Is global climate change man-made Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Is global climate change man-made - Essay Example This leads to the growing debate of today, is global warming man-made? Or is it just a cycle that the Earth goes through? Greenhouse gases affect the Earth’s climate by increasing the greenhouse effect, which is a natural phenomenon whereby water vapor, CO2, and other gases in the atmosphere allow sunlight to pass through, but then absorb much of the heat from the earth that otherwise would have escaped to outer space. Without the natural greenhouse effect, the mean temperature would be about minus 18Â °C, and the Earth would be uninhabitable Emitting greenhouse gases in large amounts increases the concentration of these gases in the atmosphere, which then increases the greenhouse effect so that more heat is trapped by the atmosphere. This can increase the temperature of the atmosphere and change the climate on Earth. Probably the most harmful contaminant that people are responsible for releasing into the atmosphere is carbon dioxide. The energy sector has been cited as being responsible for three fourths of the carbon dioxide emissions, one fifth of the methane emissions and a good portion of the nitrous oxide released into the earth’s atmosphere. Most of this comes from the burning of fossil fuels, although deforestation, land clearing, and other agricultural practices have all led to rises in pollution levels. Without some sort of agreement between countries, this could become the factor that tips the scales toward mankind as being the biggest cause of climate change. Many of the statements that are for climate change being a natural event are true. Global climate change is natural, but it is due to men selfishness, and the fact that we are so inconsiderate, that it is taking place at such an alarmingly rapid

