Finance and Banking Essay

â€Å"Identify an experience in which you failed to communicate a message.† As mentioned in the communication process, communication has only succeeded when the information given by the sender has been received and understood by the recipient. If the recipient has not understood the information, then this may not necessarily be the recipient’s fault. Typically, ineffective communications can be attributed to one of three things: 1. A poor message;  * The message was too short; * The message was too long; * The message was ambiguous 2. Poor transmission; * That the message is being delivered in a wrong format that the recipient both does not expect and understands; * That the message is being delivered when the recipient does not need it, and where the recipient will not expect to find it. 3. Poor reception;  * A lack of awareness; * Obstructionism; * A lack of understanding; A striking example where I failed to communicate a message was my first day as an ‘A’-Level biology teacher at a certain private college. I was lost and found myself tutoring a form 4 class instead of a form 6 class. Some of the teaching staff read, â€Å"Human monocytes were cultured for 24 h in serum-free AIM-V medium, followed by 24-h maturation by polyriboinosinic polyribocytidylic acid (polyI:C). Short term cultured, polyI:C-maturated DC, far more than immature DC, showed typical mature DC markers and high allogeneic stimulatory capacity and had high autologous stimulatory capacity in an influenza model system using peptide-pulsed DC. Electroporation of mRNA as an Ag-loading strategy in these cells was optimized using mRNA encoding the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). Monocytes electroporated with EGFP mRNA, followed by short term, serum-free differentiation to mature DC, had a phenotype of DC, and all showed positive EGFP fluorescence. Influenza matrix protein mRNA-electroporated monocytes cultured serum-free and maturated with polyI:C showed high stimulatory capacity in autologous T cell activation experiments†. The text content was technically correct, but it was presented to the wrong audience, there was every chance that the students would not understand it. Such an example is a clear cut illustration of failure to communicate a message. â€Å"Investigate and discuss the possible forms of noise that can interfere with the communication process†. Communication noise refers to obstructions on effective communication that influence the interpretation of conveyed messages. While often looked over, communication noise can have a profound impact both on our perception of interactions with others and our analysis of our own communication proficiency. Forms of communication noise include psychological noise, physical noise, physiological and semantic noise. As postulated by (F. Teague, 2010), Nothing is so simple that it cannot be misunderstood hence all these forms of noise subtly, yet greatly influence our communication with others and are vitally important to anyone’s skills as a competent communicator. Psychological noise Psychological noise refers to qualities in us that affect how we communicate and interpret others. For instance, if you are preoccupied with a problem, you may be inattentive at a team meeting. Likewise, prejudice and defensive feelings can interfere with communication. Psychological noise results from preconceived notions we bring to conversations, such as racial stereotypes, reputations, biases, and assumptions. When we come into a conversation with ideas about what the other person is going to say and why, we can easily become blinded to their original message. Most of the time psychological noise is impossible to free ourselves from, and we must simply strive to recognize that it exists and take those distractions into account when we converse with others. Physical noise Physical noise is any external or environmental stimulus that distracts us from receiving the intended message sent by a communicator (Rothwell, 2011). Examples of physical noise include: others talking in the background, background music, overly dim or bright lights, spam and pop-up adverts, extreme temperatures, crowded conditions, a startling noise and acknowledging someone outside of the conversation. Semantic noise This is noise caused by the sender, that is, the encoder. This type of noise occurs when grammar or technical language is used that the receiver (the decoder) cannot understand, or cannot understand clearly. Semantic noise exists when words themselves are not mutually understood. Authors sometimes create semantic noise by using jargon or unnecessarily technical language. Physiological noise Physiological noise is distraction caused by hunger, fatigue, headaches, medication, and other factors that affect how we feel and think.

