Strategic Management Analysis of Woolworths- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theStrategic Management Analysis of Woolworths for HomeShop. Answer: Introduction Woolworths is an organization of Australian origin which operates in the industry of supermarkets. The chain of supermarkets is owned by Woolworths Limited and it was founded in the year 1924. The organization mainly specialises in the selling of groceries, magazines, beauty and health products, household products, baby products and pet products. Woolworths operates around 1000 stores all over Australia and 19 additional convenience stores as well. The organization has been able to acquire around 80% of the entire market of Australia. Woolworths has also started its online operations which is also known by the name of HomeShop (Woolworths.com.au 2018). The three major key performance indicators or priorities of Woolworths are, The positive culture in the stores of Woolworths and the providing high levels of customer service. The customer satisfaction levels are a part of the incentive plans that are provided to employees. The company aims to generate the momentum of sales in the food related sector. Woolworths is also planning to lower the prices of its products so that they can attract more customers. The stable merchandising platform of Woolworths has helped the company in increasing its revenues. The process of human capital management is live in the stores of Woolworths. The improvement of end-to-end process has also improved the performance of Woolworths (Albrecht, Holland Peters, 2016). Internal environment analysis The resources, core competencies and capabilities of Woolworths Resources The major resources of Woolworths mainly include the employees of the organization who are responsible for providing the highest levels of satisfaction to the customers. The inventory that is possessed by the company and the distribution related capabilities of Woolworths will further act as the most important resource for Woolworths (Chatzoglou et al., 2017). Core competencies The core competencies of Woolworths include the world-class supply chain of the organization and ways by which it decreases the time of production. The brand value and the market position of Woolworths has helped the organization in gaining a sustainable position in the market. The innovation related capabilities of Woolworths has further been helpful in creating a competitive position in the market. The sales and marketing related capabilities of Woolworths are also a part of the core competencies of the organization (Cosic, Shanks Maynard, 2015). Capabilities The capabilities of an organization are mainly related to the coordination of resources by putting them into use. Woolworths has been running its business operations quite successfully since the time of its inception in the year 1924. This depicts that Woolworths has the capabilities to use the resources in an effective and efficient manner (Gereffi Lee, 2016). VRIO Analysis VRIO analysis is an analytical tool which is used for the purpose of evaluating the internal resources that are possessed by an organization. The tool mainly analyses the capabilities of the organization and the competitive advantage or the weaknesses of the company in the industry. The various types of resources that are analysed with the help of VRIO framework are financial resources, material resources, human resources and non-material resources. VRIO is the abbreviation that is used for four particular factor of analysis which are, value, rareness, imitability and organization (Knott, 2015). Value Woolworths has high value in the retail market and it has a strong global presence as well. The global presence and brand value of the company is considered to be one of its most important assets. This has helped the organization in increasing its size, market share and sales in the industry. Woolworths has been operating in the Australian market for many years which has enabled the organization to gain a position in the industry and create its own value (Lin Tsai, 2016). Rare Woolworths is mainly known in the Australian market for the production and supply of fresh food items. Manty other organizations in the market also claim to provide these products, however Woolworths has been able to gain a trust in the minds of Australian citizens regarding the quality of its products. Many products that are offered by Woolworths in the market are rare in nature and are not easily found in the stores of the other organizations. The wide range of products that are offered by Woolworths are a major advantage that is gained by the company in the industry (Lin Wu, 2014). Imitability The revenues that are generated by Woolworths and the position that the organization hold in the market has been unique in nature. The competitors of the company in the Australian retail market like. Coles, Distributors and Aldi have not been successful in imitating the company in all its aspects and gain a competitive position in the market. This has provided Woolworths a shield from getting totally imitated by the other companies in the market. Organization Woolworths has been taking constant advantage of the capabilities and the core competencies that it possesses. The company has more than 300 stores in entire Australia and New Zealand and employs more than 1,00,000 people in all its branches, stores and facilities. The innovation related skills of the company have also been helpful in creating a strong image of its brand (Los, Timmer Vries, 2015). Value chain analysis of Woolworths Woolworths has been able to create a valuable position in the market with the help of its various value chain related activities that are discussed further, Inbound logistics The suppliers of Woolworths are spread in thousands of businesses on a global platform. The organization