Pro Clean Case free essay sample

Pro Clean’s owner has more than 15 years of experience, has good reputation in Knoxville and has established a sustainable customer base. The company offers good service at considerable price, and maintains good relation with its past customers. Weaknesses: The Company has many problems in its marketing, management and accounting systems. It tries to reach out to customers from every segment, and probably exceeding its capacity. The company’s staff has very limited skills in sales, can only approach certain group of customers, and has ambiguous responsibility in day-to-day functions. Lastly, the company is financially weak, due to poor financial management. This is likely to be the problem to their higher operating cost and cash flow problem. Opportunities: Given the current environment, Pro Clean has certain opportunities to survive in Knoxville. There is clear market segmentation, which to allows Pro Clean to avoid direct competition with competitors from other strategic group. We will write a custom essay sample on Pro Clean Case or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Threats: Pro Clean faces other competitors who offer similar or service at the same price, threatening its customer base. Also, a change in financial policy, such as an increase in interest rates, can threaten the survival of the company, given its current financial situation. (See Appendix C for the SWOT analysis table) Building Core Competency From our analysis in the previous segments, we advise Pro Clean to build its core competency in two dimensions: Customer Relationship in combination with an excellent cleaning service and a high quality. Valuable: By focusing and creating an unique relationship with its customers, Pro Clean can definitely be considered as a valuable company * Rare: Pro Clean will offer a wide range of extra services and supporting tools which aren’t offered by other cleaning companies * In-imitate: By providing innovative services, Pro Clean will enjoy a competitive advantage over its competitors. * Non-substitutable: Once become a member of the custom er base, customers will be offered an excellent service and loyalty programs. The better the relationship between Pro Clean and its customers, the higher the switching costs will be for the customers. Value Chain Analysis The following is a value chain analysis on what activities Pro Clean can do based on their core competencies, and also some of the other activities that they can improve on to give them a strategic competitive advantage: Primary Services: Currently, the service quality of Pro Clean is good and we feel that they can leverage on it, by adding on the hardwood floor cleaning service and improving their scheduling to suit the customers’. Sales Marketing: To grow the business, Pro Clean should focus on market penetration and increasing their revenue stream from its existing customer base. Increase penetration: * Referral programmes can be initiated by offering discounts to customers who refer their neighbours. * Wilson should also take advantage of the on-site estimate service by rewarding employees who bring in more of such jobs. Doing so should increase the closing rate, and increase sales. * Sales can also be improved by â€Å"advertising† the other services that Pro Clean has to offer. They can also get employees to ask customers if they need other services while they are on-site. * Pro Clean should also explore the possibility of expanding into the commercial business, as it is currently a greatly underserved market. Increase average customer spending: * As a large part of sales is derived from people seeing Pro Clean’s van being driven around the neighbourhood, Pro Clean can get technicians to drive the van around the neighbourhood more often to increase their visibility. They can also come up with a bigger range of packaged services to cross sell to customers. Support Infrastructure: It was identified earlier that Wilson is pretty weak in managing the finances of the company. Hence we recommend that he should outsource this part of the business to an accountant. In addition, we think that he should also move his operations back to his home office to cut costs. HR management: This is an area that also needs to be worked on in order to successfully implemen t the other plans. We think that a new staffing plan is needed. We propose that Turner should be re-hired as a technician for the skills that he already has and keep Scott as the sales/marketing manager. A detailed portrayal of the new organization structure can be found in appendix D. Vision Our aim is to become a household name, associated with high service quality, in the cleaning services industry with 100% customer satisfaction. Mission Statement Our mission is to provide the highest quality cleaning service to our customers, within the shortest response time possible at the convenience of our customers.

