Thursday, October 31, 2019
Writing homework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Writing homework - Essay Example It is not as if progress cannot happen in a state controlled protectionist system, and be competitive with a free market system. However, the author’s assertions that free trade is superior to protectionism generally is a convincing argument overall. To move from national politics to a more global perspective, it is also important to understand the role of labor in other countries in contrast to its role in the US, and Roberts concentrates mostly on a global workforce. For example, the role of labor unions in Europe is more totalized than it is in the United States. In the U.S., unions represent exact and specific parts of industries and call for more benefits and worker’s rights to be brokered with individual companies. In Europe, unions represent the entire industry because their groups are put together and are more powerful. They call for less specific issues, since they are representing an entire industry in Europe, though. More sweeping changes are possible this way, but the changes are less specifically geared to the immediate concerns of workers in a certain segment of the industry. In terms of labor participation in management, this was unheard-of many years ago, but is becoming more common both in the U.S. and in ternationally. Employees are more frequently being included in the decision-making process and communication is growing between employees and managers, despite political setbacks and setbacks in the US involving union membership and union density. â€Å"The real choice is between a dynamic world and a static world---a world of encouraging people to dream and acquire the skills to make those dreams come true and a world of encouraging people to be content with what they have and to dream less†(Roberts, 2000). The argument for and against international economics is basically a reflection of bigger argument about theoretical issues of protectionism and free trade, which was mentioned above. In this international argument,
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
The strategic plans of Procter and Gamble Essay Example for Free
The strategic plans of Procter and Gamble Essay INTRODUCTION     This study is being undertaken in order to review the strategic plans of Procter and Gamble. The Human Resource activities of the company will be identified including their estimated costs and benefits. Also, the study will identify the strategic activities and how it match the strategic goals of the company.     Finally, this study will formulate recommendations on how the organization might better match its human resource activities with its strategic benefits. COMPANY BACKGROUND     Procter and Gamble Company is a U. S. based global corporation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. It manufactures a wide range of consumer goods. The company is the 25th largest U.S. company by revenue in 2007. It is the 18th largest by profit, and 10th in Fortune’s most admired companies list as of 2007.     The company was founded by William Procter, a candle maker, and James Gamble, a soap maker in 1837. These two men were immigrants from England and Ireland respectively. The company grew tremendously and throughout the twentieth century, it continued to prosper. The firm expanded into other countries and introduced Tide laundry detergent in 1946 and â€Å"Prell†shampoo in 1950. In 1955, the company began selling its first toothpaste to contain fluoride which is known as â€Å"Crest†(Dyer et al., 2004).     Currently, the company is ranked in the top ten by the Harris Interactive/Wall Street Journal list of companies with the world’s best reputation, the number one ranking in Fortune’s U.S. Household and Personal Products most admired list. It is ranked number two on the Hay Group list of Best Companies for Leaders, and the Market Sector Leader for Household Products in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (PG Annual Report, 2007).     PG ranks among the top companies for Executive Women (National Association for Female Executives), African Americans (Working Mother and Women of Color Magazines), Working Mothers (Working Mother Magazine), and Best Corporate Citizens (Business Ethics Magazine) (Ibid).     Supplier diversity is a fundamental business strategy of the company. In 2007, the firm spent over $1.9 billion with minority-and women-owned businesses. It is a member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable, a forum of 14 corporations that spend more than $1 billion annually with diverse suppliers (Ibid). Overview of Operations     The business of Procter and Gamble is focused on providing branded consumer goods. The company’s goal is to provide products of superior quality and value to improve the lives of consumers around the world. The company believes that this will result in leadership sales, profits and value creation, allowing employees, shareholders and the communities in which the company operate to prosper (Ibid).     The firm’s products are sold in more than 180 countries mainly through mass merchandisers, grocery stores, membership club stores and drug stores. It is continuing to expand their presence in â€Å"high frequency stores,†the neighborhood stores which serve many customers in developing markets. The firm on-the-ground operations in over 80 countries. The market is highly competitive, with global, regional and local competitors. In most markets and industry segments wherein the company is selling their products, it compete against other branded products as well as retailers’ private-label brands. In addition, many of the product segments in which it compete are differentiated by price. Essentially, Procter and Gamble compete with premium and mid-tier products and are well positioned in the industry segments and markets in which it operates. It is most often holding a leadership or significant share position (Ibid). Organizational Structure     Currently, the organizational structure of the company was comprised of three Global Operations Units (GBUs) and a Global Operations group. The Global Operations group includes the Market Development Organization (MDO) and Global Business Services (GBS). The heads of the three GBUs and Global Operations each would report to the Chief Executive Officer (Ibid). Global Business Units     During 2007, the three GBUs were Beauty and Health, Household Care and Gillette GBU. The main responsibility of the GBUs is to develop the overall strategy of the brands. They identify the common needs of the consumer, develop product innovations, marketing and sales. In the United States, the business units comprising the GBUs are integrated into seven segments: Beauty; Health Care; Fabric Care and Home Care; Snacks, Coffee, and Pet Care; Blades and Razors; and Duracell and Braun (Ibid). Growth and Strategies     Procter and Gamble’s sales have grown from $39 billion to $76 billion in the past seven years. The firm have more than doubled the number of brands that generate $1 billion or more in sales each year, and now have 23 of these leading billion-dollar brands in its portfolio. The company also have more than quadrupled the number of brands that generate at least $500 million in sales, and today have 18 of these brands poised to be the next billion-dollar brands. The firm have nearly doubled the number of countries in which it generates a billion dollars or more in sales each year, and now have 12 billion-dollar countries (Ibid).     Procter and Gamble (PG) have more than a billion dollars in sales each year with seven retail customers, up from two in 2001. PG have generated more than $43 billion in net earnings and $50 billion in free cash flow. PG’s  market capitalization has increased more than $100 billion since 2001. Currently, the company is among the ten most valuable companies in the United States (Ibid).     Procter and Gamble designed a diversified business portfolio to grow consistently and reliably. It designed its core strengths to win in the industry. It designed strategic, operational, and financial processes that ensure discipline to deliver. It also designed a management team and organization to lead (Ibid). 