is heavily dependent on its suppliers for the purpose of gaining the best products that can be supplied to the customers. The management prices of the products are easier for Walmart as it purchases products in bulk from the suppliers. The company is able to exert pressure on the suppliers based on the financial position of the business in the industry (Schroeder Kotlarsky, 2015). Operations Woolworths has its operations in the retail sector and this industry has been growing steadily for many years. Woolworths has also been able to expand its operations and revenues with the help of its extensive operations in all the markets. Outbound logistics The core of the inventory management related technique of Woolworths is related to the successful management of its supply chain related activities. The products are delivered by the suppliers to the stores in such a manner so that the costs related to these activities are low. The products are replenished on an immediate manner so that the customers do not have to wait for a long time (Taglioni Winkler, 2016). Sales and marketing The pricing strategy of Woolworths is considered to be the key element related to the success of its marketing activities. The company has been investing a lot in the marketing activities and promotes its brands with the help of many different marketing channels. Technology Woolworths has made extensive use of technology to improve the offline or store sales related processes. The online processes have also been improved by developing the website of the company and adding more features (Xu et al., 2016). Human resource management Woolworths has been successful in creating an employee base which consists of the best of people. The recruitment process of the company is transparent in nature and the candidates are treated in a fair manner. Procurement The procurement and supply chain related activities of Woolworths have efficient in nature. The company has introduced a world-class approach to manage the supply chain activities and offer the products to the customers in time. Infrastructure Woolworths has a huge infrastructure which includes the various departments like, human resources, supply chain and many more. The management of employees of Woolworths is also performed in an efficient and successful manner (Schroeder Kotlarsky, 2015). Organizational culture The organizational culture of Woolworths consists of two major factors which are integrity and hard work. The company follows a down-to-earth culture in which the employees celebrate the values of the organization which are family-friendly in nature. The business operations are mainly led by the customers and their needs and demands. The customers are always at the heart of the decisions that are made by the company (Woolworths.com.au, 2018). Strategic issues in Woolworths The major strategic issue that was faced by Woolworths in the recent years was related to the high prices of the products as compared to its competitors. The company had been showing slow growth due to the prices that had been decided for its products in the market. The company has changed its strategy of focussing on short-term profits and have been able to sacrifice these profits for long-term profit growth. The liquor and food business of the company has not shown growth in the recent times which has further led to changes in the leadership and management (Schroeder Kotlarsky, 2015). Conclusion The report can be concluded by stating that Woolworths has been successful in the retail market of Australia and New Zealand. The internal resources of the organization have been analysed based on VRIO and Value chain framework. The analysis has depicted that Woolworths has huge capabilities and resources to grow in the retail market and increase its international presence as well. The company has however faced some strategic issues that the management has tried to solve to increase the revenues in the market. References Albrecht, C., Holland, D., Peters, M. (2016). Strategic revenue analysis.Strategic Direction,32(7), 32-34. Chatzoglou, P. D., Chatzoudes, D., Sarigiannidis, L., Theriou, G. (2017). The role of firm-specific factors in the strategy-performance relationship: revisiting the resource-based view of the firm and the VRIO framework.Management Research Review, (just-accepted), 00-00. Cosic, R., Shanks, G., Maynard, S. B. (2015). A business analytics capability framework.Australasian Journal of Information Systems,19. Gereffi, G., Lee, J. (2016). Economic and social upgrading in global value chains and industrial clusters: Why governance matters.Journal of Business Ethics,133(1), 25-38. Knott, P. J. (2015). Does VRIO help managers evaluate a firms resources?.Management Decision,53(8), 1806-1822. Lin, C., Tsai, H. L. (2016). Achieving a firms competitive advantage through dynamic capability.Baltic Journal of Management,11(3), 260-285. Lin, Y., Wu, L. Y. (2014). Exploring the role of dynamic capabilities in firm performance under the resource-based view framework.Journal of business research,67(3), 407-413. Los, B., Timmer, M. P., Vries, G. J. (2015). How global are global value chains? A new approach to measure international fragmentation.Journal of Regional Science,55(1), 66-92. Schroeder, A., Kotlarsky, J. (2015). Digital resources and their role in advanced service provision: A VRIN analysis. Taglioni, D., Winkler, D. (2016).Making global value chains work for development. World Bank Publications. Woolworths.com.au (2018).Woolworths.com.au. Retrieved 12 April 2018, from https://www.woolworths.com.au/ Xu, L., Gao, S. Y., Zhang, L., Zhang, H. F., Yu, H., Song, C. Y. (2016). Strategic Human Capital in Organization: Frontier Review, Prospective Commentary, and Guiding Framework. InProceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management 2015(pp. 85-98). Atlantis Press, Paris.

