing no remorse or mercy. My teammates began to do better also; it was like we fed off each other’s dark energy. An energy which I was the first to bring to the team. It was like I was the leader of a ruthless band of mercenary and we fulfilled only the highest contracts. I remember wishing I could make a belt or necklace with the heads of fallen opponents. At the peak of my track career I was third in our school-district among sprinters. This was pretty good to me seeing as how far I had come and that the other two guys on top were very good. All of this change I owed to Coach Willie. This taught to fight and leave it all on the field in life and sports. To never give less than 100%. I owe Coach Willie much thanks, I’m glad he put that competitive attitude in me. To always be willing to out-fight, out-think, out-train, and out-work my opponent. Always try harder. Lock on it like a pit-bull terrier. This is one of the many reasons I love sports, I love when it comes down to the wire, when athletes give it their all and it is pound-for-pound, blow-for-blow, that is where training and attitude come into play, which is what sports and life is all about.

International Human Right issues in Oil and Gas Law Essay

International Human Right issues in Oil and Gas Law - Essay Example This is majorly to hold vital meetings and pass crucial resolutions that affect the globe as a whole5. It is worth noting that the first meeting was held in January 1946, two months after its formation. Since the year 1947, the 24th of October has been tagged the â€Å"United Nations Day†. Formed after the failure of the League of Nations, UN’s main function is to maintain peace. Through this, it aids conflicting countries live in harmony hence improve living conditions of its citizens and the world as a whole. This results to the world becoming a better place to live in pegged with the maintenance o human rights and the protection of the environment6. Though its main building is located in the New York City, he UN has significant and vital offices situated in Nairobi, Kenya; Geneva, Switzerland; and Vienna, Australia. It is worth noting that UN sometimes aids some countries in fighting. This is clearly seen when it helps South Korea against North Korea in the 1950s. Moreover, in the early 1990s, UN laid a helping hand to Kuwait forcing Iraq soldiers out of its soil. The League of Nations did not participate in this significant issue. Through its peacekeeping forces, the UN has tried positively, sometimes failing, to maintain peace in countries that have had long term was7. These forces are currently keeping peace8 in Liberia, Afghanistan, Haiti, and Cyprus among other nations9. The UN has six divisions, termed as the principle organs. This aid in division of labour hence effectively providing services to the member countries. The principle organs exist as the Secretariat, the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Trusteeship Council, the Economic Social Council (ESC), and finally the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The General Assembly is composed of all the member states. It has the mandate of yearly meetings, from September to December. Matters that arise enclosed in the UN chatter are discussed in

The Difference between Smuggling and Trafficking Coursework

The Difference between Smuggling and Trafficking - Coursework Example It often engages in a great deal of varied crimes, across a number of countries.Trafficking involving persons can be explicitly compared to contemporary forms of slavery that involves the utilization of people through threat, coercion, force, and deception including human and constitutional rights misuses for instance debt burden, denial of independence, and deprived of control over autonomy and employment. Every year, multitudes of migrants are smuggled illegitimately by highly and extremely well thought-out worldwide smuggling and trafficking persons or groups and usually in precarious or inhumane state of affairs. This occurrence has been on the rise in recent years and the international community and related persons and organizations are taking decisive actions to stop the progress of these severe criminal actions. The following involves various scholarly and peered reviewed books, articles, and journals explaining the difference between smuggling and trafficking. Accepted defini tions of smuggling and traffickingTraffickingTrafficking, mostly in persons, is broadly defined as the recruitment, moving, relocating, harboring or delivery of persons by way of threat, intimidation or use of power or other levels of compulsion or duress, of seizures, of deceit, of trickery, of the exploitation of power or in a situation of susceptibility or of the offering or receiving of money or benefits to accomplish the assent of an individual having power over other person and for the intention of full exploitation.

Describe social hierarchies and discuss their relevance for ethnic Essay

Describe social hierarchies and discuss their relevance for ethnic studies - Essay Example better comprehension of the processes of social stratification and inequality in the general society but more importantly the business world (Karin 7). Ethnic minorities encounter a lot of challenges such as labor market discrimination to an extent that some of these people face health differences where those with low socio-economic status are at a disadvantage. Significantly, a good example is where in the United States there are groups that experience inequality through discrimination when it comes to acquiring jobs i.e. Africans, Asians and Latinos (Karin 23). It is very hard to find people from these ethnic groups in the top level management of prominent organizations; once they get jobs in these organizations and are at the bottom of the hierarchies, it is very hard for them to get any promotions or even job upgrades. Generally, ethnicity is a significant category of social hierarchies in contemporary societies that contain a significant number of ethnic communities with most parts of the society dealing with challenges associated with racism, ethnic discrimination, ethnic identity or even minority rights. This has actually resulted to the ethnic communities in the United States relying on social ties and latter groups that look upon state agencies for employment and trying to find ways that they can employ so as to improve labor market chances like acquiring high level skills (Karin

Design your own greenhouse Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Design your own greenhouse - Assignment Example be applied to each variety in order to enhance the best conditions for photosynthesis.if the temperature does not match the variety, growth is inhibited since respiration increases over photosynthesis. Very low temperatures inactivate the enzymes of photosynthesis while very high temperatures denatures the enzymes. At low temperatures there is a low uptake of carbon dioxide For high photosynthesis to be enhanced, the optimum temperatures of 15-40 degrees Celsius should be maintained. Light- plants make more food under a high quantity of light and photosynthesis is low in low quantity and hence low growth rate. The quality of light determines the amount of light absorbed by plant leaves for photosynthesis. Green light is barely absorbed as it is reflected away. Blue light helps leaf growth and also encourages flowering. Plants exposed to light for a long duration absorbs more light for photosynthesis. The light reactions take place in the thylakoid while the dark reactions take place in the stroma. A blue colour filter should be used in the greenhouse as it’s the best quality for a high growth rate. Air pollutants like dust particles and smoke should be avoided as they reduce light

THE MARKETING RESEARCH PROPOSAL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

THE MARKETING RESEARCH PROPOSAL - Essay Example The point is how do they manage with such a surrounding?, while conducting a marketing research it becomes quiet clear that culture, language, and food are the major problems, if the University in which the residential students study take steps to bring expected arrangements, these inconveniences will get reduced. The student’s opinion plays a key role in analysing the issues. In accordance with these issues The Wellington Research Council has decided to run business catering to the needs of the Massey University Programs and the overseas students who participate in that, so with the intention to make their business successful the marketing research method has been chosen. A marketing research will best suit for this dissertation because, a marketing research involves the evaluation of collected information, and help us in selecting or choosing a considerable solution to the problem undertaken. This research is done with particular focus on the Massey University Programs and the students of the above University. The study also have many things reviewed, they are the difficulties faced by residential students in managing with the unfamiliar social and political atmosphere, the adjustment issues in spite of the existing disparities and to facilitate the administration of the Universities to assist the students to get by the discrepancies. A survey was undertaken by preparing questionnaires for students who have come form other countries or overseas, based on the responses given, the conclusion was considered that though they might be exposed to a varying atmosphere, they develop a sense of open mindedness towards accepting the diversities and difficulties. But the question of adjustment with a complete convenience remains. The concept of living in a cross cultural surrounding is increasing a lot, particularly among the