2007 Results of Activities     The year 2007 brought results to the company’s strategic plan for growth. It was the most demanding year that the company faced since the beginning of the decade. As energy and commodity costs continued to rise, competitive pressure also intensified. Nevertheless, the company continued to grow well and attained its target growth range. The following were the highlights of its operations: Net sales increased 12% to $76 billion. Organic sales increased 5%. Diluted net earnings per share increased 15% to $3.04. Free cash flow from operating activities was $10.5 billion, or 101% of net earnings. Fabric and Home Care grew organic sales 8%, with double-digit growth in developing markets and mid-single-digit growth in developing regions. The key growth drivers included Tide Simple Pleasures, Gain Joyful Expressions, and Febreze Noticeables. Blades and Razors organic sales grew by 8%. Beauty organic sales increased 5%, led by strong growth in feminine care, prestige fragrances, and hair care. Billion-dollar brands Always, Olay, and Head Shoulders each grew sales double-digits for the year. Health Care organic sales incremented 6% which is driven by very strong growth in oral care. In the United States, Crest extended its category market leadership to 38% behind the success of the Pro-Health line. Baby and Family Care organic sales increased 4%. This growth was due to the continuing expansion into developing markets and robust results on Pampers Baby Stages of Development and Baby Dry Caterpillar Flex products in North America.     Growth across geographic regions was also broad-based. This was led by mid-single-digit organic volume growth in North America and double-digit organic growth in developing markets. Also, it made excellent progress on the integration of Gillette. This was the biggest acquisition in the consumer products industry and in the history of the company (Ibid). Growth Strategies, 2001-2007     The basic strategy is to grow from its core competence. This is done through maximizing on its leading brands, big markets, and top customers. Specifically, this strategies are as follows (Ibid): Volume up 7% on average, for PG ‘s 23 billion dollar brands; Volume up 8% on average, for PG’s top 16 countries; Volume up 8% on average, for PG’s top 10 retail customers. Develop faster-growing, higher-margin, more-asset efficient businesses and this is done specifically through: Beauty sales doubled to $23 billion profit more than doubled to $3.5 billion; Health Care sales more than doubled to $9 billion; profit increased 6-fold to $1.5 billion; Home Care sales up nearly 85% profit more than tripled.   Accelerate growth in developing markets and among low-income consumers as follows: Developing market sales up 18% per year; Over one-third of total company sales growth from developing markets; Developing market profit margins comparable to developed market margins. New Strategic Design     The first element of the company’s strategic design is a portfolio that balances growth and consistency.     In the 1990’s, two businesses accounted for 85% of all the value created by the firm through the decade. Today, the firm have a much stronger and more robust business portfolio. It is competing in 22 categories that include a balanced mix of faster growing, higher-margin asset-efficient businesses, such as beauty or home care, and large, foundation categories such as laundry, or baby care. PG also have an attractive geographic mix, with about half coming from the rest of the world. The firm is focusing on achieving disproportionate growth in fast-growing developing markets. These markets have contributed more than a third of the company’s top-line growth over the past five years, and their contribution has been accelerating. Nearly 40% of PG sales growth came from developing markets this past fiscal year, and it is expected that the contribution would be even greater in the year ahead. The company’s diversified portfolio reduces exposure to single and competitive events, and maximizes future growth opportunities. Traditional businesses, like fabric care and baby care, are strong and growing in their own right, and they create scale that makes PG’s beauty and health care businesses more competitive (Ibid).     Geographically, the firm’s North America home base is rock solid, with dependable growth that allows them to invest in developing markets. Also, the breadth and diversity of the firm’s businesses and the breadth and diversity of the technological expertise that supports these businesses enable the company to transfer technologies from one business to another. For example, Crest Whitestrips was created by combining bleach stabilization technology from laundry care with film technology from corporate Research and Development (RD) to provide in-home teeth whitening. The Swifter Wet Jet pad combines absorbent cores from feminine care with flexible surface lawyers from baby care. Olay Daily Facials combines structured paper from family care with skin conditioning and mild cleansing from beauty to provide a mini-facial in the home. The company’s ability to combine technologies from so many diverse businesses cannot be rivaled in the industry because no other consumer products company has the scope of science and technology found at PG. The firm’s business portfolio is not static. It uses the operating total shareholder return (TSR) delivered by each business to continuously ensure its portfolio is maximizing shareholder value. TSR is a cash flow return on investment (CFROI) model that measures sales growth, earnings growth and cash flow to determine the rate of return that each business earns (Ibid).     The firm’s researchers and entrepreneurs around the world working in areas that are relevant to their business. They are establishing the company as the preferred commercialization partner for these external innovators, and it is making a huge impact. The firm’s ability to innovate is most evident in the net present value of its innovation pipeline and the organic incremental sales growth generated by innovation. Innovation-driven value creation for shareholders and incremental sales growth from innovation have nearly doubled in this same time period (Ibid).     These are just two examples of how the company designed an institutional capability to grow. The firm’s core strengths create sustainable competitive advantages, and it is continuing to get stronger in every area.     The third element of the company’s design for growth is the disciplined way it managed its business. Discipline is part of the company’s culture and it is applied to every aspect of the business: strategic, operational, and financial. The company set and stick with clear strategies. It does its homework before going to market with new products and ideas (Ibid).     The second element of the firm’s design for growth is its combination of core strengths. Early in the decade, the firm determined that it did not have sufficient competitive advantage in the five areas that are critical to winning in consumer products: consumer understanding, brand building, innovation, go-to-market capability, and scale. It invested substantially in every area and it is paying off. For example, the company invested more than a billion dollars in consumer understanding since 2001. It transformed one of the industry’s more traditional market research organizations into a consumer understanding powerhouse. Its external benchmarking indicates that the company has the industry’s strongest suite of proprietary consumer research tools and methodologies. These tools make the firm learn faster and more effectively, and it helps discover the often unarticulated needs and aspirations that lead to breakthrough innovation (Ibid).     Innovation has always been the firm’s lifeblood, and it created significant advantage in this area. It has the best-in-class expertise in about a dozen technology areas that are the foundation for innovation in the industry, including enzymes, perfumes, and flavors, polymers, structured substrates, and surfactants. The firm multiplied this internal capability through an effort we call â€Å"connect + develop,†which is proving to be an enormous source of innovation and competitive advantage. It has about 8,500 researchers within the company and another 1.5 million outside the company (Ibid). Strategic Focus     The growth strategy of the company will exploit opportunities focusing on these areas: PG’s Core. The firm is widening its share advantages versus competition. For example, in fabric care, it is the number two player worldwide in the early 1990s. Today, the firm has a 34% share of the global fabric care market, almost double the next competitor, and its share has grown for six consecutive years. There are plenty of opportunities to keep growing all of the company’s billion dollar brands. It is proving in category after category that a leading share, even a relatively high share, is not a barrier to growth. The company aims to continue leverage its brand line-up and category-leading innovation to keep core businesses healthy and growing. Faster-Growing. Higher-Margin Businesses. The company has even greater upside in businesses such as beauty and health care. The beauty and health categories in which PG competes are a combined $360 billion market today, and are projected to grow 3% to 4% a year for the balance of the decade. The firm has almost doubled its share of beauty and health over the past decade although the firm’s share of this combined market is only about 10% globally. Developing Markets and Lower-Income Consumers. The firm