The Meaning of Life Essay Example for Free

The Meaning of Life Essay â€Å"The Meaning of Life† is an excerpt from Richard Taylor’s book Good and Evil: A New Direction, with this book Mr. Taylor was thought to have adopted a radical subjectivist view of ethics. In this excerpt he explains why existence and life is meaningless and he sheds light into the meaning of life. Throughout his explanations Richard uses an example from an ancient Greek myth. The myth is about Sisyphus a Greek man who offended the gods and was sentenced to roll a large stone up a hill for all of eternity. Richard starts his explanation of the â€Å"Meaningless of Existence† with the toils of Sisyphus. Sisyphus is forced to roll a stone up a hill, when it is near the top the stone will roll back down and he is forced to roll it up again, only to have it fall once more to be rolled up again and again for all of eternity. It is Sisyphus’ punishment that we will focus on. Sisyphus is the picture of a â€Å"meaningless, pointless toil of a meaningless existence that is absolutely never redeemed†(Taylor, Richard). He has lost all purpose in life except to roll a stone; it is a never ending nightmare that he will never awaken from. Taylor gives other examples of meaningless tasks, a relay styles race with a precious gem transported back and forth in a never ending cycle, and a digging hole only to be refilled with the same earth. The points to all this is that all these tasks are pointless and without meaning. The story could be different and Sisyphus can have meaning if he circumstance were different, if Sisyphus rolled stone to the top and all the stone accumulated into a wonderful and enduring temple, he would have some meaning to his labors. If the gods as an after thought made it so that Sisyphus’ only will and desire was to roll stone, then Sisyphus would perhaps take enjoyment in his task. This change in his perception does not change his task at hand; it only changes his perspective. His is still condemned to an eternity of meaningless and pointless labor. Therefore the existence of Sisyphus is meaningless, the labor that he performs leads him nowhere, and everything that he does is in vain. The world would be the same with or without his presence. The next section deals with the meaningless of life, he begins this section by explaining what meaningless and meaningfulness is: â€Å"Meaningless is essentially endless pointless and meaningfulness is therefore the opposite. †(Taylor, Richard) for this section he cites ugly blind worms in a New Zealand cave. These worms have the soul purpose of waiting, feeding, transforming into winged adults only living a day or two, mating, laying eggs and finally dying. This example shows us the meaning of life, an endless cycle that accumulates to nothing, and the â€Å"point of living is evidently nothing but life itself. † (Taylor, Richard) We as humans differ form this only a little. We have goals that we work for; once they are completed we set off after another goal, all this work goes to family and home, only to beget others who will follow in the same foot steps in a cycle. Even though we are stuck in a cycle of endless meaningless toil we look to religion, universal justice, brotherhood or any sort of ever lasting good that we may aim for. The last part of this excerpt is the â€Å"meaning of life† we return to the story of Sisyphus who in this example has completed his beautiful tower and is now faced with eternal boredom, before he was faced with the nightmare of pointless activity now he is faced with the hell of eternal absence and boredom. This leads into his explanation that the meaning to our lives is â€Å"our own wills, our deep interest is what we find ourselves doing†(Taylor, Richard). Even though our existence is short and our toils fade we can hold memories of the past. The point of living is to continue what we are doing because giving up and doing nothing would be no salvation. The resolution to this excerpt is that we live life because our will is to live and build castles for our children so they can build castles for theirs. This question of living has puzzled philosophers for centuries, I have also come across this question, with my reasoning I could not figure it out, for if, great philosophers couldn’t then how could I? Mr. Taylor’s views are interesting and some of what he says does make sense. The myth of Sisyphus is the focal point of Richard Taylor’s reasoning the meaning of life; he explains Sisyphus eternal punishment in detail. Richard also gives other scenarios of Sisyphus’ task, if his labors accumulated into a beautiful tower or if he was some how made to enjoy rolling stones. I agree that in a way all ours lives are like that of Sisyphus’ toil. A cycle of endless toil, we work towards our little goals