Electronic Waste

Electronic waste From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For the EC directive, see Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. Defective and obsolete electronic equipment. Electronic waste, e-waste, e-scrap, or waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) describes discarded electrical or electronic devices. There is a lack of consensus as to whether the term should apply to resale, reuse, and refurbishing industries, or only to product that cannot be used for its intended purpose.Informal processing of electronic waste in developing countries may cause serious health and pollution problems, though these countries are also most likely to reuse and repair electronics. Some electronic scrap components, such as CRTs, may contain contaminants such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, orbrominated flame retardants. Even in developed countries recycling and disposal of e-waste may involve significant risk to workers and communities and great care must be taken to avoid unsafe exposure i n recycling operations and leaching of material such as heavy metals from landfills and incinerator ashes.Scrap industry and USA EPA officials agree that materials should be managed with caution. [citation needed] Contents [hide] †¢1 Definitions †¢2 Problems †¢3 Global trade issues †¢4 E-waste management o4. 1 Recycling o4. 2 Consumer awareness efforts o4. 3 Processing techniques o4. 4 Benefits of recycling †¢5 Electronic waste substances o5. 1 Hazardous o5. 2 Generally non-hazardous †¢6 See also †¢7 References †¢8 Further reading †¢9 External links [edit]DefinitionsHoarding (left), disassembling (center) and collecting (right) electronic waste in Bengaluru, India â€Å"Electronic waste† may be defined as discarded computers, office electronic equipment, entertainment device electronics, mobile phones, television sets andrefrigerators. This definition includes used electronics which are destined for reuse, resale, salvage, recyclin g, or disposal. Others define the re-usables (working and repairable electronics) and secondary scrap (copper, steel, plastic, etc. to be â€Å"commodities†, and reserve the term â€Å"waste† for residue or material which is dumped by the buyer rather than recycled, including residue from reuse and recycling operations. Because loads of surplus electronics are frequently commingled (good, recyclable, and non-recyclable), several public policy advocates apply the term â€Å"e-waste† broadly to all surplus electronics. Cathode ray tubes (CRT) are considered one of the hardest types to recycle. [1] CRTs have relatively high concentration of lead and phosphors (not to be confused with phosphorus), both of which are necessary for the display.The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) includes discarded CRT monitors in its category of â€Å"hazardous household waste†[2] but considers CRTs that have been set aside for testing to be commodities if th ey are not discarded, speculatively accumulated, or left unprotected from weather and other damage. Debate continues over the distinction between â€Å"commodity† and â€Å"waste† electronics definitions. Some exporters are accused of deliberately leaving difficult-to-recycle, obsolete, or non-repairable equipment mixed in loads of working equipment (though this may also come through ignorance, or to avoid more costly treatment processes).Protectionists may broaden the definition of â€Å"waste† electronics in order to protect domestic markets from working secondary equipment. The high value of the computer recycling subset of electronic waste (working and reusable laptops, desktops, and components like RAM) can help pay the cost of transportation for a larger number of worthless pieces than can be achieved with display devices, which have less (or negative) scrap value. In A 2011 report, â€Å"Ghana E-Waste Country Assessment†,[3] found that of 215,000 t ons of electronics imported to Ghana, 30% were brand new and 70% were used.Of the used product, the study concluded that 15% was not reused and was scrapped or discarded. This contrasts with published but uncredited claims that 80% of the imports into Ghana were being burned in primitive conditions. [edit]Problems A fragment of discarded circuit board Rapid changes in technology, changes in media (tapes, software, MP3), falling prices, and planned obsolescence have resulted in a fast-growing surplus of electronic waste around the globe. Dave Kruch, CEO of Cash For Laptops, regards electronic waste as a â€Å"rapidly expanding† issue. 4]Technical solutions are available, but in most cases a legal framework, a collection system, logistics, and other services need to be implemented before a technical solution can be applied. Display units (CRT, LCD, LED monitors), Processors (CPU chips, RAM), and audio components have different useful lives. Processors are most frequently out-da ted (by software) and are more likely to become â€Å"e-waste†, while display units are most often replaced while working without repair attempts, due to changes in wealthy nation appetites for new display technology.An estimated 50 million tons of E-waste are produced each year. [citation needed] The USA discards 30 million computers each year and 100 million phones are disposed of in Europe each year. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that only 15-20% of e-waste is recycled, the rest of these electronics go directly into landfills and incinerators. [5] According to a report by UNEP titled, â€Å"Recycling – from E-Waste to Resources,† the amount of e-waste being produced – including mobile phones and computers – could rise by as much as 500 percent over the next decade in some countries, such as India. 6] The United States is the world leader in producing electronic waste, tossing away about 3 million tons each year. [7] China already produces about 2. 3 million tons (2010 estimate) domestically, second only to the United States. And, despite having banned e-waste imports, China remains a major e-waste dumping ground for developed countries. [7] Electrical waste contains hazardous but also valuable and scarce materials. Up to 60 elements can be found in complex electronics. In the United States, an estimated 70% of heavy metals in landfills comes from discarded electronics. 8][9] While there is agreement that the number of discarded electronic devices is increasing, there is considerable disagreement about the relative risk (compared to automobile scrap, for example), and strong disagreement whether curtailing trade in used electronics will improve conditions, or make them worse. According to an article in Motherboard, attempts to restrict the trade have driven reputable companies out of the supply chain, with unintended consequences. [10] [edit]Global trade issues See also: Electronic waste by country Electroni c waste is often exported to developing countries. 4. -volt, D, C, AA, AAA, AAAA, A23, 9-volt, CR2032 and LR44 cells are all recyclable in most countries. One theory is that increased regulation of electronic waste and concern over the environmental harm in mature economies creates an economic disincentive to remove residues prior to export. Critics of trade in used electronics maintain that it is still too easy for brokers calling themselves recyclers to export unscreened electronic waste to developing countries, such as China,[11] India and parts of Africa, thus avoiding the expense of removing items like bad cathode ray tubes (the processing of which is expensive and difficult).The developing countries have become toxic dump yards of e-waste. Proponents of international trade point to the success of fair trade programs in other industries, where cooperation has led to creation of sustainable jobs, and can bring affordable technology in countries where repair and reuse rates are h igher. Defenders of the trade[who? ] in used electronics say that extraction of metals from virgin mining has been shifted to developing countries. Recycling of copper, silver, gold, and other materials from discarded electronic devices is considered better for the environment than mining.They also state that repair and reuse of computers and televisions has become a â€Å"lost art† in wealthier nations, and that refurbishing has traditionally been a path to development. South Korea, Taiwan, and southern China all excelled in finding â€Å"retained value† in used goods, and in some cases have set up billion-dollar industries in refurbishing used ink cartridges, single-use cameras, and working CRTs. Refurbishing has traditionally been a threat to established manufacturing, and simple protectionism explains some criticism of the trade.Works like â€Å"The Waste Makers† by Vance Packard explain some of the criticism of exports of working product, for example the ba n on import of tested working Pentium 4 laptops to China, or the bans on export of used surplus working electronics by Japan. Opponents of surplus electronics exports argue that lower environmental and labor standards, cheap labor, and the relatively high value of recovered raw materials leads to a transfer of pollution-generating activities, such as smelting of copper wire.In China, Malaysia, India, Kenya, and various African countries, electronic waste is being sent to these countries for processing, sometimes illegally. Many surplus laptops are routed to developing nationsas â€Å"dumping grounds for e-waste†. [4] Because the United States has not ratified the Basel Convention or its Ban Amendment, and has few domestic federal laws forbidding the export of toxic waste, the Basel Action Network estimates that about 80% of the electronic waste directed to recycling in the U. S. does not get recycled there at all, but is put on container ships and sent to countries such as Ch ina. 12][13][14][15] This figure is disputed as an exaggeration by the EPA, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, and the World Reuse, Repair and Recycling Association. Independent research by Arizona State University showed that 87-88% of imported used computers did not have a higher value than the best value of the constituent materials they contained, and that â€Å"the official trade in end-of-life computers is thus driven by reuse as opposed to recycling†. [16] Guiyu in the Shantou region of China, Delhi and Bangalore in India as well as the Agbogbloshie site near Accra, Ghana have electronic waste processing areas. 12][17][18] Uncontrolled burning, disassembly, and disposal causes a variety of environmental problems such as groundwater contamination, atmospheric pollution, or even water pollution either by immediate discharge or due tosurface runoff (especially near coastal areas), as well as health problems including occupational safety and health effects among those directly and indirectly involved, due to the methods of processing the waste. Thousands of men, women, and children are employed in highly polluting, primitive recycling technologies, extracting the metals, toners, and plastics from computers and other electronic waste.Recent studies show that 7 out of 10 children in this region have too much lead in their blood. [citation needed] Proponents of the trade say growth of internet access is a stronger correlation to trade than poverty. Haiti is poor and closer to the port of New York than southeast Asia, but far more electronic waste is exported from New York to Asia than to Haiti. Thousands of men, women, and children are employed in reuse, refurbishing, repair, and remanufacturing, unsustainable industries in decline in developed countries.Denying developing nations access to used electronics may deny them sustainable employment, affordable products, and internet access, or force them to deal with even less scrupulous suppliers. In a series of seven articles for The Atlantic, Shanghai-based reporter Adam Minter describes many of these computer repair and scrap separation activities as objectively sustainable. [19] Opponents of the trade argue that developing countries utilize methods that are more harmful and more wasteful. An expedient and prevalent method is simply to toss equipment onto an open fire, in order to melt plastics and to burn away unvaluable metals.This releases carcinogens and neurotoxins into the air, contributing to an acrid, lingering smog. These noxious fumes include dioxinsand furans. [20] Bonfire refuse can be disposed of quickly into drainage ditches or waterways feeding the ocean or local water supplies. [15][21] In June 2008, a container of electronic waste, destined from the Port of Oakland in the U. S. to Sanshui District in mainland China, was intercepted in Hong Kong by Greenpeace. [22] Concern over exports of electronic waste were raised in press reports in India,[23][24] Ghan a,[25][26][27] Ivory Coast,[28] and Nigeria. 