Biography of Alexander II, Russias Reformist Tsar

Biography of Alexander II, Russia's Reformist Tsar Alexander II (born Alexander Nikolaevich Romanov; April 29, 1818 – March 13, 1881) was a nineteenth-century Russian emperor. Under his rule, Russia moved towards reform, most notably in the abolition of serfdom. However, his assassination cut these efforts short. Fast Facts: Alexander II Full Name:  Alexander Nikolaevich Romanov Occupation: Emperor of RussiaBorn: April 29, 1818 in Moscow, RussiaDied: March 13, 1881 in Saint Petersburg, RussiaKey Accomplishments: Alexander II earned a reputation for reform and a willingness to bring Russia into the modern world. His greatest legacy was the freeing of Russian serfs in 1861.Quote: The vote, in the hands of an ignorant man, without either property or self respect, will be used to the damage of the people at large; for the rich man, without honor or any kind of patriotism, will purchase it, and with it swamp the rights of a free people.† Early Life Alexander was born in Moscow in 1818 as the first son and heir of Tsar Nicholas I and his wife Charlotte, a Prussian princess. His parents’ marriage was, luckily (and somewhat unusually) for a purely political union, a happy one, and Alexander had six siblings who survived childhood. From birth, Alexander was given the title of Tsesarevich, which was traditionally given to the heir to the Russian throne. (The similar-sounding title tsarevich applied to any sons of a tsar, including non-Russians, and ceased being used by Romanov rulers in 1797). The upbringing and early education of Alexander was not one that seemed conducive to create a great reformer. Indeed, the opposite, if anything, was true. At the time, the court and political atmosphere was intensely conservative under his father’s authoritarian rule. Dissent from any corner, regardless of rank, was severely punishable. Even Alexander, who was the darling of his family and of all Russia, would have had to be careful. Nicholas, however, was nothing if not practical in the upbringing of his successor. He had suffered from a dull, frustrating education as a â€Å"spare† to the throne (his immediate predecessor was not his father, but rather his brother Alexander I) that had left him without any desire to take up the title. He was determined to not let his son suffer the same fate and provided him with tutors that included reformer Mikhail Speransky and romantic poet Vasily Zhukovsky, plus a military instructor, General Karl Merder. This combination led to Alexander being well-prepared and more liberal than his father. At the age of sixteen, Nicholas created a ceremony in which Alexander formally swore allegiance to the autocracy as the successor. Marriage and Early Reign While on tour in Western Europe in 1839, Alexander was in search of a royal wife. His parents preferred Princess Alexandrine of Baden and arranged for the twenty-one-year-old tsesarevich to meet her. The meeting was unimpressive, and Alexander declined to pursue the match. He and his entourage made an unplanned stop at the court of the Grand Duke of Hesse, Ludwig II, where he met and became smitten with the duke’s daughter, Marie. Despite some early objections from his mother and a long engagement because of Marie’s youth (she was only fourteen when they met), Alexander and Marie married on April 28, 1841. Although the protocols of court life did not appeal to Marie, the marriage was a happy one, and Alexander leaned on Marie for support and advice. Their first child, the Grand Duchess Alexandra, was born in August 1842, but died of meningitis at the age of six. In September 1843, the couple had their son and Alexander’s heir, Nicholas, followed in 1845 by Alexander (the future Tsar Alexander III), Vladimir in 1847, and Alexei in 1850. Even after Alexander took mistresses, their relationship remained close. Nicholas I died of pneumonia in 1855, and Alexander II succeeded to the throne at the age of 37. His early reign was dominated by the fallout from the Crimean War and cleaning up overwhelming corruption at home. Thanks to his education and personal leanings, he began pushing forward a more reformist, liberal set of policies than the iron-fisted authoritarianism of his predecessors. Reformer and Liberator Alexander’s signature reform was the liberation of the serfs, which he began working towards almost immediately after coming to the throne. In 1858, he toured the country to encourage the nobility – who were reluctant to give up their reliance on serfs – to back the reform. The Emancipation Reform of 1861 formally abolished serfdom throughout the Russian Empire, giving 22 million serfs the rights of full citizens. His reforms were not limited to this by any means. Alexander ordered the reform of the Russian military, from enforcing conscription for all social classes (not just the peasantry) to improving officer education to creating districts for more efficient administration. An elaborate and detailed bureaucracy worked to reform the judicial system and make the system simpler and more transparent. At the same time, his government created local districts that took on many duties of self-governance. Despite his zeal for reform, Alexander was no democratic ruler. The Moscow Assembly proposed a constitution, and in response, the tsar dissolved the assembly. He fervently believed that diluting the power of the autocracy with representatives of the people would destroy the populace’s quasi-religious view of the tsar as a divinely-ordained, unquestioned ruler. When separatist movements, particularly in Poland and Lithuania, threatened to erupt, he suppressed them harshly, and later in his reign, he began to crack down on liberal teachings at universities. However, he supported efforts in Finland to increase its autonomy. An assassination attempt in April 1866 may have contributed to Alexander’s shift away from his earlier liberal reforms. Assassination and Legacy Alexander was the target of several assassination attempts, including the one in 1866. In April 1879, a would-be assassin named Alexander Soloviev shot at the tsar as he walked; the shooter missed and was sentenced to death. Later that year, other revolutionaries attempted a more elaborate plot, orchestrating a railway explosion – but their information was incorrect and they missed the tsar’s train. In February 1880, the tsar’s enemies came closer than they ever had before to achieving their goal when Stephan Khalturin, from the same radical group that bombed the train, managed to detonate a device in the Winter Palace itself, killing and wounding dozens and causing damage to the palace, but the imperial family was awaiting a late arrival and was not in the dining room. On March 13, 1881, Alexander went, as was his custom, to a military roll call. He rode in a bulletproof carriage gifted to him by Napoleon III, which saved his life during the first attempt: a bomb thrown under the carriage as it passed by. Guards attempted to evacuate Alexander quickly. Another conspirator, a radical revolutionary named Ignacy Hryniewiecki, got close enough to throw a bomb directly at the fleeing emperor’s feet. The bomb horrifically wounded Alexander, as well as others in the vicinity. The dying tsar was brought to the Winter Palace, where he was given his last rites and died minutes later. Alexander left behind a legacy of slow but steady reform and began the modernization of Russia – but his death stopped what would have been one of the biggest reforms: a set of planned changes that Alexander had approved and spoke of as a step towards a true constitution – something Romanov rulers had always resisted. The announcement was set to be made around March 15, 1881. But Alexander’s successor chose instead to retaliate for the assassination with severe setbacks to civil liberties, including arrests of dissenters and anti-Semitic pogroms that would last for the rest of the Romanov era. Sources Montefiore, Simon Sebag. The Romanovs: 1613 – 1918. London, Weidenfeld Nicolson, 2017.Mosse, W.E. â€Å"Alexander II: Emperor of Russia.† Encyclopaedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexander-II-emperor-of-RussiaRadzinsky, Edvard. Alexander II: The Last Great Tsar. Simon Schuster, 2005.

