Marijuana: The Legalization :: social issues

Maryjane: The Legalization Their Side: After the supporting vote in November of 1996 and becoming effective the start of this current year, maryjane is presently legitimate to clinical patients in California and Arizona. Recommendation 215 peruses as follows: The individuals of the State of California thus discover and announce that the reasons for the Caring Use Act of 1996 are as per the following: (A) To guarantee that truly sick Californians reserve the option to get and utilize maryjane for clinical purposes where that clinical use is considered fitting and has been suggested by a doctor who has established that the individual's wellbeing would profit by the utilization of pot in the treatment of malignant growth, anorexia, AIDS, ceaseless torment, spasticity, glaucoma, joint inflammation, headache, or some other disease for which weed gives alleviation. (B) To guarantee that patients and their essential guardians get and use cannabis for clinical purposes upon the suggestion of a doctor are not dependent upon criminal arraignment or assent. C. To energize the bureaucratic and state governments to actualize an arrangement for the safe and reasonable appropriation of cannabis to all patients in clinical need of pot. (Suggestion 215 Section 11362.5) Obviously, it goes on and breaks into fine detail into which I decide not to wander. To sum up everything, in case you're debilitated, or think you are, your doc can get you some pot. Much the same as that. So what's so incredible about this? It apparently carries help to those with terminal diseases. (Such were recorded in 215) Cancer victims who are caused with sickness because of chemotherapy have announced that a puff or two of a pot cigarette assuages the torment. (Speculated after examination by therapist Lester Grinspoon of Harvard Medical School) It has likewise been accounted for to diminish the agony endured by AIDS patients. Regardless of this extraordinary help, one inquiry stays unanswered, shouldn't something be said about the symptoms? Precisely how unsafe and irresistible is this stuff? MY SIDE: (the significant stuff) My closely-held conviction: Marijuana ought to stay illicit as a result of the huge symptoms and compulsion that outcomes in the wake of utilizing the medication. My first certainty to back my feeling would need to be this, weed is the thing that it is, a medication! You can't change that regardless of what number of individuals vote on it. Indeed, there are professionally prescribed medications available that are possibly perilous however their belongings are nothing contrasted with that of weed.

Six Psychology Hacks To Make Your Content More Effective

Seeing how to impact potential purchasers is continually going to give you the edge with regards to selling your item or administration. Be that as it may, numerous organizations don’t utilize some essential standards of brain science in their substance procedure regardless of rivalry for online consideration being so furious. Thus, here are six brain research hacks you can without much of a stretch apply to your substance crusades to help support your outcomes. 1. Social Identity One amazing methodology is to exploit social personality. Numerous retailers utilize wonderful models to offer their garments or renowned competitors to sell sports equipment. The thought is that on the off chance that you purchase these items, you will be a piece of this attractive social gathering. What's more, when you relate to a specific gathering, messages custom-made for that bunch in a split second become all the more remarkable. This is firmly connected to the possibility of social confirmation †if others are purchasing something, particularly if individuals we trust, we feel more constrained and happy with getting it ourselves. Utilizing social confirmation through client surveys and tributes is a ground-breaking helper to potential clients. In this way, if you’re not as of now, use pictures of individuals that your intended interest group can identify with and have social sharing catches that show the quantity of offers a bit of substance has. 2. The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon This marvel †additionally called â€Å"the recurrence illusion† †happens when you experience something just because and afterward you begin seeing it all over the place. Essentially, you’re unwittingly searching for this new word, thing or thought, and you gain the feeling that this thing has out of nowhere entered the open circle. For advertisers, this wonder is unbelievably valuable for boosting brand validity and mindfulness and it’s why lead sustaining is vital to boosting changes. At the point when individuals consistently experience your brand’s content, they naturally trust you more. This is the reason email crusades, internet based life messages and advertisements should assume a key job in your web based showcasing endeavors. Bunching includes sorting out data in your memory into related gatherings, making it simpler to retain data. You can exploit people’s characteristic want to compose data by giving them some assistance. At the point when you make content, consider how you can improve the configuration to enable your crowd to hold the data. For instance, bunch comparative themes together, use visual cues and utilize distinctive header sizes. Just as making your substance progressively paramount, it likewise makes it simpler to examine. 4. Make Reciprocity As indicated by the hypothesis of correspondence, we feel constrained to make a move when we think others have given us something for nothing. Regardless of whether we think it was given unreservedly moving along without any more responsibility, we despite everything need to give back somehow or another. This inclination can be bridled in your substance showcasing. Parting with free substance can help propel individuals to make a move you need whenever you give them the chance. Be that as it may, with the goal for this to work, the estimation of the substance must be believed to be sufficiently extraordinary to rouse activity. For instance, have a go at parting with free digital books or whitepapers to urge individuals to pursue your pamphlet. 5. The Curiosity Gap Otherwise called the â€Å"information gap,† this hypothesis †created by George Loewenstein in the mid 1990s †proposes that when there is a hole in information, people are constrained to make a move to discover what they need to know. We have an intrinsic drive to make sense of things. 6. Energize Dopamine Release As per analysts at the University College London’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, encountering oddity may, in itself, affect our dopamine levels. Set forth plainly, when we see something new, our minds envision the potential for remuneration with a surge of the vibe great hormone dopamine. Maybe this clarifies why Apple fans get so energized by another item discharge! Utilize this method by discharging new substance routinely and in numerous arrangements. For instance, first discharge a blog entry that talks straightforwardly to your audience’s torment focuses. At that point, half a month later, distribute an infographic on a similar theme with some new data. Indeed, even the individuals who read your unique piece will be energized by the curiosity of the new arrangement and included data. Catching everyone's eye There are numerous components to consider while actualizing a successful substance advertising procedure, yet on the off chance that you remember these brain science standards when you make content, it will assist you with hanging out in the packed ocean of online substance. Evaluate these brain research hacks and examination with different procedures you run over. Realizing how individuals tick from a mental viewpoint will just upgrade your capacity to manufacture associations with your crowd and convince potential clients, which will at last improve your capacity to sell.

Looking for Gothic Writing Inspiration Here Are 15 Vampire Novels You Should Read