29] This section has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. This section does not cite any references or sources. (April 2012) This section is written like a personal reflection or essay rather than an encyclopedic description of the subject. (April 2012) What becomes challenging for the United States, then, is balancing recycling discourses when considering how to implement legislation measures as they manifest through divided interests. Those concerned solely about the environment would create discourse and those concerned about the economy would as well.It is not to say that these discourses don't necessarily agree about certain initiatives; both parties might benefit from the same piece of legislation. That is, if the Environmental Commissioner in the United States put into action recycling legislation that was both sustainable and profitable, it could likely be a positive for both sides. How ever, because most environmental and economic advocates are privy to certain facts about the industry, they would most likely be reluctant to side with any legislation that could either be detrimental to a foreign environment, or overly beneficial to a foreign industry or economy.By exporting e-waste to other countries, some firms in the United States may be avoiding the costs of homeland environmental degradation on one hand, but on the other are missing out on recovering byproduct materials left after they are smelted. As a result, numerous perspectives articulate through both quantitative and qualitative analysis, not only exemplifying how the differences between these perspectives are articulated, but how electronic waste legislation seemingly takes both the environmental and the economic discourse into consideration, albeit with more onus on the latter. edit]E-waste management [edit]Recycling Computer monitors are typically packed into low stacks on wooden pallets forrecycling and then shrink-wrapped. [20] See also: Computer recycling Today the electronic waste recycling business is in all areas of the developed world a large and rapidly consolidating business. Part of this evolution has involved greater diversion of electronic waste from energy-intensive downcycling processes (e. g. , conventional recycling), where equipment is reverted to a raw material form. This diversion is achieved through reuse and refurbishing.The environmental and social benefits of reuse include diminished demand for new products and virgin raw materials (with their own environmental issues); larger quantities of pure water and electricity for associated manufacturing; less packaging per unit; availability of technology to wider swaths of society due to greater affordability of products; and diminished use of landfills. Audiovisual components, televisions, VCRs, stereo equipment, mobile phones, other handheld devices, and computer components contain valuable elements and substan ces suitable for reclamation, including lead, copper, and gold.One of the major challenges is recycling the printed circuit boards from the electronic wastes. The circuit boards contain such precious metals as gold, silver, platinum, etc. and such base metals as copper, iron, aluminum, etc. Conventional method employed is mechanical shredding and separation but the recycling efficiency is low. Alternative methods such as cryogenic decomposition have been studied for printed circuit board recycling,[30] and some other methods are still under investigation. [edit]Consumer awareness effortsThe examples and perspective in this section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (December 2011) ? In the US, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) urges consumers to dispose properly of end-of-life electronics through its recycling locator at www. GreenerGadgets. org. This list only includes manufacturer and reta iler programs that use the strictest standards and third-party certified recycling locations, to provide consumers assurance that their products will be recycled safely and responsibly.CEA research has found that 58 percent of consumers know where to take their end-of-life of electronics, and the electronics industry would very much like to see that level of awareness increase. Consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers sponsor or operate more than 5,000 recycling locations nationwide and have vowed to recycle one billion pounds annually by 2016,[31] a sharp increase from 300 million pounds industry recycled in 2010. ?AddressTheMess. com is a Comedy Central pro-social campaign that seeks to increase awareness of the dangers of electronic waste and to encourage recycling.Partners in the effort include Earth911. com, ECOInternational. com, and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. Many Comedy Central viewers are early adopters of new electronics, and produce a commensurate amount of waste that can be directed towards recycling efforts. The station is also taking steps to reduce its own environmental impact, in partnership with NativeEnergy. com, a company that specializes in renewable energy and carbon offsets. ?The Electronics TakeBack Coalition[32] is a campaign aimed at protecting human health and limiting environmental effects where electronics are being produced, used, and discarded.The ETBC aims to place responsibility for disposal of technology products on electronic manufacturers and brand owners, primarily through community promotions and legal enforcement initiatives. It provides recommendations for consumer recycling and a list of recyclers judged environmentally responsible. [33] ? The Certified Electronics Recycler program[34] for electronic recyclers is a comprehensive, integrated management system standard that incorporates key operational and continual improvement elements for quality, environmental and health and safety (QEH) performa nce. The grassroots Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (svtc. org) focuses on promoting human health and addresses environmental justice problems resulting from toxins in technologies. ?Basel Action Network (BAN. org) is uniquely focused on addressing global environmental injustices and economic inefficiency of global â€Å"toxic trade†. It works for human rights and the environment by preventing disproportionate dumping on a large scale. It promotes sustainable solutions and attempts to ban waste trade. It requires companies to be either ISO 14001 or R2 certified. Texas Campaign for the Environment (texasenvironment. org) works to build grassroots support for e-waste recycling and uses community organizing to pressure electronics manufacturers and elected officials to enact producer takeback recycling policies and commit to responsible recycling programs. ?The World Reuse, Repair, and Recycling Association (wr3a. org) is an organization dedicated to improving the quality of exp orted electronics, encouraging better recycling standards in importing countries, and improving practices through â€Å"Fair Trade† principles. Take Back My TV[35] is a project of The Electronics TakeBack Coalition and grades television manufacturers to find out which are responsible and which are not. [edit]Processing techniques Recycling the lead from batteries. In developed countries, electronic waste processing usually first involves dismantling the equipment into various parts (metal frames, power supplies, circuit boards, plastics), often by hand, but increasingly by automated shredding equipment. A typical example is the NADIN electronic waste processing plant in Novi Iskar, Bulgaria — the largest facility of its kind in Eastern Europe. 36][37] The advantages of this process are the human's ability to recognize and save working and repairable parts, including chips, transistors, RAM, etc. The disadvantage is that the labor is cheapest in countries with the lowes t health and safety standards. In an alternative bulk system,[38] a hopper conveys material for shredding into an unsophisticated mechanical separator, with screening and granulating machines to separate constituent metal and plastic fractions, which are sold to smelters or plastics recyclers.Such recycling machinery is enclosed and employs a dust collection system. Some of the emissions are caught by scrubbers and screens. Magnets, eddy currents, and trommel screens are employed to separate glass, plastic, and ferrous and nonferrous metals, which can then be further separated at a smelter. Leaded glass from CRTs is reused in car batteries, ammunition, and lead wheel weights,[20] or sold to foundries as a fluxing agent in processing raw lead ore. Copper, gold, palladium, silver and tin are valuable metals sold to smelters for recycling.Hazardous smoke and gases are captured, contained and treated to mitigate environmental threat. These methods allow for safe reclamation of all valua ble computer construction materials. [15] Hewlett-Packard product recycling solutions manager Renee St. Denis describes its process as: â€Å"We move them through giant shredders about 30 feet tall and it shreds everything into pieces about the size of a quarter. Once your disk drive is shredded into pieces about this big, it's hard to get the data off†. 39] An ideal electronic waste recycling plant combines dismantling for component recovery with increased cost-effective processing of bulk electronic waste. Reuse is an alternative option to recycling because it extends the lifespan of a device. Devices still need eventual recycling, but by allowing others to purchase used electronics, recycling can be postponed and value gained from device use. [edit]Benefits of recycling Recycling raw materials from end-of-life electronics is the most effective solution to the growing e-waste problem. Most electronic devices contain a ariety of materials, including metals that can be recove red for future uses. By dismantling and providing reuse possibilities, intact natural resources are conserved and air and water pollution caused by hazardous disposal is avoided. Additionally, recycling reduces the amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused by the manufacturing of new products. It simply makes good sense and is efficient to recycle and to do our part to keep the environment green. [40] [edit]Electronic waste substances Several sizes of button and coin cell with 2 9v batteries as a size comparison.They are all recycled in many countries since they contain lead, mercury and cadmium. Some computer components can be reused in assembling new computer products, while others are reduced to metals that can be reused in applications as varied as construction, flatware, and jewelry. [39] Substances found in large quantities include epoxy resins, fiberglass, PCBs, PVC (polyvinyl chlorides), thermosetting plastics, lead, tin, copper, silicon,beryllium, carbon, iron and aluminium . Elements found in small amounts include cadmium, mercury, and thallium. 