The Period of New Society

With the declaration of Martial Law, President Marcos popularized the New Society which he claimed was envisioned to carry out a meaningful social change. In order to create a positive image in the public consciousness as well as in the local and foreign media that he was serious in effecting these changes, he initiated the following: 1. Dismissal from office of civil servants who were found guilty of corruption and abuse of authority; 2. Punishment of drug pushers; 3. Setting curfew to solve worsening criminality rate; 4. Popularization of â€Å"Isang Bansa, Isang Diwa† philosophy to instill nationalism among Filipinos; and 5. Training of citizens to be disciplined and law-abiding. Meanwhile, in order to entertain and relieve the people from alarming social and political problems, his government initiates the following: 1. Establishment of theme parks such as the Coconut palace in Pasay, Palace in the Sky in Tagaytay and National Arts Centre in Makiling, Laguna; and cultural institutions such as Cultural Centre of the Philippines, Folk Arts Centre and Film Centre. 2. Sponsorship of cultural shows; . Popularization of indigenous culture; 4. Manipulation of the contents of the newspapers and textbooks on his favour; 5. Bribery of media commentators in order to sugar-coat the programs of his administration; and 6. Publication and popularization of literature about his political philosophy such as â€Å"democratic revolution† and â€Å"revolution from the center†. Ferdinard Marcos with Secretary of State George Shultz, 1982. Amidst the rising wave of lawlessness and the threat of a Communist insurgency, Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972, by virtue of Proclamation No. 081. Marcos, ruling by decree, curtailed press freedom and other civil liberties, closed down Congress and media establishments, and ordered the arrest of opposition leaders and militant activists, including his staunchest critics, senators Benigno Aquino, Jr. , Jovito Salonga and Jose Diokno. [25] The declaration of martial law was initially well received, given the social turmoil the Philippines was experiencing. [26] Crime rates plunged dramatically after a curfew was implemented. [27] Many political o pponents were forced to go into exile. A constitutional convention, which had been called for in 1970 to replace the Commonwealth era 1935 Constitution, continued the work of framing a new constitution after the declaration of martial law. The new constitution went into effect in early 1973, changing the form of government from presidential to parliamentary and allowing Marcos to stay in power beyond 1973. Marcos claimed that martial law was the prelude to creating his Bagong Lipunan, a â€Å"New Society† based on new social and political values. [28] The economy during the 1970s was robust, with budgetary and trade surpluses. The Gross National Product rose from P55 billion in 1972 to P193 billion in 1980. Tourism rose, contributing to the economy's growth. However, Marcos, his cronies and his wife, Imelda, willfully engaged in rampant corruption. [29] After putting in force amendments to the constitution, legislative action, and securing his sweeping powers and with the Batasan under his control, President Marcos lifted martial law on January 17, 1981. However, the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus continued in the autonomous regions of Western Mindanao and Central Mindanao. The opposition dubbed the lifting of martial law as a mere â€Å"face lifting† as a precondition to the visit of Pope John Paul II. [30] Marcos had a vision of a Bagong Lipunan (New Society) similar to Indonesian president Suharto's â€Å"New Order administration†. He used the years of martial law to implement this vision. According to Marcos's book, â€Å"Notes on the New Society,† it was a movement urging the poor and the privileged to work as one for the common goals of society and to achieve the liberation of the Filipino people through self-realization. Marcos confiscated businesses owned by the oligarchy. More often than not, they were taken over by Marcos's family members and close personal friends, who used them as fronts to launder proceeds from institutionalized graft and corruption in the different national governmental agencies as â€Å"crony capitalism,† Marcos' friends using them for personal benefit. With genuinely nationalistic motives, crony capitalism was intended to redistribute monopolies traditionally owned by Chinese and Mestizo oligarchs to Filipino businessmen though in practice, it led to graft and corruption via bribery, racketeering, and embezzlement. Marcos also silenced the free press, making the state press the only legal one. He also seized privately owned lands and distributed them to farmers. By waging an ideological war against the oligarchy, Marcos gained the support of the masses though he was to create a new one in its place. Marcos, now free from day-to-day governance which was left mostly to Enrile using his power to settle scores against old rivals, such as the Lopezes, who were always opposed to the Marcos administration. Leading opponents such as Senators Benigno Aquino, Jr. , Jose Diokno, Jovito Salonga and many others were imprisoned for months or years. This practice considerably alienated the support of the old social and economic elite and the media, who criticized the Marcos administration endlessly. The declaration of martial law was initially very well received, given the social turmoil the Philippines was experiencing though the rest of the world was surprised at how the Filipinos accepted Marcos's self-imposed dictatorship. Soon after Marcos declared martial law, one American official described the Philippines as a country composed â€Å"of 40 million cowards and one son of a bitch†; otherwise, he reasoned, they should have risen against the destroyer of their freedom. 31] Crime rates plunged dramatically after dusk curfews were implemented and the country would enjoy economic prosperity throughout the 1970s in the midst of growing dissent to his strong-willed rule toward the end of martial law. Political opponents were given the opportunity of compliance or forced to go into exile. As a result, thousands migrated to o ther countries, like the U. S. and Canada. Public dissent on the streets was not tolerated and leaders of such protests were promptly arrested, detained, tortured, or never heard from again. Communist leaders, as well as sympathizers, were forced to flee from the cities to the countrysides, where they multiplied. Lim Seng, a feared drug lord, was arrested and executed in Luneta in 1972. As martial law dragged on for the next nine years, human rights violations went unchecked, and graft and corruption by the military and the administration became widespread, as made manifest by the Rolex 12. Over the years, Marcos's hand was strengthened by the support of the armed forces, whose size he tripled to 230,000 troops, after declaring martial law in 1972. The forces included some first-rate units as well as thousands of unruly and ill equipped personnel of the civilian home defense forces and other paramilitary organizations. Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, Chief of Staff of the Philippine Constabulary Fidel Ramos, and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Fabian Ver were the chief administrators of martial law from 1972 to 1981, and the three remained President Marcos's closest advisers until he was ousted in 1986. Enrile and Ramos would later abandon Marcos's ‘sinking ship' and seek protection behind the 1986 People Power Revolution. The Catholic hierarchy and Manila's middle class were crucial to the success of the massive crusade. [edit] Prime Minister (1972-1981) Ferdinard Marcos with Secretary of State George Shultz, 1982. Amidst the rising wave of lawlessness and the threat of a Communist insurgency, Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972, by virtue of Proclamation No. 1081. Marcos, ruling by decree, curtailed press freedom and other civil liberties, closed down Congress and media establishments, and ordered the arrest of opposition leaders and militant activists, including his staunchest critics, senators Benigno Aquino, Jr. , Jovito Salonga and Jose Diokno. [25] The declaration of martial law was initially well received, given the social turmoil the Philippines was experiencing. [26] Crime rates plunged dramatically after a curfew was implemented. [27] Many political opponents were forced to go into exile. A constitutional convention, which had been called for in 1970 to replace the Commonwealth era 1935 Constitution, continued the work of framing a new constitution after the declaration of martial law. The new constitution went into effect in early 1973, changing the form of government from presidential