Looking for Gothic Writing Inspiration Here Are 15 Vampire Novels You Should Read If you plan to write a vampire novel, you should first explore the variety of vampire tales that have shaped the genre. Weve compiled this list for writers looking for various approaches to the vampire character and mythos. From early works like Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (which predates Bram Stokers Dracula by 26 years) to the modern biker babe/vampire killer protagonist of Skinwalker by Faith Hunter, here are 15 unforgettable vampire novels you should read to inspire your own writing.Although Bram Stoker created the seminal vampire tale, other novels have been written that define the genres modern place in literature. Photo by Leonardo Yip on Unsplash.#1. Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le FanuCarmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu is a gothic novella that later influenced Bram Stokers seminal work, Dracula. The story is narrated by a young woman, Laura, who falls prey to a female vampire named Carmilla, who is later revealed to be Mircalla, Countess Karnstein. The story is prese nted as part of the casebook of Dr. Hesselius, who can be seen as the original detective of the occult in literature.#2. Dracula by Bram StokerDracula by Bram Stoker has been the inspiration for countless film and stage adaptations and remains the most influential vampire tales of literature. The story is told through a series of letters, diary entries, newspaper articles, and ships log entries, and centers on a young English solicitor, Jonathan Harker, who finds himself surrounded by unspeakable evil on a business visit to Count Draculas castle in Transylvania. Upon returning home, he finds that the evil has returned with him, threatening the very souls of those he holds most dear.#3. Interview with the Vampire by Anne RiceInterview with the Vampire is Anne Rices debut novel that tells the hypnotic story of vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac, through his confessions made to a reporter. From revelations about his vampire origins and his maker, the charismatic Lestat de Lioncourt, to his relationship with Claudia, a young girl Lestat turns into a vampire to keep Louis close, Interview with the Vampire is full of dark beauty and longing in the face of death and destruction in old New Orleans.#2. The Vampire Lestat by Anne RiceThe Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice is the follow-up to the first novel of The Vampire Chronicles, and is narrated by Lestat de Lioncourt himself, offering sometimes contradictory explanation for the events told by Louis in Interview with the Vampire. Moving from the 18th century to the late 1980s, the story follows Lestats lifeâ€"from his noble beginnings in Auvergne, to his life in Paris, to becoming transformed into a vampire and his search for the most powerful vampire, Marius de Romanus. Once he finds Marius, he is introduced to Those Who Must Be Kept, Akasha and Enkil, the progenitors of all vampires who have been sleeping for many years, inspiring Lestat to do the unimaginable and awaken them.#3. The Queen of the Damned by Anne RiceThe Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice is the third novel in her The Vampire Chronicles series, and explores the extensive history and mythology of the origin of the vampires, dating back to Ancient Egypt. It also follows the exploits of the newly awakened Akasha, who has been inspired by Lestats music to kill her husband and force Lestat to be her consort. As her bloodthirsty reign grows stronger, the book follows modern vampire covens attempt to keep her from destroying 90 percent of the worlds human men and establish a new Eden in which women will worship Akasha as a goddess.#4. The Historian by Elizabeth KostovaThe Historian by Elizabeth Kostova is a debut novel that blends the history and folklore of Vlad ?epe? and Count Dracula in a combination of genres, including travelogue, gothic, adventure, detective fiction, epistolary epic, and historical thriller. In particular, the novel explores the relationship between the Christian West and the Islamic East through the characters of Paul, a p rofessor, and his 16-year-old daughter (who is curiously, never named), as they go on a quest to discover Vlad the Impalers tomb. It became the first debut novel to become number one on The New York Times bestseller list in its first week on sale and as of 2005, it was the fastest-selling hardback debut novel in U.S. history.#5. I Am Legend by Richard MathesonI Am Legend by Richard Matheson is a post-apocalyptic horror novel set in Los Angeles that has been massively influential in the development of the zombie-vampire genre. It has since been adapted into multiple films, including The Last Man on Earth (1964), The Omega Man (1971), and I Am Legend (2007). It tells the story of Robert Neville, the sole survivor of a pandemic that has taken most of humanity and turned the rest into blood-sucking, pale-skinned, and nocturnal vampires.#6. The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck HoganThe Strain, written by Oscar-winning director Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan, is a tale of a vamp iric virus that overtakes New York. It is the first installment in The Strain Trilogy, and was followed by The Fall (2010) and The Night Eternal (2011). The plot centers on a Boeing 777, which arrives at John F. Kennedy International Airport, taxies across the tarmac, and then suddenly stops. Since all communication has gone dark, an alert is sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where Dr. Ephraim Eph Goodweather, head of a rapid-response team that handles biological threats, is sent to investigate. Goodweather and Dr. Nora Martinez board the plane, finding everyone except four people dead. What follows is a vampire tale that will not soon be forgotten, as the city tries to contain the pandemic, along with the help of Del Toros own Van Helsing, Abraham Setrakian, an elderly Romanian Jew who has first-hand knowledge of these dark thing creatures, from his time spent in a death camp in Treblinka.#7. Salems Lot by Stephen KingAs Stephen Kings second novel, Salems Lot is rumored to be his favorite of all his books. The plot, as with most Stephen King books, involves a writerâ€"this one, named Ben Mears. He returns to the small town he lived in as a child (Jerusalems Lot or Salems Lot for short) in Maine, as vampires are taking over and the towns original inhabitants are succumbing to a dark power. In a 1987 interview, King told Phil Konstantin with The Highway Patrolman magazine: In a way it is my favorite story, mostly because of what it says about small towns. They are kind of a dying organism right now. The story seems sort of down home to me. I have a special cold spot in my heart for it!#8. Fledgling by Octavia ButlerOffering an unusual view of vampires, Octavia Butlers Fledgling is more science fiction in its exploration of the Ina, who are simply another species (although vampiric) coexisting with humanity. The story centers on the life of Shori Matthews, a 10-year-old girl who discovers that she is actually a 53-year old vampire. There is no monstrosity and abnormality, no deviant sexuality and decadenceâ€"Butlers vampires are biological rather than supernatural. They are vampires who are not antagonistic toward humans, but instead, create close-knit Ina-human communities where they cohabitate with selected humans in symbiotic relationships.#9. Some of Your Blood by Theodore SturgeonEpistolary novels seem to be the most comfortable storytelling form for vampire tales, and Some of Your Blood by Theodore Sturgeon reiterates this pattern. Named one of the Top 40 Horror Books of All Time by the Horror Writers Association and from one of the godfathers of modern science fiction comes this story of a soldier who returns home different than how he left. Between visits to the Army psychiatrist, Philip Outerbridge, a young soldier named George Smith reveals a shocking secret via therapyâ€"one that involves him drinking the blood of others during emotional crises.#10. The Passage: A Novel by Justin CroninJustin Cronins The Pa ssage begins in the near future in an apocalyptic (and later, post-apocalyptic) world full of vampire-like beings who have been infected with a contagious virus. The virus began with an experiment performed on convicts to find a drug that enhances human immunity but was carried by a species of bat. The novel spans 90 years of colonies of humans who attempt to survive among these now superhuman creatures who drink blood. Within this setting, we meet Amy, who was abandoned by her mother when she was younger and who is now part of the shadowy experiment. As Special Agent Brad Wolgast tracks her down, he learns the truth of her past and vows to protect her.#11. Children of the Night by Dan SimmonsChildren of the Night by Dan Simmons follows a research team to Romania, where they find a orphaned child whose blood is linked to that of Vlad Tsepes, the original Dracula. Immunologist Kate Neuman adopts the baby, believing that he may hold the secret for curing cancer and AIDS. As the child is kidnapped but agents of the ancient clan, Kate and her friend, Father Mike ORourke, must find Joshua and get him back before it is too late.#12. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine HarrisDead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris is the story of Sookie Stackhouse, a cocktail waitress in small-town Bon Temps, Louisiana, and is the inspiration behind the HBO series True Blood. Sookie can read minds, which makes her too odd to dateâ€"until a talk, dark, and handsome man enters the diner and she cant hear what he is thinking. Having waited for someone like Bill Compton all of her life, Sookie falls hard for him, only to learn that he is a vampire. When grisly murders begin to plague the town, dating a vampire is suddenly not all its cracked up to be.#13. Sunshine by Robin McKinleySunshine by Robin McKinley takes place in an alternate universe, after the Voodoo Wars have taken place between humans and the Others, which are vampires, werewolves, and demons. The protagonist is Rae Sunshine Seddon, wh o is abducted from her familys old lakeside cabin by vampires, and held captive in an abandoned mansion with a vampire named Constantineâ€"the enemy of the gang who kidnapped her. Although Rae is brought to the mansion as bait for Constantine, she remembers a forgotten magical power that her grandmother taught her, and develops a symbiotic relationship with the vampire.#14. The Vampire Tapestry by Suzy McKee CharnasThe Vampire Tapestry by Suzy McKee Charnas is the tale of Dr. Edward Lewis Weylandâ€"a professor by day and a vampire by night. While his need to feed on human blood is biologic rather than supernatural, he struggles to interact with society and find meaning in it despite his uncommon need. This novel is truly a different take on the vampire tale and should not be missed, especially for its character development.#15. Skinwalker by Faith HunterSkinwalker by Faith Hunter is the story Jane Yellowrock, a shapeshifting, hardcore motorcycle rider who is the last of her kind, ha ving descended from Cherokees who could turn into any creature they desired. Shes also a vampire hunter for a living and has been hired by Katherine Fontaneau, one of the oldest vampires in New Orleans, to hunt a rogue vampire who is going around killing his own kind.

Methods Of Interviewing And Surveying - 879 Words

To achieve the research aim both methods of interviewing and surveying will be employed. To complete the first objective doctors will be interviewed in order to assess how they justify using therapeutic privilege and what influence their medical experience has. In terms of the second objective previous patients will be surveyed on their opinions of not giving fully informed consent and what effect they would expect to experience if the therapeutic privilege was used. Investigative interviews I propose to interview eight doctors to obtain their personal opinions on therapeutic privilege. In addition to what arguments they feel they would employ to justify the use of such. This will be dependant on doctors’ willingness to participate. Encouraging doctors to get involved will be difficult. There may be a need for a gatekeeper. Before getting doctors involved, specific permission will be required. In Scotland, any NHS research must be approved by the Research Scotland Permissions Coordinating Centre. This body will also hopefully aid me in getting in contact with doctors. Before conducting such interviews ethical clearance will be sought. In these interviews, I aim to include doctors from both genders, with a range of ages and ranges of professional experience. This will maintain fairness and show if there are any differences between justifications depending on their previous medical experience. In the interests of time and cost saving these interviews will be conductedShow MoreRelatedPrimary Research Comes Directly from the Customers682 Words   |  3 Pagesare several ways we can get information directly from customers. We can interview customers. We can survey customers. We can observe customers actions and behaviors. All of these methods have their pros and cons. Interviewing Customers We need to identify target customers. 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Specifically, the CCHS utilizes the cross-sectional method to interpretRead MoreSources Of Marketing Research Data1191 Words   |  5 Pagesinterviewer-bias and avoids the difficulty that people do not always remember their actions - especially trivial ones - very clearly. For example, a hidden camera may be the best way of establishing how customers move through a shop, and a tape recorder the best method of establishing the sales approach used by salesmen. Similarly a physical count is normally used to establish the volume of traffic on key roads and the volume of different brands sold by important retail outlets (increasingly via electronic pointRead MoreBenefits Of A Salon Within Target Stores Essay1542 Words   |  7 Pagesto prevent a decrease in sales in their beauty department. Target wants to provide their guests with salon care services to increase sales. Target plans to reach out to their employees and guests to see if they would use the Target salon. 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Reflection on how different teacher strategies and a ctivities through interviewing them will give out a clue to what extent are children engaged in situations that facilitate problem solving skills. The use of survey is another strategy that will enable a good reflection of how respondents under my research questions behave in their different fields. Observation is also a method that will greatly facilitate my research work as it will cover all the behavioral activities myRead MoreBuilding Blocks Learning Organizations Should Be Skilled Essay940 Words   |  4 Pagesorganizations used this method worldwide since it depends on the scientific method. It starts with making an observation, gathering data/information regarding that observation to form a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a proposed description of the observation made on the available evidence (in the form of data). One of the pioneers of the quality control, W Edward Deming calls it â€Å"Plan, Do, Check, Act† cycle while others refer as â€Å"hypothesis-generating, hyp othesis testing† techniques. This method outlaw’s focusRead MoreTeaching Science Is Very Important For Our Everyday Lives.798 Words   |  4 Pagescurriculum in secondary school: this curriculum is very dry, heavy and we are obliged to explain it all and it takes a very long time to finish it and prevents us to realize different methods of learning to explain the content in a clear and thorough manner. In addition, prevents us from using the different teaching methods and to realize all the experiments necessary for each chapter which is very important in relation to the students to bring them closer to the sciences. Experiments also allow students

Literary Analysis of Kate Grenvilles The Secret River Essay

Kate Grenville is one of Australia’s best known authors, she was born in 1950 in Sidney, Australia. She has won many national and international awards for her writing about Australia’s past and the interactions that may have been taking place between the first settlers and the aborigines. The Secret River was one of these popular novels, which is exploring the past, although it is only historical fiction. The inspiration for writing these historical fictions, came from the fact that she did not knew much about her ancestors which settled on a river named Hawkesbury River in New South Wales. William Thornhill is a convict, who has been transported by the ship Alexander to his new home in His Majesty’s penal colony with his family in 1806,†¦show more content†¦His skin swallowed the light and made him not quite real, something only imagined† – page 2, section 5. The description of this native man is highly connected and dependent on the narrators experience and thoughts in the situation. The narrator significantly controls the reader; we get a sense of understanding for his situation, we share his concerns and fear because we are able to read his thoughts, and that may be the main reason for why Kate Grenville uses this narration type. William Thornhill is a convict likely from England, who has been sent to His Majesty’s penal colony, he is married and a father to two children as well. There is not much information regarding his physical appearance in the novel, although there are many psychological indicators. William is suffering mentally because he knows that he will never return home. â€Å"This was a place, like death, from which men did not return home† and â€Å"He would die here under these alien stars, his bones rot in this cold earth† These statements or thoughts indicates clearly what he fears, but before the night is through he gets other concerns, such as his and the family’s security. The situation with the aborigine shows the kind of person he is, he is not afraid to protect his family even though he is unarmed. The novel is taking place in New South Wales in 1806 at a little penal colony, which is located next to a hill and a bay where the ship Alexander

