Water Pollution (what are the reason and what to do to keep it clear.) Annotated Bibliography

Water Pollution (what are the reason and what to do to keep it clear.) - Annotated Bibliography Example lhoun has focused more on legislations and acts that have direct effects on environmental issues rather than causes, effects and sources of water pollution. This book provides a comprehensive review on basic and latest developments of water pollution. Goel not only has discussed in detail the origins of water pollution but also provided separate chapters on its history, legislation, pollutants, detrimental effects, monitoring etc. This book also emphasizes on control of water pollution by employing various techniques. Ritter L, Solomon K, Sibley P, Hall K, Keen P, Mattu G and Linton B. Sources, pathways, and relative risks of contaminants in surface water and groundwater: a perspective prepared for the Walkerton inquiry. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental health part A, 2002. 11:65(1):1 Ritter L, Solomon K, Sibley P, Hall K, Keen P, Mattu G and Linton B, in this paper have evaluated the resources, pathways and hazards associated with human health at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Data collected was mainly from literature sources and drinking water surveillance program of Ontario. Assessment was limited to major contaminants i.e. metals, nitrates; pesticides and the results indicated that little risks were associated with specific concentration for these compounds present in water. However, this study does not emphasize on risks related to other contaminants i.e. pharmaceutical products and also the results are particular to specific concentration of pollutants. This paper discusses the sources of pollutants and their identification in rivers and streams across United States. Also, leading sources of pollution and its potential risks on human beings, environment, agriculture and aquatic life are explained. As an organization, WWF’s mission is to decrease the impact of human activities on nature and reduce pollution. Several measures have been launched worldwide to create awareness and promote preventive measures for water pollution. This

Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) Essay Example for Free

Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) Essay 1. Introduction: To accelerate the progress of sanitation in rural areas, Government of India is implementing from 1.4.2012, the ‘Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA)’, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme [earlier Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC)]. Similarly, to provide drinking water to rural population in adequate quantity, the Govt. of India is implementing a centrally sponsored Scheme called the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP). New Delhi: The union cabinet Wednesday gave its approval for restructuring of â€Å"Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan† into Swachh Bharat Mission. The programme is aimed at creating a clean India by 2019 with peoples participation. The cabinet has approved the Swachh Bharat Mission, union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said here after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Prasad said the mission will be launched Oct 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The prime minister has been striving to make the mission a mass movement. The cabinet also approved a Swachh Bharat Mission for urban areas, which will be part of a joint Swachh Bharat Mission which has another component for rural areas. The drinking water and sanitation ministry will implement the programme in rural areas while the urban development ministry will do the same in urban areas. The Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan will be restructured into the Swachh Bharat Mission with two sub-missions Swachh Bharat Mission (rural) and Swachh Bharat Mission (urban). Budgetary provisions for the two sub-missions will be provided separately in the demand for grant of the ministries of drinking water and sanitation (for rural) and ministry of urban development (for urban), an official statement said. â€Å"I take this pledge that I will remain committed towards cleanliness and devote time for this. I will devote 100 hours per year — that is two hours per week — to voluntary work for cleanliness. I will neither litter nor let others litter. I will initiate the quest for cleanliness with myself, my  family, my locality, my village and my work place. I believe that the countries of the world that appear clean are so because their citizens don’t indulge in littering nor do they allow it to happen. With this firm belief, I will propagate the message of Swachh Bharat Mission in villages and towns. I will encourage 100 other persons to take this pledge which I am taking today. I will endeavour to make them devote their 100 hours for cleanliness. I am confident that every step I take towards cleanliness will help in making my country clean.† Narendra Modi 2. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: The present goal under NBA is to achieve 100% access to sanitation for all rural households by 2022. Under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA), the Goal is now pre-phoned to make India Open Defecation Free (ODF) India by 2019 by construction of individual, cluster community toilets; and villages will be kept clean, including through solid and liquid waste management through Gram Panchayats. Water pipelines have to be laid to all villages enabling tap connection into households on demand by 2019. In this matter, co-operation and convergence of all Ministries, Central State schemes, CSR bilateral/multilateral assistance may become necessary as well as new innovative ways of funding such interventions. In a federal set-up like ours, where sanitation and water are state subjects, it is all the more important that states take the initiative to complete all activities to achieve Swachh Bharat by 2019 by dove-tailing all schemes Central or State. Swachh Bharat Mission: Facts and Figures Project Cost: Rs. 1,96,009 crore Project Start Date: 2nd October 2014 Project Estimated End Date: 2nd October 2019 Ministries Involved in Project: Ministry of rural development, ministry of urban development, ministry of drinking water and sanitation, Public Sector Undertakings ( PSUs), corporations, NGOs, state governments etc. Purpose of Project: To make India a filth-free country in five years, to construct community and public toilets in rural and urban areas, to provide running water supply, to treat waste water, to keep roads, pavements and localities clean etc. 3. BACKGROUND: 3.1 Individual Health and hygiene is largely dependent on adequate availability of drinking water and Proper sanitation. There is, therefore, a direct relationship between water, sanitation and health. Consumption of unsafe drinking water, improper disposal of human excreta, improper environmental Sanitation and lack of personal and food hygiene have been major causes of many diseases in Developing countries. India is no exception to this. Government started the Central Rural Sanitation Programme (CRSP) in 1986 primarily with the objective of improving the quality of life of the rural People and also to provide privacy and dignity to women. 