Foxconn’s Labor Condition

Introduction (A)Background of Foxconn Foxconn is the subsidiary of the Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. , Ltd. , which is a Taiwanese multinational electronics manufacturing company headquartered in Taiwan. It is the world's largest maker of electronic components. Foxconn is primarily an original design manufacturer and its clients include major American, European and Japanese electronics and information technology companies. Notable products manufactured by the company include iPad, iPhone, iPod, PlayStation, etc.Foxconn has factories in many different countries, which together assemble around 40 percent of consumer electronic products in the world. The reason why Foxconn become famous is that it helps Apple to assemble iPhones. In recent year, demand for Apple’s products increase dramatically. Foxconn thus mainly focus on assemble its products and receiving fewer orders from other company. However, Foxconn has been involved in several controversies, most relating to how it man ages employees in China since it is the largest private-sector employer.The employees’ suicide cases are reflecting on this problem. Therefore, Apple hired the Fair Labour Association to conduct an audit of working conditions at Foxconn in 2012. (B)Issue of the news Strike was happened in Zhengzhou factory of Foxconn in 5 October this year. Three to four thousands of employees stop working. This may affect the progress of the production line for assembling the iPhone 5. The poor working conditions are the main reason lead to the strike as Foxconn did not concern about the physical and mental health of employees.The long working hours make employees feel tired. Their effort put into the work did not have reasonable return as they only earn a very low wages for such a long working hour. Employees therefore cannot concentrate on their works. Moreover, Employees face high pressure working at Foxconn. Recent news had pointed out that Foxconn workers were fail to meet the high prod uct quality standard of Apple, because the structure of Iphone 5 is more complicated and workers have not been given enough training before they start their work, so high failure rate is obtained.The long working hour and the unsatisfactory in the production of the iPhone 5 make employees therefore face tremendous psychological pressure. Although the spokesperson explains it is only the employee dispute and will not affect the factory production. We disagreed that the strike did not bring any negative impact to Foxconn. In this report, we will examine the consequences of the strike and recommend suitable methods to solve the problem in order to minimize those negative impacts bring to the Foxconn. CausesFLA has investigated that Foxconn was fail to provide reasonable work time, compensation as well as working condition for the workers. For instance, more than 40 percent of workers had experienced or witnessed an industrial accident in the factory. (A)Long working hour with low wages The long working hour is unreasonable to the workers. In Foxconn, workers have to work for twelve hours per day excluding overtime working but they only have two to three holidays per month. Thus, they need to work over seventy hours per week and they can only get one holiday after working for ten to fourteen days.The average number of hours worked per week at Foxconn is found to be exceeded both the Fair Labor Association (FLA) Code Standard of sixty hours per week and the Chinese legal limits of forty hours per week. The wages of the workers are also relatively low. After raising the wage in 2010, the basis wage of a worker is about two thousand dollars per month. It is not reasonable for such a long working hour but the wages is so low. If the workers want to earn more, they need to work over time so that they can earn about four thousand dollars in which over 70% of the wage are overtime pay, reward and allowance. B)High pressure Leadership had high demand requirement for the q uality of iPhone 5, for example the appearance of effect can only within 0. 02 millimeters. But Foxconn did not provide any training course for employees, employee faced difficulties in producing such perfect iPhone 5 under the strict requirement. Supervisor blamed the assembly workers every day not only because of the failure in producing the perfect product but also because of receiving so many complaints about the appearance of iPhone 5 from all over the world. In Foxconn, worker is like a machine.Workers are specialized to maximize the productivity of the factory. They are required to complete each action in two seconds. Furthermore, workers who go to toilet more than ten minutes, talk or fail to meet the product targets will receive warning or even dismiss. The workers therefore are under pressure due to the tight schedule and the dissatisfaction of the products’ quality from the ultimate users, the supervisor and themselves. Consequemces Employee is a very important ass et of a company as it can’t function well without enough manpower.It is very obvious in the manufacturing company that without enough workers it cannot produce the goods on time which may affect their profit as well as their reputation. Foxconn may need to delay or even fail in delivering the iPhone 5 to Apple on time due to the strike. It may need to compensate the loss that Apple incurred due to the insufficient supplies of iPhone 5 which may decrease the profit estimated by Foxconn. Also, the complexity in producing the iPhone 5 may increase the cost of production as the raw materials used may be more than expected while the imperfect iPhone 5 provided for Apple may affect the reputation of Foxconn.Besides, Foxconn’s bargaining power may decrease due to the failure in providing the products that the customers wanted. Recommedations We are confident that Foxconn may suffer loss due to the strike and we are going to give some recommendations to Foxconn in order to min imize the potential loss that may incur. We suggest Foxconn to increase the basic salary, hire more employees and provide more training to solve the above problems. (A)Increase basisc salary Employees in Foxconn receive low basic salary and they have to work overtime in order to earn enough money for maintain their living standard.According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the consumer price index of food, clothes and necessity increased by 5%, 3. 1% and 2. 2% respectively in October (compared to same period last year). ( http://www. stats. gov. cn/tjsj/jdsj/t20121112_402850686. htm). The inflation further increases workers’ burden of living. If Foxconn increase workers’ basic salary then they do not need to work overtime which may shorten their working hour. (B)Hire more employees Employing more workers can also shorten working hours.Foxconn is now using two-shift system, so workers need to work for twelve hours per day. If more workers are employed and three-shift system is used, workers only need to work for eight hours per day. Under this system, the factory can still maintain 24-hours operation while workers have shorter working hours. Besides, employing more workers can release workers’ great pressure. Workers are required to maintain high efficiency, so they are not allowed to do unnecessary things even talking and smiling.Based on the investigation, nearly half of the employees feel stressed while working (http://cn. nytimes. com/article/business/2012/11/06/cc06foxconn/zh-hk/? pagemode=print). If Foxconn employ more workers to share the heavy work load, workers do not need to work with the unreasonable high efficiency. Then, their high pressure can be released. (C)Provide more training By providing training resource to frontline workers, the workers are able to much more familiar with the technical knowledge of the products, and lower failure rate which may also reduce their pressure.For example, Foxconn can invite a specialist from Apple Incorporation, in order to introduce or demonstrate the technical knowledge about product manufacturing in front of the frontline workers. Therefore, the probability of making mistakes decrease, workers will not be punished and they can be more relaxed. Although the above practice will raise the operating cost of the factory, the potential benefits can resolve the existing problems of the company that is the settlement of the worker’s strike. How can the recommendation be beneficial to Foxconn The suggestion we recommended not only minimize the potential losses that may incur.It can also improve the overall situation of Foxconn in management accounting perspective. (A)Higher fixed cost structure Hiring additional employees lead to an increase in fixed cost, while increase in overtime pay rate lead to an increase on variable cost. Since the specialist salary and training materials are usually a fixed amount, the overall training cost is regarded as fixed cost in general. With the assumption that China has great growth potential, and the global economic atmosphere will be improved in the coming future, a low variable cost tructure and higher contribution margin ratio are most preferred. The reason is that Foxconn’s profit will increase more rapidly as sales increase, in other words, greater profit can be resulted in good years. In addition, our recommendation helps workers are able to take enough rest, so that higher efficiency can be achieved. (B)Ethical concern – CSR Apart from amending the cost structure of Foxconn, we suggest the management should take account of corporate social responsibility in decision making process.With reference to the article of Foxconn worker condition, they received low paid relative to excessive worktime and they suffer in high working pressure, especially in assembling the Iphone 5. By introducing corporate social responsibility, Foxconn should consider the needs of all stakeholders incl uding employees when making decisions. In details, it should provide safe and humane working conditions for workers. Also, it should pay fair compensation and provide opportunities for training, promotion and personal development.According to KPMG International Survey of Corporate Responsibility Reporting 2011, reputation on brand, ethical considerations and employees’ motivation are top 3 businesses imperative that drive companies into corporate social responsibility. It indicates how companies enjoy the result of corporate responsibility. Except voluntarily fulfilling the moral obligation, a company can develop a good image in society which enables them to attract loyal customers. With the positive reputation, the company will be distinguished from the others and become the customers’ preference.Besides, employees tend to stay in the company with goodwill and work hard with the enjoyment of being ethic. Thus, corporate responsibility increases employees’ loyal ty and productivity. The potential benefits of corporate social responsibility will be the incentive of Foxconn to take their employees into consideration and provide better support for them in decision making process. Conclusion To sum up, we think that the strike may bring negative impacts to Foxconn and it should find ways to prevent it and solve it as soon as possible in order to minimize the loss which may incur.Our recommendations of hiring additional employees and providing training resources will lead to an increase in fixed cost, and net income will decrease consequently with the assumption that the variable cost keep constant. However, we believed that the decrease in profit can be compensated by the overall benefit bring to Foxconn by increasing the workers’ morale, production efficiency and higher product quality. More importantly, it helps Foxconn to create a positive public image. Since our recommendation will lead to a significant increase in fixed cost, Foxcon n should pay attention to its sales volume.It is because increase in fixed cost will lead to an increase in break-even sales volume, so margin of safety will be dropped consequently. It means that the risk of incurring a loss will become higher. Therefore, Foxconn should ensure that current sales level should above or equal the break-even sales volume, and prevent from emerging loss. However, it is expected that Foxconn can still have a steady growth in sales volume in the coming future, because there is still huge demand in Apple products.