to parliamentary and allowing Marcos to stay in power beyond 1973. Marcos claimed that martial law was the prelude to creating his Bagong Lipunan, a â€Å"New Society† based on new social and political values. [28] The economy during the 1970s was robust, with budgetary and trade surpluses. The Gross National Product rose from P55 billion in 1972 to P193 billion in 1980. Tourism rose, contributing to the economy's growth. However, Marcos, his cronies and his wife, Imelda, willfully engaged in rampant corruption. [29] After putting in force amendments to the constitution, legislative action, and securing his sweeping powers and with the Batasan under his control, President Marcos lifted martial law on January 17, 1981. However, the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus continued in the autonomous regions of Western Mindanao and Central Mindanao. The opposition dubbed the lifting of martial law as a mere â€Å"face lifting† as a precondition to the visit of Pope John Paul II. [30] Marcos had a vision of a Bagong Lipunan (New Society) similar to Indonesian president Suharto's â€Å"New Order administration†. He used the years of martial law to implement this vision. According to Marcos's book, â€Å"Notes on the New Society,† it was a movement urging the poor and the privileged to work as one for the common goals of society and to achieve the liberation of the Filipino people through self-realization. Marcos confiscated businesses owned by the oligarchy. More often than not, they were taken over by Marcos's family members and close personal friends, who used them as fronts to launder proceeds from institutionalized graft and corruption in the different national governmental agencies as â€Å"crony capitalism,† Marcos' friends using them for personal benefit. With genuinely nationalistic motives, crony capitalism was intended to redistribute monopolies traditionally owned by Chinese and Mestizo oligarchs to Filipino businessmen though in practice, it led to graft and corruption via bribery, racketeering, and embezzlement. Marcos also silenced the free press, making the state press the only legal one. He also seized privately owned lands and distributed them to farmers. By waging an ideological war against the oligarchy, Marcos gained the support of the masses though he was to create a new one in its place. Marcos, now free from day-to-day governance which was left mostly to Enrile using his power to settle scores against old rivals, such as the Lopezes, who were always opposed to the Marcos administration. Leading opponents such as Senators Benigno Aquino, Jr. , Jose Diokno, Jovito Salonga and many others were imprisoned for months or years. This practice considerably alienated the support of the old social and economic elite and the media, who criticized the Marcos administration endlessly. The declaration of martial law was initially very well received, given the social turmoil the Philippines was experiencing though the rest of the world was surprised at how the Filipinos accepted Marcos's self-imposed dictatorship. Soon after Marcos declared martial law, one American official described the Philippines as a country composed â€Å"of 40 million cowards and one son of a bitch†; otherwise, he reasoned, they should have risen against the destroyer of their freedom. 31] Crime rates plunged dramatically after dusk curfews were implemented and the country would enjoy economic prosperity throughout the 1970s in the midst of growing dissent to his strong-willed rule toward the end of martial law. Political opponents were given the opportunity of compliance or forced to go into exile. As a result, thousands migrated to o ther countries, like the U. S. and Canada. Public dissent on the streets was not tolerated and leaders of such protests were promptly arrested, detained, tortured, or never heard from again. Communist leaders, as well as sympathizers, were forced to flee from the cities to the countrysides, where they multiplied. Lim Seng, a feared drug lord, was arrested and executed in Luneta in 1972. As martial law dragged on for the next nine years, human rights violations went unchecked, and graft and corruption by the military and the administration became widespread, as made manifest by the Rolex 12. Over the years, Marcos's hand was strengthened by the support of the armed forces, whose size he tripled to 230,000 troops, after declaring martial law in 1972. The forces included some first-rate units as well as thousands of unruly and ill equipped personnel of the civilian home defense forces and other paramilitary organizations. Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, Chief of Staff of the Philippine Constabulary Fidel Ramos, and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Fabian Ver were the chief administrators of martial law from 1972 to 1981, and the three remained President Marcos's closest advisers until he was ousted in 1986. Enrile and Ramos would later abandon Marcos's ‘sinking ship' and seek protection behind the 1986 People Power Revolution. The Catholic hierarchy and Manila's middle class were crucial to the success of the massive crusade. [edit] Prime Minister (1972-1981) Ferdinard Marcos with Secretary of State George Shultz, 1982. Amidst the rising wave of lawlessness and the threat of a Communist insurgency, Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972, by virtue of Proclamation No. 1081. Marcos, ruling by decree, curtailed press freedom and other civil liberties, closed down Congress and media establishments, and ordered the arrest of opposition leaders and militant activists, including his staunchest critics, senators Benigno Aquino, Jr. , Jovito Salonga and Jose Diokno. [25] The declaration of martial law was initially well received, given the social turmoil the Philippines was experiencing. [26] Crime rates plunged dramatically after a curfew was implemented. [27] Many political opponents were forced to go into exile. A constitutional convention, which had been called for in 1970 to replace the Commonwealth era 1935 Constitution, continued the work of framing a new constitution after the declaration of martial law. The new constitution went into effect in early 1973, changing the form of government from presidential to parliamentary and allowing Marcos to stay in power beyond 1973. Marcos claimed that martial law was the prelude to creating his Bagong Lipunan, a â€Å"New Society† based on new social and political values. [28] The economy during the 1970s was robust, with budgetary and trade surpluses. The Gross National Product rose from P55 billion in 1972 to P193 billion in 1980. Tourism rose, contributing to the economy's growth. However, Marcos, his cronies and his wife, Imelda, willfully engaged in rampant corruption. [29] After putting in force amendments to the constitution, legislative action, and securing his sweeping powers and with the Batasan under his control, President Marcos lifted martial law on January 17, 1981. However, the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus continued in the autonomous regions of Western Mindanao and Central Mindanao. The opposition dubbed the lifting of martial law as a mere â€Å"face lifting† as a precondition to the visit of Pope John Paul II. [30] Marcos had a vision of a Bagong Lipunan (New Society) similar to Indonesian president Suharto's â€Å"New Order administration†. He used the years of martial law to implement this vision. According to Marcos's book, â€Å"Notes on the New Society,† it was a movement urging the poor and the privileged to work as one for the common goals of society and to achieve the liberation of the Filipino people through self-realization. Marcos confiscated businesses owned by the oligarchy. More often than not, they were taken over by Marcos's family members and close personal friends, who used them as fronts to launder proceeds from institutionalized graft and corruption in the different national governmental agencies as â€Å"crony capitalism,† Marcos' friends using them for personal benefit. With genuinely nationalistic motives, crony capitalism was intended to redistribute monopolies traditionally owned by Chinese and Mestizo oligarchs to Filipino businessmen though in practice, it led to graft and corruption via bribery, racketeering, and embezzlement. Marcos also silenced the free press, making the state press the only legal one. He also seized privately owned lands and distributed them to farmers. By waging an ideological war against the oligarchy, Marcos gained the support of the masses though he was to create a new one in its place. Marcos, now free from day-to-day governance which was left mostly to Enrile using his power to settle scores against old rivals, such as the Lopezes, who were always opposed to the Marcos administration. Leading opponents such as Senators Benigno Aquino, Jr. , Jose Diokno, Jovito Salonga and many others were imprisoned for months or years. This practice considerably alienated the support of the old social and economic elite and the media, who criticized the Marcos administration endlessly. The declaration of martial law was initially very well received, given the social turmoil the Philippines was experiencing though the rest of the world was surprised at how the Filipinos accepted Marcos's self-imposed dictatorship. Soon after Marcos declared martial law, one American official described the Philippines as a country composed â€Å"of 40 million cowards and one son of a bitch†; otherwise, he reasoned, they should have risen against the destroyer of their freedom. 