Sartre's Defense of Existentialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sartre's Defense of Existentialism - Essay Example Nevertheless, Sartre’s response to the objection that his existentialism makes all choice arbitrary is not only good but also sensible. Sartre interprets the objection that confronts him and his existentialism – â€Å"It does not matter what you do† – in three ways: â€Å"First they tax us with anarchy; then they say, ‘You cannot judge others, for there is no reason for preferring one purpose to another’; finally, they may say, ‘Everything being merely voluntary in this choice of yours, you give away with one hand what you pretend to gain with the other’† (Sartre 13). The first objection – the idea that â€Å"they tax us with anarchy† – translates as â€Å"to say that it does not matter what you choose is not correct† (14). Sartre then responds to this objection by using logic: â€Å"If I do not choose, that is still a choice† and one therefore â€Å"cannot avoid choosing† (14). To this, Sartre adds the idea that â€Å"it is impossible for [one]†¦not to take complete responsibility for making a choice† (14). The people who object Sartre’s existentialism tell him one thing – that there must be some definite law that governs decision-making and that true free will does not exist. For example, they may argue that when a man comes face to face with a lion, then the idea of free will is somehow overridden by the instinct to run, and therefore one can say that there is no free choice in such a situation. Free choice, for these people who oppose Sartre, may only be confined to everyday decisions about petty things such as which clothes to wear and which food to eat. Nevertheless, how Sartre responds to them is not only good but also sensible in that logic tells us that when one flees from a lion, then one definitely still makes a choice – the choice of fleeing. Although the idea of instinct may somehow seem to negate free choice in th is particular situation, it actually does not because the only thing visible is the choice to flee for whatever basis there is to it. Whether there is a basis for such a choice or not, for Sartre, it is not important and that one’s choice may be â€Å"determined by no a priori value† (14), and can therefore be an irrational one. Others may partly agree that an action such as fleeing a lion is indeed a choice but they would then require reason for it, or something a priori on which the choice must be based. Nevertheless, Sartre is sensible enough to say that not all choices may be based on anything a priori such as reason. Why? What is the problem with having an a priori basis for a choice? Sartre explains this through the story of a pupil of his who has chosen to live with his mother instead of fighting the enemy (7). Those people who object to Sartre’s existentialism believe that there must be a basis to every choice, but they do not recognize that whatever bas is they use, it is still they who make that choice of using that basis, as Sartre contends. Sartre’s method of refuting this objection is excellent: he explains the vagueness of the Christian doctrine as well as Kant’s Categorical Imperative if these two established doctrines were used as an a priori principle on which the young man’s decision must be based. Sartre points out that although the Christian doctrine teaches one to â€Å"act with charity,†

Relationship between Film Form and Meaning Essay

Relationship between Film Form and Meaning - Essay Example The meaning of a film lies in the interpretation that  film  evokes as well as the magnitude of the nature of these interpretations, which can be derived from the  underlying  photographic effects that the film portrays. In most incidences, the  meaning  of films has  frequently  stirred a lot of concerns. Sometimes, some films tend to have an  obvious  meaning owing to their instant accessibility to a wide audience without any difficulty. On the contrary, some films have deeper meanings that are not easy to understand, and  are intended  for a special  group  of  enlightened  audience. Maya (1999) present that the most  crucial  issue in  film  depends on how the films  are meant  to be understood plus the  procedure  by which they  are understood. This issue is often  important  for  film  makers especially when they are intending to  introduce  an  unusual  element  in their product without  being noticed  by the viewers. ... mages in a film may be, if the form of the film does not  stretch  beyond the conventional approach, a film’s  meaning  cannot be easily understood. The form of a film  is usually interceded  through the use of various formal elements, which the film makers  employ  in order to  stimulate  a  certain  effect in the audiences. For instance, in a typical Hollywood  film, film makers tend to combine certain scenes in their films with flashbacks or even at times crosscutting the scenes so as to provide additional information. This way, an audience may be able to predict what  might possibly  happen. Therefore, this shows just how the  form  of a film can  influence  the  meaning  or understanding of a film. Similarly, to  enhance  the  form  of a film, the actions of a film can be shot from different angles thereby providing the viewers with  various  points of view.  Most films  are usually made  of  numerous  shots of different lengths, which  are edited  to  create  the rhythm and  meaning  of a particular scene. One the same  note  the  form  also helps to  distinguish  a  film  from  simple  random footage by incorporating certain stylistic elements such as narratives, sound, which  create  a given  logical  pattern  in a film. In turn, this logical pattern poses a significant impact on the audiences’ feelings,  expectation  as well as their perceived  meaning  of the film. Quite often, Maya (1999)  presents  that it is the  nature  of a film that  normally  leads the audience to have certain expectations that are likely to  follow.  This in turn breeds curiosity, which has quite often been described as the ultimate reason as to why people find themselves immersed and drawn into a film after a few minutes.  This  is sometimes bound  to  occur  even if

HRM-related issue Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

HRM-related issue - Assignment Example Every organization must have a definite strategy in order to deliver positive results. The purpose of the strategy is to make sure the assets of the organization are used to improve the productivity of the organization. Apple employs effective and professional HRM techniques that aim at keeping the company both profitable and valuable. Some of the techniques include networking and teamwork. The company has embedded emerging and effective strategies in a systematic way. The strategies are embedded within wider program of the organizational targets and goals. The strategies involve regularly up-skilling the human resource managers (Chanda & Shen 2009). The company is also integrating a variety of HRM policies as well as practices. The specific business strategy of the company takes into consideration a wide collection of factors. The business strategy of Apple Inc. is shaped by the core values of the company. Conversely, the core values of the company were considered while developing H RM practices. Successful implementation of the HRM strategies depends on the ability to develop employees and managers who are willing to facilitate and acquire the necessary competencies and attitudes. Apple has invested in a self-disciplined workforce with the necessary skills. The central point in the HRM strategy is the development of working practices and motivation that leads to increased flexibility and quality of work (Holbeche 2009). The HRM strategy seeks to have commitment and mutuality from the principle organizational players. Human resource management in the Apple Company implies that the contribution of the personnel is crucial to organizational success (Chanda & Shen 2009). According to the company, people are the most important asset. The company has embedded the HR strategy into the company policy. The employment practice is driven by the commercial intentions. The company uses and incorporates the human resources to the extent that they are compatible with the org anizational objectives. Human resource managers must strive towards achieving a sense of collective purpose among all the organizational stakeholders. HRM must develop real strategic approaches which factor in the aspects of the employee relations with an aim of transforming the employees’ mindset (Tyson & York 2000). This makes the employees congruent with the business objectives of the company (Holbeche 2009). The HRM of Apple Company is careful to ensure that the cost of rewarding different groups, hiring and training employees is matched by their anticipated levels of contribution and market availability. The core employees of the Apple Company must undergo intense indoctrination into the core values of the company (Kaplan & Norton 2001). It is expected that these values are to be seen in the behavior of these employees. This is not the case with the peripheral employees of the company. Research shows there are instances where the empowerment of the employees is seen as a threat by the HRM (Tyson & York 2000). The strategic roles of the human resource manager entail the flattening of hierarchies to accommodate the market driven reorganizations of the multinationals (Tyson & York 2000). Apple Company has business units that are functional and ensures that products to be delivered are both quality and excellent (O'Grady 2009). HRM strategy calls for increased employee involvement and teamwork. Through HRM, groups within the organization must

