Crude Oil Refining or Petroleum Product Importation: Which Is Economical for Nigeria

CRUDE OIL REFINING OR PETROLEUM PRODUCTS IMPORTATION: WHICH IS ECONOMICAL FOR NIGERIA? ABSTRACT: One of the most crucial challenges facing Nigeria is being able to meet the energy need of the energy hungry populace; the exponential population growth makes it even more challenging. The approach adopted to meeting this need has impacted severely on the economy of the nation as reflected in the year-on-year economic figures. This can be attributed to her choice of net importer of petroleum products status to the much more economic domestic refining option. This paper analyses the best economic option between refining crude oil and importing the products in Nigeria, at the end making probable suggestions. TABLE OF CONTENT ABBRECIATIONS 1. NTRODUCTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 2. CRUDE OIL REFINING AND PETROLEUM IMPORTATION IN NIGERIA †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 5 2. 1 Overview †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦ 5 2. Challenges of Petroleum Product Refining in Nigeria †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 3. CRUDE OIL REFINING AND PETROLEUM PRODUCTS ECONOMICS †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 3. 1 The Economics of Crude oil Refining †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 3. 2 The Economics of Petroleum Products†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 9 4. CRUDE OIL REFINING, PETROLEUM PRODUCTS IMPORTATION AND THE ECONOMY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 0 5. CONCLUSION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11 BIBLIOGRAPHY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 ABBREVIATIONS BPSD Barrels per Stream Day B/D Barrels per Day CBN Central Bank of Nigeria GDP Gross Domestic Product NNPC Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NPRC Nigerian Petroleum Refining Company PHRC Port Harcourt Refinery Company 1. INTRODUCTION The role of crude oil remains key among the energy sources, hence we have to still live with the consequences that are associated with it, one of which is economical. This obviously is an aspect no country, importer and exporter have been able to overcome, though its impact on some countries is less than in others. Nigeria is definitely one of those countries whose economy has been monumentally impacted, ironically though, a leading crude oil producer and exporter in the world. However, this is not to take away crude oil’s enormous contribution to the Nigerian macro-economy over the years it holds sway. The discovery of oil in Nigeria was thought to be a big respite to the growing energy supply challenges facing her and to bring economical gains, especially as the price of oil has often been on the increase. Hence, should have made huge sums of money from it. Incidentally, this is not to be, as oil suddenly took shine off the hitherto major sources of the country’s GDP. Sectors like agriculture and manufacturing went moribund, making Nigeria a mono-economy, with oil being the mainstay of the economy. It provides 95% of foreign exchange earnings and about 80% of government budgetary revenues[1]. The Nigeria economy plays into the hands of the volatility of extremely vulnerable external shocks, particularly the vicissitude of world oil market prices, and the consequent inflations that characterise it most of the times. With the production of 229,008,126 barrels of crude oil and condensates increased in the third quarter of 2010 with an average of 2. 49 million barrels per day of domestic production in recent years, four refineries of 445,000 b/d refining capacity, the issue of meeting domestic oil demand should have been substantially addressed. However, with the 0 – 15% refining capacity in 2009[2], which is often the case over the years, importation became the only available alternative. Hence, Nigeria though a leading exporter of crude oil in the world is also, ironically, a net importer of petroleum products. This paper is divided into four chapters; chapter 2 looks at crude oil refining in Nigeria, offering an overview and challenges that confronts it. In chapter 3, crude oil refining and petroleum products economics is examined and chapter 4 looks at the implications of both crude oil refining and importation vis – a – vis the economy. The chapter 5 concludes the paper with few suggestions as to what the best economic option should be in meeting the petroleum products demand in Nigeria. 2. CRUDE OIL REFINING IN NIGERIA 2. 1OVERVIEW The petroleum products consumed in Nigeria had been imported from refineries abroad; this continued even a couple of years after the discovery of crude oil in a commercial quantity in the country. However, as the demand for the products increased and with the availability of the feedstock, the two Multinationals operating in the country then saw it as a viable business to establish refinery that would serve the domestic demand. This lead to the 50/50 joint venture refining company between Shell Darcy Petroleum Company and British Petroleum called the Nigerian Petroleum Refining Company (NPRC) in 1960. The construction of the refinery took two years to complete; by 1965 it commenced operation at an installed refining capacity of 38,000 bpsd[3] to refine local crude into five petroleum products. It was located at Alesa–Eleme, near Port Harcourt, some kilometres away from the crude oil production location. In order to meet the ever increasing demand for the products, the refinery was de–bottlenecked to increase its production capacity from the initial 38,000 bpsd to 60,000 bpsd. Running as a private entity, the company was able to run efficiently, profitably and met the omestic product consumption demand. In 1970, the Federal acquired and paid for a 60 percent equity share in all private international companies working in the Upstream and Downstream sectors of the Petroleum Industry in the country[4], NPRC inclusive. Despite been the major shareholder, the Federal Government allowed NPRC to operate without interference. It was only represented by its own corporation, th e Nigerian National Oil Corporation (NNOC), on which the shares were invested on to represent it at the board meetings of NPRC. Hence, the company was commercially profitable, well maintained and ran very efficiently. A decree in 1977 gave birth to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which was later to appoint the Chairman of NPRC, and then acquired the remaining 40 percent stake in NPRC. This in effect made the NPRC a full Government entity under the Refinery Division of the NNPC, headed by a general manager. The name was changed to NNPC Refinery, Alesa–Eleme, now headed by a managing director and having a new management structure. It was under the general manager of NNPC Refinery Division at the headquarters. A wholly Government built Refinery commenced operation in 1978, after a 30–month construction. It was located at Warri, and had an installed refining capacity of 100,000 b/d. But was de – bottlenecked in 1985 to have a total capacity of125, 000 b/d. The Warri Refinery was essentially built to process crude oil products and to add value to some of the refinery by-products such as propylene rich stock and decant oil[5]. Soon after, in 1980, another refinery, the Kaduna Refinery came on stream. It was meant to cope with the ever growing demand for petroleum products, especially in the Northern axis of the country. The refinery consisted of two streams, 50, 000 b/d fuel units and 50, 000 b/d lubes, Asphalt plants. It was designed to produce 3,857mt/d of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 1,686mt/d of Kerosene, 3,000mt/d of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), 1,796mt/d of Asphalt, 91mt/d of LAB, 657mt/d of Base Oils, 620mt/d of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), 2,100mt/d of Fuel Oil. The existing products pipeline linking Warri Refinery to Kaduna was converted to pump crude oils for supply to the new Kaduna Refinery. Again, like the previous refineries, the fuel section of Kaduna Refinery was de-bottlenecked from the 50, 000 b/d to 60, 000 b/d. This brought the Kaduna Refinery to overall 110, 000 b/d capacity[6]. The fourth and final refinery was a new grassroots refinery, adjacent to the existing Port Harcourt Refinery, with an install capacity of 150, 000 bpsd. With this, Nigeria total installed refining capacity is 445, 000b/d, which was originally built to serve both the domestic and international petroleum product demand. Unfortunately, the purpose for these refineries were short-lived, serving only for a couple of years before each began to experience various man-made challenges that made them cost centres instead of the originally intended commercially profitable centres. The ever growing domestic product demands were no more met, as acute scarcity became a normal phenomenon. This led, unfortunately to the return of high propensity of petroleum product importation in order to meet the energy need of the nation. 2. 2 CHALLENGES OF PETROLEUM PRODUCT REFINING IN NIGERIA The Nigerian state-owned four refineries have undergone, and still undergo several man-made challenges that have made it more of a liability to the country than an asset. One of the issues that reduced the refineries to cost centres is bureaucracy. Immediately NNPC took over the running of the first refinery, bureaucracy silenced the commercial cultures that make a business thrive. Tens of signatures would have to be appended on a letter seeking to fix or procure working materials. These unnecessarily delay maintenance and impact the efficient running of the refineries. Also, being fully under the control of Government, all the funds for running the refineries would have to come from Government coffers. This occasioned delays and outright insufficient funding. Working capital especially meant to procure the needed spare parts, chemicals and all other necessary items for operations was not forthcoming, hence leading to the continues breakdown often experienced in the various refineries. The recommended 24-36 months normal industry Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) was hardly done[7]. It took years, far above the recommended time in between for TAM at the various refineries. The results were failures, wear and tear of the equipment, frequent shutdowns and complete non operations. Efficiency of the refining industry is such that needs well trained manpower. However, most of the refinery staff like any other state- ran enterprise were employed or appointed on ethnic or political sentiment. In such case, proper management and efficiency is thrown to the wind. Dedication and commitment to duty is hardly there, and the consequence is obvious. The big one is corruption. The refineries have over the years become conduit pipes of siphoning tax payer’s money. Some individuals in Government seem to have become rich by the comatose state of these refineries, hence would do everything within their powers to make them remain so. These challenges have rendered the refineries helpless and never operating at the capacity utilization. Because of these, the country never really enjoyed product sufficiency with its vast reserve and refineries it ordinarily should have. Hence, Nigeria has always been a net importer of petroleum products. 3. CRUDE OIL REFINING AND PETROLEUM PRODUCT ECONOMICS 3. 