Why Erlitou Is Known as the Bronze Age Capital of China

Why Erlitou Is Known as the Bronze Age Capital of China Erlitou is a very large Bronze Age site located in the Yilou basin of the Yellow River, about 10 kilometers southwest of Yanshi City in Henan Province of China. Erlitou has long been associated with the Xia or early Shang Dynasty but can be more neutrally known as the type site of the Erlitou culture. Erlitou was occupied between about 3500-1250 BCE. During its heyday (ca 1900-1600 BC) the city included an area of almost 300 hectares, with deposits in some places up to 4 meters deep. Palatial buildings, royal tombs, bronze foundries, paved roads, and rammed earth foundations attest to the complexity and importance of this early central place. The earliest occupations at Erlitou date to the Neolithic Yangshao culture [3500-3000 BCE], and Longshan culture [3000-2500 BCE] followed by a 600 year period of abandonment. The Erlitou settlement began about 1900 BCE. The city rose steadily in importance, becoming the primary center in the region by about 1800 BCE. During the Erligang period [1600-1250 BCE], the city decreased in importance and was abandoned. Erlitou Characteristics Erlitou has eight identified palaces,  large-scale buildings with elite architecture and artifacts, three of which have been fully excavated, the most recent in 2003. Excavations indicate that the city was planned with specialized buildings, a ceremonial area, attached workshops, and a central palatial complex enclosing two rammed-earth foundation palaces. Elite burials were placed within the courtyards of these palaces  accompanied by grave goods such as bronzes, jades, turquoise, and lacquer wares. Other tombs were discovered scattered throughout the site rather than in a cemetery precinct. Erlitou also had a planned grid of roads. An intact section of parallel wagon tracks, 1 meter wide and 5 meters long, is the earliest known evidence of a wagon in China. Other parts of the city contain the remains of smaller dwellings, craft workshops, pottery kilns, and tombs. Important craft areas include a bronze casting foundry and a turquoise workshop. Erlitou is known for its bronzes: the earliest bronze vessels cast in China were made in the foundries at Erlitou. The first bronze vessels were made expressly for the ritual consumption of wine, which was probably based on rice or wild grape. Is Erlitou Xia or Shang? Scholarly debate continues concerning whether Erlitou is best considered Xia or Shang Dynasty. In fact, Erlitou is central to the discussion concerning whether the Xia dynasty exists at all. The earliest known bronzes in China were cast in Erlitou and its complexity argues that it had a state level of organization. Xia is listed in Zhou dynasty records as being the first of the bronze age societies, but scholars are divided as to whether this culture existed as a separate entity from the earliest Shang or was a political fiction created by the Zhou dynasty leaders to cement their control. Erlitou was first discovered in 1959 and has been excavated for decades. Source: Allan, Sarah 2007 Erlitou and the Formation of Chinese Civilization: Toward a New Paradigm. The Journal of Asian Studies 66:461-496. Liu, Li, and Hong Xu 2007 Rethinking Erlitou: legend, history and Chinese archaeology. Antiquity 81:886–901. Yuan, Jing and Rowan Flad 2005 New zooarchaeological evidence for changes in Shang Dynasty animal sacrifice. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 24(3):252-270. Yang, Xiaoneng. 2004. Erlitou Site at Yanshi. Entry 43 in Chinese Archaeology in the Twentieth Century: New Perspectives on Chinas Past. Yale University Press, New Haven.