Afghanistans Economy

Afghanistans Economy Free Online Research Papers There are many concerns that come to mind when discussing the current state of Afghanistan’s economy. Twenty years of war has crippled the economy and citizens must find ways to survive day-by-day by scrounging enough food for themselves and family. Citizens do not have the facilities to receive an education or treatment for medical conditions. According to Afghanistan Facts, on average, men die at forty years of age and women at forty-three (â€Å"Afghanistan Facts†). There are hundreds of thousands people that are disabled due to war, land mines, or lack of fruit and vegetables in Afghanistan and there is not any help available to them. Afghanistan is the most heavily mined country in the world and according to Kevin Whitelaw; mine-related injuries number up to 300 per month (Whitelaw). Citizens that are willing and able to work are struggling to eat, making it impossible to help others in need. The problems that are evident in Afghanistan’s economy are governm ent issues, trade/foreign relations, and lack of available labor. Afghanistan is about 252,000 square miles which is slightly smaller than the state of Texas with a population, according to Kevin Whitelaw, of 25,853,797 people (Whitelaw). Most of the land is either mountainous or desert with a dry climate being very cold in the winter and very hot in the summer. The capital, Kabul, is the most populated city in Afghanistan as stated by Kevin Whitelaw, there are 1,780,000 citizens residing within this area (Whitelaw). More than 4 million Afghans live outside the country residing in Pakistan and Iran to avoid violence. The violence in Afghanistan has hurt their economy and they are only averaging an annual growth rate of 14 percent since 2002. Afghanistan’s economy, with relation to the currency and natural resources, has not been stable throughout its existence. According to Kevin Whitelaw, their GDP is three billion (1991 est.), purchasing parity power (1999 est.) is twenty-one billion, and natural resources include: natural gas, oil, coal, copper, chomite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron, salt, precious, and semiprecious stones (Whitelaw). Agriculture takes up a majority of Afghanistan’s GDP which produces wheat, corn, barley, rice, cotton, fruit, nuts, karakul pelts, wool, and mutton. Their industry is composed of the production of small scale textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, cement, carpets, natural gas, precious, and semiprecious gemstones. In the 1930’s, the government created banks, introduced paper money, established a university, expanded school systems, and sent students abroad for education. In the 1970’s there was mixed results because of problems with plan ning processes, funding, and a shortage of skilled managers and technicians. The currency currently being used is called the Afghani. There are many problems surrounding this currency due to individual printing in different parts of the country. The Afghani has an inflation rate that fluctuates often. According to Kevin Whitelaw, the market rate during much of 2001 for each currency exceeded 50,000 Afghanis=U.S. $1 (Whitelaw). Afghanistan citizens do not take old currency out of circulation, dating all the way back to 1930, like banks do here in America. There are other foreign currencies often used as legal tender including the Rupee from Pakistan. Due to the Soviet invasion and ongoing civil war the GDP has substantially fallen over the past 20 years because of the loss of labor, capital, and disruption of trade and transport. The idea of new currency that is supported by US$220 million in gold from the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank could diminish warlords’ power in Afghanistan. When the money is destroyed citizens will receive a small number of bills at one time. This will devalue Rabbani’s money and counterfeiters will have a difficult time keeping up with the new designs such as silver tabbed notes. In the past warlords’ were able to simply produce their own money which caused anarchy among the country. This may not stop the counterfeiting but it sure will slow the process down. The only problem with this concept is convincing citizens to put their money in the bank. There are banks available in Kabul that reopened recently. Most Afghans initially hide their money or purchase gold and Rupees, and then hide those items. Another improvement to be made to Afghanistan is the introduction of taxes. Taxation has never been a part of Afghanistan government and will be hard to introduce because of the lack of competent civil service. Afghanistan considers itself as an â€Å"Islamic state.† Its government has been full of corruption and violence since its beginning. It wasn’t until 2001 that an agreement was reached to introduce an interim government that will hopefully flourish into a permanent government. Interim Authority only sustained power for six months and in 2002 decided to develop a structure of Transitional Authority which was later named the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA). TISAs authority was very weak outside of the Capital of Kabul and had difficulties when trying to deliver the social services needed within communities. With much support from the Coalition Afghanistan has secured its borders, which has led to internal order rising. Afghanistan has been training a National Army (ANA) and police officers. This can bring much of the needed order to their country. In the mid 1980s, there was an Afghan resistance movement aided by the United States, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and many others that exacted a high price from the Soviets. In 1988 the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan signed an agreement settling the major differences between Afghanistan and the Soviets which took six years. This agreement was the Geneva Accords which included five major documents and called for the United States and Soviet to not interfere with the internal affairs within Afghanistan and Pakistan, the return of refugees without fear of persecution, and total withdraw of the Soviet from Afghanistan. The casualties of this ongoing war were about 14,500 Soviet and about one million Afghans between the time of 1979 and 1989. The mujahidin opposed the Geneva Accords and as a result the civil war continued within the country. This problem increased when Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostam, a mujahidin, took over Kabul and had control over the central government. Without Soviet oc cupation the inner problems which include ethnic, clan, religious, and personality differences, exploded in Afghanistan. Heavy fighting broke out in Kabul when those who were loyal to President Rabbani opposed those who were loyal to Gulbuddin. When Rabbani stayed in office he appointed Hekmatyar as Prime Minister, which ended up not being very successful. The Jalalabad Accord was implemented which called for militias’ to be disarmed but of course was not strictly enforced. In 1994, Dostam switched sides and caused many casualties within Kabul and Northern provinces. The fighting led to more displaced people and refugees. This in turn caused more anarchy and warlords’ took power over the entire country. The rise of Taliban is a significant issue in Afghanistan. According to Kevin Whitelaw, the name Talib itself means pupil (Whitelaw). This was a cover for what would turn into one of the biggest terror groups known today. In the beginning this group was designed to remove warlords, provide order, and impose Islam into the country. It was highly supported by Pakistan, who was in hopes of peace in Afghanistan. In 1994 the Taliban was able to overthrow the city of Kandahar from local warlords’ and increased control throughout Afghanistan. According to Whitelaw, by the end of 1998, the Taliban occupied about 90% of the country, limiting the opposition largely to a small largely Tajik corner in the northeast and the Panjshir valley (Whitelaw). The Taliban’s’ initiation of the extreme interpretation of Islam in Afghanistan created more problems on top of all the others. The problems included human rights violations especially against women and girls. Women were not all owed to work outside the home or pursue an education. Women are required to wear a burka and are not allowed to leave their home without a male relative. The Taliban proceeded to destroy anything that represented Afghanistan’s’ pre-Islamic past, even destructing statues of Buddha. The Taliban took it’s turn for the worse when they adopted Osama Bin Laden, who provided a base for terrorist organization, into the group. Bin Laden was powerful in that he provided financial and political support to the group to increase their presence in Afghanistan. Bin Laden and his Al Qaeda group were responsible for numerous bombings including that of the U.S. embassies in Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam and the September 11th attacks on the Twin Towers. The Taliban refused to get rid of Bin Laden and his group which led to the United States and its partners to enact a campaign to target terrorist facilities, the Taliban’s military and political assets. The United States Air F orce went forward and bombed terrorist’s camps on 2001. After this occurred the Taliban disintegrated and Kabul fell. Afghans that opposed the Taliban met and agreed on a political process to restore stability and governance. They came up with TISA which has the primary function of writing a constitution and to hold elections. Afghanistan’s main exports are natural gas and dried out fruit. Their other exports include carpets, fresh fruit, wool, and cotton. Afghanistan imports food, motor vehicles, petroleum products, and textiles. Most of the foreign trade is controlled by the government or government-controlled monopolies. Trade only accounts for a small portion of the Afghanistan’s’ economy. According to â€Å"Afghanistan Facts†, the leading purchasers of Afghan products, in addition to the USSR and the former Soviet republics, have been Pakistan, Great Britain, Germany, and India (â€Å"Afghanistan Facts†). Afghanistan does not trade with the United States often. In the 1970s the Soviets estimated that, according to Kevin Whitelaw, Afghanistan had as much as five trillion cubic feet of natural gas, 95 million barrels of oil and condensate reserves, and over 400 million tons in coal (Whitelaw). The conflicting issues, rough terrain, and inadequate transportation make th e mining of these resources very difficult. Trade in goods that were smuggled into Pakistan was a major source of revenue for Afghan regimes and is very important to the economy. Many of the goods were originated in Pakistan which made goods free of duty. Pakistan, in 2000, tightened the regulations on what would be allowed to be traded with no duty. This ended up providing jobs to Afghans on both sides of the Durand Line . There a significant problems with transportation in Afghanistan. They do not have any functioning railways which makes it difficult to get around. There is a river however that allows barge traffic along the borders of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. There are busses and trucks that provide public transportation, but only offer a small space for multiple passengers. There is one major highway that goes along the main cities but is in much need for reconstruction. According to Kevin Whitelaw, the poor state of the Afghan transportation and communication networks has further fragmented and hobbles the struggling economy (Whitelaw). There are only 48 airports in Afghanistan in which only half have paved runways. Camels and other pack animals are used frequently for delivering goods. The energy used in Afghanistan mostly comes from firewood and the rest comes from gas, oil, and hydroelectricity. There dams stationed in four cities that are also used to store water for irrigatio n. The Afghanistan economy is very much centered around agriculture, even though only 12% of its total land is arable and less than 6% is currently is cultivated. The agricultural production process is often hindered by erratic winter snows and spring rains for water. The agriculture production took a significant hit when there was a three year drought, as well as the continued fighting inside of the country. According to Kevin Whitelaw, recent studies indicate that agricultural production and livestock numbers are only sufficient to feed about half of Afghanistan’s population (Whitelaw). Shortages are heavily due to transportation, lack of government, and war. Opium is prevalent in Afghanistan, and the Taliban earned about forty million dollars a year for exporting. Afghanistan was the world’s largest producer of raw opium which is easy to cultivate and transport. Opium is refined into heroin and distributed to addicts all over. TISA wants to eliminate the narcotics e conomy that is flourishing. The labor force is another issue causing difficulties in Afghanistan. Over the centuries, citizens have been able to adapt to these conditions by farming or herding. Citizens are struggling to feed their families and these trades are limited in respect to ecological, economic, and political factors. According to William Byrd and John Wall, in 1993 the total labor force was estimated to be about 6.6 million (Byrd and Wall). Widespread unemployment and a lack of skilled workers and administrators are the most important problems facing Afghanistan’s economy. There have been numerous attempts to reform Afghanistan into a stable country but it seems that it will take more time. To bring in more foreign currency the government would like to ensure enough stability for tourism business. The roads are full of potholes, boulders, and bandits that make it scary for people to want to travel there. The government is also putting money into restoring ancient Muslim religious shrines to attract tourists. This is a small step into recovering Afghanistan’s economy and much more is needed. To avoid going back into warfare Afghanistan will need about US$20 billion in aid for the next five years. According to William Byrd and John Wall, the economic recovery was concentrated in areas of the country taken over relatively early by the Taliban (who now control about 90% of the country); they removed barriers to trade and restored a certain degree of order (Byrd and Wall). With so many problems occurring in Afghanistan it is almost impossible to get them on the right track. The attempts to structure a functional government date all the way back to the 1930s. People thought that the problem was with the Soviet presence in Afghanistan, but after they left the country it has been on a downward spiral. The only hope of developing a structured economy in Afghanistan would be to incorporate a government that will last, help the labor force, and construct a developed trade relations agreement. Stopping the conflict in this country has proved to be difficult, but one must continue to try to fix the problem because problems do not fix themselves. : â€Å"Afghanistan Facts.† Afghanistan’s Web Site. 2009. Afghanistan. 5 Nov. 2009 â€Å"Afghanistan Government.† Afghanistan Journey to the land of Afghans. 2009. SAARC Tourism. 6 Nov. 2009 Byrd, William and Wall, John. â€Å"Brief Overview of Afghanistan’s Economy.† 5 Oct. 2001. Mafhoum. 6 Nov. 2009 â€Å"Burka† 2009. Dictionary.com. 6 Nov. 2009 Hubbard, Glenn and O’Brien Anthony. Macroeconomics. New York: Prentice Hall, 2009. â€Å"The Texas Almanac.† Texas’ Natural Environment. 2009. The Texas State Historical Association. 6 Nov. 2009 Whitelaw, Kevin A Mixed Report in Afghanistan. U.S. News World Report 142.18 (2007): 30. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. Research Papers on Afghanistan's EconomyThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationDefinition of Export Quotas19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraPETSTEL analysis of IndiaTwilight of the UAWNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeQuebec and CanadaResearch Process Part One

