Problems with Sentimental Art Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Problems with Sentimental Art - Research Paper Example Same way this world is also filled with beautiful things and ugly things. Artists often portray the beautiful side of this world. However, there are instances in which artists create various art forms which may provoke sentiments knowingly or unknowingly, rather than pleasant feelings. These sentiments may cause immense damages in the remaining life of the art viewer. In other words sentimental arts cause more damages to the art viewer than goods. This paper analyses the problems with sentimental arts. (Gatalo, p.21) â€Å"Sentimentality is an ambiguous concept and it is defined as an emotional disposition that idealizes its object for the sake of emotional gratification and that is inherently corrupt because it is grounded in epistemic and moral error† (Gatalo, p.22). The above picture, Roses for Stalin, portrayed by Boris Vladimirsky extracts so many sentiments in the minds of the viewer. The above art is not generating any sense of beauty in the minds of the viewer whereas it generates lot of sentiments. In other words, this art failed to fulfil its basic and moral responsibility of satisfying the viewer through its beauty. In other words, it gave more importance to sentiments rather than beauty. A person who watches this art may develop the unpleasant memories of Stalin era and subsequently his mental agony could be intensified. Roses for Stalin is anomalous, even among sentimental artworks, because the judgments it urges us to accept are so outrageous. Stalin’s identity as a historical figure so sharply contradicts how he is represented in the painting that it renders this depiction preposterous, if not offensive. This is such an obtrusive and distracting feature of the work that it cancels out the possibility of any serious aesthetic engagement with it. Most significantly this undermines the painting’s affective power—a savvy viewer cannot partake of the warm feelings it is meant to inspire. Insofar as this feeling is central t o the design and meaning of the work, this falsity amounts to its aesthetic failure. (Gatalo, p.26). Sentimental emotions are entirely different from standard emotions. While standard emotions always generate pleasant and unpleasant feelings, sentimental emotions always generate corrupted feelings. Sentimental emotions are corrupted because of its inability in judging things with the help of sound reasoning. In other words, sentiments are always motivated emotionally rather than factually. The picture, Roses for Stalin, forces the viewer to think about the positive sides of Stalin era and it completely avoids the memories about the negative sides of Stalin era. In other words, the above picture is a deliberate attempt to portray Stalin as a saint. In short, sentimental arts often glorify a person or scene. It may keep a blind eye towards the negative aspects of the person or the scene. It is an accepted fact that during Stalin era, Soviet Union faced severe problems. However, the ab ove picture may not remind the viewer about such things. Anxious Mother: A piece of sentimental art about a young girl putting her dolls to bed (Antique Photos - Sentimental and Fine Art) In the above sentimental picture, a young girl is portrayed as putting her dolls in bed. The above painting will definitely reminds us about our childhood. The emotion in the face of the girl portrayed in this picture is very sad. It reminds us the feeling of a lonely girl who tries to keep company with dolls. In other words, feeling of loneliness is the major

Process Improvement Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Process Improvement Plan - Essay Example First process identified is going to sterile processing department. Second Process identified is taking instruments set for service. Third process identified is sharpening and repairing surgical instruments. Among the three processes, two of which can be measured. Instruments set for service can be measured for their quality, sharpness and usability. Sharpened and repaired surgical instruments can also be measured for their quality, sharpness and usability. Quality and usability are attribute characteristics of instruments that are intangible. The measurement of both characteristics can be a count of the number of defects. On the other hand, sharpness is a characteristic of the instrument that can be measured using a specialized instrument such as a micrometer. A statistical process control can be employed in order to measure the sharpness of a surgical instrument. Statistical process control or SPC is a technique for error prevention rather than error detection. The goals of SPC are to improve quality, reduce cost, increase profit and enhance competitive advantage. Steps taken to improve a process will result in fewer defects and better quality products delivered to the customer. Application of SPC can produce improvements in yield, reduce cost and increase efficiency. It can also create a high degree of visibility of process performance and can be used to determine process capabilities. Measurements will provide a comparison of performance to target objectives and assess the effectiveness of process improvements. SPC is statistically based and built around the concept that variation in a product is always present. Inherent variations occur due to wear of tools, material hardness, machine accuracy, and operator skills. In order to control the process and reduce variations, the cause must be identified through a collection of data. Mathematical distributions characterize the collected data and predict the