Business and society Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business and society - Research Paper Example e draft Norms mainly when these norms are imposed on corporations directly under international law and the duties of human rights that are provided by the state. On the other hand, the article contains a detailed conceptual empirical review of current international standard imposed on the business environment regarding the relation of businesses and society. The article reviews legal international norms that govern corporations globally as well as the voluntary initiative of businesses to its communities (Ruggie, 2007, p. 7). In conclusion, the article identifies strategies for establishing a framework to reduce gaps in administration and adherence to human rights by businesses. In attempt to minimize bias between globalization and transnational corporations, the Draft Norms incorporated ‘other business enterprises’ which are also affected by the draft. On the other hand, the draft exempted nationally operating businesses that have no connection with transnational corporations. Increasing in corporation network lead to establishment of parents and subsidiary corporation which have separate legal entities. Subsidiary companies are liable to laws distinct enacted in that particular country. However, the transnational corporation’s network is not directly governed by international laws. To this effect, a move to develop global legal standards for transnational corporations poses a major challenge. Transnational Corporation has greater influence on realization of rights than the state. The main objective of international laws is to provide a direct and uniform corporate responsibility to all corporations that are not enacted into domestic laws. In this perspective, the Draft Norm enumerated rights that the states have not recognized and some are still debatable at global level. On the other hand, the Draft Norms provides that not all rights pertain to businesses, but it provides no principled basis for making that determination. These rights are included and

Report on security (read attachmment) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Report on security (read attachmment) - Essay Example Physiological and /or behavioural characteristics are two basis of biometric recognition system. Human characteristics used for biometric recognition system are based on parametres like: universality, uniqueness, permanence, collectability, performance, acceptability, and circumvention, Ofcom(2009). Furthermore, verification and identification are two modes in system operation. Few technical considerations in selecting a system are false accept rate or false match rate (FAR or FMR), false reject rate or false non-match rate (FRR or FNMR), receiver/relative operating characteristics (ROC), equal error rate or crossover error rate (EER or CER), failure to enroll rate (FTE or FER), failure to capture rate (FTC), and template capacity. Dynamic Air Parts plc is currently using swipe card sytem .Swipe card is a type of card capable of storing data by modifying the magnetism of tiny iron-based magnetic particles on a band of magnetic material on the card. The swipe card system is read by ph ysical contact and swiping past a magnetic reading head. An individually encoded pass card looks a like a credit card. The stripe on the back of the security pass card is a magnetic stripe, often called a magstripe. Typically, the data on an encoded security swipecard includes: 1. Name 2. ID # (social security number or other unique number) 3. Access level (where you're allowed to go) Next generation of magnetic cards - Smartcards. Smart Cards or Smartcards is the term referred to cards, made from plastic, with similarities in size, thickness and other physical appearance as plastic credit cards. It can describe chip card or integrated circuit card. Smart cards in addition have an Integrated Circuit (IC) Chip embedded in it. Smart cards are also known as IC cards and ICC cards. The amount of information can be stored in smart cards is much greater compared to magnetic stripe cards. Some of them can also be reprogrammed to add, delete or rearrange data. Compared to magnetic cards, sm art cards offer more advantages, such as: 1. They can be readily reconfigured. 2. They are reusable. 3. They give more security, thus reducing the risk of transaction fraud . 4. They are much more durable and reliable. 5. They allow multiple applications to be stored in one card. 6. It provides reduction in costs. 7. It has technical specification standards. 8. It gives security of information. 9. It has more organized information. 10. It has emergency information. 11. The process doesn't require paper. 12. One card can access multiple transactions. 13. It reduces fraud. 14. It has high memory capabilities. 15. It has the ability for on-site approval. 16. End-user only accessibility. Besides advantages, smart cards also have some disadvantages, such as: 1. It gives liability issues if stolen or lost. 2. The accuracy of information is small. 3. Lack of technology to support users . 4. It is potential hazard to data security since too much data is stored on one card if lost or stolen. 5. It is a potential area for computer hackers and computer viruses. Fingerprint Recognition Systems. A fingerprint contain a number of unique physical characteristics called minutiae, which includes cert ain visible aspects of fingerprints such as ridges, ridge endings and bifurcations (forks in ridges). Minutiae are generally found in the core points of

OP-EDs position Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

OP-EDs position - Essay Example I agree with OP-ED’s position that the major factor that influences delinquency is poverty because social disorganization theory suggests that poverty is an important ecological characteristic that can decrease collective efficacy and informal social control.   Social disorganization theory supports that communities with high poverty rates tend to have high crime rates because poverty decreases informal social control that is important to raising children who can stay away from crimes and finish college.   Shelden shows the relationship between poverty and single-parent households where these households tend to have high delinquency rates because of low informal social control due to lack of good male role models (i.e. families without fathers) and poor supervision from single mothers who are both breadwinners and caregivers.   Weak informal social control can produce low collective efficacy that reduces the ability of families to prevent the spread of criminological cul ture in their neighborhoods.   Poverty can reinforce poor social cohesion which might affect the development and reinforcement of criminal behaviors. Aside from social disorganization theory, conflict theory argues that capitalism breeds crime through perpetuating poverty among the lower-classes of society.   This theory asserts that capitalism is an unjust economic system that produces poverty which creates crime.   Shelden provides statistics that blacks suffer from poverty the most, and if many blacks conduct crime, their poverty can be one of the strong predictors of their crimes.   Conflict theory argues that the poor might become criminals because they want to struggle against an oppressive system. Poverty can result to delinquency because colored youth from low-income families violate the norms and expectations of the upper class.   I am not saying that poverty rationalizes criminality, but it can impact delinquency if it contributes to decreases in informal social control and collective efficacy and if the youth feel the oppression that comes from their class and race/ethnicity and want to fight their oppression through engaging in delinquency.   

