Gek1522 Essay

Ever since the advent of industrialization, there has been an increase in the emission of several greenhouse gases (GHG) mainly due to the burning of fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide emissions account for 80% of global warming of GHG emission, as compared with 57% in the 1980s (Lashof & Ahuja, 1990). Panwar, Kaushik & Kothari (2011) also states that excessive fossil fuel consumption will have adverse impacts on the environment, and increase threat of global climate change. Fortunately, more and more countries are starting to be aware of climate change, which comes as a result of the increase of emission of GHG.Therefore, various proposals to reduce emission of GHG have been drawn up to suggest possible solutions to reduce the impact of climate change. While all of these proposals are useful to reduce emission of GHG, some will be more practical and effective due to other problems, which may arise. One of these proposals includes developing more non-polluting renewable energy sources (RES ). This is a practical way to reduce the impact of climate change as it directly reduces GHG emissions. Currently, RES supply 14% of the total world energy demand (Panwar et. l. , 2011). RES includes biomass, hydropower, geothermal, solar, wind and marine energies. By harnessing energy from RES, dependence on conventional energy sources that produce GHG will be reduced. For example, solar energy is the most abundant RES and is available as both direct and indirect form. Solar energy can be used directly in solar thermal applications, or indirectly in photovoltaic systems to generate electricity. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission mitigation potential from 1. kWp solar pump is about 2085kg from diesel-operated pumps (Panwar et. al. , 2011). Therefore, by using RES, we can directly reduce the GHG emissions by moving away from energy sources that produce GHG. This is also the most practical solution as RES are readily available and abundant all around us. What needs to be done is to build t he infrastructure required to harness RES so we can become less reliant on GHG-producing energy sources and thus reduce GHG emissions. Another such proposal involves reforestation to â€Å"soak up† more CO2.Reforestation is the next most effective solution as it also deals with removing CO2 emissions directly from the atmosphere. Trees have the ability to absorb CO2 and convert it to stable carbon â€Å"sinks† in the form of biomass stored in trunks, branches and organic matter in the soils (Moulton & Andrasko, 1990). This carbon â€Å"sequestration† is important as it removes CO2 in the atmosphere and locks it in wood that can be used for furniture and other construction applications. In addition, reforestation offers an opportunity for emission control investments (Niskanen, 1997).However, it may not be as practical as developing more non-polluting RES as reforestation requires a large area of land and not many countries will be willing to give up land space, which could potentially bring economic benefit. Also, reforestation efforts are expensive. According to Moulton and Andrasko (1990), a budget of $65 million is proposed in the USA for the President’s proposed tree-planting initiative. This huge amount coupled with limited economic benefits the country will gain from reforestation may deter governments from supporting the proposal.Thus, while reforestation provides a sink for CO2, it may not be a practical solution due to economic and land concerns. Governments must be able to prioritise the long-term environmental benefits involved to make better decisions. The next proposal involves reducing energy use by conservation. By reducing energy use by conservation, the global energy demand will be reduced, and thus less non-renewable energy sources will be burnt at power plants, reducing GHG emissions. This is another possible solution to reduce GHG emissions.For example, this can come by using solid-state lighting instead of incan descent bulbs. Government agencies have introduced policies to conserve energy usage through more efficient use of energy (Sen, Khazanov & Kishimoto, 2011). Incandescent light bulbs typically convert 5% of energy into visible light. Solid-state light-emitting semiconductors promise to offer conversion efficiencies of 50% or more (Sen et. al. , 2011). However, the success of this solution is dependent on the collective mindset of the community on a global scale.This will require time and education to encourage reduced energy use through conservation. In addition, with an increasing number of countries becoming more affluent, the global energy demand will increase. Therefore, reduction of energy use by conservation is limited to the affluence of the country, and research can then be used to develop more efficient technology to reduce energy use. This is harder to achieve, as it is more difficult to develop a culture to conserve energy, than to convince governments on reforestation.The next proposal involves adding more nuclear power plants to replace current conventional coal-burning power plants. Nuclear energy provides carbon free production of electrical energy, and produces much more energy than conventional energy sources (Grandin, Jagers & Kullander, 2010). One uranium fuel pellet contains the same amount of energy as 1,780 pounds of coal or 149 gallons of oil (Palliser, 2012). Thus, much more energy can be generated from a small amount of nuclear source. Nuclear waste is small in physical size compared to waste produced by other forms of energy (Palliser, 2012).While this provides a clean source of energy and reduces the emission of GHG, it may not be the most practical idea due to the concerns of radioactivity. Nuclear waste has to be stored in steel-lined, concrete vaults filled with water or in aboveground steel or steel-reinforced concrete containers with steel inner canisters (EPA, 2010). In addition, uranium is a nonrenewable resource that cannot be replenished on a human timescale. Fossil fuel emissions are also associated with uranium mining and enrichment process and the transport of uranium fuel to the nuclear power plant (EPA, 2010).Therefore while nuclear power plants produce zero GHG, the processes involved may still produce GHG. The radioactive risks involving the waste and storage could become another environmental problem. Hence, while adding more nuclear power plants will definitely reduce GHG emissions, it is not very practical as it will create numerous environmental problems as mentioned above. The last proposal involves removing carbon in fossil fuels before combustion and â€Å"sequestering† that carbon in underground reservoirs. This involves hydrogen production from fossil fuels that include steam reforming and water gas shift (Steinberg, 1999).In order to suppress CO2 emission from the steam reforming process, CO2 must be sequestered underground. This removes CO2 emission into the atmosphere, thereby reducing GHG emissions making it an effective solution to reduce GHG emissions. However, such a process involves higher cost and lower efficiency (Hetland, 2008) making this solution is the least practical as up to 40% of the energy is lost through â€Å"sequestering† in underground (Steinberg, 1999). Therefore the efficiency of such a solution is compromised, as it is not as efficient as conventional coal burning.In addition, by â€Å"sequestering† carbon in underground reservoirs, these reservoirs are susceptible to leaks and this gas might be released again. Also, fossil fuels are considered non-renewable energy sources and therefore such a solution is only effective so long as there are such resources. Therefore, this is the least practical and least efficient solution available. In conclusion, even though there are many solutions to reduce GHG emissions, critical analysis of each proposal is required to determine which solution is the most practical and the most e fficient, according to the local constraints and economic cost-benefit analysis.Ultimately, the onus is on governments to recognise the impact of each possible proposal, and to decide which path to take in terms of reducing GHG emissions to reduce the impact of climate change. References Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2010. Nuclear energy, Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved 29/03/2013 from http://www. epa. gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/affect/nuclear. html Grandin, K. , Jagers, P. , Kullander, S. (2010). Nuclear energy. A Journal of the Human Environment, 39, 26-30. Hetland, J. (2008).Assessment of pre-combustion decarbonisation schemes for polygeneration from fossil fuels. Clean Technology Environmental Policy, 11, 37-48. Lashof, D. A. , Ahuja, D. R. (1990). Relative contributions of greenhouse gas emissions to global warming. Nature, 344, 529-531. Moulton, R. J. , Andrasko, K. (1990). Reforestation. EPA Journal, 16 (2), 14-16. Niskanen, A. (1997). Value of external environmental impacts of reforestation in Thailand. Ecological Economics, 26 (1998), 287-297. Palliser, J. (2012). Nuclear Energy. Science Scope January 2012, 14-18.Panwar, N. L. , Kaushik, S. C. , Kothari, S. (2011) Role of renewable energy sources in environmental protection: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 15, 1513-1524. Sen, S. , Khazanov, G. , Kishimoto, Y. (2011) Environment, renewable energy and reduced carbon emissions. Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids: Incorporating Plasma Science and Plasma Technology, 166 (10,) 834-842. Steinberg, M. (1999). Fossil Fuel decarbonisation technology for mitigating global warming. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 24 (8), 771-777.

