Advantages of Monsanto Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Advantages of Monsanto - Essay Example The state of the art research and development department of the firm is also constantly looking for new creative input to ensure better yield of the crops. Its drought proof seeds are hugely beneficial for countries which are vulnerable to frequent drought like conditions. Hence, its contribution to agriculture through genetically modified seeds has enabled it to gain leverage against it rival in the industry. The farmers across the globe, especially in the under developed and developing nations like Africa and India, have been able to improve their standard of living through increased food production and revenues. In the current environment of increasing awareness regarding environment and sustainability of resources, Monsanto’s future is seriously threatened by the views and perspectives on genetically modified crops. Critics, including social activists, environmentalist, few farmers etc. believe that genetically modified seeds, despite increased yield, have grave long term consequences on the quality of soil, plants and biodiversity at large. The sustainability of natural resources is threatened through the constant use of genetically modified seeds. Moreover, as the seeds are anti-resistant to insects and help to kill weeds, this property could also have slow poisonous impact on the overall health and wellbeing of people who consume food products produced from such seeds. The growing concern of the community and social activists becomes more pertinent when seen from the wider perspective of increasing environment degradation that has adversely impacted the balance of ecosystem. It is believed that indiscriminate use of genetically modified seeds would not only spoil the quality of soil and fertility but it could also adversely impact the ground water and environment. The conservation and preservation of natural sources is vital ingredient of population dynamics because its survival is intrinsically linked to the available resources like clean air, wa ter, food, energy etc. (Dyson, 2005). The sustainability of the same therefore becomes critical element of survival. Answer 2 As CEO of Monsanto, I would engage group of social activists and community to create awareness as to how to exploit the properties of genetically modified seeds to grow crops that would address the needs of growing population. The exemplary properties of the GM seeds are major factors that can overcome the natural disasters like drought and famine and provide the vulnerable population with quality food. The myriad environmental elements like poverty, lack of resources, education, awareness etc. have created serious problems of food security. According to FAO (2009) more than 850 million across the globe are facing food insecurity with large population in nearly 39 Sub-Saharan being under nourished. It is seen that low agricultural yield and lack of government initiatives in land reforms are important constituents that force farmers to migrate. The GM seeds ca n significantly contribute to the global concern of food insecurity. Engaging social activists and farmers would be mutually beneficial as it would help create awareness regarding the use of GM seeds so that ecosystem is not disturbed. If the farmers follow rotation of crops in the field with GM and non-GM seeds, the fertility of soil can be maintained. At the same time, the concern of insects and weeds becoming hardier or developing resistance to the Roundup Ready Herbicide, a herbicide that kills weeds, can be easily averted. The rotation farming is therefore hugely important aspect of farming where GM seed are used that promotes sustainability of resources and helps conservation and preservation of environment. As a CEO, I would also like to give incentives to farmers in terms of rebate and discounts on the