1CRUDE OIL REFINING ECONOMICS The overall economics or viability of a refinery depends on the interaction of three key elements: the choice of crude oil used (crude slate), the complexity of the refining equipment (refinery configuration) and the desired type and quality of products produced (product slate). Refinery operating cost, utilization rate and environmental considerations also influence refinery economics[8]. The type of crude used would determine whether there would be investment in the upgrading processes of the refinery. Light, sweet crude require less upgrading, heavy crude do need more upgrading. Also, the product demand in the market determines the configuration of the refinery. For instance, the U. S. refineries are configured to process a large percentage of heavy, high sulphur crude and to produce large quantities of gasoline and low amounts of heavy fuel oil. The Canadian refineries are configured for light, sweet crude, hence would upgrading to process heavy crude. Most of the European refinery configuration favours the production of diesel; gasoline accounts only 20% production[9]. Obviously, the Nigeria refineries were configured for the light crude the country produces and produces a wide range of products meant for her market and other markets. The refinery utilization rate is a very critical component of refining economics. High percentage capacity utilization is needed for a refinery to increase operating efficiency and reduce costs per unit of output. A utilization rate of about 95% is considered optimum as it allows for normal shutdown required for maintenance and seasonal adjustments. The operable capacity of Nigerian refineries has on average 0 – 15% utilization, which make them grossly under utilized. High utilization capacity is one of the things that make for profit margin scenario for refineries. The refinery industry has historically been a high- volume, low- margin industry, characterised by low return on investments and volatile profits. Profitability is measured by return on investment, defined as the net income contributed by refining/marketing as a percentage of net fixed assets (net property, plant, and equipment plus investments and advances)[10]. One way to represent the economics of a refinery is to calculate its Refinery Gross Margin[11]. For example, if a refinery receives $80 from the sale of the products refined from a barrel of crude oil that costs $70/bbl, then the Refinery Gross Margin is $10/bbl. The Net or Cash Margin is equal to the gross margin minus the operating costs (excluding income taxes, depreciation and financial charge. If a refinery experiences operating costs of $2 per barrel, then the Net Margin is $8/bbl[12]. The refinery margins are normally set on a competitive market, where the market is open. The contrary is the case in the Nigerian environment, the refineries are not working, and whenever they do, profit is never the aim. 3. PETROLEUM PRODUCT ECONOMICS Refined products market is different from crude oil market in a number of ways, owing to the scale of operation ( much smaller for refined products: a typical crude oil transaction involves 500,000 or even one million barrels of oil, while a typical refined products sale may involve only 5,000 to 10,000 bbls), quality considerations, price di fferentials and market size. In a competitive market, refined product prices are determined by supply, demand and inventory conditions at a given location and time[13]. International (border) price comes to play in the economics of refined products. The exchange rate used to convert the dollar value of imports into the domestic currency is the interbank exchange market rate, which is market determined. A freight charge (including insurance margin) is added to the value to get the landed cost. Import duty, domestic distribution, storage, marketing, and transportation margins are then added to obtain the order price at retail level[14]. Imported petroleum products also has additional cost like; Port charges, taxes and export duties at source country, insurance costs for transportation and brokerage costs for agents. The obvious reality is that there exists a wide range of domestic prices for petroleum products, determined mainly by the market and subject only to taxes and special charges in the developed countries. However, in developing countries like Nigeria, the prices are fixed by the government. Hence, the products are bought at the international price with a very high interbank exchange rate, and sold at a heavily subsidized, domestic rate, which has serious implications to the economy. 4. CRUDE OIL REFINING, PETROLEUM PRODUCTS IMPORTATION AND THE NIGERIAN ECONOMY. For a start, the estimated daily crisis-free demand for petroleum products in Nigeria today, are 30 million litres of petrol (PMS), 12 million litres of kerosene (DPK), 18 million litres of diesel oil (AGO), and 780 metric tons (1. 4 million litres) of cooking gas (LPG)†¦. †(Braide, 2003)[15]. Nigeria with a population of 158. 2 million (UN, 2010) and increment to workers salary in the recent years, which have empower ed quite a number of people to acquire some petroleum products demanding appliances, is much more pent-up now than in the last ten years. This makes it more challenging to satisfy. Government have obviously chosen a very hard alternative, importation, to have the demand met. With a weak currency (of N153 = $1), at a current price of crude on the international market and heavily subsidized domestic price of petroleum products. For instance, PMS have been at N65 ($42 cents)/litre in Nigeria for a couple of years now, as against the expected open market price of N131. 32 ($84 cents)/litre[16]. Importation, though the only alternative to the non-functional refineries, is economically catastrophic. For instance, Government spent $1. 34billion[17] from January to March, 2011 to import petroleum products to the country. In a year, this will amount to $5. 36 billion for importation alone, this excludes importations from marketing companies in Nigeria, tax waivers, demurrage and other implied costs that makes the total amount of importing the commodities extremely high. Government Petroleum Support Fund (PSF), which was established to disburse funds to the importing companies and the NNPC have between January, 2006 and July 2008 spent US$ 9. 2 billion[18] for subsidy alone. The fund also spent over US$ 3 billion from 2009 to the first quarter of 2010[19] for subsidising the importation of PMS and HHK within the period. The Year-on-year importation of petroleum products keep depleting the country’s external reserve, thereby putting the economy in bad standing. On the other hand, the KRPC, WRPC and PHRC (new) were built with lump sums of $525 million, $478 million, and $850 million respectively[20]. Unfortunately, with the poor management, the refineries from every statistics available have become liabilities to the country. With ultra low capacity utilization, a huge staff, high operating cost, no profit from NNPC year-on-year accounts[21], the refineries at present state are not economical. The implication of these is that the cost of crude oil, refining, importation, and distribution of the products are borne by the country’s treasury. A private sector run refinery industry is the only answer for meeting domestic demand at a very huge economic gain and energy security to the country. This will also revive the ailing petrochemical industry, which has a massive ripple effect on job creation, directly and through other dependent industries like Paint and Plastic industries. But before this can be realised the unavoidable deregulation has to take place. Little wonder why the over 18 private licensed refinery companies are yet to mobilise to site. Therefore, Government should revisit the issue of deregulation, and then privatise the state-run refineries. This massive importation does no good at all to the country, and should be reduced to near zero minimum. 5. CONCLUSION Government should be commended for taking up the challenge of building the capital intensive refineries, being beyond the ability of any local company at the time. It created energy security, jobs, averted looming crisis arising from massive shortage of supply of petroleum products and saved so much cost. But its continual running of the refineries is, to say the least wasteful and harmful to the economy. Refineries are commercial ventures, with huge financial implications, and do not provide much employment opportunities to warrant such protectionism by Government[22]. Obviously, it is only a few that benefits in a State-run refinery at the expense of many. Privatisation of the refineries holds more prospects economically to the country than what obtains. At the time being, the unenviable net importer position of the country is no more sustainable. Less Importation would save so much cost and the Nigerian economy shielded from the unstable, volatile international petroleum price. Subsidy has caused considerable loss of revenue and a rapid growth in domestic oil consumption as low price does not reflect real cost for consumption. It has contributed to the collapse of local refineries, as price of fuel do not show cost of supply. Reluctance of private players to invest in refineries, persistent fuel shortages at filling stations, dilapidated supply and distribution infrastructures, smuggling, and product adulteration, all of which impact substantially on the economy are the consequences of the continues subsidy regime in place. Everything should be done to encourage a functional refinery industry to check the crippling importations. An efficient refinery industry in Nigeria would have massive market both within the country and in the neighbouring ountries, and this brings immeasurable economic gains that are able to change the economic outlook of the country. BIBLIOGRAPHY PRIMARY SOURCES NATIONAL LEGISLATIONS The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Act, 1977 The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Act, 2003, No 8, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria SECONDARY SOURCES BOOKS Gary, J. H. , Handwerk, G. E. , Kaiser, M. J. , Petroleum Refining Technology and Economics, (5th Edition) (United States of America, Florida, CRC Press, 2007). OTHERS INTERNET SOURCES Braide, K. M. The Mechanics of Fuel Scarcity in Nigeria, http://www. nigerdeltacongress. com/marticles/mechanics_dynamics_fuel_scarc. htm. (assessed 13/04/2011). CBN, http://www. cenbank. org/Out/2011/pressrelease/gvd/CommuniqueforMPCMeetingofMarch 21 22 2011_21st Mar_. pdf (assessed 01/05/2011). CIA, The World Factbook, http://www. cia. gov/library/Publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ni. html (assessed 18/04/2011). Hossain, M. S. , Taxation and Pricing of Petroleum Products in Developing Countries: A Framework for Analysis with Application to Nigeria, http://www. imf. rg/external/Pubs/ft/wp/2003/wp0342. pdf (assessed 20/04/2011). Iba, L. , Fuel Crisis: Still waiting for private refineries, http://64. 182. 172/webpages/news/2010/july/12//busines-12-2010. 001. htm (assessed 09/05/2011). Nigerian Refineries: History, Problems an d Possible solutions, http://www. businessdayonline. com/NG/index. php/oil/3256-nigerian-refineries-history-problems-and-possible-solutions-1 (assessed 09/05/2011). NNPC, Annual Statistics Bulletin, http://www. nnpcgroup. com/Portals/0/MonthlyPerformance/2009ABS Web. pdf (assessed 01/05/2011). NNPC, Subsidiaries, http://www. npcgroup. com/NNPCBusiness/Subsidiaries/ (assessed 09/05/2011). PPPRA, Report on the Administration of the Petroleum Support Fund (PSF), http://www. pppra-nigeria. org/briefonadministrationofPSF. pdf (assessed 01/05/2011). Refinery Economics, http://nrcan. gc. ca/eneene/sources/petpet/refraf-eng. php (assessed 19/04/2011). Refining & Product Specifications – Overview, http://www. petroleumonline. com/content/overviemCont. asp? mod=8&ord=10 (assessed 19/04/2011). ———————– [1]CIA-The World Factbook, at http://www. cia. gov/library/Publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ni. tml (assessed 18/04/2011) [2] N NPC 2009 annual report and EIA Nigeria Energy Data, Statistics and Analysis-oil, Gas, Electricity, coal [3] This is the maximum number of barrels of input that a distillation facility can process when running at full capacity under optimal crude and product slate condition with no allowance for downtime. [4] Nigerian Refineries: History, Problems and Possible solutions, at http://www. businessdayonline. com/NG/index. php/oil/3256-nigerian-refineries-history-problems-and-possible-solutions-1 (assessed 09/05/2011) [5] Ibid [6] Ibid [7] Ibid [8] Refinery Economics, at http://nrcan. gc. a/eneene/sources/petpet/refraf-eng. php (assessed 19/04/2011) [9] Ibid [10]Ibid [11] The difference in dollars per barrel between its product revenue (sum of barrels of each product multiplied by the price of each product) and the cost of raw materials (primarily crude, but also purchased additives like butane and ethanol) [12] Refining & Product Specifications – Overview, at http://www. petroleum online. com/content/overviewConti. asp? mod=8&ord=10 (assessed 20/04/2011) [13]Gary, J. H. , Handwerk, G. E. , Kaiser, M. J. , Petroleum Refining Technology and Economics, (5th Edition) (United States of America, Florida: CRC Press, 2007) at 18-19. 14]Hossain, M. S. , Taxation and pricing of Petroleum Products in Developing Countries: A Framework for Analysis with Application to Nigeria, at http://www. imf. org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2003/wp0342. pdf (assessed 20/04/2011) [15] Braide, K. M. , The Mechanics of Fuel Scarcity in Nigeria at http://www. nigedeltacongress. com/martiles/mechanics_dynamics_of_fuel_scarc. htm (assessed 20/04/2011). [16] Ibid [17]CBN, http://www. cenbank. org/Out/2011/pressrelease/gvd/CommuniqueforMPCMeetingofMarch21 22 2011_21stMarch_. pdf (assessed 02/05/2011). [18]PPPRA, Report on the