Managers responsibility Essay

The mangers most basic responsibility is to focus people toward performance of work activities to achieve desired outcomes. A manager is someone who works with and through other people by co-ordinating their work activities to accomplish organisational goals. (Robbins, Stagg, Coulter, 2003, p.10) This definition states, the fundamental responsibility of a manager, is to accomplish the organisations objectives by ‘getting things done through people’. There are however several ways of conceiving managerial responsibilities, as a ‘manager’ can be viewed from many different positions. Kontz (1999:179) argue that management is the process of setting and achieving goals through the execution of four basic management functions that utilize an organisation’s resources. These functions are planning, organizing, directing, and controlling. Goshal and Bartel (1995:89) however argues that the responsibility of manager cannot be clearly defined as planning, organizing controlling etc, and are better described by looking at the managers responsibility in their working environment. According to Goshal and Bartel (1999:183), the responsibility of managers varies according to their level of status within the organisation and the skills required in performing managerial duties change accordingly. I will discuss that managerial work can be classified into both organizational levels, basic skills and the four management functions that lead to the fundamental responsibility of a manager, – to effectively accomplish organisational goals by focusing people toward performance of work activities. cofa far sefafaw orfa Wood (1998:402) argue that the most important asset in effectively achieving desired oraganisational outcomes is people. It is argued that people are flexible, versatile, intelligent, durable and appreciate in value to the organisation through learning experiences. According to Wood, (1998: 397) the best way people can be used in an organisation, is through the decision making process directly related to management functions, – planning, organising, directing and controlling. It is a managers resposibility to understand the significant effect each sub-ordinates commitment has to these  functions, and actively carry out the functions of management in a way that best achieves this. Planning involves defining organisational goals and proposing ways to reach them. Managers establish an overall direction for the organisations future, identify and commit the resources required, and focus people towards their working activies to reach organisational objectives. After managers have prepared plans, they must translate these abstract ideas into reality. Organising is the process of creating a structure of relationships that will enable employees to carry out management’s plans and meet organisational goals. By organising effectively, managers can better coordinate human, material, and information resources. The manager has to make sure each sub-ordinate knows their individual goal and how they are going to achieve it. A successful plan may only be reached if management can utilize the organisations resources efficiently and effectively. Foucault After management has made plans, created a structure, and hired the right personnel, someone must direct the organization. Directing involves communicating and motivating others to perform the tasks necessary to achieve the organization’s goals. Interraction between the manager and sub-ordinate is the key for creating a focused working environment, and is critical in achieving a desired outcome. Directing provides leadership that from a manager/employee working relationship perspective is the raising of an employees performance to a higher standard, – beyond its normal limitations. The process of managerial leadership can be thought of as influencing others to direct their efforts toward the pursuit of specific goals. Knouse, Stephen, and Giacalone, (1992:375) back up this statement by claiming that managers who lead effectively establish three initiaitves from employees that is crucial in improving their work activities and decision making capabilities. Initially they gain the trust of sub-ordinates, – allowing people more freedom to act on instinct and make decisions. Second, leaders must clarify the direction in which people should be headed to satisfy organisational outcomes, through clear, consistent communication. This effectively helps employees feel confident in their decision making  abilities. Finally it states that effective leaders encourage others to take risks, further enabling peoples ability to think, create and make decisions. Control is verifying the actions of the organisation’s subordinates in accordance with the plans, instructions, and the established standards of performance. A manager should attempt to prevent problems, or to try to determine and solve them as soon as possible, if they happen to occur. Through constant control of focusing people towards work activities, the manager keeps the organisation working effectively.cofe fe As it can be seen, managers are required to be able to plan, organise, direct, and control. Goshal and Bartel (1995: 91) argue however that deviding a managers responsibility into tidy, discrete functions such as planning and organising is not relevant in todays working environment. It is argued that management is ‘messy and continuous’, particularly planning which is conceived as an ongoing process, rather than a separate bounded activity. According to Goshal and Bartel, the nature of manegerial work is better classified in terms of organisationl levels and basic skills. Robert L Katz identified three types of skills, – technical, human and conceptual which he writes are required for all levels of management. Robbins, Stagg, Coulter, 2003, p.13-14) Technical skills are those needed to perform the work in a specialised area. These skills involve the knowledge and ability to apply techniques, procedures, methods, and tools in a specific field. Interpersonal skills, include the ability to work with, understand, lead, and motivate others, and effective managers require interpersonal skills to get ‘the best out of their people’. Conceptual skills include the ability to plan, coordinate, and integrate all of the organization’s interests and activities. Also involved is the ability to understand how a change in a given part of the organization or its environment, can positively or negatively affect the focus of employees in their work activities which interrelates with the organisation desired outcomes. Katz found the relative importance of these skills varied according to the managers level within the organisation. Organisations can be viewed as having three basic levels of management with operational employees not requiring any manegerial duties. The manegerial jobs at the first level are known as first level management and are charged with overseeing operative employees. Technical skills are important at such lower organisational levels in which the manager needs to know the mechanics of how the work is done. Ghoshal, and Bartlett (1995:92) argue that first line supervisors (first level managers) are responsible and accountable for directing the workforce and for meeting production and service scheduals and quality standards. The responsibilty of first line managers to ensure employees are focused on work activities is therfor crucial in achieving a desired outcome. Middle managers are usually responsible for the performance of a particular organisational unit and direct the activities of other managers and sometimes those of operative employees. They implement strategic plans set fourth by top managers by establishing divisional objectives and operational objectives that will guide unit perormance to achieving desired outcomes. Technical and conceptual skills are required for effective middle management, but as is the role of first level management with operative employees, their basic responsibilty is to ensure these first level managers and to a lesser extent, operational employees are aware of what is required in achieving set objectives. Top managers have the broadest responsibilities and have the authority to develop plans that shape the overall direction of the organisation. Ghoshal and Bartlett (1995:93) argue that the time of a top manager is typically devoted to human relations and conceptual tasks. From a survey of some of America’s most effective corporations Goshal and Bartell (1995:93) found that leading executives of these firms spent approximately 85% of their time interracting with people on the phone or in meetings. It is also argued that of this 85% a large proportion of time is spent updating and ensuring middle managers are informed and focused on the work activities required to ensure the objectives of the organisation are achieved. In conclusion, managers are very important in a structured organisation. All  organisations operate in complex social working environment conditions where managers need to be developed in their interpersonal or people skills if they are going to be effective. Technical and conceptual skills vary in importance according to their managerial heirachy, however the one skill that remains constant at all levels is interpersonal. Goshal and Bartell (1995:93) argue that progressive organisations only look for people who possess a special predefined set of competencies relating to attitude, personality and behaviour for employement in management-leadership positions. These competencies guarantee that formulating business strategees and organisational goals will be met through the ‘coaching’ and interraction of managers and employees. Managers have the responsibility of planning, organising, directing and controlling the organisations activities that can only be effectively achieved through the use of efficent working employees. The four management functions require creativity, reasoning, and judgement to make decisions and it is the basic responsibility of a manager to direct people towards their specific role or task to ensure organistional goals are achieved. When a person is familiar with the subject and has the required data, they have the confidence to make effective decisions. This is the most basic responsibility of a manager, to focus people towards performance of work activites to ensure a desired outcome is achieved. References Ghoshal, S. and Bartlett, C. A. (1995), â€Å"Changing the Role of Top Management: Beyond Structure to Process†, Harvard Business Review, p 86-94coec ecr Knouse, Stephen B. and Giacalone, Robert A. (1992), â€Å"Management Decision Making in Business: Employee Issues and Concerns.† Journal of Business Ethics. 11 (51) pp.369 381. 6QbDHfKG ndd fodd dd! Kontz, H, (1999) ‘The Management Theory jungle’, Journal of the Academy of Management, 4, p174 -188codc dcr sedcdcw ordc dck indc fodc dc. Robbins, S, Bergman, R., Stagg, I. & Coulter, M. 2003, Management 3rd edn, Pearson Education Australia, French Forest Wood, D. J. (1998), â€Å"Social Issues in Management: Theory and Research in Corporate Social Performance†, Journal of Management 17(2), pp.383-406cocb cbr secbcbw orcb cbk incb focb cb.

Scheduling Management in Tunnel Construction Projects Literature review

Scheduling Management in Tunnel Construction Projects - Literature review Example 45). Scheduling management Scheduling management is very important to any project because it entails helpful techniques applicable while managing activities involved in projects. Managers practice scheduling management before starting up a project, which involves. Pointing out the task that interests an individual, estimating the total period that the task will take, and distributing resources needed to perform that task, finally deciding on when the task will commence. In the procession of a project, monitoring is important as it ensures that scheduling management predicts the future of a project. An effective scheduling management helps the project administrator to ascertain that a project is within the expected cost, time and certain standards of quality (Kerzner, 2009, p. 47). Scheduling management techniques There are two types of scheduling management techniques applied in projects in order to enhance efficiency. These techniques include the Milestone chart and the Gantt chart. In projects, Milestone chart is very imperative as it identifies vital events that occur during the implementation of a project, it usually reflects critical issues in a project, which without controlling on time will lead to delays in a project. Milestone chart is very reasonable about deadlines as it entails installation of equipment, changes in a new system, completion of systems and file conversations. However, Gantt charts occur either in a horizontal bar shape or as a line chart and it indicates the activities that the project entails written in the left hand side of the chart. In addition, it contains the time scale of a project indicated at either the top or bottom of the chart, a line drawn showing the project’s estimated period and another line showing the dependencies among the project activities and the time used (Kerzner 2009). According to the construction industry, Gantt chart represents a scientific method of management that helps individuals to break down th e processes involved in projects. This chart divides a whole project into distinct task, methods of performing the tasks, cost and time spend on the task, and finally it monitors the entire project (Kerzner 2009). Steps for better scheduling management In order to come up with a successful project, it is important for project managers to observe the following scheduling management steps. Firstly, managers should implement a scope letter entailing the price of a project, which will be of benefit while negotiating for project schedule. Secondly, they should make a worksheet and compare it with the one provided by the contractor of the project; managers should also make notes indicating the commencement date of a project and when it will end. Managers should ensure that they recheck for logic problems in their work before they proceed because errors resulting from logic leads to poor projects. The project schedule should include separate person-hours allocated for each task in order to make it detailed and organized. The manager should carry out resource loading to ensure equal allocation of resources and tasks within a given time. Later, he/she should determine the total resources desirable in performing the project

The Tender Submission Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Tender Submission - Research Paper Example Once the team has completed, it should have a complete background of the engineering companies and their employment habits. The second team in the group will be involved in getting information about the criteria for accreditation by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. This will help the group assess the students and teachers satisfaction on the board. This will be conducted by holding interviews with teachers, students, and subordinate staff. This will give the interviewers an idea of the relationship between the students and staff. The bottom line is that there is a need to establish the relationship and level of satisfaction of the students and the staff. The third group will be involved in assessing the graduates’ level of knowledge and how much they understand in the field of engineering. Graduates mainly gain knowledge in one area and then they do not have much knowledge in other areas. This group will be tasked to find out the areas where the graduate s have much knowledge in and the areas that they do not have the knowledge. The research team will get information through the use of questionnaires and interviews. After getting the necessary information, they will generate a report showing the graduates’ areas of strength and the demand for these areas in the market. After the third group has delivered their report, the fourth group will find out about the skills needed by the engineering industry. They will visit companies and conduct interviews so as to know the kind of skills that these companies need. This will help the schools and graduates know the skills in demand and thus concentrate on them. This group will also try to find out if the graduates already employed usually possess these skills and if they meet the company’s expectations. The data analyst and the project manager will use the reports generated by the first four groups to come up with a solution to improve the graduates’ skills. The report w ill also include tips to improve the quality of education at the University of Glamorgan. It will also show the core qualities in demand by engineering companies and the qualities possessed by the graduates from the same University. All the groups in the team will come together and develop a report based on all the five reports from the various groups. The report will reflect the technical methods of improving engineering skills at the University of Glamorgan. It will also show the organizational structure of how these skills can be implemented to meet the market demands in the field of engineering. Finally it will also focus on the University’s academics and create great emphasis on the core skills that most companies are after. This will be used as a guideline that teachers and instructors can use to improve the students’ skills in those skills that most engineering companies are after. Risk Assessment Risk assessment is part of risk management. It involves determina tion of qualitative or quantitive risk values in a given situation. In this research, risk assessment will be applied in all stages to ensure the elimination of any threat or situation that might hamper the research. The risk assessment will be carried out before each task starts. The assessment will involve systematic analysis of the task and identify the possible hazards that the team members might face. This will enable the team to be ready for such problems and will have the means or ways to overcome them.

