Early Warning System Water Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Early Warning System Water - Essay Example Collignon(2007) points out that the protection of drinking water is achieved not only by chlorination, flocculation and other protective measures but also by the protection of water catchment areas through minimizing the entry of any kind of waste matter. Therefore if these catchment areas are infiltrated, there could be a collective risk posed through contamination of drinking water supplies. Crockett (2007) recently estimated that there is an endemic risk posed from drinking water, with the potential for 2 to 20 ML/d of waste water discharge containing pathogens to reach water supply intakes at significant concentrations that may exceed regulatory limits. Hence, normal procedures that are used for treatment of waste water may also be inadequate in some instances to provide an adequate level of protection against contamination of the water to an unacceptable level that could be dangerous to humans – to health and to lives. This highlights the importance of installing early warning systems for infiltration by biological agents, so that water supplies and distribution systems may be protected. The danger of the terrorist threat is especially potent, because vast areas of unprotected water system could form an easy target for the terrorists and it would result in large scale damages caused to numerous people who drink the water. It is a particularly dangerous form of terrorist biological warfare, which cannot be easily combated, except through adopting preventive measures. Hence, the incorporation of early warning systems into water systems could be of inestimable benefit, because they will provide a warning that contamination exists, sufficiently in time to enable the local authorities or responsible people in charge to alert citizens, so that the water suspected of being contaminated can be diverted and closed off, before it

Q1) Discuss why the events of September 11 had such a global impact Essay

Q1) Discuss why the events of September 11 had such a global impact and did it justify the war in Afghanistan - Essay Example The discussion as to whether the events of that day justified the war on Afghanistan has been avoided extensively. Several issues should be look at when finding out the justifications of the war. Firstly, it is the legality of the war. The United Nation is an international body that was formed in the year 1945. In the UN charter, there are international laws that govern war; the war with Afghanistan was illegal. This is so since for any war to be authorized by the UN the dispute has to be presented to the council for discussion. Without authorization by this body, any military action against another country is termed as being illegal (Köchler,2008 p57). The only exception from this rule is when a nation has been subjected to armed attacks from another country, and as a result, then a country may declare an act of war through self-defense. This condition was not fulfilled by the United States because they were not carried out by another nation, but by an organization called al-Qaida (Köchler, 2008 p75). The second fact that can result in war is when a country feels threatened by military actions instigated by another country. The threatened country has the option of approaching the UN Security Council, to ask for authorization in order to act out of self-defense where the means on how to defend is not fixed. However, the government of the US at that time claimed that the attacks on Afghanistan were intended to protect the United States from any other attacks. However, this was not the case as the pentagon took its time to launch the attacks, and again this proved that the matter was not urgent, as the UN requires it. The United Nations did not authorize the attacks on Afghanistan thus the war was deemed as being illegal, and this has even been confirmed by some politicians who were government officials at the time (Buckley, 2003 p95). The third

Literature Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Literature Review - Essay Example Thus, rapidly increasing profitability of a company denotes that it has high level of customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction depicts the ability of an organisation towards satisfying the needs of the customers. An organisation can effectively retain its customers by satisfying them (Kotler, 2009). Customer satisfaction depends on the product or service quality as well as the price provided by an organisation. It is referred as the key element in marketing from the perspective of theory as well as practice. In today’s business world, customer satisfaction has a huge impact on the competitiveness of an organisation. Hence, company managers provide more emphasis on customer satisfaction to increase the market share, the profitability as well as the sustainability of the business (Mohsan, F. & et. al., 2011). There are certain ways through which organisations can satisfy customers such as by creating customer loyalty towards the products as well as services, by improving the level of services and by enhancing the product value and product quality among others. In this context, it can be stated that customer satisfaction can be determined by effectiveness of employees in an organisation to provide good product and services (Taghizadeh & et. al., 2012). Customer Satisfaction in McDonald For McDonald, customer satisfaction has great importance to maintain profitability and to increase the market share. ... According to McDonald’s commitment, doing the right thing is important for satisfying customers. McDonald’s policies, strategies as well as practices have made the company more competent in the market (McDonalds, 2012). According to the observation of the CEO of McDonalds, the company positively satisfies the needs of the customers in terms of providing quality products with affordable prices (McDonald’s, 2011). Marketing Strategies of McDonalds for Customer Satisfaction The target customers of McDonalds are children, young people as well as urban families. In order to satisfy the target customers, McDonalds have been providing special facilities to children such as ‘play place’ which help to attract huge number customers to its restaurants. Young urban customers are also attracted toward McDonalds because of certain facilities such as fun games (Food Advertising to Children and Teens Score, 2010). For any organisation, customer’s perception a bout the product is considered as a significant factor for success. Many organisations fail to satisfy customers because certain products are unable to fulfil the customers’ needs. Therefore, customer perception as well as expectation is considered as one of the most significant factors in the marketing strategies for an organisation (Ghosh & et. al., 2012). Consequently, McDonalds also understand the importance of perception of customers and thus, develops its marketing strategies in such as way so that it can fulfil their expectations. The 4p’s marketing mix strategies help McDonald to satisfy their requirements from a fast food restaurant. The aspects of 4p’s strategies are product, price, promotions and place. Product Due to increased number of fast food chains