and glimpse of happiness, which are sure to fade over time. The meaningless of life is explained in the second section; Richard uses two insects to show the meaningless of life, the glow worms and the cicadas. Richard states that there is no meaning to life because it is an endless cycle of pointless and meaningless events. At the moment our goals may seem a great deal of importance in our lives but in the end all our toils are pointless and meaningless in the end. I understand this point in his explanation but I disagree, I think a person can find meaning in every ting they do. It is true that this meaning doesn’t last forever but the pleasure we take from everyday life and experience is well worth it. I don’t believe that everything is meaningless in life just because we all die in the end. I believe that it’s not the end of ones life that is important; it’s the journey that one takes through life. It is the accumulation of everyday happiness that makes our lives worthwhile. There is an old saying that the end of a journey is not important, it is the lessons we learn along the journey that counts. In the last section of the excerpt is the meaning of life, Richards explains that we live life because of our own will. I also agree with this, living life with a purpose and a will is much better compared to living a life of doing nothing and boredom because we know it eventually ends. I have very optimistic views of human life; I believe that everyone’s life has a meaning and a purpose. If a person is dying of cancer and has only a few months left, but a doctor performs an operation and saves him, he will have meaning to live again and he will cherish the rest of his life, sure he will die eventually but presently he will be grateful to live and he will give the doctor a reason to continue what he is doing. In my opinion the reason we live is for experience, we live to learn and experience new things. Like that old saying about the journey and the end, it is the process of the journey that is important. We live life not thinking about our deaths, we live it for the experiences that each day brings.

Understanding Vs. Knowing in Atwood’s Oryx and Crake Essay -- Literary

It is often simpler to settle for an understanding of the world and people around us instead of trying to know the truth. Truth has consequences; by knowing too much, one can lose a friend, learn a deadly secret, or become someone they do not want to be. To express his understanding of himself and the world around him, Crake in Oryx and Crake uses quote-bearing fridge magnets. One very important quote is â€Å"We understand more than we know†. It is important to recognize the difference between the terms "understand" and "know"; the Oxford English Dictionary defines "to understand" as to perceive the significance, explanation, or cause of, whereas "to know" is to be absolutely certain or sure about something. There is certainly a difference, as understanding suggests ideas, and knowledge suggests facts. Prior to the Crake's devastation of the human race in Oryx and Crake, characters understand more than they know in their awareness of human nature. However, the only survivors of this catastrophe are those who, inversely, know more than they understand. This means that Crake, Oryx, and Jimmy have an astute understanding of the world around them, but only later do Snowman and the Crakers show the importance of knowledge in surviving as a species. Crake believes he knows the problems with humankind, and that he also has the solutions. He views humanity as destructive, inefficient, and unsatisfied, and uses his understanding of these flaws to destroy the human race. His scientific background leads him to very accurately understand the biological and psychological characteristics of the human mind and body, of humanity as a whole, but also specifically of his friend Jimmy. Crake understands physical attraction and sex from a strictly ... ...how a newfound capacity to know more than they understand, suggesting the success of humans as a species may rely on never reaching (or never reaching for) a full understanding. Perhaps we should be accepting simply knowing as principle. Works Cited Atwood, Margaret. Oryx and Crake. 1st ed. New York, New York/United States: First Anchor Books, 2004. 374. Print. Davis, Roger. ""a white illusion of a man": Snowman, Survival, and Speculation in Margaret Atwood's "Oryx and Crake"." Hosting the Monster. Ed. Holly Lynn Baumgarter. 1st ed. New York, New York/United States: Rodopi, 2008. 260. Web. 28 May 2012. DiMarco, Danette. "Paradice Lost, Paradise Regained: Homo Faber and the Makings of a New Beginning in Oryx and Crake." Papers on Language & Literature 41 (2005): n.pag. Web. 27 May 2012. Reizner, Chelsea. "Fridge Magnets." (2007): Web. Mar. 2012.