can still grow significantly in developing markets by increasing household penetration and consumer usage frequency, and by entering categories where it has not yet competed. For example, the average U.S. householder buys five to ten times as much PG product per year as the average household in developing markets. In addition, there is a large number of households in developing regions that do not yet purchase any PG product. Closing this gap, the company is confident that it can do it over time. It will continue to drive strong growth for years to come. There are significant bottom-line growth opportunities as well. The firm will continue to leverage its economies of scale. It will reduce overhead costs by simplifying work and eliminating duplication between global business units and market development organizations. It will be more effective and efficient in how it will manage smaller country organizations and brands. It will continue to increase productivity in all of its businesses. It will continue to improve gross margins. The company’s current margin is about 52% (Ibid). Human Resource Management     Procter and Gamble have the most diverse and broadly experienced leadership team in its history. The top 45 leaders came from a dozen countries, and most of them have experience leading businesses in both developed and developing markets (PG Annual Report, 2007).     The firm is proud that they have recognized as one of the world’s best leadership development companies. PG have been ranked as one of the three best companies for leaders. Human Resources Executive magazine ranked PG as the best company among the Fortune Most Admired for â€Å"management quality†(Ibid).     The Human Resource department of PG have developed advanced leadership training or senior managers. The new General Manager College is targeted to the 135 general managers who run PG businesses globally. GM College focuses on Purpose and Value, leadership strategy, capabilities, systems, and culture. They have also designed a sequel to GM College which is called the Executive Leadership Program. This program is targeted to the most-senior managers in the company and focuses on agility and flexibility, embracing leading change, and sustaining growth (Ibid).     The firm is concerned with getting the right people into the right jobs at the right time is always a primary responsibility of management. Also, equally important and more difficult is the need to anticipate leadership capabilities that will be required in the future, and ensuring that managers get the experiences and coaching they need to be ready (Ibid).     One of the most visible example of the company’s ability to develop strong leaders is the number of former PG employees who are now CEOs of major companies. The president of PG himself is personally involved in succession planning for every organization in the company. They review succession plans and the progress of key leaders with the Board once a year, and with the senior management team three times a year (Ibid).     The human resource management values and culture of PG is reflected in their principles as follows (www.pg.com): We show respect for all individuals. We believe that all individuals can and want to contribute to their fullest potential. We value differences. We inspire and enable people to achieve high expectations, standards and challenging goals. We are honest with people about their performance.    The interests of the Company and the Individual are inseparable. We believe that doing what is right for the business with integrity will lead to mutual success for both the Company and the individual. Our quest for mutual success ties us together. We encourage stock ownership and ownership behavior.     We are Strategically Focused on Our Work. We operate against clearly articulated and aligned objectives and strategies. We only do work and only ask for work that adds value to the business. We simplify, standardize and streamline our current work whenever possible.     Innovation is the Cornerstone of Our Success. We place great value on big, new consumer innovations. We challenge convention and reinvent the way we do business to better win in the marketplace.    We are Externally Focused. We develop superior understanding of consumers and their needs. We create and deliver products, packaging and concepts that build winning brand equities. We develop close, mutually productive relationship with our customers and our suppliers. We are good corporate citizens. We incorporate sustainability into our products, packaging and operations.     We Value Personal Mastery. We believe it is the responsibility of all individuals to continually develop themselves and others. We encourage and expect outstanding technical mastery and executional excellence.     We Seek to be the Best. We strive to be the best in all areas of strategic importance to the Company. We benchmark our performance rigorously versus the very best internally and externally. We learn from both our successes and our failures.     Mutual Interdependency is a Way of Life. We work together with confidence and trust across business units, functions, categories and geographies. We take pride in results from reapplying others’ ideas. We build superior relationships with all the parties who contribute to fulfilling our Corporate Purpose, including our customers, suppliers, universities and governments.     As such, it is very clear in â€Å"Our Principles†of PG that they really value their human resources and that they value the individual, the team and their development to become leaders and their corresponding search towards excellence (www.pg.com). Employee Benefits    The company sponsor several post-employment benefits throughout the world. These include pension plans, both defined contribution plans and defined benefit plans, and other post-employment benefit (OPEB) plans, which is comprised mainly of health care and life insurance for retirees (PG Annual Report, 2007). Stock-Based Compensation     The company have a primary stock-based compensation plan under which stock options are granted every year to key managers and directors with exercise prices equal to market price of the underlying shares on the date of grant. A total of 229 million shares of common stock were authorized for issuance under plans approved by shareholders in 2001 and 2003, of which 73 million remain available for grant. An extra 20 million shares of common stock were authorized for issuance under a plan approved by Gillette shareowners in 2004 and assumed by the firm in conjunction with the acquisition of the Gillette Company in October 2005. A total of 14 million of the shares remain available for grant under this plan. There are also five million shares available for grant under this plan. There are also five million shares available for grant under Future Shares Plan approved by the Board of Directors in 1997. This plan will terminate in October 2007. Grants issued under the firm’s shareholder approved plans since September 2002 are vested after three years and have a 10-year life. Grants issued under these plans from July 1998 through August 2002 are vested after three years and have a 15-year life, while grants issued prior to July 1998 are vested after one year and have a 10-year life. In addition to the key manager and director grants, the company makes other minor stock option grants to employees for which vesting terms and options lives are not substantially different (Ibid).     Total stock-based compensation expense for stock option grants was $612 million, $526 million, and $459 million for 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively. The total income tax benefit recognized in the income statement for these stock-based compensation arrangements was $163 million, $140 million and $125 million for 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively. The company also makes minor grants of restricted stock, restricted stock units and other stock-based grants which are generally expensed at grant date was $56 million, $59 million and $65 million in 2007, 2006, and 2005 respectively (Ibid). Defined Contribution Retirement Plans     Procter and Gamble have defined contribution plans which cover the majority of U.S. employees as well as employees in other countries. These plans are fully funded. The firm generally make contributions to participants’ accounts based on individual base salaries and years of service. The main U.S. defined contribution plan comprises the majority of the balances and expense for the firm’s defined contribution plans. The contribution rate is set annually. Total contributions for this plan approximated 15% of total participants’ annual wages and salaries in 2007, 2006 and 2005. Procter and Gamble maintains the Profit Sharing Trust and Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) to provide a portion of the funding for the D.C. plan in the United States as well as other retiree benefits. Total defined contribution expense was $273, $249 and $215 in 2007, 2006, and 2005, respectively. The accumulated benefit obligation for all defined benefit retirement pension plans was $ 8.6 billion and $8 billion at June 30, 2007, and June 20, 2006, respectively (Ibid). MATCHING OF HUMAN RESOURCES WITH STRATEGY     The development of key managers through the General Managers’ College of PG matched its strategy of growth and diversification as discussed above. The continuous growth of the company requires a constant supply of managerial talents. The employee benefits also matched the strategic goals of the company since these benefits are the motivators that will make the employees and managers work hard since the company spends a lot of money for their insurance, health care, pension plan, and stock-based compensation wherein the company spends billions of dollars.     