41] Elements found in trace amounts include americium, antimony, arsenic, barium, bismuth, boron, cobalt, europium, gallium, germanium, gold, indium,lithium, manganese, nickel, niobium, palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, selenium, silver, tantalum, terbium, thorium, titanium, vanadium, and yttrium. Almost all electronics contain lead and tin (as solder) and copper (as wire and printed circuit board tracks), though the use of lead-free solder is now spreading rapidly. The following are ordinary applications: [edit]Hazardous Recyclers in the street in Sao Paulo, Brazil with old computers ?Americium:the radioactive source in smoke alarms. It is known to be carcinogenic. ?Mercury: found in fluorescent tubes (numerous applications), tilt switches (mechanical doorbells, thermostats),[42] and flat screen monitors. Health effects include sensory impairment, dermatitis, memory loss, and muscle weakness. Environme ntal effects in animals include death, reduced fertility, slower growth and development. ?Sulphur: found in lead-acid batteries. Health effects include liver damage, kidney damage, heart damage, eye and throat irritation. When released in to the environment, it can create sulphuric acid. BFRs: Used as flame retardants in plastics in most electronics. Includes PBBs, PBDE, DecaBDE, OctaBDE, PentaBDE. Health effects include impaired development of the nervous system, thyroid problems, liver problems. Environmental effects: similar effects as in animals as humans. PBBs were banned from 1973 to 1977 on. PCBs were banned during the 1980s. ?Cadmium: Found in light-sensitive resistors, corrosion-resistant alloys for marine and aviation environments, and nickel-cadmium batteries. The most common form of cadmium is found in Nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries.These batteries tend to contain between 6 and 18% cadmium. The sale of Nickel-Cadmium batteries has been banned in the European Union except for medical use. When not properly recycled it can leach into the soil, harming microorganisms and disrupting the soil ecosystem. Exposure is caused by proximity to hazardous waste sites and factories and workers in the metal refining industry. The inhalation of cadmium can cause severe damage to the lungs and is also known to cause kidney damage. [43] ? Lead: solder, CRT monitor glass, lead-acid batteries, some formulations of PVC. 44] A typical 15-inch cathode ray tube may contain 1. 5 pounds of lead,[2] but other CRTs have been estimated as having up to 8 pounds of lead. [20] ? Beryllium oxide: filler in some thermal interface materials such as thermal grease used on heatsinks for CPUs and power transistors,[45] magnetrons, X-ray-transparent ceramic windows, heat transfer fins in vacuum tubes, and gas lasers. [edit]Generally non-hazardous An iMac G4 that has been repurposed into alamp (photographed next to a Mac Classic and a flip phone). ?Tin: solder, coatings on compone nt leads. Copper: copper wire, printed circuit board tracks, component leads. ?Aluminium: nearly all electronic goods using more than a few watts of power (heatsinks), electrolytic capacitors. ?Iron: steel chassis, cases, and fixings. ?Germanium: 1950s–1960s transistorized electronics (bipolar junction transistors). ?Silicon: glass, transistors, ICs, printed circuit boards. ?Nickel: nickel-cadmium batteries. ?Lithium: lithium-ion batteries. ?Zinc: plating for steel parts. ?Gold: connector plating, primarily in computer equipment. [edit]See also Environment portal Electronics portal ?2000s commodities boom Basel Action Network (BAN) ?Basel Convention ?China RoHS ?Computer Recycling ?Digger gold ?E-Cycling ?e-Stewards ?eDay ?Electronics ?Electronic waste in Japan ?Green computing ?iPhone recycling ?Material safety data sheet ?Polychlorinated biphenyls ?Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) ?Retail hazardous waste ?Retrocomputing ?Sustainable Electronics Initiativ e (SEI) ?Waste ?Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive Organizations ?Empa ?International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement ? Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) ?Solving the E-waste Problem World Reuse, Repair and Recycling Association [edit]References 1. ^ http://www. executiveblueprints. com/aboutweee/WEEECRTandMonitor. htm 2. ^ a b Morgan, Russell (2006-08-21). â€Å"Tips and Tricks for Recycling Old Computers†. SmartBiz. Retrieved 2009-03-17. 3. ^ â€Å"Ghana e-Waste Country Assessmen†. Ghana e-Waste Country Assessment. SBC e-Waste Africa Project. Retrieved 29 August 2011. 4. ^ a b Prashant, Nitya (2008-08-20). â€Å"Cash For Laptops Offers ‘Green' Solution for Broken or Outdated Computers†. Green Technology (Norwalk, Connecticut: Technology Marketing Corporation). Retrieved 2009-03-17.In â€Å"Opinion†. National Center For Electronics Recycling News Summary (National Center For Electronics Recycling). 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2009-03-17. 5. ^ â€Å"Statistics on the Management of Used and End-of-Life Electronics†. US Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved 2012-03-13. 6. ^ Section, United Nations News Service (2010-02-22). â€Å"As e-waste mountains soar, UN urges smart technologies to protect health†. United Nations-DPI/NMD – UN News Service Section. Retrieved 2012-03-12. 7. ^ a b â€Å"Urgent need to prepare developing countries for surges in E-Waste†. 8. ^ Kozlan, Melanie (2010-11-02). What is ‘E-Waste' & How Can I Get Rid Of It?! â€Å". Four Green Steps. 9. ^ â€Å"Poison PCs and toxic TVs†. 10. ^ Ingenthron, Robin (2011-03-31). â€Å"Why We Should Ship Our Electronic â€Å"waste† to China and Africa†. [Motherboard. tv]. 11. ^ Where computers go to die — and kill (4/10/2006) 12. ^ a b Basel Action Network and Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (2002-02-25). â€Å"Exporting Harm: The High-Tech Trashing of Asia† (PDF). Seattle and San Jose. 13. ^ Chea, Terence (2007-11-18). â€Å"America Ships Electronic Waste Overseas†. Associated Press. 14. ^ Slade, Giles (2006). â€Å"Made To Break: Technology and Obsolescence in America†.Harvard University Press. 15. ^ a b c Carroll (January 2008). â€Å"High-Tech Trash†. National Geographic Magazine Online. 16. ^ â€Å"Product or Waste? Importation and End-of-Life Processing of Computers in Peru†, Ramzy Kahhat and Eric Williams, Center for Earth Systems Engineering and Management, Arizona State University, published Environmental Science and Technology June 2009. 17. ^ â€Å"Activists Push for Safer E-Recycling†. Retrieved 2006-11-13. 18. ^ â€Å"Computer age leftovers†. Denver Post. Retrieved 2006-11-13. 19. ^ Minter, Adam. â€Å"Shanghai Scrap†. Wasted 7/7. The Atlantic. Retrieved March 7, 2011. 20. a b c d Royte, Elizabeth (2005-08-01). â€Å"E-gad! Americans discard more than 100 million computer s, cellphones and other electronic devices each year. As â€Å"e-waste† piles up, so does concern about this growing threat to the environment. â€Å". Smithsonian Magazine (Smithsonian Institution). Retrieved 2009-03-17. 21. ^ â€Å"Computer waste disposal in China† (WMV). CBC News. 22. ^ â€Å"Illegal e-waste exposed†. Greenpeace International. 23. ^ â€Å"E-Trash Industry Poses Hazards to Workers†. 24. ^ â€Å"British Broadcasting Corporation†. BBC News. 2005-10-14. Retrieved 2010-01-03. 25. ^ â€Å"Electronic Waste in Ghana†.YouTube. 26. ^ â€Å"Poisoning the poor – Electronic Waste in Ghana†. Greenpeace International. 27. ^ â€Å"British Broadcasting Corporation†. BBC News. 2008-08-05. Retrieved 2010-01-03. 28. ^ â€Å"British Broadcasting Corporation†. BBC News. 2006-11-27. Retrieved 2010-01-03. 29. ^ â€Å"British Broadcasting Corporation†. BBC News. 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2010-01-03. 30. ^ Yuan, C. , Zhang, H. C. , McKenna, G. , Korzeniewski, C. , and Li, J. â€Å"Experimental Studies on Cryogenic Recycling of Printed Circuit Board†, International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Vol. 34, 2007, pp. 657–666 31. http://ecyclingleadershipinitiative. com/index. html 32. ^ http://www. electronicstakeback. com 33. ^ â€Å"How to Find a Responsible Recycler†. Electronics TakeBack Coalition. 34. ^ http://www. certifiedelectronicsrecycler. com 35. ^ â€Å"Take Back My TV†. 36. ^ â€Å"40 Million BGN Invested In Bulgaria's 1st Appliances Recycle Plant†. Sofia News Agency. 2010-06-28. Retrieved 2011-03-28. 37. ^ â€Å"Bulgaria Opens Largest WEEE Recycling Factory in Eastern Europe†. Ask-eu. com. 2010-07-12. Retrieved 2011-03-28. 38. ^ http://simsrecycling. com/news-and-resources/audio-and-video 39. ^ a b Haffenreffer, David (2003-02-13). Recycling, the Hewlett-Packard Way†. Financial Times(CNN). Retrieved 2009-03-17. 40. ^ Bene fits of Recycling 41. ^ â€Å"Chemical fact sheet: Thallium†. Spectrum Laboratories. Retrieved 2008-02-02. 42. ^ â€Å"Question 8†. 43. ^ . http://www. lenntech. com/periodic/elements/cd. htm#ixzz1MpuZHWfr. 44. ^ â€Å"CollectiveGood and Environmental Issues†. 45. ^ Becker, Greg; Lee, Chris; Lin, Zuchen (July 2005). â€Å"Thermal conductivity in advanced chips: Emerging generation of thermal greases offers advantages†. Advanced Packaging: 2–4. Retrieved 2008-03-04. [edit]Further reading ?Hicks, C; Dietmara, R. , Eugsterb, M. (2005). The recycling and disposal of electrical and electronic waste in China—legislative and market responses†. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 25 (5): 459–471. doi:10. 1016/j. eiar. 2005. 04. 007. ISSN 01959255. ?†Scrapping the Hi-tech Myth: Computer waste in India†. India: Toxics Link. February 2003. Retrieved 25 March 2011. ?Ogunseitan, O. A. , Schoenung, J. M. , Saphores, J-D. M. , a nd Shapiro, A. A. (2009). â€Å"The Electronics Revolution: From E-Wonderland to E-Wasteland. â€Å". Science 326: 670–671. doi:10. 1126/science. 1176929. [edit]External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Electronic waste RECYCLING – FROM E-WASTE TO RESOURCES (UN Environmental Program, 2009, 120 pages) ? EMPA E-waste Guide ?World Reuse, Repair and Recycling Association ?Carroll, Chris (January 2008). â€Å"High-Tech Trash†. National Geographic Society. ?Disposal of Old Computer Equipment ?WEEE Forum [show] ?V ?T ?E Waste and waste management [show] ?V ?T ?E Recycling View page ratings Rate this page What's this? Trustworthy Objective Complete Well-written I am highly knowledgeable about this topic (optional) Submit ratings Categories: †¢Electronic waste †¢Create account †¢Log in †¢Article †¢Talk †¢Read †¢Edit †¢View history †¢Main page Contents †¢Featured content †¢Current events †¢Random a rticle †¢Donate to Wikipedia Interaction †¢Help †¢About Wikipedia †¢Community portal †¢Recent changes †¢Contact Wikipedia Toolbox Print/export Languages †¢ †¢Catala †¢Cesky †¢Dansk †¢Deutsch †¢Espanol †¢Euskara †¢ †¢Francais †¢ †¢Italiano †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢Nederlands †¢ †¢Portugues †¢ †¢ †¢Slovenscina †¢Svenska †¢ †¢ †¢Turkce †¢ †¢ †¢This page was last modified on 23 August 2012 at 20:31. †¢Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of use for details.Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. , a non-profit organization. †¢Contact us †¢Privacy policy †¢About Wikipedia †¢Disclaimers †¢Mobile view †¢ †¢ E-waste is a popular, informal name for electronic products nearing the end of their à ¢â‚¬Å"useful life. † Computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, and fax machines are common electronic products. Many of these products can be reused, refurbished, or recycled. Unfortunately, electronic discards is one of the fastest growing segments of our nation's waste stream. With the passage of the Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003 , certain po