overall performance. Variations that are outside of the desired process distribution can be corrected by improving the process directly. Three statistical tools shall be used to determine that the process is in control and follows a normal distribution curve. These tools include control charts, histograms, and mathematical analysis tests. Control charts are used to identify assignable causes of variations. A histogram is a graphic representation of a frequency distribution. Control charts for variable data will be created for quantitative measurements of sharpness of surgical instruments. Control charts for attribute data will be created for qualitative measurements or counts of defects. The average value () chart and the range (R) chart will be utilized as form of control charts in tracking and identifying the causes and variations. In making the control chart, the centerline and control limits are determined and drawn on the chart. The centerline is the average of the mean values. The purpose of the control limits on the chart is to indicate if the process is under control. It means that all are within the estimated 3 limits of the process. An upper control limit for control chart for attributes is UCL = + 1.96 x standard deviation, while the lower control limit is LCL = - 1.96 x standard deviation, where is the total number of defects divided by the number of observations. Standard deviation is defined as S = An upper control l

Correctional System Essay Example for Free

Correctional System Essay The goal of any prison is not to punish the offender by removing all hope of a better future from the person but instead focuses on reforming the offender and giving the offender a chance to enter society once again as a reformed individual. This is the reason why jails are often part of the Bureau of Corrections. The prison sentence served is but a part of the whole corrections or reformation process that an offender under goes once he has been found guilty and charged. The next step lies in making sure that the individual remains reformed and is able to ease back into society or even into the life that he or she once had prior to entering the corrections facility. This is the ultimate goal of all correctional institutions all over the world but that is not necessarily the reality. One of the recent issues surrounding the Correctional System involves the institution of fitness programs by Prison Officials. In recognition of the fact there is a need to reduce idleness, promote health and fitness, allow inmates to `burn off steam` through exercise, prison officials have ordered the conduct of a wide range of physical activities. While most of these recreational activities are relatively controversy-free, weightlifting remains to be one such controversial activity that many argue should no longer be allowed. Before arguing that weightlifting should not be allowed in prison, it is important to first lay out the advantages of allowing weightlifting. As a form of exercise, it can be validly argued that weightlifting is important because it not only contributes more to the development of the body but it also helps a person maintain a healthy cardiovascular system. Another advantage is the fact that the strenuous nature of weightlifting often provides the prisoners with the non-violent release that they need. It can even be argued that weightlifting reduces the incidence of inmate violence. Be that as it may, given the situation and the purpose of corrections, there are more negative effects of allowing weightlifting than positive ones. The first reason is that it is shown that this activity increases testosterone levels and in doing so it increases the aggression levels of inmates. As studies have shown, violent cases occur more often near the weightlifting yard than any where else in the penitentiary. The sad truth of the matter is that instead of these offenders becoming reformed and turning into productive members of society once again, they invariably resort to committing more crime as has been shown in many studies conducted on the violence rates of offenders. As such, weightlifting should not be allowed. Instead, however, there should be other recreational activities that are not solo activities. This is in an effort to increase socialization among members of the correctional facility. The socialization or in this case the re-socialization of the offender is an important step in the corrections process and one that cannot be simply ignored. It must be remembered that the purpose of socialization is to enable the offender to learn society’s ways, in this case to re-learn, and thereby control any antisocial behavior in an effort to come to a better decision with regard to what is right and what is wrong. By ensuring that this important aspect is addressed through an efficient and effective parole program, the corrections institutions may stand a better chance at helping an individual willingly follow society’s norms and become a productive member of that society. This is supported by the Strain Theory of Robert K. Merton which concerns the tendency of an individual member of society to commit and act that is not synchronous with the goals of society thereby creating a â€Å"strain. † In order to address the problem, there must be a better parole method that addresses the psychological needs of the offender and encourages the offender to take steps in order to be able to function as a productive member of society. It simply is not enough to have the prisoners engage in any sort of physical activity that they want. Corrections is not about punishment, it is about reformation and giving hope to those who have none.