Lost in Yonkers and One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest Critical Lens

The Unintentionally Hero Umberto Eco once wrote, â€Å"A real hero is always a hero by mistake†¦ † This quotation means that when a person doesn't intentionally try to be a hero, but results in being the hero, is a true hero. I agree with this quotation, as it holds true in life and in literature. Both Lost In Yonkers by Neil Simon and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, support that heros are those who act bravely upon themselves and not those who act the way to become the hero. Lost In Yonkers is a story about a father, Eddie, who has to leave his two sons with his mother for care. He has to leave because he borrowed a mass amount of money from a loan shark to pay for his wife's medical bills. Eddie tells his boys, â€Å"The doctors, the hospital, cost me everything I had†¦ And everything I didn't have†¦ And finally it cost me everything i was going to have†¦ I was broke and I went into debt†¦ Into hock†¦ Only I didn't have anything left to hock†¦ So i went to a man†¦ A shylock, they call him†¦ A loan shark. † A loan shark is a person who specializes in marking loads to desperate people. Eddie couldn't have gone to the bank because the bank would of refused or asked for interest or for collateral, all of which Eddie can't afford. A shylock doesn't need collateral. His collateral is your desperation. When Eddie got the money form the Shylock, a clock starts. When the clock is up, the Shylock expects his money and if the money isn't there, lives will be taken instead. The only way for him to pay back the Shylock was to take a job selling scrap iron; however, the job requires a lot of traveling. The only way for him to take the job was to leave his sons. It is revealed in the dialogue the misery he feels. He loves his sons tremendously and feels awful that he has to leave them for nine months. He says, â€Å"I'm not asking for myself. I'm asking for my boys. For my boys, I'll be obligates,† to Jay and Arty. In this dialogue passage, he shows that for his boys, he'll do anything. Eddie is being a true hero by stepping up to the plate and taking action for his early acts. He goes into deep debt by trying to save his wife, and now he has to risk his life to save his boys. He might not realize that he is a hero, but his actions justify the means. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a man named Randle McMurphy becomes another victim in the mental ward under the control of Nurse Ratched, or also known as the Big Nurse by the other mental patients. Randle comes into the hospital ready to rebel and start a riot. At their daily group therapy session, Randle asks Nurse Ratched, â€Å"†¦ remember that vote we had a day or so back–about TV time? Well, today's Friday and I thought I might just bring it up again, just to see if anybody else has picked up a little guts. † The vote was regarding about the patients and how they wanted to watch the World Series during TV time. The conflict is, Nurse Ratched doesn't want the patients to have control. She likes to be in control. Once again, she wins the vote. At the climax of the first half of the book, Nurse Ratched lose her temper. Randle looks at the time and he realizes it's time for the game. He â€Å"drags his armchair out to in front of the TV set, then switches on the set and sits down,† even though he lost the vote. The Big Nurse looks at Randle and then goes to the control room and flips a switch which causes the TV picture to swirl back into the gray. Even though this all happened, Randle is stilly sitting there. Nurse Ratched goes up to him and says, â€Å"I said, Mr. McMurphy, that you are supposed to be working during these hours,† in a tight voice. This is where she loses her temper. As she is warning Randle, other patients of the mental ward goes to grab a chair and pulls in next to Randle. Her last words were, â€Å"You men-Stop this. STOP! † before she was just like the rest of them, crazy. By hitting this climactical point, it shows that Randle McMurphy can really do anything he wishes. These two scenes where he stood up for what he wanted and what the other patients wanted showed that he is a hero. It may not be the genetically typically hero from some TV show, but a hero indeed. He fought for him and the other victims to be able to watch the World Series on TV but to be shut down by Nurse Ratched. Normally, no patient would even dare to suggest or question the Big Nurse. Randel stood up and stepped up. Also, when he dragged the chair in front of the TV, it showed he was not ready to be defeated so easily. He didn't do these things to be a hero, but he did those things because he believe it was the right thing to do. What you see is what you get–we see Randle being a leader and brave and that is what we get. â€Å"A real hero is always a hero by mistake†¦ † means that people who unintentionally become the hero in the end are the true heros rather than those who try to become the heros with their actions. I agree much with this quotation for it holds true in life and literature. Eddie was a true hero in Lost In Yonkers and Randle was a true hero in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Demo speech for public speaking communication class Essay

Demo speech for public speaking communication class - Essay Example sbands hearts, or young girls grooming for marriage, experts attribute that the shortest and best way to reach there is through his stomach and what a better way than using a delicious split banana sweet? This does not exclude the men and young boys who too want to impress their wives and girlfriends respectively, as the preparation process is very simple, and the ingredients requires are cheap and readily available at local stores and groceries. Men can also join in during the preparation to share quality time with their loved ones and families. It is important to listen and learn how to prepare this desert because it is simple, easy to prepare, tasty, and affordable with one going for about $ 15 each. I learnt how to prepare this kind of sweet from a good friend of mine while we were still in high school, though back in those days we called it banana and biscuit layers, and not the modern Arabic style split banana sweet. The ingredients used in this preparation are equally good for your health as each has important sugars, calories and vitamins that the body needs for development. The cream for instance, is both tasty and rich in calories, and so is the banana, which is equally sweet and rich in vitamins. However, I need to mention that the cream, which is rich in calories, should be taken in small amounts to avoid risks attributed to having excess sugars in the body, such as diabetes and obesity. Just like any other desert, this split banana sweet desert requires specific ingredients in order to prepare a delicious desert. The ingredients used are the ones that determine the outcome of the desert, as well as the flavor and style of preparation. These are some of the ingredients required for the preparation of an Arabic split banana sweet It is best to have all these ingredients first before proceeding to prepare the split banana sweet, as this will enable you to concentrate appropriately on what you are preparing. In addition, this concentration will yield in

Philosophical and Practical Approach for Balancing Issues Assignment

Philosophical and Practical Approach for Balancing Issues - Assignment Example This suggests that a reality or practical approaches to solving problems usually shows limitations in seeking solutions to issues by applying a provided set of rules whereas philosophical or argumentative approaches to problem-solving normally show exploration of probable options and alternatives to seeking solutions to problems. This paper will, therefore, discuss the philosophical and practical approach for balancing issues such as individual rights and the public protection, use of reward and punishment in criminal justice, and techniques employed for weighing the use of immoral ways to accomplish desirable ends. Moreover, recommendations to employ ethics in decision making about the mentioned issues in criminal justice will be discussed. The most common problems arising within the community today are problems concerning individual rights as well as public protection, conduct codes for criminal justice, and morality. When solving problems regarding individual rights and public protection, the practical method would be based on set rules. For example, the rule that says, every man owns their own property and no other person has a right to his property but himself. This means that the work from his hands has lawfully gifted him with the property. A person who takes property that is not lawfully theirs is a thief and should be judged in accordance with the law. This is the case because the law guarantees the security of an individual’s property protection. Irrespective of their state, a thief is defenceless to accusations from the community as per the law, and so by a judgment of law, the thief is also protected from the public (Garland, 2006). A belief in fairness and justice is an important thing to present to a society. As there is no inequality of human rights on the pretext of using individual traits for example race, ethnicity, or gender. However, within a legal setting, these individual traits are considered serious issues regarding equality of human rights and have to be protected by the Government or Public. Despite the fact, that the independence declaration of 1776Â  underscored the conception of equality of all men regarding equality with some basic rights of life, happiness and liberty.

Zinns Primary Points Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Zinns Primary Points - Essay Example These people are faced by ethnic and religious conflict. Therefore, Zinn’s primary points on this include â€Å"there is no pennant great enough to face the indignity of killing blameless people.† He also observed that in the past, the most terrible things have come up not from insubordination but obedience. Zinn points out that you cannot have a war on violence while violence itself is a war (155). According to Zinn, dispute beyond the law is not an exit from democracy rather, it is enormously essential to it. It is also a notable point that simple actions, once multiplied by millions of citizens can change the whole world (158). He also observes that, and in such a humanity of disagreement, a world of fatalities and executioners, it is the work of rational people, to be against the executioners (355) My thought on these primary points is that Howard zinn had keenly observed and came into a conclusion that, in the modern world people are so much interested in what they can achieve on their own, as well as the struggle to go up the socio economic ladder. Evidently, people have done terrible things out of their own will and hurt so many individuals, all for selfish gains. This could only have avoided. Development of racism Racism exists when a single ethnic group dominates or seeks to exclude another because they have different believes that are hereditary and cannot be altered. Ideological grounds for unequivocal racism came to an exceptional fruition in the west throughout the modern time. However, there is no comprehensible evidence of racism in other cultures. Never the less, Zinn argues that the classification of the Jews with the evil spirit is a sign chauvinistic view of the human race (455). Different cultures are associated with different things and happenings that make the world view them differently. It was during the period of reformation and renaissance that the Europeans met the people from Africa and Asia and the Americans judged the m. Evidently, The Americans viewed Africans as dirty people, an argument that was based on their skin color. Moreover, Americans did not believe in being ruled by Africans because they had a low opinion towards them. The culmination of the history racism emerged in the twentieth century during the racist regime. Apparently, in South America the Africans were denied the right to vote which put them to a subordinate case class. Howard Zinn further observes that extreme racism misinformation is where by black men were seen as greedy monster lusting and running after white women for their money (473). Consequently, there were strict laws against any sexual relations among whites and the so-called black Africans. This evidently brought out the inequity that existed between blacks and the whites hence the whole idea of racism. I strongly agree with Zinn’s Explanation of the development of racism. This is because the idea of racism began as a simple discrimination and ended up creat ing a big gap between cultures. People concentrated on fighting each other. Were it not for this people could live like brothers, which was the initial intention of God. Consequently, the cause of racism is an important factor to be considered because most people are judged according to where they live, cars they drive, and how much they earn. Therefore, this may make people think that the black Africans are generally poor due to their large number in terms of population. On the other hand, racism makes people feel incapable hence do not give their all. In addition, young children who thrive in these areas do not get to relate with kids from other races, which limits them in terms of what they can learn from each other. Major themes raised by Zinn Zinn’

Effective Collaboration and the Ideal Scenario Essay

Effective Collaboration and the Ideal Scenario - Essay Example The economic problems of adults with learning disabilities are primarily concerned with basic production and consumption. Sometimes the selection of, often preparation for, usually entrance upon, and almost surely progress in an occupation come during the adult years. The role of collaboration is not merely to care for the health of these individuals, but train them to become more productive and enable them to become self-sufficient. With rapid changes in the world of work, many adults find it necessary to learn new things or take a major leap in terms of their careers once or more during their working lives. Different agencies will have to discover new ties among government offices as well as partnerships with the private sector and NGOs to guarantee quality and accessibility of the benefits provided by the adult learning disability incentives by the government. Agencies will not only need to overcome traditional reluctance to work with each other to maximize benefits of scale in this case, but also will have to learn to actively participate in creating change within the agencies for the purpose of achieving harmony while in collaboration with other agencies. Collaboration among government entities, private enterprises and NGOs can assist policymakers in crafting meaningful reforms and can expedite the implementation of different policies that help advance adults with learning disabilities and some other disabled individuals. Private sector experts, who deeply understand topics such disability, adult learning, adult care, mental health, can advise government policymakers. The private sector may have considerable expertise that can help meet the challenges of increasing efficiency, capacity, and consumer (that is, citizen) satisfaction. As shown in Appendix 1, there are five main sectors that are qualified to be part of the multi-disciplinary team.  