First Tuesday Book Club Essay

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak ranks number two on a list of â€Å"Ten Aussie Books to Read Before You Die† voted for by viewers of the ABC’s First Tuesday Book Club. Discuss the Significant Features of the novel that have contributed to its success, analysing and evaluating their contribution. The novel, â€Å"The Book Thief† by Markus Zusak was first published in 2005. The story is set in Germany, 1939, the time of World War Two. Many significant characters are revealed though out the novel such as Death, Hans Hubermann, and Liesel Meminger. These characters are memorable as well as lovable, but also bring out the idea’s and style of the Novel. Death is one of the major characters in The Book Thief as not only does he give the book a certain style but also the book is set from his perspective. â€Å"It’s the story of one of those perpetual survivors.† (Markus 2005, p.6) Death is shown as impatient and spills in the beginning the main events in the book such as the bombing raid the takes place, the death of the American fighter pilot as well as the fate of important characters. Death even notices it and apologises. By him being exposed as impatient, Zusak has been able to use the literary style of foreshadowing. Markus Zusak mentions in one of his interviews, â€Å"I deliberately made Death let the plot out of the bag. It lends to the idea of his knowingness, and that he is not human. He does not function exactly how a human would in his story-telling†¦ There was also the idea that knowing what would happen in advance might soften the blow, and it’s also a challenge to myself.† (Little Willow 2006) Death uses colours to not only describe certain moments, but also the colour of the sky when people are dying. There are three moments in the book where Death comes across Liesel and he uses three colours to describe these moments, when her brother died it was white, â€Å"It felt as though the whole globe was dressed in snow.† (Markus 2005, p.7) When the American fighter pilot died it was black, â€Å"It was the darkest moment before the dawn.†(Markus 2005, p.10) There was the last time when he encountered Liesel, when the sky was red, â€Å"The sky was like soup boiling and stirring. In some places it was burnt.†(Markus 2005, p.13) the use of colours creates a style which sets the mood. Whether the mood should be silent, soft and still, or it should make you angry. Death isn’t given a gender in the the novel and although he has feelings, it gives the idea as well as shows he is not human. There are other ways that Death shows he is not human. He clearly states â€Å"I am haunted by humans† which separates him from humanity. â€Å"To prove to me that you, and your human existence, are worth it.† (Markus 2005, p.16) Death acknowledges the idea of whether humans are worth it. Throughout the Book Thief it is noticed that there are many characters that truely are worthy such as Hans and clearly Liesel. Death illustrates that through all the ugliness that is happening at that time, even though the story is set at the time of the Holocaust as well as World War Two, that there is beauty that shines. It makes a difference. â€Å"†¦ He had the ability to appear in the background†¦ He was always just there. Not noticeable†¦ There was most definitely a value in him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Markus 2005, p.34) Hans wasn’t a main character within The Book Thief, but was an important character. He creates the love and joy within The Book Thief. â€Å"I nearly wrote you a reply and signed your mother’s name†¦ I couldn’t. I couldn’t bring myself.† Hans is a caring, and gentle. This stands out as the book thief has many sad moments by him being caring and gentle it gives you another view of what life was like in World War two as Hans is an average German man, but he disagrees with what is currently happening in Germany. â€Å"When he looks at me and smiles and breathes, I hear notes.† Hans’s accordion was not only a symbol of his kindness, but also is a part of him. Markus Zusak has carefully placed this in the book by writing about Rosa clinging to it at night when Hans works for the military and Liesel mentioning that she sometimes imagines Hans as an accordion when he plays. Liesel is the main character who still finds happiness out of an awful situation. â€Å"The words. Why did they have to exist? Without them, there wouldn’t be any of this. Without words, the Fuhrer was nothing. There would be no limping prisoners, no need for consolation or worldly tricks to make us feel better.† (Markus 2005, p.521) Although at age 9 Liesel is illiterate she soon learns the power that words have to heal and save such as Liesel reading books to Frau Holtzapel to heal the pain she felt. â€Å"It’s the story of one of those perpetual survivors- an expert at being left behind.†(Markus 2005, p.6) Liesel is seen as a â€Å"perpetual survivor† because despite many people dying and all the suffering she manages to still have pure happiness. The style and ideas are shown through the characters and the book is unusual in so many ways as it tackles ideas most don’t want to think about such as the ugliness and beauty of humans and whether some deserve to live. It also shows the power humans have through words and what we believe in. It looks at a different perspective of death so instead of humans being afraid of death, Death is afraid of humans. It’s a sad, depressing story where many good characters die, but it shows lightness. Good people who stand out even if not important. The novel is beautifully written as it flows like a poem with such power. These are the significant features that have contributed to its success. Zusak, M 2005, The Book Thief, PanMacillan, Sydney. Little Willow 2006, ‘Interview: Markus Zusak’, Blog post, interview, 4 June, accessed 22 May 2013, .

Anthology of Poems

â€Å"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth. † This persuasive essays purpose is to persuade the reader to include three phenomenal poems in an anthology of Indigenous Poetry. Each of the poems that will be introduced have been written by indigenous Australians, and each includes a form of a relationship within them, not only with people, but with culture, and Aboriginal and European Australians. The first poem to be introduced is Aboriginal Australia, by Jack Davis.This gut wrenching poem is about the treacherous acts that the Europeans committed against the Aborigines. The second poem that will be discussed is Took the Children Away by Archie Roach. This poem, or song, is about the Stolen Generation, and the repercussions that it had on the children that experienced that event. Finally, the poem Son of Mine by Oodgeroo Noonuccal will be introduced. Son of Mine is about the emotions behind the fighting of the Europeans and Aborigines. Each of the three poems has a rightful place in an anthology of Indigenous Poetry.The first poem that will be introduced is Aboriginal Australia written by poet Jack Davis. Aboriginal Australia is a raw and overwhelming poem about what the Europeans did to, and the effects that it had on most indigenous Australians. To support this heartfelt poem, Davis uses metaphors to accentuate the bold words that he has felt. The line, â€Å"I would find a pen to probe your freckled mind,† demonstrates the emotions that he was feeling in detail. It shows that between particular people relationships do not always have a strong foundation, and are often weak.Likewise Davis’ use of imagery in, â€Å"The smile on the Governor’s face,† validates not only the emotion that the Governor was feeling, but what he thought about everything that was happening to the aborigines. Aboriginal Australia is a heart wrenching poem about the tumultuous ev ents that were caused by the white people when they unjustly murdered and kidnapped a large sum of the indigenous population. The poem demonstrates the idea that at one point in time the relationships between white and black people was that of hatred.The second poem that I wish to discuss is Took the Children Away, by Archie Roach, is a heartfelt story about the Stolen Generation. Having been one of the children that were taken away by the whites, Roach takes an insightful approach to his lyrics. The emotive and accusatory tone that Roach acquires, gives real meaning to his poem. Using the simile, â€Å"And how they fenced us in like sheep,† to convey the idea that the Aborigines didn’t really think that they had a say in how their life went, they were metaphorically trapped in their own skin.The aboriginal children started to lose their relationship with their land and culture. The Aboriginal children were taught how to act and live, being told that it was good manner s to always do what they were told, no matter how ridiculous the order was. Likewise, Roach’s shrewd use of visual imagery in, â€Å"said to us come take our hand, sent us off to mission land,† creates an idea of juxtaposition as they told the children that they were going to help and teach them, when all they did was send them off to white families as servants.The aboriginal people were told that they would be treated with respect, and they would be educated, but were treated the exact opposite of what they were told. Took the Children Away deserves to be in the anthology of Indigenous Australian poetry as it has been written from a personal perspective, and has the exact emotions that were felt by one of the stolen children. The third and final poem that I would like to talk over is Son of Mine by Oodgeroo Noonuccal.Son of Mine is a short and straight to the point poem on the experiences that the Aboriginal people went through while fighting the Europeans. It discuss es the good and bad emotions, and actions that the Aboriginals went through, including the heartbreak, and brotherhood that both races experienced. Noonuccal has great pride in her tone when she mentions the, â€Å"†¦ brave and fine,† men that put others before themselves during the often hard and tumultuous events that occurred. She describes the different relationships between the two different races.Noonuccal really defines the large gap between the two different relationships, and how quick the relationship could change. Noonuccal’s use of juxtaposition in, â€Å"black and white entwine,† deeply expresses the relationships between the two different cultures of indigenous, and European. Son of Mine definitely deserves to be in an Anthology for Indigenous Australians as it is one of the only texts that include both the hatred, and the brotherhood between the white and indigenous Australians. It would be a great addition to the anthology.All three of these poems demonstrate some sort of a relationship. They show great compassion for whatever topic they are artistically discussing. Aboriginal Australia, Took the Children Away, and Son of Mine all demonstrate feelings of hurt, happiness and heartbreak, thus making them beneficial for the anthology. The three poems that have been introduced each have a theme of relationships, whether between race, or culture. They definitely deserve a spot in an anthology of Indigenous Poetry.