Procurement route-Public Private Partnerships (PPP)- Private Finance Assignment

Procurement route-Public Private Partnerships (PPP)- Private Finance Initiative(PFI) - Assignment Example Starting in 1993, the WHO campaigned to private enterprises and other non-government organisations the advocacy to create meaningful partnerships that seek to create projects and programs dedicated to health and development of people. In fact, creating PPP is part of the core strategy of the organisation called the â€Å"Initiative on Public-Private Partnerships for Health,† which succeeded in forming 70 health partnerships around the world (Buse & Waxman, 2001, p.748). The emphasis placed on partnerships for the sake of health is mirrored in the implication that it draws. A healthy society means a healthy workforce and a robust economy. This report aims to explain the fundamental principles of PPP in the context of the proposed expansion of referral hospital along with the enhancement of hospital facilities and services in the midst of global economic downturn. It will evaluate its advantages and disadvantages as well as the Public Finance Initiative and Public Partnerships a s a procurement route. Relevant examples, statistics, and figures will also be presented in this report. 2. Principles of Public Private Partnerships (PPP), Merits and Demerits 2.1 PPP is a form of agreement; thus, it is bounded by equal, reciprocal, and shared rights and obligations. Buse and Walt (2000) expressed the blurring line between what it means to be a private entity and a government entity. Citing its many positive outcomes, PPP entails the formation of an agreement specifying the roles, responsibilities, and rights of each party involved. There is a mutual understanding, as well as expectations between the two parties prior to the agreement that was created. In the same manner, both recognise that they have a common goal, and that is, to improve the quality of health afforded to the people in the context of health care. Buse and Walt (2000) added that there are four crucial principles agreed between the two parties, which must be observed in a partnership. These are bene ficence, meaning public health must be achieved; nonmaleficence or the effort not to develop poor health instead; autonomy or the conscious effort not to step into the boundaries of the other party; and equity which seeks to equally distribute the benefits to people in a dire situation. 2.2 There are no fixed roles assigned to a partner over time. This principle is somewhat confusing considering the specific agreed terms between the two parties mentioned earlier. Buse and Walt (2000, p.551) claimed, nonetheless, that the idea of partnership is â€Å"non-specific,† meaning the definition of partnership depends from one partnership to the other. For instance, not-for-profit organisations have bigger community sectors as their dominant partners, but at present, this has shifted into a partnership between NGOs and corporate organisations in which the emphasis is more on the relationship between a recipient and a donor. Hence, the role/s assigned to a partner to the agreement may change overtime and may be measured unequally, especially in cases when the other partner is able to contribute more knowledge or financial resources compared to the other party. Figure 1: PPP Transformation from 1970s to Present Source: Buse and Walt (2000) Figure 1 above shows the shift in the definition of partnerships. The creation of PPP was built between donors and the recipient government. It was not identified whether the donors included governments, NGOs, or private sectors, which exists for

John F. Kennedy, Cuban Missile Crisis Address to the Nation delivered Personal Statement

John F. Kennedy, Cuban Missile Crisis Address to the Nation delivered 22 October 1962 - Personal Statement Example Kennedy starts out with a greeting, addressing my fellow citizens. He builds trust by assuring that the government has fulfilled its promise to protect the security of the people. He establishes government transparency by being over-detailed. He tells, for example, the day and time that the horrifying information came to him. Who can doubt it? He says that he feels obliged to report the situation to the American people, in fullest detail. From the initial greeting, Kennedy begins to work on the underlying mythology of the people. My Fellow Citizens may seem like an innocuous formal greeting, but a closer examination is warranted. Without the possessive form, connection would be denoted, but with the possessive form, the phrase assigns ownership. It is not an objectification of the people, necessarily, but implies patriarchal connection. He is President, father of the people. Fathers are strong and they are in charge. Fathers use wisdom to protect and advise, and to neutralize threats to the family. So this very first word sets people into a mental space of respecting his authority, surrendering to the superiority of his role. The second word he uses, fellow, implies his humility, his solidarity with the people. Although the father is in charge, and although he wields superior wisdom in managing and defending the family, he needs their support. While obedience can be forced, respect and loyalty cannot. A leader is more effective when people want to follow. Through the use of this single word, Kennedy implies voluntary loyalty and trust, rather than stressing his right of power and the people’s duty of obedience. Kennedy makes abundant use of quotes from the Soviets. In a sense, he is taunting them, using their quotes to show how ridiculously inconsistent and untrustworthy they are. He is polarizing their character in relation to American character. This strategy dehumanizes the Soviets so that they are uncritically accepted as The Enemy. Rather than attri buting each quote to a person, he repeatedly introduces their statements with, and I quote the Soviet Government. This makes him seem honest and accurate in his portrayal of their position. A direct quote, after all, is apparent proof that they said what he thought they said. No critical thought is needed. Yet, in truth, context is everything, and a statement out of context can be completely misleading. When a quote is attributed to a particular person, it can be more easily rationalized by assuming that the person had a bad day, overstepped his authority or is unreasonable but, after all, does not represent a national orientation. When a quote is attributed to a government, it is more total than that. It is reflective of an implacable condition. Furthermore, when quotes are attributed to a government, any inconsistencies can be presented as singular inconsistencies. For example, if the Soviet President says A and the Soviet Prime Minister says B, and the Soviet Defense Minister say s C, and if ABC are lumped together as being what the government said, then differences in opinion or context, presented as inconsistencies, will be understood lies. Kennedy presents the United States as entirely good. He presents the Soviet Union as immoral and

