Environmental policies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Environmental policies - Research Paper Example On the other hand, the rule of Mao was succeeded by a period of first even more massive suffering but also later the unprecedented turnaround in the economy with a formerly agricultural and inward-looking country economy reversing its trajectory and coming to grow into four times what it was during the time of Mao to what it ended up becoming by the turn of the new millennium. Living standards skyrocketed, and China's economic boom resulted in the creation of a large middle class who consumed products that were in line with the rapidly rising incomes of the new rich: cars and the other symbols of wealth. This in turn has led to problems with the environment, as the economic growth spurred the consumption of oil and coal to power industries that manufactured goods for the rest of the world and to power domestic consumption as well. Other manufacturing-related processes also bred other forms of toxins to the environment as well as razed some vital ecologies into the ground in the name of progress and consumption as well. A telling set of statistics on the role that China plays in the global ecology versus economic equation is that it leads the world both in the production and consumption of energy, and that out of its total energy requirements,two-thirds are supplied by fossil fuels, with a substantial portion likewise supplied by nuclear power plants. These two power sources have implications for the state of the world ecology and for the sustainability of energy generation policies relative to the environment (Central Intelligence Agency). Taking a step back, the prominent role of China in the world economy and in the way their activities impact the environment have not gone unnoticed and have attracted the intense scrutiny of those who are natural stakeholders in the state of the world ecology and the environment, and that this intense scrutiny has provided a growing body of literature on the environmental policies of China. From the state of the nation's soil s and water supplies, to the examination of how China's environmental policies have attracted investments in their laxness, to aspects of policy relating to the environment versus the rise of cities, it is clear from the academic research that the concern over the environment in China is intense and far-reaching (Wei and Yang; Dean, Lovely and Wang; Vennemo et al.. Hubacek et al.). The consensus, even inside China and among China's ruling elite, is that current environmental policies and economic activities are harming China's future and are jeopardizing prospects for a sustainable future for the country, with the state of the environment characterized by rising levels of pollution that have implications for larger realities like climate change and the very viability of the way of life of the Chinese, and the long-term health prospects of its citizens (Volcovici, Grumbine; Friedman; Phillips; Duggan; Biello; The Economist Newspaper Limited; TV Novosti). II. Environmental Policies in

Native Son by Richard Wright Essay Example for Free

Native Son by Richard Wright Essay Richard Wright was determined to make a profound statement. In his novel, Native Son, he endeavors to present the â€Å"horror of Negro life in the United States† (Wright xxxiii). By addressing such a significant topic, he sought to write a book that â€Å"no one would weep over; that would be so hard and deep that they would have to face it without the consolation of tears† (xxvii). Native Son is a commentary on the poverty and helplessness experienced by blacks in America, and it illustrates the abhorrent ways that blacks were treated, describes their awful living conditions and calls attention to the half-hearted efforts offered by white sympathizers. Told from the perspective of his character Bigger Thomas, Wright crafts a story depicting the oppressive lives endured by Negroes and makes it so despicable that it grabs the attention of the reader and forces him to reevaluate the state of society. There is much in this novel that would cause a reader to cry, but, to Wright’s point, the topic is so significant that it resonates more deeply and elicits a deeper response. Bigger Thomas is the protagonist of the novel, but, to Wright, Bigger also exemplifies African Americans of the time. He is barely educated, struggling to find meaningful work and living in an overcrowded slum with his family; just like many others around him. Bigger is frustrated with his place in life and finds it difficult to understand why the opportunities that are available to whites are not available to him. During an exchange with his friend Gus, Bigger exclaims, â€Å"Goddammit, look! We live here and they live there. We black and they white. They got things and we ain’t. They do things and we can’t. It’s like living in jail† (23). Bigger and Gus have no outlet to express their individuality or emotions. Their feelings towards whites are ingrained in them. Bigger states, â€Å"[Whites live] right down here in my stomach†¦Every time I think of ‘em, I feel ‘em†¦It’s like fire†¦That’s when I feel like something awful’s going to happen to me†¦Naw; it ain’t like something going to happen to me. It’s†¦It’s like I was going to do something I can’t help† (24). This statement summarizes how the everyday black man feels about his station in life and the opportunities available to him. Additionally, it foreshadows the heinous events that will unfold later in the novel. A