Depletion and consequences of mangrove forests

Depletion and consequences of mangrove forests Executive summary Globally, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is recognized to have one of the largest mangrove forest covers in the world, protecting the lands from the viciousness of the open sea, and maintaining its productivity. In an agricultural based economy, a buffer against the sea is all the more important. Given the last few decades, the country has witnessed a startling decrease in the mangrove cover. Due to the felling of trees for its usage for fuel and other such purposes, the costal areas are witnessing a direct attack on the one and only protection it has against salination. Even though the government and various other organizations have initiated programs and projects to counter this growing menace, it seems that unless a massive overhaul is not taken, unless a massive change in the perception of the people is not executed, then we may witness a slow yet torturous destruction of the costal areas. This report explores the phenomenal importance the mangrove forest holds to Pakistan, their spread, species and location, the reasons behind its depletion and projects done to counter the mangrove depletion. Only praying and hoping for a miracle is not enough. We must act; we must do our part to protect our costal areas. For this purpose we have done extensive research from secondary sources of data including environmental journals, articles by activists and environmental researchers. Introduction Pakistan is a country rich in biodiversity. From rivers to the Arabian Sea, from the Indus Dolphin to the Himalayan Bear, we can see that ecology of Pakistan has given the right of life too many species. In the same way, where the land grows conifers and the like, the country was said to have one of the worlds largest mangrove forest. However, global warming, and with it climate change and human activities are adversely effecting the environment. Pakistans coastline stretches from Sindh to Balouchistan and was known as one of the worlds largest mangrove cover. This gives way to a great variety of marine life and was a source of income to the settlers of the coastal communities. They are the home of great biodiversity; however their depletion is resulting in use losses for the ecosystem. Cutting of mangrove forests for fire wood and construction by locals, drying river beds, inflow of pollutant and salination are a few basic reasons for this problem. The Pakistani population, be it elite or poor, all share a common perception, they will not act till the time complete and utter destruction is inevitable. Moreover, where there is a concern or an issue with regard to the environment, the masses display a completely lax attitude. The same is the case with mangrove forests. Now that we are nearly out of time, now that one of the worlds largest mangrove forests are diminishing day by day, the population has had a rude awakening. Pakistans sprawling fishery industry which many locals and businesses depend on may not be there in the next few decades. Let us explore as to the reasons behind this phenomena. Simply put, it is because we have exploited this resource to the extent that it is difficult to make up for what has been done to these forests by man himself. By intruding into the ecosystem through wrong practices they have disturbed the entire cycle of this part of the ecosystem. However, all hope is not yet lost. There are projects being conducted by the WWF and IUCN in coastal areas to make the locals more aware on how to help protect their environment and also by planning more mangrove trees. Being residents of a coastal city and seeing mangrove forests through out our lives, we hold more importance to his topic. Conservation and protection are keys to helping preserve this habitat. Global Deforestation and Causes It is not only Pakistan but globally that mangrove forests are facing a crisis. Some contributing factors are explained here. Population growth is considered as the biggest contributor world wide. Mangroves forests are being continuously reclaimed and converted in to Roads, ports, harbors, industries and urban setups etc. Also, the alternative use of mangrove forests as fish ponds generated high amounts of monetary gains in a very short time. Lack of government attention and overall lack of awareness in most countries has led to serious depletion. In addition, obscure regulations are either too complicated or inadequate to ensure the required conservation. The mangrove management agencies, mostly the local forestry departments, often do not have the adequate manpower and logistics required for the implementation of effective management. Mangroves of Pakistan Pakistan mostly has arid and semi-arid land with less than 250 mm of annual rainfall. The landscape is diverse consisting of high mountain systems, fragile watershed areas, alluvial plains, coastal mangroves, and dune deserts. Forests cover approximately 