Microprocessors Evolution Essays - Microprocessors, 16-bit, Motorola

Microprocessors Evolution Only once in a lifetime will a new invention come about to touch every aspect of our lives. Such a device that changes the way we work, live, and play is a special one, indeed. The Microprocessor has been around since 1971 years, but in the last few years it has changed the American calculators to video games and computers (Givone 1). Many microprocessors have been manufactured for all sorts of products; some have succeeded and some have not. This paper will discuss the evolution and history of the most prominent 16 and 32 bit microprocessors in the microcomputer and how they are similar to and different from each other. Because microprocessors are a subject that most people cannot relate to and do not know much about, this paragraph will introduce some of the terms that will be in- volved in the subsequent paragraphs. Throughout the paper the 16-bit and 32-bit mi- croprocessors are compared and contrasted. The number 16 in the 16-bit microproces- sor refers how many registers there are or how much storage is available for the mi- croprocessor (Aumiaux, 3). The microprocessor has a memory address such as A16, and at this address the specific commands to the microprocessor are stored in the memory of the computer (Aumiaux, 3). So with the 16-bit microprocessor there are 576 places to store data. With the 32-bit microprocessor there are twice as many places to store data making the microprocessor faster. Another common term which is mentioned frequently in the paper is the oscil- lator or the time at which the processors "clock" ticks. The oscillator is the pace maker for the microprocessor which tells what frequency the microprocessor can proc- ess information, this value is measured in Mega-hertz or MHz. A nanosecond is a measurement of time in a processor, or a billionth of a second. This is used to measure the time it takes for the computer to execute an instructions, other wise knows as a cy- cle. There are many different types of companies of which all have their own family of processors. Since the individual processors in the families were developed over a fairly long period of time, it is hard to distinguish which processors were introduced in order. This paper will mention the families of processors in no particular order. The first microprocessor that will be discussed is the family of microprocessors called the 9900 series manufactured by Texas Instruments during the mid-70s and was developed from the architecture of the 900 minicomputer series (Titus, 178). There were five dif- ferent actual microprocessors that were designed in this family, they were the TMS9900, TMS9980A, TMS9981, TMS9985, and the TMS9940. The TMS9900 was the first of these microprocessors so the next four of the microprocessors where simply variations of the TMS9900 (Titus, 178). The 9900 series microprocessors runs with 64K memory and besides the fact that the 9900 is a 16-bit microprocessor, only 15 of the address memory circuits are in use (Titus, 179). The 16th address is used for the computer to distinguish between word and data functions (Titus, 179. The 9900 series microprocessors runs from 300 nanoseconds to 500 ns from 2MHz to 3.3MHz and even some variations of the original microprocessor where made to go up to 4MHz (Avtar, 115). The next microprocessor that will be discussed is the LSI-11 which was pro- duced from the structural plans of the PDP-11 minicomputer family. There are three microprocessors in the LSI-11 family they are the LSI-11, LSI-11/2, and the much im- proved over the others is the LSI-11/32 (Titus, 131). The big difference between the LSI-11 family of microprocessors and other similar microprocessors of its kind is they have the instruction codes of a microcomputer but since the LSI-11 microprocessor originated from the PDP-11 family it is a multi-microprocessor (Avtar, 207). The fact that the LSI-11 microprocessor is a multi-microprocessor means that many other mi- croprocessors are used in conjunction with the LSI-11 to function properly (Avtar, 207). The LSI-11 microprocessor has a direct processing speed of 16-bit word and 7- bit data, however the improved LSI-11/22 can directly process 64-bit data (Titus, 131). The average time that the LSI-11 and LSI-11/2 process at are 380 nanoseconds, while the LSI-11/23 is clocked at 300 nanoseconds (Titus, 132). There are some great