31] Crime rates plunged dramatically after dusk curfews were implemented and the country would enjoy economic prosperity throughout the 1970s in the midst of growing dissent to his strong-willed rule toward the end of martial law. Political opponents were given the opportunity of compliance or forced to go into exile. As a result, thousands migrated to o ther countries, like the U. S. and Canada. Public dissent on the streets was not tolerated and leaders of such protests were promptly arrested, detained, tortured, or never heard from again. Communist leaders, as well as sympathizers, were forced to flee from the cities to the countrysides, where they multiplied. Lim Seng, a feared drug lord, was arrested and executed in Luneta in 1972. As martial law dragged on for the next nine years, human rights violations went unchecked, and graft and corruption by the military and the administration became widespread, as made manifest by the Rolex 12. Over the years, Marcos's hand was strengthened by the support of the armed forces, whose size he tripled to 230,000 troops, after declaring martial law in 1972. The forces included some first-rate units as well as thousands of unruly and ill equipped personnel of the civilian home defense forces and other paramilitary organizations. Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, Chief of Staff of the Philippine Constabulary Fidel Ramos, and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Fabian Ver were the chief administrators of martial law from 1972 to 1981, and the three remained President Marcos's closest advisers until he was ousted in 1986. Enrile and Ramos would later abandon Marcos's ‘sinking ship' and seek protection behind the 1986 People Power Revolution. The Catholic hierarchy and Manila's middle class were crucial to the success of the massive crusade. Ferdinard Marcos with Secretary of State George Shultz, 1982. Amidst the rising wave of lawlessness and the threat of a Communist insurgency, Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972, by virtue of Proclamation No. 1081. Marcos, ruling by decree, curtailed press freedom and other civil liberties, closed down Congress and media establishments, and ordered the arrest of opposition leaders and militant activists, including his staunchest critics, senators Benigno Aquino, Jr. Jovito Salonga and Jose Diokno. [25] The declaration of martial law was initially well received, given the social turmoil the Philippines was experiencing. [26] Crime rates plunged dramatically after a curfew was implemented. [27] Many political opponents were forced to go into exile. A constitutional convention, which had been called for in 1970 to replace the Commonwealth era 1935 Constitution, continued th e work of framing a new constitution after the declaration of martial law. The new constitution went into effect in early 1973, changing the form of government from presidential to parliamentary and allowing Marcos to stay in power beyond 1973. Marcos claimed that martial law was the prelude to creating his Bagong Lipunan, a â€Å"New Society† based on new social and political values. [28] The economy during the 1970s was robust, with budgetary and trade surpluses. The Gross National Product rose from P55 billion in 1972 to P193 billion in 1980. Tourism rose, contributing to the economy's growth. However, Marcos, his cronies and his wife, Imelda, willfully engaged in rampant corruption. [29] After putting in force amendments to the constitution, legislative action, and securing his sweeping powers and with the Batasan under his control, President Marcos lifted martial law on January 17, 1981. However, the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus continued in the autonomous regions of Western Mindanao and Central Mindanao. The opposition dubbed the lifting of martial law as a mere â€Å"face lifting† as a precondition to the visit of Pope John Paul II. 30] Marcos had a vision of a Bagong Lipunan (New Society) similar to Indonesian president Suharto's â€Å"New Order administration†. He used the years of martial law to implement this vision. According to Marcos's book, â€Å"Notes on the New Society,† it was a movement urging the poor and the privileged to work as one for the common goals of society and to achieve the liberation of the Filip ino people through self-realization. Marcos confiscated businesses owned by the oligarchy. More often than not, they were taken over by Marcos's family members and close personal friends, who used them as fronts to launder proceeds from institutionalized graft and corruption in the different national governmental agencies as â€Å"crony capitalism,† Marcos' friends using them for personal benefit. With genuinely nationalistic motives, crony capitalism was intended to redistribute monopolies traditionally owned by Chinese and Mestizo oligarchs to Filipino businessmen though in practice, it led to graft and corruption via bribery, racketeering, and embezzlement. Marcos also silenced the free press, making the state press the only legal one. He also seized privately owned lands and distributed them to farmers. By waging an ideological war against the oligarchy, Marcos gained the support of the masses though he was to create a new one in its place. Marcos, now free from day-to-day governance which was left mostly to Enrile using his power to settle scores against old rivals, such as the Lopezes, who were always opposed to the Marcos administration. Leading opponents such as Senators Benigno Aquino, Jr. , Jose Diokno, Jovito Salonga and many others were imprisoned for months or years. This practice considerably alienated the support of the old social and economic elite and the media, who criticized the Marcos administration endlessly. The declaration of martial law was initially very well received, given the social turmoil the Philippines was experiencing though the rest of the world was surprised at how the Filipinos accepted Marcos's self-imposed dictatorship. Soon after Marcos declared martial law, one American official described the Philippines as a country composed â€Å"of 40 million cowards and one son of a bitch†; otherwise, he reasoned, they should have risen against the destroyer of their freedom. [31] Crime rates plunged dramatically after dusk curfews were implemented and the country would enjoy economic prosperity throughout the 1970s in the midst of growing dissent to his strong-willed rule toward the end of martial law. Political opponents were given the opportunity of compliance or forced to go into exile. As a result, thousands migrated to other countries, like the U. S. and Canada. Public dissent on the streets was not tolerated and leaders of such protests were promptly arrested, detained, tortured, or never heard from again. Communist leaders, as well as sympathizers, were forced to flee from the cities to the countrysides, where they multiplied. Lim Seng, a feared drug lord, was arrested and executed in Luneta in 1972. As martial law dragged on for the next nine years, human rights violations went unchecked, and graft and corruption by the military and the administration became widespread, as made manifest by the Rolex 12. Over the years, Marcos's hand was strengthened by the support of the armed forces, whose size he tripled to 230,000 troops, after declaring martial law in 1972. The forces included some first-rate units as well as thousands of unruly and ill equipped personnel of the civilian home defense forces and other paramilitary organizations. Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, Chief of Staff of the Philippine Constabulary Fidel Ramos, and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Fabian Ver were the chief administrators of martial law from 1972 to 1981, and the three remained President Marcos's closest advisers until he was ousted in 1986. Enrile and Ramos would later abandon Marcos's ‘sinking ship' and seek protection behind the 1986 People Power Revolution. The Catholic hierarchy and Manila's middle class were crucial to the success of the massive crusade. [edit] Prime Minister (1972-1981)