3.2 The concept of sanitation was expanded to include personal hygiene, home sanitation, safe water, Garbage disposal, excreta disposal and waste water disposal. With this broader concept of sanitation, CRSP adopted a â€Å"demand driven† approach with the name â€Å"Total Sanitation Campaign† (TSC) with effect From 1999. The revised approach emphasized more on Information, Education and Communication (IEC), Human Resource Development, Capacity Development activities to increase awareness among the rural people and generation of demand for sanitary facilities. This enhanced people’s capacity to Choose appropriate options through alternate delivery mechanisms as per their economic condition. The Programme was implemented with focus on community-led and people centred initiatives. Financial incentives were provided to Below Poverty Line (BPL) households for construction and usage of Individual household latrines (IHHL) in recognition of their achievements. Assistance was also extended for construction of school toilet units, Anganwadi toilets and Community Sanitary Complexes (CSC) apart From undertaking activities under Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM). 3.3 To give a fillip to the TSC, Government of India also launched the Nirmal Gram Puraskar (NGP) that Sought to recognise the achievements and efforts made in ensuring full sanitation coverage. The award Gained immense  popularity and contributed effectively in bringing about a movement in the community for attaining the Nirmal Status thereby significantly adding to the achievements made for increasing the Sanitation coverage in the rural areas of the country. 3.4 Encouraged by the success of NGP, the TSC is being renamed as â€Å"Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan† (NBA). The Objective is to accelerate the sanitation coverage in the rural areas so as to comprehensively cover the rural community through renewed strategies and saturation approach. Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) envisages covering the entire community for saturated outcomes with a view to create Nirmal Gram Panchayats with following priorities: Provision of Individual Household Latrine (IHHL) of both Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Identified above Poverty Line (APL) households within a Gram Panchayat (GP). Gram Panchayats where all habitations have access to water to be taken up. Priority May be given to Gram Panchayats having functional piped water supply, Provision of sanitation facilities in Government Schools and Anganwadis in Government Buildings within these GPs Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) for proposed and existing Nirmal Grams Extensive capacity building of the stake holders like Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) and field functionaries for Sustainable sanitation. Appropriate convergence with MNREGS with unskilled man-days and skilled man-days 4. OBJECTIVES: The main objectives of the NBA are as under: a) Bring about an improvement in the general quality of life in the rural areas. b) Accelerate sanitation coverage in rural areas to achieve the vision of Nirmal Bharat by 2022 with all gram Panchayats in the country attaining Nirmal status. c) Motivate communities and Panchayati Raj Institutions promoting sustainable sanitation facilities through awareness creation and health education. d) To cover the remaining schools not covered under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Anganwadi Centres in the rural areas with proper sanitation facilities and undertake proactive promotion of Hygiene education and sanitary habits among students. e) Encourage cost  effective and appropriate technologies for ecologically safe and sustainable Sanitation. f) Develop community managed environmental sanitation systems focusing on solid liquid waste Management for overall cleanliness in the rural areas. 5. STRATEGY: The strategy is to transform rural India into ‘Nirmal Bharat’ by adopting the community led and People centred strategies and community saturation approach. A demand driven approach is to be continued with emphasis on awareness creation and demand generation for sanitary facilities in houses, Schools and for cleaner environment. Alternate delivery mechanisms would be adopted to meet the Community needs. The provision of incentives for individual household latrine units to the poorest of the poor households has been widened to cover the other needy households too so as to attain Community outcomes. Availability of water in the Gram Panchayat shall be an important factor for sustaining sanitation facilities created. Rural School Sanitation remains a major component and an entry Point for wider acceptance of sanitation by the rural people. Wider technology options are being provided to meet the customer preferences and location- specific needs. Intensive IEC Campaign is the Corner stone of the programme involving Panchayati Raj Institutions, Co-operatives, ASHA, Anganwadi Workers, Women Groups, Self Help Groups, and NGOs etc. A roadmap for engagement of corporate houses is being introduced. More transparent system involving social audit and active people’s participation in the implementation process of NBA is being introduced. Convergence with MNREGS shall also be Important to facilitate the rural households with fund availability for creating their own sanitation Facilities. 6. IMPLEMENTATION: The Guidelines of NBA and the provisions hereunder are applicable with effect from 01.04.2012. Implementation of NBA is proposed with ‘Gram Panchayat ‘as the base unit. A project proposal that Emanates from a district is scrutinized and consolidated by the State Government and transmitted to The Government of India (Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation) as a State Plan. NBA is to be Implemented in phases with start-up activities. Funds are  to be made available for preliminary IEC work. The physical implementation gets oriented towards satisfying the felt-needs, wherein individual Households choose from a menu of options for their household latrines. The built-in flexibility in the Menu of options gives the poor and the disadvantaged families opportunity for subsequent up gradation Depending upon their requirements and financial position. In the â€Å"campaign approach†, a synergistic Interaction between the Government agencies and other stakeholders is essential. To bring about the desired behavioural changes for relevant sanitary practices, intensive IEC and advocacy, with Participation of NGOs/ Panchayati Raj Institutions/resource organizations is envisaged. NBA will be implemented with a district as the project. The States/UTs are expected to Prepare/revise NBA Projects for all the districts, consolidate at State level as State Plan and submit Before the Government of India. 