strengths that lie in the LSI-11 family, some of which are the efficient way at which the microprocessor processes and the ability to run minicomputer software which leads to great hardware support (Avtar, 179). Although there are many strengths to the LSI- Microprocessors Evolution Essays - Microprocessors, 16-bit, Motorola Microprocessors Evolution Only once in a lifetime will a new invention come about to touch every aspect of our lives. Such a device that changes the way we work, live, and play is a special one, indeed. The Microprocessor has been around since 1971 years, but in the last few years it has changed the American calculators to video games and computers (Givone 1). Many microprocessors have been manufactured for all sorts of products; some have succeeded and some have not. This paper will discuss the evolution and history of the most prominent 16 and 32 bit microprocessors in the microcomputer and how they are similar to and different from each other. Because microprocessors are a subject that most people cannot relate to and do not know much about, this paragraph will introduce some of the terms that will be in- volved in the subsequent paragraphs. Throughout the paper the 16-bit and 32-bit mi- croprocessors are compared and contrasted. The number 16 in the 16-bit microproces- sor refers how many registers there are or how much storage is available for the mi- croprocessor (Aumiaux, 3). The microprocessor has a memory address such as A16, and at this address the specific commands to the microprocessor are stored in the memory of the computer (Aumiaux, 3). So with the 16-bit microprocessor there are 576 places to store data. With the 32-bit microprocessor there are twice as many places to store data making the microprocessor faster. Another common term which is mentioned frequently in the paper is the oscil- lator or the time at which the processors "clock" ticks. The oscillator is the pace maker for the microprocessor which tells what frequency the microprocessor can proc- ess information, this value is measured in Mega-hertz or MHz. A nanosecond is a measurement of time in a processor, or a billionth of a second. This is used to measure the time it takes for the computer to execute an instructions, other wise knows as a cy- cle. There are many different types of companies of which all have their own family of processors. Since the individual processors in the families were developed over a fairly long period of time, it is hard to distinguish which processors were introduced in order. This paper will mention the families of processors in no particular order. The first microprocessor that will be discussed is the family of microprocessors called the 9900 series manufactured by Texas Instruments during the mid-70s and was developed from the architecture of the 900 minicomputer series (Titus, 178). There were five dif- ferent actual microprocessors that were designed in this family, they were the TMS9900, TMS9980A, TMS9981, TMS9985, and the TMS9940. The TMS9900 was the first of these microprocessors so the next four of the microprocessors where simply variations of the TMS9900 (Titus, 178). The 9900 series microprocessors runs with 64K memory and besides the fact that the 9900 is a 16-bit microprocessor, only 15 of the address memory circuits are in use (Titus, 179). The 16th address is used for the computer to distinguish between word and data functions (Titus, 179. The 9900 series microprocessors runs from 300 nanoseconds to 500 ns from 2MHz to 3.3MHz and even some variations of the original microprocessor where made to go up to 4MHz (Avtar, 115). The next microprocessor that will be discussed is the LSI-11 which was pro- duced from the structural plans of the PDP-11 minicomputer family. There are three microprocessors in the LSI-11 family they are the LSI-11, LSI-11/2, and the much im- proved over the others is the LSI-11/32 (Titus, 131). The big difference between the LSI-11 family of microprocessors and other similar microprocessors of its kind is they have the instruction codes of a microcomputer but since the LSI-11 microprocessor originated from the PDP-11 family it is a multi-microprocessor (Avtar, 207). The fact that the LSI-11 microprocessor is a multi-microprocessor means that many other mi- croprocessors are used in conjunction with the LSI-11 to function properly (Avtar, 207). The LSI-11 microprocessor has a direct processing speed of 16-bit word and 7- bit data, however the improved LSI-11/22 can directly process 64-bit data (Titus, 131). The average time that the LSI-11 and LSI-11/2 process at are 380 nanoseconds, while the LSI-11/23 is clocked at 300 nanoseconds (Titus, 132). There are some great strengths that lie in the LSI-11 family, some of which are the efficient way at which the microprocessor processes and the ability to run minicomputer software which leads to great hardware support (Avtar, 179). Although there are many strengths to the LSI-