Homeland Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Homeland Security - Essay Example This essay, this reaction paper, will argue that these terms need to be defined very specifically and very deliberately; otherwise, it persists as a vague concept capable of being used as justification for nearly any action. More specifically, this paper will argue that homeland ought to be defined to include a variety of harmonious interests and that security ought to be defined as actions and policies designed to accomplish their objectives with the least amount of intrusion into the affairs of individual states and into the lives of individuals or businesses. As an initial matter, homeland should include a variety of interests; more particularly, it should refer to the nation, the states, and to individuals. There should be no ranking of these homeland types in terms of significance; that means that national interests should not be placed above state interests through this extra-constitutional concept, and that individuals should not be granted a higher status than they are already accorded under traditional notions of constitutional jurisprudence. A framework for allocating powers and rights already exists in the constitution; the mere notion of a recently defined homeland being promulgated in haphazard fashion and zealously guarded sounds forebodingly like an attempt to subvert constitutional principles through non-constitutional means. A great deal has been made about protecting critical homeland sites, such as those related to infrastructure, finance, and military readiness. The homeland also includes lesser constituent parts of the country, such as in Louisiana, which were devastated by the hurricanes recently. There ought to be a uniform approach to defining the homeland, whether is the Pentagon, the Federal Reserve Bank, Louisiana, or Mr. and Mrs. Smith's family farm. My sense, my reaction, is that the homeland portion of the concept prioritizes national aspects while minimizing or ignoring state and individual aspects. This would be a dangerous deviation from the constitutional principles upon which this country was founded; as a result, that would make Homeland Security a direct threat to the system of governance established by the American constitution. In addition, the security aspect of the concept is also vague and seemingly unlimited. Is security meant to be proactive or reactive Is it meant to stifle otherwise protected types of speech and protests in order to prevent some potential negative outcome The Central Intelligence Agency and the American military have traditionally been vested with duties dealing with international affairs. The CIA is no more allowed to spy on American soil than are American soldiers allowed to engage in domestic law enforcement activities. And, yet, as security implies both the gathering of intelligence and the mobilization of physical forces to deter any potential attack, whom else would be involved in maintaining American security if not these organizations This raises troubling issues. Does this notion of security mean

Costco wholesale corporation (Marketing Mix 7P's) Essay

Costco wholesale corporation (Marketing Mix 7P's) - Essay Example The study consists of 7Ps of Costco Wholesale Corporation. So that this will helps to analysis price, place, promotion, product, people, process and physical evidence of Costco Wholesale Corporation.   1.2 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Costco Wholesale Corporation offers various categories of products to its consumers. So that the product is useful to both wholesalers as well as those who want the product for their private use.   Members of the Costco Wholesale Corporation can also shop for personal brand Kirkland brand name goods, designed to be of equivalent or superior quality than nationwide brand names. Such product includes coffee, cookies, luggage, detergent, juice, appliances, tires house ware items etc. Various â€Å"Categories of the Costco products include groceries, candy, appliances, television and media, automotive supplies, tires, toys, hardware, sporting goods, jewellery, watches, cameras, books, house wares, apparel, healt h and beauty aids, tobacco, furniture, office supplies and office equipment. Costco is known for carrying top quality national and regional brands, with 100% satisfaction guaranteed, at prices consistently below traditional wholesale or retail outlets† (Company profile, 2010). ... Other than differentiating the product offered by the Costco Wholesale Corporation from its competitors, this procedure should guarantee that the product is different from every other goods the business offers. â€Å"The challenge company’s face in creating product differentiation is to come up with a strategy which not only creates value for buyers, but also makes it difficult for rival companies to emulate. Whatever the company does to achieve this can be termed as a product differentiation strategy† (Product Differentiation, 2011). A flourishing product differentiation policy will shift the rivalry of the manufactured goods from cost to other non-price features. This assists the business to reinforce its position in the marketplace to enlarge in trades and the direct result of a high-quality product discrimination approach and implementation. 1.3 PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Promotion of warehouse products represents the various view of communication in the marketing activity. Promotion in the case of service is different from the promotion activity of the product. It helps to generate positive as well as negative reaction about the product. â€Å"Promotion includes advertising, public relations, sales promotion and personal selling† (Lamb., Hair & McDaniel, 2009. pg 47). Costco Wholesale Corporation is mainly promoted through Publish Medias, TV, broadcasting, internet, leisure program etc†¦ Publish Medias comprise ad in news term paper, magazine etc. These ad provide the various information regarding the type of product with there prices. Promotion through the T V media consists of the ad through different state and global channel. Promotion of the product offered

Business Management Affairs Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Management Affairs - Coursework Example For the purposes of consistency and avoidance of double standards, a single choice of the contract law becomes necessary for Simon. Contents of a contract under English law A legally binding contract under the English law contains various elements stipulating the terms of the contract. In the English contract law, three essential elements ought to be present for any contract to be considered legally binding. A promise ought to be made to a person. This can be identified as the beginning point of a legally binding contract. In this section, the promise becomes a determining factor for any arising legal obligations. The promises form the condition under which contracts become actualized. Promises under the English law do not always come with a legal obligation. The agreements involving payments upon performance of a duty can be identified to contain legal obligations. The making of a promise can be regarded as the intention to create a binding agreement pertaining to a specified duty. The promise only states a limited level of information regarding the offer being made. This element shall be essential in the project Simons is undertaking at the recruitment stage for the judges. The promise made can either be providing legal obligations or not. The second phase of English contract law involves identifying the duties arising from the contract. The English contract law makes a distinguishing characterization between the duties arising. Here, the two categories are bilateral and unilateral contracts. While the English law makes this categorization, the common law does not categorize different contracts (Keenan and Riches, 2011). In the English law, unilateral contracts give legal obligations to only one of the contracting parties. The bilateral contracts, on the other hand, provide legal obligations to both parties. Unilateral contracts cannot be used in the case of Simons as they will not give an obligation to the judges. This phase of the contract law can be define d as the beginning of the formal legal contract. Upon agreement, the parties can consider themselves to have gotten into a contract. The last phase of the English contract law lays down the remedies for breaching of contracts. This also stipulates the system to be employed when seeking remedies to contract breach. Under the English law, two methods of seeking remedy exist. While the main difference between the two lies in the courts administering the remedy, the remedies continue to be administered by the same courts. The English law defines the remedies can be administered by either the king’s bench of the chancery courts. These courts shall be used in the administration of remedies for the contracts between the judges and Simons’ company. Requirements of the contract The Simons TV production company needs to draw contracts adhering to the English contracting laws. This becomes essential for the company in avoiding law suits outside the United Kingdom courtrooms. The company needs to ensure adherence to these prevailing contracting laws of England. The company shall solicit the services of any qualified candidates deemed to fit to perform the functions of adjudication. In accordance to the English law, the TV production company shall make the promise to the proposed judges. The company can make use of both

Upgrading wastewater treatment facilities Essay

Upgrading wastewater treatment facilities - Essay Example The European Economic Community and the European Commission embarked on designing a common regulation regarding urban wastewater treatment, as insufficient treatment of wastewater from a given state will have significant impacts on other member states (Vesilind, 2003:114). Consequently, industries and municipals were required to adhere to certain wastewater treatment policies that would ensure pollution and other adverse effects remain minimal, including the common primary settling and activated sludge. These regulations are still applicable, forcing majority of organization to upgrade their treatment facilities to more sustainable sanitation. This report discusses the issues that lead to non-compliance. The report further proposes the adoption of a recent technological innovation in chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) as the best initial step in management and treatment of urban water waste through case studies approach (Marsalek et al., 2004:135). There have been numerous discussions on population growth in mega cities and urban areas in developing countries and the subsequent public health and water-related pollution. The central concern for the stakeholders has been whether these emerging mega cities should adopt the municipal wastewater t reatment technology similar to that of Western Europe, whether there is need to adopt another approach that is more sustainable sanitation.