7. COMPONENTS OF NBA The Programme components and activities for NBA implementation are as follows: (a) Start-Up Activities: The start-up activities include a. Conducting of preliminary survey to assess the status of sanitation and hygiene practices. b. Base line survey. c. Orientation of key personnel at the district/GP level. d. Preparation of State Plan. The cost of Start-up activities will be met from the IEC funds up to Rs. 10 Lakh. Additional fund. Requirement, if any, shall be met by the State. (b) IEC Activities: Information, Education and Communication (IEC) are important components of the Programme. These intend to trigger the demand for sanitary facilities in the rural areas for households, schools, Anganwadis and Community Sanitary Complexes through behavioural change. The activities carried out under these components should be area specific and should also involve all sections of the rural Population. IEC is not a one-time activity. IEC  strategy and plan to be drawn to include creation of Demand leading to construction and use in a sustained manner. IEC should be conducted at all tiers i.e. Districts, Blocks and Gram Panchayat. A national communication strategy framework has been developed by Government of India giving Emphasis on Inter Personal Communication (IPC) at the grassroots level. The states are to evolve their own strategy using folk media, mass media and also outdoor media like wall painting, hoarding etc. The IEC should also focus on health and hygiene practices and environmental sanitation aspects. Interpersonal communication and door to door to door contact are recognised as the most Significant tools for attaining the programme goals. In order to strengthen communication machinery at the village level with participatory social mobilization, guidelines for engagement of village level Motivators (Swachchhata Doot / Sanitation Messengers) have been issued separately. As part of this Strategy, in addition to Swachchhata Doots, field functionaries like Bharat Nirman Volunteers, ASHA, Anganwadi workers, School Teachers etc. can also be engaged at the village level for demand creation and taking up behaviour change communication. The motivator can be given suitable incentive from the Funds earmarked for IEC. The incentive will be performance based i.e. in terms of motivating the Number of households and schools/ Anganwadis to construct latrines and use them. Each project district should prepare a detailed IEC plan along with the Annual Action Plan with Defined strategies to reach all sections of the community. The aim of such a communication plan is to motivate rural people to adopt hygiene behaviour as a way of life and thereby develop and maintain all Facilities created under the programme. The Annual IEC Action Plan should be duly approved by the DWSC/DWSM. The Communication and Capacity Development Units (CCDUs) / Water and Sanitation Support Organisations (WSSOs) set up at the state level must support the districts in developing a good IEC plan and also in implementing it. Observance of Sanitation Day/ Sanitation Week / Sanitation Fortnight should be essential component of the Annual Action Plan. For effective dissemination of the IEC material, funds may also be provided under this component To blocks and gram Panchayats for execution of works. The development of such material executed by the Panchayats may be standardized by the district or the CCDU. The IEC funds should be broadly divided into pre Nirmal and Post- Nirmal phase so as to have Funds for sustaining the movement. The project districts, however, shall have the flexibility of deciding this division depending on the baseline survey reports and rate of acceleration of sanitation coverage. Funds available under IEC may be used for imparting hygiene education to the rural communities, General public, as well as children in schools. The IEC plan should include a component for rising Awareness among school going children, teachers and PTAs. IEC funding will be in the ratio of 80:20 between GOI and the State Governments and the total IEC Cost including start up grant will be limited to 15% of the total project cost. (c) Capacity Building: This component is for training of VWSC and PRI members, block and district functionaries and Grass root functionaries like ASHA and other health, education and related functionaries, Anganwadi Workers etc. SHGs can be trained in trades such as masonry work, brick-making, toilet pan making and Plumbing etc. as also for awareness raising activities. NGOs/CBOs of repute can be engaged for this Activity. State Resource Centres and Regional / District Resource Centres should be identified for Conducting such trainings. Capacity building funding will be in the ratio of 80:20 between GOI and the State Governments and will be limited to 2% of the IEC budget. (d) Construction of Individual Household Latrines: A duly completed household sanitary latrine shall comprise of a Toilet Unit  including a super Structure. The programme is aimed to cover all the rural families. Incentive as provided under the Scheme may be extended to all Below Poverty Line (BPL) Households and Above Poverty Line Households (APL) restricted to SCs/STs, small and marginal farmers, landless labourers with homestead, physically handicapped and women headed households. The construction of household toilets should be undertaken by the household itself and on completion and use of the toilet; the cash incentive can be given to the household in recognition of its achievement. The incentive amount to Below Poverty Line (BPL) household/identified APLs for construction of one unit of IHHL shall be Rs.4600.00n (Rs.5100.00 for difficult and hilly areas). The central share out of this shall be Rs.3200.00 (Rs.3700.00 in case of hilly and difficult areas) and State Government share shall Be Rs.1400.00. Minimum beneficiary share shall be Rs.900.00 in cash or labour. State Governments are allowed the flexibility to provide higher incentive for a household toilet, of the same or higher unit costs from their own funds. All houses constructed with the central or/and state assistance should invariably Have suitable sanitation facility as an integral part. However, all houses constructed by the beneficiaries Under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) or any other state rural housing scheme which did not have toilets shall also be eligible for the incentive as above for creation of sanitation facilities for the targeted groups Under NBA. APL families not covered by the above incentives will take up construction of the household Latrines on their own through motivation. The IEC activities will provide comprehensive coverage to all the families in the GP without exceptions. APL families facing cash crunch may access the revolving fund as outlined in the guidelines. Construction of bucket latrines is not permitted in the rural areas. The existing bucket latrines, if any, should be converted to sanitary latrines and the sharing pattern for incentive for the targeted Beneficiaries shall be identical to that of construction of individual house hold latrines. Ministry of Rural Development notification Number S.O.l022 (E) dated  04.05.2012 regarding Convergence of TSC with MNREGS will be mutatis mutandis applicable for convergence with NBA. (e) Rural Sanitary Marts and Production Centers: The Rural Sanitary Mart is an outlet dealing with the materials, hardware and designs required for The construction of sanitary latrines, soakage and compost pits, vermi-composting, washing platforms, Certified domestic water filters and other sanitation hygiene accessories required. RSMs should Ensure that a variety of pans (ceramic, mosaic, HDP, fiberglass) are available for choice by the Beneficiaries. RSM should necessarily have those items, which are required as a part of the sanitation Package. It is a commercial venture with a social objective. The main aim of having a RSM is to provide Materials, services and guidance needed for constructing different types of latrines and other sanitary Facilities for a clean environment. Production Centers are the means to produce cost effective affordable Sanitary materials at the local level. They could be independent