Rio Tinto Japan Essay Example for Free

Rio Tinto Japan Essay What is an important issue that your company is currently facing? My name is Dermot Vibert. I work with Rio Tinto Japan. On March 11, 2011 I was in our office when we were hit by an extremely strong earthquake. Among the many issues we faced immediately after the earthquake was what would we do on the Monday morning when we had to supposedly return to the office and recommence business. What caused this issue to arise and why is it important? Marketing The earthquake in the afternoon of March 11 was, although it struck 520 kilometers from Tokyo, it was an extremely strong one for us in Tokyo. The buildings shook severely two or three times, and then many, many times thereafter because of the aftershocks. On at least two occasions we had to go under our desks with our helmets on and literally hold on to the legs of the tables. It was that strong. The earthquake knocked out a lot of the power system, and as a result the trains were not able to function normally, and because there was not enough power as well, things like traffic lights, lights in buildings, etc. , all these things were affected. There were many unknowns such as what damage there really was in the Tokyo area, for how long would trains not be running, would there be adequate food in two or three days time, what was going to happen with fuel supply, because when we were watching on television, one of the spectacular scenes we saw was a gas terminus on fire in the Tokyo Bay area, so we had a lack of information, and as a result there were many many uncertainties. We did not know if we could go home that day or not. In the end most of us did not go home. We stayed and had to travel the next day. It just was not a situation conducive to running a business in a normal environment. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your career path to date? My name is Dermot Vibert. I live in Japan. I have been there for 24 years. I went to university in Montreal, McGill University. I did a BA in East Asian Studies, then a MA in Geography. I then went to Japan in 1988 on the Jet Program where I worked in a high school for three years teaching English. I then entered OKI Electric and spend six and a half years in their electronic components business section, and then in 1997 December I joined Rio Tinto Japan. I have been with them ever since. Can you describe a typical work day for yourself? I will wake up perhaps at 6:00. I leave the house at 7:00. I walk to the train station, which is about an eight minute walk. Then I take an hour and a half train into Tokyo, and then I walk from the final station into our office. I will get to the office about 8:15, 8:30 perhaps. I will then work until perhaps 6:00 in the evening. Maybe two or three evenings a week I will go out with a customer and after that I will return home, so I have a pretty full week. What is your role in the company? I have a number of jobs at Rio Tinto Japan. One of them is I look after our titanium and zircon for Rio Tinto Iron Titanium in Japan and Korea. I also am manager of the president’s office for Rio Tinto Japan. I also have a role in external affairs activities for our company’s branch. Can you describe your leadership style? In general I tend to lead by example where possible, and I also try to encourage my coworkers or subordinates in a positive manner. I prefer not to use harsh criticism and I certainly do not shout. What does your organisation do and how is it different? Rio Tinto Japan has two operations. One is a buy-sell operation which is linked with our aluminum division. Then we have our service provider operation, which basically covers all of the other business units who are doing business in Japan. We facilitate business between them and our customer base here in Japan. Who buys your company products and services? Rio Tinto sells to a broad range of industries in Japan depending on the particular raw material product that we are selling. For example iron ore will go to the steel industry, coal will go to the power companies or to the steel energy, aluminum will go obviously to the automobile industry, titanium will go to the pigment industry, or the titanium sponge industry, copper goes to the smelters, salt, we also have a lot of business in Chlor Alkali side of business, so there are many industries into which we sell Rio Tinto products in Japan. Can you describe the industry within which your company competes? Rio Tinto Japan is located in Tokyo. We have 27 employees. We look after between 13 and 14 products, and Rio Tinto sells these products into dozens of industries. Can you describe the organisation of your company and why it takes this form? Rio Tinto is a publicly listed company. It is headquartered in London. We have the following business groups. We have aluminum, copper, diamonds and minerals, energy, iron ore, exploration, technology and innovation. In Japan, as we are a liaison office and a buy-sell operation we have approximately 27 staff at the moment in one location. Can you describe the flow of activities or value chain of a typical product sold by Rio Tinto? Let us take titanium feed stock. The product is mined in either South Africa, Madagascar, or Quebec. The product is then the Aluminite which is the core product. It is brought to our smelter which is either in Quebec or Richards Bay, South Africa. The product is smelted and therefore upgraded to become a slag or an upgraded slag, which basically means that the TiO2 content is a higher purity than what was the case when it was taken out of the ground in either rock form Quebec or in sand form in Madagascar or South Africa. This slag then is brought over to our market here in Japan. It is then sold to pigment makers, the majority, and also to titanium sponge makers. The pigment makers use the titanium slag to make pigment which they then sell to the panes, plastics and paper industry in particular. There is ink as well. The titanium sponge manufacturers will make sponge out of our product, and they will sell this to a number of industries including the aircraft industry, well it makes its way to the aircraft industry. It also can be found in products such as glasses, golf clubs, water desalination plants, jet engines, and various other applications. How do firms compete in this industry? Rio Tinto competes in Japan with its various natural resource products and minerals. We basically will compete in the various industries with other major mining companies on price, on relationships, on quality, on supply reliability, and various other factors. Obviously they are not always of the same importance, but usually all of these points are important.