Bottled Water Free Essays

Yizza Burgueno First Draft Instructor Michael Heumann English 101 March 26, 2013 Bottled Water Most American see bottled water as a necessity, even though bottled water did not exist many years ago. Drinking out of a water bottle has become the standard drinking source for most Americans. We have become dependent on plastic waste. We will write a custom essay sample on Bottled Water or any similar topic only for you Order Now Water is life sustaining, so many of us would think that drinking water out of a bottle is harmless. Regrettably it is not, there have been traces of PET and BPA in the plastic containers we are drinking out of. Both PET and BPA can stimulate sever health consequences. Not only are we putting our life in danger by drinking out of bottled water but our planet as well. Plastic bottles don’t just vanish into thin air. Most Americans don’t recycle, so most plastic bottles end up on streets, rivers, lakes, canals, streams, or oceans polluting our planet. Not only is bottled water way more expensive than tap, it also contains the same water quality as tap water. In other words we’re just paying for the names on the plastic bottles. Rather than paying for quality, our tap water can produce just about the same quality as bottled water. Bottled water is not all it is made out to be. We all need water to survive, especially when up to 60% of the human body is composed of it (USGS, 2009). Water is absolutely necessary to our planet. Approximately 75% of the earth’s surface is covered by water, but only 1% of that is drinkable (Soechtig, 2009). Hence, clean drinkable water is not as easy to get as it may seem. Representative Dennis Kuchinich from Ohio states that, â€Å"Water is a basic human right, it’s a necessary for survival of life. When you start commodifying the necessities of life in such a way as to make it more difficult for people to gain access, you have the basis for serious political instability,† (Soechtig, 2009). Water is no longer a fundamental right, it has become bankable and sold to people who already have perfectly drinkable water coming out of their tap. People are looking at water as if it were gold and are only looking for a way to profit off of it. Instead of waiting in line to drink from the water fountains, people are waiting in line at the stores to pay for overly priced bottled water. People are no longer drink out of water fountains or out their kitchen sinks because they have the luxury of buying bottled water. Therefore, the demand for water fountains has decreased because of how easily it is to obtain bottled water. The more we buy bottled water, the more we are convinced that bottled water is not a luxury, but rather a necessity (Gleick, 2010, p. 107). Although, drinking out of a plastic bottle can cost twice as much, if not more than the water that comes out of our kitchen sinks and public drinking fountains and may also harm not only our health but our planet as well, millions of people still keep buying and drinking out of bottled water. Peter Gleick author of Bottled and Sold: the Story Behind our Obsession with Bottled Water, wrote, â€Å"certainly, the environmental problems with bottled water, the economic costs to pocketbooks, and the growing support for improving tap water quality and reliability are all contributing to new thinking about the simple act of buying a plastic bottled water,†(Gleick, 2010, p. 161). Bottled water was nonexistent many years ago. Elizabeth Royote mentions in her book, that people did not start walking down the streets with their water bottles until 1989 when water could be put in clear, lightweight bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Once that was created, bottled water skyrocketed in the 90’s. Water sales tripled in size, from 4. 5 gallons per year for the average American in 1986, to 12. 7 gallons per person in 1997 (NRDC, 1999). In 2007, Americans bout more than 29 billion bottles of water (Soechtig, 2009). America has engraved into people heads that drinking tap water is not healthy and in fear of the people have turned to bottled water thinking it’s the healthier option for them. Some people have gone to drinking bottled water literally because they are concerned about their water, and the problem is they are unaware of the fact that buying bottled water is not necessarily safe, that they end up being exposed to other chemical compounds,† says Stephanie King (PH. D. , M. P. H. ) a toxicologists and epidemiologist with Toxicology Inc. (Soechtig, 2009). Bottled water can actually lead to health concerns for those with weak immune systems, (NRDC, 1999). Most water bottles are made from polye thylene terephthalate (PET), a polymer derived from oil that adds flexibility, color, and strength to plastic (Royote, 2008, p. 48). Another health risky ingredient in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastic is Bisphenol A (BPA), a non steroidal estrogenic compound (Rubin, Murray, Damassa, King, and Soto, 2001). BPA can be found in many products such as sports bottles, baby bottles, and water coolers (Soechtig, 2009). Every American owns or has own a bottled that contained BPA, and because BPA mimics estrogen most bottles say they are â€Å"BPA free†. â€Å"Bisphoenol A may be one of the most potent, toxic chemicals known to man. The problem is Bisphenol A acts at very low doses as an estrogen,† (Soechtig, 2009). Both PET and BPA can be harming to Americans health, one leading to cancer and the other leading to the reproductive system. One’s life is not only in danger from drinking out of bottled water but the earth’s life as well. A large amount of water is wasted to create plastic bottles plus the water used to fill it. The amounts of bottles produce are not nearly close to the amounts recycled. Of the 80 million single served bottles of water consumed daily, 30 million ends up in landfills (Soechtig, 2009). The other ends up all over the streets making their way to the ocean, lakes, rivers, canals. Etc. The average international recycling rate for beverages containers for the word is 50%, but the United States is 20% and this number has been declining (Soechtig, 2009). The cost to produce bottled water is twice as expensive as, if not more, than tap water. Why waste more money on bottled water when people are already paying for it in the comfort of their own home. There is the cost of materials, production, and transportation. â€Å"This energy cost is a thousand times larger than the energy required to produce, process, treat, and deliver tap water,† (Gleick, 2010, p. 5). Are we just paying for the brand of the bottle rather than the quality of the water? 40% of bottled water is really just filtered tap water (Soechtig, 2009). Meaning that if people added a filter to their tap they can have bottled water quality coming out of their own kitchen faucet for a lower price. Most bottled water labels show a beautiful picture of waterfalls or mountains with streams running thr ough, portraying that that’s where the water comes from but in all reality the bottled water People are drinking from doesn’t come from afar. Yosemite water one the most popular bottled water in the Imperial Valley comes from Los Angeles California (Gleick, 2010, p. 110). Bottled water can cause illnesses, pollution, and costs lots of money. It may have the advantage of being convenient, but convenient is not worth harming your health, making the earth less livable, or spending more money on something that can comes out of your kitchen faucet, which in most cases you’re already paying for. Bottled water may look fancy or have a different taste to it but it’s not worth all the consequences. That’s why bottled water is not all it is made out to be. Works Cited Gleick, Peter H. Bottled and Sold: The Story behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water. Washington, Dc: Island, 2010. Print. Olson, Erik D. â€Å"Bottled Water. † NRDC:. NRDC, 1999. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. http://www. nrdc. org/water/drinking/bw/bwinx. asp. Royte, Elizabeth. Bottlemania: Big Business, Local Springs, and the Battle over America’s Drinking Water. New York: Bloomsbury, 2009. Print. Rubin, B. S. , M. K. Murray, D. A. Damassa, J. C. King, and A. M. Soto. Abstract. † National Center for Biotechnology Information. U. S. National Library of Medicine, 20 Dec. 2005. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC1240370/. Soechtig, Stephanie. â€Å"Tapped. † | Tapped the Movie – Official Site |. N. p. , 2009. Web. 19 Mar. 2013. http://www. tappedthemovie. com/. Us Geological Survey. â€Å"The Water in You. † Water Properties: (Water Science for Schoo ls). Us Geological Survey, Oct. 2009. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. http://ga. water. usgs. gov/edu/propertyyou. html. How to cite Bottled Water, Papers

The 60s And Freedom Essays - Counterculture Of The 1960s, New Left

The 60s and Freedom Most of the time, when thinking back to the sixties, people remember hearing about things such as sex, drugs, and racism. However, what they often tend to overlook is the large emphasis "freedoms" had on the era. This does not just refer to the freedoms already possessed by every American of the time. This focuses on the youth's fight to gain freedom or break away from the values and ideas left behind by the older generation. While some authors when writing about the sixties give serious accounts of the youths' fights to obtain these freedoms, others tend to take a different and more dramatic approach to showing the struggles involved in these fights. Yet, all of the authors have the same basic values and messages in mind. They all, more or less, aim to show the many freedoms which their generation was fighting for. These fights were used to help push for freedoms from areas such as society's rules and values, competition, living for others first, and the older generation's beliefs as a whole including the freedom to use drugs. The younger generation just wanted a chance to express their own views rather than having to constantly succumb to the values and rules left behind by the older generation. The two different approaches used by authors to express these views are often representative of the two main systems used by youths to help gain their freedoms. The first approach, taken by the Port Huron Statement and authors such as Gerzon, Reich, Revel and Gitlin, follows the ideals of the New Left. The New Left represents youths striving for political change through cultural means. People are encouraged to work for their ideals. In contrast, the second approach, taken by Rubin and Didion, reflect the ideals and mannerisms of the "Be-in" society. The "Be-ins" represent another group of youths who attempt to gain freedoms through more radical means. This group focuses on more idealistic goals. The members yearn for a utopian society. However, both groups feel that the youth in society should be able to express themselves and live their lives in their own way, not some way left behind by the previous generation. The way left behind by the older generations is greatly influenced by events which occurred during that time. Unfortunately, because of many of these events, Americans lost their sense of hopefulness in the American society. The reasons are various: the dreams of the older left were perverted by stalinism and never recreated; the congressional stalemate makes men narrow their view of the possible, the specialization of human activity leaves little room for sweeping thought; the horrors of the twentieth century, symbolized in the gas-ovens and concentration camps and atom bombs, have blasted hopefulness (Port Huron Statement 166) Unfortunately, however, these feelings possessed by the previous generation seemed to contribute to their views of man as "a thing to be manipulated, and that he is inherently incapable of directing his own affairs" (Port Huron 166). Supporters of the New Left disagree strongly with these views. In fact, the Port Huron Statement makes a point of cutting down these beliefs, claiming that the New Left will not support the idea of human beings as things or objects. Then the document takes it one step further in saying that the incompetence attributed to humans is, in fact, caused by the society in which they live. They have been manipulated into thinking they were incompetent by their surroundings (166). Reich even goes as far as to say that "it is a crime to allow oneself to become an instrumental being" (Reich 56). The older society, by viewing man as incapable of controlling his own life, has also led their generation to concentrate primarily on institutions, public interest, and society as the basic reality. However, the younger generation deals more with the self. One should be able to create their own values, lifestyle, and culture (Reich 56). Rubin seems to claim, in a more vocal manner, that the older generation has not left a place in the world for the younger generation to live. The older society has already done everything which can be done. Instead of helping the youth in society to learn about being themselves, they seem insistent on controlling the youth. They place them in schools to keep them off the streets, they send them away to Vietnam. The older members of society are only trying to keep the youth from spoiling what already exists. They are intent on molding the