turning point in Wright’s story comes when Bigger is offered a job as a chauffeur for the Dalton family. Mr. Dalton is a white real estate mogul that prides himself for being a member of the NAACP. He employs young black men in an attempt to rehabilitate them. On the surface, this is an ideal opportunity for Bigger because it provides room and board and pays well enough to allow him to take care of his mother and siblings, but Wright is looking to emphasize how the trivial the actions taken by the white sympathizers do not actually address the challenges faced by the African American population. Bigger is not overwhelmed by this opportunity or impressed that the last chauffeur had gone to night school. Moreover, this job ultimately places Bigger in a situation that he cannot control, and he accidentally smothers Dalton’s daughter, Mary. Bigger realizes, â€Å"Though he had killed by accident, not once did he feel the need to tell himself that it had been an accident. He was black and he had been alone in a room where a white girl had been killed; therefore he had killed her† (101). This is the â€Å"awful† event that Bigger alluded to earlier in the story. Killing Mary elicits feelings in Bigger that he had never experienced before. Bigger acknowledges, â€Å"He was more alive than he could ever remember having been; his mind and attention were pointed, focused toward a goal† (141). Bigger embraced these feelings and continued with a scheme to make everyone believe that Mary had been kidnapped. With the assistance of his girlfriend Bessie, he plans to escape with $10,000 in ransom money. Wright uses Bigger’s emotions and his heightened sense of awareness at this point in the novel to comment on society at the time. Wright is stating that the act of murder is one of the only ways for young African American men to express themselves, to exert any independence and to get out from under the oppression of their daily life. When the authorities realize that Bigger is the killer he flees to avoid being captured, but he realizes that â€Å"all his life he had been knowing that sooner or later something like this would come to him† (207). Survival becomes paramount to Bigger, escaping the law is his only priority, and Bessie becomes a liability. While attempting to hide from the police, Bigger realizes that it will be easier to escape without traveling with Bessie. In a tense scene, Bigger first rapes Bessie, lets her fall to sleep and finally bludgeons her. His actions are methodical as  Ã¢â‚¬Å"he lifted the brick again and again, until in falling it struck a sodden mass that gave softly but stoutly to each landing blow. Soon he seemed to be striking a wet wad of cotton, of some damp substance whose only life was the jarring of the brick’s impact† (222). Ultimately this second murder is unnecessary, as Bigger is soon apprehended. Bigger is arrested and indicted for the murder of Mary Dalton, and the character that Wright chooses to defend him is a white, Jewish attorney, named Boris Max. In the novel, Max takes the time to talk to Bigger and understand the actions in his life that have influenced him. For the first time in his life, Bigger has someone interested in his thoughts and feelings, which result in Bigger beginning finding hope. Max does his best to motivate Bigger to fight to save his own life. Max pleads, â€Å"Listen Bigger, you’re facing a sea of hate now that’s no different than what you’ve faced all your life. And, because it’s that way, you’ve got to fight. If they can wipe you out, then they can wipe others out too† (320). Throughout this section of the book Bigger undergoes a transformation. By explaining his actions and feelings to Max, he finally emerges from the shell he has created around himself. Max works hard to understand the issues in Bigger’s life that culminated in his actions and the violence he exerted against Mary and Bessie, and he uses this information to form his defense. Although the crimes that Bigger committed were horrific, the reader begins to sympathize with him as he describes more about himself and his feelings to Max as the story comes to a conclusion. Wright’s goal with this novel was to evoke empathy for Bigger and to make a statement regarding the treatment of blacks at the time. Wright uses Max’s closing statement to the judge to summarize all of the points he wants the reader to contemplate. Max combines everything that he learns about Bigger and weaves it together with the plight of the blacks during the time and eloquently argues that Bigger should be sentenced to life in prison, rather than to execution. Max argues, â€Å"This man is different, even though his crime differs from similar crimes only in degree. The complex forces of society have isolated here for us a symbol, a test symbol† (354). Through Max’s monologue, the reader more clearly understands all of the factors that  have contributed to the creation of Bigger and others like him, and he pleads with the judge to understand that there are larger forces in play, other than the specific crime that Bigger committed. Unfortunately, despite Max’s valiant attempts, the â€Å"sentence of the Court is that you, Bigger Thomas, shall die on or before midnight of Friday, March third, in a manner prescribed by the laws of this state† (381). Initially, it would appear that with Bigger’s execution, Wright fails in his attempt to move people to reevaluate the racial injustice of the times, but the conclusion is actually Wright’s acknowledgement that society was not quite ready to change.