or part of the RSMs. The Production Centers/Rural Sanitary Marts could be opened and operated by SHGs / women Organizations/Panchayats/NGOs etc. Support of private entrepreneurs may also be taken for ensuring An effective supply chain. DWSM/DWSC should have a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the RSMs/PCs along with A system of joint monitoring evolved to ensure that the RSMs PCs are on track with production plans As per requirement. RSMs should have a method of quality certification of its products and a band of Trained masons and motivators. Quality standards (where notified by BIS or by MoDWS) for each of the items of purchase should Be strictly adhered to. An interest free loan up to Rs.3.5 lakh can be given for establishing RSM/PC out of revolving fund Available with the district. In case more RSMs are required, a maximum of up to Rs.35 Lakh from the Revolving Fund can be utilized for this purpose. Loans from the revolving fund for RSM/PC shall be Recovered in 12-18 instalments after one year from the date of receiving the  loan. (f) Provision of Revolving Fund in the District The revolving fund may be given to Cooperative Societies or Self Help Groups whose Creditworthiness is established, for providing cheap finance to their members. Loan from this fund Should be recovered in 12-18 instalments. NBA projects will have the flexibility to decide the other Terms and conditions for sanction of the revolving fund. This revolving fund can be accessed by APL Households not covered for incentives under the guidelines. Loan can also be given to the owner of the Household where Anganwadi centre is located for construction of baby friendly toilet provided the ICDS Authorities agree to refund the loan from the rent paid to the house owner. 5% of the District project Outlay subject to a sum of up to Rs.50 Lakh, can be used as revolving fund. The revolving fund is shared Between Centre and State on an 80:20 basis. (g) Community Sanitary Complex: Community Sanitary Complex is an integral component of the NBA. These Complexes, comprising An appropriate number of toilet seats, bathing cubicles, washing platforms, Wash basins etc., can be set Up in a place in the village acceptable and accessible to all. Ordinarily such complexes should be Constructed only when there is lack of space in the village for construction of household toilets and the Community owns up the responsibility of their operation and maintenance. The ultimate aim is to Ensure construction of maximum IHHLs and construction of community complexes will be restricted to Only when IHHLs cannot be constructed, for whatever reason, and also teach the community of â€Å"Hygiene practices†. The maintenance of such complexes is very essential for which Gram Panchayat Should own the ultimate responsibility. User families may be asked to contribute a reasonable monthly User charge for cleaning maintenance. The proposal for putting up CSC will be approved by the National Scheme Sanctioning Committee (NSSC). Such complexes can also be made at public places, Markets, etc. where large scale congregation of people takes place. Suitable maintenance guidelines May be adopted by the community to ensure proper maintenance of the complex. Maximum unit cost prescribed for a community sanitary complex is up to Rs.2 lakh. Sharing Pattern amongst Central Government, State Government and the community is in the ratio of 60:30:10. The community contribution, however, can be made by the Panchayat out of its own resources, from Grants of the Thirteenth Finance Commission or from any other fund of the State duly permitted by it. (h) Institutional Toilets: Children could be a good channel to influence parents to adopt proper sanitary habits. Children are More receptive to new ideas. Schools/Anganwadis are appropriate institutions for changing the Behaviour, mind-set and habits of children from open defecation to the use of lavatory through Motivation and education. School Toilets: Toilets in all types of Government Schools should be constructed. Emphasis should be given to Toilets for Girls in Schools. Toilet should provide access opportunity to children with special needs. A Toilet unit consists of a toilet and minimum of two urinals. Separate toilet units for girls and boys should Be provided in all co-educational schools, which are to be treated as two separate units and each unit is Entitled to Central assistance. The number of toilet units to be constructed should be adequate to meet The requirements of the school as per the strength of the students attending the school. State/UT Governments, Parent-Teachers Association and Panchayats are free to contribute from their own Resources over and above the prescribed amount. In addition to creation of hardware in the schools, it is essential that hygiene education is imparted To the children on all aspects of hygiene. For this purpose, at least one teacher in each school must be Trained in hygiene education who in turn should train the children through interesting activities and Community projects that emphasize hygiene behaviour. The expenditure for this purpose can be met From the IEC fund earmarked for the project. The district and Panchayat implementing agencies should Ensure  good coordination with Department of Education and Health other partners in order to fulfil The objective of SSHE i.e. to provide a safe, healthy learning environment to all children. The Central assistance per unit will be restricted to 70 percent for a unit cost of Rs.35,000 (Rs.38,500 in case of hilly and difficult areas). Funding for School Sanitation in a NBA Project is provided By the Central and State Government in the ratio of 70:30. Anganwadi Toilets: In order to in still the practice of using a toilet in children from very early stage in life, it is essential That Anganwadis are used as a platform of behaviour change for the children as well as the mothers. For This purpose, each Anganwadi should be provided with a baby friendly toilet. Since there are a large Number of Anganwadis operating from private premises, following strategy may be adopted: a) In all the Anganwadis, which are in Government buildings, baby friendly toilets should be Constructed from the NBA funds provided. b) In those Anganwadis, which are in private buildings, the owner must be asked to construct The toilet as per design, and, he/she may be allowed to charge enhanced rent for the Building to recover the cost of construction. c) Alternatively, the toilet may be constructed from revolving fund component under the NBA And, suitable deductions made from the monthly rental paid to the owner to recover the Cost over a period of time. Unit cost of a toilet shall be up to Rs.8,000 (Rs.10,000 in case of hilly and difficult areas) for each Anganwadi in the rural areas. Financial assistance to be given by Government of India will be restricted To Rs.5,600 (Rs.7,000 in case of hilly and difficult areas). Additional expenses can be met by the State Government, Panchayats or funds from Thirteenth Finance Commission, MPLADS, MLALADS, MNREGS Etc. Construction of Anganwadi toilets is to be prioritised in the 200 high focused districts to assist in Tackling the issue of malnutrition. All government buildings constructed with financial support of the Centre must have appropriate Sanitation facilities under the respective schemes as an integral component of the scheme. This is Considered essential to achieve the vision of ‘NIRMAL BHARAT’.