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Case Study Example These two methods will be combined to check which one is feasible for the project to be implemented. The scrutinizing of the project will be carried out in three stages. Most of the employees in the aquarium have a science background. They are not aware of the profit making or the marketing objectives of the management. Therefore, they need to be issued a directive to make them understand about the objective of the aquarium. In the selection of the products or services that put in to sustainable profitability importance should be given in altering the business spotlight of portfolio management from financial metrics to client value. By setting aside the financial data and offering more weight to purchaser value data when making product portfolio choices, corporations can in fact look up financial performance by recognizing products with the prospective to delight clients. When importance is given to the purchaser value the clients are satisfied and they demand the products more. Client value which is defined as the clients insight of how well a solution meets their requirements is the only confirmed route to make profit. The greater the value of the explanation to the purchaser, the more likely the purchaser will purchase it and shell out a premium price for it. And, unlike several financial constraints, client value is based on something genuine, which one can precisely measure to yield reliable outcom es. In the case of the aquarium, a 6X6 matrix has been developed to divide the target audiences for whom the projects would be implemented. Those who are aware about the project and interested and committed towards the project would be given preference. This can be done with the help of the observation of the customers and the visitors. Thus, in this case study, also the senior level management of each SBU is required to focus on customer satisfaction so as to attract more customers and generate more of

Case Study Questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Questions - Case Study Example By so doing, the company has put into use the business warehouse, SAP net waiver, data warehousing solution, SAPs analytical and reporting. In the process, the regional enterprise resource planning system, feed the warehouse with their data. At their point, the data received is the manipulated by formatting and standardizing it for analysis and enterprise-wide reporting. By so doing, the differences in the data over the enterprise is eliminated. To add-on that to better the data loads and increase user adoption and perception, the specialists in the Colgate information systems implemented the SAP Net Weaver BW. Further, the specialists implemented SAP objects of the business web intelligence to develop customized reports. The SAP web intelligence puts in place a strong, instinctive interface. The interface gives opportunities to the involved professionals to enquire spontaneously on their data. Each time a sales report got developed and run, there was a discrepancy and differences in the shipment and the number of the orders made. Again colligate need data that was more usable and viable in decision making. To add on that there was a need for a different business units and managers of the company to work with the same type of data world over. The act will help in the development and making of more relevant decisions. Secondly, the form of the data output for the senior managers from the warehouse is an HTML table that is produced daily. In the table, there are comparison between the operational and financial metrics of the day in relation with that of the past month and quarter in general. The data was not however used well enough by the employees in the decision-making in the bid to make an impact on the business gains. With increased need of more user-friendly data, accessed and timely access of the data, the senior managers together with their casuals, demanded increased access to the warehouse. The main issue was to

SAM 342 UNIT 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SAM 342 UNIT 1 - Essay Example They do this through the draft rules, where NBA teams seek amateur college students to join their teams. They are later trained to become professional basketball players. The National Basketball Association is the authority that forms, and enforces these rules. The worst club gets the first choice in picking raw talent. Players pass through rigorous interviews and fitness tests, before admission to a basketball team. Clubs offer huge salaries, allowances and financial endorsements to sustain these players (Chellandurai, 1999). This motivates them, and improves their performance, ensuring loyalty to the club. Footballers such as David Beckham are rich and famous due to the sustainable programs by sports organization. These organizations change the attitudes of their players through the mindset. To enhance good performance, a player needs confidence. Sports and recreational organizations install this virtue through various programs and peer education seminars (Chelladurai, 1999). They hire psychologists to talk to employers, building their confidence level, both at the sports arena, and outside the sports