Malaysia Household Income And Expenditure Trends Economics Essay

Malaysia Household Income And Expenditure Trends Economics Essay This section will discuss the background of the study, which explained the economic activities and economic growth by sector and by employment share, Malaysia household income and expenditure trends. This study also mentioned the concept of sustainable development and growth. This study chooses energy consumption in order to identify the factor of environment. From energy consumption, this study will observe the effect of energy consumption on environment. Next, the problem statement will cover the issues and objective, significant, scope and limitation of the study. Background of the study Malaysia is the third wealthiest country in Southeast Asia after Singapore and Brunei Darussalam based on GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita are shown in Table 1.1. It had a population of around 26 million people in 2007. According to the United Nations Development Programme, the population of Malaysia is estimated to grow to 29.8 millions by the year 2020. Most Malaysian is active economically and independently. The start of a sustainable recovery cycle was seen in 2002 but the activity slackened in 2005: GDP growth rate was 7.2% in 2004 and 5.2% in 2005 as shown in Table 1.2. Domestic demand and export dynamism are two major growth factors. Malaysia is characterized by its economys large openness and favourable behaviour towards foreign investments. During the New Economic Policy 1971 1990, a number of policies could be identified to explain the pattern of income. The promotion of export-oriented industrialisation driven primarily by foreign direct investment has seen a need for labour, thus lowering unemployment and raising household incomes. The most dynamic activity sector is electronics, given that the country is one of the worlds major exporters of semi-conductors and electronic components in the 1990s. Table 1.1: Countries of Southeast Asia sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita in US$ Southeast Asia Country Rank International Monetary Fund (2009)[+] World Bank (2008)[++] CIA World Factbook[+++] Singapore 1 50,523 49,321 50,300 Â  Brunei 2 49,110 50,100 Â  Malaysia 3 13,769 14,215 14,800 Â  Thailand 4 8,060 8,086 8,100 Â  Indonesia 5 4,157 3,994 4,000 Â  Philippines 6 3,521 3,513 3,300 Â  Vietnam 7 2,942 2,787 2,900 Â  Cambodia 8 2,015 1,951 1,900 Source: +Data refer to the year 2009. World Economic Outlook Database-April 2010, International Monetary Fund. ++Data refer to the year 2008. World Development Indicators database, World Bank.Note: Per capita values were obtained by dividing the PPP GDP data by the Population data. +++GDP per capita (PPP), The World Factbook 2010, Central Intelligence Agency. The economic activity has been much reliant on electrical and electronic sector and the country must find new growth-generating activities, especially in the face of the soaring competition between countries of this region. Besides, Malaysia is classified among the worlds largest producers in the agriculture sector, particularly of palm oil, cocoa and rubber. Table 1.2: Malaysias Economic Growth from 2006 to 2009 Economic Indicator 2006 2007 2008 2009(f) GDP $million 125,051 132,988 139,159 139,174 Growth of GDP % 6.0 6.0 5.0 -3.1 Inflation (CPI) % 4.0 2.0 5.0 1.1 Unemployment % 3.0 3.0 3.7 4.5 Foreign direct investment % of GDP 4.0 5.0 3.0 4 Export growth % 7.0 4.0 1.5 (16.6) Import growth % 9.0 5.0 2.2 (14.9) Current account balance $million 26,200 29,243 38,914 21,053 Sources: The World Bank, World Development Indicators 2010 for 2006-2008, Economic Planning Units Forecasting for 2009. The country is also the leading exporter of tropical woods. The United States, Singapore and Japan are Malaysias major trade partners. The country imports mainly manufactured products, machine tools and vehicles. Nevertheless the economic growth of Malaysia has wide implications for structural change in the economy (from agriculture sector to industrialisation), growth of employment opportunities increase in personal income and change in consumption pattern. It has also effected the environment through a variety of techniques such as pollution; natural resources overexpolitation; degradation and wildlife habitat disappeared, and changes in weather. The result of the larger consumption levels in the environmental problem as proven in the declining in the fisheries haul, increasing in threatehned and endangered flora and founa, destroyed of wilflife natural resources, polution and purposely exotic killing, (Khalid, 2007) Environmental policies usually take into consideration the value of natural resources in contributing to processes of biological particularly in controlling flood levels, climate change rules, production of oxygen and absorption of carbon dioxide in the open areas as well as protection of flora and fauna. Environmental degradation is not accurately measured by GDP because the economic growth of the nation depend on natural resources but the strength of the economy must include the condition and sustainability of natural resources. This situation is not happening in Malaysia but those concerned about the protection of wildlife believe good treatment needs to be given to the erosion impact of economic growth on wildlife. Recently, environmental concerns have grown among the community and society, policy maker and government through the sustainable development, despite environmental problem never won against the mega development project, for instance Bakun dam project. The main objectiv e among the developing countries is economic growth through the natural resources exploitation. 