The Umayyad Dome Of The Rock

The Umayyad Dome Of The Rock The Umayyad Dome of the Rock is one of the fundamental works of Islamic architecture. The Umayyad Dome of the Rock is renowned work of art and architecture, which had a number of implicit meanings among which it is possible to single out political implications and correlations to Biblical scriptures. In addition, the Umayyad Dome of the Rock reveals the impact of external factors, including the impact of Christianity and Judaism on the architecture of the dome. Historically, Islam and Judaism were closely intertwined, although Islam had appeared centuries ago since the appearance of Judaism and Christianity. Many specialists view Judaism as one of the major monotheistic religion, which became the precursor of such world religions as Christianity and Islam (Cowling, 2005). In fact, the emergence of Islam was the development of the new religion, which had a lot of similarities to Judaism and Christianity. In such a context, the similarity between Islam, Christianity and Judaism can be viewed as the result of the historical interaction between these religions. The development of Islam was closely intertwined with Judaism and Christianity because representatives of these religions have interacted since ancient time. Even though Islam emerged in the seventh century AD, the population converted to Islam had an extensive experience of interaction with Judaist, whereas Jews always lived in Muslim countries. In such a way, the interaction between Islam, Christianity and Judaism was determined by the historical development of both religions and it was grounded on the neighborhood of both cultures. In such a context, the implicit meaning of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock reveals not only hidden Islamic context and meaning but also it reveals the influence of Christianity and Judaism on Islam. The influence can be traced through the architectural form and the form of the Dome, which is borrowed from Christianity and Judaism. At first glance the Umayyad Dome of the Rock is the manifestation of the traditional Islamic architecture. The Umayyad Dome of the Rock was built in Jerusalem, the city, which was sacred for Muslims as well as representatives of other mainstream religions in the region, such as Judaism and Christianity. It is important to place emphasis on the fact that the holiness of Jerusalem was, after all, inherited by Islam from Judaism and Christianity (Rabbat, 14). Therefore, the construction of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem was an important decision and, in all probability, it was determined by the importance of building in the political and religious context. In fact, the construction of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock was the attempt to show the power of Islam and its domination in the Holy City Jerusalem. On the other hand, specialists point out that the Dome of the Rock has no immediately discernible purpose or function other than the commemorative one, and even that is riddled with uncertainties (Rabbat, 12). However, such uncertainty concerning the purpose of the construction of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock is caused by the variety of implications concerning the meaning of the building and its purposes. In other words, the diversity of views on the Umayyad Dome of the Rock leads to the emergence of numerous interpretations of the meaning of the building. The Umayyad Dome of the Rock represents the manifestation of the Islamic architecture. The Dome is executed in architectural traditions typical for Islam, including the interior design, deprived of pictures and having citations from Quran. On the other hand, specialists point out that it is necessary to view the Dome as a monument which used Biblical connotations and Christian-Byzantine forms to impose Islams presence in the Holy City. The combination would imply that the new faith considered itself the continuation and the seal of the two preceding ones: Judaism and Christianity (Rabbat, 12-13). Such a conclusion derives from the monumental architecture and the location of the building. The Umayyad Dome of the Rock has incorporated elements of Biblical texts and scriptures. Hence, the Umayyad Dome of the Rock reveals the close links of Islam with other religions, such as Christianity and Judaism. Basically, it is possible to trace the links to Biblical texts through the scriptures within the Dome that reveals the connection between Islam and other religions which used Biblical scriptures as a source of sacred texts. The similar trends between religions can be traced by similarities of their religious concepts and ideas. For instance, Christianity, Islam and Judaism are monotheistic. Judaism was one of the first monotheistic religions, whereas Islam is one of the latest world religions, which had gained the public approval and support of many believers. Christianity, Judaism and Islam recognize one God only, although each religion has its own God. In addition, similarities can be traced in sacred texts and books of Judaism and Islam. Islam and Judaism have similarities in sacred texts because their sacred texts are interrelated. To put it more precisely, they often refer to similar or identical events in the history and religious life of Jews and Muslims (Ross, 1984). As a result, they focus on similar events but the interpretation of these events as well as their details may differ depending on the religion. Hence, the elements of Biblical texts and Christian and Judaist concepts can be traced in the Umayyad Dome of the Rock. Therefore, the Dome became a symbol of the superiority of Islam over other religions because elements of Biblical texts show that Islam is superior to other religions (Esposito, 1998). At the same time, it is possible to presuppose that the Biblical elements in the Umayyad Dome of the Rock can be determined by the attempt of architects to show the power of Islam and its superiority in regard to other religions. In such a way, the Umayyad Dome of the Rock could symbolize the superiority of Islam because it showed that all Biblical texts and sacred texts of Christianity and Judaism were incorporated in the Umayyad Dome of the Rock that implies their subordination to Islam. In addition, specialists (Rabbat, 15) point out the political implications of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock. What is meant here is the fact that the Umayyad Dome of the Rock could be constructed to the show the power of the ruling dynasty (Cowling, 2005). To put it more precisely, the ruling dynasty attempts to show its respect to God and religion. In such a context, the construction of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock was the manifestation of the attempt of the ruling dynasty to leave its trace in history of Islam and to show its power. At the same time, the construction of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock implied that the ruling dynasty is eternal because its rule will last as long as the Umayyad Dome of the Rock stands. In such a context, the Umayyad Dome of the Rock has a symbolic political meaning. In addition, the building was constructed in Jerusalem, which was not only the religious center but also the subject of heat political struggle. For instance, Crusades always aimed at the inva sion of Jerusalem, whereas Muslims always attempted to preserve the city as the Holy City of Islam. Thus, the Umayyad Dome of the Rock had multiple meanings and implications. The Dome has religious, political and cultural implications of the construction of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock. The main point of the construction of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock was to show the superiority of Islam and Islamic culture over other religions and cultures. The Dome was constructed to show the power of the ruling dynasty, which constructed the Umayyad Dome of the Rock. In such a way, the Umayyad Dome of the Rock became a symbol of Islam in Jerusalem.