Creative writing – Birth

Steve sat next to Tim with a small, permanent grin on his face. His life was finally back on track. Three months and he had managed to stay clean. It was a real achievement, something to be proud of. Not to mention the fact that he was waiting for his fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½e to give birth to his first child. If he wasn't so thrilled with himself, Steven might have noticed that there had been no communication with any of his girlfriend's doctors of midwives for at least two hours. It wasn't something you paid attention to when you were glowing with joy at your own accomplishments. Steve and Katie's friend Tim, however, was not drunk on his own pride. He had noticed that the sun was rapidly setting, and the new addition to the Davies family hadn't yet made their grand-entrance to the world. The pair were not left on their own for much longer, however. A solemn-looking doctor flung the swinging doors at the other end of the corridor open infront of him and, in giant strides, approached the pair hurriedly. He was clutching a brown clipboard in his hand, his knuckles white and his brow furrowed. â€Å"Mr. Davies?† The doctor stopped infront of Steve and took a step back, inviting him to stand. â€Å"Yes,† admitted Steve with a smile, â€Å"what's the news?† The doctor clenched his jaw and wiped the back of his hand across his forehead. â€Å"I'm afraid it's not good.† At this point Tim's eyes widened. The grin hadn't left Steven's face yet, and he stood with one hand on his hip. Met with a wall of silence the doctor, though unnerved, carried on with his explanation. â€Å"I'm afraid your partner has abnormally high blood pressure and, at this moment, we cannot assure her or your child's lives.† Steven's face fell slowly, and he slumped back into his seat, burying his head in his hands. â€Å"I'm sorry,† garbled the doctor, â€Å"you will be informed of any developments†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He turned on his heel and briskly strode for the double-doors. Tim stood up and put a hand on his best friend's shoulder reassuringly. â€Å"Don't worry, Steve†¦ They always say that. Get you expecting the worse, y'know? Katie and the baby will be just fine, trust me.† He looked down at his friend's head. His dark hair had matted as a result of Steve's nervous sweating. â€Å"Look†¦Ã¢â‚¬  began Tim, scratching the back of his neck uneasily, â€Å"I'll go and get us both a coffee. I'll get you a magazine, if you like?† He bent to Steve's level. â€Å"Mmm, sure.† Came the husky reply. â€Å"Okay†¦ I'll be back in five minutes. Chin up, Steven.† Tim flashed a weak grin as he too disappeared through the double doors. It took Steve twenty seconds to work out what he was going to do. His coat wrapped around him, collar covering up most of his face, Steve stalked along a dark road on a familiar course. In the cold night air his tears froze on his face. He had counted how many alleys he has passed. He pivoted on his heel at the entrance to the sixth. Stopping for a second, he nodded slowly to himself and pressed on. Tim McKee finally returned with two steaming decaf coffees in hand. He didn't think much of Steven's absence, assuming he had left to use the bathroom or in pursuit of food. He began to sip one cup while, non-blinking, watched steam rise from the other. Steven James Davies stood in front of the dark, derelict house. That is, if you could call it a house. It served its owner, Tom Campbell, as an office of sorts. Despite losing one of his favourite customers a few months earlier, there was no shortage of junkies to help Campbell pay the bills. Steven had been so happy when he realised he no longer needed Thomas Campbell and the substance he sold. But now there was nothing to be happy about. There was no reason for him to be alive anyway; Katie was the only reason he hadn't taken his life a year before, and now she had gone. Together they were going to raise their baby, together they were going to help people like Steven when they had no one left to turn to. He couldn't take the pressure. Leaning heavily against a damp alleyway wall, Steve began to cry. He had been there for ten minutes, shaking with sorrow. He had made up his mind though. He wasn't going to go back to the way things were. He was going to make Katie proud of him; he was going to be strong. Just as he turned away, Thomas Campbell flung open the door of his ‘house' and beckoned Steve inside with a sickening smile. Tim was starting to get worried. It had been almost an hour now. Sure, his friend was famed for his huge appetite, but surely he wouldn't be able to eat that much at a time like this. Suddenly it dawned on him. He was at Thomas's. He stood up quickly, knocking the stone cold cup of coffee all over the floor. As he strode towards the doors the doctor appeared once again. â€Å"Are you with the Davies's?† The doctor was wearing a grin not unlike the one that had been wiped off Steven's face hours before. Tim nodded, and the doctor couldn't hide his happiness any longer. â€Å"They're going to be fine,† he smiled, â€Å"Katie's blood pressure is back down and her waters just broke. She's fine†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The doctor looked slightly perplexed as McKee pushed through the doors, rounded a corner and began to sprint towards the exit of the hospital. He had to find Steve. He stumbled out of Thomas Campbell's house just ten minutes after entering it. It hadn't changed a bit in those three short months. There was still a ‘waiting room'. The smoke from cigarettes hung low in the air, and people that looked without souls stared blankly at the walls or floor. The stained wallpaper curled at the ceiling, exposing the plaster underneath. There was still the muffled sound of coughing and the awful smell. Urine, sick, the smell of rotting food†¦ It was all encapsulated in the nauseating thick air of Thomas Campbell's home. Tom had assured Steven that he was expecting him. He told him that he was weak, and that they all come back. Steve had put up with the sneering, paid and had left. He was now stumbling back down the alley, grinning manically and zigzagging from wall to wall. He bent down and let out a series of jagged, croaking laughs before carrying on towards the main road. â€Å"Watch where you're going!† Steve had bumped into an elderly man. The citizens of Steve's town had seen anything. During his life the man had become cold and harsh, and was extremely opinionated. Instead of bending down to check if Steve, now lying on the floor in a foetal position, was breathing or conscious, the man spat on him. â€Å"Damn druggies†¦ You should all go to hell, you know that?† He carried on muttering to himself as he sauntered down the road. Tim was also muttering under his breath. He couldn't believe he had left Steve on his own. He was so irresponsible. It was entirely his fault. â€Å"Steve!† He called into the dark, turning down streets he didn't know in the hope of finding his friend. â€Å"Steven!† He didn't know where he was. He had no clue where to find Steve. He had to keep searching. After a problem-free labour, Katie Winters had given birth to a healthy baby boy. â€Å"Can you send my fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ through, please?† It felt as though he had searched down every street in the city. Panting, Tim leant against a car to try and catch his breath. It was then he saw him. â€Å"STEVEN!† He called, running towards the shadowy figure that was crouching on the other side of the road. â€Å"Steven! You idiot! Katie's fine! She was going in to labour when I left!† Steve struggled to his feet. He could just make out what Tim was saying. He broke from his stupor and began to amble across the road towards his friend. He reached halfway before there was a flash of white light. A speeding car had just turned down the quiet street. Steve turned towards it and froze. There was a screech of brakes and then nothing. He was thrown into the air and rolled off the bonnet of the car, which sped away as quickly as it had come. Tim rushed to the middle of the road and knelt by his Steven's side. â€Å"Somebody called an ambulance!† He screamed, though he couldn't hear himself. Steve reached out for Tim's gloved hand and squeezed it. The faint call of ambulance sirens rang out through the night. Steven looked up at Tim, smiled, and fell back to the ground.

Comparative Commentary Essay

For most of the people, bears are cute and look somehow friendly. Even though we know, that those animals can be very dangerous, the bears are often underestimated. Not only because we cannot find them in our near environment, and therefore don’t know which impact they have, but also because we grow up watching series like Winnie the Poo (1977) or Brother Bear (2003), where bears have the hero and victim roles. Both these texts are based on the relation between the bear and man. The first is a newspaper article, concerned with the bear’s extinction. The second text is an extract from a nineteenth-century novel, elevating the status of the bear and forgiving its misdemeanors. The theme of the first text is the survival of the bear. It explains how urgent it is to do something against its possible extinction. The article states the causes of depletion and includes various statistics supporting their arguments. Besides the text is concerned about the bears all over the world and mentions a range of species, including the brown bear and the panda. The second text is more about the invincibility of the bear and its mythic dimensions. It has to do with a conflict which arises when trying to analyze the bear and putting it into the â€Å"right† category. The text notes that there can be a mutual respect between a man and a bear but moreover it notes a representation of the mighty bear: both, realistic view, mentioning the accidents and attacks which happen because of them, but also a romantic side, where the bear is said to be â€Å"unstoppable.† The whole extract is emotional rather than statistical and is about one particular bear. The author makes some close ups, looking at the bears appearance, habits and its personality, which proves once more, that the text is based on personal experience. The author also tries to compare the bear to a human, which makes the reader understand the bear’s situation and lets the bear appear as a victim rather than a perpetrator. Both texts are written in the 3rd person, but this is the only thing they have in common related to its perspectives. The first text is an objective article and shows a degree of partiality. Because some statistics have been used, the article is scientific and could be seen as part of an encyclopedia. The second text is told by an omniscient narrator. It is subjective, because the bears history and thoughts are involved in the narration. The narrator admires the bear despite its attacks and defenses his actions. Also the language differs in both texts a lot. The first text uses mainly not figurative language. It is mainly unbiased, dry and therefore it seems to be reliable. The diction was occasionally loaded or colored, using words like â€Å"carnivores† and â€Å"exterminated†, or expressions like â€Å"The outlook for wild bears is bleak.† The syntax in the article is lively, fast paces and dynamic. The sentences are quite complex to emphasize the tone of emergency. The other text’s language is more dramatic and overstated. Figurative language has been used, like â€Å"†¦with no more effect than so many peas blown through a tube by a child†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Alliterations (â€Å"†¦beginning back before the boy was born†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) emphasize its fame. Using varying diction, like â€Å"loomed and towered,† the huge scale of the bear can be measured. The syntax is also complex to express awe, wonder and incredulity. Both texts speak in favor of the bear and against its potential extinction. The scientific articles aim is a direct way to convince the reader to support them. The author wants to show the readers in which way they might help and which effects it would have. The second text though, is more about an honest experience by someone who admires bears. The narrator’s motive was not to convince someone, but only to tell his story related to a bear.