1.3 Overview of Malaysia economy Malaysia is the one of the developing countries have transformed itself from 1970s to 1990s from raw materials producer to the multi-sector economy particularly manufacturing and services sector. This transformation was induced by positive economy growth which almost exclusively driven by export of electrical and electronics components. Consequently, global economic crisis and the slump in the information technology (IT) sector in 2001 and 2002 have affected Malaysia economy. However, Malaysia economy grew 5.7 percent in 2003 despite at first half very difficult to sustain due to external pressures such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the Iraq war to be concerned among business society. In 2004, growth peaked 7 percent and 5 percent in 2005-2006 and 4.6 percent in 2009. The economic growth thereafter was not as remarkable as before, though some recovery took place in 1987. This was the time when the manufacturing sector for intermediate goods started to expand, which subsequently drove the Malaysian economy forward. This established a new structural change from merely producing primary commodities to process manufacturing and advanced manufacturing, including electronic semiconductors and components of electrical products. In the middle of 1997, the economy faced another economic disaster, the Asian financial crisis that began in Thailand and later spread to all over the ASEAN countries including Malaysia. In fact the exchange rate badly affected most of the ASEAN countries. ASEAN countries had no other choice but to liquidate their current assets in order to offset their losses resulting from the currency devaluation. Slightly more than one year later, the Malaysian economy recovered. All these events have changed the structure of the Malaysian eco nomy to what it is today. It has become a tradition at the dawn of each decade to predict the path or direction and magnitude of economic growth within the context of the challenges and prospects for the next 10 years or more. The 1980s were an enormously difficult and turbulent decade for the global economy. In fact in the 1990s, though expected by some to be somewhat less turbulent and difficult, the struggle should be quite different for Malaysia in its quest to become a newly-industrialised economy. Given the diverse structures of the economy, it has its own internal problems, with its strengths and weaknesses. Malaysia has benefited from higher world energy prices although at the time the cost of domestic gasoline and diesel rising and it has forced the government to reduce the subsidies as well as contributed the higher inflation. Malaysia has reduces the risk of financial crisis throughout the strong foreign exchanges reverse and a small external debt. However, Malaysia economy is still depend on continued growth in the US, China and Japan as a top exporting countries and main sources of foreign investment. All these plans are stated in Ninth Malaysia Plan for its five years national development agenda. The plans targets the development of higher value added manufacturing and an expansion of the service sector stated in Tenth Malaysia Plan. 1.3.1 Economic growth by sector and employment share Malaysias gross domestic product (GDP) grew from RM10 billion in 1970 to about RM37 billion in 1980. It increased further to RM119 billion in 1990 and RM222 billion in 1995. In 2005 and 2009, it increased from RM449 billion to RM528 billion. These figures represent a GDP growth rate of 11% between 1970 and 2009 as shown in Table 1.3. The manufacturing sector expanded from 15% of GDP the in 1970 to 19, 24, 26, 33 and 27 % in 1980, 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2009, respectively and declined to 31% in 2005, while the share of agriculture in the GDP declined from 28 % in 1970 to 25, 15, 13 and 10 % in 1980, 1990, 1995 and 2005 respectively. The services sector declined from 42 % in 1970 to 39 in 1980. This sector increases to 46 % and 51 % in 1990 and 1995 respectively but declined to 47 % in 2005, indicating the growing government role and common enhancement in the services condition. All the sectors also changed during the last two decades, particularly in agriculture and mining sectors. In t he mining sector, tin production has declined subsequently crude petroleum became the majot contributor to the Malaysia economy growth. The manufacturing sector transformed from agriculture based products to the manufactured of electrical and electronic components, petroleum products and palm oil products. the export was significant contributor to growth particularly on manufactured goods which has contributed 74.8 percent of total export in 2007. (sources:MITI, Vol.18, date 30 Otc.2008). the electrical and electronic products became the major export of manufactured product, followed by chemical products, machinery, metal, wood products and scientific equipment. Table 1.3: Malaysian gross domestic products by industry, 1970-2005 (RM million in 2000 prices) Source: Economic Report, various issues, Ministry of Finance, Kuala Lumpur The unemployment rate has been relatively decline with a increase in the employment situation for manufacturing and services sector but decrease in agriculture and mining sectors. The services sector has absorbed 52 percent in 2009 compared to 32 percent in 1970. Figure 1.1 shows the contribution to the GDP by the main sectors in Malaysia for year 2009. The services sector became the largest contributor to the GDP compared with the manufacturing sector. This sector includes electricity, water, transportation, wholesale, health, education, hotel and restaurant. Source: Economic Planning Unit, 2009 Figure 1.1: Contribution to the GDP by sector, Malaysia, 2009 In 1970, employment share of the primary sector (agriculture and mining) accounted for 53 % of the total employment. In 1980 and 1990, it declined to 41.4 and 26.6 % respectively as shown in Table 1.4. Employment in the primary sector declined further to 15.2 % and 12 % in 2000 and 2009, respectively. On the other hand, the secondary (manufacturing and construction) sector absorbed about 35.0 % of the workforce in 2009, compared with 26.2, 21.3 and 11.4 % in 1990, 1980 and 1970 respectively. Table 1.4: Gross domestic product and employment share by industry (In 2000 prices) GDP Share (Employment Share) 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2009 Primary Sector Agriculture, forestry, livestock and fishing 28 (53.5) 25 (39.7) 15 (26.0) 9 (15.2) 10 (12) 7 (12) Mining and quarrying 7 (2.6) 10 (1.7) 12 (0.6) 11 (0.4) 13 (0.4) 8 (0.4) Secondary sector Manufacturing 15 (8.7) 19 (15.7) 24 (19.9) 33 (27.6) 31 (28.6) 26 (28.4) Construction 4 (2.7) 4 (5.6) 4 (6.3) 4 (8.1) 3 (7.0) 3 (6.6) Services sector 42 (32.5) 39 (37.3) 46 (57.2) 48 (48.7) 47 (51.0) 56 (52.6) Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 (Unemployment):% 7.4 5.7 5.1 3.1 3.2 4.5 Per capita GDP (RM) 1,932 3,038 4,426 8,899 16,497 18,838 Source: Economic Report, various issues, Economic Planning Unit The GDP per capita increased from about RM1,932 in 1970 to about RM3,038, RM4,426 and RM18,838 in 1980, 1990 and 2009 respectively. The employment share in the primary sector decreased from 56.1% to 12% while that of the industrial and services sectors increased from 8.7 % and 32.5 to 28 % and 52.6 % respectively over the thirty-year period from 1970 to 2009 (shown in Table 1.4). With the rise in the employment opportunities, the unemployment rate contracted, except for the mid-1980s, from 7.4 % in 1970 to 3.2 % in 2005 but has since then risen slightly to 4.5% by 2009. The labour market became so tight in the 1990s that some sub-sectors had to resort to imported labour from abroad. (EADN, 2006). Since the 1970s, Malaysia has transformed itself from an economy dependent on raw materials production with a largely poor population to a multisector economy with a middle-income population. These changes have affected the Malaysian household through employment opportunities especially when the Malaysian economy has undergone major structural changes since 20 years ago consequence, the quality of life improved due to the strong growth in the manufacturing and services sector. The Malaysian household has benefited through on increase in its income as well as an improvement in its standard of living and change in expenditure pattern. 1.3.2 The Malaysian household income and expenditure trends Since Malaysia has experienced a remarkable change from an agriculture country to an industrialized country, its GDP has grown from RM37 billion in 1980 to RM528 billion in 2009. As Sanne (1998) pointed out that there is closely relationship between expenditure and income because expenditure patterns tend to change when incomes increase. However, expenditure or consumption plays an important role in generating GDP after export. Figure 1.2 shows a comparison of the GDP per capita between Malaysia, Asia and the world. During 1991 to 2006, Malaysias GDP per capita rapidly increased twice compared with Asia and World. Mean thats, the income of every Malaysian household has increased from time to time except for 1997 when Malaysia suffered from the economic crisis, but the Malaysian economy was still under control compared with other developing countries. Source: Earth Trends Country Profiles, Malaysia Figure 1.2: GDP per capita, 1991-2006 Figure 1.3 shows the Malaysian mean annual household income between 1985 and 2007. Households benefited from the continued increase in disposable incomes arising from high export earnings and positive economic growth which also generated full-employment and income-earning opportunities among the Malaysians. Moreover, the competitive credit provided further support to more household spending. The growth and structural transformation of the Malaysian economy has wide implication on the growth of employment opportunities as well as the distribution of labor force by sectors. Source: Economic Asian Development Network, Economic Reports (Various Issues) Table 1.3: Malaysian mean annually gross household income (RM) 1985-2007 As income level increased, the monthly consumption expenditure per household grew from RM731 in 1980 to RM1, 935 in 2005 (Department of Statistic, 1980-2005). With this quantitative rise in spending came a shift in the type of goods and services under demand. Income grew at an average rate 4 % during 1997 to 2007. According to the Economic Planning Unit, household income in 2004 was around RM38,988. This suggests that the average Malaysian household was quite capable of managing its finances and avoiding overspending. In 1980/82, the average household spending amounted to RM732 monthly, compared with RM412 in 1973. The rise in household expenditure during the period 1994 -1999 was not due to price increases only that households were consuming more, indicating an increase in their income and purchasing power, corresponding to the many years of healthy economic growth. After adjusting for inflation, households recorded a 3.4 % growth in expenditure, in real terms, during the period of 1994-1999. The higher household spending in 1999 was accompanied by the increase in the bundle of goods bought by households, not just because of higher prices. 1.4 Sustainable development and population The basic issue between economic development and environment is the concept of sustainable development. The concept of sustainable development is a broad view of human wellbeing, a long term perspective about the consequences of present activities and full participation of civil society to reach possible resolutions. There are many predecessors (see, for example, Barry, 1977; Page, 1977), the most popular formulation given by the World Commission on Environment and Development on the subject of the sustainable development basic concept: development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (WCED, 1987, p43). In terms of economic, the concept of sustainable development implies the important relationship between economic growth and environmental protection in conducting economic activities and utilizing natural resources to fulfill human needs. In Malaysia, sustainable development cannot be achieved if economic growth, social development and environmental protection work separately. Hence, the policy on the environmental has been developed to take into consideration the incorporation of these three actions. Through the sustainable development, Malaysian government plans at continued in enhancing the economic performance, social and quality of life of its people (National