Poverty in America Essay

Poverty is an epidemic that has swept the American nation many times over. Whether it be quietly lingering under the surface, or blatantly staring us in the face as it is in this current recession, it affects people across America on individual, community and national levels alike. While there are many causes and effects of poverty, it is important to view the issue of poverty and its causes from all angles when one seeks to tackle the problem. These factors include socio-economic status, mental illness, family values and work ethics, to name a few. In this essay, I will be examining these factors as they are discussed in the book, The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls (referred to as Glass Castle throughout essay), as well as in the article Poverty in America from the Congressional Digest, December 2010 (referred to as Census throughout the essay). When children are born into poverty, it is the only life they know. They often grow up to either see life from the viewpoint of, â€Å"that’s just the way it is,† or become determined to better their status when they are old enough to do so. Children don’t often realize they live in poverty until they are told by their peers, such as when they are called poor and see people taking pity on them or make fun of them. They may also realize they are different when they are exposed to what other people have and realize that they have much less. As noted in Poverty in America, poverty level, in itself, is merely based on an income deficit, whereas one’s household receives less money than another; it also relates to the standard of living (Census, pg. 300). When one has less income, less things are afforded, however living within those means will often create or hide the barrier that is poverty. While one family may learn to utilize their resources effectively and appropriate funds where they belong, another will attempt to make fast money such as through crime or gambling. As in the story of the Glass Castle, the father spends the money the family has on gambling, sometimes paying off and spending the money on lavish dinners out and treats; other times they are deeper in poverty since gambling funds are not the most stable income (Glass Castle, p. Living in Las Vegas). Addictions and mental illness have impacted the nation and led many families into poverty. While not directly discussed in the article, it may be  presumed that these issues play a role in keeping people from holding jobs, working full time and gain the skills necessary to find gainful employment. The article cites work experience and less-than-full-time workers as being affected by increased poverty rates, especially in this recent economic downturn. Additionally, whereas it was normal for a single mother to stay home and care for her children in the 1950’s when the poverty census was first started, it is expected now for single parents to work and better their economic status for the well-being of their family. With the costs of daycare and living skyrocketing since the 50’s, women sometimes seek easier means of making money and still staying at home, including prostitution and drug dealing. Many of these women were also sexually abused and preyed upon because of th eir economic status and other issues affecting their childhood, which may lead to substance abuse in adolescence and early adulthood. Sexual abuse was a prominent theme in the Glass Castle, as the parents were very hands-off and flighty, leaving the children exposed to predators and even victim to family members. While Jeanette’s parents felt that the children will only become stronger by facing hardship, these factors will often cause self-esteem, trauma, depression and anxiety in children who grow up into alcohol and drug abusing adults; this may also begin the poverty cycle for generations to come. The cycle of poverty being exacerbated by drug and alcohol use is first noted in the Glass Castle with insight into Rex’s drinking problems. While he has attempts at periods of sobriety, he always returns to the bottle. It is apparent that he has dreams of grandeur, always telling the children that they will one day live in a glass castle, going so far as to build blueprints. He is a self-proclaimed inventor and thinks very highly of his skills and self, but is constantly losing jobs and sweeping the family away to avoid the law. While he has the emotional support of his family, he is battling his own demons of feeling like a failure, leading him to steal his wife’s money, gamble profusely and even takes steps toward selling his own daughter for a quick buck (Glass Castle, pg. rex takes to bar to play pool, win money back). He also seeks the comfort of a prostitute, probably to have the company of someone who makes him feel better about himself (Glass Castle, pg. Brian tells Jeanette about reading comic while Rex/Ginger were  in hotel). It’s also interesting to examine the impact of the sexual abuse Rex may have been exposed to as a child by his mother, which could have been the start to his cycle of living in a dream-world, using alcohol and low self-esteem (pg. when they tell Rex Erma tried to molest Brian and wonder if he was abused). Beyond addiction issues, mental health problems were also a focus of the Glass Castle, as it appears that Mary was, deep inside, a solid person with a good family upbringing, an education and was probably capable of being a good mother. Unfortunately, she was an â€Å"excitement addict† (Glass Castle, pg. inherited house in phoenix) and even gave up her teaching job to be an artist (Glass Castle, p. Mary returns from Bluefield), even though her children were starving. She also followed her husband through all of these adventures, partaking in all the excitement and neglect/abuse of the children, seemingly oblivious to any wrongdoing. Following the periods of excitement addiction, she would have depressed moods, staying in bed and complaining of the burden of raising a family and missing out on her chance to be an artist (Glass Castle, p. when they find diamond ring). It would appear to me that, while Mary has her times of trying to do what’s best for her family, she may be suffering from a mental illness, such as bipolar disorder, making choices that are mostly selfish to fulfill her fun and excitement; she also makes very poor financial choices for her family, such as not selling the million-dollar property to feed her family (Glass Castle, pg. Mary wants to borrow money from Eric to buy adjacent land) and not using money from work to stick with a budget so that food and indoor plumbing and coal can be bought (Glass Castle, pg. Mary is teaching and Lori and Jeanette make a budget and ask to hold money). In addition, mental illness is often thought to be genetic, with some syndromes passing through generations. While most of the children in the Walls family eventually become successful adults with seemingly normal lives, Maureen adapts some of the characteristics of her parents, ultimately ending up living a bizarre life of chasing cults a nd getting locked up in a state hospital (Glass Castle, p. Maureen stabs Mary). Family values play a large role in bringing, and keeping, people in poverty; especially families. Although there have been separate social classes throughout history, values and work ethics are two factors that can change over time and create a different outcome of values and ethics. Through the article, the reader learns that recessions have caused disparities at different levels since the census began recording this material in 1959 (Census, p. 298). While each recession has differed slightly, the length and severity of increased poverty has happened in different extents, leading one to believe that the values/ethics of the time may be affecting how people handle changes in their economic situations; how families handle ongoing poverty over generations will also determine the overall success of that family coming out of poverty or remaining in it. The work ethics and values were definitely confused throughout the Glass Castle, with Rex having a history of serving in the Air Force and Mary being educated in teaching and falling back on that from time to time, barely keeping the metaphoric family head above water. There is also question about the values that are being taught to the children; where one parent proclaims to be a devout catholic that doesn’t attend church or follow the commandments and another parent despises and puts down the religion. Other family values that the children are exposed to include shoplifting (Glass Castle, p. where they steal dresses and get caught) and stealing from the bank (Glass Castle, p. where dad and mom are stealing money), as well as stealing lunches at school and dumpster diving; all of this yet Mary refuses to even consider government aid when the idea is mentioned, presenting herself as better than that. Also, family traditions that the children see other people participating are often ruined (Glass Castle, p. where dad lights tree on fire) and the family learns to deal with it by just understanding there is nothing they can do. Hope still remains for those in poverty. We know that, economically, everything that goes up must come down, and when it comes to the economy, the opposite is likely to occur as well. As the Census shows us on p. 298, while poverty levels have dropped and risen over the past five decades, they do resume along with the economy and each person in poverty still has a chance at changing their situation if they work hard enough. The coping  skills that people learn when they live a life of poverty to effectively live within their means prioritize can make or break the future options they have before them. As the Walls children show us, one can change their future when they put their mind to it. The children lived through so many experiences of suffering and neglect, and were always trying to help their parents get it together so they could have a better life. While the children learned to cope with their parent’s ways, they also were intelligent and ambitious, and having been taught to dream, they were able to imagine a better future and a higher standard of living. While poverty has been an ongoing issue, there are many causes and facto s associated with this social construct, and many ways to overcome it. In this essay, which combined poverty information from the 2010 Census and the book, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, the effects of mental illness, addiction, family values and work ethics on poverty were discussed and examined. The overall conclusion of this writer would be that poverty can be overcome as long as individuals are willing to help themselves and their dep endents and overcome the obstacles that they face in order to create a better outcome. References 1.Congressional Digest (December, 2010). Poverty in America: Census Population Report. Retrieved April 1, 2011 from www.congressionaldigestdebates.com. 2.Walls, J. (2005) The Glass Castle: A Memoir. New York, Simon & Schuster.