Company (McCormick) Essay Example for Free

Company (McCormick) Essay â€Å"Since 1889, McCormick has been the Company (McCormick) to turn to for flavor expertise. Today the world relies on their prized consumer brands, trusted ingredients and culinary know-how. McCormick is a global leader in the manufacture, marketing and distribution of spices, seasonings and flavors to the entire food industry. Customers range from retail outlets and food manufacturers to food service businesses.† The McCormick Company was started in Baltimore, in one room and a cellar by 25-year-old Willoughby M. McCormick. McCormick’s first products were root beer, flavoring extracts, and fruit syrups and juices, sold under Bee Brand and Silver Medal trademarks; Iron Glue (Sticks Everything But the Buyer) and Uncle Sams Nerve and Bone Liniment (For Man Or Beast). Products were sold door-to-door and the motto was Make the Best Someone Will Buy It. In 1896 McCormick bought F. G. Emmett Spice Company of Philadelphia. All machinery was shipped to Baltimore, as the firm prepared to enter the spice field. In the 1900’s its export office opened in New York City, products were shipped to South and Central America, South Africa, East and West Indies, and Europe. The Banquet Brand was established for spices and mustard and they incorporated in Maine, and the firm now enjoyed a wide good standing reputation as manufacturing chemist, drug spice millers, importers and exporters. The company suffered a great loss of all material assets and records in the Great Baltimore Fire, but within 10 months, a new five-story building was erected on the old site. McCormick added Bee Brand Tea to the product line and became one of the first manufacturers of tea in gauze pouches, thereby introducing tea bags. In the summer of 1912, Charles P. McCormick began working as shipping department clerk and in 1925 he was elected to the Board of Directors. On November 4, 1093 the founder Willoughby McCormick died, thereby leaving 36-year-old C. P. McCormick as elected President and Chairman of the Board. Faced with the serious crisis of the Depression, he quickly implemented a new business philosophy called Multiple Management. A Junior Board of Directors was established. Though out the early 1900’s many business of the like were acquired and the McCormick’s target market was broadened. In 1970 Charles P. McCormick died of a heart attack and Harry K. Wells became Chief Executive Officer on December 1 following John N. Curletts retirement from the Company. Mr. Curlett remained Chairman of the Board. Just as in the early portion of the 19th century McCromi 1972 The Company entered a joint venture with Promociones y Commisiones, S.A. of the Republic of Mexico, purchased from the John Kraft Sesame Corporation of Paris, Tex. The venture was renamed Sesame Products, Inc. Industrial Flavor Group is established to encompass activities of Industrial Flavor Division (formerly Industrial Products Division), Botanicus Pte. Ltd., and Sesame Products, Inc. 1974 Acquired Golden West Foods, Inc., of Gilroy, Calif., to manufacture and distribute frozen food products. The Company entered the frozen foods field under the Schilling label with frozen sour dough breads at the retail level and with food service products. 1975 Acquired All Portions, Inc., for $4.5 million, which manufactures portion-control packets of condiments, with plants in San Fernando, Calif., Indianapolis, Ind., and Atlanta, Ga. The two major retail units of the Company the McCormick Division in the east and the Schilling Division in the West, were consolidated to form a new Grocery Products Division, headquartered in Baltimore. The Management Services Division was established to provide improved information services to all units. 1976 Chicago-based TV Time Foods, Inc., producer of popcorn products, was purchased for $3.75 million as a wholly owned subsidiary. 1977 Harry K. Wells elected Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer. John N. Curlett named Chairman Emeritus. Astro Foods, Inc., of San Rafael, Calif., producer of specialty frozen food products for airlines and restaurants, was purchased for $325,000 as a wholly owned subsidiary. 1979 $3.5 million plant in Bedford, Va., opened for production of frozen onion rings by Golden West Foods. Gilroy Foods dedicated solar energy project to be used for dehydration of onions and garlic. Han-Dee Pak, Inc., a portion-control manufacturer in Atlanta, Ga., was purchased for $6 million and became a subsidiary. Harry K. Wells was elected Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, and Hillsman V. Wilson was elected President and Chief Operating Officer. Sandoz, Ltd., a Swiss pharmaceutical firm, announced its intentions to buy the entire company in October 1979. McCormick supplies spices, herbs, extracts, seasoning blends, sauces, marinades and specialty foods to an assortment of retail outlets such as grocery, mass merchandise, warehouse clubs, discount and drug stores. In the U.S. their principal brands include McCormick ®, Lawry’s ®, Zatarain’s ®, Thai Kitchen ®, Simply Asia ® and El Guapo ®. In Canada their brands are Club House ® and Billy Bee ®, in the U.K. it’s Schwartz ® and in France it’s Ducros ® and Vahine ®. In other markets, including Australia and China, the McCormick brand is primarily used. Consumers can find thier products in nearly 100 countries around the world. To drive thier consumer business we are developing innovative products, increasing marketing effectiveness, expanding distribution and acquiring leading brands and niche products. The industrial business supplies products to many of the world’s top food manufacturers and food service businesses from locations primarily in North America, Europe and the Asia/Pacific region. Products include seasoning blends, natural spices and herbs, wet flavors, coating systems and compound flavors. While the McCormick name may not be on the package or menu, we add great taste to a wide range of packaged food including snacks, savory side dishes and cereals, as well as restaurant items that include sandwich sauces, chicken coatings and bread toppings. To grow our industrial business we are supporting the global expansion of customers, building current and new strategic partnerships and developing consumer-preferred, value-added products. With a solid balance sheet and strong cash flow, McCormick has paid dividends every year since 1925 and increased its dividend per share in each of the last 24 years. Effective strategies, our Multiple Management philosophy and a great team of employees are key ingredients behind our financial performance and increased shareholder value. Retail outlets, food manufacturers and food service businesses they all depend on their spices, seasonings and flavorings. McCormick is so prevalent throughout the food industry that its very likely you enjoy the taste of McCormick every day. McCormick employees conduct business under the leadership of their Chief Executive Officer who is subject to the oversight and direction of a Board of Directors. We are open and honest in business dealings both inside and outside the Company. We serve our customers, consumers, suppliers and communities in accordance with the highest standards of business ethics.

MARKETING IMPLICATIONS ON 3D LED TV:

MARKETING IMPLICATIONS ON 3D LED TV: Samsung Electronics was the first company to come out with the idea of 3D LED TV where in the LED is used as backlight and they are mounted just behind the screen. This produces clarity in picture. Samsung is the first company to come up with the worlds first touch screen remote control for the TV with a three inch color display. These incomparable features give Samsung an advantage over the others in the television industry. Samsung also boasts of the first-mover advantage. In the sense they were the first to come out with such a TV. They are also the current market leader as they have sold more than 2.5 million such TVs in the first year and they are targeting more than 30 million customers in the year 2011. This proves that they are highly driven towards achieving a greater market share and would continue to dominate the market with their ardent marketing. They believe in capturing the wonder and excitement to the customer. They set up their launches on a tree or a floor or a street so that an ordinary mundane life of the customer gets enriched by the wat their products capture the 3D view of the objects. This excitement and hype created by their products makes for a great marketing technique. Some of the marketing techniques they have adopted include: Premium Pricing Strategy: When they first introduced the 3D LED TV, Samsung had premium pricing. This means that their price was above the industry average and this was well justified by the fact that none of the other companies offered such an innovative product along with so many sophisticated features. But recently, Samsung has been forced to slash their premium pricing to a more affordable pricing. Even with their initial premium pricing there were many takers. But now as the bargaining power of the customers has increased with the entry of Sony and LG into the market with the same model of televisions, it is imperative that they reduce the price to attract more customers. First-Mover Advantage: At present there are 3 companies that produce 3D LED TVs including Samsung. Samsung 3D LED TV was introduced in February 2010 and LG soon followed with its TV in March 2010. Though Sony and LG have been fast followers, Samsung still has the edge over the others because of its innovative design, sophisticated features and having the first mover advantage. It may not be for so long as Sony is planning to exploit the reputation it has earned for itself as a strong quality and technology provider. This poses a threat to the position that Samsung currently enjoys. Sony has built its reputation on providing premium pricing products and when they offer normal pricing to a product which at present has premium pricing this is a definite threat to Samsung that cannot be ignored. SEGMENTATION TARGETING AND POSITONING: Samsung targets those customers who are willing to pay the premium pricing and those are highly interested in buying innovative technology. Those who would like to possess the best in technology and those who are early adopters of new technology and innovation are their main target. The current positioning of Samsung 3D LED TV series is that they are market leaders with close competition from Sony and LG. SEGMENT: Early adopters of new innovation and technology TARGET: Those willing to pay the premium pricing for new technology products and are highly involved for a rich entertainment experience. POSITION: Currently market leaders with a major market share and recently have been forced to cut prices following tough competition from other contenders like Sony and LG. This targeting and positioning might change both ways even if any of one of the following happens: If there are further innovative features offered by Samsung, they can retain the customer base and maybe even attract a few more. But if not and those features are provided by other companies, it can pose a threat to the current position. On the other hand, any reduction in the pricing might also favour Samsung. That being said, it is also important they offer the product at an industry average. Too much of a price cut might also backfire in that the quality might come under question. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Financial implications of a product are far and wide. It includes the cost involved in the making of the product until the time it reaches the customer and also the pricing strategy followed by the company. 3D LED TV is a result of state of the art innovation and research by various technologists and scientists. So obviously there is a huge scientific and technological cost involved in the making of this product. There is also the cost of supply chain where the chain starts with the suppliers, manufacturers, buyers, wholesalers, retailers and customers. The price of such a television is finalized keeping all these financial costs involved. It becomes almost necessary that a company offer such a product at premium pricing. Effect on the Company: Company incurs various costs such as the technological costs and research and development cost. Also any change in the market might have an effect on the company. If there is a new feature that is provided by other competitors, others should also try to compete on an improved level. This might further increase the manufacturing cost. A normal LED TV has around 1000-1500 light emitting diodes and even if one of them is dismounted or repaired the cost of replacing them is high. If this problem is encountered too soon, it might affect the reliability of the product both financially and sales wise. Effect on the Customers: Customers are those who are making use of this television and any change in their preferences or wants or needs might have a change in the financial aspects of the company. If the bargaining powers of customers increase due to the availability of more such 3D LED televisions, it might to lead to price reduction by all the competitors to capture a huge part of the market share. If there are many such products then the customers have more options to choose from. Another interesting aspect of the financial implication is that when the target customers need further technological innovation then it increases the technological cost incurred. There are some customers who might be willing to pay the premium pricing even though there might be other options at different pricing. This should also be taken into account when fixing the price. Production Cost: Production cost includes the cost of technological innovation and the manufacturing cost until the finished goods reach the end users; in this case the customers. The production cost might increase depending up on the various features as requested by the customers. At present 3D LEDs are available around 5000-6000 USD. Gagnon, Director of North America TV Market Research. However, the increased level of competition among manufacturers in 2010, with LED models comprising more than 50 per cent of some lineups, will drive that average premium down to less than 70 per cent over 40-inch and as low as 17 per cent at 22-24-inch. Overall, this should push the LED-backlit LCD TV market to more than 35 million units or 20 per cent of total LCD TV shipments worldwide. Factors Affecting the Cost: There are many factors that affect the cost. They include any technological innovation, change in customer needs, special features in competitors television model, any change in the patents filed by other scientists, economic growth etc.