An x-ray machine

An x-ray machine How does an X-ray machine work? An X-ray machine is essentially a camera instead of visible light, however, it uses X-rays to expose the film. X-rays are like light in that they are electromagnetic waves, but they are more energetic so they can penetrate many materials to varying degrees. When the X-rays hit the film, they expose it just as light would. Since bone, fat, muscle, tumors and other masses all absorb X-rays at different levels, the image on the film lets you see different (distinct) structures inside the body because of the different levels of exposure on the film. Radio waves Radio waves are used for broadcasting radio and TV programmes. The transmitted information may be analogue or digital and uses a radio wave as a carrier. Very long wavelength radio waves can travel around the Earth, diffracting around the Earths surface. Radio waves belong to the lower frequency part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is called non-ionizing radiation. Here the electromagnetic energy is too low to break molecular bonds. Ultraviolet waves Ultraviolet (UV) light has shorter wavelengths than visible light. Scientists have divided the ultraviolet part of the spectrum into three regions: the near ultraviolet, the far ultraviolet, and the extreme ultraviolet. Extreme UV Our Sun emits light at all the different wavelengths in electromagnetic spectrum, but it is ultraviolet waves that are responsible for causing our sunburns. Ultraviolet waves are effective in killing bacteria and viruses. Hospitals use germicidal lamps that produce these waves to sterilize equipment, water and air in operating rooms. Ultraviolet waves are used to identify materials by the glow or fluorescence under them. They are used to make black lights. May food and drug companies use germicidal lamps to disinfect various types of products, and their containers. Gamma Rays Low intensity gamma radiation can damage living cells and cause cancer. High intensity gamma radiation will kill cells. It is used in a technique called radiotherapy to treat cancer by targeting the cancer cells with a beam of radiation and then rotating the source of the beam as shown below. The normal cells receive a lower dose of gamma radiation than the cancer cells, where all the rays meet. Radiotherapy aims to kill the cancer cells while doing as little damage as possible to healthy normal cells. Gamma radiation is used to kill micro organisms, which is called sterilising. It is used to sterilise food Sources used http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/faqs/radiationtypes.html