Nutritional assessment- a vital component The WritePass Journal

Nutritional assessment- a vital component Introduction Nutritional assessment- a vital component IntroductionCase scenarioNutritional assessmentMedical history collection approachesPhysical examinationBiochemical dataDiscussionConclusionReferenceRelated Introduction Malnutrition and undernourishment pose a major healthcare problem in the care of hospitalized patients in different care units in developed countries. There are numerous studies in health care literature reporting frequent malnutrition of patients in acute hospitals on admission and deterioration of nutritional status during hospitalization, particularly older people (Inge.K, 1999). Malnutrition can be defined in older people as faulty or inadequate nutritional status; undernourishment characterized by insufficient dietary intake, poor appetite, muscle wasting and weight loss (Carole S. Mackey, 2004). The cause of malnutrition is commonly contributed to medical, social and environmental as well as individual factors, such as poor appetite and disinterest in food, unpalatable or inadequate food, and lack of assistance with eating, poor skills in recognizing malnourished patients or those at risk of malnutrition and the low priority given to patients’ nutrition by doctors and nurses. Undetected and untreated, malnutrition is found to be detrimental to the quality of life and can lead to severe consequences such as prolonged hospital stays, high risk of infection, pressure ulcers, reduced wound healing, increased morbidity and mortality as well as increased costs for care, therefore, it is vital that hospital wards for older people have a nutritional care policy to prevent and/or treat malnutrition (Carole S. Mackey, 2004). Case scenario In 2010 August, Mr. Wong complained dizzy and fell in the morning and initially presented to orthopedic ward for collapse of L1 after fall. On admission, Mr. Wong’s ear temperature was 36.8, blood pressure was 100/ 50 mmHg, pulse was 75 /min, oxygen saturation was 93% on 2 L/min oxygen. During the acute state, he was developed hospital acquired pneumonia and put on Augmentin for one week course. In same year of November, Mr. Wong was transferred to rehabilitation ward for recovery and physiotherapy. Mr. Wong was retired. He has a 30-yr smoking history with one pack per day. He tries to quit smoking several times, but does not succeed. He lives in a 4-bedroom house with his wife and two sons and one daughter. He attended a Tai-Chi course with his wife in nearby park every day and had balanced diets prepared by Mrs. Wong. Mr. Wong had past history of Parkinson’s disease, hyperlipidaemia and gout followed up by Princess Margaret Hospital medical. On 2008 he had old lacunar infarct on computer tomography scan. In the rehabilitation ward, Mr. Wong had some exercise or limbs training with physiotherapists on the bed, as he could not have enough energy to stand up or walk with or without any support. Therefore, Mr. Wong always lied on the bed and then subsequently suffered from bed sore at his sacral. Firstly, he just suffered from stage one pressure sore, which was redness at the site without any discharge, and protected from duoderm. The health care workers provided daily normal saline dressing, frequent turning and pillows to relieve the pressure at the sacral. However, the pressure sore still became worse. At first, when the health care workers assessed Mr. Wong had high risk of worsening pressure sore; there are six risk factors including mobility, continence, nutritional, skin integrity, physical condition and medication common leading to developing pressure ulcers (Sharp CA, 2006). All possible preventions such as maintenance of well personal hygiene, frequent turning, and use of ripple bed had been provided. Also, wound nurse had assessed Mr. Wong’s situation and recommended the nurses for continuously providing dressing care and frequent skin observation. However, all recommendations and protections were given under strict supervision, but there is one criteria area missing in dealing pressure sore, this is nutrition. Poor nutritional status has been reported by several studies to be contributing factor to pressure ulcer development and malnutrition is positively correlated with pressure ulcer incidence and severity (Sharp. CA, 2006). Inadequate nutrition can increase the r isk of developing pressure ulcers and infection as well as impede the healing process of all wounds. Also, adequate dietary protein is absolutely essential for proper wound healing, and tissue levels of the amino acids may influence wound repair and immune function. As a result, a nutritional support should be given to patients with identified nutritional deficiency and any support be based on nutritional assessment using a recognized tool, general health status, patient preference or expert dietician (Ulrika Soderhamn, 2008). Moreover, nursing staff play an important role in the detection of the patient at risk and the implementation of sufficient preventive strategies. However, a comprehensive nutritional assessment is seldom performed on geriatric patients as routine and very few at-risk patients have a nutritional care plan. And some studies pointed that nurses in geriatric care feel they have a great responsibility for nutritional assessment and care but lack of sufficient knowledge for the tasks as well as of support from physicians (Ulrika Soderhamn, 2008). It is recommended that the health care workers should take the responsibility for informing, ordering, serving food and observing food intake and securing sufficient intake. These require the health care workers have sufficient knowledge and appropriate tools for screening and assessment of the older patients (Sharp. CA, 2006). Nutritional assessment A nutritional assessment is an in-depth evaluation of both objective and subjective data to define a person’s nutrition status. Specific data are obtained to create a metabolic and nutritional profile of the patient. The goals of the nutritional assessment are identification of patients who have, or at risk of developing malnutrition; to quantify a patient’s degree of malnutrition and to monitor the adequacy of nutrition therapy. It includes gathering information from the patient’s careful medical history, dietary history, a physical examination and laboratory tests (Weber, J, 2009). Medical history collection approaches Foremost in nutritional assessment is the patient interview for determining clinical history. Health care workers have recognized the way in which various diseases and conditions affect a person’s nutritional status. Attention should be focused on the disease state, duration of illness, intake of nutrients and presence of such gastrointestinal systems as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Also, the natural aging process can lead to increased nutritional problems among the elderly. Nearly 65% of elderly patients are calorie-protein undernourished or nutritional deficits developed while in the hospital (Vanderwee K, 2010). There some risks that are related with poor nutrition on the elderly such as normal aging changes in the senses of smell and taste, the effects of chronic diseases on food intake, psychological factors, social isolation, side effects from multiple medications or diminished function that subsequently limits their ability to shop or prepare meals. Choosing a dietary approach to nutritional status assessment The most valid or accurate dietary methods are prospective methods. These involve keeping records of foods consumed over the period of time of interest. This can be done by individuals themselves, or by health care workers observing them. Sometimes the foods are weighed before eating and then plate waste is weighed and subtracted. A similar method is to prepare two duplicate meals; one is consumed by the subject and the other is analyzed for nutrient content. Another method is the dietary record, in which the subject records estimated amounts of foods consumed. In any case, these methods are highly reactive because individuals may alter usual behavior to make their diet more socially desirable or to simplify the process of record keeping. Recall methods are the most widely used type of dietary data collection method. They are less reactive, but also less accurate than record methods. Twenty-four hour recalls, in which the previous days intake is queried in detail, for instance, foods , amounts, preparation techniques, condiments, are easiest for health care workers to complete (Sharp. CA, 2006). The data reported are converted from foods to nutrients with the use of food composition tables. Because a single day is not representative of usual intake, multiple twenty-four hour recalls are frequently used. Besides, the twenty-four hour recall of food intake record are used, the health care workers should observe the patients’ food preference, history of eating pattern and eating ability such as mood changes or swallow problem that might affect their eating. Physical examination Evaluation of the patient’s overall appearance and thorough physical examination of the skin, eyes, mouth, hair, and nails provide a clue the presence of malnutrition. Weight is one of the most useful elements of the physical examination for the assessment of nutritional status (Inge.K, 1999). Body weight is expressed as a relative to established norms in the general population. For adults, body weight and height are used to evaluate overall nutritional status and to classify individuals as at healthy or non-healthy weights. The most recent classification is to use body mass index (BMI, in kg/㎠¡). BMI, regardless of age or population, is normal at 18.5-25.0 kg/㎠¡, overweight at 25.0 to 19.9 kg/㎠¡, and obese at over 30.0 kg/㎠¡. In general BMI greater than 30 is assumed to be due to excessive adiposity (World Heart Federation, 2005). Weight loss is often the first clue to an underlying cause of malnutrition. The loss of more than 10% of the patient’s usual weight necessitates a thorough nutritional assessment. Recent unintentional loss of 10% to 20% of the patient’s usual weight indicates moderate protein-calorie malnutrition, and loss of more than 20% indicates severe protein-calorie malnutrition (Ulrika Soderhamn, 2008). In addition to weight and height, anthropometric approaches are for most part relatively noninvasive methods that assess the size of body composition of an individual. Anthropometric measures, such as mid-arm muscle circumference and triceps skin-fold thickness, estimate fat and lean tissue mass respectively (Carole S. Mackey, 2004). Anthropometric measures of nutritional status can be compromised by other health conditions. For example, edema characteristic of some forms of malnutrition and other disease states can conceal wasting by increasing body weight. Anthropometric data are used in nutritional assessment to compare measured values with standardized controls and to compare serial measurements over time in the same patient. These are useful in identifying the most severely malnourished patients, especially those with fluid retention as a result of disease (Inge.K, 1999). Biochemical data Laboratory tests based on blood urine can be important indicators of nutritional status, but they are influenced by non-nutritional factors as well. Measurements of serum protein levels are used in conjunction with other assessment parameters to determine the patients’ overall nutritional status. Serum proteins used in nutritional assessment include albumin and transferrin and preablumin. Albumin is a complex, high-molecular-weight protein produced by the liver and decreased albumin levels have been shown to correlate with increased morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients; therefore it is often used as a prognostic indicator. If the patient’s serum albumin concentration lower then 3.5g/dL and the total lymphocyte count lower than 1500 cells/mm3, it should be take more concern with them (Carole S. Mackey, 2004). Also lab results can be altered by medications, hydration status, and disease states or other metabolic processes, such as stress. As with the other are as of nutrition assessment, biochemical data need to be viewed as a part of the whole. Discussion Before utilization of the nutritional assessment, the health care workers might only concern how the pressure sore can be healed and provided further treatment or protection. The nutritional issue related to wound healing might be ignored. The health care workers should have knowledge and be conscious of nutritional issues and know the importance and relevance of these issues for the particular patient promoted the nutritional nursing assessment. Identifying, assessing and treating older patients’ nutritional problems is a challenge for all staff groups involved in the patients’ care, therefore, it need to collaboration between other caregivers and professionals and sufficient knowledge about nutrition among the staff groups (C. E. Weekes, 2009). For example, the nurse can organize one person into performing specific tasks like serving food to Mr. Wong to highlight his eating ability and facilitate the assessment process. There is also collaboration between the nurse an d physician, speech therapist or dietician who can help with the estimation of the nutritional requirements and get suggestions of food supplements. The first priority for the nurses is to let Mr. Wong know their nutritional needs and current problems, as he might think that he ate enough every day, but the situation perhaps was adverse. They should have an individual holistic patient view and discuss with Mr. Wong about his situation and then find out how and why the identified nutritional problem influenced the pressure sore. And the four assessment techniques in a nutritional assessment can perform at the same time. The health care workers always perform the twenty-four hours intake and output record with Mr. Wong for calculating the fluid balance and energy intake in the daily nursing routine. Also, it can be recognized Mr. Wong’s nutritional status from physical examination like Body mass index reading and mid-arm circumference to determine the specific needs and problems. And then collaboration with physicians to taking his blood for further laboratory assessment. The laboratory results like protein level and albumin level provide information for the nursing diagnosis. Using the clinical, biochemical and dietary data, influences on the nutritional status can be determined. A nutritional intervention which includes dietary guidance and exercise recommendations is then formulated and discussed with the individual. Further dialogues with and observations of Mr. Wong are used promoting for a continuous assessment process, because it can supply the nurse with information about the effects of the interventions and how the nutritional status of Mr. Wong changed, The nurse then feels a responsibility for him having a continuous and proper nutritional intake (C. E. Weekes e, 2009). If all the possible preventions and nutritional problem can be treated, the rate of getting infection should be minimized and the wound healing should be better. Conclusion Malnutrition becomes a considerable problem among hospitalized patients. The use of nutritional care practices and nutrition assessment of elderly patients is necessary and optimal in hospitals. Nutrition assessment involves a combination of examinations and patient history, and as such, no single laboratory test or finding should be used to indicate poor nutrition. An increased consciousness of the importance of nutritional care and assessment among health care professionals will contribute to further improvement of the quality of nutritional care. Reference Carole S. Mackey. (2004). Nutritional Assessment. Retrieved 19 February, 2011, from diet.com/store/facts/nutritional-assessment Ho. S Lee. S. ( 2011, March 18).   Slow food culture on stress-city menu. The Standard, p. A4 Inge.K, Simon. S Wood. J (1999). Nutritional care of the patient: nurses’ knowledge and attitudes in an acute care setting. Journal of clinical nursing, 8, 217-224 Sharp CA McLawa M.L (2006). Estimating the risk of pressure ulcer development: it is truly evidence based?. International Wound Journal, 3(4), 344-353 Ulrika Soderhamn. Olle Soerhamn. (2008). A successiveful way for performing nutritional nursing assessment in older patients. Journal of clinical nursing, 18, 431-439 Vanderwee K, Clayse E, Bocquaert I, Verhaeghe S, Lardennois M, Gobert M Defloor T. (2010). Malnutritiona and nutritional care practices in hospital wards for older people. Journal of advanced nursing, 67(4), 736-746 Weber, J. Kelley, J. H. (2009). Health assessment in nursing. Philadephia: Lippincott Williams Wilkins Weekes, C. E, Spiro, A, Baldwin, C, Whelan, K, Thomas, J. E, Parkin, D Emery, P. W. (2009). A review of the evidence for the impact of improving nutritional care on nutritional and clinical outcomes and cost. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 22, 324-335 World Heart Federation (2005). Body Mass Index [Leaflet]. World Heart Day 2005 Leaflet