4.58 million ha (5.7 percent) in Pakistan. Of these, 0.132 million ha (less than 3 percent) are coastal mangrove forests. (Government of Pakistan, 1996) Pakistan is divided into 18 habitat types. Mangrove forests which are classified as one of them occur mainly in the Indus Delta and in a few patches westward along the Balochistan Coast. Mangroves cover approximately 129,000 ha in the Indus Delta and about 3,000 ha on the Balochistan Coast. The Indus Delta supports 97 percent of the total mangrove forest while the three pockets on the Balochistan Coast support the remaining 3 percent. . The Indus Delta is believed to have had as many as eight species, however most of which are now extinct in Pakistan. The Indus Delta is a vast area covering approximately 600,000 ha with a coastline of 250 km, mainly bordering the city of Karachi in the northwest. The Delta is also quite diverse comprising of 17 major creeks, numerous minor creeks, mudflats, and 129,000 ha of mangrove forests. The Indus River that flows through this Delta is the source of fresh water. 95 percent of the mangroves located in the Indus Delta are of the species Avicennia marina. Very small patches of Ceriops roxburghiana (Rhizophora family) and Aegicerias corniculata (Myrinaceal family) are found near the mouth of the Indus at Keti Bunder The 800-km long Balochistan coastline Mangroves occur in relatively protected lagoons and bays. The three pockets of mangroves occur at the following locations: Miani Hor: 95 km from Karachi, the lagoon covers an area of 7,471 ha Kalmat Khor: 315 km from Karachi, the lagoon covers an area of 10,216 ha Gawatar Bay: 515 km from Karachi, the bay covers an area of 26,316 ha Miani Hor is a swampy lagoon on the coast in the Lasbela district where the climate is very arid, with less than 200 mm of rain a year. The sources of fresh water for Miani Hor are the seasonal run-off rivers of Porali and Windor. The nearest river to the other lagoon, Kalmat Khor, is the Basol River, which runs 15 km east of Khor. Gawatar, the third site, is an open bay with a mouth almost as wide as its length. Its freshwater source is the Dasht River, the largest seasonal river of Baluchistan. Sonmiani Bay near Miani Hor houses three main villages -Sonmiani, Damb and Bhira where a total of about 7,000 people live. Almost every family here depends on fishery activities. Sonmiani houses a considerable Hindu community, which lived here for centuries peacefully with the majority Muslims. The Hindu families are not involved in the fishing itself; many of the men, however, are fish traders. Sonmiani originally meant City of Gold. Once, people in this region were so rich they paid their taxes in gold. The prosperity stemmed largely from the abundant fish catches. Also, small amounts of gold were found in the region. Fayyaz Rasool, the young and passionate conservation officer of the WWF mangrove conservation project. The population of the Kalmat area is approximately 2,000. 95% of them are fishermen and belong to Kalmati and Sanghoor clan/tribes. The average monthly income of the majority of the household is about Rs. 3,000/month. Education in the area is very low and only about 5% of the population can read and write while almost all of the womenfolk are illiterate. The human population in and around mangrove forests is about 1.2 million. Nearly 900,000 people reside in the Indus Delta and 300,000 on the Balochistan Coast. The number of households is estimated to be about 140,000 in the Indus Delta and 30,000 on the Balochistan Coast. Over 90 percent of the population is directly or indirectly engaged in fishing. High returns associated with fishing are causing rapid population growth. On average, the population in the coastal areas has been growing at a rate of 6 to 8 percent annually over the last ten years. Migrants from other areas of the country, Bangladesh, and Burma, who come mostly to the Indus Delta, have contributed to this growth. Importance of Mangrove Forests So why are mangrove forests so important to ecology? Well, Mangrove forests are not just a harvesting ground for mosquitoes but it is considered to be an important productive ecological system that serves both the marine life and human beings. Many diverse species of fish, crab, shrimps and mollusk inhabit mangrove forests. Also, coastal birds use the mangrove canopy for nesting, roosting and feeding that further ads up to the vast ecosystem of these forests. A team of researchers have noted that the woody coastline-dwelling plants provide more than 10 percent of essential dissolved organic carbon that is supplied to the global ocean from land (ScienceDaily (Feb. 27, 2006)). Mangroves serve as nursing grounds for juvenile fish with refuge from large predators. The roots provide these fishes camouflage, as well as food till they do not become of a mature size. Another function of this amazing species is that they are important in protecting the coastal areas from tsunamis. The dense root systems trap