The War Of Nerves History Essay

The War Of Nerves History Essay The Cold War was a war that began after WWII between the United States and USSR. It was called the Cold War because this was a war of nerves. fought without using any type of artillery. This whole war was fought completely with words. [No, it was also fought in little countries] It was way to dangerous for both The USSR which was Russia [Russia was one segment of the USSR] to fight with the United States so they fought they basically pulled strings and fought using other countries. The United States helped [What about Korea?] South Vietnam as well as Afghanistan while Russia helped supply North Vietnam. That in a sense is how it evolved from the countries talking to war. These things coming forth lead to the Truman Doctrine being born. This doctrine clearly stated that the US would lend aid to all countries and free people who were willing to take a stand against the Soviet Union. Truman recognized that the growing of communism would be very to not just the US but other countries such as Greece who were already involved in civil wars would easily fall into communism with the promise of financial and military backing. Following the decree the US sent 400 million and the Union of NATO would then be formed. It then became known as a form of containment because the US used it to stall the spread of communism. Not only did it stall the Communists it helped the US expand their security as well as their influence. This tatic would prove to be very helpful and slow down the expansion in Korea, China, and Vietnam. NATO is beginning to step in and take affect as well. NATO is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It provided military defenses and began to allow some trade which the Soviet Union did not want. Many people believe it was the best defensive plan for slowing down and eventually somewhat controlling communism. Countries aligned and the Us sent troops to help over sea being clear to not try to envoke the the already angry soviet union. Therefore NATO had a really big affect in the Cold War. Upon slowing down the Soviet Union the US established the Marshall Plan. It helped rebuild the economic foundation for the countries in Europe. Even though the US was involved in war with the USSR they offered them the same kind of help but they chose to decline it seeing it as a slap in the face or rather a taunt. George Marshall put the plan together and it was his idea to offer it to the USSR. It helped in the Industrial and Agricultural production in the countries. To many people it was believed to be a very important part of the recovery of those countries that needed it. The Marshall Plan also allowed some form of trade between the countries. It still remains a key reason to ending the war. The US basically ran a close hand over the Cold War. They over seen just about everything and pretty much won the war without having to take up arms. They won the war using strategy and carefully placed plans and power of the dollar. We became the most influential and powerful nation as far as political and militarily. We did it militarily even though we did not have to fight at all. The US basically did not want the Soviet Union to become window to foreign trade like they wanted to become. They basically controlled the war while the Soviet Union tried to find ways around the US continuously running into road blocks such as the Marshall Plan and the Truman doctrine. There were many events that took place in the Cold War. The Berlin blockade was a major event. Stalin did this so that the people in West berlin could not receive food, supplies and anything else they might need. This then brought about another major even the airlift in which the US, Britain, France, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia air lifted good to west Berlin. Another event was the cancellation of the radio in Europe. But the last of the major events was the Berlin crisis. It kept the immigrants from coming in and getting out. Many people refereed to it as a Brain Drain to the younger people and generation. This just brought on more drama such as with the missles that almost brought in nuclear warfare. The Cold War lasted a very long time. From (1947- to 1991). It all started fall apart in 1989. The soviet Union was beginning to lose its power. Many believe the loss in power truly started when the Moscow Pact began to fall thorugh and major leaders and authority figures began to abandon the Union. The final blow to the Soviet Union began when the Berlin Wall came down that showed they had no more power and the people were taking back their freedom and their lifeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s. In conclusion this whole war really could have been avoided if they would have just stopped trying to control the people of Eastern Europe. With Stalin in power in the USSR there was no way it could have been avoided. Unless you are William Faulkner, this essay should have been divided into paragraph. Where are your sources for this information?

Macbeth And Metaphysics :: essays research papers

The Three witches in the tragedy Macbeth are introduced right at the beginning of the play. They tell Macbeth three prophesies, he will be Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glams and King. These prophesies introduce him to ideas of greatness. Macbeth will eventually follow through on killing king Duncan. This brings into the play, idea of fate and the role with which it has in the play. The witches could foretell the future, they can add temptation, and influence Macbeth, but they can not control his destiny. Macbeth creates his own anguish when he is driven by his own sense of guilt. This causes him to become insecure as to the reasons for his actions which in turn causes him to commit more murders. The witches offer great temptation, but it is in the end, each individuals’ decision to fall for the appeal, or to be strong enough to resist their captivation. The witches are only responsible for the introduction of these ideas and for further forming ideas in Macbeth head, but they are not responsible for his actions throughout the play. Lady Macbeth is shown early in the play as an ambitious woman with a single purpose. She can manipulate Macbeth easily. This is shown in the line "That I may pour my spirits in thine ear". (I,V, 26) Before the speech that Lady Macbeth gives in act one scene five, Macbeth is resolved not to go through with the killing of the king. However, Lady Macbeth says that it would be on his manliness and his bravery if he didn’t. This then convinces Macbeth to commit regicide. Although Macbeth has the final say in whether or not to go through with the initial killing, he loves his wife and wants to make her happy. She is the dominating individual in the relationship which is shown in her soliloquy, â€Å"This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou mightst not lose dues by rejoicing by being ignorant of what greatness is promised the. Lay it to thy heart, and Farewell.†(I, V, 7-10) Once Macbeth kills for the first time, he has no choice but to continue to cover up his wrong doings, or risk loosing everything he has worked so hard for. In the end, it all comes to Macbeth himself. Everyone is responsible for his own destiny. This is an essential theme in this tragedy. Macbeth, chooses to gamble with his soul and when he does this, it is only him who chooses to lose it.