Q1) Discuss why the events of September 11 had such a global impact Essay

Q1) Discuss why the events of September 11 had such a global impact and did it justify the war in Afghanistan - Essay Example The discussion as to whether the events of that day justified the war on Afghanistan has been avoided extensively. Several issues should be look at when finding out the justifications of the war. Firstly, it is the legality of the war. The United Nation is an international body that was formed in the year 1945. In the UN charter, there are international laws that govern war; the war with Afghanistan was illegal. This is so since for any war to be authorized by the UN the dispute has to be presented to the council for discussion. Without authorization by this body, any military action against another country is termed as being illegal (Köchler,2008 p57). The only exception from this rule is when a nation has been subjected to armed attacks from another country, and as a result, then a country may declare an act of war through self-defense. This condition was not fulfilled by the United States because they were not carried out by another nation, but by an organization called al-Qaida (Köchler, 2008 p75). The second fact that can result in war is when a country feels threatened by military actions instigated by another country. The threatened country has the option of approaching the UN Security Council, to ask for authorization in order to act out of self-defense where the means on how to defend is not fixed. However, the government of the US at that time claimed that the attacks on Afghanistan were intended to protect the United States from any other attacks. However, this was not the case as the pentagon took its time to launch the attacks, and again this proved that the matter was not urgent, as the UN requires it. The United Nations did not authorize the attacks on Afghanistan thus the war was deemed as being illegal, and this has even been confirmed by some politicians who were government officials at the time (Buckley, 2003 p95). The third

Examine and assess the role of the government in managing the UK Essay

Examine and assess the role of the government in managing the UK economy - Essay Example government in determining long-term success of the country. The economy of U.K. has faced several financial crunches since World War II. It is claimed by some researchers that financial crisis during 2008 in U.K. and other Western nations was caused primarily due to deregulation of financial markets, that had significantly gained speed in these nations 1980 onwards (Trading Economics, 2014). The policy deregulation had drastically lowered control of the government authorities over financial markets of respective economies. Lower state control in the monetary financial market generated certain market exuberances. The real estate sector investments in these economies were made for speculative purposes, which finally generated the property price bubble. Several banks collapsed due to failure of unproductive investment projects, thereby resulting in the recession in 2008; this was because aggregate money supply in the economy had fallen in these nations. During the recession, as aggregate supply of money in U.K. had fallen, degree of productivity in the economy had declined. Lower level of production of several goods and services had greatly increased the level of unemployment in the country. It can be observed from the above graph that the extent of inflation in U.K. had astonishingly increased during the recession in 2008. This was due to expansionary, monetary as well as fiscal policies adopted by regulating authorities of the country at that point of time (Hirsch, 2008). The authorities had implemented these polices for stimulating the depressed market of U.K. In order to maintain welfare of the European economy during recession, its government authorities had adopted expansionary fiscal policies by increasing expenditure in the economy and lowering tax rates so as to enhance employment and output level of the country. Figure 4 in the Appendix shows the way in which fiscal policies attempt to revive an economy from the state of