Critical analysis of the Titanic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Critical analysis of the Titanic - Essay Example Critical analysis of the Titanic The ship was divided based on social classes whereby there was the first, second and third classes. The elite were on the first class section, the middle class people were in second class while the poor or low class people were in the third class section. Even though the ships’ captain had received fore-warning of icebergs along the route on which he was bent on using, he ignored these warnings and soldiered on regardless of the risk involved. The ship hit an iceberg and water started rushing in the ship. This only meant that the ship was going to sink eventually. There were few life boats that would only allow for 1/3rd of the people in the ship to be saved. The priority was thus given to the women and kids. This order was however not completely adhered to because some of the elite men from the first class ad second class defied this order and decided to use the life boats to save their own skin. The issue of class is greatly focused on because as we can see, even the forbidd en love between Rose and Jack was across two classes on the extremes. Rose was from a wealthy family and jack was from a poor family. This explains why Rose was in the first class while Jack won a free 3rd class ticket while playing a game of cards. Roses’ mother was forcing Rose to marry Cal a wealthy man so as to maintain her social status. Rose as a character shows her demand for independence when she plans to take her own life instead of having to put up with her mothers’ demands to marry someone (Cal) she didn’t love for her mothers’ benefit.... Most of the people who belonged to the third class did not understand English and hence they could not understand what to do; they thus failed to escape hence most lost their lives as they drowned along with the ship. In addition there is also the issue of culture where we see the people in the first class have a different culture with those of the third class. Those in the first class live in their own structured and strict world while those in the third class are care free they just live their life. There were many members of the wealthy American families on the titanic and following this most members of the Americans were all lost in the sea. Sir Cosine Gordon together with his followers/ staff all survived having escaped using life boats to save their lives (Eaton 30). This was against the order that stated that women and men were to be given first priority. Wealth not only brought privileges but also responsibility; a way of conduct. There was the sense of duty as men were expec ted to give a higher priority to women and children. They were to sacrifice their own lives for the sake of others. This conduct is naturally expected of a gentleman. The life boats were not enough to save all the peoples’ lives which was very tragic. The life boats were few because the owners wanted a bigger space for the first class walkway decks hence made the life boats removed to create more space. This was selfish and inhuman as that action sacrificed the safety of all passengers just for the comfort of a fortunate few. Based on the statics of the survivals, very few people from the third class section of the ship survived which brought about the question of the people from the upper class and their right to life of to survive. Various reproaches are

Perspectives on Special Education Needs and Disabilities Essay

Perspectives on Special Education Needs and Disabilities - Essay Example ith students with learning disabilities has also indicated that a recognition of and capitalization on their specific strengths of mind fosters their development, whereas a focus on their specific weaknesses compromises their development. This would be a good guiding principle when dealing with children with all kinds of disabilities. In doing so, their self-esteem is built up and they are empowered to push themselves towards their optimal potentials. Studies such as Levine’s among others have encouraged the provision of education of children with disabilities in order to optimize their potentials. The Salamanca Statement has been influential in that all children have the right to receive an education regardless of their culture and social background (UNESCO, 2005). Concern for children with disabilities has already spread in the UK from the 1970’s thanks to some advocates such as Mary Warnock who raised the issues on helping children with SEN. The Warnock Report in the year 1978 was developed to appraise the provision for children with psychological as well as physical disabilities. The report had sponsored various ranges of abilities, from low-functioning to high functioning, of special needs for children. The report laid the foundations for the issuance of statements of special education need in the UK. Warnock’s committee found that 20% of children in schools have SEN but 2% of this group may need more elaborate services that are not offered by the mainstream school system. Hence, they need to be diagnosed, issued a statement that they are entitled to special needs provision (Douglas Silas Solicitors, 2010). The Warnock Report paved the way for the â€Å"Education Act† which was imposed in the year 1983. This act presented different methods to the description... This paper stresses that in terms of gaining academic skills, one intervention is class-wide peer tutoring. Students are paired, provided the curriculum materials and take turns tutoring each other. To further reinforce the effectiveness of peer tutoring, points may be earned for correct answers, successful error correction and correct procedures. Another strategy is instructional modification wherein the student’s tasks are modified into shorter ones so he can easily complete them because they are more manageable and not overwhelming for his challenged attention span. Finally, computer-assisted instruction, a popular intervention among students today, makes use of computer-based software programs designed to supplement the teacher’s instruction while providing additional academic material. All these interventions have been found to decrease inattentiveness of students with ADHD as well as help them complete their tasks with more accuracy. It has also been found to decr ease hyperactivity, disruptive behavior and increase their compliance to directions. This report makes a conclusion that children with special education needs and disabilities are fortunate to live in an age where their conditions are better understood so there is more likelihood that they will be helped. It is heartening that people from various disciplines as well as the government are concerned enough to reach out to children like them so he can still maximize his potentials, no matter how limited they may be.

DATA ANALYSIS FOR TOURISM, SPORT AND THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES Essay

DATA ANALYSIS FOR TOURISM, SPORT AND THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES - Essay Example Q.2: All three measures of central tendency can be used in this case since the frequency distribution is symmetrical. The arithmetic mean is the most appropriate statistic measure since it readily gives the average number of trips an adult in the UK makes. Also, since there are no values that makes the distribution skewed, the arithmetic mean would not be biased in its representation. The value of the arithmetic mean is 1.83 meaning that based on the survey, an adult makes an average of 1.83 trips in the UK. Although not as appropriate, the median and the mode can also be used in this case. Their values are both 2. This gives the reader an idea that most adults usually makes 2 trips in the UK. Q.3: The mode is the appropriate measure of central tendency for determining which among the 4 destinations is most frequently visited by the respondents since the data gathered here is nominal. In a quick glance, England is the most preferred travel destination since its frequency (21) is higher than the others. Q.6: The situation in question 6 can be viewed in two ways. First, if the data is considered ordinal due to the ambiguity of the first (less than  £30) and last ( £70 or more) categories, the mode and median are the only useful measures of central tendency. The mode is thus  £50- £59.99 since it has a frequency of 10 while the median is a value between  £40- £49.99 and  £50- £59.99. On the otherhand, if the data is considered as grouped frequency distributions or an interval data type wherein the first and last categories are given fixed numerical endpoints i.e.  £20- £29.99 and  £70- £79.99, then the arithmetic mean can be computed. In this case the arithmetic mean was determined as  £51.78. Q.7: Again, the median and mode are appropriate in this case since the data given is ordinal. Using both measures, it can be seen that most people found their travels to

Medical microbiology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Medical microbiology - Assignment Example (ii) The most commonly used stain for the gastric biopsy for the detection of H. pylori is the modified giemsa stain. Sections of the biopsy in a patient with gastritis would show epithelial damage and a generalized decrease in the thickness of the mucus layer. Eroded areas of the stomach lining would also show the presence of white blood cells such as lymphocytes and neutrophils. A haematoxylin and eosin stain of a person with chronic gastritis would show polymorphonuclear leucocytes intruding into the lining of the mucus gland. Helicobacter pylori resides deep into the lining of the stomach wall, and as the polymorphonuclear cell cannot easily reach the site of infection, they release superoxide radicals which damages the stomach lining. A methylene blue stain of the section would stain the H. pylori bacteria blue and would present as small curve shaped, spiral bacteria in the mucus lining. (iii) 13C urea breath test is a very accurate, non-invasive, simple test that can produce results within 20 minutes. Helicobacter pylori produces urease enzyme which forms the basis of 13C urea breath test. The patient is given a non-radioactive 13C urea to drink, which is broken down into ammonia and bicarbonate by the urease enzyme in Helicobacter pylori. Bicarbonate ions dissociate into Carbon dioxide and water in the acidic environment of the stomach. The 13C isotope containing carbondioxide is absorbed into the blood stream and taken to the lungs to be expired. Readings are taken of the expired air and the results are sent to the lab for Mass correlation spectrometry to be performed and levels of 13CO2 are determined, which are synonymous with the presence of Helicobacter pylori. (iv) A triple regimen therapy is advised to the patient, which consists of a proton pump inhibitor (e.g. omeprazole) and two antibiotics (e.g. amoxicillin,