Financial statement analysis Essay

Financial statement analysis is a process which examines past and current financial data for the purpose of evaluating performance and projecting future risks and potential of a company. Financial statement analysis is used by various people and companies for different reasons, e.g. investors, creditors, lending officers, managers, employees and many other parties who rely on financial data for making economic decisions about a company. The objective of this David Jones financial statement analysis is to identify the company’s performance issues, to provide suggestions and recommendations by employing the Ratio Analysis method and analysing Profitability, Efficiency, Short and Long term Solvency, and by using Market Based Ratios. The following report outlines the financial performance of David Jones Limited based on the FY2011 & FY2012 Annual Reports. The key measures used to assess company performance are Profitability, Efficiency, Short & Long-term Solvency and Market-Based Ratios. David Jones has performed well in a few areas which include having solid cash flows, low debt, a strong balance sheet and assets in prime locations; however there is definite room for improvement with regards to sales performance, and it needs to address the high cost of sales and sluggish inventory in order to turn around company profitability and performance. We have studied your 2011 and 2012 financial reports and statements and can see that your company’s sales performance has been declining year on year. Sales revenue for FY2012 was down -4.8% when compared to FY2011, and FY2011 sales were down -4.45% vs. FY2010. Your chairman and management have blamed this on the depressed consumer sentiment and increased global competition as a result of the strong Australian currency. â€Å"The uncertainty of Europe and USA and volatility in global equity market have contributed to a general feeling of uncertainty, the strong Australian dollar also contributed to price deflation and encouraged spending offshore.† (page 2, Annual Report) Profitability In FY2012, all measures of profitability were considerably down on last year. Gross Profit was down from $767m to $670m, and the Gross Profit margin (GP %) was down 160bp to 37.5% (-4.2% on FY2011: 39.1%). The poor GP % has been the result of discounting in a competitive environment and dealing with excess inventory on hand at the commencement of FY2012 (page 5, Annual Report). When compared to your main competitor Myer (Market Capitalization 1.59b1 Vs. DJS 1.477b2), there is a large variance between the Gross Profit Margins of the two companies (Myer GP % FY2012: 49.3%3, +160bp from previous year, DJs-FY2012: 37.47% -160bp). This can be attributed to Myer’s much lower Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) (Myer 56% Vs. DJs 62.5% in FY2012). Myer has a competitive advantage in the marketplace with a larger network of stores and greater buying power. Their larger volume of purchases may mean they are able to obtain lower cost prices with suppliers. However, there are a few key areas you have identified in your Future Strategic Direction plan which we feel will assist in lowering your COGS and result in a better GP % rate. Firstly, signing exclusive brands to your portfolio will ensure product differentiation to customers and better control over supplier trading terms and prices. Secondly, the Cost Price Harmonisation that you are engaging in with suppliers (page 3, Annual Report) is key to maintaining your GP % and ensuring that your COGS do not rise and prices do not become uncompetitive with international retailers. Thirdly, discontinuing lower margin categories and moving towards a greater product mix of higher margin categories (page 4, Annual Report) will increase your GP % in the long run and ensure you maximize the profit outcome from the inventory you carry. For example, introducing more private label house brands could be one strategy in which to increase the proportion of higher margin products in your portfolio. The Net Profit Margin in FY2012 dropped drastically compared to FY2011 (-36.9%, $101 vs. $168 million), with sales revenue dropping -4.8% ($1.867b vs. $1.962b). It was however, on par with Myer at 5.4%. The main factor contributing to the big fall in net profit were the high operating expenses over FY2012. Depreciation expenses were up by +13.23%, leasing expenses were up by +6.1%, advertising and marketing had gone up +19%, administration expenses were up by +29.4%, and finance costs were up +40%. Excess inventory during the clearance period also resulted in heavier discounting and contributed to the fall in net profit. Whilst your company has noted Cost of Doing Business (CODB) Reductions as one of the points in your Future Strategic Direction Plan, there are many other areas that can be addressed to ease operating costs. For example, a reduction in the size of all or some of your retail stores will result in savings in store costs such as leasing, staff, utilities, and so on. This could be implemented in conjunction with the Omni Channel Retailing strategy as highlighted as the first point in your Future Strategic Direction Plan (page 3, Annual Report), as customers move away from traditional bricks and mortar shops and increasingly to online shopping destinations. The excellent growth rate in HY2013 of your online store4 highlights the opportunities in the online channel and the change in customer shopping behaviour. With regards to the Asset Turnover ratio, your company performed slightly better than Myer Holdings in FY2012 (1.5 Vs 1.34, Refer to Appendix B). Internally, there was an 8% drop that was due to sluggish sales performance (1.5 Vs. 1.63, Refer to Appendix A). Since your Net Profit Margin dropped dramatically in FY2012, the Return on Assets (ROA) followed suit and decreased by -41% (from 13.96 to 8.23, refer to Appendix A); not a good result in asset management performance. Your company’s property portfolio consists of 4 buildings valued at $612 million (page 5, Annual Report). All of these buildings are in the prime locations, with two in the Sydney CBD and two in the Melbourne CBD. The rental income is assumed to be in the vicinity of $39 million per annum (page 5, Annual Report). If a reduced size store was considered, a potential income of $10-15 million could be generated per annum, increasing the net profit percentage by 9-14% (Net Profit FY2012 – $101,103,000). Your company’s re-development consideration is a long-term process and we believe it will be successful in generating positive ROA with the appropriate planning. Improving the Gross Profit margin while maintaining current overheads will result in a positive increase in the Net Profit margin position and enhance the overall performance of the company. Efficiency Efficiency is more meaningful when compared to peers in the same industry and can assist in identifying businesses that are better managed relative to others. By comparing your figures with Myer, your company performed better in Inventory Turnover (89 days vs 96 days, Appendix A & Appendix B), which means you have a better stockturn and are generating revenue from your inventory in a shorter period of time. However, 89 days is still a fairly high measure as it means you are sitting on stock for an average of 3 months before it is sold through. To improve your inventory turnover, you could consider dropping your bestselling items more frequently to stores, but with smaller quantities each time. This will ensure that the stores which are selling through the stock quickest remain in stock at all times, without a large amount of unsold stock building up in the slower performing