Polaroid Case Analysis

IIM Indore| Polaroid Corporation: European Distribution system| Logistics Management system| | Submitted to| Prof. S. Venkatramanaiah| | Group 2 | AludaiyaarasuAsvin VMohan M S Prabu PRajasekar VijayaraghavanSrinivasan DK. M. Venkatraj| Synopsis: Polaroid Corporation, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was a company marketed a wide variety of instant photographic products for consumers and industries. After the deregulation of US motor industry consolidation of the warehouses in US took place, which resulted in an improved service level and reduced costs.Overwhelmed by the consolidation results, the management wanted to consolidate the subsidiaries’ warehouses in the Europe to a direct distribution. There were around Twelve European subsidiaries each where headed by general manager. Of that France, Germany, Italy and United Kingdom together have accounted 70 – 80% of the sales. The Polaroid had three primary production areas in Vale of Leven, Scotland, Enschede, Netherlands and one in Cambridge itself. The site at Enschede also served as a central distribution site and export center known as International Distribution center (IDSC) that served all the international subsidiaries.Each European subsidiary had their own warehouse to cater as a buffer and for customizing the orders, special packaging and rush orders. As the measures for the economic integration of the European Community also made the direct distribution as an impetus option which could be used to save the transportation cost by 25%. But there was a resistance by the general managers of the European subsidiaries because of various problems like layoff, Buffer reduction, depriving the responsibility and above all, they felt that IDSC management team didn’t had the management skill. They were also skeptic about the outcome after implementation.Tom carrol, Director of International Distribution and customer service had different options before him. Like total handover to a t hird party or implement the direct centralized distribution. For Direct distribution, in the first place, he was contemplating in picking the first subsidiary to be centralized among the different options of Austria, UK, Italy and Germany Case Analysis: Problem Statement: For effective implementation of Centralized warehouse system in Europe for reducing the operational cost in spite of mounting opposition from the General Managers of European subsidiaries Options:Following are the different distribution system present to serve the European subsidiaries from Enschede, 1. To upgrade present IDSC warehouse to handle direct distribution to all the European Subsidiaries 2. To have a central ware house in Enschede and two satellite regional warehouse in southern France and a facility in Denmark 3. To allow a third party logistic provider to handle the direct distribution and warehousing in addition to the transportation service Reasons for opposition to plan: Following are the different concern raised by the General Managers of All the European Subsidiaries, 1.Doubt on the capability of the ISDC in Encshede to handle the requirements of all the European subsidiaries 2. Concern on lose of flexibility to respond to changes in the market which the subsidiaries considered the reason for their success 3. There is no financial benefit seen in reducing the inventory level as the subsidiaries are not charged for the inventory they hold 4. Doubt on whether the cost savings quoted could be achieved 5. Loss of warehouse was seen as substantial loss in their power 6. Subsidiaries considered the quality of Enschede as weak 7.Will lose a buffer between central distribution system and the customers 8. ISDC blamed for inbound transportation delays 9. Country specific objections like, a. Idiosyncrasies of trucking industry in Italy would make it difficult to do business differently b. Belgium and Netherland has achieved direct distribution only because of the fact that they had sma ll sales volume and they were located close to Enschede 10. Opposition from Unions in different subsidiaries against the layoff could cause serious problems like high severance package and possible strikes Benefits Of Centralized Warehouse system:By implementing Centralized warehouse system, Polaroid would achieve a net annual savings of $5. 7 Million. Savings through reduction of workforce will be $2. 5 Million and Warehouse rental savings will be $1 Million Factors supporting Central Warehousing: 1. Successful implementation in US and savings derived 2. Forthcoming liberalization of cross-border transportation 3. Efforts by Logistic providers for pan-European service capabilities 4. Post liberalization transportation in Europe would reduce by 5-25% Analyzing Service Demand pattern:Country| Photographic Dealers| Hypermarkets/Retailers Warehouse| Wholesalers| Special Markets| Direct service | Nature of Service Demand (Remarks)| France| 70%| 20%| 10%| -| -| 1) Shipment of products di rectly to individual 2) Direct delivery to retail outlets &retail establishments| Germany| 0%| 85% – 90%| 10%-15%| -| -| 1) Highly demanding compared to other European subsidiary 2) Strongly opposed late or incomplete orders| Italy| 45%| 10%| 40%| 5%|   | Characterized most flexible| UK| -| 20%| 45%| 20%| 35%| Some of Accounts considered extremely demanding|From above table we could infer that Germany and France are seeking high level of service which calls for high operational cost. So if Central warehouse system is being implemented it would be better if they first start with Italy as the customers are not much demanding and also the account size is equivalent to other subsidiary. The successful implementation in ITALY would act as good reference point. Analyzing â€Å"Candidates† for Implementation:Country| Positive Factors| Negative factors| Other Remarks| UK| Extensive support from Rod Bishop, Manager UK| Servicing customers considered risky as sea transport req uired| Stringent service requirement from Bishop| Austria| Small Account| Located far from ISDC| Success in Austria will not have great impact as the account served is low| Italy| Product Theft in transit| Low service level demanded. Customers highly flexible| Memorandum Regarding distribution| From above table and from service demand pattern it can be clearly seen that Italy would be the best option for rolling the plan as 1.Much of the demand arises from the dealers ( 20 main dealers) and 45% from Wholesalers , therefore the cost of servicing would be less as compared to UK’s some of the important accounts which calls for greater service 2. Also the customers in Italy are flexible which implies that they will tolerate the poor service quality in initial period of direct distribution implementation Analyzing Net inventory level and Order, Line fill rate: Country| Line Fill rate| Order Fill rate| Net Inventory level ($ in Million)| France| 97%| 91%| 6. 1| Germany| 92%| 69%| 4 . 53| UK| 92%| 75%| 4. 32| Italy| 76%| 51%| 6. 28| From above table it is clear that though the inventory level in Italy is very high they have very low order and line fill rate. This shows a poor inventory management system and also improper ordering of SKU’s which might not be moving I the market. Therefore Italy seems to be a best candidate for implementing the Centralized distribution as the presence of Warehouse does not add much value to the business.Conclusion: Polaroid can go for Centralized Warehouse management strategy, to start with Italy and then slowly moving to other subsidiaries like France and Germany where service demand level is very high. Also Polaroid should look for the option of including third party logistics because they will have expertise in managing warehousing and transportations better than Polaroid. Calculations: Given data: 1. France , Germany, Italy and UK make nearly 70% t0 80% European sales 2.Total European sales = $504. 5 Million 3. Sales o f Germany = 30% of total European sales 4. COGS/ Total sales ratio = 0. 5073 ( from exhibit 1) Assumptions made 1. 70% of European sales are equally contributed by UK, France and Italy 2. Average price per unit = $125 3. Average inventory value= $ 7. 12 million ( based on Exhibit 7) Parameters /Country| Germany| France| UK| Italy| Sales ($) (in Millions)| 151. 35| 117. 72| 117. 72| 117. 72| Sales (Units)| 1210800| 941733| 941733| 941733|Distribution channel| Wholesaler (10-15%) Retailers (85%)| Specialty (70%) photographic dealers Hyper markets (20%) Wholesalers (10%)| Wholesalers (45%) Direct service (20%) Retailers (15%)| Photographic dealers (45%) Wholesalers (40%) Hypermarkets (10%) Special markets (5%)| Current Capability| Dedicated Warehouse| Dedicated Warehouse| Dedicated Warehouse| Dedicated Warehouse| Line fill rate| 95%| 95%| 94%| 88%| Order Fill rate| 81%| 90%| 94%| 62%| Annual Inventory turn| 11| 8| 8| 8| Labour savings (in 1000 $)| 570| 488| 242| 243| Facilities savings (in 1000 $)| 150| 300| 150| -|