Spanish Essays Euskadi Ta Askatasuna

Spanish Essays Euskadi Ta Askatasuna The Evolution of the social support for ETA from its foundation to present day. DISCUSSION Modern-day Spain is comprised of seventeen autonomous communities, several of whom share cultural ties. However, the primary galvanizing force behind the Spanish kingdom was Catholicism, established as a state religion following the expulsion of Moorish conquerors in the late 15th century. As a result, Catholicism, not ethnicity, became the tie that bound the seventeen communities under the Spanish monarchy. Compared with the rest of the various provinces of Spain, the Basque people have little in common linguistically speaking. Like Catalunia, Pais Vasco, or Basque Country, is one of the wealthiest regions of Spain, today the point of the Spanish economic spear. It came naturally that a separatist movement would evolve; much like the Kurds of the Middle East who have strong populations in Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey, the Basque people are scattered across northern Spain and southwestern France. As the separatist movement grew under the brutal dictatorship of General Francisco Fran co, a part of the Basque nationalist movement resorted to violence, manifested in 1959 with the creation of Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA), a notorious terrorist group who today has claimed responsibility for the deaths of more than 800 Spaniards (West 1998, p. xxv). Viewed by some in Spain and abroad as little more than villains, ETA is also positively regarded by others for their forward views on race, religion, and socialism. The Spanish government regards ETA as a terrorist group and refuses to accede to its demands as long as attacks are carried out against the civilian population. To Spain, ETA is comprised of separatists who would advocate anarchy and chaos to achieve their goals. ETA’s violence was sporadic from its inception in 1959. ETA first â€Å"introduced its version of nationalism in 1961, when it undertook its first armed action† (Kasmir 1996, p. 97). Though unsuccessful, the Basque nationalist movement had begun stirring in Spanish political thought. Initially disregarded as a negligible movement, the Spanish government only began to pay real attention to Basque nationalism after the 1968 assassination of San Sebastian police commissioner Meliton Manzanas and traffic policeman Jose Pardines (Mansvelt 2005, p. 66). Unlike other separatist movements of the world, however, public opinion supported ETA, as Manzanas was notorious for torture. Immense local support from Basque areas prompted ETA to continue their attacks, earning the Basque cause the collective enmity of a large portion of the Spanish people. Though perceived from an international stance as a contained military operation, the prevailing Spanish fear of Basque violence is the longevity of the movement. Unlike the two Palestinian Intifadas of 1987 and 2000, the Basque movement has existed as a violent movement for more than forty years, making compromise seem impossible. In addition, the violence incurred rarely involves civilians; unlike Palestinian and Irish separatist violence, ETA attacks target political and governmental figures. In addition, 77% of ETA attacks take place within Euskadi (Mansvelt 2005, p. 177). Very rarely do ETA attacks take place in major urban hubs such as Madrid or Barcelona. Neither Spain nor the Basque nationalists are willing to accept anything less than the complete realization of their goals. Spain’s growing unemployment and waning economy cannot afford a Bas que secession, and ETA cannot bear what they perceive is glaring inequities in the Spanish political system. Though support was considered by the average Spanish citizen during ETA’s fledgling years, moral approval plummeted with the increase of ETA violence, piquing in the 1980s. Many Spaniards find it difficult to empathize with the Basque cause because of the nature of the argument for a Basque state. After all, most of the other communities speak different languages. The Spanish government feels it has made enough concessions â€Å"toward ethno regionalism† with its granting of relative autonomy among the different provinces (Mansvelt 2005, p. 176). Castilian, the official Spanish language, is spoken natively only in Madrid. Because of the linguistic diversity of the rest of Spain and the common Catholic religion, most Spaniards do not see the logic in Basque secession. ETA’s non-militant factions fight to contend this position, using â€Å"language activism† as a means of rallying support from its non-radical contingencies (Mansvelt 2005, p. 93). That ETA can utilize such unorthodox means of separation makes the Basque nationalist movement wholly unique. Unlike Ireland, which fought Britain on the pretext of religion, ETA finds itself struggling to secure the most obvious cultural differences as reasons behind secession. ETA’s lingual separation manifests itself in France as well, its â€Å"terrorist campaign [also] in pursuit of political independence for all seven Basque provinces† (West 1998, p. xv). Much like its diversified separatist logic base, ETA’s structure is multi-tiered so as to invoke all support possible. Scholars liken the organization of ETA to â€Å"other violent movements† such as the â€Å"Irish Republican Army (IRA), the Shining Path, and neo-Nazi groups† because their â€Å"combatants are usually young males† (Mansvelt 2005, p. 183). In addition, ETA features several different tiers of action, extending its appeal to all faces of society. Basque ETA volunteers participate in â€Å"several levels of personal involvement†: â€Å"the first and highest one concerns direct commitment to ETA† (Mansvelt 2005, p. 183). The most evident level o f involvement, this level includes armed militants who engage in highly organized strikes on Spanish soil. The second involves those willing to engage in rioting and gang-like violence. The third and lowest comprises those who support ETA actions by voting for Basque nationalist parties. The legal faces of ETA, political parties and means are always approached first. Violence is also dismissed in favor of â€Å"[extorting] businessmen, professionals, and other persons eligible to pay impuesto revolucionario†, or â€Å"revolutionary taxes† (Mansvelt 2005, p. 178).   Though â€Å"revolutionary taxes† used to be confined to the wealthy and privileged, ETA often functions in manners reminiscent of Il Cosa Nostra, or the Italian mob, in its extortion of small business owners and other people of average economic stature. Championing the cause of the people, therefore, has therefore turned into an organized crime syndicate, earning further spite from the Spanish majo rity, many of whom may have been erstwhile supporters of the nationalist cause. The conservative contingent of Basque country has begun to shy away from ETA’s staunch militarism on account of the association ETA has with â€Å"anti-system movements, ecologists, squatters, radical feminists,† and other movements attributed to â€Å"the ideological package of the violent organization† (Mansvelt 2005, p. 179). Though socially liberal causes typically earn the respect and sympathies of many across the world, ETA has often likened itself to other separatist movements in its violent protests. ETA’s street violence, for example, â€Å"was often inspired by the situation in Palestine and IRA-linked actions in Northern Ireland,† evidenced by the â€Å"Palestinian shawls† and â€Å"IRA provisional sweaters† worn during riots (Mansvelt 2005, p. 179). These demonstrations, while garnering support from other separatist movements, prevent the Basque movement from gaining widespread European support, especially among countries such as the United Kingdom and Serbia. ETA’s violence strikes a particularly resonant chord in its glaring successes; a Basque targeted assassination claimed the life of then-Prime Minister Luis Carrero Blanco in 1973 (Shafir 1995, p. 11). Europe could ill afford more instability on the continent, already facing the mounting ethnic tensions of the Eastern Bloc. Furthermore, the forced segregation in Basque country over non-Basque Spaniards instituted to â€Å"regain cultural and political clout as a fortress of Basque identity† prevented the integrated communities of metropolitan cities such as Berlin, Paris, London, and Rome to empathize; immigration is still a sensitive topic in many European circles (Kasmir 1996, p. 81). Israeli scholar Gershon Shafir notes the general academic disdain for violent extremism, especially unusual in a developed area such as Euskadi, whose citizens enjoy a higher standard of life than most all other Europeans. Many in the international community are wary of the Basque movement as they feel it is not just a matter of â€Å"opposition to administrative centralization but also to capitalism itself† (Shafir 1995, p. 88). American intervention is henceforth a completely forgone conclusion, as a threat to capitalism equates with a natural misalignment with the North American superp ower. The Basque nationalist movement is not only contained within Spain, however. Basque nationalists â€Å"have [instated] a European Chapter in their [programs]† in an attempt to internationalize the movement (Mansvelt 2005, p. 162). Following ETA’s example, many French Basque groups have emerged, among them an organization known as Iparretarrak who â€Å"since 1973 have used violence†, dividing the French Basque community between those who support and those who condemn violent measures (Mansvelt 2005, p. 101). Resorting to violence and spurring like-minded movements across national borders has only led to the international association of virulent nationalism with violence, particularly the Basque brand of nationalism. ETA’s manifestation in France has mirrored its Spanish counterpart, spreading street violence and polarizing the youth. Following the ETA return to violence, its legal face has been disaffected, losing credibility as a rational movement. While Basque politicians lobby fiercely for independence, ETA hampers all progress in its criminal activity. The international face ETA presents to world media is one of radicalist ideology, not desperate nationalist endeavor. Much like the oppressive Muslim countries of the Middle East, ETA has suppressed publications, the press, and airs â€Å"one-sided nationalist views on Basque TV†, casting â€Å"serious doubts on the pluralist pretensions of the nationalists and their institutions† (Mansvelt 2005, p. 162). The measures taken by ETA’s militant wings are predominantly those of intimidation, idle threats shouted by young men in the manner of Fatah and Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) stone throwing. However villainous they are regarded, ETA is also highly regarded among liberal circles for their liberal views and all-inclusion of a Basque state. Social support began nominally upon ETA’s founding in 1959 by other separatist movements such as those in Catalunia; once ETA began assassinating Spanish authorities in Euskadi and abroad, however, public support waned and became relegated to liberal radicals. Prior to ETA’s establishment, the Basque nationalist movement had not mobilized militarily; consequently, the Spanish people regarded the conflict as a matter of ideals, understandable, as Franco-era Spain was incredibly repressive. Franco’s repression earned ETA such sympathy that â€Å"in the waning years of the dictatorship, Basque nationalism and specifically ETA, presented the most daring challenge to Franco and as such attracted a novel degree of sympathy for the local cause which even extended to workers of non-Basque origin† (Shafir 1995, p. 115) . ETA members were constantly martyred during heightened periods of tension in the 1980s, following Franco’s death and the democratization of Spain when â€Å"high-ranking Spanish politicians and civil servants† created â€Å"Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberacion (GAL), death squads who killed, took hostage, and illegally arrested supposed ETA members† (Mansvelt 2005, p. 65). The evolving Spanish government and economy began to take on more capitalist undertones, and liberal Spanish youth began to side with the unabashedly socialist nationalism that permeated North and East Spain. In addition, the heavily unionized nature of Spain initially lent ETA moral support. Unionization and egalitarian tendencies of Basque nationalism are wholly unique, and by their nature earned the respect of immigrants and Spaniards alike. Unlike most nationalist movements, ETA’s cause is linguistically, not racially based. Basque scholars easily solved the contemporary African a nd Middle Eastern immigrant issues facing Europe. Even Algerian and Moroccan nationals could take part in the Basque movement, so long as they spoke Euskara (Basque). ETA â€Å"adopted a more accommodationist perspective toward immigrants, though one of dubious coherence (Shafir 1995, p. 4). A byproduct of the Basque attempt to disregard religion and race as inherently â€Å"Spaniard† traits, the universal albeit conditional acceptance of foreigners earned the approval of many American and British scholars. Popular support for ETA and the Basque nationalist movement is represented in ETA membership in countries such as â€Å"Algeria, Argentina, Belgium, Cape Verde, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Germany, Holland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Sao Tome and Principe, Uruguay, and Venezuela† (ICT 2003). Unlike the majority of the heavily Catholic Spanish nation, the Basque left-wing nationalist movement sparked by ETA is accepting of other â€Å"like-minded† populations including homosexuals, feminists, and socialists. Prior to the escalation of Basque violence the Spanish working class shared the socialist sentiments of the movement, though they did not approve of secession. Socialism’s supporters rallied around the Basque cry that supplication to the Spanish government was â€Å"built in the belly of capitalism† (Kasmir 1996, p. 87). The common values of the Basque nationalist movement naturally politically aligned the ETA with Marxist elements of Europe, which called for a popular uprising among the people. A large student movement known as â€Å"las Cabras† formed, whose sole purpose was the propagandizing of Spanish civil buildings; as a student movement, the Basque nationalist struggle became one supported in higher intellectual structures, bolsteri ng its reputation as inherently more rational than the Irish separatists who were of the same race and religion as their British occupiers (Kasmir 1996, p. 97). The general international acceptance of the Basque movement despite the ETA’s violence is indicative of the many shared goals nationalist movements share. Unlike the secessionist Kashmiri movement of India that could possibly destroy Indian unity, Basque nationalism would have no such adverse affect. The world recognizes this, as do the Basques and Spaniards. Popular support stems mostly from economic sympathy; the Basque population enjoys a much higher standard of living than the average Spaniard. The feasibility of the Basque movement is another reason behind international approval; the potential Basque state may very well be as wealthy as Luxembourg if granted independence. CONCLUSION Heavily influenced by the IRA and PLO, ETA took cues from peace developments in the other organizations, attempting to secure a 1992 peace treaty with Spain in a secret Algerian summit. However, the hard line positions taken by the Spanish government prevented a peace from being reach, and the conflict continued, stopping for a brief 14-month ceasefire. The majority of the Spanish population had begun to call for an end to ETA violence by 1992, especially after Spanish immigrants to Basque country reported prejudice and hostility.   ETA is rightly perceived to the same degree as the rest of the world perceives Islamic militancy; its purpose and rationale do not appeal to many Spaniards who are unable to see the logic behind secession, especially after the post-Franco democratic governments granted cultural and relative administrative autonomy. ETA had plentiful public support in Spain and abroad from its 1959 inception to its first political killing in 1968; following its militant activity, ETA’s support system was reduced to other international separatist movements such as the Palestinian Intifada and the British bombing campaigns of the IRA. The intellectual revival of socialism in Europe in the 1970s then garnered the support of the world’s students, especially given the context of Basque nationalism. ETA’s goals appeal to many outside Basque Spain; the conditional inclusion of immigrants and other ethnic groups is a relatively innovative tool in the nationalist struggle. African movements such as Black Nationalism under Uganda’s Idi Amin were fascist in nature. ETA supported immigrants so long as they adopted Euskara as a first language, a historically opposite action to the Spanish Inquisition that made Catholicism the binding religion of the â€Å"Spanish people† in the late 15th century. Like the IRA and Sinn Fein, ETA and its political affiliates struggle within the system, resorting to violence sporadically and at times inopportunely. Though they stop short of denouncing ETA publicly, Basque nationalist politicians are perceived as more representative of the movement than ETA, allowing the common Spaniard the luxury of sympathizing with the Basque movement while simultaneously denouncing ETA. The Basque Diaspora in France and Spain, though morally unified, has not merged ideologically as French Basque populations are wary of ETA violence. Identifying themselves more with France than with a Basque nation, the French Basque populations serve as a constant counter to Basque contentions of secession. Their obstinate rejection of violence further discredits ETA worldwide. In addition, the Spanish-speaking ETA’s foot soldiers only lend a more Spanish identity to the Basques, lending doubt to the authenticity of ETA’s ethnic and linguistic claims. Spanish support of ETA and the Basque nationalist cause happened only when ETA called for a cease-fire during the first years of the Aznar administration. When Aznar agreed to discuss Basque terms and the future existence of a Basque state, Spaniards from all parts of the country threatened secession unless their demands were also met; the wealthy Basque state poised a special threat to Spanish cohesion. However, ETA also provided Spain with a common enemy; Galicians, Catalans, and Castilians have little in common, outside their shared trepidation and revulsion of militancy. The ETA needs Spain to a degree; without Spanish repression, the ETA would be just another extremist group. Among Basques themselves, the â€Å"standing of ETA† is difficult to measure (Shafir 1995, p. 201). Recent demonstrations against ETA violence have recurred since the December 1999 end of ETA’s ceasefire. However, many â€Å"demonstrations in support of ETA† have also taken place; the rift between those advocating violence and those condoning it continues to grow today. Whether regarded as villains or heroes, most Spaniards and people abroad will agree that ETA exists for a purpose, willing to sacrifice itself for a belief, â€Å"unlike the GAL† and Spanish guerilla groups of the past (Mansvelt 2005, p. 68). The future of ETA and the Basque nationalist movement, however, lies with extremist grou ps both against and for secession.   BIBLIOGRAPHY Clark, Robert P. (1979) The Basques, the Franco Years and Beyond. Reno, Nevada U of  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nevada P. Kasmir, Sharryn. (1996) The Myth of Mondragaon: Cooperatives, Politics, and Working-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   class Life in a Basque Town. Albany, State U of New York P. Mansvelt-Beck, J. (2005) Territory and Terror: Conflicting Nationalisms in the Basque   Country. London, Taylor and Francis Routledge. Shafir, Gershon. (1995) Immigrants and Nationalists: Ethnic Conflict and  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Accommodationin Catalonia, the Basque Country, Latvia and Estonia. Albany,  Ã‚  Ã‚   State U of New York P. West, Geoffrey. (1998) Basque Region. London, World Bibliographical Series.