stores and affecting your inventory turnover. It also means you will be generating sales and cash more quickly from your stock investment. Myer performed slightly better on â€Å"Average Days Sales Uncollected† (DJS: 3.5 days vs. Myer: 2.5 days, Appendix A & B). To improve this measure for example, you could encourage more online sales to generate faster turnover into cash than store card sales which are monthly billings. Internally, FY2012 performed slightly better than FY2011 in Average Days Sales Uncollected (FY2012: 3.5 vs. FY2011: 4 days) but worse in Inventory Turnover (FY2012: 89 vs. FY2011: 87 days). The differences were negligible. Short-Term Solvency David Jones has a good ability to meet its short-term financial obligations, with a Current Ratio of 1.05 in FY2012 (Appendix A) outperforming Myer at 0.88 (Appendix B). However, since the Quick Ratio is not high at 14.4% (Appendix A), short-term liquidity could be an issue. When compared with Myer at 11% (Appendix B), David Jones has performed better. The Current Ratio performed better in FY2011 than FY2012 by 14.6% (Appendix A). The main reason for this is the 15.1% increase in Current Liability ($306 million Vs. $266 million), with the $40 million difference due to an increase in Account Payables. There is no change in the Quick Ratio from FY2011 to FY2012 (14.4%), i.e. on the low side and short-term liquidity can be an issue, should not allow it to be deteriorate. The â€Å"Cash & Cash Equivalents† and â€Å"Receivables† figures totaled $36.935 million which represented around 14% of â€Å"Payables† in the 2012 Annual Report. In order to achieve a better short-term liquidity position, a more efficient ordering & inventory control system should be implemented. Less inventory on hand equates to more cash and liquidity. Excess inventory can jeopardize a company’s liquidity, in addition to causing stock problems and markdowns at the end of a season as was evidenced in FY2012. Long-Term Solvency You company performed much better than Myer Holdings in the area of Long-Term Solvency. Your company has demonstrated consistency in this area and long-term solvency should not be an immediate issue with your organization. The Debt to Equity ratio showed that there was an increase of 11% in FY2012 compared with FY2011 (Refer to Appendix A), i.e. the liability has gone up relative to shareholders’ equity. The main contribution to the increase is due to the +22.3% ($265m Vs. $216m) increase in the Payables account. It is important to ensure that this trend does not continue and that debt does not continue to rise when compared to equity levels. With strong non-current assets of $917 million & total assets in excess of $1.24 billion, the Debt to Total Assets ratio is healthy, with FY2011 at 35% and FY2012 at 37% (Refer to Appendix A) respectively. The extra 2% was due to the liability increase and it was the fallout of excess inventory as discussed in the short-term solvency section. Market-based Ratios To calculate the Price/Earnings (P/E) Ratio, we used the share price on 16/5/2013 ($2.80). This equates to a PE ratio of 14.43, with the Earnings yield ratio at 6.93% and the Dividend yield ratio at 6.25% (dividend was 17.5c). Myer Holdings’ dividend yield was around 7% (dividend of 19c with share price at $2.70). The market-based ratio is higher than your main competitor (Myer PE ratio is 11.8)5. However the Price/Earnings ratio indicates that today’s share price of the company is on the low side as it is below 15. The majority of analysts believe that the company is performing below par and do not recommend buying or holding David Jones shares at the moment. Eva Brocklehurst of FNArean.com is quoted as saying in March 2013, † David Jones (DJS) is transforming. For brokers it’s not a moment too soon, as department stores have been plagued by a soft consumer environment and a need to respond to new trends in shopping. In its first half results the company has flagged progress with its strategic plan, reducing costs and expanding margins. Earnings were ahead of expectations for the half but sales growth was not. What pleased was the increased margin. What concerns brokers? Most importantly, a lack of sales momentum. There’s no Buy rating on the FNArena database. Two brokers have downgraded ratings to Sell in the wake of the results. There are five Sell ratings. There was one upgrade to Hold, and there are three Hold ratings. The consensus target price is $2.73, suggesting 11.5% downside to the last traded share price. A dividend yield of 5.5% is reflected in consensus earnings forecasts for FY13.†6 Performance Issues As highlighted above, your declining sales performance is the biggest concern for shareholders and needs to be addressed immediately. Whilst earnings were ahead of expectations, this was managed by cost reductions and a move towards increased margins. An improvement in sales in conjunction with the efforts you’re undertaking to reduce expenses and the cost of doing business will result in an improvement in the bottom line and signal confidence in the company and a turnaround for investors. David Jones has been labelled as an up-market department store. Australia’s $12 billion fashion retail industry is forecast to grow by only 0.5% in FY2012 with only an average 1.2% annualised growth expected for the next 5 years, according to analysis group IBISWorld. Furthermore, IBISWorld says shoppers are now more likely to buy low to mid-range priced clothing which has contributed to the declining value of retail sales. In general, the outlook is not too positive for the industry.7 Greater differentiation is required between David Jones and Myer in order to attract and retain customers. Mark Ritson, Associate Professor of Marketing at Melbourne Business School commented, â€Å"David Jones and Myer are just two sides of same boring coin.† He says, â€Å"I still believe to this day that most people coming out of either David Jones or Myer on Bourke Street don’t know which one they just come out of.†7 Some of the issues have been addressed by your company’s Future Strategic Direction Plan, for example, a move towards Omni Channel Retailing, building a â€Å"Home of Brands† strategy which differentiates David Jones from Myer, and cost improvements including GP margin improvements, CODB reductions and Cost Price Harmonisation with suppliers (pages 3-6, Annual Report). Conclusion A thorough review of your company’s FY2011 and FY2012 Financial Report & Statements has indicated that David Jones has a strong balance sheet, solid cash flows, low debt, and assets in prime locations. David Jones has performed on par, or better than Myer in the areas of Net Profit Margin, Asset Turnover, Inventory Turnover, and Short & Long-term Solvency. However, the company’s declining sales performance is the biggest area of concern. Almost all measures of profitability were worse than Myer and have been falling when compared to David Jones’ own performance in prior years. We believe that further differentiation from Myer, cost reductions & margin improvements, harmonization of prices to become more competitive with international competitors, better inventory management & a reduction in excessive stock, reduced retail floor space, and the move towards Omni-Channel Retailing will enhance the value of your company and result in better performance for all stakeholders. We hope this report has provided insightful recommendations into improving the performance of your company. This report has been generated for your company’s own reference and not for any other purposes. Other companies or individuals should not use or rely on any material contained within this report without the consent of our office.