“King Charles is totally to blame for the civil war.” Do I Agree? Essay

The English Civil War took place in 1642 when Charles I raised his royal standard in Nottingham. The split between Charles and Parliament was such that neither side was willing to back down over the principles that they held and war was inevitable as a way in which all problems could be solved. The country split into those who supported the king and those who supported Parliament. Some historians say that Charles is totally to blame for this war, while some say that parliament is totally to blame for it. I am going to tell you about it. There were many reasons for why the king was to blame one of the reasons for why the king was to blame was because of his money problems. Charles was not good with money and always had very little. He had closed down parliament and had to think of ways of getting money without asking the parliament’s help. He had used old laws like ‘Ship Money’, which was a special tax to help the navy he used this idea to get money off the people of England. This made him very unpopular. Another reason for why the king was to blame was the way he had handled with religion. As he was the king, he had thought that he had the power to make the Scots use English prayer books. The scots were so furious that they decided to fight Charles I instead. This also made him unpopular to the scots as well as the people of England. When the scots had defeated him Charles had to pay lots of tax money which he couldn’t afford. So, Charles had to recall parliament, as only tax voted by parliament got rid of the scots. Charles believed in divine rights that God had chosen him to be king so he and Archbishop Laud started to decorate the church which he said that if the church is decorated, you will be closer to God. He also married a catholic princess from France which was very unpopular. Oliver Cromwell and Parliament still wanted more power and no return to the Catholic religion. To make things worse for Charles the Catholics in Ireland killed 100,000 Protestants. Also another reason why parliament is to blame is because the king and parliament always used to argue about who controls the army and parliament made the king angry by taking over them without his permission.

Sun Rise Foods Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Sun Rise Foods - Case Study Example The company produces snack products, pies , pastries and sandwiches. These products are then supplied by the company to leading retailers under the retailer's brand but it also sells to pubs, cafes and catering supply companies under its own brand name. It uses local suppliers for its food products where ever it is possible to do so. The main focus of the case study is on the customer service department of the company. The job of a customer service officer in the company is to answer enquires about the food products of the company, ingredients being used in the food products and the quality issues which customers might have faced regarding the food products. Recently management has been highly concerned about the quality of customer service that is being provided to customers and has shifted its focus to achieving high customer satisfaction. The manager has also brought about new performance resolution program which focuses on quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost as the method of ensuring that customers are satisfied with the response achieved from the customer service officers of the company. Six months have passed since the new control model was floated by the company. However there has not been sufficient increase in performance on the 5 parameters of customer service which the management wanted improved upon. However it has led to employees being dissatisfied with the management and a oppressive management style emerging in the organization. The company's CEO has grand expansion plans for the company. He wants to expand the company's reach in to the European markets; particularly Holland and Scotland. He also wants to concentrate on premier range of products which will provide him greater margin and thus increase the profits of the company. However consumers of premier products are very quality conscious and want good quality products as well as high quality customer service for the price they are paying. There is thus a gap between the strategic mission of the company's CEO and the functional aspects of the company. This case deals with the problems that are being faced by Sunrise foods and tries to provide reasonable solutions to the above problems. Literature Review Operations management was confined only to the management of processes of products till 1980s.It was primarily because of the reason that operations management has grown from the concept of factory management. It was only in 1980s when the

Discussion Board Post Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Discussion Board Post Response - Essay Example Keeping in mind your discussion Jayne Aniagor, it is worth inferring that meeting all the requirements in terms of standards in a healthcare facility contributes to the creation of a conducive working environment. Consequently, nurses and other healthcare providers are likely to be satisfied with their jobs and be greatly motivated in an environment that they are certain of their safety. Nurse retention is also likely to be higher in institutions that meet the necessary requirements. Melissa Jenkins, your discussion is spot-on as it clearly gives the reader a lucid disparity between trailing indicators and leading indicators. Melissa, the example of your organization whereby you cite nurturing future leaders as a leading indicator corresponds with the factual definition of a leading indicator. Additionally, there are certain aspects within a healthcare institution, as you cite in your discussion, such as the profit and loss margins that can be either trailing indicators or leading indicators depending on the timeframe in question. Preceding data in regard to profit and loss margins can be extrapolated to show projected margins in future and this is important when charting future organizational goals and objectives (Laureate Education,

Negative And Positive Impacts of Globalization On Developing And Essay

Negative And Positive Impacts of Globalization On Developing And Developed Countries - Essay Example This is because while the countries participate in international trade and allows for importation and exportation of commodities across their borders, the value of flow in the opposite directions is different. The countries export lowly valued products such as agricultural outputs at low costs to developed countries while they import highly valued finished industrial products at high costs. Globalization therefore induces a negative balance of trade on the developing countries, a factor that is reflected on the countries’ economic status (Simpson, 2007). Such has been the case in the Sub Saharan nations and their cities such as Lagos that rely on exportation of cheap commodities with limited bargaining power. Developing countries have also suffered from increased unemployment rates because o globalization with countries such as Nigeria and Kenya loosing as high as 30 percent opportunities to retrenchment (Oduwaye, 2006). The countries’ narrow market base for their expor ts identifies another negative effect of globalized trade. While most of the countries specialize in perishable agricultural commodities, their markets are narrowed to few countries, a factor that identifies high risks of market volatility. Economic instability in case of breached link between two economies therefore leads to loss in the value of commodities that cannot be stored for a long time. Such loses may also occur due to temporary diplomatic challenges and communication barriers. Declining trend in productivity of the countries’ exports has also worsened their trade deficits (Simpson, 2007). Developing countries have also failed to reap the full benefits of globalization especially with respect to capital transfer across territories. While... This paper stresses that developed countries have derived significant benefits from globalization, especially with respect to globalized trade. Specialization in fields of production has for example led to economic advantages towards higher revenues and living standards. Specialization for example allows for efficiencies and innovation towards cost effectiveness and development of diversified products for a wider market towards higher gross income. Globalization also avails cheap commodities in the developed countries to ensure affordability. Similarly, allowance for transfer of physical property, as has been the case in the United States’ industries has facilitated efficiencies in production processes. Mobility of intellectual property into developed countries also facilitates â€Å"technological developments and innovation† that can be applied for economic advantages. Most export industries also offer higher wage rate to their employees and this improves peopleâ€℠¢s economic and social status. Another benefit of globalization on developed countries is the freedom of movement of capital that allows their investors to explore countries whose interest rates are relatively lower than domestic rates. This report makes a conclusion that globalization has largely interlinked different part of the world through economic, social, and political integration. This is associated with a level of interdependence and identifies many impacts, negative and positive, on both developed and developing countries.

Renting an Apartment in Japan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Renting an Apartment in Japan - Assignment Example Be prepared to put down about five to seven month’s worth of rent up front. This is standard. The deposit is composed of the following: †¢ Reservation fee (tetsukekin) – 1 month’s rent paid when the tenant applies for an apartment and before the contract is signed. After the contract is signed, the money is included as part of the deposit. †¢ Security Deposit (shikikin) – 2 to 3 months’ rent used to cover eventual damage to the apartment or unpaid rents and fees. It is seldom that this is refunded in full (alterations to the property are one of the thorniest issues between landlords and tenants). It is refunded without interest. †¢ Key money (reikin) – 1 to 2 months’ rent a â€Å"gift† to the house owner when making a contract and is not refundable †¢ Advance rent – 1 month’s rent the rent should be paid before the start of the month Fourth,If you are a foreignor, be sure to have a guarantor and proper identification. (Passports and Non-japanise licences are useless). A guarantor is also required before a contract is signed. Usually, it is the tenant’s company or a wealthy Japanese. The guarantor takes the responsibility if the tenant is unable to pay the rent or room expenses. ("Japanese landlords get key money")One of the very real obstacles is that many landlords will simply refuse to rent to foreigners, even if they speak Japanese fluently and can make all arrangements in Japanese. I've heard many different excuses for this, such as ''The landlord can't speak English,'' ''Foreigners have loud parties,''. ''Foreigners' food smells different and the neighbors might be bothered by it,'' (Jay). Japanese use the phrase hikoshi-bimbo to describe someone who recently moved into a new apartment. Literally translating as 'moving poor,' hikoshi-bimbo describes the state of having to fork over six months' salary for the privilege of renting a new apartment. (Renting an Apartment in Japan) Fifth: Register your new address with local authorities at the local city hall or ward office. They will write the new address information on the back of your Alien Registration Card. A word of warning on finding your apartment. Don't be hasty in selecting your apartment. Take your time and make a good selection. Paying key money once is pretty tough, paying twice is a financial disaster. Sixth: Don't expect the rental contract to be in English, so bring a Japanese friend to help you with understanding its terms and conditions. Seventh: If you're making a higher salary, you may save on taxes by arranging for your employer to pay your rent as a "housing allowance." US citizens working in Japan are allowed to receive very generous housing allowances which are not counted as income for US tax purposes. Check the IRS website or talk to your lawyer or accountant. (Jay) Eighth: If you get an indefinite term for your lease, your landlord has almost no way to kick you out so long as you are paying your rent.