Campbells Food Industry Competition

Campbells Food Industry Competition The rivalry among companies in the food processing industry is high and intense. These food processing companies are competing on price, quality, taste, health factors, product innovation, and product benefits (The Food Processing Industry 2006). Campbells major rivals are General Millis Progresso, Heinz and Kraft Foods. As a multinational food processing company, Campbells faces an extremely competitive market in internationally, nationally and locally due to the similarities between each soup producer and wider selection of products provided by other food processing company. (Ellison, Sarah 2003) On the other hand, various types of generic soup brands in the existing market which offer products in lower price have raised the competitive pressure. However, the Campbells high quality of soup products and the ability to keep low production costs weaken the rivalry of the generic soup brands. For instance, Campbells price their soup products only 20 to 25% higher than generic brands while maintaining a level high quality. Campbells would have to continue developing superior healthy food to distinguish itself from Progresso and smaller soup maker companies. 3.1.2 Threat of New Entrants The threat of entry depends on the presence of entry barriers and the presence of new entrants to a food processing industry typically bring to it new capacity and the want to gain market share. (Wheelen Hunger J.D 2007) Campbells major rival- Kraft foods and General Mills, create high entry barriers in food processing industry through their high levels of advertising and promotion. Besides, the intense competition in the food processing industry makes it hard to access in the market. Smaller food processing companies often have difficulty obtaining supermarket shelf space for their products as large retailers charge for space on their shelves and give priority to the established companies who can pay for the advertising needed to generate high customer demand. According to Ghemawat Collis (2001), the economy is a major factor as if the company wants to be a part in this food processing industry it must be able to face high costs for strong competition. Moreover, the slow market growth rate for the food processing industry causes acquisition between companies, resulted the barriers to entry are high with so many food processing companies and little to zero capacity remaining for any more companies. 3.1.3-The Threat of Substitutes Products The rivalry from firms of other industries which offer substitute products is intense as they are producing, supplying and serving the same food products that the food processing companies are. For example, Dunkin Donuts is in the foodservice industry and Campbell Soup Company is in the food processing industry, yet Dunkin Donuts serves soup and Campbell Soup sells soup. Consumers can still go to Dunkin Donuts and acquire the similar soups that Campbell sells. (Wall Street Journal 2003) 3.1.4- Bargaining power of buyers Consumers affect the food processing industry through their ability to force down prices, bargain for higher products quality and services, and play competitors against each other. The bargaining power of buyers is high as there are huge tendency of new entrance with new and variety of products. Besides, consumers prefer choosing products which offer lower prices. For example, Campbells soup products price is relatively 20 to 25% higher than generic brands in grocery stores, hence some consumers would choose generic brand products in the market rather than Campbells. Besides, the profitability obtained by the company is also determined by consumers. Food processing companies would be forced to lower prices if consumers think that the prices are too expensive as consumers tend to stop buying their products or switch to supplements. 3.1.5- Bargaining power of suppliers Suppliers can affect the food processing industry through their ability to raise prices or reduce the quality of purchased goods and services. In case quality products the suppliers face an important factor. Due to the inflation the overall price of materials has been significantly increased. Campbell has always purchased high quality ingredients produced from local farmers. In 2006, Campbell launched Campbells Supplier Diversity Program to grow its diverse supplier base and to ensure that the supplier base better reflects the markets served. In 2007 the Campbells goal to spend with diverse suppliers was $121 million, but the actual spend with diverse suppliers was $129 million. (Campbells CSR 2008) So for Campbells, there is a 3.2.0- Swot Analysis A swot analysis allows the Campbell Soup Company to determine the extent of the strategic fit between its capabilities and the needs of its external environment. According to Henry(2008), the company can seek to match its strengths and weaknesses to the opportunities and treats it faces in current competitive food processing industry. The Campbells products portfolio includes soups, sauces, biscuits and chocolates and has a strong research function with high capabilities in new products development. 3.2.1-Internal Analysis-Strengths Innovative Campbell has always applied the spirit of innovation in every aspect of its business. At Campbells manufacturing plants in Napoleon, Ohio, and Paris, Texas, an innovative method called overland flow is used to treat wastewater. In terms of products introduction, the company has been consistently quick to come up with new products in the market. For example, the first portable soup product, Soup at Hand, the new microwaveable products such as Chunky and Select. Besides, Campbell frequent updates the products appearance with more contemporary design and new photography. Its popular gravity fed shelving system have been installed at 24,000 retailers nationally and credited for rejuvenating the soup aisle, expanding the category and vastly improving the shopping experience. Campbell is innovative to gauge consumer satisfaction and expectation. (Campbells Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2008) 3.2.2-Weaknesses Declining Market Share The Campbells market share in soup drop from 60% in 2007 to 49% as of October 2009. This is due to more and more private labels continue to enter the market by providing quality products in lower price. Some consumers have switched to try private labels and resulted private labels have gained 11%of the market share. On the other hand, Campbell has also faced stiff competition from brands such as General Mills Progresso and Nestle. (Campbell Soup Co Form 10-Q Quartery Report 2010) 3.2.3-External Analysis-Opportunities Demand for Wellness Products In recent years, the trend towards being more health-conscious has arisen from two main consumer groups. The younger generations currently focus more on low calorie content and on the go meals. For the more mature age group, their diets require health-consciousness in terms of limiting their sodium intake due to increased risk of ailments. Campbells Soups core product categories, notably soup and bakery products, are widely perceived as healthy and are compatible with the further development of health-oriented products, such as the existing and expanding line of Select Harvest and Healthy Request soups. In conjunction with the product improvement, Campbell has announced to expand its industry-leading sodium reduction program and to reduce the sodium content in 23 of its condensed soups by up to 45 percent in fiscal 2011.(Campbell Growth Plans for U.S 2010) 3.2.4-Threats Intense Competition Campbells main profitable core soup category has been facing intense competition and also been losing market share to its strong competitors, particularly General Mills Progresso and private label brands produced by companies such as Wal-Mart. Moreover, Campbells other segments have not produced consistent profits. According to Wolpert (2002), shifting consumer habits and preferences indicate the need to constantly innovate their products and minimize costs, in order to retain loyal consumers and keep up with the fast-changing consumer environment Extensive Laws The company is governed by a multitude of local and international laws and regulations with regards to food safety and environmental standards. For instance, in accordance with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, Campbells food products must be inspected before they can be marketed. The company faces the risk of fines, injunctions, recalls or asset seizures, and criminal sanctions if it violates these laws and regulations. ( Campbells CSR 2008) 3.3.0- Benchmarking Campbell understands the importance of using benchmarking to evaluate performance. Hence, the company analyzed few top companies which mainly involved in food and beverage processing manufacturing company in a few aspects such as sustainability, supply chain, consumers, community and workplace. Moreover, Campbell have also highlighted the primary ways that companies are implementing their goals as well as select initiatives and key past achievements. In terms of community, Campbells have chosen to focus on nutritional and environmental programs by partnering with nonprofit organizations, universities and Think Tanks to conduct RD for new products. Besides, it also partnered with environmental experts to develop innovative solutions to protect the environment. For instance, Nestle has been launching malnutrition and obesity programs targeting children and adolescents of lower-income families while General Mills has been contributing 5% of pretax profits to charitable causes. The Campbells benchmarked the best practices by promoting nutritional and hunger elimination programs. Besides, Campbells also promote micronutrient products to attend lower income families and develop environmental initiatives. (Campbells Annual Report 2009) In terms of workplace related programs, Nestle, Coca Cola, Pepsi.co, General Mills, have done excellent job. For instance, Pepsi CO has been providing job opportunities for people with disabilities while General Mills, the company has reduced lost-time injury rate by 25% over five years. Hence, Campbell