The Greek God Poseidon, Lord of the Sea, Neptune

The Greek God Poseidon, Lord of the Sea, Neptune The mighty Earthshaker, Poseidon ruled the waves that the ancient seafaring Greeks depended upon. Fisherman and sea captains swore fealty to him and avoided his wrath; the sea gods persecution of the hero Odysseus was well known, and few wished to wander so far and so long before finding their home port. In addition to his influence over the seas, Poseidon was responsible for earthquakes, striking the ground with his trident, a three-pronged spear, to awesomely devastating effect. Birth of Poseidon Poseidon was the son of the titan Cronos and brother to the Olympian gods Zeus and Hades. Cronos, fearful of a son who would overthrow him as he vanquished his own father Ouranos, swallowed each of his children as they were born. Like his brother Hades, he grew up inside the bowels of Cronos, until the day when Zeus tricked the titan into vomiting up his siblings. Emerging victorious after the ensuing battle, Poseidon, Zeus and Hades drew lots to divide up the world they had gained. Poseidon won dominion over the waters and all its creatures. Alternate Greek myths suggest that Poseidons mother, Rhea, transformed him into a stallion to stymie Cronos appetite. It was in the form of a stallion that Poseidon pursued Demeter, and fathered a foal, the horse Areion. Poseidon and the Horse Oddly for the god of the sea, Poseidon is deeply associated with horses. He created the first horse, introduced riding and chariot racing to mankind, and rides above the waves in a chariot drawn by horses with golden hooves. In addition, some of his many children are horses: the immortal Areion and the winged horse Pegasus, which was the son of Poseidon and the gorgon Medusa. Myths of Poseidon The brother of Zeus and Greek god of the sea figures in many myths. Perhaps the most notable are those related by Homer in the Iliad and Odyssey, where Poseidon emerges as a foe of the Trojans, champion of the Greeks and dire enemy of the hero Odysseus. The Greek gods antipathy toward the wily Odysseus stems is kindled by the mortal wound that the hero deals to Polyphemus the Cyclops, a son of Poseidon. Again and again, the sea god conjures winds that keep Odysseus away from his home in Ithaca. A second notable story involves the contest between Athena and Poseidon for the patronage of Athens. The goddess of wisdom made a more compelling case to the Athenians, giving them the gift of the olive tree while Poseidon created the horse. Finally, Poseidon figures prominently in the story of the Minotaur. Poseidon gave to King Minos of Crete a fantastic bull, intended for sacrifice. The king couldnt part with the beast, and in anger, Poseidon caused the princess Pasiphae to fall in love with the bull, and to birth the legendary half-bull, half-man called the Minotaur. Poseidon Fact File Occupation: God of the Sea Attributes of Poseidon: The symbol for which Poseidon is best known is the trident. Poseidon is often shown alongside his wife Amphitrite in a sea chariot drawn by sea creatures. The Inferiority of Poseidon:Poseidon asserts equality with Zeus in the Iliad, but then defers to Zeus as king. By some accounts Poseidon is older than Zeus and the one sibling Zeus didnt have to rescue from his father (the power leverage Zeus usually used with his siblings). Even with Odysseus, who had ruined his son Polyphemus life, Poseidon behaved in a less fearsome manner than might be expected of an enraged Sturm und Drang kind of god. In the challenge for patronage of the polis of Athens, Poseidon lost to his niece Athena, but then worked cooperatively with her as in the Trojan War where they try to thwart Zeus with Heras help. Poseidon and Zeus:Poseidon may have had an equal claim to the title of King of the Gods, but Zeus is the one who took it. When the Titans made the thunderbolt for Zeus, they made the trident for Poseidon.