A University Education Is Not Essential for Success’ Essay

In a general point of view, university education is necessary for success and that is why parents nowadays would ask their children to finish their Bachelor degree as a minimum request. They think that university education is an essential element for success. However, I do not think that that is true at all. University education is only one of the keys for success but not the only key to achieve success. Some people may think that what success is being a millionaire or even a billionaire. Nevertheless, in the reality, being that kind of capitalists does not require any degree of education. It is a truth that having a higher degree of education can let us apply a higher salary job but it is not essential for being the tycoons. There are some real life examples to prove my argument is truth. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Richard Li choose to give up their opportunity to finish the university education and start their businesses. Although they do not have any diploma of graduation in the university, they can still run their business very well and earn a huge sum of money. University education is not an essential element for being a millionaire. Earning enormous figure of income does not request any degree. Moreover, what success is not only making a huge sum of money but also making our own dreams come true. Not everyone is giving weight money to a high position and what he or she wants is to accomplish his or her dreams. Different people have different dreams and some of the dreams may require a high level of education such as being a doctor or a lawyer in Hong Kong. It is necessary for the one who has these dreams to have a good academic result in A-Level exam and finish the university study to get the certification. However, some dreams do not claim any degree such as travelling around the world and having a perfectly satisfactory family. Therefore, we can grasp that how essential a university education is according to the one’s dreams but university education is not essential for every dream. In addition, there are many other keys for success, such as the talents, intelligence, communication skills, social skills etc. To be successful in a career, we need those elements I mentioned above and cannot ignore their importance for success. The diploma is only just an admission ticket in our career. What the boss paying attention is not our level of education but our working ability. That’s mean the ability to get the project done in order to help the boss earning profit. Although one has a high education level, the boss would still fire him or her if he or she makes troublesome to the company. Therefore, the university education is not that essential as people think. In conclusion, the university education is only one of the key for success.

Early 19th century London essays

Early 19th century London essays Throughout the 1800s, London grew at an incredibly fast rate. People from all over the world flocked to this magnificent city of wealth and opportunity. By the mid- 1800s, London had become the single largest city in the world, with an astonishing population of 2,362,000 people. Lascar and Chinese communities began to appear near shipping ports and docks, and the Irish population continued to grow reaching hundreds of thousands. By 1841, less than two thirds of the cities inhabitants had actually been born there, and as the vast city became more and more populated, London developed some of the worst slums ever known. In St. Giles and Seven Dials, on Jacobs Island and in the Rookeries, enormous numbers of the poor were left to die. As the nineteenth century progressed, the gap between classes became increasingly more evident. Through the eyes of the rich, the poor were seen nothing more than animals. However, when Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist, a world of literature unknown to most Londoners became available. As both the upper and lower classes began reading this book, the enormous chasm between the rich and the poor started to close. Soon after, seeing the world in a new light, the diverse classes began to refine themselves, and finally began respecting each other. Looking back over a long life, fellow writer Francis Place was amazed at the transformation of manners among Londons population. London was greatly affected by its continual flow of immigrants. What drew immigrants to London was the possibility of employment, and thanks to Charles Dickens inspiring and enlightening novels, what they found was a world of science, art, and opportunity. ...