Also, the â€Å" Our Principles†of the company as discussed above is also supportive of the strategy of the company wherein these principles promote a culture of independence and at the same time work as a team. It also encourages hard work and excellence for employees in their jobs. RECOMMENDATIONS    PG is an excellent company. Most of its strategic management practices are state of the art as well as its HRM practices. However, in order to match the strategic goals of the company, the human resources function should do the following: Conduct intensive training to all of its employees and not only their candidates for senior managers. These trainings should be in line with their respective functions of the employees in their respective divisions, and In order to motivate employees, the stock compensation option should be offered to everyone and not only for key managers.  PG’s infrastructure requirements consist of those functions and activities necessary for the effective management of a companys human resources. The major purposes of these activities traditionally have been to attract, retain, and motivate employees. We refer to them as human resource management (HRM) practices (Schuler, 1984), and the key HRM practices include: Human resource planning Staffing, including recruitment, selection, and socialization Appraising Compensation Training and development Union-management relationships    The result of effectively managing human resources is an enhanced ability to attract and retain qualified employees who are motivated to perform, and the results of having the right employees motivated to perform are numerous. They include greater profitability, low employee turnover, high product quality, lower production costs, and more rapid acceptance and implementation of corporate strategy. These results, particularly if coupled with competitors who do not have the right people motivated to perform, can create a number of competitive advantages through human resource management practices. CONCLUSION     Although there are many ways by which companies can gain a competitive advantage, as MacMillan (1983) has suggested, one way often overlooked is through their human resource management practices. HRM practices enable companies to gain a competitive advantage in two major ways: One is by helping themselves and the other is by helping others. So there appears to be a significant benefit from having HRM considerations represented in the strategy formulation stage rather than only in the implementation stage. Once the strategy is formulated and the appropriate HRM thrust identified, specific HRM practices need to be developed. These practices, such as staffing and compensation, are the ones that actually create the competitive advantage for the company. In addition, selection of the most appropriate practices should be appropriate to the strategy and lead to behaviors that are supportive of the strategy; for example, if cooperative behaviors are needed among employees, then group or organizational level compensation incentives should be provided rather than an individual-level incentive system. If product quality is critical, quality circles and union-management cooperation should be developed.     Once the strategy is formulated, the determination of the needed behaviors comes from job analysis. The HRM practices that stimulate those behaviors must be identified. They must be implemented so as to ensure consistency across HRM practices. It is this hard-won consistency which will help ensure that a competitive advantage through HRM practices is gained and sustained because of the barriers we have just discussed.     In addition to using their HRM practices on themselves, companies can also gain a competitive advantage through using their HRM practices on others. Specifically, companies can gain a competitive advantage by helping their suppliers, customers, or servicers/distributors with their practices    REFERENCES  ^ a b http://www.pginvestor.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=104574p=irol-fundSnapshot ^ CNN Fortune ranking ^ http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/mostadmired/2007/top20/index.html ^ Dyer, Davis; Frederick Dalzell, Rowena Olegario (2004). Rising Tide: Lessons from 165 Years of Brand Building at Procter Gamble. Harvard Business School Press. ISBN 1591391474. ^ Wherrity, Constance. Dial Agrees to Buy PG Deodorant Brands, Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York blog, 2006-02-21. Retrieved on 2006-09-06. ^ John G. Smale: He rebuilt PG and city, too, The Cincinnati Post, 11 October 2005. ^ 2007 Annual report, pg 71 ^ Reasons for Selection, 2007 Canadas Top 100 Employers. ^ Trademark of the Beast by David Emery, June 10, 1998 ^ Trademark of the Devil by Barbara Mikkelson, snopes ^ Mikkel MacMillan, I. C. Seizing Competitive Initiative. The Journal of Business Strategy, 1983, pp. 43-57. Peters, T. J., and Waterman, R. H. Jr. In Search of Excellence. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Schuler, R. S. Personnel and Human Resource Management (2nd ed.). St. Paul, MN: West Publishing, 1984. Skinner, W. Big Hat, No Cattle: Managing Human Resources. Harvard Business Review, September-October 1981, pp. 107-118. Schulerson, Barbara and David. 2005 December 31
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Key Facts About Madagascar Tourism Essay
Key Facts About Madagascar Tourism Essay Tourism can be a great development tool, stimulating economic growth, enhancing the economy, and contributing to poverty within almost all sectors of a society. In Madagascar, where poverty is common and where the poor put pressure on the natural resource base, tourism can generate positive externalities on the third party. First tourism creates places of economic growth in regions on the island that have no alternative sources of income and employment. Tourism helps to reduce poverty by diversifying income sources. Second, tourism, can help to preserve the environment, whether for ecotourism or for resort-based tourism, meaning that most of the products used are ecologically efficient. The current Madagascar tourism assets have great prospects however are not fully realized and developed. Tourism is complex and requires its own analysis, particularly as it is one of the largest in the world and rapidly consolidating into a few large players, moreover it becomes a sector of the econo my that annually increases its role in the total economic section so to say. More needs to be done to build a dynamic partnership between business and tourism, in recognition of the fact that a sound business plan for tourism, an effective environmental plan, and a framework for social appreciation are mutually reinforcing and that absence of one may put the others into question. This is why it is important to balance the sectors and all factors that could have an effect on the country and its tourism prospects. 1.Key Facts About MadagascarMacintosh HD:Users:IrinaMalysh:Desktop:ma-map.gif Madagascar is located in southern Africa on a separate island in the Indian Ocean, next to Mozambique. The Coast line of Madagascar is relatively huge 4,828 km. the climate of Madagascar is tropical along the coast, temperate inland and arid in South. Madagascar is worlds fourth largest island with a strategic location along Mozambique Channel. [1] Source: The CIA, World fact book Madagascar, mapMadagascar has a magnificent range of biodiversity, nature and cultural resources to support tourism. However, out of the 200,000 visitors the island per year, only about 60,000 come expressly for tourism, the res are traveling for different other reasons but which can include some tourism activity. Madagascar has the potential to welcome many more tourists if the sectors growth is well planned in a broad way focusing on economic aspects, infrastructure and environmental and social concerns, particularly for community participation. Also we would like to mention some key facts that are influencing Travel and Tourism in Madagascar: 1.GDP: Direct contribution The direct contribution of Travel Tourism to GDP was MGA1, 095.8bn (5.4% of total GDP) in 2011, and is forecast to rise by 13.9% in 2012, and to raise by 4.4% pa, from 2012-2022, to MGA1, 924.8bn in 2022 (in constant 2011 prices). Total Contribution-the total contribution of Travel Tourism to GDP was MGA3, 005.2bn (14.9% of GDP) in 2011, and is forecast to rise by 11.6% in 2012, and to rise by 4.3% pa to MGA5, 086.2bn in 2022 2.Employment: Direct Contribution-In 2011 Travel Tourism directly supported 197,500 jobs (4.3% of total employment). This is expected to rise by 13.6% in 2012 and rise by 2.8% pa to 297,000 jobs (4.8% of total employment) in 2022. Total Contribution-In 2011, the total contribution of Travel and Tourism to employment, including jobs supported by the industry, was 12.5% of total employment (577,000 jobs). This is expected to rise by 11.2% in 2012 to 642,000 jobs and rise by 2.7% pa to 835,000 jobs in 2022 (13.5% of total). 