sediments coming from rivers creating a wall against high wave events. They even protect these sediments to reach other marine habitats such as coral reefs which need clear water to survive. Mangrove wood is highly valuable as it is resistant to rot and insects. This creates a commercial use for these forests by indigenous coastal communities that rely on this wood to for construction as well as fuel. It also serves medicinal purposes and fodder for their livestock. Mangrove forests, if given the importance, serve as great tourist attractions from its coral reefs and sandy beaches, but surprisingly only few countries have recognized the tourist potential of their mangrove forests. This is where the new awareness of ec-tourism can help. Causes of Mangrove Depletion So far we have discussed the importance of mangroves, the current situation in Pakistan and the importance of mangroves with respect to Pakistan. Now we focus on the causes of depletion of mangroves in Pakistan. One of the major causes of depletion of mangroves in Pakistan is the same as we have seen world wide, that is, the expansion of human civilization that leads to deforestation. We are progressing at a very high rate but that does not mean that we ignore the natural gifts that nature has provided us with. We must learn to live with nature in peace rather than destroying it, that to for our own good. Talking about Pakistan specifically, there is a clear case of mismanagement. This was highlighted in a workshop conducted in Islamabad (3rdJuly 2009) where this issue was raised with regard to the role of government, which was criticized for not protecting mangroves forests in the Sindh coastal area. It was discussed that there is a constant degradation in the mangroves of Sindhs coastal area due to the governments negligence and as no clear strategy was devised for their conservation. It was argued that apart from the lack of surveillance and expansion activities, the conflict of owner ship of such land is also a huge contributor to the present condition. There have been long pending cases of how and to whom to the areas belong, still there is no clear answer and the lands are left unattended. Changes in the expansion of sand dunes, non-flow of fresh water into the sea, and unchecked cutting and sale of mangroves have been contributing to the depletion of mangroves. When this cuttin g is done on a large scale it is usually for the purposes of reclaiming the area into land. Sadly, it is the authorities that are doing this for the government. However it is still unclear whose jurisdiction this falls under, the Karachi Port Trust or some other, and therefore who will administer. The inflow of untreated sewage into the swamps is growing day by day as well and there is no main authority to gauge and administer this. Thus illegal work continues and there is no one to manage it due to lack of coordination amongst the departments. Consequences of Deforestation The mangroves plantations are the breeding grounds for thousands of species which thrive in a combination of saline and freshwater reservoirs. Due to illegal cutting and grazing the mangroves are rapidly vanishing, only four species have been spared out of the original eight. However despite the local externalities, the reduced flow of freshwater is the major reason behind their destruction. The pace of devastation has dramatically increased over the time which is alarming. Obviously, their destruction is directly linked to the low catch of fish and shrimps. At least 10 MAF of freshwater downstream the Kotri barrage is needed to rehabilitate the region if we desire to fish in the same manner. At present, the greatest threat to mangroves worldwide is the farmed shrimp industry. Mangroves are natural nurseries for shrimp, and this industry destroys the mangroves by cutting them in wide swaths to make room for artificial ponds. These ponds are closed off to prevent the shrimp from swimming back to the sea. Without the natural cleansing of the tides, the ponds soon become polluted and laden with chemicals added by the farmers. Although not all farmed shrimp are raised in this environmentally destructive manner, in some countries this type of farming predominates. If current trends persist then entire biodiversity of the area would be lost, also leading to serious social and economic repercussions. Over 90 per cent of the population of Keti Bunder is illiterate and lives well below the poverty line. If the mangrove forest is exhausted not only that area would be vulnerable to cyclones and tsunamis, but also innumerable fishermen would loose their livelihood and their way of life hence its vital for the eco-system without which this fragile habitat would fall victim to extinction. Every monsoon, fishermen suffer damages due to rising sea tides. However, there was no help ever from any official quarters. Most fishermen in the affected creek areas spent the night in boats as many houses were inundated in front of their eyes and their