Do Mobile Applications Creat Faster Interfaces than Mobile Website Essay

Do Mobile Applications Creat Faster Interfaces than Mobile Website Design - Essay Example The two popular ways of accessing websites are mobile applications and mobile website design. The website design is a site that can re-design itself to fit various sizes of devices e.g. phones, tablets, desktops and others. An application is a program meant to accomplish a goal; it is downloaded by the user for use (Duckett 43). The design process involves the use of software to design a site. A two dimensional plane is used to help the creator imagine a site. The creator then defines actions to guide visitors of the site or app. The next step is to choose and mix colors and test the site (Myers 92). When creating the applicationWhen the application was used by a volunteer, it was found that the app provided a faster interface than the website. The browsing process was fast. The reason behind this is the fact that the application uses mainly UI elements. This means the application uses the data necessary only. This process saves on time. However, a complaint raised by the volunteer was that the application took a long time to launch. The time taken to launch the application will have to be reduced to increase efficiency. Maintenance of the app requires that it is frequently updated to keep up with new information relevant to the company or institution. Below is a screenshot of the coding

Hitler's Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hitler's Germany - Essay Example This essay will assess whether Hitler’s ability to appeal to the German people was the source of his power or whether his personality traits and psychological abnormalities were more significant. Hitler’s ability to appeal to the German people lay in his skills at oratory. With his words, Hitler was able to mould public opinion in his favour. As a member of the lower class strata, Hitler had the added advantage of winning over the masses who felt themselves wronged by the German authorities. He claimed himself to be one of them which created an aura of trust and respect for the man who had risen from amongst the lower class. His style appealed greatly to the working class of Germany who felt understood by this leader. Hitler’s speeches were outspoken which helped create an image of courage and bravado to his personality. The Germans needed someone to blame for their disastrous defeat and this was provided to them by Hitler. Hitler’s singular appeal through his skills as an orator also lay in the message he conveyed. He was able to define a scapegoat upon which the German people could vent their wrath for the shame they felt at their defeat in the First World War and the terms of the Versailles Treaty – namely, the Jews. Waite contends that the Fuhrer was himself a man who suffered from deep rooted feelings of inferiority and guilt; he felt that Hitler could have been suffering from a fear that his own blood was impure and that his sexuality was warped. This led him to try and over compensate by directing those feelings outwards on to other elements of society – the Jews and Communists (Mitchell, 1973:41). His views were derived from H.S. Chamberlian whose interpretation of history stated that of the three major strains that comprised mankind, two of them had been Aryan, namely the Greeks and the Aryans who created culture, while the third strain, i.e., the Semetic one, was culture destroying.

Effect on interest rates due to the investment in REITs Essay

Effect on interest rates due to the investment in REITs - Essay Example In the year 2007, the real estate industry in UK is about to give the chance to investors to invest in real estate investment trusts. These are public listed vehicles that can satisfy the record demand experienced for investment in real estate. This can increase the capital acquiring capacity of the real estate firms and it can decrease its dependence on the bank credit. This in turn may decrease the interest rates or at least remain at what they at the end of last quarter of 2006. These investments not only impact the interest rates but also, these provide the required liquidity to an asset class that is considered as inflexible. The historically inflexible asset turning into a flexible asset and the provision of the liquidity for it can decrease the demand for the bank loans. One of the factors that impact the interest rates is the liquidity of the assets. The increased liquidity of the assets of a company or the people can decrease the demand for the bank credit up to some extent. This will certainly show a negative effect on interest rates and is capable of decreasing them or can stop them from increasing. Generally the international transactions involve the risk regarding exchange rate. The interest rates also effect the forwards yet times.A contract is signed and for completion within 3 months. Generally any one thinks about the exchange rate of GBP with the currency of that country. If the interest rates are considered and if the UK rates are higher, there will be a higher cost for the forward contract. In this case one can sign forward contract with a firm in the country that is having higher interest than in UK. This will reduce the burden on the buyer if there is any delay in execution of contract. Effect of the investments These investments will result in limited partnerships that have institutions as investors. There is a chance of emergence of onshore and offshore property unit trusts that contain institutional high net worth investors. The increase of

The Supply Chain Management Case Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Supply Chain Management Case - Coursework Example Carrying these primary elements into consideration, it is most obviously profitable for the organization to use the outsourcing strategy since the [DVD] production on the two major companies situated outside the country is both competent in handling high-quality production at a reasonable price. The transportation cost payment system may also be negotiated with the chosen supplier to lower the cost of expenses in terms of shipment and transport of the product deliveries. 2. This case provided the data necessary to perform a cursory supplier financial analysis. In reality, cross-functional sourcing teams must often obtain this data during their assessment of potential suppliers. Discuss possible sources of supplier financial information. What may impact a purchasers ability to obtain supplier financial data? Through having a thorough conversation with the top executive personnel of the business entity being assessed, a carefully presented financial report of the company could be achieved. Through gaining such information, the company could then measure the stability of the company that they are assessing in the business. The willingness of the suppliers to get the deal done with the purchases of the products in regular terms shall indeed move them to give certain financial results from past annual records of the organization. By doing this, they are setting a connection of loyalty and trust between them and the purchaser. It is through this process that both parties could actually measure the kind of relationship that they could be sharing if they are to pursue with the contract signing to close the deal of supplier-purchaser connection between the two firms. A sourcing decision of the magnitude highlighted in this case requires a serious commitment of resources and time.   Do all sourcing decisions require similar commitments of time and effort?   If not, describe the types of sourcing decisions that justify this effort.   Describe the types of sourcing decisions that do not justify or require the level of effort and analysis required in this case.

Teaching resource package Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Teaching resource package - Essay Example   It is the learner who interacts with objects and events and thereby gains an understanding of the features held by such objects or events.   The learner, therefore, constructs his/her own conceptualisations and solutions to problems.   Learner autonomy and initiative is accepted and encouraged.† (Van Ryneveld, n.d., n.p.). The Teacher Resource packages presented are only a few examples of constructivist learning at work. The students direct their own learning and call on their creative and critical thinking skills to come up with dynamic ideas that invite more learning. Students are no longer seen as passive recipients of learning with teachers as dispensers of knowledge. Under Outcome 5.11 which says; â€Å"A student analyses the impact of human resource use on the biosphere to evaluate methods of conserving, protecting and maintaining Earth’s resources†, the teaching package proposed is on disseminating essential information on saving endangered environments. Specifically, it will attempt to meet 5.11.2 (C), which states that students will be discussing â€Å"strategies used to balance human activities and needs in ecosystems with conserving, protecting and maintaining the quality and sustainability of the environment.† For this resource package, students will be doing research on the degradation of the environment in some settings that are mainly caused by human factors. It endangers the lives of plants and animals which have taken up residence there. It will investigate what humans have been doing to contribute to environmental destruction as well as what can be done to protect wildlife and prevent their deaths and possible extinction. This package aims to impart to students care and concern for the environment and hopefully develop an advocacy in protecting it from negative elements such as illegal logging or illegal planting of crops. Students will be exposed to

Flying vs. Driving Essay Example for Free

Flying vs. Driving Essay Flying vs. Driving Countless times a year, people wander from state to state and/or country to country for various reasons such as working, visiting loved ones, or maybe even searching for an escape from the norm. As obvious as this may sound, the complexity of traveling today has become quite the sight to behold. With the worlds revolutionary technology, commuting has been taken to a whole new level. Although there are many different forms of travel, the most popular are by boat, by train, by a plane thousands of feet in the air, and even the most common type, by automobile. These ypical methods all provide their own unique experiences for the traveler, and they all come with an ever Increasing label. Each of these travel methods has its own distinctive characteristics. Particularly, considering the two most common types, plane or automobile, people should consider their differences to have better travel experiences. Even though soaring through the air is less common than driving, flying is arguably the most effective means of getting from place to place. While travelers might run Into a couple familiar faces while flying, most likely they will be crowded nto small seats next to complete strangers. In some situations, they may end up securing a strong companionship with the person or people sitting next to them on the plane. This usually leads to having casual conversation for the duration of the flight. unfortunately, in other situations, a traveler may get stuck sitting next to the guy in a trench coat who he or she thought was a terrorist upon first glance at the airport! On the other hand, although driving may be a more time consuming process, this type of traveling provides time for more Interaction, as well as extra sights to see