benchmarked and developed workplace programs by focusing four key areas: Ensuring diversity of the workforce thereby bringing a broad range of talents and perspectives to the business Helping employees achieve both personal and professional development Ensuring the health and safety of employees both at home and at work Ensuring that employees have a fair work environment Campbells strived for an injury-free workplace through a strong health and safety program supported by high employee engagement. They train their employees to conduct their activities in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. (Campbells CSR 2008) 4.0 Strategy Formulation For Campbells to achieve sustainable competitive advantage in food processing industry, strategy formulation which derived from the objective and mission is undertaken. Porter (1980) argues that competitive strategy is about developing a defendable position in an industry which enables a firm to deal with the five competitive forces and thus generate a superior return on investment for the film. 4.1 Business Level Strategy-Differentiation To achieve superior value that is recognized by the consumer, Campbells needs to provide unique and superior value to the customers in terms of its products quality and value added up services. It is appropriate to relate differentiation strategy to the Campbells Soup Company as the companys goal is very straight forward, which is Together we will build the worlds most extraordinary food company by nourishing peoples lives everywhere, every day. Campbell has always focused on providing superior, healthy and nutrition food by expanding their icon brands in simple meals (especially soup). The Campbells latest plans are to enhance more than 60 percent of its condensed line with product improvements, further sodium reduction, more contemporary packaging, improved shelving systems and new marketing aimed at the simple meals category. ( Campbell Growth Plan 2010) Nowadays there are increasing numbers of consumers who are very concerned with nutritional values of foods they eat. The Campbells Soup Company which is having superior research abilities has been taking advantage of this avenue and further develops this product line. According to Douglas R. Conant, Campbells President and CEO, Campbell is going to fire up the important condensed soup business and step up the competitive posture of their ready-to-serve products. (Campbells 2009 annual report) The improvements and innovations of Campbells has made over the past several years has made Campbell outwit most of its rivals in the condensed soup category. Low-sodium products are pivotal to Campbells long term success as the majority of Campbells consumer base isbaby boomers. The majority of baby boomers diets are comprised of low sodium. A recent study shown that high cholesterol, attributed to high levels of sodium intake, is the number one diagnosed health condition for the baby boomer generation.The condensed soups have one of the highest sodium contents of all processed foods in existing market. Therefore Campbells low-sodium products have differentiated themselves with many rivals. Besides sodium, Campbells also has to focus on other aspects such as MSG and low calories of its soups by hoping that these healthier offerings will help gain market share among younger, more health conscious consumers. (Campbell CSR Report 2008) Besides, Campbell understands that creating a quality product begins with quality ingredients. Campbell purchases most of the ingredients from domestic farmers in countries where they manufacture products and also obtain certain ingredients from carefully selected suppliers around the world. Any ingredient that does not meet the quality requirements will not be used in a Campbell product to ensure superior product quality. On the other hand, providing value-added services help Campbells to outwit its existing rivals. Campbell continually experiments with new programs to provide consumers with useful information on meal ideas, health and wellness, and other tips. For example, each day their Campbell Meal-mail program delivers nearly 500,000 recipes electronically to busy Americans who are hungry for convenient, great-tasting meal ideas that will please their families. Consumers can access the Campbells Kitchen website at any time to download recipe ideas that have been tested and approved by Campbells nutritionists. Consumers also have the opportunity to share their ideas and comments on recipes with one another on the Campbells Kitchen website. ( Campbellsoupcompany.com) It is suggested that the Campbell Soup Company to improve the flavour of its soup products to attract more demand. Besides, Campbell can try to create more contemporary design for its existing soup products instead of the familiar red and white colour design in order to stand out from various types of products in the market. 4.2 Corporate Level Strategy-Diversification The corporate level strategy of The Campbell Soup Company deals with three key issues: i) The firms overall orientation toward growth, stability, and retrenchment. ii) The market in which the company competes through its products and business units iii) The manner in which management coordinate activities and transfer resources and cultivates capabilities among product lines and business units The Campbells operates with four products divisions and has expanded its product to microwavable soups to make customers more convenient for preparing soup without container. (Campbells annual report 2009) Obviously, the Campbell Soup Company, which is a decentralized company, has been using a related diversification multiproduct strategy. Its strategy is to diversify its business to produce several products, and expanding its market share. Campbell used its engineering support and diversified production to support customers with convenient, good taste and quality food. To support its operating system, department such as Research Development (RD), product development, engineering systems, are required to produce high quality and stable operating system to avoid the unexpected shut down. Campbell has tried to use unrelated diversification strategy under the leadership of McGovern as Campbells CEO with the aim of rapidly expand product line to increase profits and revenue. Campbell has tried to acquire other firms to quickly gain access to new products and new markets. Instead of acquiring only food products, Campbell began to use the unrelated diversification strategy to acquire firms that it felt were positioned to capitalize on the consumers trend and also bought firms involved in all types of business. For example, the triangle Manufacturing Company, a fitness products maker, which is clearly unrelated to the firms core products. (Ireland, Hoskisson Michael 2006) A major reason for Campbells failure to generate financial economies while using the unrelated diversification strategy is that the firms approach to managing its core products divisions never changed. At the same time, corporate headquarters personnel didnt implement the strong financial controls necessary to efficiently manage an internal capital market. David Johnson who replaced McGovern decided that Campbell should not longer use the diversification strategy but to reduce the level of diversification by using related constrained strategy to create value through operational relatedness. Campbells related constrained diversification strategy involves transferring core competencies which lead to competitive advantage and start with value chain analysis to identify ability to transfer skills or expertise among similar value chains and on the hand, to exploit ability to transfer activities. Campbell should enhance more than 60 percent of its condensed line and be more committed to a ccelerate the performance of their existing portfolio, most notably in U.S. soup, and continuing to lay the foundation for superior long-term growth. (Campbell Growth Plan 2010) 4.2.1 External Acquisitions and Partnerships Through value-creating external development, Campbells is able to increase its market presence throughout its product lines. For instance, Campbells Baking and Snacking segment is positioned to grow due to the companys recent acquisition of Ecce Panis, a manufacturer of artisan breads. This acquisition allows Campbells to enter into the thriving artisan bread market. With the ever growing foreign population in America, it is suggested that Campbells should consider products that have more of the ethnic background of these immigrants. The brand could quite possibly extend the depth of the line with consideration to the vast number of different tastes in the society today. 5.0- Strategy Implementation A clear mission statement helps in providing focus to an organization and is essential for effectively establishing objective and formulating strategies. (Haberberg and Rieple 2001) In order for the Campbell to proceed into a future where competition is highly competitive, they need to define who and what they truly are, their concerns, their philosophies, and what gives them the competitive advantage over their competitors. This must be clear throughout all areas and divisions, at all levels in the company, in order for the implementation of the mission statement to be successful. The Campbells strategy implementation includes designing the organizations structure, allocating resources, developing information and decision process, and managing human resources, including such areas as the reward system, approaches to leadership, and staffing. According to Wheelen and Hunger (2007), the strategy implementation process includes the various management activities that are necessary to put strategy in motion, institute strategic controls that monitor progress, and ultimately achieve organizational goals. 