Argument Paper Assignment (frankenstein by mary shelley, penguin Essay

Argument Paper Assignment (frankenstein by mary shelley, penguin classic) - Essay Example He tries to understand masculinity, science, medicine, and surgery. According to Enderle and Shelly (233), he precisely explores the internal conflicts felt by practitioners in a variety of field. He reveals his urge to explore throughout the novel, always trying to discover a new life. In his effort to explore, he comes out to be unstable since he changes from time to time and a person with a lot of uncertainty. This also makes him ambiguous and very difficult to understand due to the way he behave and react towards nature and other people. In most cases, Frankenstein was learning from nature, mainly through observing what is going on around him and through what he experienced. By watching firewood next to the fire, he learns that it dries out and catches fire. Only a model human being who is concerned about nature and what is around him can do this. Moreover, by observing how other people react towards him, he learns that his appearance causes fear among other people (Joshua 47). He had made nature to be his teacher relying mainly from what he can sense and what he can observe as his source of knowledge (Enderle and Shelly 34). He does this to learn both about people and about the environment. However, he does not perceive that the knowledge he obtains might be inaccurate or inappropriate. Frankenstein had an ardent curiosity and a strong desire to excel and triumph in his undertakings. This can be shown by his dedication and determination to understand the relationship between human beings and their environment (Enderle and Shelly 53). He always tries to learn from everything he observes and everything he senses. He has a strong curiosity to understand what is happening in the world among different practitioners and nature. This can be clearly shown by his desire to understand the internal conflicts in different practitioners and his desire to understand science (Enderle and Shelly 36). He tries to understand how character can be formed

W7 Legal Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

W7 Legal Discussion - Essay Example Over the years, different interventions have been used in stopping this situation, including the use of criminal fines and sanctions for offenders. It is however debated in this paper that such criminal fines and sanctions are not severe enough to prevent health care fraud. King (2012) outlined different forms of health care fraud that are recorded in various health institutions throughout the country. An important point that King (2012) made while listing the forms of frauds was that as much as the fraud cost the country several billions of dollars year in and year out, the frauds are also very difficult to detect. What this means is that in a situation where there are not very deterring measures to discourage people from engaging in these frauds, they will continue to do them because of the idea that they will hardly be caught in their crimes. In the administration of health care also, prevention has always been noted to be the best way out to dealing with most administrative and clinical issues that come up (Stuart Showalter, 2011). With this said, it is important that there will be stiffer punishment to offenders such that those who have not been involved in these acts of fraud will have no motivation of engaging in them (Morris, 2009). Fraud and for that matter crime is an issue that works on a cost-benefit basis. This means that when people have a feeling that by engaging in crime, they get better benefits than what they suffer as a result of being caught, they are likely to repeat their actions. Even if those involved do not repeat their actions, those who have not been involved will have no deterrent not to be involved in it. To this end, it is important to take a new approach to preventing providers and organizations from engaging in health care fraud. From a very pragmatic perspective, it is recommended that offender who are found should have their licenses of