Book Designers or Book Design Templates

Book Designers or Book Design Templates Book Designers or Book Design Templates? Last updated: 2017/07/07Freelance journalist Simon Owens wrote a brilliant investigative piece on how the rise of self-publishing has led to a boom of freelance editing services. This is also true in all the other areas of a book’s production, like cover design, layout, and formatting – and is even a growing trend in marketing and publicity.Most independent authors publish with a â€Å"digital first† approach; they tend to invest less in book interior design, layout and typography because most e-readers have standard formatting whereby the reader chooses the font, size and colour. That leaves the cover design. But even with book covers, the thumbnail size of books on Amazon has prompted many authors to think twice before heavily investing in a professional cover design (where quotes can range from $200 to $2000).This tendency to cut corners on design has given birth to another possibility in the past few years: pre-made book layout and cover design templates. It has also given birth to some fantastic websites like Lousy Book Covers and Kindle Cover Disasters, but that’s another story†¦Book design  templates: Opportunities and risksHere’s how Joanna Penn put it in a blog post on DIY book cover design: â€Å"Although I personally believe in paying professionals, I’m also aware that some people want to have a go themselves, or need to because of budget restraints.†That’s the great thing about today’s publishing landscape: there are enough options out there to suit all kinds of authors, including the budget-conscious or DIY-lovers. Joel Friedlander from The Book Designer offers pre-made book design  templates. Graphic design startup Canva has a free online book cover maker. And a number of other websites offer templates and DIY tools for authors to make their own covers based on existing templates.Of course, the risk when using a template is a copyright one. If the site you purchase the templat e (or pre-made cover) from doesn't grant you the rights - or an exclusive perpetual license - as a result of the purchase, then they might be re-selling that pre-made cover to other authors. That's how so many authors end up with covers that look almost identical to another one out there.So, to the question: is it worth investing in a book designer with all the free tools, templates, imagery and DIY advice out there? To answer, I decided to start a little Facebook survey on two indie author groups.A Facebook surveyMost of the members of these groups are professional indie authors who take their writing careers just as seriously as a traditionally published author would. They are educated enough to know about all â€Å"options† out there.In a sample of 116 respondents:70% indicated they worked with a professional designer or design company27% indicated they did their own covers3% indicated they purchased pre-made cover design templatesNote 1: Over 50% of the DIY-enthusiasts in this survey are actually either professional designers (as well as indie authors) or well-versed enough in editorial design to produce covers of a same quality standard as traditional publishing.Note 2: Several authors (around 20) indicated in the comments that they worked with a professional designer for some of their â€Å"main† books and did the covers themselves for short stories.ConclusionsIf over 80% of authors in this sample place a high enough value on book design to consult and hire a professional, it seems reasonable to say that debuting authors should do the same. In an extremely competitive market, first-time authors who want to realistically compete with seasoned professionals would do well to note the value a professional designer can add.DIY tools offer great value to those who already possess design skills, but cannot replace or teach those skills to the uninitiated. Book design templates can be a starting point for a cover, but are rarely â€Å"just right † for the book, which means they will need to be tweaked†¦ and then we’re back to requiring design skills.The results of this mini-survey should come to readers as a relief. For a while, the rise of templates and cheap designs seemed to be leading the book industry towards more visual standardization. Indie authors continuously contribute to publishing’s diversity by blending genres, inventing new ones, and revealing new niche markets. It’s important that this pioneering diversity is equally represented in a new range of book designs.More awesome posts on book design:6 Tips for Briefing your Book DesignerBook Design in Self-Publishing: Breaking New GroundThe Perfect Book CoverWe are big believers in the value of talented professional designers.  So whether you're looking for cover design, typesetting or illustration, visit our designer's  marketplace!