Analysis of the Agency's Policies, Procedures, and Plans Regarding Assignment

Analysis of the Agency's Policies, Procedures, and Plans Regarding Unions, privatization, Pensions , and Productivity, Part 4 - Assignment Example Workers have rights to impact wages work hours, benefits, health, safety and among others through unions. Agencies prefer not to have representation in the unions because, the workers influence the wages, and this may cause loss and workers lose their jobs. The reason being employees demands the agency to raise their salary, and if they do not do that, then they will end up losing workers and henceforth experience closure. Safety is another factor that they should consider; safety is the most important thing in companies. If t workers cannot feel safe where they work, most probably they are going to quit jobs and find other places where safety is in place. Privatization is whereby agencies move from being public and becomes private. Implementation of privatization gets control from a legal entity that that promotes initiative such as the Air Force. When the utility systems become old, obsolete and reliable, the Air Force began efforts to convey ownership of these service systems to the private sector through privatization efforts. The costs to upgrade these utilities are so costly whereby the government will cost the public more money and provide a lower level of service. Therefore, the independent private sectors ensure government initiatives meet their destined reliability and how it retorts to its utility systems. This effort helps to subside the need for the public to pay more taxes to the government. Instead, when the government receives support from the private sector, it is an opportunity for the air force. It will get more advanced utilities from the sponsors at large. It is a retirement plan usually tax exempt, whereby, an employee makes the contribution towards funds that is set aside for an employees future benefits. Plans represent an enormous future expense for companies. Companies, according to Frangakis, Hermann and Huffschmid (2010), review individual employee information held in the

Question set 4-6 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Question set 4-6 - Assignment Example The project management system enables users to easily see that resources are applied to the right tasks at the right time. It assists managers to make sure that they have allocated ample time to the employees for the success of the project (R.Drew 2009). Project management system enables assigning of tasks which can be declined or accepted by the managers depending on whether they have the time and resources to perform the tasks. This in turn provides team work since one is not assigned tasks they cannot or do not what to perform. It also ensures that there is no overlap in resource assignment (R.Drew 2009). A project sponsor is the link between the project team and the organisation executive team. They own the project and have the ultimate responsibility for seeing that the intended benefits are realized to create the value of forecast in the business case (L. Bourne 2012). An escalation process ensures that the next level of management is informed periodically, if an issue cannot be resolved by the project manager. Examples of some of the issues that are usually escalated are resource conflicts; this is where during projects people are pulled out to go and assist resolve problems in their day to day work areas threatening the projects ability to meet its schedule. Another example is when the project team realizes that late in the project, there are issues with the project’s main deliverables and the team believes that the issue cannot be corrected within the original time (efor_blog 2009). The escalation process should be defined at the beginning of the project by setting expectations as to how certain issues will be raised to the project sponsor during the project to avoid conflict between the project team and the project sponsor. The project team should keep track of the issues, regularly reviewing them and determining their significance, so that teams see which should be escalated. This can

Personal Income Tax and Revenue Forecasting Research Paper

Personal Income Tax and Revenue Forecasting - Research Paper Example diminishing amount of revenue in the past three years in the month of December to January and April to May as the fiscal year comes to an end with an average rate of 15% and the revenue collection amount is registered high in the month of December every fiscal year. From the table of distribution of revenue collection in each year, the observation reveals that the revenue collection has been growing each year from the past financial year. Thus, given that the revenue collection amount in the month of May has the pattern of decreasing by 15% from the collection of April, then the revenue amount that is likely to be collected on May of 2001 is expected to be 586,743 - (586,743*15%) = 586,743 – 88,011.45 = 498,731.55 makka. If the amount of revenue that is likely to be collected in May is 498,731.55 makka, the revenue collection for the fiscal year June 2000-May 2001 will amount to 940,975.1 + 967,098.4 + 841,267.5 + 874,308.1 + 887,091.4 + 936,090.7 + 1,304,961.7 + 714,981 + 575,115 + 583,592 + 586,743 + 498,731.55 = 5,200,214.95 makka. Thus, the ministry target of revenue collection of 778,900 makka, given the past revenue pattern, will fail to be realized and will be required to be reviewed to a target of 5,200,214.95 makka. The factor that may affect the pattern of the revenue collection in Vadar Republic can be an economic scenario in the overall state and in the region which includes the economic trend (Baumol and Blinder 389). During the different months within the budget cycle, different economic events might be happening in some months that boost the income level of the citizen and returns of businesses in that particular period. For instance, during the month of December the country registers the highest level of revenue collection. This could be contributed to the festive season that accompanies the month of December, which means a lot of people engage in activities that increase the revenue that businesses make. A high revenue on the part of the

FIN501 - Strategic Corporate Finance Mod 3 SLP Essay

FIN501 - Strategic Corporate Finance Mod 3 SLP - Essay Example But we might wonder what determines the rate of return that a shareholder would want on a particular stock? It would depend for one thing on the price of the stock (highs, lows and average) and the historical trend of dividend payouts that has been made in recent years. Though every stockholder would have his personal thoughts and opinions on this, we can be sure that it would be higher than the risk free rate- the rate on US Government bonds maturing in one year and guaranteed by the Government. It would also depend on the Beta coefficient for that particular stock. In fact a good estimate of the rate of return expected by a stockholder in relation to a particular stock would be given by the Capital Asset Pricing Model formula which goes as follows: Rj - RF = ÃŽ ²j [RM - RF]. By using this model, we can estimate the cost of equity or the rate of return that our companys shareholders require. Every financial manager must be aware of this because it will help to determine whether a particular course of action by the company will or will not add value to the shareholders. This is the minimum rate of return and may be regarded as the cost of equity. Given that the average cost of capital for a firm in the S&P 500 is 10.2 percent, I would have expected the Coca Cola Company to have a lower cost of capital than the average firm. This is because the Coca Cola Company is a good stock with consistency in performance and price. The price fluctuation for Coca Cola stock has not been too much, with a current price of $67.46, a low of $61.29 and a high of $71.77 in the last 12 months (Yahoo Finance, 2012). Now I will compare the Beta and compute the Required Rate of Return using the CAPM for Dr. Pepper and the Pepsi Corporation, two competing firms of the Coca Cola Corporation and in the same industry sector. For Dr. Pepper the Beta is 0.74 and for Pepsi Corporation, the Beta is 0.42 (Yahoo Finance, 2012). The required rates

Single Parent Households and Crime Essay Example for Free

Single Parent Households and Crime Essay People claimed that growing up in a fatherless or motherless home was the major cause of child poverty, delinquency, and school failure, while others denied that single parenthood had any harmful effects. And some objected even to discussing the topic for fear of stigmatizing single mothers or fathers and their children. Not talking about single parenthood is scarcely an option. More than half of the children born in 1994 will spend some or all of their childhood with only one parent, typically their mother. If current patterns hold, they will likely experience higher rates of poverty, school failure, and other problems as they grow up. The long-range consequences could have enormous implications. (Article/consequences-single-motherhood familyinequality.wordpress) But what exactly are the consequences how large and concentrated among what groups? Do they depend on whether a single mother is widowed, divorced, or never married? Does public support for single mothers inadvertently increase the number of women who get divorced or choose to have a baby on their own? Children who grow up with only one of their biological parents (nearly always the mother) are disadvantaged across a broad array of outcomes. They are twice as likely to drop out of high school, 2.5 times as likely to become teen mothers, and 1.4 times as likely to be idle out of school and out of work as children who grow up with both parents. Children in one-parent families also have lower grade point averages, lower college aspirations, and poorer attendance records. As adults, they have higher rates of divorce. These patterns persist even after adjusting for differences in race, parents education, number of siblings, and residential location. (Article/consequences-single-motherhood familyinequality.wordpress) The evidence, however, does not show that family disruption is the principal cause of high school failure, poverty, and delinquency. While 19 percent of all children drop out of high school, the dropout rate for children in two-parent families is 13 percent. Thus, the dropout rate would be only 33 percent lower if all families had two parents and the children currently living with a single parent had the same dropout rates as children living with two parents a highly improbable assumption. (Article/consequences-single-motherhood familyinequality.wordpress ) Family disruption also undermines childrens access to community resources or what sociologist James Coleman calls social capital. Divorce and remarriage often precipitate moves out of a community, disrupting childrens relationships with peers, teachers, and other adults. During middle childhood and early adolescence, a child in a stable family experiences, on average, 1.4 moves. The average child in a single-parent family experiences 2.7 moves; in a stepfamily, the average child experiences 3.4 moves. (ejournal.narotama.ac.id/files/DeMuthandBrownJRCD) So all this information provided, I agree that children growing in a single parent household, and a child having family disruptions, does impact delinquency within in juveniles I’m not saying it’s a 100% guarantee a child will fall into delinquency because of one parent households, I’m just agreeing that the possibility is a higher risk.