precious belongings were lost, many have shifted to the inland area of Babu Dablu village near the Keti Bunder Town from Chaan and Hajamro creeks a few years ago. Though the coastal area faces a number of problems, the foremost is the lack of drinking water supply. Keti Bunder has no direct line for drinking water while official work on the same continues at a snails pace. Water is brought in through tankers and is sold for Rs1000 to Rs2000 a trip. Landlords buy water; some store it in their tank, which is then supplied to inland and creek areas. Four to five gallons of water is sold at Rs25 to R30. Middlemen, who give credit to fishermen on interest and then continue to exploit them for generations, are also supported by landlords. Keti Bunder fisherman facing sea intrusion which has become faster in recent decades, has swallowed up 28 dehs (settlements) out of the 42 and the population has been displaced thrice. Abject poverty, disease and government apathy have left the people hopeless and almost the entire population has been hooked to gutka. Even women and children are not free of the addiction. Some non-government organizations are doing their bit, but that is too little to improve the lives of thousands of people. What is there to live for? Gutka is a big relief. It helps us to get rid of hunger, pain and the agony and weakness of illness, said another fisherman. About the exploitative tactics of the middlemen, he said these people provided poor fishermen with loans for meeting travel expenses. Things were not that bad when I was young. We used to have a good catch and lived a healthier life. Now, its difficult even to feed children during off season, said Mohammad Hasan, an old man with poor health and eyesight. My eye problem has spread to such an extent that I cant even see now. I went to a doctor in Gharo, but I couldnt continue the treatment since I didnt have money. I spend my entire day sitting on the chair listening to surrounding voices and, at times, reminiscing bygone days. Reforestation of Mangroves In Pakistan there are currently different organizations working towards reducing the negative impact caused by the people on the mangrove ecosystem. Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) is a civil society organization that envisages change. To change the policies and practices of the state and its institutions in Pakistan, regarding the fisheries sector, would highlight sustainable fisheries policy that will empower the fishers and will ensure the preservation of natural resources which are depleting in abundant quantity. Organizations such as the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), WWF, the World Bank, the Forest Department budgets and the National Mangrove Committee of Pakistan are working for the reforestation of mangroves. In addition to that studies on the mangroves are being encouraged. In 1980, the Commission of Ecology of the IUCN created a group to collate existing information on the status of mangroves globally for using it in the management, guidance and conservation of this natural resource. The focus of these programmes is to initiate a development strategy in order to save the mangroves from the hazards of human activities. There is also an emphasis on the availability of alternatives for the villagers who are dependent on these forests for fuel and fodder. About the WWF intervention under the Indus for All Programme, a number of initiatives have been taken with community support. They included setting up of five wind turbines in coastal and inland areas, mangrove plantation, uniting villagers under community-based organizations and provision of boats with water tanks that feed four villages. Medical camps and workshops for awareness-raising had also been held. In 1985, the government initiated a programme for replanting of mangroves. The IUCN- Pakistan, the UNDP/UNESCO, Regional mangrove project, and the Sindh Forest Department were involved in this project. More than 9,000 hectares were planted around the Indus Delta. A survey that gauged the dependence of local people on these mangroves showed that about 100,000 people depended on them. They lacked many facilities and even did not have proper drinking water. In response to the survey the IUCN-Pakistan initiated a mass plantation in the coastal villages. The purpose of the programme was to establish wood lots and to create an alternative source of fuel and fodder for their animals and reduce their dependence on the inter-tidal mangrove. The villagers were given technical support to grow these plants in their own vicinity. The local villagers maintain these plantations at present. Conclusion: It is disappointing to see Pakistan lose such a great gift of nature. However, there is still some time to cope with the damage that has been done. There are projects happening on a small scale but more has to be done, especially from the federal level. Mangrove cover is almost 132,000ha, and the coastal areas are still home to