Environmental Degradation Essay

In 1987 The United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) released a pioneering report concerning the environmental damage that is going on. Through the report, called â€Å"Our Common Future†, WCED passed a warning that soon the world would be facing intolerable levels of damage to the environment if we are not going to alter our way of living. It would also lead to the humans suffering due to it. The Commission explained that there is a pressing requirement of changing the speed as well as the trend of international economic growth so that it meets the capacity of the world. It said: â€Å"Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. † (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987: 8) After thoroughly analysing the situation it can be concluded that the environmental crisis has an impact on each of the nation in the world. However, the extent to which they are affected is different and depends on the way they consume and also their economic expansion. Just 25% of the global population consumes a very high percentage of the world’s fossil fuels and chemical goods; as high as 70% and 85% respectively. This unbalanced consumption also exists in the area of water. In the United States the per capita consumption of water goes as high as 2300m3 annually. In Canada the figure is at 1500m3 while in Britain it reaches up to 225m3. On the other hand, the developing countries have a much lower consumption, of between 20 and 40m3. The trends of usage for the forest goods plus several of the other goods comprise of a similar direct proportion to the figure of population of the 20% of the wealthiest communities. Due to such extravagant demands, a great burden is being placed on the national as well as the world’s natural resources. The other societies make up to about 80% of the population, and get less than 20% of the world capital. The consumption of these societies is much more humble. Environmental Challenge Presently, there is not enough attention, at least not in the degree that is required, being paid to the social concerns. Scientists are pointing out to the troubles that we are facing and which would make our survival difficult later on. Such troubles include warming globe, the earth’s ozone layer being depleted, the deserts consuming agricultural land. However, we are not responding to the warning in the appropriate manner; instead we ask them for further details. Initially it was thought that environmental degradation is primarily the concern of the richer countries and happens due to industrial affluence. However, now it is an issue for the developing countries as well. The very poor countries are caught in the descending coil of associated environmental and economic decline. Although there are hopes being expressed at every side, no pattern can be seen nor any kind of campaigns or rules which would console the poor and decrease the increasing gap between rich and poor countries. For the purpose of â€Å"development† we have collected weapons which can divert routes, which had been pursued since millions of years, and can form such a planet that our ancestors may not identify as being theirs. The biodiversity in the European continent is rapidly going down. Although Europe can be termed as wealthy and strong it does not seem that it has the practical ways for avoiding the decline. Birdlife International (Conservative Series 3) conducted a study and the results showed that 40% of the bird species are in an â€Å"unfavourable situation†. Since the past two decades the there has been a â€Å"substantial reduction† in one in four of Europe’s 514 bird species. It is ironic that such occurrences took place in the same years when there were the most conservative efforts made. A re-strengthening of the European legislation has taken place, there are now more nature reserves and parks, and certain species which had disappeared in the area have been reintroduced. Concerning this issue, in 2003 the European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin said: â€Å"The time has come for coordinated European action to turn the tide on environmental threats†¦ For too long, we have exploited the Mediterranean and Black Sea areas, without considering the eventual consequences of our actions. We must invest in integrated programmes of research to deliver sustainable development solutions and long-term environmental protection for the benefit of our future generations. † (Europa, 2003). In 2008, the European Commissioner for Environment Stavros Dimas publically addressed the audience at Harvard University and talked over this issue. Dimas related what the European Union’s â€Å"ambitious environmental agenda† is. This included targeting 20% decline in the consumption of energy by the year 2020. This was, internationally, the first plus the greatest emissions trading plan. According to Dimas the agenda also targeted at using more and more of sustainable and renewable resources. Along with this Dimas emphasized that it is vital for there to be global collaboration on matters like climate change, biodiversity loss, and deforestation. The western world takes Eastern Europe as the place where there are smog and toxic spills. The priority of the communist regimes had been to intensify industrialization. Even though certain environmental rules exist in many areas and they were similar to those in the Western Europe, these were hardly ever implemented. Polluted rivers, toxic waste dumps, and the terrains and cities being blackened by soot was the consequence. The environmental standards of the European Union are harsh and these have been pushing these nations for the cleaning up of their ecological destruction regions. 15 years of leniency has been given to the states that have recently joined the union. However, this leniency is only for those regions where much investment is required, for example the building of water purification schemes. Several of the areas are already showing the signs of the clean-up attempts. For instance, there is the Black Triangle in Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. This area was once of the most polluted regions globally. It supplied energy to the heating and heavy industries through the power plants which worked on coal. Due to this whole forests were destroyed. However, by 2000 there had been such a significant change due to the efforts that emissions of sulphur dioxide and solid particles were lessened by greater than 90% (Habeck, 2004). Other Challenges At the time when the terms of reference of the Commission were is discussion in 1982, some of the individuals proposed limiting the concerns to only â€Å"environmental matters†. This would not have been feasible. In fact it would be considered a major fault. The environment is not separate from our actions, determinations and requirements, and efforts to save only that and not look at other concerns would make the word â€Å"environment† a nuance of gullibility in certain political spheres. Certain others have restricted the term â€Å"development† to quite an inadequate centre, along the lines of â€Å"what poor countries should do to become richer†. Therefore, those in the global scene mechanically dismiss it as being something that the experts are to worry about, and the ones concerned with queries regarding â€Å"development assistance†. European expansion (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD], 2006) has formed a new â€Å"rural† Europe. Certain of the rural areas of Central plus the Eastern Europe are being structurally transformed (Fraser, 2005). Simultaneously, in Europe and the member nations social services are being subjected to modernisation and improvement (Kumar et al. , 2003). The researchers who are on the lookout for the construction of a dependable rural evidence base are facing confronts. They wish this to inform policy decisions and practice (European Commission [EC], 2006a; OECD, 2006). One of the challenges that they face happens to be the speed of transformation and the requirement for latest research (Commission for Rural Communities [CRC] 2006a). One more is the problem that they face to arrive at a mutual explanation of each of the two rural regions plus the social services so as to conduct a relative research in the European continent which is quite a varied region. Europe is also facing challenges in the area of labour. When the Europeans lose jobs they get upset. This may happen because of inside rivalry in the European Union or because of the international competition that they face from other continents like Asia, and also from Latin America and the United States. In those regions the European carmakers have initiated their plants. The private sector has not been forming any significant number of new jobs since as early as the 1970s, and about 20 million Europeans are not employed of which several may not be ever. Recently there was a survey held in Italy and the results showed that 38% of the participants though unemployment to be the most urgent challenge. This view was held by 58% of the respondents in France, whereas in Germany the figure was as high as 81%. The big nations that are at the centre of the euro region are languishing in the economic area but still they do not seem capable of coming to grips with the opening transformations which are required in such a planet of globalisation, spirited labour markets, and the portable capital pressures of our economies. In the situation when a European loses his job because of his firm setting up in India instead, it is probable that he would not get another job. Plus due to the reducing demographic base the liberal pension systems are being threatened. Several of the European nations are going down and are not being able to sustain their people. For example, by 2050 the population of the Italian nation would go down, from a 57 million to 45 million. By the same time greater than half of the population in Germany would be above 55 years of age. Europe requires that immigration takes place. But this happens to be a contentious means of raising the workforce, since there is a prevalent dread of a rising Muslim population. What is more important? The â€Å"environment† is the place where we live and for improving ourselves in the environment there has to be â€Å"development† taking place. That is to say that the two are indivisible. Additionally, the matters related to development should be perceived by the political chiefs as being important, as they think that their nations have achieved stability and the other countries should struggle at attaining that position. The routes that the industrialized countries take for the purpose of development are obviously indefensible. The decisions that such nations make for improvement, due to their large economic plus political authority, would greatly affect the capability of each person for the sustenance of human growth. This would not be just for them but also for the further generations ahead. Several of the important survival matters concern unbalanced expansion, poverty and population growth. All of these issues extraordinarily pressurize the world’s lands, waters, green areas, plus also other natural resources, not least in the developing nations. Chances and resources are wasted through the downward spiral of paucity and ecological deterioration. Especially it is wasting the human resources. Such associations between paucity, inequity, and ecological deterioration created a significant matter in the assessment and recommendations. There is a requirement of a new period of economic expansion. This expansion has to be powerful but also socially and environmentally sustainable. â€Å"The search for a demanding dynamic balance between economic prosperity, environmental responsibility and social safety is certainly the essential civilizational, and consequently also political, task of the first half of the 21st century† (Plut, 2000: 149). The geopolitical part and situation of Europe had been altered drastically since the past some decades. Being the backing for the European continent, the EU reacted in two methods to the market-, technology- and information-related confrontations of globalisation and the macro regional rivalry with the United States and Japan: with development and nearer interrelation. Nevertheless, the fact that whether the nonexistence of a wide-spread domestic marketplace had been the chief cause of a low level of rivalry of the international firms in the European continent is arguable. In the 1990s an even European Union market had been set up and this allowed for a more essential development of a shared policy also regarding the environment, transport, and communication network. In several ways the expansion of environment rules can possibly be recognized with a past of democratization of the European Union. The EU nations accepted the Amsterdam Treaty in the June of 1997 and its environment related content was influenced a lot due to the deepened political pressures plus also good structured agendas of non-governmental environmental groups and green political parties. Because of the several past environmental pressures in the AC10, the procedure of their modification to the environmental legislation of the EU15 may seem to be extremely challenging, enduring, and due to their reduced item quality and social disaster, in all probability also politically conflictnous. For the purpose of the incorporation into the European Union and also for the modification of the ecological legislation there would be a requirement of capital and this may turn out to be a great burden. The EU15 and the AC10 nations have similar environmental objectives. However, their initial situations, the time, and the means of change are far from identical. AC10 faced economic and social disasters in the beginning of transition and because of this there is no worry for the environment among them both; the people and the government. In 2000, the AC10 had just started developing environmental action programmes and also incorporating the European Union environmental principles into their legislations. Before the EU environmental policy and rules can be adopted completely, there is an anticipation of a longer modification era. There is an anticipation of this era especially in the area of transport, energy sector and agriculture (European Environment Agency, 1999). There are fears of AC10 repeating the mistakes, that the EU nations committed in the 1970s, in the probable era of heavy economic expansion between the years 2000 and 2010 (2015) (Plut, 2000). Conclusion Because of the deterioration of the environment the public health is being affected drastically and it is also leading to social inequity. For the meantime, the economically strong countries who are the causing it escape efficient management by the public. Under the new-liberal stick, environmental, communal and autonomous matters have previously not appeared to be so nearly connected. The effects happening due to the destruction of the environment have affected the developed nations along with the third world nations lately. Such effects have been in, for instance, the health. According to recent studies, hundreds of deaths taking place annually in the major European cities are due to the air pollution which happens because of the too much vehicle traffic. Several others have to undergo chronic asthma, this too for the same reason. Similarly, a large number the young people are suffering from leukaemia. These are the ones who live near waste recycling and storage centre near the Hague, Holland. Industrial pollution is also affecting the babies and infants and they are going to endure it throughout their lives, not only medically but also socially. Water resources are going down, so much so that there is a danger of scarcity. Whatever amount still is there has a poor quality. This is resulting in high prices of water and because of this an increasing number of people cannot get the municipal water supply since they cannot afford to pay the charges. Certain extremely poor Europeans even have to make use of mineral water due to the fact that they are not getting water in their taps. Such kinds of situations should provoke an environmental sense to be at the centre of attention. Concerning biodiversity, the environmental requirements of Europe, just like in other regions, challenge the fundamental judgement regarding the market system that is governed by great, private welfare. It has been frequently thought that environmental requirements are a mere â€Å"luxury†, or at the minimum not the most important issue to be worried about, in front the prevalent social crisis. Nevertheless, suggestions of environmental catastrophe are very well felt in the north and the south and they are reaching an increasing scope of views of our situations of life. Environmental matters have to be handled today, and not simply left for later years. This fact should have been taken into consideration previously; it should be considered even more now. References Anon. (2003). Turning the tide on environmental degradation: the EU examines ways to reverse damage in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Europa, [Online] 28 May 2003. Available at: http://europa. eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction. do? reference=IP/03/769&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en [Accessed 9 May 2009]. Commission for Rural Communities (CRC). (2006a). Rural Disadvantage – Reviewing the Evidence. Cheltenham: Commission for Rural Communities. European Environment Agency. (1999). Environment in the European Union at the Turn of the Century. Copenhagen: EEA. European Commission. (2006a). Rural Development in the European Union – Statistical and Economic information – Report 2006. [Online] September 2006. Available at: http://ec. europa. eu/agriculture/agrista/rurdev2006/RD_Report_2006. pdf [Accessed 9 May 2009].