The Virgin and The Gipsy Written by D.H. Lawrence Essays -- Virgin Gip

The Virgin and The Gipsy Written by D.H. Lawrence This novel is very intriguing and teaches lessons of morality, religion, and of life and death intended for those with imagination and insight. The author's style contributes deeply to the intrigue and true meaning to this novel. The author's use of imagery makes tensions in the story vivid and emphatic. In this story there is a re-occurring tension between religion and desire. The tension between religion and desire is most clearly demonstrated between the characters of Yvette and the rector. Yvette was brought up in a world of religious conventions and beliefs, an environment of forgiveness, love, and morality. This world is later realized to truly be a world of repression towards all feelings of passion and desire; not the environment of forgiveness, love, and morality Yvette and the readers are lead to believe. This starts the conflict between religion and desire, and confuses Yvette greatly because her religious upbringing denies and contradicts all her natural instincts of love, passion, and sexuality. The rector and Yvette do not share the same understanding of love. They are both very different in their thoughts and expressions, of what love is. The narrator in the story tells us what the rector thinks of Cynthia, his lost wife. He describes her as 'the pure white snow-flower'; (p.6) and expresses that her husband thought of her 'on inaccessible heights†¦that she was throned in lone splendor aloft their lives, never to be touched'; (p.7) This would have the reader believe that Cynthia is considered in the rector's eyes to be like god not bodily in his life. At another point in the novel the narrator informs the reader that the rector believes Cynthia to be sacred and that she was enshrined in his heart, as if she were a religious idol, never simply expressing any love or desire for his lost wife. It's like the rector has moral religious love for his lost wife, and not passion or desire, like the love Yvette feels for the gypsy. When Yvette matures and realizes that she feels differently than her family, she undergoes a change in her heart, and attitude. Yvette's father picks up on her chan ge and resents her for it because the rector wishes Yvette to be pure and clean like him, or her sister Lucille who turned out the way the rector intended. Therefore not expressing or experiencing true l... ...der that the truth will set you free, and lead you into making the right decisions. The flood is a symbol of re-birth, the flood wiped out the dark, dull stone house, and giving Yvette a second chance at the life she wishes to pursue. The characters are a very important role in the novel and are very diversified. Each character is unique and opinionated which adds contrast and intrigue. Cynthia left her husband for another man, but in her husband's eyes is still considered as pure. The rector is an odd man. Even though his wife left him for another man, he worships her as if she were his god. Perhaps this emphasizes his feelings and beliefs towards her, which are holy and without desire. He does not know the meaning of love, or desire so the reader is lead to believe that his beliefs of holiness, and of purity are his means of recognizing love. This novel was very symbolic and had an extensive vocabulary. It was very intriguing and kept the reader's interest throughout the whole novel. I would recommend this novel to anyone who would like an exercise for his or her mind. There is a lot of insight needed to interpret this novel, but the challenge only adds to the intrigue.

Grendels Mothers Attack :: Essays Papers

Grendel's Mother's Attack Grendel's mother, unknown to the Danes or Geats, is plotting to avenge the death of her son. After the celebrations are over in Heorot and everybody is asleep, Grendel's mother appears out of her dwelling place, the swamp. She enters the hall where the warriors are sleeping. They wake in time to ward off the attack with their swords but the monster manages to escape with one victim in her claws (this is Aeschere). After she escapes, the warriors realize that she has managed to steal back Grendel's claw from where it has been hanging. The victim is one of Hrothgar's closest advisors, "the man he loved most of all men on earth." The king summons Beowulf and his men. There's a feeling of desperation in the air. We know Beowulf realizes that something is dreadfully wrong -- no doubt he can hear the uproar from the main hall- but he also knows that it's his job to convey confidence and self-control. At this moment, the young warrior seems wiser and more mature than the aging king. Beowulf is told by the King that Grendel's mother has "avenged the feud" (Abrams, 44). The king, once again, asks Beowulf to help him. Beowulf, upon seeing the king's condition, says: Sorrow not, wise warrior. It is better for a man to avenge his friend than much mourn. Each of us must await his end of the world's life. Let him who may get glory before death: that is best for the warrior after he has gone from life. Arise, guardian of the kingdom, let us go at once to look on the track of Grendel's kin. On their way to the swamp, they discover Aeschere's bloody head sitting on top of the cliff.