Lead Paint and Crime Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lead Paint and Crime - Research Paper Example Statistics indicate that approximately 38 million houses In the US were painted before the 1978 ban on lead paints (Seymour, 2010). This paper is a critical evaluation of Lead poisoning and its contribution towards antisocial behavior. Lead Poisoning Painting is a technical process, which ensures that an end product such as a house, vehicle, furniture, toys among others, get an appealing look, which is important while dealing with the dynamic nature of tastes and preferences in different individuals. However, not many people take time to question the integrity of the paints being used to satisfy their requirements either due to ignorance or due to sheer lack of interest. However, it is also common to find that in urban areas, where majority of people live in rental houses, it is difficult to establish the type of paint that has been used on the walls or other painted surfaces. Such people are susceptible to Lead poisoning especially if they are living in houses painted using Lead bas ed paints. Small children living in such surroundings are the worst affected especially if the paint has already started peeling off to the ground. This is due to the fact that they are identifiable with the habit of collecting and feeding on anything that comes their way especially while they are crawling on the floor (Seymour, 2010). The paint particles disintegrate into smaller particles after which they mix with the dust on the floor such that it becomes easy for the whole household to inhale them without noticing. In addition, the peelings from the roof and the walls can find their way onto the food and water that is not well covered after which unsuspecting persons can ingest them thereby putting them at risk. It is therefore not a wonder to find that CDC estimates indicate that more than 250000 children in the US suffered from Lead poisoning between 1997 and 2009. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012), Lead concentration in the blood is considered dan gerous if it exceeds 10 micrograms per deciliter of blood. Lead is tasteless and it does not contain any peculiar smell and therefore, it is not easy for a layman to identify it. In addition, people who have ingested it do not show immediate signs and symptoms, which can trigger the urgency to seek medical attention. Instead, it continues to accumulate in the blood system and the bones thereby causing a slow progressive damage to vital organs in the body of the victim until such time when the body begins to react negatively to the poisoning. During this time, the affected person begins to portray symptoms such as; memory loss, erectile dysfunction, kidney failure, and muscle pains (Fancher, 2010). The affected person may also experience constant headaches, depression, and loss of appetite among others, which are common in adults. Young children exhibit some of the above mentioned symptoms and others such as vomiting, abdominal pains, mental disabilities and retarded growth whereby t he child takes long to master basic techniques such as talking. In general, Lead poisoning is highly damaging to some of the most important organs in a human body such as; the brain, kidney, the nervous system as well as the blood. Blood is highly important as it facilitates the transportation of oxygen to the brain and extreme organs such as the limbs (Fancher, 2010). Lead in the blood

Otto Wagner Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Otto Wagner - Term Paper Example He showed his true genius in his many monumental buildings as well as through outstanding conception and functional designs. Wagner was born on 13th July in the year 1841. The designer’s father died when he was about 5 years old. Otto attended Vienna academy and later, in between 1857-1862, he went to the polytechnic institute of structural design1. Still on his struggle for knowledge he as well attended a visual arts academy with his two friends: Eduard von der null and August Sicard von Sicardburg. Before becoming a renowned architect he was an apprentice especially in the field of visual arts and architecture. He designed several buildings with outstanding unique features but many of his works were never realized. Otto Wagner had two sons Sofia Paupie though these two couples were never married, he adopted these two sons (Mallgrave, 19933, 54). His marriages took place only due to the pressure of his mother therefore he ended up getting married twice. His first wife was Jos ephine Domhart while the second one was Louise Stiffel. He later died in the year 1918 at the age of 77 leaving behind his two wives, three sons and a daughter. In the history of design Otto remains the father of the modern architecture in Vienna. The buildings he designed define the ancient outlook of Vienna at the crack of the twentieth epoch. In the urban planning engineering, Otto is historically remembered as having designed the urban bridges, railway networks, and the well-structured railway stations in the Vienna. His design and architectural work is used as the historical references while looking back to the previous centuries. The movement Otto is linked with is the union of the Australian artists or the Vienna succession. He joined this movement in order to unite both the national and the international artists. The context and the style Otto is associated with is the facade decorations design in the structural designing systems he undertaken. Otto Wagner’s Movement and Style Otto Wagner was a member of the Vienna Secession Group of Artists whose styles were varied with no single style uniting the work of members of the Secession. One of the primary concerns of the Secessionists was to explore the possibility of developing an art movement that would be able to operate outside the confines of academic tradition. Most of the members of the group such as Otto Wagner particularly hoped to create and develop a style that is free from the historical influence. With regard to their architecture, Secessionists preferred to decorate their buildings using linear ornamentation2. With regard to his style, although the early works of Otto Wagner were primarily designed in the already established New-Renaissance style, he gradually shifted his style from New- Renaissance to Art Nouveau as was evidenced by his later architectural designs. Additionally, as an architectural school teacher, Wagner particularly stressed and fused art Nouveau/Secession style to hi s students. Art Nouveau was largely an ornamental artistic design style that flourished between 1890 and 1910 in several parts of the Europe as well as the United States. The style was characterized by the use of long sinuous and organic lines and was employed not only in architectural design but also in jewelry, interior design, posters, glass