Temperature Definition in Science

Temperature Definition in Science Temperature is an objective measurement of how hot or cold an object is. It can be measured with a thermometer or a calorimeter. It is a means of determining the internal energy contained within a given system. Because humans easily perceive the amount of heat and cold within an area, it is understandable that temperature is a feature of reality that we have a fairly intuitive grasp on. Consider that many of us have our first interaction with a thermometer in the context of medicine, when a doctor (or our parent) uses one to discern our temperature, as part of diagnosing an illness. Indeed, temperature is a critical concept in a wide variety of scientific disciplines, not just medicine. Heat Versus Temperature Temperature is different from heat, although the two concepts are linked. Temperature is a measure of the internal energy of a system, while heat is a measure of how energy is transferred from one system (or body) to another, or, how temperatures in one system are raised or lowered by interaction with another. This is roughly described by the kinetic theory, at least for gases and fluids. The kinetic theory explains that the greater the amount of heat is absorbed into a material, the more rapidly the atoms within that material begin to move, and, the faster atoms move, the more the temperature increases. As atoms begin to slow down their movement, the material becomes cooler. Things get a little more complicated for solids, of course, but thats the basic idea. Temperature Scales Several temperature scales exist. In the United States, the Fahrenheit temperature is most commonly used, though the International System of Units (SI unit) Centigrade (or Celsius) is used in most of the rest of the world. The Kelvin scale is used often in physics and is adjusted so that 0 degrees Kelvin is equal to absolute zero, which is, in theory, the coldest possible temperature and at which point all kinetic motion ceases. Measuring Temperature A traditional thermometer measures temperature by containing a fluid that expands at a known rate as it gets hotter and contracts as it gets cooler. As the temperature changes, the liquid within a contained tube moves along a scale on the device. As with much of modern science, we can look back to the ancients for the origins of the ideas about how to measure temperature back to the ancients. In the first century CE, the Greek philosopher and mathematician Hero (or Heron) of Alexandria (10–70 CE) wrote in his work Pneumatics about the relationship between temperature and the expansion of air. After the Gutenberg Press was invented, Heros book was published in Europe in 1575, its wider availability inspiring the creation of the earliest thermometers throughout the following century. Inventing the Thermometer The Italian astronomer Galileo  (1564–1642) was one of the first scientists recorded to have actually used a device that measured temperature, though it is unclear whether he actually built it himself or acquired the idea from someone else. He used a device called a thermoscope to measure the amount of heat and cold, at least as early as 1603. Throughout the 1600s, various scientists tried to create thermometers that measured temperature by a change of pressure within a contained measurement device. English physician Robert Fludd (1574–1637) built a thermoscope in 1638 that had a temperature scale built into the physical structure of the device, resulting in the first thermometer. Without any centralized system of measurement, each of these scientists developed their own measurement scales, and none of them really caught on until Dutch-German-Polish physicist and inventor  Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736) built his in the early 1700s. He built a thermometer with alcohol in 1709, but it was really his mercury-based thermometer of 1714 that became the gold standard of temperature measurement. Edited by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

Wal-Marts Sustainability Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Wal-Marts Sustainability Strategy - Essay Example However, this proves to be more complex, considering that continuous supply of the seafood is the greatest challenge faced by Wal-Mart, according to Peter Redmond, who is its vice President (Wal-Mart, n.d. p1). Since some of the fish are found seasonally, for example the Salmons, which are only available between May and September of every year, maintaining their coViceuous supply is a big challenge. Additionally, the availability of these types of fish is, still low even during their season, and thus Fishin’ Company, based in the US has been contracted to supply Wal-Mart with frozen fish fillets. Commercial fishing of the Salmons is also regulated by the law, where it is allowed only to operators with permits, and during specified seasons. Thus, Wal-Mart has to seek a strategy for obtaining the certification of its boat operators from the Marine Stewardship Council, to enhance a sustainable channel of maintaining regular supply of the Salmons, and thus meet the growing seafood demand. The major challenge that Wal-Mart is facing is the shortage of supply of the seafood. The output of the world’s fisheries es had declined by 3% since 1900, yet the demand for the seafood from Wal-Mart is constantly growing at the rate of 25% every year (Wal-Mart, n.d. p1). Therefore, the looming scenario in this case is that; while the demand for the products seem to be continuously growing, its supply seems to be consistently reducing, which raises the concern of how Wal-Mart will be able to meet the needs of its customers, while at the same time taking advantage of the growing seafood business. Several alternatives are available through which this gap can be minimized, considering that Wal-Mart can liaise with the boat operators and the suppliers to ensure increased supply of the seafood.

Critical Assessment Of The Future Of Coffee As A Commodity Trade Essay

Critical Assessment Of The Future Of Coffee As A Commodity Trade - Essay Example This issue has been addressed by a diverse array of institutions with different approaches in order to find adequate solutions to short-term and long-term conditions of the coffee market as a commodity that is mainly produced in LCDs and developing countries where the levels of poverty are pretty high. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2004) published a report entitled "The state of agricultural commodity markets 2004" with the main concern of addressing the issue of agricultural commodity economies with the intention of finding workable solutions to the challenges ahead. Jacques Diouf, FAO Director-General, stated the following in the Foreword: "The price of coffee plummeted 70 percent between 1997 and 2001, threatening the livelihoods of an estimated 25 million people who depend on coffee and triggering food emergencies in several countries in Africa and Central America." (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2004). This is really a very critical situation. There are several reasons behind it. It is a complex problem that has to be assessed from a multi-lateral perspective taking into account all the stakeholders, especially the small farmers in LDCs and developing countries. In its report, FAO acknowledges the greater productivity of the coffee sector. At the same time it points out that the main beneficiaries are the developed countries producers and consumers: "Advances in agricultural productivity th... ers in better-endowed and more-developed regions that have been able to take advantage of productivity gains to strengthen their position on world markets." (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2004). The FAO report also addresses the issue of concentration of a few big companies in the global market. This troublesome factor in the overall scenario of commodity trading is stated as follows: "Another development in agricultural commodity markets has been the increasing concentration of market power in the hands of a few transnational corporations. Just three companies now control almost half the coffee roasting in the world, for example, and the 30 largest supermarket chains control almost one-third of grocery sales worldwide." (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2004). Daniele Giovannucci, Bryan Lewin and Panayotis Varangis published a report for the World Bank entitled "Coffee markets: New paradigms in global supply and demand". Among their findings, the following statements picture a negative situation for producers in LCDs and developing countries regarding coffee economic viability: "Most of the world's coffee is produced by smallholders utilizing just a few hectares of land. In the past year, many reports have confirmed the heavy toll on farmers that have had to sell below cost or even give up their coffee farms because current prices do not even cover the most basic costs of harvesting and transport to market, and estimate economic losses for small coffee farmers at US$4.5 billion per year." (Giovannucci, Lewin, & Varangis, 2004). These losses are extremely burdensome for small farmers who mostly live in LDCs and developing countries. Finding a solution by raising prices has its ups and downs as can be seen in an article about commodity trade published