3.Visitor Exports: Visitor exports generated MGA1, 397.5bn (26.6% of total exports) in 2011. This is forecast to grow by 13.8% in 2012, and grow by 5.0% pa, from 2012-2022, to MGA2, 582.2bn in 2022 (24.7% of total). 4. Investment: Travel Tourism investment in 2011 was MGA590.4bn, or 15.5% of total investment. It should rise by 6.7% in 2012, and rise by 3.5% pa over the next ten years to MGA884.7bn in 2022 (14.9% of total). [2] Also, extremely important factor for country is its own World Ranking between other countries, which provides us with information considering whether the country is doing well or not. The details about Madagascars world ranking is showed below. 2. Madagascars Rankings Also, an extremely important factor for the country is its own World Ranking between other countries, which provides us with information considering whether the country is doing well or not. The details about Madagascars world ranking is showed below. Source: Travel and Tourism Economic Impact 2012 MadagascarMacintosh HD:Users:IrinaMalysh:Desktop:Screen Shot 2012-11-28 at 8.03.06 PM.png According to statistics, Madagascars travel tourism is playing an important role within its country. On one hand, its providing a total amount of more than 577,000 jobs annually, on the other hand, economical wise, its contributing to the 14.9% of the countrys GDP with US 0.5 billion in 2011. In the Travel and Tourism Ranking of 2011 of 181 countries, Madagascar is placed 120th at Direct Contribution to GDP and Total Contribution to GDP, 56th at Direct Contribution to Employment, 49th at Total Contribution to Employment, 98th at Capital Investment, 111th at Visitor Exports. All these numbers are estimated to be continuously moving upwards. Madagascar has moved to the 3rd growing country among all. Thus forecasting the long-term growth over the next ten years starting from 2012, Madagascar is predicted to move up from 120 to 87 out of 181 countries. In Madagascar, the International promotion is under the responsibility of the Maison du Tourisme. Yet, as a major potential exotic location for increasing foreign tourism, international tour operator has pointed out the fact that the government has not been distributing enough funds currently to promote the country. Worldwide countries that have successfully promoted and established a steady beneficial income from tourism, they normally combine efforts and findings from both public and private sectors. Kenya for example, ranking 75 in the survey of Travel and Tourisms Direct Contribution to GDP of 2011, with only two wildlife destinations is already willing to spend more than US $ 10 and 23 million respectively on tourism promotion. Madagascar, position at 120, was only providing US 150,000 for promotional budget annually. Tourist numbers cannot continue to grow at the pace of recent years for much longer, unless some of the constraints are removed. If Madagascar ever succeeds in removing the constraints and moving forward to expand its tourism sector, following up with supporting plans to new investments projects with an effective promotion and marketing campaign, the potential economic growth is almost unlimited. As related to this issue, a resolution to the current financial shortage of the Maison de Tourisme should be proposed. 3. Visitor Exports and Investment Visitor exports are a key component of the direct contribution of Travel Tourism. In 2011, Madagascar generated MGA1, 397.5bn in visitor exports. In 2012, this is expected to grow by 13.8%, and the country is expected to attract 232,000 international tourist arrivals. By 2022, international tourist arrivals are forecast to total 381,000, generating expenditure of MGA2, 582.2bn, an increase of 5.0% pa. [3] Macintosh HD:Users:IrinaMalysh:Desktop:Screen Shot 2012-11-29 at 6.34.42 PM.png Source: Travel and Tourism Economic Impact 2012 Madagascar Travel Tourism is expected to have attracted capital investment of MGA590.4bn in 2011. This is expected to rise by 6.7% in 2012, and rise by 3.5% pa over the next ten years to MGA884.7bn in 2022. Travel Tourisms share of total national investment will fall from 16.1% in 2012 to 14.9% in 2022. [4] Macintosh HD:Users:IrinaMalysh:Desktop:Screen Shot 2012-11-29 at 6.34.51 PM.png Source: Travel and Tourism Economic Impact 2012 Madagascar 4. The Size and Characteristics of the Tourism Sector Another important factor that influences the Travel and Tourism Industry is the size and characteristic of Tourism Sector as such. In this section of the report we will look at certain questions like: how many tourist visited Madagascar, which country are they traveling from, how long do they stay, what time of the year they travel. Also as well as what are their socio-economic characteristics and how much are they spending while in Madagascar.       Madagascar is affected by economical events constantly, which actually affects the inflow of tourists to the country. For instance, September 11, 2011, undoubtedly had an impact on Madagascar and may even have contributed to a spike in tourism as travelers sought safer destinations. Secondly, the political events in Madagascar itself were probably of far more important than September 11. The prolonged political stalemate resulted in visitation to the island plunging, hotels could not find supplies for businesses and were forced into bankruptcy or to sell assets to maintain their properties. There is no way in which such effects can be programmed with any degree of realism into projections of growth. 4.1 Tourist Arrivals In 2001, 170,208 foreign visitor arrivals were recorded, compared with 74,619 in 1995 and 52,923 in 1990, according to the Ministry of Tourism. Year 2002 was pretty much a disaster for tourism in Madagascar and up until now the country is still recovering from it. The relatively low number of foreign tourists were recorded as visiting national parks (54,440 in 2000) these tourists generally visit more than one park during their stay, hence there is a great doubt on the total figure of 160,071 tourists (2000). Possibly, some visitors may escape being recorded as they enter the national parks, but the numbers still seem low in relation to the claim of 160,071 total visitors. The visitor survey undertaken in 2000 indicates that 63% of tourist visitors state that tourism is the main purpose of their visit. This suggests that of the 160,071 arrivals in 2000, only 100, 845 were real tourists so to say. Moreover there are fake tourists, meaning that business travelers use tourist visas to have business in Madagascar. This suggests that the number of real tourists may have been somewhere between 68, 054 and 100, 845 in 2000. Undoubtedly, some visitors who are not tourists will behave as tourists for part of the time they are in Madagascar, i.e., they will use hotels and related services in major cities, and places. These people are called internal tourists, because they travel outside their usual living place.  4.2 Local transport They will probably make a couple trips to the parks, shops, restaurantetc. by using a method of transportation. They may also buy handicrafts and other souvenirs; clearly the souvenirs will vary occurring to the nation. Nevertheless, the distinction between a tourist and a non-resident visiting a country for other purposes must be maintained in order to plan effectively for the needs of tourists as well as give a clear estimate of the real visitors coming. The Government is aware of tourisms statistical problems and, with financing from the EU, has undertaken two sample surveys, the most recent in 2000, to help correct and supplement existing data going into economical terms equalize demand and supply to an equilibrium point. Visitor surveys are expensive to undertake and, though they provide valuable data on visitor characteristics, should not substitute for standard data collection at points of entry otherwise a chance exists that a survey can be not as efficient due to the fact that people can be surveyed more than once. The Government recognizes the need to improve the statistical base for tourism but is constrained by lack of financing hence they are short on the supply of either the needed machinery or working labor. There are significant opportunity costs attached to not knowing the size of a sector that has the potential to become a significant generator of jobs, foreign exchange and taxes, as well as stimulate production of go ods and services in other sectors, hence the government has no choice but to give something in return, i.e. the agricultural sector. A tradeoff between the two sectors will be present. These costs may persuade the Government to find the money and/or a donor to assist with the important task of improving the tourism database. Moreover this can be done through the tradeoff meaning that the government pulls funds out of agriculture or military or education, etc. and transfers them to the tourism sector. 