Correlation of Birth order and Motor development Research Paper

Correlation of Birth order and Motor development - Research Paper Example Development of movements are often invisible and aren’t recognizable at an early age. These physical impairments create numerous challenges for children affecting their psychological and physical development. Thus, Development Coordination Disorder (DCD) enables slow motor development, in children. It affects both intellectual and physical progress of a child. Children born with extreme low weight are more inclined to motor, cognitive and behavioral impairments and they increase with age. Therefore, recent record shows that preterm children are persistently diagnosed with deficient motor skills. Children have to go through a neuro-motor exam, which establishes their standard of DCD for treatment (Dewey et al., 2011).  Ã‚   Lehman has described birth order as customary environment and parental influence on children. The difference in behavior and physical growth is directly affected by the presence of siblings. However, these affects can differ due to optimistic and pessimist ic environment around the child. It also includes school’s environment, and its impact on child’s psychological and motor development. However, evaluation of relationship between birth order and academic achievements has shown pessimistic results. Investment of quality time by parents with higher order sibling has been observed less, which has resulted in negative and measured development of children (Lehmann et al, 2012).Child’s position in the family and sibling’s gender are important factors that affect development. However, psychological.

Do curfews keep teens out of trouble Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Do curfews keep teens out of trouble - Essay Example ect various age groups in our society, we fear the most for the young people in our society who, due to reckless abandon caused by their youthful enthusiasm for life, tend to place themselves in precarious situations. These dangerous situations are usually connected to their love of the fun time offered by a night life. As parents who fear for the safety of their children, a curfew placed upon their childs night time activities offers a semblance of protection for both parties. The idea being that if a child is home by a certain hour of the night, he or she will be able to avoid the pitfalls that often befall the adventurous teens at night. An analysis of the history and reasons behind the implementation of parental and citywide curfews reveal the details as to why these sectors find curfews an effective deterrent when it comes to keeping their children out of trouble: the night holds some unseen circumstances that children and teenagers may not be capable of dealing with at their current age. Therefore there needs to be some sort of system in place that can help protect them from the things that go bump in the night on public streets. Since teenagers these days can be really hot headed and emotional, it is important to make sure that they are in a safe place once night time sets in because as the night deepens, tempers may end up flaring in certain situations. It is saddening to note that curfews were not needed during the past eras in the United States. The night streets were safe places for them to hang out with their friends after dinner or on a Friday night so they can relax after a hectic school week. Teenagers were not always held in the grips of curfew mania as they are today. Newspaper articles from decades gone by have shown that there was a time in our country when it was safe for teenagers to go out and party at night. Schools did not need to have metal detectors at the gates, school dances were the highlight of the school year, and teenagers would go

Two Examples of Environmental Impact Assessments Essay Example for Free

Two Examples of Environmental Impact Assessments Essay The cities of Baku, Azerbaijan and Kingston, Ontario Canada are worlds apart, both geographically and culturally. They share at least one characteristic: the need for water. Like every other city on earth, they have built systems to accommodate their needs for water, electricity, and all the other necessities of modern life. Each city also has environmental problems that go hand in hand with urban habitation. The two Environmental Impact Assessments are examples of the challenges engineers and city planners face everyday to minimize the adverse effects on the ecosystem. Both cities, like all modern cities, are locked in a perpetual struggle to find a balance between the needs of the environment and the needs of the city. Wastewater Treatment In Baku, Azerbaijan Azerbaijan is a small country in central Asia on the Caspian Sea. Russia lies to the north. Georgia is to the northwest, Armenia is to the west, and Iran is on its southern border. The capitol of Azerbaijan is Baku and is also its largest city. Located on the Absheron peninsula, it is home to nearly 2 million people. The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on the planet and