Analysis of the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) Success

Analysis of the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) Success Sports, Leisure and Coaching Law Examine the success or otherwise of the WADA Code with regard to the regulation of the use of drugs and doping in sport It is submitted that the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) has achieved a reasonable measure of success in the pursuit of its mandate to establish a drug free sports world. WADA, both in its structure and in its execution of its policies, is not presented as a perfect mechanism in this respect. There are also well articulated contrary philosophical positions concerning whether sport, particularly at a professional level, ought to be regulated for substance use at all. That question is beyond the scope of this paper. In the present review, WADA is presumed to be acting at all times as a legitimate agency to advance the broad public interest in safe and drug free sport. A brief definition and over view of WADA’s structure shall assist in the appreciation of the points made in support of the opening statement above. WADA was founded in 1999 at the instigation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its member bodies in the wake of a number of well publicised doping scandals (Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson’s positive steroid test in the 1988 Olympics; the Festiva cycling team arrest at the 1998 Tour de France are two examples), WADA is the supreme authority with respect to both the establishment of proper test procedures and the determination of what substances will be the subject of athletic sanction when detected (Lerner, 2006; WADA, 2007). The WADA Code outlines the broad goals of the agency. The Code is the primary regulatory instrument employed to forge an international consensus concerning anti-doping practices in sport. The Code is the structure that binds sports governing bodies, national Olympic committees, and independent sports leagues to the enforcement of the WADA rules concerning doping tests procedures, both in-competition and out of competition, in conformity with the annual WADA Prohibited List of restricted substances and those subject to therapeutic exemption (WADA Code, 2) This background information is emphasised because it confirms one important yardstick by which to measure WADA success the critical mass that WADA has achieved since 1999 in assembling a broad membership of the world sports community that supports the anti-doping mandate, and the corresponding elevation of various doping issues and the inherent dangers of substance abuse in the public consciousness. This success, while somewhat intangible, is arguably as important as any specific drug testing programme or the successful pursuit of sanctions for doping violations. On a related basis, breaches of the WADA Code by athletes are now generally publicly perceived as more than mere transgressions – drug cheating and its ‘win at all costs’ mentality tend to create a negative image of the offender in the eyes of the fan. One example is drawn from the otherwise staid confines of international cricket; Australian star Shane Warne’s use of a banned diuretic was widely described as ‘†¦ the single biggest disappointment’ in the 2003 World Cup. (Mangan, p. 228) The WADA Code has been held to be in conformity with the generally accepted principles of international law in most respects (WADA Code, 2007, 2). The WADA Code provides for a strict liability regime concerning the presence of a prohibited substance in an athlete, the automatic disqualification of the offender from the subject event, and the imposition of a suspension; all such measures have been deemed to accord with fundamental international law principles, primarily due to the various provisions that permit an aggrieved athlete to apply for a hearing to seek an appropriate remedy by way of arbitration. (Kaufmann-Koehler, 2003, 3) The legal issues generated by the prevalence of doping in sport must be understood from several distinct perspectives. The first is the subsisting importance of the national or state criminal law regarding the possession, use or distribution of illegal substances. The fact that a stimulant such as cocaine is used by an athlete to enhance performance does not exclude the possible intervention of the state criminal law authorities upon its detection in the athlete’s system.(see Ulrich, below) In practice, the apparent acceptance of WADA styled enforcement in sports as excluding the intervention of the state is an interesting phenomenon. The effectiveness of WADA has created the undeniable impression that ‘sport crime’, in the sense of prohibited substances and a violation of the WADA ‘play clean’ mandate is an administrative sanction issue for the particular sport league or governing body, not a matter for the criminal law. A state criminal investigation may create an opportunity for WADA to intervene, or alternatively, to seek the production of search and seizure results from the state authority; the German police investigation into Tour de France cyclist Jan Ulrich and the 2007 Spanish criminal inquiry regarding doping products and public safety are examples (WADA Code, 3). Once in receipt of such evidence, WADA have successfully instituted proceedings pursuant to the Code against athletes targeted by state authorities; challenges to prohibit this approach by way of injunction have failed (Balco, 2006, 1). Distinct legal issues are engaged at three different points on the continuum mandated by WADA anti-doping procedures the testing, the analysis of the test results, and the appropriate sanction to be imposed. This continuum has created a definable body of administrative law that has mirrored the emergence of a global administrative law trend wherever private international bodies such as WADA possess authority. (Kingsbury, 2005, 16) Notwithstanding the attacks that have commonly been advanced against the process, a further indicator of over all WADA success is the perception of transparency concerning its practices and the corresponding heightening of confidence that WADA and its constituent organisations adhere to their own Code. Prior to the institution of the WADA Code, a common tactic for an athlete who was subject to sanction as a result of a positive doping test was to seek a civil injunction. In an era of less than standardised practices, such injunctions were routinely granted, as courts often stated that they would not see an athlete deprived of their ability to earn income on the basis of flawed testing or administrative procedures. (See Reynoldsv. IAAF, 1994) The Court for Arbitration in Sport (CAS) is now the primary vehicle for the determination of all international WADA related proceedings; most national and affiliated sports organisations have established similar arbitration mechanisms. (Pound, 2006, 113) A recent example of the reluctance of national (or supranational) courts to interfere in WADA-based proceedings is revealed in the Meca-Medina decision. Meca-Medina was an European Court application seeking to declare the IOC rules governing doping control (as propounded in the WADA Code) to be incompatible with European Community rules (EC Articles 82, 83) that regulate competition and freedom to provide services. (Meca-Medina, 2006, para 1, 4) The appellants were long distance elite level swimmers who had tested positive for a prohibited substance, (nandrolone) in post-event testing and each was subsequently suspended from competition for 4 years. The appellants had appealed the suspension to the CAS and each was unsuccessful before the arbitrator regarding the merits; the suspensions were reduced to 2 years. The European Court held that the economic interests of the appellants were secondary to the legitimacy of the anti-doping initiatives and the absence of any procedural irregularity on the part of the sport organisations involved. (Meca-Medina, para 58, 60) The CAS was founded in 1984 as an arm of the IOC. It is an unquestioned high level repository of sports administrative law expertise (over 200 cases per year with arbitrators drawn from over 80 countries; alleged WADA Code violations are a significant percentage of the case load). As with civil law arbitrations, the CAS acquires its jurisdiction by the mutual consent of the involved parties, where all decisions are final and binding (subject to extremely limited rights of review). (Lerner, 81) It is submitted that the definable body of sports law generated in CAS anti-doping proceedings is a further hallmark of WADA’s continued legitimacy and success. The primary focus of WADA’s anti-doping efforts is directed towards individual athletes; the Code extends to all persons involved in athlete support – coaches, trainers and medical personnel. The long and intricate machinations of the United States criminal investigation into the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative is an example where support persons were implicated in the supply of steroids to Olympic champion sprinter Tim Montgomery and American baseball record holder Barry Bonds. (Balco, 2006, 1) The range of cases heard by the CAS reflects the breadth of the sporting world itself. The CAS has been called upon to consider reduced competition bans where extenuating circumstances are urged by the athlete (Lukin, 2007, 3); a request for relief from the Prohibited Substance list on the basis that the particular substance will aid in the health of the athlete (Brockman, (2004), 1); where an alleged tampering with a out of competition urine sample test procedure was challenged (Boyer, 2004, 1). A recent decision of the CAS that highlights the CAS interpretation of the strict liability rules of the WADA Code is that of Zach Lund, the American skeleton racer disqualified from participation in the 2006 Winter Olympics due to a positive test for a prohibited masking agent, finasteride. (Lund, 2006, 1,2) The uncontested evidence before the CAS was that Lund had finasteride in his system due to his long term use of a hair restorative product. The CAS held that Lund was â€Å"open and honest† in his description of his failure to take all appropriate measures to educate himself as to the risks.(Lund, p.8) It is submitted that in a traditional civil injunction proceeding, the absence of intent to gain a competitive advantage might be determinative of the issue, given that a berth in an Olympic Games was at stake. However, consistent with the ‘new age’ of anti-doping attitudes, the CAS held that ‘†¦the burden on the athlete to establish no fault or negligence is extremely high†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Lund, p.9) The arbitrator ruled that Lund was banned from Olympic competition in 2006. In a 2006 arbitration conducted by the international basketball body, FIBA, a similar imposition of the WADA Code mandated and exacting strict liability standard was imposed for the inadvertent use of a hair restorative (Kurtoglu, 2006, 1), where FIBA upheld a two year competition ban. Other fact situations that highlight the primacy of the WADA Code in modern sport are contained in the newspaper articles excerpted below.( e.g. Gatlin; Ferdinand; Chambers) In its eight years of existence, WADA has successfully impressed its anti-doping will upon the international sport community. The rules developed and disseminated by WADA have created cohesion and significant consistency in the manner that doping cases are conducted world-wide. As noted in the opening paragraph above, the intangibles associated with WADA’s heightened promotion of the ethical, health and competition issues inextricably linked to performance enhancing substances are WADA’s greatest achievement. Bibliography American Arbitration Association (2006) â€Å"Sports Arbitration including Olympic Athlete Disputes† http://www.adr.org/About (Accessed March 21, 2007) Athletics: Prize-Money Row Bars Chambers from NIA Grand Prix.(2006) Birmingham Post (England) 17 Feb. 2006: 36 â€Å"Balco case trial date pushed back† (March 17, 2006) BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/4357145.stm (Accessed March 21, 2007) Gatlin Faces Threat of a Life Ban from Athletics(2006) South Wales Echo (Cardiff) 31 July 2006: 10 Haley, James (2003) At Issue: Performance Enhancing Drugs (San Diego: Greenhaven Press) Kingsbury, Benedict, Nico Krisch and Richard B. Stewart (2005) The Emergence of Global Administrative Law Law and Contemporary Problems 68.3-4: 15 Lerner, K. Lee (ed.) (2006) World of Sports Science (New York: Thomson Gale) Manjumdar, Boria, and J. A. Mangan, eds. (2004) Cricketing Cultures in Conflict: World Cup 2003. New York: Routledge, Mottram, David R., ed. (2003) Drugs in Sport New York: Routledge Pound, Richard W. (2006) Inside Dope (Toronto: Wiley) Rio Deserved a Longer Ban (2004) The Evening Standard (London, England): 104 Kaufmann-Koehler, Gabrielle â€Å"Summary Opinion re: Conformity of the WADA Code† (2003) http://www.wada-ama.org/rtecontent/document/prof_kaufmann_kohler.pdf (Accessed March 21, 2007) World Anti-doping Agency, 2007 (WADA) http://www.wada-ama.org/en (Accessed March 21, 2007) World Anti-doping Agency Code http://www.wada-ama.org/en/dynamic.ch2?pageCategory.id=267 (Accessed March 21, 2007) World Anti-doping Agency Prohibited List http://www.wada-ama.org/en/prohibitedlist.ch2 (Accessed March 21, 2007) Table of Cases Bouyer v. UCI WADA CAS 2004/A/769, Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport v Lukin; WADA third party (January 31, 2007) SDRCC DT-06-0050 IPC v. WADA Brockman CAS 2004/A/717, Meca-Medina and Majcen v Commission (Case C-519/04 P) (see also T-313/02 Re: initial opinions) Reynoldsv. IAAF, 23F.3d1110, (6thCir. 1994), (cert. denied 63USLW 3348). WADA v. USADA, USBSF Lund CAS OG 06/001, WADA v. FIBA Kurtoglu FIBA AC 2005-6 (Note: all WADA related case law may be accessed through the portals at the main WADA website)