Facts and Values in Social Science

Facts and Values in Social Science It is not possible to separate facts from values in social science research. Discuss this statement by using empiricist and interpretative approaches Introduction The most complicated study in the realm of knowledge is the behaviour of human beings. It is always relative and unpredictable, the thought pattern always moulds with respect to time, space and circumstances. The social structure and embedded traditional fabric guides the human behaviour accordingly (Harris, 2001). So if we are into research we ought to consider the valve system as a major variable. The social science research methods are thus incomplete if we ignore the role of values. It is not possible to separate facts from values in social sciences because of the huge impact factor of the social structure over a phenomenon, for instance doing research in Indian society and ignoring the caste structure; would not bear considerable results. To work in Saudi Arabia it is mandatory to study the Arab traditional way of life and the blend with Islamic fundamentals. The empiricist school follows purely scientific tools of research; which is not influenced by social orders or value syst ems (Barton, 1999). On the contrary the interpretative school take in to account the value structures; this school is also known as hermeneutic approach (Barton, 1999). The laws of pure science arent concerned with the traditional ways of life; they are same in all parts of the world. But on the other hand social sciences such as anthropology, sociology, political science, economics, international relations, psychology involves the study of human behaviour that is not value free (Harris, 2001). In these soft sciences the importance and impacts of social life cant be ignored out rightly. This is not because the research work is not rigorous or lacks in objectivity or validity but the subject matter is human attitude and behaviour which includes norms and values. Both these norms and values have different forms and manifestations in every particular society. Historically the study was known as humanities because of the mode of inquiry and approach to the methods of discourse towards t he realm of knowledge (Harris, 2001). Explanation With the development of the subjects of social sciences the need emerged that empiricism must be applied for more effective and problem solving generalizations. The growth patterns in research lead to the development of different variances while following these traditions, the nature of empiricist tradition has been mathematical and value less which is only based on empirical data that is regardless of the fact that there is deviation in human behaviour and circumstances. This deviation may cause disorders in the data which is only reflected through positivist traditions. Therefore, while dealing with human behaviours through this approach it is a far possibility to arrive at a value free theory. Critical theorists have come up the assumptions that there is always a circumstantial reason behind every school of thought, power structure govern the body of knowledge according to its interest needs that cater the policies of powerful in the world where chaos is the only political order ( Harris, 2001). The realist school of thought is the greatest justification of status quo for the powerful nations of the world; the liberal school is thought to be coined for the interests of capitalists and their free trade paradigm. The idea of clash of civilization by Samuel P Huntington caters the foreign policy of US in the later decades of 90s, so as the theory of the End of History by Francis Fukuyama which says that liberal world order is the only solution for the global governance (Ritzger, Smart, 2001). Thus coming to the definitions of the phenomenon of facts and values, online dictionary implies that the fact can be defined as something that actually exists; reality; truth or something known to exist or to have happened. A fact can be known as the truth known by actual experience or observation; something known to be true. On the other hand values can be defined sociologically as the ideals, customs, institutions of a society toward which the people of the group have an affective regard. These values may be positive, as cleanliness, freedom, or education, or negative, as cruelty, crime, or blasphemy. From the above definitions it can be deduced that value is an ideal and fact is the happening or the practical manifestation of the value. Values are intertwined with facts and give meaning with the help of facts (Harris, 2001). With out values facts are meaningless and vice-versa. Answers regarding the simple facts regarding a river or pollution level in the air can be given through scientific research but when it comes to sociological facts values becomes the guiding principles or the driving force for the facts. In social sciences behaviouralism brought a fundamental transformation in the thinking process which took turn after the age of reason and enlightenment in between 1600 (Ritzger, Smart, 2001, p371). It started with the study of the natural world and spread to the study of social sciences or soft sciences. People now believe that most of the natural and social phenomenon is under the jurisdiction of science. Social scientists gather data through specialized techniques. These techniques include participant observation, key informants, focus group discussion and sampling. The empirical data includes the evidence which people have felt through their sensory perception. This thing creates confusion among researchers as they cannot employ their senses directly to observe things like intelligence, opinions, attitudes, feelings, emotions, power and authority (Ritzger, Smart, 2001, p371). This thing also creates confusion in the research world and gives birth to debate that it is not possible to separate facts from the values. For instance, the difference between the cure, prevention and ones attitude towards disease is called cancer. In other example the approach would be different while a researcher would measure the attitude towards economic systems applied in different societies. The German sociologist Weber is the creator for freedom from value decision in the social sciences, an ideal he referred as Werturteilsfreiheit (value-freedom). He says that there is a rational distance; its not a matter of quantity, separating the causal premise and empirical generalizations of science from value judgments. It is more of moral, political, and aesthetic first choice. Social scientists keep the two sides, fact and value. Thus it can be argued from the Weber, that this separation is not observed by anyone. Weber seized that values affect the way in which research is done in the social sciences and that the values are also affected by the research results. Facts can be brought to bear on values, affecting ones holding of them. On the research side of the human disciplines, evaluations enter into the subject matter. Using understanding explanation that is, the subjects evaluations seen in relation to the conditions of his or her action, the researcher