The Research Methodology Essay Example for Free

The Research Methodology Essay The Research Methodology The descriptive survey method of research was utilized in this study. A survey questionnaire was used to gather all the needed data. Information regarding the profiles of the respondents (student and the enrollment personnel), the status of the existing enrollment in terms of its resources used (personnel involved, machines and equipment, procedures and forms used), the problems encountered by the customers in the existing enrollment system were analyzed. The results of the study were served asa an input for management review and action plan. Fig.1 Flow of the Study Input -status of the existing enrollment process, problems encountered in the existing enrollment system Process -analysis of information base on the survey questionnaire, statistical computation, and interpretation Output -inputs for management review and action plan Environment Fig.2 Location Map of Cebu Technological University This study was conducted in CTU-Main Campus located along the corners of R. Palma Street and M.J. Cuenco, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines 6000. There are four (4) colleges of the campus: College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education, College of Engineering, and College of Technology. Together with the colleges are the enrollment stations namely: Clinic, NSTP (first year), PTA, MIS, EDPO, Cashier, and Registrar. Respondents The respondents of this study were the customers of the enrollment process of the school, both the student and the personnel assigned for the enrollment process with the four (4) colleges of the school. Table 1 Distribution of Respondents Instrument This study used the research-made questionnaire to gather data that could provide the needed information. Procedure Gathering Data Random sampling method was used in gathering the data. Students belong to the day and night programs were also considered to determine the appropriate sample size and a 5% margin of error was used. The sample was drawn using the Slovins Formula. Scoring Procedure To facilitate the computation of the weighted mean, each weight was assigned to the scale eith its corresponding verbal description. a. On the Respondents Self-Assessment as to their knowledge of the equipments used b. On the Respondents Perception regarding the existing system c. On Possible Problems encountered in the existing enrollment system