Julie Taymor Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Julie Taymor - Movie Review Example She also moved to Japan where she studied puppetry, Japanese plays and general theatre. Julie has stood up as an iconic figure in the film industry, she is among the first female film directors to have a successive conversion of pieces in theatre to film. She has won many awards due to her immense ability. She directed different classic operas in Japan and in the United States. Notable was the â€Å"Oedipus Rex† which earned her an Emmy award; the lion king which earned a Toni’s award and many others that have earned her a place in history books. She is an all round director working well in theatre, operas and films. Titus Titus originally was a play; that is, Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare. It was adapted and crafted into a movie by the famous and artistic producer; Julie taymor. The movie was released in the year 2000 by Julie. Titus Andronicus is one of the bloodiest and the most gruesome play ever written by Shakespeare. It is a story of betrayal and vengea nce (Berardenelli, 21). In this particular film, it is easy to understand the artistic ability in Julie as she takes to task one of the relatively most unloved plays by Shakespeare and creates it into a huge movie success. There is fusion of times all depicted in the props in use. The costume take us back into the ancient Roman Empire and brings us back to the modern day Italy with an ease that may not be usually simple to depict by most directors. The story which is based on Titus Andronicus who is an aged commander of the Roman Empire’s army return to Rome. He returns after a finished conquering expedition on the Goths. This introductory part has the most artistic directorial ability being manifest; first the idea of casting, Julie here chose to have Anthony Hopkins play the part. Anthony with his powerful voice and steady posture depicts the legendary command in a near perfect way. The role played by his brother Marcus (Colm Feore) was intelligently done as the physical si milarities of the two people is not of great dispute. Titus returns and his brother wants to install him as emperor but he refuses and supports the candidature of one Sartunius who is quickly confirmed and announces that he will get married to his benefactors’ daughter Laviniah. Sartunius’ own brother rejects the claims by Sartunius that he has already been engaged to Laviniah (Titus’ daughter). The emperor chooses another girl and the lucky one being Tamora the Queen of the Goths who had been captured. She schemes’ her way a round to get revenge against Titus who had been responsible for the death of her son. With the help of her lover she causes the death of Bassiunus, allows Laviniah to be raped and mutilated, and further causes the abduction of Titus’ two sons. This revives the violent spirit of Titus. The rage and vengeance creates the subject matter of the film. Julie portrays the reality of the situation without having to make the viewers go through the agony of seeing the violent scenes. She on the contrary indicates the aftermath of the violent scenes perfectly and leaves the rest to imagination without leaving out the nity gritty’s of the script (Holden, 23). Taymor sets pace for the other filmmakers, giving a platform to showcase any script without having to include aspects that may injure the viewer of acts that may not in essence do justice to the piece and their removal does not affect the

Computing Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Computing - Coursework Example An office suite is an application used for editing written documents. Another example is a media player whose function is to play music files. Graphics software also falls under this category and performs the function of image editing. Unicode is an established standard of encoding regulating consistency. It is essential in modem computers to ensure the compatibility of information generated by the computer with others. As opposed to the Unicode, the ASCII supports limited characters. It represents text in computers while the Unicode represents all data encoding. Unicode is only used in computers and ASCII can be used in other devices that use text. John Von Neumann remains one of the notable figures in the development of computer. He is accredited with stochastic computing in 1953, although the system was entirely implemented when advancements in computing were realized. He also developed the Monte Carlo method allowing approximation of problems using random numbers. His simulation algorithm with a biased coin played a crucial role in some number generators in future. Firmware is a common term used to refer to programs that perform certain support functions within a computer. The hard disc, for example, can be said to be firmware for storing information (Evans, 2011). A combination of firmware makes a computer system become functional. The software used in providing updates can also be termed as firmware. There exist a close relationship between firmware and software. In the case of Sunil, information security is an essential aspect of his operations. He needs to secure the information from access by unauthorized persons. This may entail the use of passwords and other encryptions to secure the information contained in the websites. This is essential because he comes under constant threat losing information over the web should someone hack into his system. He needs to have large storage hardware to store

How high street fashion brands are picking up on trends through Dissertation

How high street fashion brands are picking up on trends through advertising and celebrity endorsements - Dissertation Example Fashion has become much more accessible, the process from catwalk to high street taking a maximum of 9 weeks which means that consumers are becoming allot more trend – savvy. With the many styles that are available, one of the core ways in which consumers are making decisions on style is based upon what they see celebrities wearing. Therefore, brand managers have had to adapt. Choosing the right celebrity will greatly affect the success of a fashion product so it is an important decision for a brand, usually based on many qualities, such as appeal, looks, popularity or even just a fantasy figure. In today’s highly competitive fashion marke high street brands such as Topshop and Miss Selfridge are at loggerheads when it comes to products, each having a similar product to that of the rival. It is harder for one brand to gain quintessential advantage; such as advertising, service, promise of trust and even price factors. A key celebrity endorsement will take tip the compet itive edge from one to the other. Advertising seems to be the best platform from which brands compete, which requires hiring the best advertising agencies in order to get the biggest and best celebrities to advertise for brands. The company needs to invest in a good creative agency, a large enough promotional budget and a huge star to endorse the brand to ensure success over the competing brand. Brand communication delivered by celebrities and famous personalities generate a higher appeal, attention and recall within the fashion industry than those executed by non celebrities or models. The attraction to the celebrity creates a quick message that can reach the consumer with an impact that is all too essential in today’s competitive market. Because of the core importance of celebrity endorsement, the different models applied by brands used to achieve the full potential of such endorsements, highlight the need for a convergence between the pragmatic and theoretical approaches o f brand building and effective advertising. The opportunity and importance of a celebrity brand match and the various roles played them as brand associates shows the momentum this strategy has gained over the last few years. Celebrity endorsements offer the opportunity to maintain the contact with potential customers, sometimes without them even being aware of the advertising aim. Advertising concepts such as ‘positioning by association’ ‘diminishing celebrity utility’ and the multiple effecters which show the triangular relationship between the brand, the consumer and the celebrity provide a framework in which to create an understanding of the importance of choosing the right celebrity to endorse a brand in order to add to the mythology of the product. When a brand is created for a company, more than just a method of selling a product is put into place. Brand identity is the emotional context in which a consumer will form a relationship with a product or p roduct name. In fashion, the way in which the product is identified with one celebrity or another can make or break a brand. Juicy Couture did no advertising during the first few years of their emergence onto the fashion scene. However, through the power of celebrity endorsement alone, through getting their track suits on people with highly visibly branding of their own through their celebrity, such as Madonna and Jennifer Lopez, the brand was able to make a powerful mark on the fashion industry (Steele 2010, p. 129). Without large amounts of spending, a fashion entity can get their products onto the right people when they are getting photographed by paparazzi and create a powerful buzz

Vegetarian diets versus eating meat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Vegetarian diets versus eating meat - Essay Example Other than the health perspective of eating vegetables, a close look at the chicken production in factory farms gives us another reason not to eat meat. According to Scott Bronstein(1991) article on poultry inspection of the nations poultry plants, every week, millions of chicken leaking yellow puss, stained feces, contaminated by diseases causing bacteria, with lung, heart, and skin infections are shipped for sale to consumers. Scott continues that, the birds are beheaded and gutted by powerful machines. Contaminations often occur at this point as the high-speed machines rip open the intestines commonly spilling the feces on the meat and body cavities. Such contamination is what we eat the chicken we often purchase. It is high time individuals decide whether it is cheap chicken or their health. I am supporting my opinion on a vegetarian diet. It a non-complicated position or decision. My opinion regarding vegetarianism is that I support for vegetarianism, but also a position on wise r animal agriculture. It is also a stance for the acceptance of a more omnivore diet. The safety of our animals products especially factory meat is questionable. The contamination and inconsistencies in following health protocols and ensuring the food products are of safe is a concern. On the contrary, it is clear that a vegetarian diet may pose less threat to our health compared to factory animal products.Despite the fact that eating vegetable requires no consumption of dairy products, fish, seafood, meat.

Are Universities Cartels Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Are Universities Cartels - Essay Example The entry of universities which are responsive to societal needs has a profound effect on American education market (Dodgson et al 2009). In the oligopoly, learning institutions are driven by profit maximization. The United States market entry and exit barriers are flexible. A telling example is the Stanford’s free online Robotics and artificial intelligence courses. In the previous years, the largest barriers to the education US market entry have been economies of scale and strategic actions by the incumbent universities. Access to complex technology and government regulations in the US education market have relatively small impact on the market forces. The courses have attracted tens of thousands students. This has caused a shift from the traditional approach in education market. Virtual subgroups between lecturers and students have affected the learning costs (Tschang & Della 2001). The market trends have been altered as new ways of meeting the demand become introduced. The se trends have indicated that the market position of the state universities is under severe threat. A telling example is the cooperation between AT & T and university of Phoenix on employee training. The culture of education cartels is losing ground as innovative ways of meeting education demands continue to gain ground (Tschang & Della 2001). ... Perfect competition and oligopoly in the American education market is demand products to be defined. A product is defined as a good or service produced by universities in an education market. Products and units of production affect the demand and supply forces in the education market. The availability of products in the education market is directly correlated to pricing. Defining products and units of output is directly related to pricing. Market forces in the education market are overcoming the significance of collusion theory and competition is rising. Pricing is an important aspect in the education market in the United States. In the study of education market in US, definition of productions and units of output affects competitiveness and brand equity profoundly (Dodgson et al 2009). Cartels within the traditional university systems face direct challenges from virtual universities (Kreps 2004). The education market is increasingly becoming competitive leading to reduced prices in traditional degree programs as new programs take the center stage (Newman et al 2004). Programs and units are packaged in affordable and convenient methods e g the decrease in the cost of traditional courses and demand in virtual courses grows. (Dodgson et al 2009). Careful decisions are focusing on the nature of courses offered and the place of offering them. The universities are getting involved in corporate social responsibility. Technology has overcome geographical barriers through electronic learning (Tschang & Della 2001). The modern US universities are developing other responsive measures of raising revenues and quality of services in an increasingly competitive education market. In conclusion, the American education market is experiencing