Minimum Wage is The Bare Minimum Essay example -- Argumentative Persua

Minimum Wage: The Bare Minimum "They work hard every day; they stock our store shelves, wash dishes at our restaurants, clean our offices at night, care for our kids during the day...They have in common the minimum wage. And they need a raise, and as you saw, they deserve a raise" (Clinton). President Clinton made this speech on the south lawn of the White House at 10:30 a.m. on the 8th of March 2000. He argued for the minimum wage hike to go into effect. He argued for the population of the United States who worked at the federal minimum wage. But was his argument feasible? Would it be practical to raise the federal minimum wage from its current status of $5.15 an hour, to $6.15 an hour? President Roosevelt instated the first minimum wage on June 25, 1938. It created a law which made it illegal for employers to pay their workers under .25 cents an hour. While this law made it easier for workers, businesses and industries of the time found themselves lower on their supply of money, and higher on demand of workers. Economists predicted that the Great Depression (already in its ninth year) would get worse, and that Roosevelt would lose popularity among his peers. Little did we know Roosevelt lost 80 seats in the house that year, and the Depression worsened (Folsom). Now, the economics of raising the minimum wage has seen many more positive effects, or according to our president and the National Economic Council. "Since the minimum wage was raised in 1996, our economy has created over 10 million new jobs. The unemployment rate is at its lowest point in 30 years" (Clinton). The figures seem to be all in the right to just raise the minimum wage once again. On March 10, 2000 the House passed a m... ...eop.gov.us/2000/3/8/11.text.1 March 8, 2000. Folsom, Burton W. Minimum Wage Causes Maximum Pain. "Mackinac Center for Public Policy." [online]. Available: June 1, 1998. Golway, Terry. Life in the 90's. (increases in minimum wage are socially just and economically beneficial). "America Press Inc." [online]. Available: October 24, 1998. House Passes Minimum Wage Increase With Tax Cut Package. "About.com" [online]. Available: http://usgovinfo.about.com/newsissues/usgovinfo/library/news/aa031000a.htm March 10, 2000. Lehman, Joseph G. Minimum Wage Hurts Teenagers and Minorities. "The Mackinac Center for Public Policy." [online]. Available: June 1, 1998 Reed, Lawrence W. Minimum Wage is Lousy Economics. "The Mackinac Center for Public Policy." [online] Available: March 5, 1990.