can hope to sort out the decisive motives of the actor studied. In research, the scrutiny of values permits a discussion between investigators that can clarify the points of view each brings to bear. Values serve the science by an empirical treatment. Values ultimately come into view, in practical situations the implications of values are judged in particular terms. In addition new values can be revealed and their factual consequences can be judged (Weber, 1949). Value is not determined by any fact for instance and is necessarily free (Weber, 1949). It is free because it is a value (Weber, 1949). And it is because there are a lot of values and they are at odds, and according to Weber these are warring gods in the modern world. Humans are cultural beings and are caught in the chains of the culture, values, norms and traditions. Both the researcher and the respondent cannot get rid of the cultural implications. Taking the culture as the object social scientists must recognize the prerequisite for a cultural science is as cultural beings, humans take up behaviour to the world and give it meaning and significance. Values permit this. Core cultural values in cultural science change with culture over time (Weber, 1949). Webers idea of value-freedom is of extreme importance that research cannot be conducted in space. Hence the cultural values are enveloped in the cultural facts. Values and facts are interrelated and interdependent. No value in culture is out of context of facts (Weber, 1949). Infact cultural facts give meaning to values and norms. Thus it cannot be separated from the cultural context. Thus this idea gives that Weber is positivist and facts be studied for scientific purposes and only science cannot save the human beings only. The empirical researcher asks for the objectivity in the research keeping in view the apolitical environment (May, 1993). However the interpretative research looks for the reflection of personal point of view. It infact does not ask for the value freeness, rather it sees the values and meanings fused together (May, 1993). The empiricist approach tends to say that all the social research is based on the empirical data and evidence. All the knowledge is empirical in nature and intensity. Social research is based on rationale and empirical observations. Social research involves the contact between thoughts and evidence. Ideas help social researchers to give sense to the evidence and the researcher use this evidence to support ideas. Research has attempts to influence the real world. No laws in social science are parallel to the laws in the natural science; whereas law is a universal generalization about a fact and fact is an observed phenomenon and it means it has been seen, heard or otherwise experienced by researcher (Barton, 1999, p232). Thus the researcher holds a relationship with the society directly. Empirical school is all about data collected through sensory perception and all that. This term was used for certain ancient Greek practitioners of medicine who rejected following to the basic principles, preferring to rely on personal experience and observation. Building further, empiricism became a theory which refers that knowledge arises from experience and evidence gathered using senses (Barton, 1999, p232). Scientifically, the term refers to the gathering of data using only evidence that is observable by the senses or in some cases using calibrated scientific instruments. The investigator tries to descr ibe the interaction between the human senses and the unit being observed. The researcher is expected to adjust tools by applying it to known standard objects and documenting the results before applying it to unknown objects. Thus in short it can be analyzed in empirical school that the facts and values are part and parcel of any culture and society (Couvalis, 1997, p40). Facts give meanings with the help of values and values through facts. Both are pre requisites of each other. When the word scientific comes in vogue than it means that only scientific and systematic methods of inquiry are applied to understand and investigate the social phenomenon that includes interaction among more than two individuals. The values and norms are the guiding principles of this interaction. Values are a set of ethics or standards of behaviour and are held in high esteem and sough-after by a particular society in which a person lives (Couvalis, 1997, p45). Without values, life is confusion, signifying nothing. It is the pre-requisite to be human. Everything in this world is relative, truth is not truth but it is being made truth, constructed as a truth, thus perceived to be truth, so it is the perception which makes our impression which we except as a truth and the only truth in this time frame is that only the creature is absolute. So facts are actually truths about social world driven under the umbrella of values. Relatively speaking neither Earnest Najel is wrong nor Longino or Karl Marx. But every phenomenon has some critique, which is valid to considerable extent. For this reason not totally disagreeing with any one I would just highlight some angles upon which light could be thrown. It is not against the use of scientific method to apply to social research, no doubt science has developed a lot it has revolutionized our lives and mechanized as well, here the stress is at, mechanized our lives, when it comes to human thoughts the development means a lot but as man is social animal so his social world tends to be developed the world around him and the world in which he lives. For this reason objectivity of using scientific methods in social fields is sought. But prior to check whether there is any similarities between natural science and social phenomenon, for using them simultaneously they must be identical in subject matter, in terms of application and generalisation. Are the patterns to the theories similar in these respects? Social science is based on rules while natural science is based on laws. Social theory need to be reduced to natural theory. Replicating a social phenomenon for the sake of experimental study might be possible in some cases but not in all cases, thus behavioural, cultural, and the normative order could make difference. Anatol Francis said that the difference between animal and human being is like literature and lying. Scientific approach has been very rigid as far as the conclusion are concerned either right or wrong while on the other side it not the same case. Social scientific thesis is not compatible and universal, that is not applicable every where and could not be tested or verified universally as values very society to society and same as the facts. Science approach cannot give you perceptions. It can tell a person what s/he can do, not what s/he should do. Put another way, treating the ideas as a coherent system of thought, science can point out to an actor what is possible within his or her value system, and what would be contradictory to that value system. Social constructivists urge that understanding the production of scientific knowledge required looking at all the factors causally relevant to the acceptance of a