Changing Care Needs through the Life Stages

Changing Care Needs through the Life Stages Shane Quigley Introduction In this essay, I will be discussing the changing care needs through the life stage of my case study Margret whose name has been changed to protect the confidentiality of the person. I will be taking you through the development of late adulthood, the development of Margret, factors affecting Margret and my recommendations on helping Margret’s personal needs. The information provided will be mostly personal life experience from my module book and some internet pages. Development during Late Adulthood Aging affects people differently from person to person, but generally in late adulthood people experience both gains and losses. People lose their instant energy a younger person may have, but the ability to conserve energy is gained for future activities when needed. Age also brings a better sense of patience, experience, wisdom and understanding one may not have had before as a person has seen and experienced changes in their life before, this wisdom improves the quality of life regardless of the physical changes that may occur. Physical changes in the body in late adulthood are inevitable no matter how healthy a life you live but maintaining a healthy balanced lifestyle coupled with daily exercise can help you live a better quality of life and may keep the body and mind fresh into late adulthood too. Primary aging in late adulthood has an effect on appearance, sensation and motor abilities. A person in late adulthood may have more wrinkles as less collagen is produced in skin, skin becomes less elastic it also becomes thinner. Warts and skin tags and liver spots may form around the body as well as noticeable blood vessels. The hair may thin and turn grey as melanin is not produced as frequently in the body as before and height is decreased as bone density decreases. Intellectually in late adulthood the senses begin to decrease or dull in this stage of life the lenses of the eye discolour and are rigid, making the perception of colour harder to interpret, reading may also become difficult without the proper corrective glasses. Hearing also decreases in this stage , especially being able to hear high-pitched sounds, as a result of this paranoia may develop and could develop a level of unfound distrustfulness in response to not being able to hear well, as they could not interpret if the person was talking about them or not, this can be corrected with proper diagnosed hearing aids which are widely available. Also cognitive changes in late adulthood are not rare, memory fades as we age, however some people defy the general trends and can maintain their mental sharpness into their late stage of life through keeping their mind active and alert as much as possible. The theorist Jean-Piaget believed this is the formal-operative thinking stage in late adulthood, hypothetical problem solving skills decline, but decision making is faster and more logical and focused. Research has shown that keeping the body physically fit can attribute to staving off mental illnesses and other cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. Eriksson’s theory of Identity vs. Despair best described the social and emotional development of late adulthood. As the theory involves coming to terms with the decisions you made in life. Those who view they have achieved a sense of integrity view their life in a larger context and are more at ease with themselves and accept their life course. People in late adulthood have experienced a lifetime of knowledge, which can make them feel more secure with themselves which they may not have had when they were younger. Adjusting to retirement is vital and a big step in this stage, adjusting can be easy and have no adverse affects on their life. On the other hand some people may find it hard adjusting depending on their emotional state, income and social network. Friends and family play a significant role in late adulthood in maintaining good life satisfaction by providing companionship and doing social activities. Staying in contact with people promotes successful aging and people d o better if they continue to engage with life and maintain close friendships and relationships. Margret Development and Personal Prejudices, Fears and Anxieties Physically Margret has no major illnesses thankfully for her age, she just has the characteristics of primary aging such as wrinkles and sagging skin but her hearing and sight is quite sound for her age. She does not need the use of hearing aids and only uses reading glasses to read, mobility is fine as she does not need the use of a walking stick or wheelchair and frequently walks every day up the town and to the library. Intellectually Margret keeps her mind active and has no mental-illnesses or diseases, she does this through her hobbies such as reading, playing Sudoku and other mind puzzles and crosswords in her favourite newspaper The DailyMail. Also her frequent trips to the library to read up on fiction and the World Wars during the week helps keep her mind active and fresh, as-well as walking which has been proven to keep the mind mentally stable. She also attends the local bingo with friends, bingo keeps the mind fresh as you constantly have to be aware your numbers are being called and have to keep the brain focused as you pay attention. Emotionally and Socially Margret has a close knit of friends she keeps in touch with regularly from childhood and the group she goes to bingo with. Family is very important to Margret. She has just one daughter and two grandchildren which she sees twice a week. This means the world to Margret especially after losing her spouse two years ago to cancer. Margret says she is blessed with her daughter and grandchildren and is grateful of the group of friends she has to make her happy especially when her husband died. She also attends mass every Sunday in her local church. Spirituality is very important for change in late adulthood and religion plays a big role in Margret’s life and accompanied with church, she also goes to Lourdes once a year. These social activities help keep Margret in touch with other likeminded people and promote a healthy social lifestyle. My own personal prejudices, fears and anxieties regarding late adulthood would probably be the youth of today as I think they do not have the same respect as the past generation had. I would be fearful when I grow older into this stage travelling on public transport as I think the youths on public transport can be quite loud, intimidating and sometimes aggressive, and can be quite the stressful and terrifying experience especially at night time. When you reach a certain age, you are forced to use public transport as your license is taken away from you. You lose that freedom you once had, that sense of independence is gone and in my opinion you feel like you are being treated like a child not a valued member of society. Fear and anxieties would that be finically, the economy the way it is at the moment may reduce or take away the pension. I also fear I wouldn’t be able to afford the necessities I need to live, that I would a burden to my loved ones if I got ill. Also a big fear /anxiety is that I could develop a cognitive illness such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, that if this happened who would look after me, that I would be too much of a burden on family and might end up in a nursing home. Another fear is that may not be able to leave enough money for my children and the cost of the funeral would be left for them to fund. Variations/Factors affecting Individual at this stage of life Mobility in later life can be a concern as primary aging causes a decrease in bone density and organs in general but with Margret’s frequent walking into town and the library every day, she is delaying this decline of the bones as much as possible. Another factor is you memory fading and potentially getting a cognitive illness in this stage of life. Finically at this moment in time since she is on a widowers pension and is surviving comfortably at the moment. Socially and emotionally she is afraid of the well-being of her friends at this moment as some of them have fallen ill as she is close to them and relies in them for support after her husband’s passing. Recommendations to respond confidently to the needs of the person Conclusion I would recommend in conclusion that Margret should go to the doctors at least once a month to make sure she is fit and healthy, also to get her eyes checked in the opticians to see if she needs other glasses to see with. And to get her ears checked to see if hearing aids are needed. I would recommend more regularly exercise on top of her walking like joining her local gym. In some places the over sixty-fives can join for free and most places do a discounted offer for O.A.P’s, there is also a social benefit to going to the gym too as you are out of the house, meeting similar aged people too and aids cardiovascular and respiratory functions, slows the loss of muscle and helps with the decline of bone density and promotes sound sleep and fights depression. I would make sure she has a healthy diet which includes a balanced diet, less sugar and plenty of water as-well as multi-vitamins supplements with plenty of fresh fruit and fresh food to provide optimal organ function. Also to avoid smoking which she has not done throughout her life anyway. Also to cut out excessive alcohol consumption, Margret may have two glasses of wine a day. I would recommend cutting back to one to reduce risk of liver damage. I would recommend trying to reduce as much stress in her life and keeping up as much social activities as possible to promote healthy well-being mentally and physically to aid cognitive functioning and prevent depression. I would also recommend trying new skills and try new activities to aid mental activity and promote healthy mental functioning. Bibliography Web Pages 1 5M4339 Shane Quigley

The Defense Of Humbert Humberts Novels English Literature Essay

The Defense Of Humbert Humberts Novels English Literature Essay The narrator of Vladimir Nabokovs novel Lolita, Humbert Humbert, denounces himself and refers to himself as a brute, (Nabokov 193). It is all too easy for many readers to add their own condemnation; after all, Humbert is a grown man who over the course of the story lusts after and engages in sexual relations with a twelve year old girl. Yet a deeper reading of the material reveals that there may be more to the story than a simple case of pedophilia. An examination of character and symbolism in Vladimir Nabokovs Lolita provides evidence to support the theory that Humbert is a sympathetic but flawed character who is manipulated by Dolores Haze. First of all, Humbert offers an argument for his actions that allows insight into his reasoning. The relationship between Humbert and Lolita is not socially acceptable, but Humbert tries to normalize his actions, citing Poe, Proust, and Petrarch to show how norms have altered over time, (Rothstein 22). Humbert defends himself from time to time by citing historical relationships that were similar to his with Lolita, pointing out that such relationships were acceptable in certain times and places, and even arguing that many girls of Lolitas age have reached a state of physical maturity. When he states that soon I found myself maturing amid a civilization which allows a man of twenty-five to court a girl of sixteen but not a girl of twelve, it becomes clear that Humbert views society, rather than himself, as the flawed factor in this equation (Nabokov 16). Regardless of his arguments, according to the standards of twentieth century American culture Humberts relationship with Lolita is s ocially unacceptable and he remains branded as a child molester. Once more, Humbert is saved from being entirely evil. Humbert is not interested in children, and is described as having the utmost respect for ordinary children, with their purity and vulnerability, and under no circumstances would he have interfered with the innocence of a child, (Nabokov 19-20). Douglas Fowler agrees, asserting that Humbert is no deflowerer of innocent children (49). Instead, Humberts interest lies with what he calls a nymphet, or a young girl who attracts those much older than herself and who is a deadly little demon among the wholesome children, (As Nabokov 16-7). As predatory as his behavior may appear, Humbert has no intention of corrupting or harming the innocent. Unfortunately, these rationalizations lose some of their effectiveness when taking into consideration that they come from an adult who should know better. On the other hand, the argument that Humberts inner child plays into his behavior provides an alternative explanation for those actions. Near the beginning of the text, Humbert relates the tale from his childhood of a seaside romance with a girl named Annabel, which was broken off first by the interference of a pair of adults and finally by the girls death. This sad situation reflects the poem Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe, with its tale of lost love. I was a child and she was a child, In this kingdom by the sea: But we loved with a love that was more than love- I and my Annabel Lee; (Poe 7-10) Humbert feels intrinsically tied to Annabel, again shadowing the speaker of the poems assertion that nothing[c]an ever dissever my soul from the soul of the beautiful Annabel Lee, (Poe 32-3). It can be argued that Humbert never entirely grew up as a result of this incident; part of his soul was stunted by his unconsummated childhood love affair. Humbert himself admits to the influence that these circumstances have on later events when he says that in point of fact, there might have been no Lolita at all had I not loved, one summer, a certain initial girl-child, (Nabokov 9). The concept that Humberts inner child influences his behavior is reinforced by yet more evidence from the story. For example, when Humbert and Lolita set off on their initial road trip he showers her with gifts and goes out of his way to entertain her, referring to himself as eager, hopeful Hum, (Nabokov 140). This reads like a nervous young boy trying desperately to please the girl whom he admires, hoping to catc h her attention and gain her favor. The fact that Humbert expresses disgust with his own adult form, which he refers to as his adult disguise, also lends support to this argument (Nabokov 39). Margaret Morganroth Gullette points out that to Humbert, [a]ll grownup characteristics over-sized frame, hairiness, smell are unnatural to the soul that feels itself to be essentially childlike, (223) and that this is a loathing which he projects onto adult women, (222). The idea that Humbert is actually a child trapped in a mans body makes his infatuation with Lolita if not socially acceptable, then at least somewhat more understandable. If the reader can find a trace of innocence by delving beneath Humberts sinister surface, an examination of Lolita exposes a surprising lack of virtue lying underneath her childlike mask. Nabokov establishes the inconsistency of her character within the very first paragraph: She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms she was always Lolita (9). The girls constantly shifting name mirrors the metamorphic quality her character; in one moment she is an injured child, and in the next she reads as a calculating seductress. In many ways she seems to be an average American child, and yet she has none of the innocence that childhood implies. The truth is that she is aware of Humberts infatuation with her and torments him with lines such as [w]ell, you havent kissed me yet, have you? (Nabokov 112). Humbert may never have gone so far as to actually have intercourse w ith a nymphet were it not for his interactions with Lolita. In fact, it is Lolita who actually seduces Humbert, and then goes on to reveal a history of sexual deviancy. Suffice to say that not a trace of modesty did I perceive in this beautiful hardly formed young girl whom modern co-education, juvenile mores, the campfire racket and so forth had utterly and hopelessly depraved, Humbert comments, (Nabokov 133). Because of this previous corruption, Nabokov saves him from the act of actually deflowering precocious Dolores Haze and shifts moral responsibility away, (Fowler 149). This encounter occurs in an inn named The Enchanted Hunters, introducing the symbolism of the hunter, by which Humbert is a hunter whose plans are turned on their head by the youthful nymphet. This theme is echoed later by Lolitas involvement in a play titled The Enchanted Hunters, in which she portrays a perfect little nymph who places several lost hunters under hypnosis (Nabokov 196). Indeed, Humbert spends t he entirety of the story under Lolitas spell. Perhaps the most compelling argument in Humberts favor is that he truly loves Lolita. At first it seems that his love is based upon his view of her as the reincarnation of his lost Annabel, but while Lolitas resemblance to Annabel may have sparked Humberts attraction to her, the idea that this is the driving force behind his attraction soon loses its potency. As Humbert explains, A little later, of course, she à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ was to eclipse completely her prototype, (Nabokov 39-40). Thus, it becomes clear that Humberts love is for her, and not for a mere replacement of Annabel. The novel is filled with Humberts endearments for Lolita and his obsession with her is palpable. However, there is a difference between obsession and love, and throughout the novel the nature of his feelings for Lolita is ambiguous. It is at the end of the novel that the true extent of his love for Lolita is revealed. As Noni Tamir-Ghez writes, only at the end does he (and therefore the reader) understand that he actually loves Lolita, not the nymphet in her, (82). When Humbert finally locates Lolita after three years of searching, he discovers that his nubile nymphet has been replaced with a heavily pregnant and worn-out house-wife. Surprisingly, the man who has been disgusted by signs of aging throughout the entirety of the novel is not repulsed by this glaringly adult version of Lolita. Rather than dissipating, his love for her shows through with full force. He insists that I loved my Lolita, this Lolita, pale and polluted, and big with anothers child, (Nabokov 278). Humbert shows the most humanity when he not only discovers the true depth of his feelings for Lolita, but also takes responsibility for his part in the events in the story. He relates an incident during Lolitas absence when he listens to the voices of children and comes to realize that the hopelessly poignant thing was not Lolitas absence from my side, but the absence of her voice from that concord, (Nabokov 308). Only no w does Humberts love for Lolita overcome his need for her. This combined with his regret for his actions makes it easier for the reader to sympathize with him. Humbert attests to his own guilt and the entire novel is intended as a confession. However, if Lolita can be viewed as the victim of a child molester, then Humbert can also be seen as the victim of both his own warped mind and the manipulation of a deviant child. Without the context of the story it would be difficult to understand Humberts actions, let alone forgive him for them. However, Nabokov provides ample material to support the conclusion of Humberts vulnerability. Upon examining his character, Humbert is shown to not truly be a monster, but instead a deeply flawed individual: emotionally stunted, self-deluded, and irresistibly drawn to that which society has deemed is unattainable.