How to Pass a Lie Detector Test

How to Pass a Lie Detector Test A polygraph test or  lie detector test is designed to analyze physiological reactions to questions to determine whether or not a subject is being truthful. The accuracy of the test has been widely contested by groups including the National Academy of Science, the US Congress Office of Technology Assessment, and the American Psychological Association. Even so, the test is routinely used to screen employment applicants and interrogate criminal suspects. While a person may be told to answer all questions honestly, the test is designed to measure responses to white lies, which means truly honest people run the risk of generating a false positive on the test. Other people may wish to conceal answers to certain questions, whether guilty of wrongdoing or not. Fortunately for them, its not that hard to beat a lie detector test. The first step to passing the test is understanding how it works. How a Lie Detector Test Works A lie detector test includes more than the time spent hooked up to the polygraph machine. The tester will start making observations the instant a person enters the test center. A skilled polygrapher will notice and record nonverbal cues associated with lying, so its a good idea to know your tells. The polygraph machine records breathing rate, blood pressure, pulse rate, and perspiration. More sophisticated machines include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. Physiological responses to irrelevant, diagnostic, and relevant questions are compared to identify lies. Questions may be repeated two to three  times. The subject may be asked to intentionally lie to help the examiner establish baseline values. The test typically requires one to three hours to complete, including the background assessment, medical history, explanation of the test, actual polygraph, and follow-up. Most Advice Isnt Very Effective The internet is filled with advice on ways to beat a lie detector test, but many of these ideas arent very effective. For example, biting your tongue or putting a tack in your shoe to use pain to affect blood pressure wont affect perspiration levels. Similarly, imagining a lie when telling the truth and imagining the truth when telling a lie wont work because it establishes differences between lies and truth. Remember, differences between the truth and lies are the basis for the test! 2 Ways to Beat the Test Basically, there are two good ways to beat the test: Be completely zen, no matter what youre asked. Note: Most people cant master this.Be completely distraught throughout the entire test. 7 Tips to Try Most people are nervous when taking a lie detector test, whether they intend to lie or not. The physical responses to nerves probably wont fool a lie detector. You need to up your game to simulate feelings of mortal terror. This is because beating the test is all about mind games, which naturally affect physical responses. Here are some tips to try: If you want to beat the test, your best bet is to stay upset, fearful and confused throughout the entire test. The goal is to appear calm and in control, despite the inner turmoil. Remember your worst experience or solve difficult math problems in your heads include, Have you ever taken anything from your workplace? or Have you ever lied to get out of trouble?Alter your breathing during control questions, but return to normal breathing before answering the next question. You can make minor admissions here or not, as you choose. When you answer questions, answer firmly, without hesitation, and without humor. Be cooperative, but dont joke or act overly-friendly.Answer yes or no whenever possible. Do not explain answers, give details, or offer explanations. If asked to expand on a question, reply: What more do you want me to say? or Theres really nothing to say about that.If accused of lying, dont fall for it. If anything, use the accusation as fuel to feel upset and confused. In fact, answering diagnostic questions honestly may have given the examiner conflicting results, so be prepared to be questioned further.Practice any countermeasures before the test. Ask someone to ask you likely questions. Be aware of your breathing and how you react to different types of questions. Keep in mind, applying these tips may enable you to invalidate the test, but wont be much use if youre taking a lie detector test to get a job. In most cases, the easiest way through a lie detector test is to approach it honestly. Drugs That Affect Tests Drugs and medical conditions may affect a polygraph test, often leading to an inconclusive result. For this reason, drug tests and a screening questionnaire are commonly given before a lie detector test. Medications that affect heart rate and blood pressure can affect polygraph results. These include antihypertensives and anti-anxiety medications and also a host of illegal drugs, including heroin, marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Caffeine, nicotine, allergy medications, sleep aids, and cough remedies may also affect the test. Some Medical Conditions May Prohibit the Test While diagnosed sociopaths and psychopaths may be excluded from the test due to a potential ability to control responses, other medical conditions may prohibit the test. People who have epilepsy, nerve damage (including essential tremor), heart disease, have suffered a stroke, or are extremely fatigued should not take the test. Mentally incompetent people shouldnt take the test. Pregnant women are generally exempted from the test unless a doctor gives written approval. With the exception of mental illness, drugs and medical conditions dont necessarily enable a person to beat a lie detector test. However, they do skew the results, making them less reliable. Sources Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences and Education (BCSSE) and Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) (2003). The Polygraph and Lie Detection. National Research Council (Chapter 8: Conclusions and Recommendations), p. 21.Scientific Validity of Polygraph Testing: A Research Review and Evaluation. Washington, D. C.: U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment. 1983.