The poor in the UK

The poor in the UK Discuss whether the poor in the UK are to blame for their poverty and social exclusion? The purpose of this essay is to discuss the question of whether the poor in the UK are to blame for their poverty and social exclusion. In order to do this, a variety of perspectives will be analysed, in particular looking at political and economic perspectives. We will also consider Levitas approaches in the area of social exclusion, looking at the three models of social discourse, and also a critical examination of Murrays thesis concerning the underclass. Definitions of poverty have traditionally been divided within two subcategories, absolute poverty or relative poverty. Each definition is based on different experiences of poverty. Absolute poverty sees there is a basic need for survival and this is measured objectively and comes in forms of statistics. This is mainly used in government statistics. Relative poverty is different in that it counts on an opinion of people in society. Relative poverty uses the idea of what society or a culture sees as the norm. The earliest attempt to research poverty was by Rowntree, who conducted a study in York, in 1899. Rowntree adopted the measurement of absolute poverty in 1901 based on a minimum weekly income which was thought to be needed to survive. Therefore, a definition of absolute poverty is; Absolute poverty occurs when people fail to receive sufficient resources to support a minimum of physical health and efficiency (2006 dictionary of sociology) p304 This absolute measure was not popular with the government as measuring poverty based on falling below a certain benefit level. When the benefits level increased so did the amount of people living in poverty. This problem was solved when the 1985 conservative government scrapped the Family Low Income Statistics in favour of the Household below Average Income (HBAI). This saw the decrease of poverty in terms of figures because of the change in the way poverty was measured. The term poverty is not mentioned in any of these official government terms, therefore shows that poverty is not acknowledge as a problem to the government. The feminist argument on using this type of measurement is that it uses statistics taken from the household with a male breadwinner. Females appear invisible in these statistics and very much implies that women are dependent upon men. However, there is no suggestion that the male breadwinner equally shares his income with the household. Scott (1994) discusses the strengths and weaknesses of absolute poverty. Firstly the strengths, the measurement of absolute poverty can be used universally across cultures and societies. It can be used to draw up comparisons so Policy makers can use this to assess and distribute the income that is needed to eliminate poverty. These policies can then be taken on by researchers to look at if what is being done and if it is helping to reduce poverty. A Weakness of this measurement is that it is extreme. In todays society it is dominated by consumption and a consumer lifestyle. Some cultures deem it necessary to be able to take part in the consumer society. The goods that can be bought often have several uses other than just to survive, for example a television is not an item of survival, however to function in society the television plays a major part and a sense of unity is formed in neighbourhoods if people can relate to and discuss items featured on television. The absolute measure ignores this social process as it cannot be scientifically measured as it involves some form of opinion. Poverty measurements need much more than just relying on saying how much money is needed to live. Relative poverty can be defined as, comprehensive, should depend as much as possible on independent or external criteria of evaluation, should involve the ordering of a mass of factual data rational, orderly and informative fashion, and should limit, through not conceal, the part played by the value judgement (Townsend 1979:33) This means that it can be measured statistically; however include some form of judgement. This relative measurement would include more than just income and look at consumer society and culture. Townsends, who states individuals, families and groups in the population can be said to be in poverty when they lack the resources to obtain the type of diet, participation in the activities and they have the living conditions and the amenities which are customary, or at least widely encouraged or approved in the societies to which they belong. (Townsend, 1979, p.31) This definition covers adequately the link between poverty and social exclusion. Townsends research of relative poverty conducted in 1968-9 could compare people based on the national average. An important result to come out of this research was the deprivation index which stated the 12 items essential for people in society, for example clothing, diet, fuel health and education. In 1985 more items were included such as a persons taste, lifestyle, and economic social factors. Using the measurement of relative poverty does come with strengths and weaknesses. It does acknowledge subjectively and are honest in that some form of opinion is needed. Knowledge of peoples culture can be explored in terms of what their standard of living is. It explores the kinds of feeling some people have that they may be deprived more than others. Weaknesses of this relative measurement is that if fails to acknowledge those people who chose to go without the items stated in the deprivation index. It does not address the issues of real poverty in that those living in absolute poverty do not having enough to survive. Comparisons with other countries are difficult as others still use the absolute measurement and use statistics rather than opinions. Piachaud reviews Townsends deprivation index as a good measurement as it included people that make the lifestyle choices such as being a vegetarian. He claims that not having a fridge for instance is more significant than not having meat. However, this suggests that Townsends index is not as scientific as it claims. (Piachaud 1981) There is not only one kind of poor people but many that are or could fall into poverty at any point in their life. The underclass is a term used to stigmatise people and was used in the 1980s early 1990s. Charles Murray worked on the concept of the underclass and characterised them by three things; illegitimacy, violent crime, and drop out from the labour market by young men (Murray 1990) Murray wrote in 1990 that Britain has a growing population of working-aged, healthy people who live in a different world from other Britons, who are raising their children to live in it, and whose values are now contaminating the life of entire neighbourhoods. (Murray, 1990, p.6) Murray spoke of those who chose not to work, and instead to rely on benefits as a means of survival, as opposed to joining the labour market. In Murrays view, this reliance on benefits was considered as a superior option, not as a last resort. A statement by Murray to describe the underclass using a very simple and stigmatising definition by underclass, I do not mean people who are merely poor, but people at the margins of society, unsocialised and often violent. (Murray 2001). The term Underclass is a way of stigmatising a group and that Margaret Thatcher denied there being absolute poverty as there was no official government definition. Deprivation irresponsible underclass. John Moore secretary state of social security relative poverty was simply another term for inequality he claimed that poverty had disappeared from Britain altogether. (John Moore 1989) Conservative government at the time used the term underclass to categorise and deny there was absolute poverty in Britain. This view of the underclass supports the idea that the poor are to blame for their poverty and inequality than those structural inequalities at the time. With this negative concept the conservatives were set to cut welfare if the underclass did not change their ways. This widened the poverty gap and the conservatives were thought to be irresponsible and didnt address the problem of poverty in society Rather than seeing inequality as potentially damaging to the social fabric, the Thatcher governments saw it as an engine of enterprise, providing