scientific idea, not just at those the researcher thinks should be relevant. Science is thought to be the knowledge of elites. Authoritative explanation of knowledge makes difference, while tradition also plays its part in your knowledge system. Problems of social policy are not based on purely technical considerations of specific ends, but involve disputes about the normative standards of value which lie in the domain of general cultural values. This conflict over general cultural values does not occur solely between class interests but between general views on life and the universe as well. The non-scientific world information is accepted on trust, so in science, knowledge grows by depending on the testimony of others. What are the implications of accepting this fact for our conceptions of the reliability of scientific knowledge? Until recently, apart from a few anomalous figures like Caroline Herschel, Barbara Mcclintock, and Marie Curie, the sciences were a male preserve. Feminists turned to Marxist models of social relations and developed versions of standpoint theory, which holds that the beliefs held by a group reflect the social interests of that group. As a consequence, the scientific theories accepted in a context marked by divisions of power such as gender will reflect the interests of those in power. Alternative theoretical perspectives can be expected from those systematically excluded from power. (Rose 1983; Haraway 1978). Objective science must distinguish between value judgments and empirical knowledge, and try to see factual truths. However, value-judgments of the practical interest of the scientist will always be significant in determining the focus of attention of analytical activity. Interpretative social sciences go back to the German sociologist Max Weber and another German philosopher Wilhem Diltey. This is related to the word hermeneutics that originated in the nineteenth century. This employs that making the obscure plain. This thing refers that true meanings are rarely simple or obvious on the surface. One absorbs that scanning through the complete text. In this method the researcher uses participant observation and field research method. The interpretative researcher lives for year among the respondents to collect data. This is the organized analysis of the social actions through direct and detailed observation of the people in the natural world. The goal of the social research is to deep down understand the social life and discover how people construct meanings in the natural setting. The basic aim of the interpretative social science research is to discover social reality. Conclusion All the social sciences studies and researches are conducted to find out the meaning and truths behind the values. All the facts give explanations to the prevailing values in short. The purpose of the research is to give scientific explanation to the facts and to dig out the universal laws about human behaviour (Weber, 1949). It is not the motive to separate values from the facts. As I have previously mentioned that both are interlocked. In our society the correlation of values with daily life holds a clichà ©. The above debate can be concluded that values and facts are interlinked and phenomenon and concepts which give meaning while combined (Barton, 1999, p232). All research is empirical in nature and holds roots in the society that is composed of human beings. Research is an ongoing, evolving, moving process. The current knowledge and paradigms are not perfect. The only aim is construct scientific laws about human behaviour and when the word behaviour is used, the term values aut omatically jumps in. facts in any cultural, societal and communal reflection explains the values and norms of that particular society. Social scientists gather and explain data accordingly. Thus it can be concluded that generally established objectivity and subjectivity or simply reality versus values that is applicable to individual cultures only. In their own conclusion, the authors state that it will be the theory of argumentation that will help develop what pure logic could not, the justification of the possibility of a human community in the sphere of action when this justification cannot be based on a reality of objective truth. (Bizzel and Herzberg, 2001, p. 1377) Bibliography Barton, E. (1999). Review of Strategies for Empirical Research in Writing. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 13, 2, p. 232. Bizzel, P. and Herzberg, B. (Eds.) (2001). The Rhetorical Tradition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins. Caws, Peter (1972). An Immense Density of Systematicities. The Archeology of Knowledge. By Michel Foucault. Translated by A. M. Sheridan Smith. http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/comm/steen/cogweb/Abstracts/Foucault.html (retrieved 11/23/08) Chalmers, A (1999). What is this thing called Science? Open University Press. p19-26, 27-58. Couvalis, G. (1997). The philosophy of Science. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. p36-61. Harris, M. (2001). The Rise of Anthropological Theory. AltaMira Press. Kuhn, T. (1962). The structure of Scientific Revolutions. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Ladyman, J. (2002).Understanding the Philosophy of Science. New York: Routledge. p93-123. MacNealy, M.S. (1999). Overview of Empirical Methodology. In Strategies for Empirical Research in Writing. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. May, T. (1993). Social Research: Issues, Methods and Process, Buckhingham: Open University Press. p27-41. Neuman, W Lawrence, Social Research Methods, Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches , University of Wisconsin at Whitewater. Ritzger, G Smart, B. (2001). Handbook of Social Theory. London: SAGE. p371-385. Weber, Max. 1949. Max Weber on the Methodology of the Social Sciences. Trans. and eds. Edward A. Shils and Henry A. Finch. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.

Essay on Adas Metamorphosis to Independent Woman in Cold Mountain

Ada's Metamorphosis to Independent Woman in Cold Mountain As Ada arrives at Black Cove, she and her father are completely unprepared for a life of independence. The ride there becomes the first of their problems. A new horse and cabriolet were purchased for the trip, but that was their first mistake. "The rain fell aslant, coming at their faces so that the top of the carriage did little good in sheltering them from it" (55). Monroe, Ada's father, had no idea on how to get to Cold Mountain, and "At each fork, Monroe simply guessed at the route they ought to take" (55). Ada's life in Charleston was one of aristocracy. She enjoyed balls, parties, and suitors, none of which helped her in any way at Black Cove. Ruby comments that she "could only marvel at the lives so useless that they required missing sleep and paddling about on a river for pleasure" (144). Ruby's arrival helps Ada immensely. Without Ruby's help the garden would never me more than "weeds that Ada could not name and had neither the energy nor the heart to fight" (28). Ruby was constantly planning...

Course: Contract and Liquid Chemical Co.