Personal Narrative - Driving Test :: Personal Narrative Essays

Personal Narrative- Driving Test As I walked out of the courthouse and down the ramp, I looked at my mom in disappointment and embarrassment. Never wanting to return to that dreadful place, I slowly drug my feet back to the car. I wanted to curl up in a little ball and I didn't want anyone else to know what I had done. Gaining my composure, I finally got into the car. I didn't even want to hear what my mom had to say. My face was beat red and I was trying to hide my face in the palms of my hands because I knew what was about to come; she was going to start asking me questions, all of the questions I had been asking myself. Sure enough, after a short period of being in the car, the questions began. "Honey, how could we have miscalculated six months? My frustrated reply to every question was, "I don't know!" Maybe this was a sign I was going to fail. I could only imagine how my brother and sister were going to make me feel. They had teased me about studying so hard for the permit test. Now here I was, not actual failing the drivers test, but failing to go on the correct day. Exactly one month later, all of the fears that happened in the past were returning. Was I going to fail? Was I going to get the same, strict instructor? As I slide out of the car and slowly shut the door, I could only hope that the same person wouldn't be there when I attempted to take my driving test last time. With that thought running through my head, my brain was in overdrive. All the wheels were turning as fast as they possibly could. I tried to zone out the negative stories I heard by telling myself, "I can do this. I just drove through town on a practice run and I did perfectly fine." Of course, the fear of failure kept popping in my head and I couldn't get rid of it.Sluggishly, I made my way to the entrance of the courthouse. As I reached for the door, I let out a sigh of worry. I moseyed down the stairs trying to stall as long as possible. All that I could picture was the instructor with dark, slanted eyebrows that made a wrinkle between his two critical eyes.

The Bahamas :: essays research papers

The Bahamas - Consular Information Sheet COUNTRY DESCRIPTION: The Bahamas is a country of many islands and has a developing economy. Tourist facilities are widely available on the main islands. ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: Visas are not required for U.S. citizens for stays up to eight months; however, U.S. citizens must carry original documentation proving U.S. citizenship (a valid or expired passport, a certified U.S. birth certificate or a Certificate of Naturalization), photo identification, and an onward/return ticket. Voter registration cards are not acceptable as proof of U.S. citizenship. There is an airport departure tax for travelers age six years and older. For further information, including entry/exit requirements, U.S. citizens may contact the Embassy of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, 2220 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, telephone (202) 319-2660 or The Bahamas consulates in Miami at telephone (305) 373-6245 or New York at telephone (212) 421-6925. Additional information is available on The Bahamas’ Tourist Board web site at http://www.bahamas.com or telephone (800) 422-4262. CRIME INFORMATION: Visitors should exercise normal caution and good judgment when visiting The Bahamas. Although violent crime is on the increase, most incidents take place in parts of Nassau or Freeport not usually frequented by tourists (the "over-the-hill" area in Nassau, the Lucaya area in Freeport). Hotel guests should always lock their doors and should never leave valuables unattended, especially on beaches. Visitors should store passport/identity documents, airline tickets, unused credit cards and extra cash in hotel safes, and avoid wearing expensive jewelry, particularly Rolex watches, which have been targeted increasingly by criminals. Visitors should not travel alone on deserted areas of beaches or poorly-lit areas at night. The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport overseas should be reported to the local police and the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. A lost or stolen U.S. birth certificate and/or driver’s license generally cannot be replaced outside the United States. U.S. citizens may refer to the Department of State’s pamphlets, A Safe Trip Abroad, and Tips for Travelers to the Caribbean for ways to promote a more trouble-free journey. The pamphlets are available by mail from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, via the Internet at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs, or via the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page at http://travel.state.gov. MEDICAL FACILITIES: Medical care is generally good in Nassau and in Freeport, but may be limited in remote areas. Serious medical problems requiring hospitalization and/or medical evacuation to the U.

Product Quality Essay

List some important physical properties of the fabric. The properties of textile fabrics are important for the control of quality, as well as for end use determination. There are several physical properties of fabric which affecting the performance and aesthetic of fabric. The first one is fabric count, it influences thickness of the fabric. It is the number of ends or picks per inch for woven fabrics, or the number of wales or courses per inch for knit fabrics. Variation occurs because of the weaving or knitting process and from finishing processes. Usually the higher the fabric count, the better the quality and the higher the cost. The second is fabric unit weight. It is the mass per unit area. It is expressed in one three ways; ounces per square yard, ounces per linear yard, and linear yards per pound. It is significant in determining both end use and quality. Moreover, it is fabric width. It means the distance from one edge to the other. Measurement is made perpendicular to the fabric edge, usually including the selvage area. The width is expressed in inches and is usually an average number of measurements taken at evenly spaced interval along the fabric pieces. Next one is fabric shrinkage. It is the process in which a fabric becomes smaller than its original size, usually through the process of laundry. It is undesirable property to the apparels. So the material has to be either shrink resistant or shrink recoverable, such as anti-shrink finish is to keep the fabric smooth and free from undesirable shrinkage. The last one is fabric thickness. It is the distance between the upper and lower surfaces of the material. It is measure under a specific pressure. Warmth and bulk properties depend on the fabric thickness- to-weight ratio. It can also be used as a performance indication of abrasion resistance or shrinkage tests. Generally speaking, the thicker the fabric is, the more comfortable in wearing. 6. What is the commonly used fabric inspection system? Mainly, two industry methods used are the Ten point and Four point systems. The most commonly used is four-point system. A minimum of 10% inspection of fabrics is required. The four-point system derives its name from the basic grading rules that a maximum of four penalty points can be assessed for any single defect. Normally, we inspect 10% of the rolls we receive and evaluate them based on this system. This way, we can avoid fabric related quality problems before it is put into production The following table shows the point system. Size of Defect| Penalty Points| Length of defects in fabric (either length or width)| Defects up to 3 inches| 1| Defects > 3 inches < 6 inches| 2| Defects > 6 inches < 9 inches| 3| Defects > 9 inches| 4| Holes and openings(largest dimension)| 1 inch or less| 2| Over 1 inch| 4| After inspection, the inspector will add up the defects points and then use the following formula to determine the rate of points per 100 yards. There are some common fabric faults, such as bow, skew, hole, mispick etc. Fabric checker should know common defects found in fabrics and he must recognize defects on the fabric at the time of fabric inspection. For the acceptance criteria and calculation, 40 points per 100 yards is the acceptable defect rate. The ten point system for piece goods evaluation was approved by the Textile distributors institute and the National Federation of Textile, in 1955. It is designed to identify defects and to assign each defect a value based on severity of defect. The system assigns penalty points to each defect depending on its length and whether it is in the warp (ends) or weft (fill) direction. The following table shows the point system.