Baku is its largest port . Azerbaijan is rich in petroleum products and oil drilling has polluted Baku and the Caspian Sea. The Hovsan Wastewater Treatment Plant is another source of pollution to Baku and the Caspian Sea. The treatment plant handles almost half of the capitols wastewater. The wastewater is only partially treated and then dumped into the Caspian Sea via pipeline. The result has made most of the beaches around Baku unusable. The area surrounding the treatment plant inland is also unpleasant because of the odor. In the past, recreation along the sea shore was the most popular recreation for the public and tourists. Today, many are surprised to hear this fact because the bay is so polluted from sewage(Gischler, 2000, p. 41). There is a project proposed to alleviate the shoreline pollution. The plan is to extend the length of the pipeline farther out into the Caspian so the currents will disperse and diffuse the effluent material into the sea and away from the beaches. The current system is so inadequate because of years of neglect that it can only hope to just catch up to its current needs in a few years time. The construction of the longer pipeline will cause some negative effects, but they pale in comparison to the present state of the littoral around Baku. Table 1 outlines the environmental impact projected from the construction of the pipeline. The construction of the outfall is still in the planning stages, but it is expected to start in 2011. Water Treatment In Kingston, Ontario The expansion of the Point Pleasant Treatment Plant in Kingston, Ontario is the focus of this half of the paper. Kingston shares with Baku the distinction of being on the shore of one of the largest inland bodies of water, Lake Ontario. Kingston is located in the province of Ontario in Eastern Canada. To the west is Manitoba, east is Quebec, north is Hudson Bay, and Lake Ontario is to the south.. The Point Pleasant Treatment Plant is a direct filtration facility that supplies the 118,000 people of Kingston with drinking water. The water is drawn from Lake Ontario and goes through a series of filters and chemical treatments before being piped into the main water supply. The Point Pleasant project proposes to double the water pumped in and treated from 40 MLD (mega litres per day) to 80 MLD. The increase is needed for the projected increase in population and expected changes in regulatory standards for drinking water purity. The EIA for the plants upgrade identifies the surrounding vegetation and trees as being vulnerable to harm from construction activities during the plants renovation. The Butternut tree is specified in the report as a major concern because it is already an endangered species. Other issues are the pollution of the ground water and soil erosion. Table 2 outlines the environmental impact from the upgrade of the facility. Kingstons treatment plants upgrade is one that shows the existing system is sound because it is for projected future use and not just getting the current system up to par. The many years of investments and planning regarding the water infrastructure have paid off so they do not have to â€Å"catch up† just to make the system function nominally. A strong infrastructure can mean less damage to the environment. Conclusion Environmental impact from city living is inevitable, but it can be minimized. It requires a firm commitment to good planning and major investments in clean technologies. Comparing the upgrade of the water treatment plant in Kingston and the plant in Baku illustrate the differences in the conditions of each citys water systems. Laws protecting the environment vary from country to country and it is evident that Azerbaijan had few such laws. Canada has much more stringent environmental protection laws than Azerbaijan. Although Kingston has a much smaller population, the larger cities of Canada have done fairly well protecting the environment. Unfortunately, a countrys wealth dictates the priority that can be given to environmental protection. Lower standards for the construction and maintainence of urban infrastructure increases the chances of environmental degradation. References Azerbaijan. (2010). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved May 23, 2010, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online Library Edition: http://www. library. eb. com/eb/article-44298 Baku. (2010). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved May 23, 2010, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online Library Edition: http://www. library. eb. com/eb/article-9011883 Gischler, Maarten A (2000, summer) â€Å"Beautifying the Bay† Azerbaijan International, 8(2), 40-42 Kingston. (2010). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved May 23, 2010, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online Library Edition: http://www. library. eb. com/eb/article-9045553 Townsend, Mike. (2002, July). BETWEEN TWO SEAS: Progress on the BTC Pipeline Project. Azerbaijan International, 10(3), 90. http://ezproxy. spl. org:2048/loginurl=http://proquest. umi. com/pqdweb