Protect Me? Essay -- Essays Papers

Protect Me? I’ve decided to write my paper on protection policies associated with trade. I should let you know that I’ve been reading the book â€Å"Trade Under Fire† and I agree that trade restrictions â€Å"overall† cause more harm than good. I’ll focus mainly on American policies regarding import tariffs and the impact it has on domestic producers and the domestic job market. My paper will be delivered as follows: †¢ Benefits from Trade †¢ Imports and Exports †¢ Tariffs on Imports †¢ The Job Issue †¢ Conclusion Benefits from Trade: As we’ve discussed in class, any time there is trade there are benefits. David Ricardo helped prove this with his Law of Comparative Advantage, which states: â€Å"Each country (involved in trading) should completely specialize in producing the good that it has comparative advantage in and then exchange the good with other countries to import goods it wants, if this is done each trading country gains from free trade.† This makes sense and every model we’ve done in class shows countries that trade with each other increase their consumption possibilities. This potential increase in consumption is known as â€Å"gains from trade†. The gains from trade can be limited however by protectionist policies. These are policies put in place by governments to protect domestic firms from being hurt by free trade. There are numerous ways to enact protectionist policies for domestic firms. The main one I’m going to talk about is tariffs (taxes). But first let’s talk about the balancing act that takes place between imports and exports. Imports and Exports: In the book â€Å"Free Trade Under Fire† Douglas Irwin discusses the mutuality (balancing act) that needs to take place between imports and exports. Basically, pr... ...cally been good for consumers and bad for firms. But when you factor in the job issue it frightens workers into thinking that if they don’t stick with their firm and fight imports they won’t have a job. Creating an alliance between firms and labor against imports. Nobody wants to be unemployed. And being told that â€Å"your job is obsolete but a different job that might pay more is on the way† doesn’t really cushion the blow of being laid off. But the overall picture (long run or long term effect) basically states that protection doesn’t benefit the world overall. This is in my opinion the strongest case for free trade. References Free Trade Under Fire: By Douglas Irwin Principles of Macroeconomics (Vijay Sharma): Notes by Jeff Maffitt International Trade (Steven Beckman): Notes by Jeff Maffitt International Finance (Suzanne Uroz-Korror): Notes by Jeff Maffitt

ICT and Its Impact on an Individuals Work and Personal Life :: ICT Essays

A report into how ICT has had an impact on an individuals working and personnel life For this report I decided to ask my mum how her life has changed since computers became involved daily in life. I wrote 10 questions each with questions incorporated to get a wide view on how it has had had an impact on her life. I asked my mum 'when did you first use a computer, and was it at the workplace or at home?' she answered 'I first used a computer at work because it was part of my new job' I then asked if she went on a course to help learn new skills and did she find it useful as follow up questions. She replied ' no, I wasn't given the opportunity to go on a course I simply had to teach myself it would have been a lot better if I had been on a course though. I then wanted to find out if she was comfortable about using ICT and if she was confident with it. I asked 'Was ICT a big change for you which you didn't really want to take because you found it intimidating, or did you relish the thought of learning new skills?' she answered ' yes I found it extremely intimidating as everyone else in my office new how to work a computer and I felt left behind. People also thought that because they knew I should so I found it very stressful' Next I wanted to know how much exactly had ICT changed her working life I asked if it had and she answered 'after a long time I have started to enjoy using the computer and I find it very useful At work Health and safety is a crucial part of a working place and regulations must be taken seriously so I asked 'how do you solve problems to do with health and safety? Are there any issues you feel strongly about and feel something should be done?' she replied 'I believe health and safety is very important and my workplace feels the same and are keen to address and problems'. I then wanted to know 'if any health and safety issues affected her personally on an everyday basis and what was done about them?' she replied ' no I don't have any they affect me on a day to day basis' Next I wanted to know how ICT helped her at home if it did at all. I wanted to know how often a computer was used for and how frequently if one was owned.

Free Things They Carried Essays: Very Deep and Touching :: Things They Carried Essays

The Things They Carried: Very Deep and Touching   If anyone knows anything about Vietnam it is that many lives where lost.   All through school students were only taught the very top layer about the Vietnam War, such as dates, places that the war took place, and straight statistics of the war.   The parts that were left out are the tragedies, and the permanent scars this war left.   Students are told about the number of deaths that occurred, but they are not told about the lives that were affected, or how disturbing the war really was to the soldiers that fought in it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Much can be interpreted by what people write.   The great thing about interpretations is that each writing can be interpreted differently.   Just like Tim O'Brien's book titled "The Things They Carried."   It is a very deep and touching collection of stories about the Vietnam War and many   peoples experiences in this destructive war.   One story that is a touching and very intriguing is titled, "The Man I Killed."   A reader can look at this story and relate it back to things they learned in school, but   the point of the story is not this but rather things that can not be taught in public schools.   This specific story goes inside a soldier's mind and shows the reader what they are thinking when they kill someone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The way that O'Brien starts this story is with great description that helps the reader visualize what is going on.   He describes a mangled body that someone had recently killed; again not part of teachings in public schools.   The story goes on to tell what the victims background may have been in the eyes of the soldier.   How maybe he was a scholar and his parents farmers, or maybe why this young man was in the army, and why he was fighting.   O'Brien states that the man may have joined because he was struggling for independence, just like all the people that were fighting with him, maybe this man had been taught from the beginning; that to defend the land was a mans highest duty and privilege.   On the other hand maybe he was not a good fighter, maybe he was in poor health but had been told to fight and could not ask any questions.   These are all reasons that are taught in textbooks; they go along with the idea of the draft.

Instructions to Set Essay

The global community is plagued by increasing incidence of lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast and pancreatic cancers, prostate cancer, leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, liver, ovarian and esophageal cancers. Other types of cancer exist but are less frequent. What is the scientific community doing to attempt to eliminate the most common forms of cancer that are ravaging our society? 1. Be certain you’ve read your textbook’s chapter on cell division, specifically the last section on how cells become cancerous. This is context for completing Individual Assignment 3. 2. Watch the Presentation in Module/Week 4 entitled: â€Å"Ways to Fight Cancer†. Notice that the presentation outlines essentially 3 approaches to fighting cancer: a) reduction of cancer risks, b) correction of cancer genes, and c) destruction of cancerous tissue. 3. In the Individual Assigntment 3: 10 Discoveries in the War on Cancer document is a set of 10 scientists’ discoveries. Scan the discoveries briefly. Then open the assignment submission link in Module/Week 4. In the text box, number from 1 to 10 for the 10 discoveries listed below. 4. Now reflect carefully on the first discovery (#1). Would this discovery be more useful for (a) reducing cancer risks, (b) correcting/restoring cancer cells to normal, or (c) destroying cancerous tissue? After number 1 in your list, place in parentheses the letter representing the approach to fighting cancer that will best be served by this new discovery. (More than one approach may be served. But which is most likely to be helped most significantly?) 5. Now repeat this analysis for each of the remaining 9 discoveries. Return to the â€Å"Ways to Fight Cancer† presentation as needed for additional perspective. When finished, your entire text box should be simple: a numbered (1-10) list of letters a, b or c. That’s it! Assignment done. 6. Ten points are granted for each correct association up to 6 correct. If you get any 6 correct out of 10, you get a perfect score (60 pts.) on the assignment. Your assignment is due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday of Module/Week 4.