policy on environment, 2002). The issue of environmental is crucial for policy-makers in their effort to appear green, in terms of global warming, destruction of the ozone layer, deforestation and population pressure. A number of competing issues and possible solutions to threats ranging from air to water, ground, noise pollution, radioactivity, toxic wastes, pesticides, and endangered species have been implemented (Khalid, 2007). Most of the important goals of sustainable development such as providing a high quality of life for present and future generations were achieved but the economic and social problems are still exist. The economic and social problems faced by Malaysia were mostly from the lack of development and insufficient infrastructure in its early period of industrialization. The rapidly economic development through urbanization, industrialization and other land-use activities since 1980s later gave rise to water, air and land pollution, which have remained as serious environmental problems in Malaysia (Khalid,2007). This problems related to the lack of development in Malaysia gave rise to environment imparts due to inadequate hygienic facilities and lack of proper housing particularly in the rural area. This is the same arise to urban settlement where the unchecked sprawling growth resulted in crowded condition and pollution of rivers by human being. Figure 1.4 shows that quality of life index pe rformed better from 1992 to 2002, while environment index not performed well due to economic and social problem. Environment index grew at -4.3 percent from 1990 to 2007 and this sturcutre should be taken into consideration. In generally, human being is need the clean water and hygienic services because it is very important to ensure good health and proper living. Source: Malaysia Quality of Life, 2004, Economic Planning Unit (EPU),Malaysia Figure 1.4: Malaysia quality of life index and environment index, 1990-2000 Moreover, environmental problems are also closely related to industrialization activities directly and indirectly by households. Economists view on the purpose of production is to feed consumption or household demand. Evaluation of the environmental and social impacts of households need to account for both the direct impacts of the household, such as disposal of household wastes and the emission arising from fuel combustion in a household, and the indirect impacts which are caused during the production of the goods and the delivery of the services to the household. In Malaysia, three factors that influence the intensity of environmental pollution are population size, economic activities and production activities. From these factors, production activities are the most responsible for worsening industrial pollution in Malaysia (Khalid, 2007). Some studies suggest that population growth is one of the major factors causing CO2 emissions (York et al., 2003; Shi, 2003; Cole and Neumeyer, 2004), but the growth of population in Malaysia can also contributed to the worsening of natural resources or system of biological life support. As population increases, the symptom of ecological pressures and scarcity of natural resources will be occurred including deforestation, soil erosion, overfishing and overcrowding as well as economic stress is indicated through lower output, inflation and unemployment, and social problems. Due to the increasing population, pressure builds up for increased production from land use, hence the results from these activities will raise the soil erosion and degradation. These activities are not limited to the destroyed of land but also a declined in the flow of rivers, increased flood levels and silting of reservoir and dam. (Khalid, 2007). A growing population also leads to increase in energy consumption especially electricity, to meet the increased demand and to service the new development areas. Motor vehicle ownership is also increased with a growing population that becomes more affluent, and consequently contributing to greater pollution, particularly in generating CO2 emissions. Sources: United Nation Statistic Division, IMF/2005 Figure 1.5: The total number of newly registered motor vehicles and energy consumption per capita, 1980-2004 From 1980 to 2004, a general increase in CO2 emission was experienced by Malaysia. Only in 1998/1999 was a decline to about 17.6 % seen Figure 1.5. At this time, there was also a drop in the number newly registered private motor vehicles and energy consumption as shown in Figure 1.5. This indicates that a reduction in the use or ownership of motor vehicles will reduce energy consumption (of petroleum) and thereby the generation of CO2. Figure 1.6 shows the total of CO2 emissions in Malaysia. Therefore, household expenditure continues to shift away from food towards transports particularly in fuel consumption even though spending on motor vehicles fall. Fuels consumption continues to rise with worsening in public transport system have declined from 11 % to 6 % and it grew at -4.1 % between 1999 and 2005 (DOS). Sources: United Nation Statistic Division, IMF Figure 1.6: The Carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), Malaysia In order to reduce the CO2 emissions, many policy-makers have implemented various pollution control policies, for example by improving the public transportation system and increasing the oil price. However, the best way to reduce CO2 emission is to reduce energy consumption by household direct and indirectly. 