Legal, Social, and Economic Environments of Business Essay

There are several categories that a small business can fall into. Within these businesses there are legal, social and economic environments that effect how the business is run and whether the business is a success or failure. From the cost to run to how the tax return is filed; all three have their advantages and disadvantages. All three also can produce a lucrative income for the right person or people. It is imperative to the business for the owner(s) to choose which path is the best way to go while taking in consideration the pros and cons of each type. Legal, Social, and Economic Environments of Business The idea of a three pronged cord came to me when I noticed how many cords have burned up on my appliances. The third prong on the cord would distribute the current better. My goal is to manufacture and sell my product. Small businesses are what formed our country. From the forming of our governments to starting computer companies in our garages business decisions had to be made. There are three main organizations of small businesses: Sole Proprietor, Partnership, and Corporation.  When opening a business the owner or owners need to know how each organization operates and which would be the best for them. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, but every business falls into one category or another. Business Organizations Sole Proprietor: A sole proprietor is a single individual who makes all the decisions in the business. There is no one to run to and ask â€Å"What do you think about this? † It is the most simple of the three types because there are almost no legal requirements. As a sole proprietor there is more freedom to do what the individual wants which makes it much easier to run. Also, the individual can get a tax benefit and there is a lower cost to start (Tavassoli, 2013. Slide 9) Almost anyone can have a small business as a sole proprietor. Although saving some money on the start up and from tax exemptions are a plus, there are some things one has to take into consideration. One is the limited resources because there is no one else around to bounce ideas off of and most people don’t have the business sense to run their own company from the start, unless they’ve had previous experience and knowledge in that field (Tavassoli, 2013. Another is the difficulty of borrowing money. Most banks or investors are hesitant to lend funds to one person because their financial resources are limited. Finally, all the liability of the business is put directly on the individual (Tavassoli, 2013. Slide 9). Whatever happens in the business is solely on the owner and there usually isn’t anyone to fall back on for help. Partnership: The second type of business is a partnership. There is more room for growth in this type of business because now we have an added talent or experience (Tavassoli, 2013). You automatically have someone to get insight on ideas and bring more ideas to the table. There is a better opportunity to borrow money. Now instead of one persons income and assets there are two. Someone is more likely to help finance a partnership than an individual person (Tavassoli, 2013, Slide 10). In addition, the business return flows into the individual/joint return. Just as a sole proprietor, a partnership has unlimited liability. The only difference is now there is more than one person involved so burden is split. In a partnership the owners are responsible for all the debt and expenses of the business (Ebert & Griffin, 2005). Something else to consider is the difficulty to sell a business owned by a partnership. Why is it difficult? Consent is always needed from the other partner. No decision can be legally made without the other partner agreeing. Corporation: The third decision is a Corporation. Companies like Apple, Ford, and Microsoft all fall into corporations. One good thing about a corporation is the stockholders of a corporation have limited liability which means they are only liable for the amount they invested (Tavassoli, 2013. Slide 11) When there are law suits or debts only the corporation loses money. Lenders and investors are most like to provide funding for a legitimate corporation before others. Another thing is there is a better chance to find talent and pool ideas. The opportunity to create more jobs is another plus for being a corporation. With the good comes the bad. In a corporation there are multiple stockholders that have to be answered to when it comes to business decisions (Tavassoli, 2013. ) Theses owners will have their own opinions on how things should be done and which ideas to be taken into action. A corporation can be easily taken over if it is agreed upon by the majority of the owners. The financial reporting requirements are more extensive. Finally, at the corporate level businesses are double taxes not only as a corporation but on the paid dividends to its stockholders (Ebert & Griffin, 2005). After careful consideration I feel a limited partnership is the best choice for my business. A Limited Partnership would allow us to obtain financing in the future, rather than trying to get financing on my own as a sole proprietor. Also, the amount of liability is reduced because we are only liable for the amount of our individual investments. This allows my partner not to have to take an active role in the partnership. A limited partnership agreement is not required but will be put in place to protect each partner (CEC, 2010).