5.1- Management Issue Restructuring In food processing industry one year is relatively indiscernible from the next from a macroeconomic point of view. Campbells corporate strategy and the companys management structure have undergone several restructuring since 1980. On April 28, 2008, the company announced a series of initiatives to improve operational efficiency and long-term profitability, including selling certain salty snack food brands and assets in Australia, closing certain production facilities in Australia and Canada, and streamlining the companys management structure. As a result of these initiatives, in 2008, the company recorded a restructuring charge of $175 millions. The charge consisted of a net loss on the sale of certain Australian salty snack food brands and assets, employee severance and benefit costs, including the estimated impact of curtailment and other pension charges, and property, plant and equipment impairment charges. The cost of restructuring activity is shown at Appendix 2 Workforce Diversification The Campbell strive to uphold their promise of Campbell Valuing People, People Valuing Campbell by providing employees with the resources required to do their jobs well; competitive compensation and benefits; the opportunity to learn; and grow through their work. At present, the Campbells Board of Directors consists of 14 independent members and one company executive, the CEO, Doug Conant. Board operations are managed by an independent, non-executive Chairman. The Board believes that diversity in the backgrounds and perspectives of their directors contributes to sound corporate governance. Currently, three of their directors are women, one director is from India and one director is African-American. The Campbells Board of Directors is shown at Appendix 3. The CEO believes that workforce diversity is essential to be a mainstay within the company overall strategic objectives. Hence, Campbells is committed to attract a diverse group of talented employees and providing all their associates with development opportunities and a culture in which they can flourish and provide their employees with career development and quality-of life enhancements that make Campbell a special place to work. The directors receive annual fees equal to the median directors compensation paid by peer food and consumer products companies. Approximately 50 percent of each directors fee is paid in cash and 50 percent is paid in common stock. Director stock ownership requirements have existed at Campbell since 1993. Currently, the directors beneficially own more than 44 percent of the companys common stock. (Carlin, M Harris R 2008) Though the Campbells has successfully implemented workforce diversification strategy, it is recommended that the company offers stock options to their rank-and-file employees too. By offering employee stock options, workers are given the chance to buy shares in their company at a specified price. The grant or strike price, should be pegged to the value of the stock when it is offered to employees. Employees have the option of buying the stock at a set price then selling it after a period of time. Employee Engagement The Campbell believes that employees will feel most valued when they are fully informed, understand the companys business goals and plans and are invited to offer their feedback on a regular basis. In 2007 and 2008, Campbell was recognized by Gallup as one of the Best Places to Work in America. The company believes that its work environment has contributed to their relatively stable retention rate and their improved marketplace performance. (www.euroinvestor.co.uk) Campbell conducts annual employee survey to develop work group action plans, empower individual employees to improve the workplace and to strengthen the companys business practices. 5.2 Marketing Issues The Campbells understands that successful marketing implementation is affected by marketing variables. 5.2.1 Market Segment The companys 2009 financial reports segment their business into four key categories: US Soup, Sauces and Beverages, Baking and Snacking, International Soup, Sauces and Beverages, and North American Foodservice. With sales approximating $3.8 million, US Soup, Sauces and Beverages accounted for approximately half of the sales in FY 2009 and drove the bulk of profits for the company. Core brands like Campbells, V8, Swanson and Prego delivered a combined 4% growth through a combination of innovation, consumer trade downs, and improved distribution channels.( Appendix 2) 5.2.2 Marketing Strategies Product The Campbells positioning is providing healthy and nourishing products within the product line. * The product line width come in many different options. This being said, the depth of the product line is in fact the largest. Each product comes in a multitude of different sizes and flavours. The brand offers adequate products for the consumers. * In addition to the size and flavours, the packaging is well organized for that of single or multiple item purchasing. * The packaging also achieves an accurate perception in the consumers mind. They use well known athletes to convey the message of health to the consumer. Price * The pricing of the products within the brand name are consistent with that of the positioning. They provide the perception that to eat healthy the consumer should not have to pay more. * The Campbells brand is typically priced at twenty cents above that of their major competitors. This is the act of swaying the consumers mind to the perception that Campbells is of a higher quality than the competitors. * While operating in an elastic market, Campbells employs special event promotional pricing strategies in order to remain competitive. * The company also offers discounted pricing on certain seasonal items and during holidays. In addition to these promotional strategies, they employ the odd even strategies to convey the message that their brand is that of higher quality. Distribution * Campbells brand is distributed intensively throughout all geographic locations within the United States and many foreign countries. * In the distribution process, Campbells deals with wholesalers and retailers thus creating the supply channel. This is a very profitable concept as long as the lines of communication remain opened. Catalog marketing is also another form of distribution that is employed. This is easily achieved due the fact that the shelf life of the products is long. * The products are very easily purchased at any marketplace at any given region of the US. Promotion * In using the most recent athletic figures in their advertisements, they are successful in maintaining their position of health. * In the use of the retailers to help marketing, they are employing the cooperative advertising technique. This helps to advertise their products from numerous different angles. The effectiveness of themarketingstrategiesemployed by Campbells has made them recognized as the premium brand within their product lines. In comparison to the competition, Campbells focuses a great deal on interacting with the public with such efforts as sweepstakes and giveaways and also education. Their public relation efforts have ranked them as one of the most society conscious brands in the business. 6.0 Conclusion A strategic analysis is most applicable to strategic management at the business unit level of large multinational firm such as Campbell Soup Company. At the strategic analysis stage, internal and external environmental scanning by using Porters 5 forces model and Swot analysis are conducted. Besides, benchmarking is used to evaluate performances. Strategy formulation which derived from the Campbells objective and mission is undertaken to outline the business level and corporate level strategies. Strategy at business level deals with which market the company chooses to compete while strategy at the corporate level is more concerned with managing the portfolio of business. The final strategy implementation stage includes the management issues, staffing and marketing variables which can influence the profit margin of the company. List of References 1. Campbell Soup Company, About Us, online, retrieved 2 March 2010, http://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/about_us.asp 2. Henry, A 2008, Understanding Strategic Management, Oxford University Press, New York United States 3. Porter, M. E. (1996) What is Strategy,Harvard Business Review, 74 (6):61-78 4. Food Processing Industry,2006, retrieved 6 March 2010, http://www.miti.gov.my/cms/documentstorage/com.tms.cms.document.Document_7674150a-c0a81573-2d952d95-c9439446/Chap%2019.pdf 5. Wheelen T.L, Hunger J.D, Concepts in Strategic Management and Business Policy, 2007, tenth edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, United States of America 6. Ghemawat, P., Collis, D., Pisano, G. and Rivkin, J. (2001) Strategy and the Business Landscape: Core Concepts, Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education. 7. Campbells Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2008, retrieved 6 March 2010, http://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/csr/documents/Campbells_CSR08.pdf 8.Campbell Outlines Growth Plans for U.S. Condensed Soup Business, retrieved 5 March 2010 http://investor.shareholder.com/campbell/ReleaseDetail.cfm?releaseid=445289 9. Carlin, M Harris R 2008, Mm! Mm! Good! for the Long-Term, The Story of Campbell Soup Companys Long-Term Compensation Strategy, New Jersey 10. Haberberg, A. and Rieple, A. (2001) The Strategic Management of Organizations, Essex: Pearson Education Limited. 11. Wolpert, J. (2002) Breaking out of the innovation box, Harvard Business Review, pp.77-83. 12. R. Duanne Ireland, Robert E.Hoskisson, Michael A.Hitt, Understanding business strategy : Concept and Cases, 2006, Published by Thomson Learning, pg150(corporate level strategy) 13. Campbell Soup Company Annual Report 2009, United States of America 14. Campbell Soup Co Form 10-Q Quartery Report, 2010, New Jersey 15. Campbell Soup Company Receives the Gallup Great Workplace Award 2010, retrieved 8 March 2010, http://www.euroinvestor.co.uk/news/story.aspx?id=10937984 16. Porter, M. E. (1980) How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy,Harvard Business Review, 57 (2):137-145. 17. Campbell lowers outlook, plans soup changes, retrieved 5 March 2010, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35445380/ns/business-consumer_news/Will cut sodium and change the design and packaging of some brands 18. Ellison, Sarah, Campbel