Technology in Transportation Essay -- Computers Machines Papers

Technology in Transportation Throughout history, getting things (and people) where they need to go has been a pretty basic need. The Romans needed to move stone to build their aqueducts; the nobles wanted luxury spices and silks brought to them from far off lands; ancient cities needed to move vegetables and grains from the farms, to storage, and then to the cities to feed the populace. Transportation has always been one of the backbones of every great civilization, without the ability to move goods long distances, your 'culture' was only the distance you could go conveniently to get what was necessary for survival that you could not produce. The industry boomed during the railroading system and hasn't slowed since. First, there were ships and horse-drawn carriages, then cars, now huge 40 ton trucks and jumbo air-liners. In today's changing business environment, information technology plays an incredibly important role in almost every aspect of the day to day life of almost every industry. The transportation industry is, of course, no different. From the transport of goods from manufacture, to warehousing, to retail, to end-user, the industry relies on information technology to get things done. The transportation of people is the exact same; incredibly important to get done yet impossible without the impact of information technology. Technology in Moving People The transportation industry (airline, railway, bus transit, automobile rental agencies) has undergone enormous changes in the way its customers purchase tickets and place reservations. The continuing popularity in e-commerce combined with the widespread increase in the number of people with internet access has caused an explosion in the number of... ...t an amazing 10% per quarter. An example trend that is quickly developing in the freight cargo industry is the leasing of freight aircrafts to different airlines. The aircraft, crew, insurance and maintenance is included in the leasing. Works Cited http://www.aaafoundation.org. revised 15 March 2004. American Automobile Association. accessed 15 March 2004. http://www.airbus.com. revised 2004. Airbus Corporation. accessed 13 March 2004. http://www.e-travel.com. revised 2004. Amadaeus Global Travel Distribution. accessed 14 March 2004. http://www.msn.com. revised 2004. Microsoft Corporation. accessed 15 March 2004. http://www.redprairie.com/Knowledge/whitepapers.asp#WMCSchapt. revised 2004. Superior Logistix Results, Inc. accessed 16 March 2004. http://www.trucker.com revised 2004. Primedia Business Magazines and Media. Accessed 14 March 2004

Ethics Game Dilemma Essay

The Ethics Game simulations of The Mysterious Rose and The Cold Feet Dilemmas address the following ethical issues: The first ethical concern is regarding a company employee by the name of Gayle Dornier. Gayle has received unwanted flowers from an unknown person, multiple times per week, and to this day Gayle has no idea who is sender of the flowers. Receiving a large quantity of flowers has begun to make her feel uncomfortable. Therefore Gayle is taking the proper Chain of Command to find a possible solution to the problem. After speaking to Rian Brown who is the company’s Ethics Officer, I decided that the most important issue was to maximize complete confidentially during my meeting with Gayle, because her issue seemed to be a very important to her. I also had to figure out key shareholders who were directly involved in this case, as well as who’s directly affected. Decision making steps involved in addressing this issue were mainly to figure out what the issues actually are and to break it down into small parts ensuring proper investigation, as well as proper facts regarding the case were identified. The main issue is to determine if a Sexual Harassment issue is present or not. The Ethical Lens used in addressing this issue was Rights/Responsibilities and the Results Lens. The Rights and Responsibilities Lens is based on the duties that everyone in our community has towards each other, and how we live by certain principles of integrity, for example, treat other the way you would like to be treated. The Results Lens is based on the actual results that we want to accomplished, and create the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Ensuring that the company’s reputation is not affected, as well as the well being of all parties involved should be the best outcome. The Ethical Lens is very important in the determination of my final decision; I was fully aware of the individual feelings of all parties involved. The Ethical Lens also helped to with the proper final determination was made on fairness and facts. As Gayle’s Immediate Supervisor, I feel it is my responsibility all employees have useful information about processes to protect themselves in any situations of potential harassment. The Cold Feet simulation of Ethics Game Dilemma involved company researchers Phillip Waters and Nikolai Zubanov. Who both submitted reports, but two different results were given to me. Nevertheless Phillip Waters have suppressed information causing elimination of adverse information enclosed in the reports, the ethical issue in this case deals with integrity and submission of fraudulent information. There is a decision to make in regards to what should be done if it is declared an employee has falsified a document. The Ethical Lens used was Relationship and Reputation. The Relationship Lens is centered on processing the systems for an ethical organization. It protects the basic liberties of all people. Everyone is entitled to their rights; regardless of income status everyone is deserving of fair process. The Reputation Lens is focused on exhibiting the virtues which are valued in the community for people who are in roles. These ethical lenses affected my decision making it ensured that I was open and honest in all facets of the concern. The ethical perspective is not always making everyone happy, because it is virtually impossible to make everyone happy. Ethical perspective focus on making the best decision for the good of all individuals involved as well as setting the standard in future situations. These ethical lenses helped to influence my decisions based on the information that was provided. It allowed me to be fair towards all individual concerns as well as a guide provide me with the proper steps to handle the issue. The concepts of this simulation relates to my personal workplace. Since the conception of my new office six months ago we have went without set standards practices for employees to follow. People became frustrated and overwhelm and decided to leave. Lucky, a strong Senior Management Team is currently being developed to help my office transition into new define standards practice. I believe there should be standard practices in the workplaces by using proper ethics, and treat all individuals fairly. Treating people the same way that you would like you would like to be treated will usually ensure that the proper ethics are used in all situations.

Commission in the European Union

As a staff member of the Directorate-General of the European Commission I have been appointed to describe to you the composition and the powers of the Commission in the European Union. In the following paragraph I will describe the body of the Commission divided in three pillars: First you have the College of the Commissioners, then the Directorate-General (DGs) and lastly the cabinets. In the Third paragraph I will briefly describe the powers of the Commission and in the last paragraph I will conclude with an opinion on the question, as to how far I consider the European Commission to have â€Å"a vocation to further the interests of the community as a whole†. The Commission consists of twenty-seven Commissioners, one for each Member State including the President of the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security. The Commissioners are responsible for the work of the commission stated in Art. 17 of the TEU, and are therefore not allowed to have any other duties during their period of office that could bring about any conflict of interest. If a Commissioner fails to do so, the Court of Justice may retire the member concerned on application of the Commission or the Council acting on a simple majority. The exception to this rule is, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy who is a member of the Commission responsible for the conduct of the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy and its security and defense policy but also takes part in the work of the EC, presides over the Foreign affairs Council and carries out mandates of the Council. The High representative is appointed by QMV with agreement of the President of the Commission, and may be dismissed the same way. The president of the Commission is proposed to the European Parliament by the European Council acting by a qualified majority, and is elected in the European Parliament. The president is the most powerful Commissioner and has several important roles: he/she adopts the list of the persons whom it proposes to appoint as members of the Commission, lays the guidelines in which the Commission is to work, decides the internal organization of the commission making sure it works as a body, appoints the Vice-Presidents from among the members of the Commission (other than the High Representative), he can resign Commissioners since they are individually responsible to him. Finally the President has an important role as representative. He represents the Commission at meetings involving the heads of Government and must account to other institutions when there is questioning of the general conduct of the institution or a particular issue raises broader questions. In the current Commission, there are forty Directorates-General (DGs) divided into four groups: policies, external relations, general services and internal services. The majority of the Commission employees work for the DGs. DGs in the Commission are compared to Ministers in a national government. Even though DGs’ work for Commissioners their responsibilities are to the Commission. The work inside the DG focuses on the development of programmes, administration of Community funding and bringing different public and private actors together. You can see the Cabinet as being between the College of Commissioners, representing the political part of the Commission, and the DGs representing the administrative part of the Commission. A Cabinet is composed of seven to eight officials and is appointed by the President. Each Cabinet is the office of a Commissioner and is a line between Commissioners and DGs allowing cooperation between them and helping Commissioner with formulating priorities and policies. They keep Commissioners informed of other happenings in the Commission and help prepare weekly meetings for the College of Commissioners in combination with other Cabinets The powers of the Commission can be broadly explained and interpreted, but the main points can be narrowed down to four specific points: legislative powers, agenda and budget planning, executive powers and supervisory powers. Legislative power as to making sure that the rules in Treaties are being complied with and determining how EU nationals may stay in other States after they have worked there. The Commission is also responsible the budget planning for each year and the making of the agenda. The Commission has executive powers responsible for collecting the revenue for the EU, coordinating the spending of the EU and administering the EU aid to third countries. The Commission has supervisory powers to monitor the compliance of the Member States to the rules of the Union. Does the Commission have â€Å"a vocation to further the interest of the Community as a whole? † I believe it does, by looking at its responsibilities in the Union itself proves this. And if you look at the statement made by the Court of Justice where it says that â€Å"Commissioners are required to ensure that the general interest of the European Union precedes at all times over national and personal interest†. In which I understand that a Commissions’ work should be emphasized on the whole Community (EU) instead of just one State Member.