1.5 Total primary energy supply and final consumption in Malaysia The rapid economic growth in Malaysia has largely impact the energy supply and consumption. The annual growth rate of GDP and total households energy primary use are 5.7 and 7.4 respectively in the 1990s as shown in Table 1.5. However, the economic growth slowed down from 1996 to 2000 due to economic crisis of 1997 in Asian region. The annual average total primary energy supply (TPES) growth increases much from 1991 to 2000 due to major investments particularly in the transportation and industrial sectors, 41.8% and 37.7% respectively. The trends in energy use of Malaysia are relatively same to the trends found in many developing countries such as study done by Park (2007) for Korea and Pachauri (2002) for India. The total primary energy supply (TPES) in Malaysia increased from 5-10 Mtoe between 1991 and 2006. Table 1.5: Income and energy supply and consumption in Malaysia Annual growth rates in % 1991 2000 2008 1991-2000 2000-2008 1991-2008 GDP in Ringgit Malaysia at 2000 constant prices (Million) 205,312 356,401 476,182 5.7 2.94 8.78 Total primary energy supply (Ktoe) 26,335 50,710 69,846 6.8 3.25 10.25 (Per capita TPES in Ktoe) 1.39 2.17 2.59 4.6 1.77 6.41 Total household primary energy use (Ktoe) 13,961 28,705 42,901 7.5 4.10 11.88 (Per capita total household energy in Ktoe) 0.74 1.23 1.59 5.2 2.59 7.94 Direct household primary energy use (Ktoe) 843 1,650 2,565 6.9 4.51 11.77 (Per capita direct household energy in Ktoe) 0.04 0.07 0.10 4.7 3.10 9.04 Sources: Department of Statistic Malaysia and own calculation The enormous growth rates of Asian economy give a large impact to the energy consumption. In the 1990s, the petroleum production and consumption increased tremendously as well as an increase of hydroelectric and coal in generating the electricity for the nation. The demand and consumption of energy increased tremendously from 1991-1997 as shown in figure 1.7. A large amount of investment on electrical infrastructure and automobile has caused primary energy consumption reached at approximately 27.23 million tones and electricity generation almost 6 Mtoe in 2000 and will continue to rise. Source: Malaysia Energy Centre, 2000 Figure 1.7: The total energy consumption and GDP in Malaysia from 1991 to 2006. The future economic growth for any country is hard to forecast but to generate an exactly estimation, firstly must account for the physical and economic growth of the nation. Malaysia projected to grow at 5.7% % annually and will continue at this rate for many years. With increasing rate of urbanization, total primary energy demand is set to increase by nearly 7 % annually. Moreover, political stability and development will continue to drive the economy forward. The Malaysian Ministry of Energy suggest that to provide for its citizens energy demands, RM 4.86 billion dollars will be required over the next 10-15 years: 60% allotted to energy generation and the remainder to transmission and distribution of energy. Such enormous economic growth and increasing infrastructure and demand will likely send the total energy use to well over 100 Mtoe in the year 2020. The growth rate of urbanization shows that the industrial sector of the economy, the sector remains unchanged to require large portions of the total amount of energy used in the nation. The industrial sector could increase to upwards of 50% of the nations economy in continuing competition. The switch towards public transportation in urban areas will potentially cause a decline in the percentage of the economy occupied by the transportation sector. The energy use of residential and commercial sector remains relatively constant occupying only 13%-14% of the total energy use. Vision 2020 sets goals and standards for the nations future as a whole. Malaysia is become a totally developed and united country by the year 2020. In line with to this, Malaysia targets to raise the living standard of rural and urban peoples as well as reducing poverty, finally leading to an increase in the total household primary energy consumption all over the nation. The annual growth rate of total household primary energy consumption is 7.5% and direct household primary energy consumption about 6.9% from 1996 to 2000. Since households income and consumption expenditure increased, the household energy requirement increased too as shown in Figure 1.6. The total primary energy supply of 50,710 Ktoe in 2000 was for an income of RM 356,401million economy very high compared to 1991. 1.6 The effect of energy consumption on the environment Energy use contributes to a range of environmental pressures and is a major source of greenhouse and acid gases. The most polluting fuel, in terms of CO2, SO2, NOx and particulate emissions, is coal, followed by oil. Natural gas burns much more cleanly, can be used more efficiently in domestic boilers, and produces as much CO2 per unit of energy. Disposal of electronic waste such as dry batteries presents serious risks associated with carcinogenic substances, which can be leached to soil and groundwater over the medium and long term. Uncontrolled land filling also releases contaminants, with a time lag. Incineration or co-incineration of electronic equipment waste with neithe

Declaring the Rights of Men and Women in the French Revolution Essay

The French Revolution was a dark time in the history of man. From corruption in government to the almost certainty of starvation for the French peasants, there seemed to be no sign of better times. These were just a few of the logs in the ever-growing revolutionary fire that was burning in the late 1700's. There were many causes to the French Revolution ranging from: poor distribution of power and wealth, a bad harvest which left no grain for bread, a manufacturing depression, and the king's financial problems (which caused overtaxation for the entire population with the exception of the high clergy and nobility). When the estates general was called for the first time in one hundred years, it seemed that the Enlightenment had finally reached France and it seemed that things were going to get better. But as the third estate general would soon find out, this was merely a trick by the the king and other estates general to bring more taxation to the lower and middle classes. When the third estate found out about this plot, they proposed a change in the voting rules which not only didn't pass, but got them locked out of the hearings. But, on July 17, 1789, the third estate founded the National Assembly which later brought upon the Declaration of the Rights of Man. This declaration affirmed the "natural and impre- scriptible rights of man" to "liberty, property, security, and ...