Personal Leadership Assessment and Philosophy Project Essay

Personal Leadership Assessment and Philosophy Project - Essay Example The importance that has been given to this area of research is the importance of leadership on employees, performance and overall success of the organizations. There have been a lot of facts and myths associated with the concept of leadership. In the past, leadership was linked by people with the superhuman characteristics bestowed by God to various leaders. This idea was further developed by Weber and named as Charisma by him. The leadership charisma involved the qualities and special characteristics that leaders posses. The leaders having leadership charisma are Charismatics. The concept of Charisma actually directs towards the special power and influence of Charismatics over the followers (Rickards & Clark, p79). In addition to the concept of charisma in leadership, it has been a point of debate if leadership skills are inborn or they can be taught. Researchers have been struggling to find an appropriate answer to this. However, it is not unjust to say that the answer to this ques tion contains an equal portion of both statements. The answer to this question has been given attention for the reason that it may help organizations have effective leaders. Brainpower is the only thing that requires being in a person naturally. Knowledge can be gained, skills can be learnt but intelligence cannot be generated. A person needs to be intelligent and sharp in order to gain knowledge and utilize it. Leadership requires certain traits in a person. These traits include strength of mind, interest to resolve issues, ready to face challenges, power to proceed with plans, will to succeed, determination and passion (Levicki, 2008). Personal Values of my Leadership Leadership qualities, theories and concepts are valuable and useful when it comes to practical life. The leadership skills are not limited to benefit in businesses but are useful in leading all teams including the political, social, cultural and virtual ones. The leadership techniques, qualities and skills are of par amount importance in successfully handling the followers. Religious and political leaders may be taken as a helpful example of how influential leaders are. My personal experiences helped a lot in learning the concept of leadership in a better way. The theory and practice of leadership differ in some ways. However, the theory and literature on leadership helps in understanding and building a better and more influential personality to handle and motivate the followers. To make my opinion more clear and effective I would describe Managerial work and leadership. Since my personal life involves being a financial manager who directly reports to the president of the company I know quite about the concepts of leadership. The step by step development of my career and promotions helped me in understanding which traits are valued and which ones are not. Managerial work is closely linked to leadership. A leader is a person who carry out plans and knows what to do, whereas, a manager is a person who knows how to do things and how would they actually complete a particular task. For instance, a student who is making a plan to carry out a stage performance on some occasion and take the responsibility to select

Ecology - Life Without The Sun Case Analysis Research Paper

Ecology - Life Without The Sun Case Analysis - Research Paper Example Hydrothermal vents facilitate chemical processes that make possible the formation of several valuable mineral deposits and extreme heat down there serves as an alternative resource for electricity production. This new discovery has attracted the attention of humankind to these sites. It is not an unknown phenomenon that activities of humans continue to directly or indirectly affect the environment. Just like the depletion of the Ozone layer through harmful industrial and other activities, disturbance of aquatic life through mining, and decrease of depths of streams due to sediment formation leading to floods; this new development presents another disturbing prospect of being a danger to ecology and environment. The harsh reality that surfaces is that mining these vents for energy sources remains to be highly disruptive to the ecosystems that depend on it. The case study points out that the only source of energy for the species in this dark environment is through the extreme temperatu res produced by the vents. Bruce Marshall uncovers the ugly truth by saying that â€Å"if a vent is capped and the supply of heat and nutrients to the surrounding community is cut off, it will die† (Kraemer, 2009). Moreover, sediment plume and dissolution of heavy metals into the water and food chains will contaminate filter-feeding marine organisms and eventually lead to mortality of these species. Biologists are underlining recent findings for the protection of these species. Biologist Lauren Mullineaux explains one such research by stating that the focus can be put to facilitate the larvae from the vent animals as it can travel very far and assists in establishment of new colonies of life. Other scientific plans that can be adopted to protect the eco-systems is to establish temporary refuge away from the mining sites where the species could be assisted to relocate and to install appropriate artificial substrates so

Business Strategies of PriceWaterhouseCoopers Term Paper

Business Strategies of PriceWaterhouseCoopers - Term Paper Example The researcher states that the main mission of PwC is to support and stimulate excellence in the realm of education with a special emphasis on higher education and also for the preparation for a career in professional services. The principal objective of PwC today, is to establish itself highly in the area of professional services by catering to the related needs of the various market segments. The firm works towards maximizing the overall effectiveness of an organization. PwC assists its network of clients by responding with alacrity to the opportunities by taking upon strategic initiatives that are both forward-looking and also enable the organizations to retain its competitive edge. The key proposition of the company for its clients is â€Å"strategy as execution† which refers to the creation of a pragmatic strategy aimed at execution right from the point of the design of the strategy. This essay discusses how in order to realize this, firm adopts a collaborative approach f iguring out the ‘how’ and ‘what’ relating to strategy execution right from the beginning. The firm addresses various agendas of the CEO or the Board, starting from a health check of the strategy to its deployment. The firm’s network of strategic growth market works towards serving the evolving needs and unique challenges faced by fastest growing companies across the globe. The firm works towards making a difference by adapting its resources, capabilities and experience as per the requirements of the business.

The Settlement Patterns and Living Conditions of Irish Migrants in the Essay

The Settlement Patterns and Living Conditions of Irish Migrants in the United States, And Canada in the Nineteenth Century - Essay Example The Settlement Patterns and Living Conditions of Irish Migrants The Irish people immigrated in planned ways and mostly to specific regions of the New World. Their settling tactics were occupying one side by the ocean or a huge, passable river, which amalgamated the internal area to the ocean. They chose to live near the ocean a relatively limited area because it was a grassland region of the world is within such areas. They wanted a climate that suited the areas they were familiar with and was suitable for the type of agricultural production that they practised. Accessibility to the ocean enabled them to trade their produce with goods that were manufactured in Europe that they used before. This immigration was highly influenced by the Irish potato famine that affects the Irish people. The potatoes dish was a staple meal for the Irish and the lack of it forced many to move to the USA in search of better living. This was during the time when the American dream notion had spread worldwi de. The Irish heard that America was a worry free land and different from the struggles that they were encountering back home. The potato famine of the 1840s led to Irish people struggling to preserve themselves alive thus they had to look for better healthy living conditions, as well as, secure employment. The famine was disastrous in Ireland as the British rulers failed to assist with the food shortage and the condition of grain exportation to pay proprietors their rent become unbearable for most people. This was practically the cause of the Irish immigration during the 1800s. The famine claimed over a million persons fading of starvation while survivors were affected by diseases such as cholera and typhus. This forced them to flee for the USA and Canada as the living conditions were unbearable in Ireland. It is also of necessity to comprehend that the ship the boarded to America was as terrible as the circumstances back home. The coffin ship, as it was known had poor conditions t hat many people lost their lives during the sailing trip to the USA and Canada without achieving their dream of a better life. Additionally those that, safely reached the promised dream settled in new environment that they struggled to adapt to, as they were not used to it as well as struggled to find shelter (Bekerman 123). During the shortage years, almost a million Irish came in the USA. The famine refugees were the initial immense group of deprived migrants to arrive in the U.S. The Irish potato famine started in 1845. The potato plants rotted and turned black because of airborne fungus phytophthora infestans. The fungus is highly toxic, and it infects thousands potato plants from just a single plant that has the fungus. During the 1846 summer, the Irish weather was not favourable to the people. It might be said that it was working against the Irish. The cool, moist summer helped spread the fungus to wider areas affecting more potatoes along the way (McKenna 320). This started t he infamous Irish potato famine in Ireland that caused a difficult life for many people as well as their families. This famine turned Ireland upside down as well as other places in the world due to the immigration from Ireland. After the potatoes were destroyed, the Irish people started living off wild blackberries, nettle and old cabbage leaves as well as edible seaweed and green grass.