Impact of festivals on environment Essay

Introduction India is a land where the life of its people is beautified with festivals. Festival is acelebration of the changing seasons, harvest, reconciliation and the birth anniversaries of saints, gurus and prophets and honours the gods and goddesses. History of festivals Epigraphical evidences prove that festivals have been celebrated in India since Vedictimes. The Aryans conquered India around 1500 B.C. and cultural integration with thelocal population took place. 1. Religious Festivals A large number of festivals being celebrated in India have a religious outlook. Thesefestivals are being celebrated in commemoration of some saints, gurus and prophets, thegods and goddesses or events celebrating their victories. 2. Temple Festivals No festival in India is complete without a feast, and the Hindu temple provides feastsduring the temple festivals. The attendees spend all day at the temple, enjoyingthemselves 3. Fairs or Melas Melas or Fairs are extremely popular not just in India but all over the world. Mela servesa very important role as most of the festivals are celebrated in individual homes. Melasthat are normally celebrated for a week to over a month help to bring the communitytogether and share greetings. 4. National Festivals Independence Day, August 15, commemorates the day in 1947 when India achievedfreedom from British rule. The day is celebrated to commemorate the birth of the world`s biggest democracy as a national festival. 5. Regional Festivals India presents a cultural potpourri of number of religions with their festivals andcelebrations but the four major religions followed in India are Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Sikhism in the descending order. There are a number of regionalfestivals that are celebrated in particular areas only 6. New Year Festivals Baisakhi or Vaisakhi is the first day of the month of Vaisakha, the beginning of theHindu year in some parts of the country. For the Sikhs in Punjab and other parts of thecountry, this day has a particular significance, as it was on this day in 1699 that GuruGobind Singh founded the Khalsa. Here are few festivals with their impact on environment GANESH CHATURTHI Rebirth of Lord Ganesh. Lokmanya Tilak – The Founder Of Ganesh Festival Serves as a meeting ground for people. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Contamination Of Water bodies. Noise pollution – An unfortunate outcome of this joyous festival. Soil pollution due to dumping of ‘Nirmalya’. DIWALI To celebrate return of Ram & Sita. Signifies the end of darkness . ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF DIWALI Air Pollution through Firecrackers Excessive Consumerism. High Energy Consumption. HOLI The symbol of victory overevilness. To celebrate the arrival of Spring. Reflection of the various colorsof spring season. ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS ABOUT HOLI The use of toxic chemical colours. The use of wood for burning Holi fires. The wasteful use of water during Holi. NAG PANCHAMI Celebrates the victory of Lord Krishna over the mythical Kaliya. Worship of Snakes. To express Gratitude towards snakes. IMPACTS Hunting of snakes. Torture to snakes. Unnecessary feeding of milk. Impact of Festivals on Environment Festivals are becoming significant contributors to air pollution in India. We have so manyfestivals and increasing commercialization – a growing economy is turning everycelebration into grand occasions to splurge. Are we aware of what this is doing to our environment? Here’s a look at how all those festivities affect the air quality.Air pollution levels in big cities are appalling at the best of times and are a growingcause for concern. The Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) – dust, fumes,smoke, and gases – is way above permissible limits in many of our big cities. This levelsees a quantum jump during festivals, the main culprits being crackers, inflammablesubstances, and artificial colors. Pollution due to festivals Air Pollution due to smoke of crackers. Water Pollution due to immerging statues of God and Goddess made of artificialor synthetic harmful chemicals into rivers,ponds and dams. Noise Pollution due to loudness of music system. Water Pollution The practice of immersion of Ganesh idols after the Ganesh festival invarious cities is causing severe water pollution which leads to the death of tonnes of fishand many aquatic creatures. Gone are the days when the idols are made with clay,nowadays idols are made with Plaster Of Paris and chemical dyes. The repeated cautions and warnings of ecologists and environmental scientists towardsthe possible hazards inflicted by the Plaster Of Paris are falling into the deaf ears of theidol makers and buyers. According to scientists, Plaster Of Paris does not get dissolved or disintegrated fast. Moreover, the chemical dyes and colours being used to colour the idolscontain poisonous elements. Particularly, Red, Blue, Orange and Green colours containMercury, Zinc oxide, Chromium and Lead, the potential causes of developing cancer.According to one estimate, 7500 idols of Ganesh are  weighing about 20,000 kg or inother words, 20 tons. The sea-shore of Mumbai absorbs the immersion of about 1.5 lakhidols every year. The very calculation of the accumulation of clay, Plaster Of Paris,dangerous Chemicals from the paints and colours will shatter the thinking faculty of any brain. The immersion of Durga Statutes during the Durga pooja is also a cause of concern for environmentalists. In Orissa alone 5,000 Durga pooja idols are made, most of them using harmful paints. Heavy metals like lead and chrome are not easily assimilated in an aquatic environmentand can lead to the massive hurt of flora and fauna of the river, pond, lake and coastalareas. As the same river, pond and lake water is used for bathing and drinking purposehigh levels of lead can damage the heart, kidneys, liver, circulatory system and centralnervous system, the environmentalist warned. Impact of air pollution on health Air pollution can lead to lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratorydiseases, and allergies in adults. It can also cause acute respiratory infections in children.Suspended particulate matter can cause asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory diseaseSulfur dioxide can damage lungs and lead to lung disorders like wheezing and shortnessof breath.Oxides of Nitrogen can cause skin problems, eye irritation, and cause respiratory problems in children.Chemicals used in crackers like lead, magnesium, cadmium, nitrate, sodium, and otherscan have various harmful effects. Noise Pollution Loudspeakers, fire crackers and loud musical instruments, appear to be one of the biggest culprits of noise pollution during festivals in our country. With the advent of urbanisation, people in the metros had to grapple with the problem of noise pollution in everyday living, and any kind of public celebration only aggravates this lurking issue. A study by World Health Organisation (WHO) asserts that noise pollution is not only a nuisance to the environment but it also poses considerable threat to public health. In residential neighbourhoods, the Supreme Court limits the noise levels to 55 decibels in the day and 45 decibels at night. The local authorities are here to maintain decorum during festivals but we as citizens should also be responsible enough to keep noise within permissible limits. Time and again  people have violated these levels during Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja, Navratri, Dussehra, Diwali and the list goes on. Despite being worldly-wise, we ignore the health impacts of incessant exposure to such high-decibel sounds. Besides affecting toddlers and children, they bring health issues in adults like hypertension, sleep disturbance, tinnitus and acute hearing loss. Water Pollution Ganpati celebrations shortly followed by Durga Puja this year saw immersion areas littered with flowers and parts of idols. The mess created by bursting of crackers cannot be ignored as well. The materials such as plaster of Paris used in making idols add to the water pollution. Paints used for decorating the idols, loaded with high levels of mercury and lead, increases the toxin levels of water bodies after immersion days. These toxins eventually enter the food chain after affecting the marine ecosystem and its biodiversity. The highly contaminated Ganga is now saturated with litres of paint, bulks of plaster of Paris, toxic synthetic materials and non-biodegradable wastes like plastic flowers, plunged into the holy river. Every year, in the aftermath of Ganpati celebrations, newspapers publish images of Girgaum Chowpatty and other immersion areas littered with huge parts of idols. The main culprit is, of course, the plaster of Paris (PoP) that is used to make majority of the idols. PoP takes several months to completely dissolve. Also, the paints used for colouring and decorating the idols contain high levels of mercury and lead, which adds to the pollution. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has found significantly higher levels of toxins in water bodies after immersion days. These pose a great danger to the marine ecosystem and its biodiversity. These toxins also eventually enter the food chain. Air Pollution Apart from releasing toxic gases, bursting of crackers also leads to pollution of air. Diwali, every year leads to an alarming rise in the level of Respirable Suspended Particulate Material (RSPM) in the air, due to bursting of fire crackers. RSPM are minute particles and can contribute to various health issues including asthma and bronchitis. On the Ganpati  immersion days in 2012, the MPCB found an alarming rise in the level of respirable suspended particulate material (RSPM) across Mumbai and in other cities in the state. RSPM are suspended particles in the air due to bursting of fire crackers and large number of heavy vehicles plying on the roads taking idols for immersion. Since RSPM are small enough to be breathed in, they can contribute to various health issues such as asthma, bronchitis and reduced lung function. These are chronic ailments and persist long after the direct source of pollution is removed. Dry Waste Festivals also generate a humongous amount of dry waste. With firecrackers being the main ingredient to Diwali celebrations, the problem of dry waste increases by leaps and bounds due to lack of dumping space and other neglected constraints. Diwali being round the corner, local government bodies should take a meticulous approach towards guidance notes for municipal solid waste disposal. Garbage that can easily be recycled or reused also ends up in mounting landfills. And heaps of garbage including fruits, flowers, incenses and camphor coming out of puja pandals cannot be ignored either. Relentless social activism is essential to educate people to switch to eco-friendly methods of celebration. In several parts of the country, craftsmen have started using eco-friendly materials and organic paints to make idols. For instance, the idol makers in Kumartuli, the nerve centre of idol makers in Kolkata, took steps this year to check toxic waste levels by using paints devoid of lead, mercury and chromium to embellish the idols. Clay idols instead of the PoP ones are also getting their share of popularity. Spreading the message of civic sense this Diwali might help to curb or at least limit the pollution levels. We must get our social act together before blaming it on local administrators and civic amenities. Today one can easily find sustainable ways of adding to the glory of the festivals and we as ‘law abiding citizens’ should also take initiatives to cooperate with the government. If you have better ways of protecting the environment and saving our Mother Earth, you are most welcome to go ahead and spread the message. There are several ways to do so and Google will definitely come to your rescue. My Opinion about festivals of India Our country India is a very big country and every day of a year is a festival and it can becelebrated here with great joy and happiness. â€Å"India a country Where Everyday Is A Celebration.† Every festival takes an important part in the life of different peoples from differentcommunities of India. There are many festivals can be celebrated on different religiousoccasions. Indian Festivals are celebrated across the world because the Indian people areeverywhere in the world. some of them are doing jobs abroad or some of them are good big businessmen But no one can left Indian culture and festival celebrating. festivals colours our life in anew way. Every festival In India have different colors, prayers, sweets and old uniquerituals Many types of festivals are celebrated here in India like national, regional, local, religiousor seasonal festivals. In every months many festival comes and fill colors in our lives CONCLUSION We should contribute equally towards society for controlling pollution. Lets make festivals more joyful & meaningful in eco- friendly manner. Use of natural clay idols . Immersion of idols in a bucket or artificial tank of water. Deposit all the floral offerings into Nirmalaya pots. Celebrate the Ganesh Procession in traditional way. Lighting lamps the green way. â€Å"Say No to Fire crackers and Yes to life!â€Å" Light Diyas instead of electrical light. Usage of eco-friendly colors. Celebrating bonfire in unity. A Dry Holi. Use of frames & idols Careful handling of snakes. Avoidance of use of milk. Biblography http://www.yowoto.com/posts/the-impact-of-festivals-on-the-environment http://www.scribd.com/doc/160418855/Festivals-of-India-Impact-of-Festivals-on -Environment http://www.skymetweather.com/content/2013/10/lifestyle-and-culture/dangerous-relationship-of-environment-and-festivals/ http://www.slideshare.net/ketakishinde/indian-festivals-and-environment