a great number of people, many of them indigenous. In a recent project by the WWF 541,176 mangrove saplings were planted by 300 local fisherman volunteers in one day, they broke the previous record of 447,874 tress planted by India(Posted:16 July 2009,WWF.org ) This was a great initiative taken up by the WWF and formed a healthy competition between the two countries. What was even more interesting about this project and should be followed is that it involved the local people into something that made them involved with their environment and for their benefit and that of the eco system. However, unfortunately the government is still not trying to work on a system to generate the maximum, in a better, more environmentally friendly way. Even though, if this area is looked into and invested in, it could be an even greater industry, with a bigger contribution to the GDP, as well as help in the socio-economic development of the area. The main form of earning in these local indigenous areas is fishing. However, over the last few years this has diminished as the number of fish in the sea has been becoming lesser because of the causes stated above. This is disrupting the lives and livelihood of these people as many are planning to give up this occupation and migrate to the cities for a better livelihood, including the women. It is our duty as contributors to this countrys environment to conserve these forests not just for our selves or our future generations, but also for the marine life that depends heavily on these plantations. Conservation of these mangroves is essential for the increasingly polluting environment of our society and it lies upon the shoulders of both the government and the locals to find ways to sustain this habitat in our country. Citations: http://bcrc.bio.umass.edu/vifishandwildlife/Education/FactSheet/PDF_Docs/28Mangroves.pdf http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060227123154.htm http://www.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/coasts/mangroves/mangrove_importance/ http://www.wwfpak.org/pdf/tp_vdp_kalmat.pdf http://www.wwfpak.org/pdf/forest_mangrove_rcpakistan.pdf http://assets.panda.org/downloads/pakistan.pdf http://www.pff.org.pk/ http://www.pakissan.com/english/news/newsDetail.php?newsid=8189 http://www.fao.org/forestry/docrep/wfcxi/PUBLI/V6/T386E/1-3.HTM http://www.wwfpak.org/foreverindus/pdf/newsnevents/inpress/dawn220109.pdf http://www.dawn.com/2008/07/04/local11.htm http://www.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_freshwater/freshwater_news/?170461/WWF-rewards-Pakistan-for-tree-planting-world-record_sc=1

Aeronautical Engineers Essay example -- Papers

Aeronautical Engineers Description Aeronautical engineers apply the principle of science and technology in work with highly sophisticated products such as aircrafts, missiles and space satellites. They usually specialise in research, design manufacture and production, or the management of maintenance programs Qualifications required The usual qualifications for entry into this career is a degree. However, it may be possible to enter with an HND or HNC. Entry to a relevant engineering degree with: * 2/3 A-levels with GCSEs (A-C) 2/3 in other subjects * A relevant GCSE in a vocational subject or Intermediate GNVQ may be acceptable as an alternative to academic GCSEs * At A level, Maths and Physics are often preferred and may be essential. Equivalent qualifications such as an Edexcel (BTEC) or National Certificate or National Diploma or a Vocational A level (Advanced GNVQ) may be acceptable, it may also b advisable to check the prospectus. 1 A-level with 4 GCSEs (A-C). At A level, maths or physics is preferred. Again, equivalent qualifications are usually acceptable. Skills and Qualities necessary * You must be able to combine an analytical, logical approach with creativity and imaginations to solve problems * Engineers must be able to work as part of a team. The ability to encourage other peoples ideas is important, and you must aslope be flexible and able to compromise. You will need strong communication skills to write reports and to explain complex engineering information to people from non-technical backgrounds. * You will need organisationa... ...rlines, the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence. Some Aeronautical Engineers apply their knowledge of Aeronautical in other areas, for example, in companies that make vehicles such as cares, trains and hovercrafts. You can also work in the communication industry, dealing with satellites, or in construction, dealing with high, winds blown structures. Contacts EMTA, Engineering Careers Information Service (ECIS), Emta House, 14 Upton Road, Watford, Hertfordshire WD18 0JT. (Freephone: 0800 282167)] Telephone :01923 238441 Email: ecis@emta.org.uk Website: www. Enginuity.org.uk Employer Engineering and Physicals Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1ET (Award) Telephone :01793 444100 Email: infoline@epsrc.ac.uk Website: www. epsrc.ac.uk