Florida Merid Award Program evaluation Term Paper

Florida Merid Award Program evaluation - Term Paper Example Eligibility and requirements of renewal are also very clear. It enhances and promotes improved performance in colleges. The program pressurizes teachers to achieve highly so as they can continuously get their awards (Buddin et al, 2007). The program also motivates teachers. Research indicates that an increase of one percent of salary may increase the performance of a teacher by about two percent. However, providing bonuses for good performance is more effective as compared to automatic pay rise since it can elevate the performance of a teacher to as much as nineteen percent. Merit award program attracts qualified applicants or candidates to the profession of teaching, since incomes vary largely and have a basis on the strength of local teachers unions and local tax revenue. The results received are positive. The program enhances high productivity or increased work quality as result of teachers working harder than expected. If teachers work consistently in strives to acquire merit pay increases, then the cumulative impact for the schools would be healthier than before (PEPC Report, 1999). School boards and superintendents are engaged in debates about the program. Instructional personnel who are part of teaching fraternity but not really teachers, or a group of teachers who tirelessly provide necessary instructions for students are also co-operated in the program. The program provides pay for teams or groups of teachers. The state now awards teachers’ salary on the basis of district’s average instead of individual teacher salary. It puts consideration on a variety of teacher performance measures. A combination of benefits gained by the student and the evaluations of the principal are used to assess the performance of the teacher. It increased the size of the award for teachers with less experience and low income. This was to motivate them to work harder than before. The district experiences a lot of flexibility to identify the section of teachers wh o should be awarded. The program offers enough time for the districts’ analysis of achievement data. For instance, teacher performance awards in the academic 2007-2008 were given as from 1st of July, 2008. This gave the districts enough time to analyze the students the achievement data for students, make a list of teachers to be awarded and distribute the awards. Weaknesses of the program The prospects for the Florida merit award program are not promising regardless of the anticipation through theoretical and empirical reasons that the program would generate positive results students which are to be used to measure teacher performance. Since the implementation of education reforms is done in a political setting, the potential of teacher merit award is not a reality. Whatever gains that may be generated from this program; those gains might not be realized due to the same implementation challenge that results in many other reforms. That is, when a reform in education possesses the theoretical potential for achievement, for that very reason, it will be alleged to be threatening to the established interests. The outcome is the very interests will give their resources, time and energy to diluting or blocking the reform, instead of enhancing its implementation on an extensive and exact basis. If the educational reform fails to deal with the

Hilton Worldwide Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Hilton Worldwide - Assignment Example The company has business operation in 88 countries through 3,800 hotels which offer 6301,000 rooms to its worldwide customers. The company dedicated to provide an exceptional experience to the millions of travellers stay every year with it different brands of hotels and resorts. Hilton Hotels and Resort is most important brand of Hilton Worldwide group which carry the brand recognition of the mother company Hilton Worldwide along with its own brand value. Hilton Hotels and Resort recognized as international hotel chain that includes many hotels and resort across the world. The brand has market presence in 540 locations in 78 countries. It provides contemporary and authentic hospitality services to the guests across the world. The core values and the USP this brand are thoughtful amenities, smart design; innovative dining options that makes this brand a global leader in the hospitality industry. The company has continuous focus on both the leisure travellers and business travellers in the locations where it presents. The company follows similar service design and locations in all the cities like it present near airports and major city centres in all the cities (Hilton Hotels $ Resorts, 2012). ... This journey of the company has been possible by the efficient and unique development strategies like the local know-how and field tested process that assists its business partners or the franchisee holders to effective develop and manage a business with global exposure and experiences. For developing a unique3 service design in all the properties i.e. hotels and resorts of it business partners, it assists to design, building, managing the property of the franchisee holders and other companies who wants to become a business partners and to gain global business experiences. The company is dedicated to provide all solutions to its business partners by its innovative expertise which has made this a leading brand in the worldwide hospitality industry. The company four different innovative divisions or group that has been simultaneously working together for development of this brand in terms of new franchisee acquisition in the different location of the world and they also provide all typ es of solution from construction of hotels and resorts to management services. These four efficient aspects of its total service to the business partners are performance advantage, architecture and construction, owner information services and Hilton management services. Performance advantage service is an innovative and integrated system which provides advanced technology and innovative solutions to the customers as well as the business partners. This service drives the business growth of this company through reduction of cost of cost services without hampering the quality the services it provides. Performance advantage services include seven different kind of innovative services which are Hilton HHonors, Hilton worldwide sales, reservation

Leadership Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership Book Review - Essay Example Divided into three parts and eleven chapters, the book is not mere an expression of speculation or supposition; on the contrary, it is based on the in-depth analyses the authors found out after conducting a comprehensive research on the most dynamic leaders of the world. The researchers personally entered into conversation with these self-motivated and energetic personalities, and discussed various aspects of the nature and style of performing their duties and activities. The authors concentrate upon leadership success program and encourage the readers develop their own leadership development plan on the basis of the points highlighted by them. George & Sims (2003) describe their explored five points, on the basis of which, personal leadership development plan could be created in a successful manner. These five points include exploring of one’s authentic self, determining of one’s core values as well as leadership principles, comprehension of one’s impetus and motivation, preparation of an active and trustworthy team for the achievement of determined goals and incorporating of all strengths of one’s life on the concrete foundations of will power and unabated fortitude. In simple words, exploration of one’s self is the first and the most formidable step in the way to success on the one hand and climbing the steps of leadership plan on the other. Knowledge of self is extremely supportive in respect of deciding oneâ₠¬â„¢s way and in establishing and achieving the objectives of life as well. The genuine success stories of the tycoons including Donna Dubinsky, John Brennan, Carol Tome, Ann Moore and others infuse new spirit of knowing oneself in readers and they look ready for utilizing their gifted abilities in one way or the other. Consists of three chapters, the first part of the book declares leadership as a long journey towards success, where lack of passion and unawareness with one’s purpose serve as the hurdles on the way to success. If one