Hebrew Wisdom on Diligence and Laziness Essay Essays

Hebrew Wisdom on Diligence and Laziness Essay Essays Hebrew Wisdom on Diligence and Laziness Essay Paper Hebrew Wisdom on Diligence and Laziness Essay Paper Traveling through the Wisdom Books of the Old Testament. diligence and indolence are a common subject. It is shown many different ways which is viewed more positively and which is looked down upon. Diligence and indolence may be somewhat intertwined. but they are besides wholly separate thoughts. The books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes provide much of the apprehension to be gained from the Bible on all four of these thoughts. doing them two of the most of import Old Testament books in respects to learning. The books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes give a overplus of information on Hebrew thoughts sing diligence and indolence. But the first thing that needs to be done is to specify what diligence and indolence are. Proverbs uses sluggard to specify person who is lazy. It is noted that â€Å"A persevering individual. like the emmet. does non necessitate a taskmaster to happen motivation†1. This is contrasted with the sluggard by Proverbs 6:6 ( KJV ) . which states â€Å"Go to the emmet. thou sluggard ; see her ways. and be wise. † This shows the contrast between the sluggard. or lazy individual. and the persevering individual. represented by the emmet. A lazy individual. or sluggard. can besides be described as person who â€Å" can non happen adequate motive to lift out of bed†2. This point is shown in Proverbs 26:14 ( KJV ) . saying â€Å"As the door turneth upon his flexible joints. so doth the faineant upon his bed. † All of this illustrates that Hebrew Wisdo m has a much higher position of diligence over indolence. Wisdom and folly are really far apart in definition. Wisdom can be defined as doing good determinations with the information that you have. Folly. on the other manus. can be defined as doing a foolish determination even cognizing the wise determination would hold a better consequence. Proverbs 5:23b ( KJV ) shows what happens when we use folly. saying â€Å"in the illustriousness of his foolishness he shall travel astray. † This is in contrast to Proverbs 3:13-14 ( KJV ) . which states â€Å"Happy is the adult male that findeth wisdom. and the adult male that getteth understanding. / For the ware of it is better than the ware of Ag. and the addition thereof than all right gold. † This shows that if wisdom is used and gained. so the wagess for wisdom are great. Using hapless judgement. even cognizing that there is a better determination to be made. will do a individual to non follow the righteous way and lead people off from God. whereas utilizing wisdom and doing the pr oper pick will assist people to remain on the way God has chosen for them and take them to great wagess. Ecclesiastes 7:5 ( KJV ) shows us how much the individual who uses wisdom is valued. saying â€Å"It is better to hear the reproof of the wise. than for a adult male to hear the vocal of saps. † This shows it is more of import to listen to a wise individual giving advice than it is to listen to an unwise individual who thinks our foolish determinations are to be celebrated. Geting advice to rectify errors should ever be preferred over being told to do the same foolish determination once more. This point is emphasized in Ecclesiastes 10:12-13 ( KJV ) . saying â€Å"The words of a wise man’s oral cavity are gracious ; but the lips of a sap will get down up himself. / The beginning of the words of his oral cavity is foolishness: and the terminal of his talk is arch lunacy. † This merely proves yet once more that listening to the sap and doing foolish determinations will take to evil and no wagess. This is every bit opposed to utilizing the wisdom of a wise adult male and holding grace with our words and actions. Using wisdom will acquire be rewarded here on Earth and with God. The difference between the individual who is persevering and lazy is an of import subjec t when discoursing the type of work ethic that should be had. Proverbs 10:26 ( KJV ) besides shows how the lazy individual is viewed by those who employ them. saying â€Å"As acetum to the dentition. and as fume to the eyes. so is the sluggard to them that send him. † The lazy individual is viewed as a job to their employers while the persevering individual will assist those who employ them. as stated in Proverbs 10:4b ( KJV ) . â€Å"the manus of the diligent maketh rich. † The diligent individual will convey wealth upon themselves every bit good as those who are wise plenty to use them. This can demo people reading these poetries that the harder you work and the more diligent you are in your work. the more you will be rewarded. Teachings about diligences. indolence. wisdom. and folly can be found all throughout the Bible. The books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes provide some of the best commentary on all four of these topics. Because of this commentary they provide. these two books are some of the most of import instruction books in the Old Testament. They teach how of import diligence and wisdom are. They besides teach how much we need to avoid indolence and folly because they will non supply the wagess to us that diligence and wisdom will. BibliographyHindson. Edward E. . and Yates. Gary E. The Essence of the Old Testament: A Survey. Nashville. Tenn. : B A ; H Academic. 2012.

Aaron Copeland essays

Aaron Copeland essays An Abb, honorary canon of Albano, a sincere mystic and at the same time one of historys most publicized lovers, incredible showman, hypnotic virtuoso, astonishing amalgam of magician, zealot and philanthropist, Liszt is easily the most colorful personality in the history of music (Lieberson 256.) From his dazzling beginning in the musical circles of Vienna as a child prodigy of eleven years old, Ferenc (Franz) Liszt would establish himself as the leading piano virtuoso and one of the foremost progressive forces in music of his day. Franz Liszt was born in Raiding, Hungary (now part of Austria) about thirty miles from Vienna, Austria (Longyear 105.) His Father was steward to the family of Esterhazy and a good amateur musician; consequently, he was also Liszts first piano teacher. Young Liszts extraordinary abilities were recognized without delay and he was soon taken to Vienna to study piano under Czerny and composition under Salieri (the former teacher of Schubert, an acquaintance of Liszts.) His phenomenal aptitude for the piano at the age of eleven was greeted with a kiss from Beethoven, and praised endlessly by the musical circles of the day. In 1823, Liszt went to Paris, where he studied music theory and composition (Politoske 1.) The French immediately recognized him as a brilliant performer with an almost uncanny ability to improvise on the keyboard. He had once wanted to become a priest, but inspired by the success of Niccolo Paganini, he then worked to become as much a master of the piano as Paganin i was of the violin. Soon he became in touch and at home with Parisian culture, fully immersing himself in the society, literature, and art with friends such as writers Hugo, Lamartine, George Sand, Sainte-Beuve and painters like Delacroix. He also met the Countess Marie d'Agoult, the writer known as Daniel Stern, who was his mistress from 1835 until 1844 and the mother of his daugh...