The Necessity of Gun Control Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Essays

The Necessity of Gun Control Gun control is one of the most debatable topics today. Thirty-three million Americans own firearms for hunting (Aitkens 9). But hunting is not the sole reason for which many individuals buy firearms. Of all countries, the United States is the one which is troubled most by a large number of criminals who are in possession of guns. The U.S. has the highest firearm murder rate of any democracy in the world (Aitkens 5). Where is the country going wrong as far as gun control is concerned? An immense number of laws have been created by the legislature. All were made in order to be sure guns remain in control of the right hands, yet the problems seem to prevail. All three branches of government (judicial, legislative, and executive) are involved in desperate attempts to improve the situation. Getting rid of guns would not work; it would be an impossible task. But, if pressure was applied to all aspects of gun employment - production, ownership, and most importantly dealership - a majority o f problems could be controlled. Since there are two sides to every debate, the antithesis of this position views gun control as unnecessary. This view is strongly held by the National Rifle Association, a very powerful organization, which has nearly 3 million members and an annual budget of 88 million dollars. The NRA is highly effective in motivating thousands of gun owners into action against gun control legislation. Lobbying, advertisements, letter-writing campaigns, and contributions to political candidates who oppose gun control have been some of the establishment's most effective strategies in its fight against tighter firearms laws. Most members of the NRA believe that restricting firearms to prevent gun-rel... ...er country in the world, the United States needs to improve its gun policies. Keeping people on record would allow strict control of guns. "People" are all involved; manufacturers, dealer, buyers, and most importantly, users. Works Cited Aitkens, Maggi. Should We Have Gun Control? Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company 1992. Cozic, Charles P., et al., eds. Gun Control . San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1992. Gottfried, Ted. Gun Control; Public Safety and the Right to Bear Arms . Brookfield, CT: The Millbrook Press, 1993. Landau, Elaine. Armed America; The Status of Gun Control. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Julian Messner, 1991. Hawkes, Nigel. Gun Control . New York: Gloucester Press/Watts, 1988. "A New Round For and Against the Brady Bill." U.S. News & World Report 9 Sept. 1996: 8. Kopel, David. "Criminal Record." National Review 2 Sept. 1996: 43-44.

Marketing Segmentation Essay

The selection of segmentation method and a doctor’s diagnosis are similar in that they both use a process of elimination to narrow down the field to find the correct product for the customer, or diagnosis for a patient. The doctor begins with a series of questions, and basic testing to â€Å"start segmenting the market†, once the doctor has a better understanding of the possible ailments, the â€Å"product mix† is identified and she is able serve the customer/diagnose the problem. A general doctor begins his assessment with more of a mass marketing effort, meaning there is a huge width and depth of possible diagnosis, but once she is able to narrow down the field she begins to segment. Whereas a specialist, i.e. dermatologist is already working in a segmented market and has the ability to better understand potential and actual customers, from the get. In both cases segmentation helps the doctor to better understand their market and serve their customers well. Describe a products consumer product type and the associated market mix considerations. Clinique even better clinical dark spot remover is a specialty product that I recently purchased. I was willing to purchase this product at a high cost based on the reputation of the brand and the promotional promises of reducing age spots. I immediately thought this product would work because it was Clinique. The marketing mix for this product all fall within the specialty product category. The product is a luxury item, it is more expensive than your average corrective cream, you can only buy it in department stores and the promotion stresses brand status. I would guess this product’s target market is women in their mid-thirties to mid-fifties, above average income, concerned with their health and moderately active. Product – Luxury product Price – Expensive Place – Limited and exclusive, few outlets per market Promotion – Targeted communication, stress brand stratus. â€Å"Price Sensitivity Effects†. 1.Unique Value Effect – A Rolex watch has low price sensitivity and is a product in which the unique attributes of the product are highly valuable. 2.Switching Cost Effect – High costs incurred if switch is made to a different product (low price sensitivity). An example of the switching cost effect with low price sensitivity my bi-annual switch from one Cable Company to their competition. No costs are incurred for me, and the competition typically bends over backwards to get my business. 3.Difficult Comparison Effect – Kodak vs. Nikon would be an example of difficult comparison effect, both brands are reputable and the projects are at a higher price point. I would be more price sensitive when purchasing because they are both great. The brand is known as reputable and comparisons are easy to make, (high price sensitivity) 4.Price-Quality Effect – price used as a signal in judging quality (low). When I purchase soda, I go for the lowest price and look for a sale. 5.Shared-Cost Effect – others will pay for a large portion of the cost of the product. If my company helped to pay for my MBA I would be less sensitive to the pricing, because I wouldn’t have to shoulder the burden of the whole cost.