Mcdonald’s Business Strategy Essay

, Inc. 11410 N. E. 124th Street #223 Kirkland, Washington 98034 USA O: 425-822-3106 C: 206-257-9839 Timothy@McDonaldManagement. com Table of Contents Page 3 Page 5 Page 6 Page 9 Page 11 Page 12 Page 16 Page 18 Page 21 Executive Summary Our Business Plan The Market Defined World View Pilot Program (Ethiopia) Projected Market Share Market Strategy Promotion Competition The Bottled Water Industry Product Development – Four Keys Norit Ultra-Filtration System (Perfector – E) Solar Powered Modules Prototype configuration and assembly The Patented 20-liter Tamper-proof Bottle Organizational Development USAgua Partnership Program US Home Office East Africa Central Assembly Distribution (Operators to Owners) Mile Stones Financial Statements Sales Projections Personnel Budgets Cash Flow Projections Income Statements – Projected Expense Statements – Projected 2 Executive Summary W e are now in a position to profitably enter into the lucrative and expanding worldwide market for pure, clean, safe drinking water. We have developed and will introduce to the world, the concept of small community commercial water purification systems. We call our systems ‘USAguaâ„ ¢ Pure Water Kiosks’. Each of our Kiosks is capable of taking in 8,000 liters of dangerously polluted raw water every day and, through the technologically phenomenal process of ultra-filtration, they process that unhealthy water into safe, clean, purified drinking water. Our systems are containerized, modular, solar powered and ultra-filtered — they function completely ‘off-the-grid’. Our markets are the vibrant, sophisticated, newly emerging middle-classes of the developing world. These middle-class niches represent over one billion people and their numbers are growing daily. These people realize the importance of safe drinking water for themselves and their families but, at the same time, they know that their governments are incapable of providing this most basic need. What is important to our program is that these middle class families are financially capable of paying for our water. The proof is the fact that they now consume literally tens of millions of gallons of bottled water every year. Our competition is the bottled water industry and, very soon, we will have a substantial piece of that market. The product we sell is clean, pure, safe drinking water. How we produce, market and sell our product is through our USAgua Pure Water Kiosks Program. Our Kiosks are a melding of two wonderful technologies just now coming into their own. The first is called ‘ultra-filtration’. Picture a bundle of spaghetti sized perforated tubes through which polluted water is pumped under pressure. The perforations are so small that they block viruses, bacteria and parasites down to a ‘Log 2-4’ EPA rating. This means that the water we sell is 99. 99% pure or better when it leaves our system. And, because the filters require only ‘back-flushing’ instead of costly filter replacements, the long-term costs are minimized. The second basic technology we have employed is Solar Power. Our Kiosks, including all the necessary pumps, batteries, electronics and lighting requirements run perfectly using a Solar Power package designed specifically for our needs. The initial costs of the solar option are steep, but the long term reliability, the fact that we don’t depend on any outside sources of energy and the nearly-maintenance-free specifications we have developed, make them a perfect fit in developing countries. Our ultra filtration systems and our solar power systems have been rigorously field tested by their manufacturers. Our own design engineers have melded the two technologies together, combined them with our storage tanks and lab gear and integrated them seamlessly into our retail USAgua Kiosks. After a final prototype development program, our manufacturer s will ship their modules to our USAgua Central Assembly Plants in our target markets. We will use local technicians to retrofit universally available freight containers and perform final installation and assembly. Once our Kiosks are complete, they will be delivered to our ‘Operators’ in the field. Our Management Team will locate, recruit and train local ‘Operators’ in our various ‘Target Markets’. In time, our Operators will be given the opportunity to own their own USAgua Kiosk, thus allowing us to tap the entrepreneurial energy and spirit that can be found within individuals in every corner of the world. Our USAgua Operator program will ensure our market position and stability through world-wide name branding, equipment standardization, standardized maintenance routines and universally accepted accounting procedures. With the help of some very smart engineers we have developed the concept of our USAgua Pure Water Kiosks. At the same time, we have put together a business model that takes the best of the American business concepts we are so proud of and we, very carefully, introduce them into the potentially lucrative new middle-class markets of the developing world. Our ‘financial package’ is strong. Our assumptions and our projections are conservative, our research is up to date and our key players are heavy on both education and real world experience. We are ready to take the next giant step forward. To that end, we are asking to secure a US $2,200,000 Investment package so that we can bring our USAgua International Program to fruition. Please, feel free to call me anytime for more information or clarifications. Sincerely, Timothy McDonald 4 Our Business Plan The World Wide Market Defined: Of the 6 billion people in the world today, over 3 billion1 live either totally ‘off-the-grid’ or in communities not serviced by safe, dependable water systems. Families within this demographic, no matter their economic level, are left vulnerable to water borne diseases including viruses, parasites and bacteria. The negative social and economic repercussions of not having access to safe, clean drinking water are immense. Some United Nations reports have gone so far as to predict that safe drinking water will be as economically significant as oil within the next decade2. We intend to be a big player in solving the drinking water problem. We have designed both our USAgua Water Purification System and our Business Model to be universally adaptable. Our equipment and our business model will function beautifully in the suburbs of Nairobi, along the Yangtze River in China and in the mountains of northern India. Anywhere there is both a source of water (no matter how polluted) and an open view of the sun, our USAgua water purification systems will work. Anywhere there are energetic and entrepreneurial individuals who aspire to a better life for their families, our USAgua Operator network will prosper. At the ‘Macro’ scale, our market is unlimited. Good business practices, however, dictate that we start small and grow carefully. We will introduce our program to a small, representative market we are familiar with. One that can be easily documented and controlled. In our ‘Pilot Market’ we will learn a great deal from both our successes and our mistakes. Once we have field proven both our equipment and our business model, we will enter additional markets with much greater knowledge and enthusiasm. _________________________________ It is very important to understand that we are in competition with the ‘Bottled Water Industry’ in all aspects of our program. The statistics and the markets for bottled water, world wide, are the statistics and markets relevant to USAguaâ„ ¢. _______________________________________ 1 2 United Nations Development Program Report – August 2008 United Nations Development Program Report – August 2008 5 Our Ethiopian Pilot Program and Our Share of the Market For several reasons, including a thirty year professional involvement in East Africa, we have chosen the country of Ethiopia to establish our ‘Pilot Program’. The Ethiopian Market Defined: Population (millions) 2007 Population growth (annual %) Life expectancy at birth (years) Literacy rate GNI (US $ billions) GNI per capita (US $ ) 78. 6 2. 6 55. 0 38. 5 19. 4 220. 0 The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) acquired these statistics: Health of population using improved drinking-water sources, 2006, total 42 (cut and paste from the UNICEF 2008 Report) These UNICEF statistics show us that there is a large segment of the Ethiopian population that understands the need for safe water. The definition of ‘improved drinking-water sources’, however, does not address the quality of the water. It only documents the fact that the water has been drawn from a centralized source and is conveyed to the end user via an established distribution network; either municipal water systems, tanker trucks or bottled water. The water may or may not be processed. It may or may not be safe. The quality of both the tap water and the bottled water in Ethiopia is suspect due to poor infrastructure maintenance and a lack of Health Department regulation enforcement. 3 3 UNICEF Annual Report – 2006 6 The Ethiopian Central Statistical Agency (CSA) estimates that currently 4. 18% of the households, nationwide, have access to community water systems and taps within their homes. Ethiopia Total 2004 2. 2 2006 2. 7 2008 3. 3 Current 4. 18 (cut and paste from the 2008 CSA Report) This means the vast majority of people considered to have access to ‘improved drinking water sources’ are using tanker truck delivery (very dangerous) or bottled water. (78. 6 million X 42%) – 4. 18% ) = 31. 4 million people drink non-tap water. ) The CSA also publishes a quarterly retail price listing for nearly every commodity found in Ethiopia. In 2008 the average cost per liter of bottled water was 6 birr. (Ethiopian currency) BEVERAGES – NON ALCOHOLIC Ambo Mineral Water†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 500cc 3. 00 3. 00 3. 00 3. 17 3. 00 3. 00 2. 50 3. 00 2. 96 2. 50 3. 00 3. 00 2. 50 2. 5 Bure Mineral Water†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 500cc – – – – – – – – – – – – – – (cut and paste from the 2008 CSA Report) ! (Or †¦ US $0. 48/liter at the current exchange rate) The CSA has not been able to estimate a total volume of bottled drinking water produced or con sumed. We have been told many reasons for this lack of statistical documentation. The most plausible is the lack of government oversight and a huge black market for recycling local water in used plastic bottles. This is a very dangerous practice and one the central government has taken action to stop. 4 A few assumptions: W e are going to assume, in the interest of simplifying our Business Plan, that within and near the cities of Addis Ababa, Mekele, Bahra Dar, Nazerit and Awassa ( a total population of over 27 million ) there is a need for 27,000,000 liters of pure, safe drinking water every day. (27,000,000 X 365 days = nearly 10 Billion liters per year) (One liter of safe drinking water per day is the World Health Organization’s minimum requirement. ) 4 Ethiopian Health Ministry – 2008 7 Our Pilot Program Cities: 10% Purchase Vicinity of Population Addis Ababa 15,375,000 15% Purchase 20% Purchase 5% Purchase Bottled Water at US $0. 50/liter Bottled Water at US $0. 40/liter Bottled Water at US $0. 30/liter Bottled Water at US $0. 20/liter 1,537,500 2,306,250 3,075,000 3,843,750 Nazerit 3,580,000 358,000 537,000 716,000 895,000 Bahri Dar 1,790,000 179,000 266,850 355,800 447,500 Awasa 1,430,000 143,000 214,500 286,000 357,500 Mekele 4,825,000 482,500 723,750 965,000 1,206,250 27,000,000 2,700,000 4,050,000 5,400,000 6,750,000 $1,350,000 $1,620,000 $1,620,000 $1,350,000 $492,750 ,000 $591,300,000 $591,300,000 $492,750,000 Population Market Value Market Value Per Day Per Year Our Pilot Program Market Our Pilot Program Market focuses on five major cities in Ethiopia. We can take a very conservative but educated guess that 15% of the 27 million population is capable of purchasing 1 liter of drinking water every day for US 0. 40/liter. (about a billion and a half liters per year demand) 1,248,000 liters (62,400 20-Liter USAgua Bottles) is the annual sales figure we have projected for each of our USAgua Kiosks. Or less than one tenth of one percent (. 001%) of our Pilot Program Middle-class Market Demand. Our Kiosks are actually capable of physically producing ,920,000 liters of safe, clean drinking water annually, but for budgeting and logistical reasons as well as a conservative margin of safety, we are building our Business Model on a 1,248,000 liters/year basis or a 4,000 liters per day sales capacity, six days per week. ! The total cost to our USAgua Kiosk Program to produce, bottle and sell safe, clean drinking water is less than $0. 10 per liter The un iversal laws of supply and demand would tell us that we could completely dominate the ‘Bottled Drinking Water Industry’ in our Pilot Program Market. By assuring two things — Highest Quality, Lowest Price — we should expect to capture a substantial share of this huge market while at the same time realizing a very profitable return on investment very quickly. It is not difficult to imagine 40 USAgua Kiosks working profitably within Ethiopia within two years of start-up. 8 Market Strategy The Market for pure, clean, safe drinking water already exists. It is large, growing and lucrative. Our dominant piece of that worldwide market is what we will develop. Branding†¦ W e own the internet web domain and the trade marked name, USAguaâ„ ¢. We are now in the process of building a comprehensive website that will address everything from the biology of parasites, bacteria and viruses to the science of removing those contaminants from our drinking water. It will show how important safe drinking water is to individuals, societies and economies. It will differentiate our USAgua Water Purification Kiosks from our competition, the bottled water industry. Our website will play very well in East Africa. Since the election of President Obama, a new, very pro-American, attitude has emerged. America and all things American are now very popular. Our USAgua Kiosks provide safe drinking water at standards equal to or better than our American EPA standards for domestic drinking water. In East Africa, they trust our standards and want that same high quality for their families. Our Kiosks are painted in American national colors. The USA in USAgua is meant to emphasize our American roots and our American standards. When a USAgua Kiosk is delivered to an African community our customers will feel that part of America has arrived. Our USAgua 20-liter plastic bottles are designed to be used and re-used and re-used by the family to which they are assigned. The boldly branded bottles can not be refilled by anyone other than our Kiosk operator. Our branded one-liter personal bottles will be carried with pride on the streets of our communities. The name, USAgua, will be synonymous with American high quality and good health. Lower retail pricing†¦ W e know there is a large and growing demand for safe, pure drinking water. On the macro scale this is evidenced by the rise of the bottled water industry in every city and village in the world. In Ethiopia, our Pilot Program Market, we know the retail price of a liter of bottled water is US$0. 48. The laws of supply and demand dictate that as the price is lowered, the demand rises. The cost of our water, including all business related expectations, is less than US $0. 10 per liter. We will price our product to maximize both the quantity sold and the profit generated. 9 Flyers and Brochures Distributed Locally †¦. And a billboard or two Because each of our USAgua Kiosks are designed to satisfy the drinking water demand of only 400 families per day, (we are saying 10 liters per family per day) the geographic market area for each of our Kiosks is small, (by design) less than one square kilometer. Prior to our Kiosks arriving at their final destinations, a local flyer and brochure campaign will saturate the area to introduce our program. Community meetings will be held to educate members of our market and sell our products. A large colorful bill-board will be erected so that people will begin identifying our branding. 10 Competition: The Competition for our Pilot Program Market (and every other market in the developing world, for that matter) consists of a handful of legitimate Centralized Water Bottling and Distribution Companies as well as black-market water bottle recycling scams. The government is now in the process of both adopting new quality standards for all bottled water plus they are developing the means to enforce those standards. Because none of the major international bottled water producers (Danone, Nestle, and Coca-Cola) have entered the African markets, statistical documentation is lacking for total production and demand. We do know a few things, however. First is that the existing legitimate bottled water industry depends on centralized plants that are, by definition, saddled with the tremendous costs associated with transporting heir product to market. Plus, they must purchase plastic bottles that will be used only once, but then become potential competition as those same bottles are refilled on the black-market and resold. We also know that the end user of bottled water is becoming much more sophisticated. They know full well the problem with boot-legged water and in most cases have gone back to boiling local water (at a tremendous expense in f uel) rather than purchase suspect bottled water. The Bottled Water Industry is not the answer for the Developing World. 