4.3 Countries of Origin France dominates the market with 60 % of foreign visitors, broadly defined and not exclusively tourists. This however is because French love travelling within a country that shares the same language; hence Reunion was a perfect place. Language and a partial common heritage, added to the frequency of flights from Paris and Reunion, are the reasons for French predominance. Italians are the next largest contingent with 12%, followed by US (4.2%), Swiss (2.9%), Germans (2.8%) and British (2.2%). Given the quality and variety of assets in Madagascar, and the European appreciation for eco/cultural tourism, the small percentage share of these countries, other than France, simply indicates unrealized potential demand in those markets. 4.4 Seasonality of Arrivals. Peak months are consistently August and July, when about 21% of tourists arrive, 37 % of tourists arrive from September to December. The lowest month is February after which arrivals build up steadily to the peak months. 4.5 Average Length of Stay. The 2000 visitor survey suggests that the average length of stay for foreigners visiting relatives is 24 days, but for bona fide tourists it is 20 days. Tour operators confirm that tourists stay at least two weeks and sometimes up to three weeks clearly long term stays are beneficial for Madagascar. As noted below, the average combined length of hotel stay is 15 days. The data may be influenced by the large numbers of those visiting friends and relatives and by other non-residents, such as the scientists and potential businessman who are likely to be long-stay visitors. The exact length needs to be confirmed for planning purposes otherwise it becomes impossible to keep track of the individual tourists travelling in and out of the country. Ideally, the length of stay should be determined for at least two broad categories of visitors; eco-tourists and resort tourists, and by type of accommodation. The average length of stay in the National Parks is said to be 1 3 days depending on location, the quality of accommodation, and services for tourism. Clearly looking at the types of restaurants visited, the transportation methods, etc. can broaden the type of tourism and hence narrow it down even better. 4.6 Gender, Age and Income Levels of Tourists According to the survey, the majority of tourists traveling to Madagascar are men (64%). Nevertheless this statistic also suggests that not all visitors are legal tourists and, in this case, may be businessmen declaring themselves as tourists to overcome visa problems and other factors that could stop them. Over 60% of tourists are between 30 and 49 years old, but the median age is below 40. This once more underlines that there is high chance of them being businessman in their midlife looking for attractive offers and opportunities. Nearly three quarters of tourists are highly educated. Nearly two-thirds of visitors are professionals or heads of businesses/ enterprises hence coming to the country not only for leisure purposes. From observation, a significant number of tourists are backpackers. The term backpacker can include the adventure tourist, who is often quite well off, as well as the student hiking on a low budget. Madagascar welcomes a broad range of tourists, with backpackers at one extreme and those arriving through international tour operators at the other. For planning purposes, more needs to be known about the different requirements of each tourist and there approximate number and time of stay. 4.7 Tourist Expenditures The survey showed that, on average, tourists spent a little over FF 16,205 (roughly $2,000), including international travel costs on their visit to Madagascar. The survey also found that the average cost of the trip changed according to whether the tourist traveled as an individual, a pair, a group, or an organized tour. Tourists using tour operators paid FF 17,300 before departure for the combined package of air travel and accommodation in Madagascar and spent an additional FF 3,494 during the visit, for a total expenditure of FF 20,794. Those traveling alone spent FF 7,885 on their air ticket and FF 6784 while in Madagascar, for a total of FF 14,669. This statistic illustrates the weight of the airfare in the total package-well over 50%, which is high by international norms. Moreover this underlines that using tour operators is not always more beneficial. As in this example 6,000 FF could have been saved. The breakdown of expenditures in Madagascar by those who did not use a tour operator was as follows: 1. Accommodation and food 50.5% 2. Internal travel 24.1% 3. Excursions (Parks) 11.5% 4. Souvenirs 8.7% 5. Other 5.2% Tourists traveling with tour operators will have prepaid their holiday in their country of origin so that expenditure in Madagascar, as reported to a visitor survey, is incorrect, hence signifying that the survey brought more misunderstanding, moreover the money spent on the travel agency didnt go directly to Madagascar but firstly came to the HQ of the tour company and only part of the income was given to Madagascar.  The survey cannot take account of transfers made by the international tour operator for lodging and services used by tourists in Madagascar. It is often that a hotel located inside a country works with specific tour operators at specific given prices. 4.8 The State of Knowledge about Demand for Tourism As the above analysis shows, much of the data related to tourism is questionable and/or insufficient to help formulate policies for the sector and address the questions raised at the beginning of this section. Madagascar needs to improve its collection of data on visitor arrivals at key frontier points. This can be done as already stated, by creating a trade off between the economical sectors in the country and balance the needed funds. Because of the relatively few entry points, islands like Madagascar should have less difficulty in identifying tourists among other foreign visitors. At the same time, Madagascar has done well to conduct visitor surveys because that are revealing about the characteristics of tourists. The government is able to tell that a lot of tourists use the wrong visa for the purpose and hence a better control system has to be put in place. The next visitor survey that Madagascar undertakes could address some of the anomalies raised in this section. The Government should also examine the reports that the tourism industry itself (hotels, tour operators, ground transportation, airlines) provide for other purposes (taxes, licensing, etc.) to help improve its database. The industry itself would benefit from better databases and communication between the country and the tourist. [5] 5. Negative Social Impacts of Tourism Around the world, many countries are facing not only positive aspects of tourism, but as well negative. In Madagascar this problem is related with increase in prostitution at its worst of child prostitution. The Ministry of Tourism of Madagascar realized that there is a high level risk of child prostitution, especially in Nosy Be and Diego. Moreover, there are rumors of linkages to the international pornography circles, which move this problem on the international level. Additionally, Madagascars government started a strong campaign against abuses which tourist does to the prostitutes. The campaign actually states that offenders will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and send back home due to the international pact considering abuses. Furthermore, The Ministry of Tourism noted that actually extreme poverty drags people to send their children to earn money for the family in prostitution business. The World Tourism Organization recently published a Code of Ethics and all me mbers, including Madagascar are encouraged to adhere to its principles [6] 6. Accommodation and Tourist Services The following sections analyze the supply side of the tourism sector, i.e. hotels and other tourist accommodation. Little information is available about tourism-related services, e.g., the numbers or operations of restaurants, scuba diving instructors, and other related services. This section, therefore, focuses on the supply of accommodation by category and by distribution throughout the island. Occupancy rates are also discussed. The objective is to determine whether the supply of accommodation is appropriate for the types of tourists who visit Madagascar and for the locations that are most visited. 