Strategy Innovation Essay Example for Free

Strategy Innovation Essay â€Å"Strategy innovation is the capacity to re-conceive the existing industry model in ways that create new value for customers, wrong-foot competitors, and produce new wealth for all stakeholders. † (Hamel, 1998) This quote is used by Schoenberg to highlight the importance he places on strategy innovation, and the main two drivers of strategic innovation he cites: industry factors and firm factors. However, although there is wide ranging agreement with this view, there are also several dissenting voices amongst the academic community, who often view other factors, and drivers, as being more important to the success of a firm. One key area where factors outside the firm and industry have a great impact is in the social and environmental pressures facing business, which many companies have become increasingly aware of over the past decade. Many management scholars and consultants have argued that these new demands offer terrific opportunities for progressive organizations, and innovation is one of the primary means by which companies can achieve sustainable growth. (Johnson et al, 2005) This argument is backed up by the view that companies that ignore these pressures do so at their own peril, but the reality is that managers have had considerable difficulty dealing with sustainable development pressures. In particular, their innovation strategies are often inadequate to accommodate the highly complex and uncertain nature of these new demands across the economy and social spectrum as a whole, partly due to an excessive focus on the firm or industry (Hall and Vredenburg, 2003) Indeed, a strategy that integrates the goals of innovation and sustainable development is needed to ensure sustainable competitive advantage, rather than conventional, market-driven innovations approaches. Sustainable development innovation (SDI) (Hall and Vredenburg, 2003) is in fact driven by science that has yet to be accepted fully by the scientific, political and managerial communities, and the industry sector Amid such uncertainty, sustainable development innovation is often difficult and risky, however when faced with increasing pressure to consider sustainable development, many organizations have revised their business models and innovation strategies, and these changes are often highlighted in corporate sustainability reports and Web pages. Hall and Vredenburg, 2003) Hart el al (2003) looked at the most fundamental part of the strategy innovation process: new product development (NPD). They looked at criteria such product uniqueness, market potential, market chance, technical feasibility, and intuition, and found that these decreased as the NPD process unfolded. Overall they found that the success rate of NPD usage could be modelled by a model which held true across firms of different sizes, holding different market share positions, with different NPD drivers, following different innovation strategies, and developing different types of new products. Hart et al, 2003) This is yet another indication that there must be other factors at work besides the basic industry and firm drivers. Another viewpoint on the subject of innovation is that the very essence of a company is its values and priorities: what it considers important, and where its investments are made? Thus, a host of values and priorities, and combinations thereof, underlie business strategies. (Grant, 2005) Some firms have a cost-driven culture that supports a value position in the market place, whilst othe rs place priority on delivering a prestige customer experience. Aaker (2004) claims that innovation, quality, and customer concern are the three values and priorities worth highlighting because they are so frequently seen as drivers of corporate brands, however, the question must always be: has the firm provided customer benefits by being innovative? A reputation for innovation enhances credibility, however, it is not easy achieving an innovative reputation, and firms are often better advised to focus on providing quality and value. Aaker, 2004) Schoenberg’s arguments are also heavily based on the concepts of strategic positioning (Porter, 1980) and the resource based view (Barney, 1996), although he does not make overt references to these theories. However, the influence of previous strategy writers is clear throughout his piece: â€Å"value gap analysis is equally relevant to the Who question of strategy and to market positionings based on differentiation. (Schoenberg, 2003) helps to place his work in context with that of Porter’s (1980) Also, â€Å"The implication for those that seek innovative strategies is: does the proposed form of strategy innovation fit with your core competences? † shows that he is developing Barney’s resource based core competencies, within the context of innovation strategies, in order to ensure that his concepts remain relevant to organisations. Indeed, Schoenberg clearly states in his conclusion that he believes strategy innovation does not â€Å"represent a radical departure from onventional approaches to strategy formulation† (Schoenberg, 2003) and that it is merely a method for combining the two main strategy theories, which have often previously been viewed as being contradictory. Indeed, Johnston Jr. and Bate (2003) outline five phases to help firms innovate: staging, aligning, exploring, creating, mapping, however they warn that it is important to make sure that managers build into their organizations the capability to continuously innovate so that they become more resilient, and better prepared for future changes. Finally, to be truly considered strategy innovations, new products and initiatives that alter a firms business model must first turn a consistent profit, a fundamental necessity of both Porter’s (1980) and Barney’s (1996) models. Strategy innovation has always been about solving problems for customers in ways that they, not the sponsoring company, perceive to be superior or unique from their present way of addressing those problems. Strategy innovation can be incremental, involving minor changes to the firms business model, resources and capabilities. Or it can be a radical departure, as when a firm decides to make a positioning shift, and market its existing products and services to new customer groups. (Johnson et al, 2005) In conclusion, strategy innovations can occur in any part of an organisation: customer service, marketing, advertising, selling, production or distribution. However, whatever their source, successful strategy innovations have one thing in common: They result from discovering new ways to create value for customers, as measured by bottom-line results to the sponsoring company. Tucker, 2001) New innovations present themselves when companies and their leaders imagine opportunities to do more with their products and services than they have in the past, whether through acquiring or reallocating resources, or altering competitive positioning. Strategy innovation may be spurred by a desire to grow, but this desire should never be allowed to overshadow what the proposed new way of doing business will do for the customers, either existing or future, and the firm as a whole.

Work ethic Essay Example for Free

Work ethic Essay I would really like you to tell them that although I am goal oriented, I am by no means one-dimensional. Challenging myself academically is not a chore but rather a process culminating in self-esteem and satisfaction. I have done everything to keep a wide array of options open and am looking forward to a traditional college experience including strong school spirit, a Greek system, a strength in science and the opportunity to connect socially with other active, interesting students. I am armed with a fierce independence, well-grounded sense of self, a strong work ethic, drive to succeed, and disarming personality. I am looking forward to college with enthusiasm. The above-mentioned qualities along with my zest for all life has to offer translate into success in college and beyond. penis penis penis penis I would really like you to tell them that although I am goal oriented, I am by no means one-dimensional. Challenging myself academically is not a chore but rather a process culminating in self-esteem and satisfaction. I have done everything to keep a wide array of options open and am looking forward to a traditional college experience including strong school spirit, a Greek system, a strength in science and the opportunity to connect socially with other active, interesting students. I am armed with a fierce independence, well-grounded sense of self, a strong work ethic, drive to succeed, and disarming personality. I am looking forward to college with enthusiasm. The above-mentioned qualities along with my zest for all life has to offer translate into success in college and beyond. I would really like you to tell them that although I am goal oriented, I am by no means one-dimensional. Challenging myself academically is not a chore but rather a process culminating in self-esteem and satisfaction. I have done everything to keep a wide array of options open and am looking forward to a traditional college experience including strong school spirit, a Greek system, a strength in science and the opportunity to connect socially with other active, interesting students. I am armed with a fierce independence, well-grounded sense of self, a strong work ethic, drive to succeed, and disarming personality. I am looking forward to college with enthusiasm. The above-mentioned qualities along with my zest for all life has to offer translate into success in college and beyond. I would really like you to tell them that although I am goal oriented, I am by no means one-dimensional. Challenging myself academically is not a chore but rather a process culminating in self-esteem and satisfaction. I have done everything to keep a wide array of options open and am looking forward to a traditional college experience including strong school spirit, a Greek system, a strength in science and the opportunity to connect socially with other active, interesting students. I am armed with a fierce independence, well-grounded sense of self, a strong work ethic, drive to succeed, and disarming personality. I am looking forward to college with enthusiasm. The above-mentioned qualities along with my zest for all life has to offer translate into success in college and beyond. I would really like you to tell them that although I am goal oriented, I am by no means one-dimensional. Challenging myself academically is not a chore but rather a process culminating in self-esteem and satisfaction. I have done everything to keep a wide array of options open and am looking forward to a traditional college experience including strong school spirit, a Greek system, a strength in science and the opportunity to connect socially with other active, interesting students. I am armed with a fierce independence, well-grounded sense of self, a strong work ethic, drive to succeed, and disarming personality. I am looking forward to college with enthusiasm. The above-mentioned qualities along with my zest for all life has to offer translate into success in college and beyond. I would really like you to tell them that although I am goal oriented, I am by no means one-dimensional. Challenging myself academically is not a chore but rather a process culminating in self-esteem and satisfaction. I have done everything to keep a wide array of options open and am looking forward to a traditional college experience including strong school spirit, a Greek system, a strength in science and the opportunity to connect socially with other active, interesting students. I am armed with a fierce independence, well-grounded sense of self, a strong work ethic, drive to succeed, and disarming personality. I am looking forward to college with enthusiasm. The above-mentioned qualities along with my zest for all life has to offer translate into success in college and beyond. I would really like you to tell them that although I am goal oriented, I am by no means one-dimensional. Challenging myself academically is not a chore but rather a process culminating in self-esteem and satisfaction. I have done everything to keep a wide array of options open and am looking forward to a traditional college experience including strong school spirit, a Greek system, a strength in science and the opportunity to connect socially with other active, interesting students. I am armed with a fierce independence, well-grounded sense of self, a strong work ethic, drive to succeed, and disarming personality. I am looking forward to college with enthusiasm. The above-mentioned qualities along with my zest for all life has to offer translate into success in college and beyond. I would really like you to tell them that although I am goal oriented, I am by no means one-dimensional. Challenging myself academically is not a chore but rather a process culminating in self-esteem and satisfaction. I have done everything to keep a wide array of options open and am looking forward to a traditional college experience including strong school spirit, a Greek system, a strength in science and the opportunity to connect socially with other active, interesting students. I am armed with a fierce independence, well-grounded sense of self, a strong work ethic, drive to succeed, and disarming personality. I am looking forward to college with enthusiasm. The above-mentioned qualities along with my zest for all life has to offer translate into success in college and beyond. I would really like you to tell them that although I am goal oriented, I am by no means one-dimensional. Challenging myself academically is not a chore but rather a process culminating in self-esteem and satisfaction. I have done everything to keep a wide array of options open and am looking forward to a traditional college experience including strong school spirit, a Greek system, a strength in science and the opportunity to connect socially with other active, interesting students. I am armed with a fierce independence, well-grounded sense of self, a strong work ethic, drive to succeed, and disarming personality. I am looking forward to college with enthusiasm. The above-mentioned qualities along with my zest for all life has to offer translate into success in college and beyond. I would really like you to tell them that although I am goal oriented, I am by no means one-dimensional. Challenging myself academically is not a chore but rather a process culminating in self-esteem and satisfaction. I have done everything to keep a wide array of options open and am looking forward to a traditional college experience including strong school spirit, a Greek system, a strength in science and the opportunity to connect socially with other active, interesting students. I am armed with a fierce independence, well-grounded sense of self, a strong work ethic, drive to succeed, and disarming personality. I am looking forward to college with enthusiasm. The above-mentioned qualities along with my zest for all life has to offer translate into success in college and beyond. I would really like you to tell them that although I am goal oriented, I am by no means one-dimensional. Challenging myself academically is not a chore but rather a process culminating in self-esteem and satisfaction. I have done everything to keep a wide array of options open and am looking forward to a traditional college experience including strong school spirit, a Greek system, a strength in science and the opportunity to connect socially with other active, interesting students. I am armed with a fierce independence, well-grounded sense of self, a strong work ethic, drive to succeed, and disarming personality. I am looking forward to college with enthusiasm. The above-mentioned qualities along with my zest for all life has to offer translate into success in college and beyond.