Environmental Scan Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Environmental Scan Paper - Essay Example Evaluation of the internal and external environments is then followed by crucial decisions regarding long and short term goals and finally organizes for the implementation of the plan of action. This writing describes the internal and external environments of Lego and Harley Davidson companies using an environmental scan. The argument of this writing is to carefully examine, evaluate and analyze both the internal and external environments of Lego and Harley Davidson that enable them gain competitive advantage in their respective industries. Lego is a company that has been successful in the toy and over 150 different types of products for the last 60 years and above. Lego Company has remained successful because of her great global and competitive strategies it has employed. LEGO Group has strived to beat her competitors in the industry due to her initiative of embracing new technology. Internal Environment According to Metcalf & Lafranco (2013), inbound logistics which emphasizes on r aw material is fundamental in the company’s operations. It acquires her main bulk of chemical materials from Lanxess, a German company which provides standardized ingredients without any bottleneck that may interfere with Lego’s company. Lego further focuses on her product’s future demands by ensuring proper product mix. ... The company’s patented plastic ingredient ensures durable product and desirable colors as well as adherence to the European CE-labeling thus ensuring conformation with the European Union legislation (Hjuler & Robertson, 2009). Additionally, Lego has outsourced her distribution to DHL Excel Supply Chain in Eastern Europe hence reducing excess capacity during summer when sales are low. It further helps them to concentrate in the production services and letting experts do her distributions. Lego has also diversified her operations such as entering into a strategic partnership with organizations such as Lucas Arts and Warner Bros that has enabled Star Wars and Harry Porter act as the savior of Lego (Metcalf & Lafranco, 2013). Hjuler & Robertson (2009), posit that several businesses combinations that Lego has entered itself in make it enjoy indirect marketing thus contributing to their dramatic increase in sales. The company has been expanding her production facility closer to thei r customers as well as numerous promotional strategies such as conventional media and philanthropic charity. The company also uses superior prices and avoids any engagement in price strategy and associates her high prices with better quality. It has also integrated some of her programs with educational institutions as a way of improving her products. External Environment Considering Lego’s bargaining power, her significant supplier is within the chemical market which is very competitive thus reducing the supplier’s bargaining power. The company has categorized her suppliers based on riskiness hence making their largest suppliers to be in low risk countries and smaller group of suppliers in high risk countries. Companies in the toy industries including Lego have ensured low

Poetry Analysis the famous blue raincoat by leonard cohen Essay

Poetry Analysis the famous blue raincoat by leonard cohen - Essay Example The title refers to the unnamed person’s raincoat. This becomes an important symbol in the song. The tearing at the shoulder of the raincoat suggests the passage of time, vulnerability, and also the inability perhaps to â€Å"shoulder† responsibilities like fidelity. Maurice Ratcliff in The Complete Guide to the Music of Leonard Cohen suggests that since Cohen has admitted that the title refers to a â€Å"Burberry† raincoat he owned himself, perhaps the letter is addressed to his own past self (Ratcliff 37). The interpretation of the other being Cohen himself is possible and suggests that writing or singing the letter is a kind of therapeutic act to redeem his own perhaps unjust behavior towards Jane. The form of the poem is roughly in the AABB rhyming scheme with minor variations. For instance, in the stanza following â€Å"Well I see Jane’s awake†, the rhyming scheme shifts to ABCB temporarily. There are also devices to indicate the epistolary nat ure of the poem: â€Å"Sincerely, L. Cohen† at the end and the vague mention of the date and time at the beginning, for instance. Most of the song appears to fall in the metrical pattern of amphibrach, although this varies also. The content of this popular song is obscure and open to interpretation.