6.1 Availability, Quality and Occupancy Rates of Tourist Accommodation In 1999, the country had 556 hotels with 7,207 rooms in 1999; some 111 were classified as meeting international standards and were rated with stars (mostly 3 star). Another 109 met local standards and were rated with palm trees (ravinala). The remaining 336 were unclassified, with many of these containing no more than 5 rooms, operated as a family business, including providing living quarters and meals for the family. By July 2001, the number of hotels had increased and reached 787 and the number of rooms was 8,248 (nor further detail on breakdown is available). The number of hotels increased by 42% between 1999 and July 2001 and the number of rooms by 36%, compared with an increase of 31% in hotels and 19% in rooms between 1996 and 1999. This big leap in accommodation was caused by the expectation of a large increase in tourism in 2001 because of Madagascars vantage point for viewing the total eclipse of the sun Hotels are the main types of accommodation used by tourists-over 90% spend about 15 days in a hotel according to the 2000 visitor survey. Some 25% of tourists spend on average 2 days camping and 21% of even bonafide tourists spend 3 days with family or friends. The 1998 survey had indicated that tourists spent only 4-5 days in hotels. It is inconceivable that the hotel stay would have increased so radically in just two years, so there is an inconsistency between the two surveys. Given the scarcity of appropriate camping or other alternatives to hotel accommodation, the 15-day combined stay for all hotels visited, seems more likely. 6.2 Quality of Accommodation A recent visitor survey of the national parks concluded that facilities in the interior of the parks are limited and sometimes non-existent. Furthermore, accommodation and restaurant services are inadequate and sometimes non-existent in areas surrounding the parks and in neighboring villages. The 2000 visitor survey points out an anomaly in that tourists spend most of their time in nature sites yet it is the towns that are served by more hotels-and by hotels that are generally better than the accommodation in the nature sites. The most significant characteristic of the hotels is that they are very small-the average size for the entire country in July 2001 is 10.5 rooms. Even Antananarivo, with its several business hotels, averages 13.6 rooms per hotel. Moreover, the average number of rooms per hotel has been declining since 1996, when the national average was 14.3 rooms per hotel. The substantial increase in hotel investments between 1999 and 2001 resulted in a decline in hotel size from 13.0 in 1999 to 10.5 rooms per hotel in 2001. The very small size of a hotel can indicate radically different hotel types-luxury or low end. Although Madagascar does have a very few luxury hotels the majority of the existing accommodation, even the newly built hotels, are designed for relatively low-income international tourists, which is not appropriate to demand. In the 2000 visitor survey, Tourists rated highly security and reception. The hotel rooms received average to good ratings, and were criticized mainly because of their lack of maintenance and modern fixtures and fittings. Cleanliness was similarly criticized. Food was rated more highly than all other categories. Tourists had some ambivalence about hotel tariffs with 32% rating them good, 26% very good and another 26% average. As noted in the quotation from a tour operators brochure, below, about hotels in Madagascar, in general the accommodation is not up to western standards. Group travel is a characteristic of tourism today and hotels outside Antananarivo cannot accommodate even the small groups of 16 people and less that travel to Madagascar. Tour operators are unwilling to distribute their group among a number of small hotels because of the lack of sufficient combined good accommodation and, to a lesser extent, because it raises their operational costs. All the ground operators interviewed in Madagascar stated that they compete with each other for rooms in the small number of hotels that meet acceptable standards. When there are no acceptable alternatives, tour operators change itineraries or even cancel groups for peak dates. Absence of quality accommodation in tourist destinations is a major constraint on the growth of the sector. 6.3 Occupancy Rates Hotel occupancy rates were 60% in 1999, 63% in 2000, and 66% in 2001. Thus the occupancy rate is increasing at a time when capacity is also growing, indicating fairly strong growth. An average figure means little in a country with such a large number of hotels, dispersed over many destinations and with a few business hotels in the main cities. From conversations with hotel owners and tour operators, it seems that the few good hotels are operating at or near peak capacity in the main tourist months. In other destinations, seasonality has been tempered by offering lower prices for hotel rooms, Inflexibility caused by climate in Madagascar makes any increase in tourism demand in the low season through pricing incentives less susceptible to success, though some parts of Madagascar are more affected than others by climate (see below). Because of the heavy weight of the airfare in the total tourist package (at least 50%), incentive pricing would also need to be practiced by airlines to have any effect on the total cost of the package and so on the current timing of tourist arrivals. This suggests that an increase in occupancy rates can only occur if tourists can be redistributed in the peak season to areas where occupancy rates are low. Tour operators, however, say that current destinations are selected because of their accessibility and the quality of accommodation. These operators also agree that the asset base is more diversified than the accommodation base and new areas would attract tourists if access and accommodation were available in new sites. The main areas where new accommodation is likely to be required in the near term is in the main ecotourism destinations, the prime beach resorts and in Antananarivo, where some of the bigger hotels have occupancy rates in the 70 + % range. Pressures on itineraries could also be alleviated if there were quality hotels along the roads to the major tourist destinations. [7]Â
Friday, October 25, 2019
Chaucers Wife of Bath Essay -- Chaucer Wife Bath Essays
Chaucer's Wife of Bath Before beginning any discussion on Chaucer’s Wife of Bath, one must first recognize that, as critic Elaine Treharne writes, â€Å"Critical response to the Wife of Bath has been as diverse as it has been emotive†(2). Some critics love the Wife of Bath and her controversial prologue, proclaiming that she is a woman of strength and powerful words; others hate her and cover the eyes of younger girls, determined that Wife of Bath is instead a role model of what women should not be; and the rest remain a bit confused, simply excusing themselves and the Wife herself. The question of whether or not the Wife of Bath ought to be admired or scorned continues to provoke a number of hands to raise in the air, ready to present yet another explanation or answer. Mothers continue to cover eyes and uncover eyes, not sure if the Wife of Bath is someone their younger generation should look up to. Although I understand the mothers’ hesitancy, I think they should reconsider befo re masking young eyes. Critic Elaine Hansen agrees that mothers should pull away their hands. She explains that the Wife of Bath is quite commendable, mainly because she, unlike many of the other women of her time, voices her opinions and thoughts. Hansen writes, â€Å"It is hardly necessary to rehearse the reasons why the Wife of Bath might well be read as a woman who defies the stereotype of the passive, submissive, and fundamentally silent female†(2). Furthermore, Hansen goes to on to declare that the Wife of Bath presents us with â€Å"one of our earliest literary images of the female as a verbal artist,†and that she is able to use words as â€Å"strategic weapons in the war between the sexes†(2). Not only does the Wife of Bath defy stereotypes... ... Online. Literature Resource Center. 2005. Thomson Corporation. 26 August 2005 . 1-12. Straus, Barrie Ruth. â€Å"Subversive Discourse of the Wife of Bath.†Chaucer: Contemporary Essays. London: Macmillan, 1997. 142. repr. Online. Literature Resource Center. 2005. Thomson Corporation. 26 August 2005 . 1-4. Treharne, Elaine. â€Å"The Stereotype Confirmed? Chaucer’s Wife of Bath.†Writing Gender and Genre in Medieval Literature: Approaches to Old and Middle English Texts. Cambridge: D.S. Brewer, 2002. 93-115. repr. Online. Literature Resource Center. 2005. Thomson Corporation. 26 August 2005 . 1-23. Williams, David. â€Å"Language Redeemed: â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Tale.†The Canterbury Tales: A Literary Pilgrimage. Twayne Publishers, 1987. 53-100. repr. Online. Literature Resource Center. 2005. Thomson Corporation. 26 August 2005 . 1-5.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