Essay --

According to Welsh et al (2003, p. 246), e-learning is delivering information and instruction to individual using of computer network technology, primarily over or true the Internet. Rosenberg (2001) also says that e-learning use internet technologies to deliver various solution to learners. For higher education, cost will increase and budgets are lean and getting tighter. It is because, higher education has many course that offered and it makes the number of student increase and more cost will be needed. To solve this problem, the institution of higher education needs to have strategic planning and clear implementation to achieve the goals, missions and objective of the institutions. To developing a successful e-learning strategy the institutions of higher education need a good planning. Understanding the objectives or reasons why an organization needs to establish e-learning is a good step. There are many reasons that identified by organization to establishing and integrating e-learning program into their educational structure. After the goal and objectives have been indentified, ...

Preservation of Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Habitat Essay -- Argumentative

Preservation of Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Habitat Ever since 1973, when the Endangered Species Act came into being, conservationists and private landowners have been debating over whether to preserve the habitats of many endangered species found in unprotected areas (Ligon et al, 1986). Increasing levels of human development has led to the cutting of old-growth forests and construction of roads and other physical barriers to wildlife. These activities have greatly contributed to the fragmentation of wildlife habitat, which has had detrimental effects on the population structure and survivorship of the affected area’s indigenous species. One species that has been affected by habitat fragmentation is the red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis), a nonmigratory bird with a home range covering most of the southeastern United States (Roise et al, 1990). Habitat fragmentation has led to the loss of genetic variability, nesting sites, and suitable population sizes to support cooperative breeding requirements. These factors h ave been responsible for the precipitous decline of the red-cockaded woodpecker. Because the red-cockaded woodpecker provides important ecological and economic benefits to both humans and the environment, we should strongly consider enacting a conservation plan for this species. The red-cockaded woodpecker, an inhabitant of mature pine forests and pine-grassland ecosystems from Maryland to eastern Texas, has had a troubled history within the last decade (Roise et al, 1990). Ten years ago, James documented a population decline in America’s largest remaining red-cockaded woodpecker population (1991). Of the 2,157 clusters, or living groups, contained in national forests, 693 of them were located in Florid... ...ed, J. M., Walters, J. R., Emigh, T. E., and Seaman, D. E. 1993. Effective population size in Red-cockaded Woodpeckers: population and model differences. Conservation Biology. 7(2):302-308. Roise, J., Chung, J., Lancia, R., and Lennartz, M. 1990. Red-cockaded Woodpecker habitat and timber management: production possibilities. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry. 14(1):6-12. Stangel, P. W., Lennartz, M. R., and Smith, M. H. 1992. Genetic variation and population structure of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. Conservation Biology. 6(2):283-292. US Geological Survey. April 2000. Red-Cockaded Woodpecker. http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/ resource/1998/forest/species/picobore.htm Wilson, C. W., Masters, R. E., and Bukenhofer, G. A. 1995. Breeding bird response to pine-grassland community restoration for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. Journal of Wildlife Management. 59(1):56-67.

Verona Essay -- Geography Italy Essays

Verona In Northern Italy, along the Adige River and at the foot of the Lessini Mountains, lies the ancient city of Verona. It is a city filled with ecclesiastical monuments, as well as numerous ancient and historical sites, many dating to the period of the Roman Empire.[i] According to one source, people have inhabited Verona for the past 300,000 years, and archeologists have found numerous stone artifacts of an earlier time.[ii] An ancient tribe founded the city, probably the Euganei or Raeti tribe, but the city was later occupied by the Gallic Cenomani. In 89 B.C., Verona became a Roman colony. Due to its geographical location, Verona flourished as it emerged as an industrial, political, and commercial center. The port in Verona provided access for trade to Northern Europe, and as a result, it became a developed urban city.[iii] The Roman Arena amphitheater is probably the most significant site in Verona. Dating back to the 1st century B.C., it is now a vital theater for the opera. At the time, the Arena was built outside of the city walls. More than 30,000 spectators would travel to Verona to watch the ludii, or shows and games, in the Arena. The most popular of the ludii were the gladiator fights, often times against lions. Originally, the faà »ze was white and pink limestone from Valpolicella. During the Middles Ages, the theater lost its functionality, and people began to use it as a quarry for other buildings. It was not until the Renaissance that people began to intervene in order to return the Arena to its original purpose. There are other Roman monuments of the 1st century B.C. in Verona, such as the Roman Theater and the Arco dei Gavi, or the Gavi Arch. The Roman Theater, originally built during the Augustan age,... ....encyclopedia.com/html/S/Scala-C1a.aspScala.> ?Excursions.? Lago di garda magazine. (12 December 2003). ?History: della Scala Epoch.? Castelvecchio Museum, city museum. 24 November 2003. ?History of Verona.? The World Factbook. 25 November 2003.? Kren, Emil and Daniel Marx. ?Verona. Web Gallery of Art. 25 November 2003. ?Michele Sanmicheli, Architecture, Biographies.? Columbia Electronic Press, 2003.? Tierney, John. ?Verona is for Lovers.? Forbes. 13 March 1995: 6. ?Verona, Italy.? Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 17 November 2003.? ?