Blind Bartimaeus Essays

Blind Bartimaeus Essays Blind Bartimaeus Essay Blind Bartimaeus Essay Cambridge, Ontario. Gorman, Michael J. 1955- Elements of biblical exegesis: a basic guide for students and ministers / Michael J. r man. Rev. and expanded ed. p. cm.

Legalization of prostitution essays

Legalization of prostitution essays Prostitution consumes thousands of girls and women each year. It also reaps enormous profits for organized crime in post-communist countries. Each year over a hundred thousand women and children are trafficked from eastern European countries. Sex trade is just another form of slavery and many people predict that in the future it is only going to rise whether it is legalized or not.. Three-fourths of all the women that are trafficked and recruited are completely unaware that they will most likely end up at strip clubs, brothels or even on the streets to be sold to male buyers. Most of the women are only seeking to improve their lives of poverty unknowing that once they find their pimps or traffickers that they will most likely never get out because of the physical and sexual abuse and economic coercion. Most of the women just give up and hope that they can one day save up enough money to buy their way out of debt bondage or find a way to escape. The acts of unwanted sex these women do leads to physical and emotional breakdown. Survivors of prostitution often report that each act of prostitution felt like a rape. To endure the seemingly endless acts to their bodies they use drugs and alcohol to numb the pain eventually destroying themselves in the process. State bodies and non-governmental organizations need to realize that prostitution is made by men that want to buy and sell sexual pleasure and that if it is legalized steps must be taken to make sure these people are prosecuted and taken off the streets or legalizing it would only make things worse. Existing laws concerning prostitution were made on the assumption that prostitution is an immoral activity, with women being the most immoral participants. Therefore, laws that ban prostitution usually criminalize the women. By listening to women's experiences of prostitution and moving beyond moralistic analyses, women's rights groups have defined prostitution to be sexual ...

How instrumental are parents in the development of their children Essay

How instrumental are parents in the development of their children - Essay Example The extent to which this is the case, though, continues to be a source of vigorous contention as each side argues that the personality is shaped more by one influence than the other. While the argument that genetics plays a significant role in the development of a personality, it seems clear that the parents play a much greater role in establishing the tools and skills the child will need to function within their particular society. The idea that nurturing plays a more significant role in the development of a child is found in these children’s increased ability to function in society as adults thanks to what they learned from their parents’ actions. From birth, parents play a large role in the life of the child, teaching the child everything they will need to know to function within the society in which the parents find themselves. Through consistent close contact with the child, the parent is able to instill their own ideas, beliefs, practices and behaviors in the child while providing the child with the socialization skills he or she will need for interaction with others. As the first and most persistent contact, the relationship with the parent is thus the starting point from which all children enter the world. According to Jerome Kagan of Harvard University, â€Å"Parents who regularly talk and read to their children usually produce children with the largest vocabularies, the highest intellig ence scores, and the best academic grades †¦ Parents who reason with their children while making requests for obedience usually end up with more civil children† (101). The importance of this association is further highlighted in studies that have been conducted on young orphans who have undergone periods of neglect or privation as a result of their family tragedy. When these children were placed in nurturing homes, they were often able to overcome their early

Analysis of Stock Option in Bristol Myers Squibb Thesis

Analysis of Stock Option in Bristol Myers Squibb - Thesis Example It also uses them to decrease the turnover of the human capital in the organization. An analysis of the organization’s stock options policy reveals information that is promising for investors and the concerned stakeholders. The organization has been using stock options as a large part of their compensation at the executive level. Employees after meeting the criteria set by the organization are allowed to own options and exercise them over a period of 10 years. ESO allows the employees to hold stock options below the market price. The sound corporate governance policy requires that the board meeting and the shareholder’s meeting can decide upon the re-pricing of the options and this cannot take place without the approval of the concerned. The company has been able to decrease the moral hazard relating to the issue of stock options and has provided huge incentives to its employees apart from cash compensation. The morale of the employees is all time high due to the compensation package that they are offered. The company is looking forward to striking maj or deals and re-establishing its name as a bio-pharmaceutical in the world. ESO carry a moral hazard with them, if properly implemented, with sound accounting policies implemented throughout the organization; it is bound to create success for the organization and its employees. Disclosure of proper information increases accountability on the part of management and restricts them from any incorrect actions that they might take. They can be used to decrease moral hazard, increase employee motivation and increase market efficiencies. BMS, with the help of sound corporate governance policies has effectively handled to issue of stock options, taking all the advantages that they possibly can. 16 The paper is organized to provide a basic understanding of how the Employee Stock Option (ESO) works in a Bristol Myers Squibb