incentives for those at the bottom as well as those at the top. (Walker 1997:5) This phenomenon of the underclass tries to address them as and actual class in society being at the other end of the scale such as the upper-class. However, to be compared with as a class it would suggest there are shared values that are unique to the underclass, there are no evidence of this and should not be a class. (Bagguley and Mann 1992). This underclass perspective draws attention away from the actual cause of poverty and tries to set the notion that this class is biological when there is no evidence. Field 1989 viewed the underclass from a structuralist view and supported the view that the underclass did not stem from the individual, but from the ideologies that maintained and shaped inequality. These structural causes were stated as; record post war unemployment, widening class difference, exclusion of rapid widening living standards and public attitudes falling in Thatcher Britain. Direct criticism of Murrays underclass is that it fails to be proven by scientific methods and relies on opinions. The underclass cannot be measured accurately as the group is sometimes made to look huge or small depending on the outcome needed. The underclass perspective can be misleading and not address the real problem that poverty is causing to Britain. (Walker 1990:49) However, many writers were critical of this view, including MacDonald, who asserts that both young people and adults wanted work. They would fail with flying colours the test Murray sets to prove the underclasss existence: offer them jobs at a generous wage for unskilled labour and see what happens. (MacDonald, 1997, p.195) Crompton has been even more dismissal in her criticism of Murrays view, in that much of Murrays caselay in his attempts to demonstrate the individual moral and cultural inferiority of the least well-off members of society. In some ways then, Murrays underclass thesis, can be seen to be elitist and dismissive of those at the bottom end of the social ladder. Byrne (Byrne, 2005, p.1) notes the pejorative nature of the term underclass and the much preferred and more commonly used in the UK term of social exclusion. The term social exclusion was coined in the 1970s following research by French Civil servant, Rene Lenoir, who published The Excluded, which said that as much as 10% of the French population were excluded from mainstream society due to factors like mental illness, poverty and disability (Beland 2007). This definition of a broad category of people who, for a variety of reasons, dont fit into the social mainstream was picked up by New Labour, which created a Social Exclusion Unit when it came to power in 1997. It was based on the idea that Social exclusion is about more than income poverty. It is what can happen when people or areas face a combination of linked problems such as unemployment, discrimination, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime, bad health and family breakdown (ODPM, 2004, p. 3). New labour used many terms throughout their time, stakeholder society, communitarianism, third way and social exclusion. (Hindmoor, 2005). They can be accused of only selecting terms that would win elections (Stoker, 2004). The Labour government blamed three main causes for social exclusion: the dislocation caused by the breakdown of industry in Britain in the 1980s, the Conservative indifference to the social consequences of these economic changes and the failure of the welfare system to effectively address the needs of those who were affected by the downfall of coal, steel and other heavy industries (Davies, 2007). Storrey and Childs have commented on the political agenda of the early 1990s, whereby arguments came to a head over Britains high proportion of single-parent families when a government minister claimed that an over-generous state benefit system was encouraging young, single mothers to marry the state and embark on a benefit career. (Storrey Childs, 2002, p.126. These arguments were soon rebutted by organisations such as the Association of Single Parents, but it highlighted the way that discussions on social exclusion and poverty can be seen from a purely political perspective. Of the three models of social discourse to be discussed later, the MUD discourse is seen as largely right wing, while the other two are more centrist or to the left. One recent government minister has emphasised the SID view, claiming that Work is the only way out of poverty the benefit system will never pay of itself (enough to lift people out of poverty) and I dont think it should (Alcock et al., 2008, p.335 ) Social exclusion is seen in the growth of homelessness or urban slums, the declining hopes of the long-term unemployed, the lack of access to jobs and incomes of migrants and some ethnic minorities, the increasingly precarious nature of jobs on offer to new labour market entrants. (Rodgers 1995:43) Ruth Levitas, in her 1998 book, The Inclusive Society: Social Exclusion and New Labour, suggested three models of discourse in terms of how we look at the issue of social exclusion, and how those models are applied in politics in particular to economic and social policy, as well as sociological discourse in general. (Levitas, 1998) RED. This is known as the Redistributionists Discourse. Pierson (2004) observes that those holding this view argue that only through the redistribution of wealth across society as a whole, through taxation, benefits and services, will poverty and inequality be eradicated in Britain. (Pierson, 2004, p.5). This model rejects the idea that attitudes towards work or moral issues are responsible for social exclusion. Some have noted that a vital component in the RED model of social exclusion discourse is the raising of benefits to an adequate standard as one means of eradicating poverty. (Gordon Townsend, 2000, p.359) This model is significantly different from the Moral/Underclass Discourse (MUD) SID. This is known as the Social Integrationist Discourse. This model focuses on the value of importance of work. Paid work is seen as a key factor, with entrance into the labour market as the result, providing income, a boost to the economy, and social inclusion by way of paid employment. Levitas argues that this view differs from RED discourse in that it tends to equate social exclusion with exclusion from the labour market. (Levitas 1998, Pierson, 2004, p.6) MUD. This is known as the Moral/Underclass Discourse. The fundamental argument of the MUD discourse is that individuals or groups, through choices of their own choose a method of social exclusion. Such a method may be a deliberate choice not to try to enter the labour market but instead to rely on benefits solely as a means of income. Gordon Townsend comment that MUD tends to replay recurrent themes about dangerous classesto focus on the consequences of social exclusion for social order, and to emphasise particular groups, such as unemployed and potentially criminal young men, and lone parents, especially young never-married mothers. (Gordon Townsend, 2004, p.360) We see therefore, three discourses with different answers to the question of whether the poor in the UK are to blame for their poverty and social exclusion. The RED discourse would point to the need to redistribute wealth to the poor in order to end their social exclusion. The SID discourse would like social exclusion and unemployment and would link employment to being the key to the end of poverty and social exclusion. The MUD approach would suggest for many poverty, or certainly social exclusion, are a choice that is made and then potentially taught to the next generation. We have examined Levitas three models or approaches to social discourse, and we have critically examined Murrays theory of the underclass in the context of the UK and of these three models. We have come to the conclusion that there are other factors to play in poverty and social exclusion than the choices of the poor in the UK or any blame that may be attached to them, and we have seen the elitist nature of Murrays thesis. Poverty about people social exclusion about structure of society The UK government defines poverty as having an income of 60 per cent or less of the median: using this measure, 13.2 million people in the UK lives in poverty that is 22 per cent of the population. (Oxfam)