11 Product Development †¦.. some history For generations, scientists around the world have known that viruses, parasites and bacteria are present in much of the water we drink. They have also known that these tiniest of creatures are the source of the water borne diseases that have plagued humanity since Lucy stood up on her two legs and peered over the tall grasses of the African Savannah. Personal Note: McDonald was stationed in the Awash Valley of Ethiopia in 1973-75 only 20 miles from where Lucy – Australopithecus afarensisr – was discovered. On several occasions his Agricultural School and Farm hosted Lucy’s rcheologists. They appreciated the water system he had developed that pulled water from the muddy Awash River and provided them safe, pure drinking water. In the developed world, from our largest cities to our smallest villages, our technology has solved the problem of purifying our waters. In America, we long ago realized the importance of safe water to the overall health and well being of our society. It was so important to previous generations that they mandated our government to set and enforce the highest water standards in the world. Our municipal and community water systems now process and distribute a dependable flow of amazingly inexpensive water to the homes of every citizen. The success of America is due, in no small part, to the overall health of our people. And, the overall health of our people is, in no small part, due to our wonderful communal water systems. On the macro scale, the per gallon cost of water in America is very small; a penny or two a gallon at the most. The reality is, however, that a water purification plant and a distribution network are tremendously expensive to develop and operate; tens of millions of dollars. And, the technical sophistication necessary to maintain these systems is overwhelming to any but the most advanced economies. For so many reasons (economic, political, cultural, technical) there is little hope that the vast majority of people in the second and third worlds will ever be able to build and maintain the water systems necessary to provide safe water for their people. Even now, as a burgeoning middle class emerges, the central governments are powerless to act. The problem is just too large and the costs too high. 12 Product Development †¦. the Stars Line Up The USAguaâ„ ¢ Pure Water Kiosk Program is†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Four Components. The product we sell is clean, pure, safe drinking water. How we produce, market and sell our product is through our USAgua Pure Water Kiosks Program. Our Kiosk Program brings together four independent but equally important physical components. Namely: Ultra-Filtration, Solar Power, Retro-fitted Freight Containers and Keyed, Tamper-proof 20-liter Bottles. 1. Ultra-Filtration†¦ This is a water filtration method developed and patented by Norit X-Flow, a member of the global Norit Companies. Norit is headquartered in the Netherlands with sales offices throughout the world including one just outside of Chicago. Ultra-filtration is easy to visualize. Picture a bundle of spaghetti sized perforated tubes through which polluted water is pumped under pressure. The perforations are so small that they block viruses, bacteria and parasites down to a ‘Log 2-4’ EPA rating. This means that the water they process is 99. 99% pure or better when it leaves their system. And, because the filters require only ‘back-flushing’ instead of costly filter replacements, the long-term costs are minimized. Norit’s filters can be used for months and then ‘back-flushed’ to remove all contaminants. The actual filters will last for years. Ultra-filtration is truly a marvelous breakthrough. One of the first applications that Norit X-Flow developed for its Ultra-filter technology was a very clever machine they call the Perfector-E Mobile Water Purification System. It was originally designed for emergency responders to be used in the aftermath of devastating natural disasters; earthquakes, floods and hurricanes. The systems are small, strong and highly mobile. They can be transported and set up in any disaster area within hours. They are totally self contained and can draw and purify water from almost any source including exposed surface waters, local lakes, rivers, ponds and irrigation systems. The Perfector-E System can provide literally thousands of gallons of pure, safe drinking water per day to a disaster area under the most extreme conditions. And, there is another very positive aspect to Norit’s system. It is not a big energy user. With some adaptations, we can actually run the systems exclusively on solar power. 13 2. The second basic technology we have employed is Solar Power. Our Kiosks, including all the necessary pumps, batteries, electronics and lighting requirements run perfectly using a Solar Power package designed specifically for our needs. Our solar energy system was designed by H-Dot Logic, a solar engineering company here in Seattle. The initial costs of the solar option are steep, but the long term reliability, the fact that we don’t depend on any outside sources of energy and the nearlymaintenance-free specifications we have developed, make them a perfect fit in developing countries. . Our Kiosks – Our Containers. We have chosen to utilize universally available, standard steal 20 foot cargo containers as the physical basis of our Kiosk system. Containers are strong and secure. They are easily transported on any flatbed truck in the world, and once they are delivered to our overseas locations, they will serve as the actual retail Kiosk facility. Our in-house engineers ha ve designed the retro-fit of the containers to comfortably house all the various components in and around the retail shell. The solar panels, the gravel pre-filters, the external raw water storage tank, the internal finished water storage tank with the UV sterilizer, the Ultra-filter modules, the pumps, the battery packs, all the electronics and a water testing system are all neatly configured inside the container. In addition to designing the retrofit, our Kiosk’s will have a copy written exterior color and graphic scheme. The graphic scheme, once painted on our containers will provide a great advertising platform for our USAgua Brand. A prototype unit still needs to be assembled. USAgua Kiosk # 0001, the prototype, will be assembled in Seattle, Washington. A careful documentation video of the specifications and assembly methods will be produced. This process will take about four months to accomplish. Once the first Kiosk is ready it will be shipped from the Port of Seattle to Ethiopia. Once in Ethiopia, USAgua #0001 will be delivered to our Central Assembly ; Fabrication facility. Our local Management will use it to train a team of assembly mechanics. We will then begin purchasing containers on the local market and preparing them for the arrival of our Filter and Solar modules. Within a four month period, we will be assembling and delivering two complete USAgua units per month. 4. The Keyed-Tamper Proof Bottle Program: One of the reasons the bottled water industry is not a good fit for the developing world is because the plastic bottles are disposable. Each new bottle, when discarded becomes a potential competitor as people refill the bottle and sell it on the black market. Our USAgua bottles are specially designed to discourage re-use by anyone but the family to which it was assigned. The bottles will have a tamper proof valve and seal that can only be refilled at USAgua Kiosks. This makes the bottles un-usable outside our network and assures our customers that the water inside our stamped and sealed bottles has not been counterfeited on the black market. Our prominent USAgua Logo on each bottle will help promote our brand where ever it is found. 14 Organizational Development Thirty years of experience working in developing countries has taught us many things. One of the most important is that without a very involved and powerful Management presence ‘on the ground’, no program can succeed. For the success of any project in the developing world, including ours, it is vitally important that we back-up our 21st century technology with an equally robust Management and Operations Program based on century’s old tried and true Business Practices. We call our In-Country USAgua International Management and Operations Program ‘Our Partnership Program’. It is based on five powerful strategies: 1. Recruiting the best and the brightest. Every developing country in the world has vibrant, honest, well educated, hardworking, entrepreneurs looking for an opportunity to improve themselves, their families and their communities. Our Country Director will identify and recruit these individuals. We will offer them a good basic family wage with the added incentive of merit-based pay raises. 2. In-Country Training for our Operators Our USAgua in-country Management Staff will train every recruit in Kiosk system functions, maintenance procedures, program hygiene, local marketing and program bookkeeping. Trainees will work with seasoned Operators during a six month apprenticeship program. If they prove themselves capable, they will be offered a position as an Operator or Operator’s Helper for one of our USAgua Kiosks. . In-Country Operations Management. We will have one Project Manager for every 10 USAgua Kiosk Operators. These Project Managers will visit each Kiosk Operator every month to make sure that the extremely high USAgua standards are being met and maintained. The PM’s are also in charge of auditing and banking functions. There will be zero tolerance for bookkeeping errors. In addition to our Project Managers, we have a Maintenance ; Repair team that routinely visits each Kiosk making sure that no small maintenance problem becomes a big repair problem due to lack of Operator vigilance. 4. Advertising and Marketing Support Each Kiosk comes with an introductory advertising budget for local marketing. We will saturate any new locale with USAgua literature. In addition, our Staff will visit each Kiosk to conduct community seminars in water quality and family hygiene. 15 5. Operators to Owners Program After two years as a USAgua Operator we will offer some of our most gifted and hardworking employees the opportunity to purchase their own USAgua Kiosk. We are wholly convinced that there exists a universally powerful business strategy that assures the success of a program such as ours. This is called ‘pride in ownership’ and we intend to tap that strategy to its fullest. Our US Office The home office of McDonald Management is in Seattle, Washington as will be the home offices of USAgua International, Inc. At the top of our organizational chart is the President and CEO, Timothy McDonald. Mr. McDonald has a BS in International Economics (minor in Civil Engineering) with Masters work in International Economics all from the University of Washington. He has been in and out of East Africa for over thirty years with our State Department as both an employee and an independent contractor. He will oversee day to day operations both in the US and overseas. Norit X-Flow International will provide the Ultra-filtration modules. H-Dot Logic will provide the solar package design and modules. R. L. Clark and Associates of Redmond, Washington will be in charge of Investor Relations, financial program development and implementation. Bahiru G. Egziabiher will be the Country Director in Ethiopia for our Pilot Market Program. He holds a Masters in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington and has worked for Seattle City Light for over twenty years. Bahiru holds duel US and Ethiopian citizenship. Dalrymple and Associates will be in charge of our Kiosk design and equipment coordination. In addition his company has designed our logo, the graphic presentation of our USAgua name and our color schemes and themes. RedRover Marketing will be in charge of our website design, maintenance and hosting. Our Office in Ethiopia W e will lease a centralized office/warehouse facility in Addis Ababa where we will identify, recruit and train a team of assemblers and fabricators to retrofit our containers, install our filtration systems, our solar modules and our storage tanks. Our paint shop will brand each Kiosk with our name, our logo and our color scheme. 16 Bahiru Egziabiher, our Country Director, will be in charge of our Ethiopia operations including the central warehouse and assembly facility. He will oversee the assembly of two complete USAgua Kiosks per month once we get underway. McDonald and Exziabiher and, eventually, a small team of Project Managers, will identify, recruit and train a Network of USAgua Operators. These Project Managers will be responsible for assuring the high standards of training, maintenance, product quality and accounting standards for each of their Network Operators. Within two years there will be 40 Kiosks producing pure water in Ethiopia. There will be one Project Manager for every ten Kiosks. Our Operator Network is the key to our program. Once our USAgua Operators are identified and recruited, they will go through a thorough training program. They will serve a two year apprenticeship and then, if they have proven themselves capable of maintaining our extremely high standards, they will be given the opportunity to own their own Kiosk. In this way we will tap the entrepreneurial spirit of those who will make our entire program a success. How Hard is it to Enter the Ethiopian Market? The World Bank ranks countries world wide by their ‘Ease of Doing Business’. Of the 183 countries rated, Ethiopia ranks #107. In comparison, Egypt is #106 and Kenya is #95. Since 1993 when the people of Ethiopia removed their previous communist government and replaced it with one decisively more moderate and business friendly, the new leadership has striven to open its economy to a more capitalistic model. In the past 10 years, Ethiopia has been gradually re-writing its constitution in an attempt to open new markets and stabilize its business community. These efforts have paid off. In 2008-9 the World Bank ranked Ethiopia at #122 for ‘ease of starting a business’. This year they are ranked # 93. And, they are getting better every year. The following statistics are all from the World Bank. Ease of doing Business 107 Starting a Business 93 Dealing with Construction Permits 60 Employing Workers 98 Registering Property 110 Getting Credit 127 Protecting Investors 119 Paying Taxes 43 Trading Across Borders 159 Enforcing Contracts 57 Closing a Business 77 Summary of Indicators – Ethiopia Starting a Business Procedures (number) 5 Time (days) 9 Cost (% of income per capita) 18. 9 Min. capital (% of income per capita) 492. 4 17 Dealing with Construction Permits Procedures (number) 12 Time (days) 128 Cost (% of income per capita) 561. 3 Employing Workers Difficulty of hiring index (0-100) 33 Rigidity of hours index (0-100) 20 Difficulty of redundancy index (0-10) 30 Rigidity of employment index (0-100) 28 Redundancy costs (weeks of salary) 40 Registering Property Procedures (number) 10 Time (days) 41 Cost (% of property value) 2. 2 Getting Credit Strength of legal rights index (0-10) 4 Depth of credit information index (0-6) 2 Public registry coverage (% of adults) 0. 1 Private bureau coverage (% of adults) 0. 0 Protecting Investors Extent of disclosure index (0-10) 4 Extent of director liability index (0-10) 4 Ease of shareholder suits index (0-10) 5 Strength of investor protection index (0-10) 4. 3 Paying Taxes Payments (number per year) 19 Time (hours per year) 198 Profit tax (%) 26. 8 Labor tax and contributions (%) 0. 0 Other taxes (%) 4. 3 Total tax rate (% profit) 31. 1 Trading Across Borders Documents to export (number) 8 Time to export (days) 49 Cost to export (US$ per container) 1940 Documents to import (number) 8 Time to import (days) 45 Cost to import (US$ per container) 2993 Enforcing Contracts Procedures (number) 37 Time (days) 620 Cost (% of claim) 15. 2 Taking into account the above information provided by the World Bank, it will take McDonald Management about 90 days to secure all the necessary permits, licenses, patent protection registrations and lease agreements in Ethiopia. This will all be done prior to our first Kiosk leaving the US. 8 Mile Stones First Three Months Investors have been identified and secured†¦ A US $2,200,000 credit line is opened †¦ Dalrymple ; Associates secures a short term warehouse lease where the prototype Kiosk will be assembled and the process documented. Norit X-Flow, H-Dot Logic and USAgua finalize specifications for the prototype filter/solar modules The USAgua Prototype is completed and Unit #0001 is prepared for shipment to Africa In Month One, Mc Donald and Exziabiher leave for East Africa to secure business licenses and leases. While in Africa McDonald and Exziabiher identify and recruit a team of mechanics and fabricators as well as a Project Manager. They identify the first five individuals for the USAgua Operators Network. Months 4 and 5 USAgua Kiosk number 0001 is shipped from Seattle to Addis Ababa USAgua – Seattle begins producing and shipping filter/power modules to Ethiopia at the rate of 2 units per month. Containers are purchased and retrofitted in our Addis Ababa facility at the rate of 2 units per month. Assembly begins and the first delivery of a unit is accomplished. Months 6 -12 All elements of our program are coordinated and we are assembling and placing USAgua Kiosks in client communities at the steady rate of 2 units per month. Project Managers and Operators are continuing the training, quality control and apprenticeship programs. Month 13 W e achieve income/expense financial Break Even Month 24 The first 40 USAgua Kiosks are in place and working. The first USAgua Operator recruits are offered ownership of their Kiosks. 19 Business Plan Summary W e are confident that a vibrant and lucrative market for safe, clean drinking water exists in every country of the world. We are also confident that we have the right Technology and Business Model to enter and eventually dominate those markets. To prove this, we are going to introduce 40 of our USAgua Kiosks into the Ethiopian market. There we will show that our technology is exactly right; that each of our Kiosks can be operated and maintained profitably for years. And, that our Business Model is sound and worthy of the trust our investors have shown. We have developed a set of financial projections. These itemize the key elements of our program and put a dollar figure on their implementation. They show that an initial two year investment of US $2,200,000 will produce an operating income/expense breakeven within a year and actual profit by the end of the 40 Unit 2 Year Pilot Program. Anyone interested in viewing our Financial Report, please, call Timothy McDonald. He will be more than happy to send along our spreadsheets. Many Thanks, Timothy McDonald 206-257-9839 20