History of Trigonometry

Running Head: History of Trigonometry History of Trigonometry Rome Fiedler History of Mathematics 501 University of Akron April 29, 2012 History of Trigonometry: An Introduction Trigonometry is useful in our world. By exploring where these concepts come from provides an understanding in putting this mathematics to use. The term Trigonometry comes from the Greek word trigon, meaning triangle and the Greek word meatria meaning measurement. However it is not native to Greek in origin. The mathematics comes from multiple people over a span of thousands of years and has touched over every major civilization.It is a combination of geometry, and astronomy and has many practical applications over history. Trigonometry is a branch of math first created by 2nd century BC by the Greek mathematician Hipparchus. The history of trigonometry and of trigonometric functions sticks to the general lines of the history of math. Early research of triangles could be found in the 2nd millennium BC, in Egyp tian and Babylonian math. Methodical research of trigonometric functions started in Greek math, and it reached India as part of Greek astronomy.In Indian astronomy, the research of trigonometric functions flourished in the Gupta dynasty, particularly as a result of Aryabhata. Throughout the Middle Ages, the research of trigonometry continued in Islamic math, while it was implemented as a discrete subject in the Latin West beginning in the Renaissance with Regiomontanus. The growth of contemporary trigonometry shifted in the western Age of Enlightenment, starting with 17th-century math and reaching its contemporary type with Leonhard Euler (1748) Etymology The word â€Å"trigonometry† originates from the Greek â€Å"trigonometria†, implying â€Å"triangle measuring†, from triangle + to measure.The name developed from the study of right triangles by applying the relation ships between the measures of its sides and angles to the study of similar triangles (Gullberg , 1996). The word was introduced by Barthoolomus ptiticus in the title of his work Trigonometria sice de solutione triangularumtractus brevis et perspicius†¦ in 1595. The contemporary word â€Å"sine†, is originated from the Latin word sinus, which implied â€Å"bay†, â€Å"bosom† or â€Å"fold†, translation from Arabic word jayb. The Arabic word is in origin of version of Sanskrit jiva â€Å"chord†.Sanskrit jiva in learned used was a synonym of jya â€Å"chord†, primarily the word for â€Å"bow-string†. Sanskrit jiva was taken into Arabic as jiba (Boyer, 1991). This word was then changed into the real Arabic word jayb, implying â€Å"bosom, fold, bay†, either by the Arabs or erroneously of the European translators such as Robert of Chester, who translated jayb into Latin as sinus. In particular Fibonacci's sinus rectus arcus was significant in creating the word sinus. Early Beginnings The origin of the subject has rich di versity. Trigonometry is not the work of one particular person or place but rather a development over time.The primitive Egyptians and Babylonians had known of theorems on the ratios of the sides of analogous triangles for many centuries. However pre-Greek societies were deficient of the concept of an angle measure and as a result, the sides of triangles were analyzed rather, a field that would be better known as â€Å"trilaterometry†(Boyer, 1991). The Babylonian astronomers kept comprehensive records on the rising and setting of stars, the movement of the planets, and the solar and lunar eclipses, all of which needed knowledge with angular distances measured on the celestial sphere.Founded on one explanation of the Plimpton 322 cuneiform tablet, some have even claimed that the primitive Babylonians had a table of secants. There was, on the other hand, much discussion as to whether it is a table of Pythagorean triples, a solution of quadratic equations, or a trigonometric tab le. The Egyptians, in contrast, applied an ancient kind of trigonometry for construction of pyramids and surveying the land in the 2nd millennium BC. The early beginnings of trigonometry ar thought to be the first numerical sequences correlating shadow lengths to time of day.Shadow tables were simple sequences of numbers which applied the shadow of a vertical stick, called a gnomon, is long in the morning and shortens to a minimum at noon. Then becomes longer and longer as the afternoon progresses (Kennedy, 1969). The shadow tables would correlate a particular hour to a particular length and were used as early as 1500 BC by the Egyptians. Similar tables were developed by other civilizations such as the Indians and Greeks. Greek mathematics Shadow tables were the primary development in creation of trigonometry however the Greeks really developed Trigonometry into an ordered science.The Greeks continued as the Babylonians astronomers did and studied the relation between angles and cir cles in lengths of chords to develop their theories on planetary position and motion (Mankiewicz, 2001). [pic] The chord of an angle subtends the arc of the angle. Ancient Greek mathematicians used the chord. Given a circle and an arc on the circle, the chord is the line that subtends the arc. A chord's perpendicular bisector traverses the center of the circle and bisects the angle. One half of the bisected chord is the sine of the bisected angle, that is, [pic] nd consequently the sine function is also known as the â€Å"half-chord†. As a result of this relationship, several trigonometric identities and theorems that are known at present were also known to Greek mathematicians, however in their equivalent chord form. Though there is no trigonometry in the works of Euclid and Archimedes, there are theorems presented in a geometric method that are similar to particular trigonometric laws or rules. Theorems on the lengths of chords are applications of the law of sines. In addit ion Archimedes' theorem on broken chords is similar to rules for sines of sums and differences of angles.From the primitive landmarks of shadow tables and the Greeks’ gain and expansion of astronomical knowledge from the Babylonians, there was a gap in the improvement of trigonometry until the time of Hipparchus. Hipparchus The first trigonometric table was in fact compiled by Hipparchus of, who is known as an as â€Å"the father of trigonometry†(Boyer, 1991). Hipparchus was the first to put into a table the corresponding values of arc and chord for a series of angles. He did this by considering every triangle was inscribed in a circle of fixed radius. Each side of the triangle became a chord, a straight line drawn between two points on a circle.To find the parts of the triangle he needed to find the length of the chord as a function of the central angle. [pic] For Example, in the diagram triangle ACB is? inscribed in circle O. So the sides of the triangle become chord ? AC, chord CB and chord AB. Hipparchus would have sought to? find the length of the chord, AC, as a function of the central? angle. He deduced a trigonometric formula for the? length of a chord sketched from one point on the circumference of? a circle to another (Motz, 1993). This could therefore be used to help understand the positioning of the planets on the sphere.Though it is not known when the methodical use of the 360 ° circle came into math, it is known that the methodical introduction of the 360 ° circle introduced a little after Aristarchus of Samos comprised of On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon, since he measured an angle a part of a quadrant. It seemed that the systematic used of the 360 ° circle was mainly as a result of Hipparchus and his table of chords. Hipparchus might have taken the idea of that division from Hypsicles who had previously divided the day into 360 parts, a division of the day that might have been recommended by Babylonian astronomy .In primeval astronomy, the zodiac had been divided into twelve â€Å"signs† or thirty-six â€Å"decans†. A recurring cycle of approximately 360 days could have corresponded to the signs and decans of the zodiac by dividing each sign into 30 parts and each decan into 10 parts. It was as a result of the Babylonian sexagesimal numeral system that each degree was divided into 60 minutes and each minute was divided into 60 seconds. Though Hipparchus is attributed as the father of trigonometry all of his work is lost except one but we gain knowledge of his work through Ptolemy. [pic] http://www. ies. co. p/math/java/vector/menela/menela. html Menelaus Menelaus of Alexandria wrote in three books his Sphaerica. In Book I, he created a basis for spherical triangles analogous to the Euclidean basis for plane triangles. He established a theorem that is without Euclidean analogue, that two spherical triangles were similar if corresponding angles are equal, however he did not diff erentiate between congruent and symmetric spherical triangles. Another theorem that he established was that the sum of the angles of a spherical triangle is more than 180 °. Book II of Sphaerica applied spherical geometry to astronomy.In addition Book III contained the â€Å"theorem of Menelaus†(Boyer, 1991). He further gave his well-known â€Å"rule of six quantities†(Needham, 1986). This theorem came to paly a major role in spherical trigonometry and astronomy. It was also believed that Melaus mya have developed a second table of chords based on Hipparchus works, however these were lost (Smith, 1958). Ptolemy Afterwards, Claudius Ptolemy developed upon Hipparchus' Chords in a Circle in his Almagest, or the Mathematical Syntaxis. The Almagest was mainly a work on astronomy, and astronomy relied on trigonometry.The 13 books of the Almagest were the most prominent and important trigonometric work of ancient times. This book was a composition of both astronomy and trig onometry and was derived from the work of Hipparchus and Menelaus. Almagest contains a table of lengths of chords in a circle and a detailed set of instructions on how to construct the table. These instructions contain some of the earliest derivtions of trigonometry. Ptolemy distinguished that Menelaus started by dividing a circle into 360o, and the diameter into 120 parts. He did this because 3 x 120 = 360, using the previous application of 3 for pi.Then each part is divided into sixty parts, each of these again into sixty parts, and so on. This system of parts was based on the Babylonian sexagesimal or base 60-numeration system, which was the only system available at the time for handling fractions (Maor, 1998). This system was based on 60 so that the number of degrees corresponding to the circumference of a circle would be the same as the number of days in a year, which the Babylonians believed to be 360 days (Ball 1960). From Menlaus Ptolemy developed the concept that the sine i s half of a chord.Ptolemy took Menelaus’ construction _ crd  · 2_ and said that the complement angle could be written as _ crd  · (180 o -2_), since 180o was half the circumference of the circle. Since today, cos_ = sin(90 o -_), it can be shown that cos_ = _ crd  · (180 o -2_), using a similar argument as the one shown above (van Brummelen, 2009). From these two expressions, one of the greatest identities known today was created. That is, (_ crd  · 2_) 2 + {_ crd  · (180 o -2_)} 2 = 1 which is exactly sin2_ + cos2_ = 1 (van Brummelen, 2009). [pic]http://nrich. maths. org/6853 [pic] http://en. ikipedia. org/wiki/Ptolemy's_table_of_chords Using his table, Ptolemy believed that one could solve any planar triangle, if given at least one side of the triangle (Maor, 1998). A theorem that was fundamental to Ptolemy's calculation of chords was what was still known at present as Ptolemy's theorem, that the sum of the products of the opposite sides of a recurring quadrilater al was equivalent to the product of the diagonals. Ptolemy used these results to develop his trigonometric tables; however whether these tables were originated from Hipparchus' work could not be proved.Neither the tables of Hipparchus nor those of Ptolemy had survived to the present day, though descriptions by other ancient authors exhibits they existed. In his work, Ptolemy founded formulas for the chord of? difference and an equivalent for our modern day half-angle? formulas. Because of Ptolemy’s discoveries, given a chord of? an arc in a circle, the chord of half an arc can be determined as? well. Ptolemy also discovered chords of sum and difference, chords of half an arc, and chords of half degree, from which he then built up his tables to the nearest second of chords of arcs from half degree.In the Almagest, a true distinction was made between plane and spherical trigonometry. Plane trigonometry is the branch of trigonometry which applies its principles to plane triangle s; Spherical trigonometry, on the other hand, is the branch of trigonometry in which its principles are applied to spherical triangles, which are triangles on the surface of the sphere. Ptolemy began with spherical trigonometry, for he worked with spherical triangles in many of his theorems and proofs. However, when calculating the chords of arcs, he unintentionally developed a theory for plane trigonometry. Trigonometry was created for use in astronomy; and because spherical trigonometry was for this purpose the more useful tool, it was the first to be developed. The use of plane trigonometry†¦ is foreign to Greek mathematicians† (Kline, 1972). Spherical trigonometry was developed out of necessity for the interest and application of astronomers. In fact, spherical trigonometry was the most prevalent branch of trigonometry until the 1450s, even though Ptolemy did introduce a basis for plane trigonometry in the Almagest in 150 A. D. IndiaThe next major contribution to trig onometry came from India. The trigonometry of Ptolemy was based on the functional relationship between chords of a circle and central angles they subtend. The Siddhantas, a book thought to be written by Hindu scholars in late fourth century, early fifth century A. D. , changed Ptolemy’s trigonometry to the study of the relationship between half of a chord of a circle and half of the angle subtended at he center by the whole chord (Kennedy, 1969). This came from the basis for the modern trigonometric function known as the sine.The Siddhantas introduction to the sine function is the chief contribution from India and marks a transformation in trigonometry. Indian mathematicians also contributed by creating their own sine table. Arya-Bhata, born in 476, was a great Indian mathematician and astronomer (Ball, 1960). He composed a book called Aryabhathiya, which contained most of the essential ideas we associate with sine and cosine. His most outstanding contribution to the topic, w hich distinguishes him from the other mathematicians of this time, was his work on sine differences (van Brummelen, 2009).His definition of sine was literally â€Å"half chord† and was abbreviated jya or jiva, which simply meant, â€Å"chord† (Smith 615). Sines were given in minutes, at intervals of 225 minutes. This measurement was not of the sines themselves, but instead, it was the measurement of the differences between the sines. His method of calculating them was as follows. The first sine was equal to 225. The second sine was defined as any particular sine being worked with in order to calculate the sine that directly follows (Clark 29).It was found using the following pattern: (225 – the previous sine) + (225 + the previous sine) 225 this total was then subtracted from 225 to obtain the sine table. Second sine: 225 – 225 = 0 225 / 225 = 1 0 + 1= 1 225 – 1 = 224 Third sine:? 