My Favorite Place To Think Essay
Sometimes I get bothered by a bunch of things like school, work or my family judging me for every little things. So, when I need to think a little or to get some quiet time for myself, I go for a walk on the beach because it’s the best place I would go to, to think and to clear my head. It’s the way the waves goes up and down and the fresh salty water gets on your feet like it’s giving me a massage. It’s also a great place to run from your problems. I like the beach when the light covers the water it makes it look so nice. It makes me forget about all my problems and all the nagging of work or school. When my mom is yelling at me for no reason, I just walk out the house and go for a walk by the beach, where the salty water goes on your feet on the sand. It helps me to calm down with the seagull chirping while the sun is going down. I sometimes think â€Å" why can’t I just live by the beach†, then, I’d have peace and quiet, but I realized I would not be able to live near the beach because, in the summer time they might have a beach party and I wouldn’t hear myself think or have my peace and quiet. So I rather let this be my secret place to chill and relax my mind. I like it that way and I wouldn’t have it any other way. So in conclusion the beach is my favorite place to be. I don’t only find it my favorite place because of the smell or the waves floating on your feet, but because it is a great place for me to get some quiet time to think and to get away from my problems. I f I would recommend someone a great place to be, it would be the beach. It is the best place to be at all-time except when they having aa beach party or some sort.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Solution for Air Pollution
2 March, 2008 The Solution for Air Pollution Society as a whole faces many environmental problems, and as a result, environmental awareness tends to be a pressing issue. Every day, people recycle cans, glass bottles, and newspapers. Many people buy bottled water, or own filters for their tap water, as a health precaution from the pollutants in normal everyday drinking water. Air pollution is perhaps the biggest environmental issue the Earth is facing. Automobiles are responsible for a notable amount of the air pollution problem. Of course, on the other hand so are factories. If the fight against air pollution were to be taken to a higher level, putting pressure on factories that produce air pollution will have a greater effect than focusing on automobiles. The solution for problems caused by automobiles can only be taken to the level of removing vehicles off the road that cause excessive pollution. A campaign to promote car-pooling, and the use of public transportation could be started up, but those types of promotions do not get enough support. Clearly, factories should be targeted for the best results. The environmental policies that the government regulates for factories or other companies who produce air pollution must be made stricter. Factories are causing enormous amounts of air pollution, the air in most metropolitan areas is filled with pollutants, and passing laws that are more strictly enforced could have a positive effect on the situation. Air pollution can be simply defined as â€Å"all the substances that are exhausted into the atmosphere that do not normally make up the air. There are numerous types of these pollutants in the air, but carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides are, by far, the most common. Such particles are expelled daily by leniently controlled factories through the continuous outpour of smoke. The primary process that creates air pollution is oxidation, which is simply defined as burning. This process has been going on for centuries, beginning when man first became aware of a very useful cooking tool, what is now known as fire. As technology advanced, major industries developed and began to use fires as a source of energy for power plants and the disposal of garbage. Air pollution has long been a factor with the issue of protecting the environment. For example, in the nineteenth century, people in London, England complained about the foggy weather that was created by the smoke from burning coals in the homes of people, as well as places of business. In December of 1952, the worst air pollution disaster ever recorded also occurred in London. Nicknamed the â€Å"killer smog,†this disaster occurred because of a temperature inversion, which is when warmer temperatures get hotter as they get further from the earth’s surface rather than cooler as they usually do. In this particular event, a cool front also moved in below the warm air, which caused more people than usual to burn coal, which is high in sulfur. Because of the warm air that had risen, the smoke from the fireplaces had nowhere to rise and was being pushed back down. This string of events produced the â€Å"killer smog†which led to the deaths of more than four thousand people. Because of this one horrific event, scientists became more aware of the effects that air pollution can have on a population, which has led to more in-depth studies. The same type of pollution, though in much more extreme cases, can be seen in cities today. The modern name for the foggy weather that these people were seeing is now referred to as smog. It is composed of mainly ground level ozone, which is caused by toxins in the air. These toxins are released mainly through the exhaust systems of automobiles and from factories. There are two main causes of air pollution: automobiles and factories. The dangerous effects that these two cause can be primarily attributed to burning, or more specifically, oxidation. When a substance is burned, it releases harmful byproducts that are emitted into the air and thereby become pollutants. The greater majority of citizens drive automobiles, and they are vital in everyday life for the purpose of transportation. There are many practical, cost-effective measures that can be taken to reduce the emissions of air pollutants, including the adoption of energy conservation measures and switching to natural gas. Many existing Clean Air Act programs, such as the acid rain program, and the ground-level ozone smog programs, if properly implemented, will do much to reduce the concentration of fine particles by controlling the pollutants. These give a hopeful outlook that the air pollution problem can cease to exist in the severe form that it now does, and with the support of not only governmental agencies and non-profit organizations, but also the help of everyday citizens, the problem can be overcome in no time. The air that people breathe everyday is critical to the very existence of not only civilization, but also the entire Earth; therefore, taking care of it should be a priority to everyone that inhabits it. A commitment needs to be made by all. It is not necessary for everyone to be radical protesters against factories and automobile manufacturers, but if everyone were to get involved, even in the slightest way, such as carpooling to work, the air that is inhaled by all as a matter of survival would be increasingly cleaner. The air pollution created by these factories is dangerous to the environment and to the health of people everywhere. â€Å"Industrial air pollution is the greatest threat to air quality in the United States. The factories themselves must not be treated as criminals in this matter; their intent is not to harm the environment, but to provide a product. They must be treated as fairly as possible, while still accomplishing the goal of cleaner air. Although this will be a long process, the end result of cleaner air and a cleaner environment will prove to be well worth the time, money and effort spent. References used: http://www. epa. gov/ http://www. yale. edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1986/6/86. 06. 04. x. html#a http://www-personal. umich. edu/~murty/techhype2/node16. html http://search. cancer. org/search? client=amcancer&site=amcancer&output=xml_no_dtd&proxystylesheet=amcancer&q=air+pollution http://www. npr. org/templates/story/story. php? storyId=873954 http://wrc. iewatershed. com/index. php? pagename=education_forest_02 http://www. ncstormwater. org/pages/workbook_pollution_solutions. html
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