The Cost Analysis for Decision Making project is intended to be a comprehensive evaluation of the key objectives covered throughout this course. It will challenge you to apply your knowledge of cost information when evaluating the decision to make or buy a product. Please use this outline and grading rubric as a guide to completing your course project. It provides specific details of the required elements of the project, and it will be used by your instructor as a grading guide. Read Integrative Case 4-61, â€Å"Make versus Buy,† on pages 151 and 152 of the course text.Assume that you are the general manager (Mr. Walsh) faced with this decision. You have identified the following four alternatives available to Liquid Chemical Co. †¢Alternative A: It is the status quo. (i. e. , Liquid Chemical Co. will continue making the containers and performing maintenance. ) †¢Alternative B: Liquid Chemical Co. will continue making the containers, but it will outsource the maintena nce to Packages, Inc. †¢Alternative C: Liquid Chemical Co. will buy containers from Packages, Inc. , but it will perform the maintenance. Alternative D: It is completely outsourced. Packages, Inc. will make the containers and provide the necessary maintenance. Your project should include the following items: †¢Part (a): Discuss each of the four alternatives outlined above. Identify the relevant costs (including amounts) for each of the four alternatives, and explain why these costs are relevant to the decision. Identify any costs that are not relevant, and explain why they are not relevant. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative? Who benefits and who loses? Part (b): Other than the relevant costs identified in Part (a), what additional information would you use when making your decision? Are there financial factors other than those identified in the case study that you would incorporate into your decision? What nonfinancial information would affect y our decision? †¢Part (c): As the general manager, which alternative would you choose, and why? Support your conclusion with facts and figures, as necessary. The Liquid Chemical Company manufactures and sells a range of high-grade products. Many of these products require careful packaging.The company has a special patented lining made that it uses in specially designed packing containers. The lining uses a special material known as GHL. The firm operates a department that maintains and repairs its packing containers to keep them in good condition and that builds new ones to replace units that are damaged beyond repair. Mr. Walsh, the general manager, has for some time suspected that the firm might save money and get equally good service by buying its containers from an outside source. After careful inquiries, he has approached a firm specializing in container production, Packages, Inc. and asked for a quotation. At the same time, he asked Mr. Dyer, his chief accountant, to let h im have an up-to-date statement of the costs of operating the container department. Within a few days, the quotation from Packages, Inc. , arrived. The firm proposed to supply all the new containers required—at that time, running at the rate of 3,000 per year—for $1,250,000 a year, the contract to run for a guaranteed term of five years and thereafter renewable from year to year. If the number of containers required increased, the contract price would increase proportionally.Packages, Inc. , also proposed to perform all maintenance and repair work on existing packaging containers for a sum of $375,000 a year, on the same contract terms. Mr. Walsh compared these figures with Mr. Dyer’s cost figures, which covered a year’s operations of the container department of the Liquid Chemical Company and appear in Exhibit 4. 13. Walsh concluded that he should immediately close the packing container department and sign the contracts offered by Packages, Inc. He felt an obligation, however, to give the manager of the department, Mr.Duffy, an opportunity to question his decision before acting. Walsh told Duffy that Duffy’s own position was not in jeopardy. Even if Walsh closed his department, another managerial position was becoming vacant to which Duffy could move without any loss of pay or prospects. The manager Duffy would replace also earned $80,000 per year. Moreover, Walsh knew that he was paying $85,000 per year in rent for a warehouse a couple of miles away that was used for other corporate purposes. If he closed Duffy’s department, he’d have all the warehouse space he needed without renting additional space.Duffy gave Walsh a number of considerations to think about before he closed the department: â€Å"For instance,† he said, â€Å"what will you do with the machinery? It cost $1,200,000 four years ago, but you’d be lucky if you’d get $200,000 for it now, even though it’s good for another five years. And then there’s the stock of GHL (a special chemical) we bought a year ago. That cost us $1,000,000, and at the rate we’re using it now, it’ll last another four years. We used up only about one-fifth of it last year. Dyer’s figure of $700,000 for materials includes $200,000 for GHL.But it’ll be tricky stuff to handle if we don’t use it up. We bought it for $5,000 a ton, and you couldn’t buy it today for less than $6,000. But you’d get only $4,000 a ton if you sold it, after you’d covered all the handling expenses. † Walsh also worried about the workers if he closed the department. â€Å"I don’t think we can find room for any of them elsewhere in the firm. However, I believe Packages would take all but Hines and Walters. Hines and Walters have been with us since they left school 40 years ago. I’d feel bound to give them a supplemental pension—$15,000 a year each for five years, sa y.Also, I’d figure a total severance pay of $20,000 for the other employees, paid in a lump sum at the time we sign the contract with Packages. † Duffy showed some relief at this. â€Å"But I still don’t like Dyer’s figures,† he said. â€Å"What about this $225,000 for general administrative overheads? You surely don’t expect to sack anyone in the general office if I’m closed, do you? † Walsh agreed. â€Å"Well, I think we’ve thrashed this out pretty well,† said Walsh, â€Å"but I’ve been turning over in my mind the possibility of perhaps keeping on the maintenance work ourselves. What are your views on that, Duffy? â€Å"I don’t know,† said Duffy, â€Å"but it’s worth looking into. We wouldn’t need any machinery for that, and I could hand the supervision over to the current supervisor who earns $50,000 per year. You’d need only about one-fifth of the workers, but you cou ld keep on the oldest and save the pension costs. You’d still have the $20,000 severance pay, I suppose. You wouldn’t save any space, so I suppose the rent would be the same. I don’t think the other expenses would be more than $65,000 a year. † â€Å"What about materials? † asked Walsh. â€Å"We use 10 percent of the total on maintenance,† Duffy replied. Well, I’ve told Packages that I’d give them my decision within a week,† said Walsh. â€Å"I’ll let you know what I decide to do before I write to them. † Assume the company has a cost of capital of 10 percent per year and uses an income tax rate of 40 percent for decisions such as these. Liquid Chemical would pay taxes on any gain or loss on the sale of machinery or the GHL at 40 percent. (Depreciation for book and tax purposes is straight-line over eight years. ) The tax basis of the machinery is $600,000. Also assume the company had a five-year time horizon for this project and that any GHL needed for Year 5 would be purchased during Year 5.