225 – 224 = 1 (225 + 224) / 225 ? 2 225 – 2 = 222 (van Brummelen, 2009). Arya-Bhata concluded that dividing a quarter of the circumference of a circle (essentially one quadrant of the unit circle) into as many equal parts, with the resulting triangles and quadrilaterals would have, on the radius, the same amount of sines of equal arcs.Doing this, he was able to form a table of natural sines corresponding to the angles in the first quadrant (van Brummelen, 2009). Although much of his work had the right idea, many of Arya-Bhata’s calculations were inaccurate. Later, in 1150AD, an Indian mathematician known as Bhaskara gave a more accurate method of constructing a table of sines, which considered sines in every degree (van Brummelen, 2009). Although the Indian mathematicians made attempts at creating a table to help with astronomy, their table of sines was not as accurate as that of the Greeks. Islamic mathematicsThe ancient works were translated and developed in the medieval Islamic world by Muslim mathematicians of mostly Persian and Arab descent, who explained a large number of theorems which freed the subject of trigonometry from reliance upon the complete quadrilateral, as was the case in Greek mathematics as a result of the application of Menelaus' theorem. In accordance with E. S. Kennedy, it was following that development in Islamic math that â€Å"the first real trigonometry appeared, in the sense that only then did the object of study become the spherical or plane triangle, its sides and angles† (Kennedy, 1969).E. S. Kennedy pointed out that whilst it was possible in pre-Islamic math to calculate the magnitudes of a spherical figure, in theory, by use of the table of chords and Menelaus' theorem, the application of the theorem to spherical problems was very complex actually (Kennedy, 1969). With the aim of observing holy days on the Islamic calendar in which timings were established by phases of the moon, astronomers at first used Menalaus' method to compute the place of the moon and stars, a lthough that method proved to be ungainly and complex.It engaged creation of two intersecting right triangles; by applying Menelaus' theorem it was possible to solve one of the 6 sides, however only if the other 5 sides were known. To tell the time from the sun's elevation, for example, repeated applications of Menelaus' theorem were needed. For medieval Islamic astronomers, there was a clear challenge to find a simpler trigonometric rule (Gingerich, 1986). In the early 9th century, Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi c a Persian Mathematician, was an early pioneer in spherical trigonometry and wrote a treatise on the subject creating accurate sine and cosine tables.By the 10th century, in the work of Abu al-Wafa' al-Buzjani, another Persian Mathematician established the angle addition formulas, e. g. , sin(a + b), and discovered the sine formula for spherical trigonometry. Abu’l-Wafa is believed to have helped introduced the concept of the tangent function. He also may have had s omething to do with the development of secant and cosecant. His trigonometry took on a more systematic form in which he proved theorems for double and half angle formulas. The law of sines, is also attributed to Abu’l-Wafa, even? hough it was first introduced by Ptolemy. This is in part? due to the fact that Abu’l-Wafa presented a? straightforward formulation of the law of sines for? spherical triangles, which states [pic] where A, B, and C are surface angles of the spherical? triangle and a, b, and c are the central angles of the? spherical triangle. In 830, Habash al-Hasib al-Marwazi created the first table of cotangents. Muhammad ibn Jabir al-Harrani al-Battani found the reciprocal functions of secant and cosecant, and created the first table of cosecants for each degree from 1 ° to 90 °.By 1151 AD, the ideas of the six trigonometric functions existed, they were just not named as we know them today. Europe It is from the Arabic influence that trigonometry reache d Europe. Western Europe favored Arabic mathematics over Greek geometry. Arabic arithmetic and algebra were on a more elementary level than Greek geometry had been during the time of the Roman Empire. Romans did not display much interest in Greek trigonometry or any facets of Greek math. Therefore, Arabic math appealed to them since it was easier for them to comprehend.Leonardo Fibonacci was one mathematician who became acquainted with trigonometry during his extensive travels in Arab countries. He then presented the knowledge he gained in Practica geometriae in 1220 AD (Gullberg, 1996). The first distinction of trigonometry as a science separate from astronomy is credited to the Persian, Nasir Eddin. He helped to differentiate plane trigonometry and spherical trigonometry. Other than that, little development occurred from the time of the 1200’s to the 1500’s, aside for the developments of the Germans in the late 15th and early 16th century.Germany was becoming a prosp erous nation at the time and was engaged in much trade. Their interests also developed in navigation, calendar formation, and astronomy. This interest in astronomy precipitated a general interest and need for trigonometry (Kline, 1972). Included in this movement around the time of 1464, the German astronomer and mathematician, Regiomontanus (also known as Iohannes Molitoris) formulated a work known as De Triangulis Omnimodis, a compilation of the trigonometry of that time.When it was finally printed in 1533, it became an important medium of spreading the knowledge of trigonometry throughout Europe (Gullberg, 1996). The first book began with fifty propositions on the solutions of triangles using the properties of right triangles. Although the word â€Å"sine† was derived from the Arabs, Regiomontanus read the term in an Arabic manuscript in Vienna and was the first to use it in Europe. The second book began with a proof of the law of sines and then included problems involving how to determine sides, angles, and areas of plane triangles.The third book contained theorems found on Greek spherics before the use of trigonometry, and the fourth was based on spherical trigonometry. In the sixteenth century, Nicholas Copernicus was a revolutionary astronomer who could also be deemed as a trigonometer. He studied law, medicine and astronomy. He completed a treatise, known as De revolutionibus orbium coelestium, the year he died in 1543. This work-contained information on trigonometry and it was similar to that of Regiomontanus, although it is not clear if they were connected or not.While this was a great achievement, Copernicus’ student, Rheticus, an Indian mathematician, who lived during the years 1514-1576, went further and combined the work of both these men and published a two-volume work, Opus palatinum de triangulus. Trigonometry really began to expand and formalize at this point as the functions with respect to arcs of circles were disregarded. Fran cois Viete who practiced law and spent his leisure time devoted to mathematics also . contributed trigonometry around this time. He came to be known as â€Å"the father of the generalized analytic approach to trigonometry† (Boyer, 1991).He thought of trigonometry as? an independent branch of mathematics, and he worked? without direct reference to chords in a circle. He made? tables for all six trigonometric functions for angles to the? nearest minute. Viete was also one of the first to use the? formula for the law of tangents, which states the following: [pic] Viete was one of the first mathematicians to focus on analytical trigonometry, the branch of trigonometry which focuses on the relations and properties of the trigonometric functions.This form of trigonometry became more prevalent around the time of 1635 with the work of Roberval and Torricelli. They developed the first sketch of half an arch of a sine curve. This important development assisted in the progression of tri gonometry from a computational emphasis to a functional approach. This formed the basis of the European contribution of trigonometry. From the influence of oriental scientists, the Europeans focused on the computation of tables and the discovery of functional relations between parts of triangles.Europe developed appropriate symbols, which replaced the verbal rules and ordinary language in which the subject was usually presented. Previously, trigonometry was expressed in lengthy passages of confusing words, but the Europeans introduced such symbols as sin, cos, tan, etc. to simplify the subject and make it more concise. Prior to the analytic approach, the main usage of trigonometry was to measure geometric figures, but the transition of its influence from geometry to calculus began with the discovery of infinite series representations for the trigonometric functions.Trigonometric series became useful in the theory of astronomy, around the time of the eighteenth century. Since astrono mical phenomena are periodic, it was useful to have trigonometric series because they are periodic functions as well. The use of trigonometric series was introduced to determine the positions of the planets and interpolation, which is a mathematical procedure that estimates the values of a function at positions between given values (Kline, 1972). Many continued to make contributions to Trigonometry looking for more accurate tables to determine the six functions.These works continued up until the invention of the Scientific Calculator in 1968. In society today, trigonometry is used in physics to aide in the understanding of space, engineering and chemistry. Within mathematics it is typically seen in mainly in calculus, but also in linear algebra and statistics. Despite the minimal information available on the history of Trigonometry it is still a vital part of mathematics. The History shows progression from astronomy and geometry and the movement from spherical to plane geometry.Toda y, Trigonometry is used to understand space, engineering, chemistry as well as mathematics. By exploring the history of trigonometry we see the importance of it in our world. References Boyer, Carl B. (1991), A History of Mathematics (Second ed. ). John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 3 Bressoud, D. M. (2010). Historical Refelctions on Teaching Trigonometry. Mathematics Teacher, 104 (2), 106-112. Brummelen, G. V. (2009). The Mathematics of the Heavens and the Earth. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Gingerich, Owen (1986), â€Å"Islamic astronomy†. Scientific American 254 (10): 74.Gullberg, Jan. (1996)Mathematics from the Birth Of Numbers. New York:W. W. Norton and Company, Inc. Joyce, D. E. (n. d. ). History of Trigonometry Outline. Retrieved 3 21, 2012, from History of Trigonometry Outline: http://aleph0. clarku. edu/~djoyce/ma105/trighist. html Kennedy, E. S. (1969), â€Å"The History of Trigonometry†. 31st Yearbook (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Washingt on DC) (cf. Haq, Syed Nomanul. The Indian and Persian background. pp. 60–3, in Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Oliver Leaman (1996). History of Islamic Philosophy. Routledge. pp. 52–70.Kline, Morris. (1972) Mathematical Thought from Ancient to Modern Times. New York: Oxford University Press. Kluemper, A. (2010, 3 24). History of Trigonometry. Retrieved 3 5, 2012, from www. xtimeline. com: http://www. xtimeline. com/timeline/History-of-Trigonometry Mankiewicz, Richard. (2001)The Story of Mathematics. New Jersy:Princetion University Press. Maor, E. (1998). Trigonometric Delights. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Miller, S. (2001). Understanding Transformations of Periodic Functions through Art. Mathematics Teacher , 94 (8), 632-635.Moussa, Ali (2011), â€Å"Mathematical Methods in Abu al-Wafa's Almagest and the Qibla Determinations†. Arabic Sciences and Philosophy. Cambridge University Press. 21 (1): 1–56. Needham, Joseph (1986), Science and Civilization in Chi na: Volume 3, Mathematics and the Sciences of the Heavens and the Earth. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd. Rogers, L. (n. d. ). The History of Trigonometry- Part 1. Retrieved 3 1, 2012, from Enriching Mathematics: http://nrich. maths. org/6843/index Suzuki, J. (2009). Mathematics in Historical Context. Washington D. C. : The Mathematical Association of America.Smith, D. E. (1958)History of Mathematics. New York:Dover Publications, Inc. Toomer, G. J. (1998), Ptolemy's Almagest, Princeton University Press. Weber, K. (2005). Students Understanding of Trigonometric Functions. Mathematics Education Research Journal , 17 (3), 91-112. www. cartage. org. (n. d. ). Trigonometry History. Retrieved 3 5, 2012, from Trigonometry History: http://www. cartage. org. lb/en/themes/sciences/Mathematics/Trigonometry/history/History%20. html van Brummelen, G. (2009)The Mathematics of the Heavens and Earth. Princeton University Press. Princeton and Oxford.