Muhannad †Arabia, in 600CE Essay

In Arabia, in 600CE, two large tribes called the Quaraish and the Hanifs inhabited a sacred city known as Makkah. The most important tribe in Makkah at this time were the Quaraish. The Quaraish consisted of merchants who had control over the Ka’bah (an ancient temple) and Makkah’s water supply. This tribe organised protection for the merchants who travelled through Makkah. The Quaraish made profit out of the traders who passed through Makkah and the provisions given to pilgrims who came there to see and worship the idols. The Hanifs were the other major tribe who inhabited Makkah. They consisted of moral tribesmen who despised the Quaraish’s selfishness and greed for money. This group of people were very holy and believed that there must only be one God. They believed that this one Supreme Power created everyone and everything and the worship of idols was an insult to him. They detested people’s devotion to icons of different Gods such as Al-Lat (the life-force). The Hanif’s were sacred people who prayed regularly and often sought solitude to worship God. They believed that this one God had sent prophets such as Moses to Earth to try and purify people’s hearts and bring them closer to God. MUHAMMAD’S EARLY LIFE Muhammad was grandson of Abd-al-Muttalib. Abd-al-Muttalib was a member of the Hanif’, and a man famous for his devotion to God and for his visions. His son, Abdullah, married a woman called Aminah, who was soon pregnant with his child when Abdullah suddenly died. The child that was born was named Muhammad. When Muhammad was born he was given to a Bedouin woman called Halimah as all Quaraish children at that time were. This was done so that children would be brought up away from the disease and impurities in the air in the city. At the age of six Muhammad was returned to Aminah who proceeded to die later that year. Luckily Muhammad’s devoted grandfather, Abd-al-Muttalib, took him in and cared for him until he died two years after that. Now Muhammad was passed onto his uncle, Abu Talib, who was a wealthy merchant. Living under the care of his uncle, Muhammad became a loyal and hard-working shepherd. LEGENDS Many legends have been created about Muhammad and his life. These legends were created to make Muhammad look greater and more powerful than he was. During his lifetime, Muhammad disapproved of all these myths about him and denied all of them. One of the legends about Muhammad was that he had his heart removed from his body by two angels. They then weighed his heart against other men but even with the whole community’s hearts weighed against his, his still weighed the most. Muhammad insisted that he did not and could not perform miracles; he was just a devoted follower of God. MUHAMMAD’S PERSONALITY Muhammad grew up to be a thoughtful young man who was kind and decisive. He continuously impressed the merchants that he worked with including Khadijah, a wealthy widow who employed Muhammad to supervise her caravan trade. When Muhammad was just 25 years old, Khadijah asked him to marry her; he accepted. Despite Khadijah being 15 years older than Muhammad, she became the love of his life until her death 25 years later. During her lifetime, Khadijah stood by Muhammad all the way and supported him in every possible means. When she died she left Muhammad with four daughters, Zainab, Ruqaiyyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatimah. Muhammad’s two sons, Qasim and Abdullah, unfortunately both died in infancy. Zaid ibn Haritha, the slave boy of the household, was devoted to Muhammad. When Zaid’s father found him after years of searching, he offered to buy him back. Muhammad left the choice of what to do up to Zaid himself, and he decided to stay with Muhammad. Muhammad was so touched by Zaid ibn Haritha’s decision to stay with him that Muhammad immediately released him and adopted him as his own son. Ali, son of Muhammad’s uncle, Abu Talib, was another child in the household. Muhammad chose to look after Ali when Abu Talib fell under hard times. THE NIGHT OF POWER In the year 610CE, Muhammad was once again meditating during Ramadan when an event happened which changed his life forever. Muhammad was 40 years old at the time and was praying alone in a cave on Mount Hira when he suddenly heard a voice calling his name and commanding him to proclaim or recite. Unfortunately Muhammad was illiterate and could not read the scroll of silk which he saw ahead of him. Suddenly the angel Jibril appeared to him. This was the same angel who had appeared to prophet Ibrahim and to Mary and Jesus in times past. Now Jibril was near to Muhammad and he ordered him to read the writing on the scroll. Muhammad told the angel that he could not read the writing for he was unlettered, but the angel ordered him again and again to read the scroll and Muhammad began to feel the tension building up within him. Suddenly he felt something seize him, it gripped him so tightly that he could not breathe and he thought he would die. But suddenly Muhammad knew in his heart what the words said, and he whispered them hoarsely: ‘Proclaim! In the name of your Lord and Sustainer who created Man from a clot of congealed blood, speak these words aloud! Your lord is the Most Generous One – He who has taught the Pen, Who reveals directly Things beyond human knowledge.’ Muhammad had been chosen as a messenger of God because he was a devout man who worshipped the Lord. After Muhammad received this message he had to wait 2 years until he received another. This was God’s way of testing Muhammad and seeing whether he would be tempted to tell everyone about what he had seen. When Muhammad reached home after his shocking revelation, he told his wife, Khadijah, about what had happened. She went to her wise 100-year-old cousin, Waraqa ibn Nufal, for advice and after he was quite sure that Muhammad’s story was truthful, Khadijah became the first person to believe the message Muhammad revealed. The second person to believe Muhammad’s story was Ali, the next was Zaid and the next person to believe him was his close friend Abu Bakr. Two years later, Muhammad was still fearful and anxious about what the message might mean, when the angel Jibril appeared to him again. The angel said to him: ‘O you wrapped – arise and warn! Glorify God! Make your garments pure! Give up all uncleanness. Give, without expecting any return. For the sake of your Lord, endure with patience!’ Now that Muhammad’s time of waiting was over, he could go out and tell everyone about the messages he was receiving. THE REVELATIONS Most of the messages that Muhammad received from God after the Night of Power came to him in visions. They all shared the following similarities: – Muhammad knew when they were about to happen. – Each revelation was attended by dramatic phenomena, such as shaking or trances. – Each one made the prophet feel close to death and that he was leaving his body and he might not re-enter it. – At the end of each revelation Muhammad would appear as usual again and he would repeat what he had been taught. Sometimes Muhammad would lose consciousness during his visions. Sometimes he would receive the message instantly and sometimes Jibril appeared to Muhammad in the form of a man to transmit messages (not in visions). ABU TALIB AND KHADIJAH When Muhammad was 50 years old his uncle Abu Talib died. Abu Talib had looked after Muhammad all his life and had stuck by him even when many hated him. Muhammad had always been very close to his uncle who had protected him when he was vulnerable and his death made him depressed and very unhappy. At the end of this saddening year his beloved wife Khadijah also died at the age of 64. Although Muhammad was deeply upset by their deaths, he accepted that everyone dies eventually and he tried to carry on preaching in God’s name. THE NIGHT JOURNEY It was probably during this traumatic experience that Muhammad had an experience which changed his life forever. The Night Journey (or Laylat-ul-Mi’raj) was not recorded very accurately in the Qur’an and it is therefore hard to know exactly what happened in this event. When the prophet was asleep in his home in Makkah he was awoken by the angel Jibril. Muhammad then went with Jibril to Jerusalem riding on some kind of a Pegasus called Lightning. From Jerusalem, Jibril took Muhammad through the seven heavens and was shown paradise and hell. On his way through the heavens, Muhammad met and spoke to other prophets such as Isa and Musa. With Musa, Muhammad decided and set the number of times a day a Muslim should pray to God. It was finally fixed at 5 times a day although Muhammad originally thought 50 times was a sufficient amount. Eventually the prophet Muhammad travelled on with Jibril to the highest heaven of all: the throne of God. When he arrived here, neither Muhammad nor the angel could approach any closer and he experienced a sensation which he never again felt or could describe properly. All he could see was pure light and he was aware only of great peace as time stilled and thoughts and feelings disappeared. The experience soon ended though and Muhammad had to once again travel to Earth. To Muhammad’s astonishment, when he got home, he found that everything had remained exactly as he had left it. The place he had previously lain was still warm and the cup he had knocked over was still emptying. This experience brought great confidence and strength to Muhammad and it encouraged him to carry on with the knowledge that God was always with him. Muslims believe that this night was one of great importance, as it showed them what the ascension to Heaven would be like. It showed them that the soul abandons the weak and dishonest nature of the human body and you travel to a place where only pure bliss is possible. MUHAMMAD’S DEATH In 632CE, Muhammad fell ill with a fever and violent headaches. He was only 63 but he became weak and tired. He asked his wives if he could be moved into his youngest wife, Aishah’s room. Even though he was feeble he still attempted to reach the praying place outside every day until his death. When he could not lead the prayers anymore, his good friend Abu Bakr took his place. On his last day on Earth, Muhammad, after leading the dawn prayer, lay in Aishah’s arm and said, â€Å"Lord grant me pardon. I have chosen the most exalted company, in paradise†; then he died. Muhammad was buried where he died, in Aishah’s room, and his tomb is still there even today. ISLAM The religion known as Islam was begun by Muhammad and it is still continued today. Since that day when Muhammad went on The Night Journey, Muslims have kept the number of times to pray each day at 5 times. All Muslims believe that God is responsible for every part of human life and he knows and sees all. Every Muslim tries to lead a peaceful life and pass the test set for all souls on Earth.