Leather Made of Janitor Fish Skin

Leather Made of Janitor Fish Skin In ancient times, animal skin has been used by our ancestors as their reliable clothing for cold climates. The time is evolving; many ideas came out for where to get other sources of leather since the usage of animal fur and skins is against the animal welfare law for some countries, especially if the animal is an endangered species. Many manufacturers are seeking for other alternatives that can be used as Leather. On the other hand, Janitor fish is considered a pest because it brings imbalance to the ecosystem in some parts of the world, especially in the Philippines. Considering Janitor fish as pest, we can benefit from a pest by making its skin into leather. Janitor fish or the scientifically known as Hypostomus plecostomus is also commonly called Suckerfish, Sucker mouth Catfish or Pleco. Janitor fishes feed on algae, aquatic weeds, small crustaceans and other aquatic creatures. Moreover, janitor fishes would easily adapt in an environment where there is food. These fishes are peaceful in nature, thus, in an aquarium set-up; they can live with other fishes but are aggressive with fishes of the same kind. It was called such because of its sucking-like mouth. This specie originated from the Tropical Central America and South America. It usually dwells in fresh running waters and salty waters of river mouths. This specie is of no value as food, yet it is in demand in the aquarium industry in United States, Singapore, Hong Kong and even in the Philippines. . Here in the Philippines it is widely known as the Janitor Fish. It earned its name when it was first introduced here as an aquarium pet. It is usually seen in the sides of fish tanks sucking the growing algae. In the late 90’s, Marikina River was teeming with several freshwater species, some of which are the tilapia, carp, catfish, mudfish, and golden apple snail. Fishermen survived with just fishing in this river because of its abundance of fishes. . But for quite a time now, this river is encountering a huge depletion because of the rapid growth of Janitor Fish. This causes much problem amongst the City Officials and the fisher folks. The janitor fish invasion was believed to have started with the sudden outbreak of this specie from their breeding pens in Laguna de Bay and have traveled from there to the river. Another root of this was those aquarists, aquarium enthusiasts, who are already tired of taking care of their janitor fish just releases them in the open waters, in this case, in Marikina River. Ever since, fishermen had problems with their catch since janitor fishes had outnumbered the species native to the river. It was unlike before where the river was rich with fishes like tilapia, martiniko gurame, ayungin and biya. One reason for this is that the janitor fish doesn’t only compete with the food these other species eat but also suck the eggs of these fishes. Another reason is that the spiny and tough body of the janitor fishes bruise other fish species when the two get contact. This kills the fish. These fishes also contribute to the murky river in Marikina because these species are mud dwellers, thus causes commotion in the mud under water. Janitor fishes create holes in the banks as their hatching area for their eggs. Eventually, after these eggs hatch, the seedlings leave the hole. Once a certain area in the bank has lots of holes then there is a higher tendency for this area to collapse. This is called an outfall. If outfalls would continue, the width of the river might increase and the lanes built near the banks would eventually fall down. Janitor Fish is a fast multiplying specie that can last 10-15yrs. currently, it is infesting the water systems in the Philippines. The most famous of which is the Marikina River. The presence of this specie has greatly bothered the community. How are we going to lessen the growing number of janitor fish by making it more useful, environment friendly, and prevent to destroy the uniqueness and beauty of some river here in Philippines, especially Marikina River? There’s no scientific evidence that the meat of janitor fish is safe for human consumption. And since there’s a big threat of losing the Marikina River, we have to lessen them and make their skin more usable by making some leather goods. The population of the said fish grows faster than the ordinary fish. And having that basic information at hand, we can reduce their population by using them as an alternative source of leather. Janitor Fish are also making holes at the river side as their home. So, imagine having thousands of holes at the river side. Surely it can cause landslides, right? So my idea would be, since we Filipinos are so creative, let’s make the janitor fish skin more useful by using it as a source of leather. We have to be practical especially during these times, so I came up with the idea of putting janitor fishes’ skin into exotically good use. Here, leather will be produced from their very skin. Don’t you find that amusing? But the 65-billion dollar question is: how on earth will janitor fishes’ skin be made into leather? Can it compete with the quality of genuine leather? Can it really help in decreasing their rapidly growing number? Your questions will be answered as you read and indulge in the next texts. I will prove that the janitor fishes’ skin could be used quite impressively. Flip on the next pages and see! JANITOR FISHES’ SKIN PUT INTO GOOD USE—LEATHER. As I have observed, the janitor fishes’ skin is quite hard and shiny; most probably caused by its sliminess. Its skin is rubber-like and could be a very good material in making leather. The texture and composition of its skin is rough, yet slimy like leather. What products could usually be made of leather? Shoes, bags, belts, clothing, and wallets are just some of the possible products we can produce through its skin. Resourceful and useful indeed! The very texture and composition of the skin makes it an excellent alternative for leather. Also, this would a very good help in budget cutting, since the janitor fishes’ skin will definitely be less expensive than that of the genuine leather. Plus, the quality’s almost the same. Most importantly, our focus to reduce the growing number of janitor fishes that destructs most of our water resources where we get majority of sea foods. Since the janitor fish is considered as pest here in the Philippines and no one could think of a possible action to get rid of them, we’re going to get rid of them through making extra good use of their skin! In that way, aside from decreasing their number and putting them to use, we could also save a lot of money instead of purchasing expensive snake and alligator skins. As I have said earlier, it’s skin is rubber like yet slimy; just like the genuine leather made of snake and alligator skin. MARIKINA, the country's shoe capital, may soon be using Janitor fish skin as accent for footwear and other products as an alternative to alligator and snake skin.. But why are we going to get rid of Janitor fish, why not stick on the alligator or snake skin when making leather goods? Janitor fish doesn’t harm people unlike alligator or snake right? Well†¦ the answer to that question is that†¦ The fish digs holes in pond dikes and river embankments for its nest, eroding soil in the riverbanks. Although edible and harmless to humans, Marikina residents do not want to have it because of its seemingly dirty habitat. Janitor fish is a threat to freshwater biodiversity, Janitor fishes â€Å"compete for food with the native catfish, carp, mudfish, tarpons, mullets, tilapia and other fish species. Since they (janitor fishes) are opportunistic and voracious feeders, they may cause their numbers to increase enough to disrupt the marsh ecosystem by displacing the native fish species, and causing the reduction of native fish catch, that’s terrible right? Imagine having no native fish, just a janitor fish. What is worrisome is that the janitor fish has no natural enemies, and this means it can rapidly multiply,So, Janitor fish in the Marikina River, the city government has launched a campaign to get rid of the â€Å"pest† which multiplies very quickly. We can actually make wallets, purses, watch straps, billfold and key chains using skin from the belly of the fish. The janitor fish's skin has spots and patterns like those of alligators and snakes which are prized for their unique patterns and texture. Also, some study show that the oil from janitor fish could also be used as bio-fuel for motor vehicles. Imagine how greatly we could be of great help, not only to the country’s economy but to nature as well. Definitely, the circle of life is a mystery and the authority in decreasing the earth’s species numbers aren’t supposed to be in our hands, but let’s be practical. It is not money and time alone that we can save, but lives and people as well. For when this product would be endorsed and put to work, livelihood would boom. A lot of unemployed people could have jobs and spend their time wisely than staying outdoors or at home, doing nothing—being unproductive. Think wise, for the Lord made a lot of things with a lot of great purposes yet to be revealed and discovered. And when these things would finally be revealed, we will all be amazed in its beauty and greatness, its richness and uniqueness. This project of making fine leather from a pest’s skin (janitor fish) would be of magnanimous help to us all. Let’s be wise, conserve, be practical and support nature. I really hope this project would pursue, that in my own little knowledge, I imbibed and partake in bringing about change. To end this argument therefore, I must say that LEATHER MADE OF JANITOR FISHES’ SKIN is good and competent, and is a very product for the public. Having said over and over that we have to reduce their rapidly growing population as pests and also cope with our economic crisis, this product will definitely be great! Can you imagine leather at a cheaper cost? Leather made from a fishes’ skin? Leather than can compete with the quality of original and genuine leather? What more could you ask for? Aside from helping fishermen, you, above everything else, helps in saving the environment. See how a simple product could help a lot in conserving the richness and beauty of the environment? Indeed, great things could come from small things. We should eradicate the janitor fish as fast as we can. Like what I’ve said on the first part, â€Å"Imagine having no native fish, just a janitor fish†. We should fully support those people who are continually discovering and experimenting goods from janitor fish, not only from their skin but for whatever we can use from them. SOURCES: * (March 10, 2008) Janitor Fish Invasion in Marikina River: Plotting Potential Invasion on nearby water. http://epmgis. wikispaces. com/Janitor+Fish+Invasion+in+Marikina+River+Plotting+Potential+Invasion+on+nearby+Water *