Group Leadership Project Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Group Leadership Project Reflection - Essay Example In short, the male-superiority power. Even now in so many countries of the world, especially the third-world countries, women are beaten and thrown in dark rooms. This has given men the nerve to regard women as the followers and not as the leaders. Nevertheless, the women of today have fought tooth and nail to change that ideal and establish themselves also as the leaders. They have same or even better qualifications as men. They have equally better opportunities as men to come forward, and so now they are almost seen as the leaders of the new-world. Today women acquire all leaders’ positions as lawyers, professors, ministers, though not without difficulty. What worked well: Researches, who wanted to work for women and in their favor, and wanted to escalate their position to leaders, have struggled to define leadership qualities that were needed in general, and were possessed by women in particular. Importance of leadership is evident from how well the organization handled by that leader is managed, employee performance and success of the organization. There is also a form of leadership termed as emotional leadership. The women have been found to be better at this leadership as they are more emotionally able to penetrate their colleagues. The women are more attached to their families and so they are opted more and more for these positions. As women are just as competent as men in all fields of work so they are taking part in all possible fields too, like technical, educational and political. The Civil Rights Act of 1991 established a concept of glass-ceiling. According to this, women are able quire good to and safe positions in any... According to the report findings the women of today have fought tooth and nail to change that ideal and establish themselves also as the leaders. They have same or even better qualifications as men. They have equally better opportunities as men to come forward, and so now they are almost seen as the leaders of the new-world. Today women acquire all leaders’ positions as lawyers, professors, ministers, though not without difficulty.As the paper stresses  there is a form of leadership termed as emotional leadership. The women have been found to be better at this leadership as they are more emotionally able to penetrate their colleagues. The women are more attached to their families and so they are opted more and more for these positions. As women are just as competent as men in all fields of work so they are taking part in all possible fields too, like technical, educational and political. The Civil Rights Act of 1991 established a concept of glass-ceiling. According to this, women are able quire good to and safe positions in any business organization but are not able to rise to the surface; this declaration has helped in distinguishing reasons for women’s inability to not be able to rise to power. A work, published by center for leadership, outlined the problems, faced by women when it comes to breaking this glass-ceiling. And it also gave formulas for success early in their careers.

How to become a good manager Essay Example for Free

How to become a good manager Essay 1- What are the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear family? A main advantage of the nuclear family is that a couple has ultimate privacy. Nuclear families incur less stress and trouble when moving into a new home. There is a specific sense of freedom that gives a nuclear family the ability to live life as they wish. It is also easier to avoid stress. A disadvantage is that children are left to take care of themselves. Another disadvantage is that the feeling of safety and security is lacking. There is also not much of a support system. 2- What are the advantages and disadvantages of extended family? Extended families are families where three or more generations are living in the same house. Usually, that means that the grandparents are living with their children and grandchildren. Research has shown that there are several advantages to living in extended families. Extended families are very important in countries where there is no social security net. Extended families help prevent elderly people from becoming poor. Another advantage is that the grandparents can look after the children. During the day, the grandparents watch the children to make sure that they are ok. And they also talk to the children when the parents are busy. This helps the children learn their language. And since the children are well taken care of, both of the parents are free to work on the farm or earn money in jobs. Disadvantages. Sometimes you have no privacy because there are so many members. They can also cause conflict and problems, meddling in other family members problems. While it is advantageous when you have a problem to have other members around to help, sharing other family members problems can also become burdensome on other members so that you not only have your own problems to worry about, but those of your extended family. 3- What are the advantages and disadvantages of polygamous family? Advantages of polygamy can be that stereotypical female roles can be shared. That means that children get more attention, house work is done quicker and also  that if a woman in a polygamous relationship wants to work outside the home, she can without worrying whether or not strangers are raising her child. Disadvantages can occur when people start to think they have ownership over each other and get jealous. Other disadvantages may be that as a wife gets older she can be replaced with a better younger woman. She may feel neglected as her time has passed, but monetarily she should still be taken care of and she still has her place in the family. 4- What are the advantages and disadvantages of arranged marriage? Advantages: Your parents know you personally from birth to raising you your whole life so they best know your dispositions and personality and how you cope with others and all that good stuff. When they look for someone for you, they look out for people who best fit your mold and not someone whom you might be enticed by from some few qualities that turn out to be not so great later on. Also, usually arranged marriages occur w/in close communities so people will know each other well from childhood and in that case, people really do know each other, including those getting married and they are strangers. In Islam also, parents not only look for good personal qualities but also good spiritual qualities in how good they are with their religion and so forth. The person getting married also can refuse any person their parent chooses as he/she has no compulsion to marry anyone he/she doesnt like or doesnt think he/she will like. Finally, although a non-Muslim wouldnt consider it anything, Muslim stress a lot on prayer and that Allah leads them in the right direction to the right match and steer them away from a bad choice. Disadvantages: You dont necessarily know the person so love attraction may take some time. Something which is really bad not b/c of the institution itself but more b/c of various cultural influences on peoples personal agendas or essentially, when parents arent looking out for their children but their own needs. They may have personal prejudices against people who look some way or against people of a certain status and while Islam states that a true Muslim looks  past these things and only spirituality matters, not all parents are good Muslims and some are better South Asians than Muslims and are quite superficial. These kind of parents also dont give much thought to spirituality either so it could be a woman who wears tight clothing or a man who drinks and womanizes. 5- What are the advantages and disadvantages of love marriage? Advantages of Love Marriage One of the most important advantage of love marriage is that it gives you the freedom to choose your own life partner and love marriage offers more independence and freedom to live your life. In love marriage both individuals feel more secured and comfortable as they know each other well and are also aware of strengths and weakness of each other. And they do not find any difficulty or anything new in their life after their marriage. Love marriage has a bright chances of success because it occurs from mutual attraction, love and understanding of individuals. It is not an artificially created union as in an arranged marriage. Love marriage gives your life excitement and peace of mind. You have a life partner of your choice with whom you can go to different places, enjoy your vacations, watch sports events and you’ll see all these things will look more lovely when you have your love with you Disadvantages of Love Marriage In spite of advantages there are certain disadvantages of love marriage. Those individuals who go for love marriages usually don’t get family support and even in some cases their relatives do not approve of their marriage. In love marriage both bride and groom have more expectations from each which can ruin their happiness in coming future as unmet expectations are a major cause of conflict in love marriages. The worst drawback of love marriage is an early break up, as both individuals who were in love with each other before the marriage feel lack of freedom from their families. Love marriages are successful only if a person is chosen wisely but man such marriages are not a result of any careful deliberation or insight but raging hormones. So, as a result there is mismatch between life’s goals and aspirations of the two individuals, which after some time becomes a cause of friction and eventually leads to divorce. Thus it is most important to decide to get married to a person who loves you more than you love that person 8- Why do  we need to study about Asian Culture? If you look at the countries that form the Asian continent, they are as diverse and fascinating as you can get. The continent includes giant nations like China, India and Turkey and is home to historically-rich countries like Japan, Korea and the Philippines. The Middle East is an area rich in culture and natural resources, and is the theological homeland for all three of the worlds largest religions, which are found in this area. In fact, Asia is the birthplace of most of the worlds religious and philosophical thought. As far as culture is concerned, there is nowhere more fascinating and diverse on earth. From the mountain-tops of Tibet to the sand dunes of Saudi Arabia, Asia is home to a host of really important cultures. 9-What are the advantages and disadvantages of city living? There are many advantages living in a city. Living in a city is very convenient. There ara many important things for life such as cloths, furniture and health care here. There are better choices because there are more shops. We can also choose an expensive or cheap things that suit to our budget. Living in a city can makes chances of getting a proper education because we can go to a better school, colleges or universities. Most of the good and famous universities are situated in big cities. It is also easier to find chances of getting a good job and of course a good salary if you choose to live in a big city. A big city has more opportunity to find job with good salary as there are many companies, corporations and businesses. The facilities are also good. During emergency, we do not have to be transferred to other hospital as we need only short time to get to the hospital. In addition, living in city, we can enjoy the best entertainment. There are many entertainment for our family. Furthermore, we can also enjoy many kinds of food as there are many restaurants in city. The public transportations in city are always better than the one that we have in the rural area. We can choose transport like busses, LRT or monorail which the rural area does not have. These will reduce our expenses.

Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Benefits

Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Benefits Drivers and Barriers of Modern Methods of Construction Work produced by; Blayse (2004), Goodier (2006), Koebel (2008), NHBC Foundation (2006), Pan (2006), Pasquire (2004), Rosenfeld (1994), Sexton (2005), Taylor (2009), The Barker Review, (2003), Venables (2004), The Market Transformation Programme (2008) and The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, (2003) have all suggested the necessity to increase the adoption of Modern Methods of Construction. These sources have stated the following perceived advantages associated with MMCs Tackling the skills shortage. An easier method of compliance to building standards. The ability to achieve high standards, including high thermal and acoustic performance. A reduction in waste materials, with a larger incentive for suppliers to reduce waste. Shorter build times. A better quality construction in finish with fewer defects. A reduction in both accidents and health concerns. Construction that is less effected by inclement weather during the build. Less local disruption in the form of noise dust and site traffic. Fewer and less skilled triads required on site. Creation of employment in a fix location due to the permanence of the factory resulting in shorter distances for the workforce to travel and thus making workforce shortages easier to address. Reduced cost/increased cost certainty, not only due to decreased erection time and economics of scale, but also do to a reduction in preliminaries, site storage requirements and welfare facilities Improved traceability of components enabling improvements to maintenance regimes. Improved accuracy and tolerances, due to the use of jigs and templates in factory conditions Reduced life-cycle costs Increased accuracy on completion dates A more simplified procurement process Reductions in CO2 emissions. Increased on-site productivity Generally increased ‘value of products Increased rate of housing supply Although not all MMC solutions offer all of these advantages, it is the opinion of the vast majority of the literature that they would have a beneficial impact on the UK construction industry, if increasingly adopted. The most significant of these drivers for an increased uptake of MMCs will be discussed in more detail in the latter part of this chapter. There are however, a number of potential barriers to increasing the adoption of these methods suggested by the sources listed above. These include: Real or perceived additional cost and the lack of accurate cost data. Long lead-in times and the associated difficulties in integrating MMCs with traditional procurement systems. Clients negative perception. The lack of publish information and guidance. Increased risk and the industries reluctance to change. The lack of published codes and standards. The lack of local availability of the materials. The lack of experience of the construction process and the materials. Difficulties obtaining finance. Insufficient worker skill. Difficulties in achieving economics of scale. The fact that the quality and durability of the techniques over time have not been proven. Difficulties integrating MMCs with traditional works. The inflexibility of factories to respond to fluctuating demand. Similarly as with the drivers, not all MMCs are perceived to have these barriers to increased integration. Again, the most significant barriers will be discussed in more detail in the latter part of this chapter. As stated in Chapter 1, due to restrictions on time all of the above drivers and barriers and their significance to an increased adoption of MMCs cannot be discussed in detail. It is for this reason that the paper will now aim to establish the most significant issues for in depth discussion. Pan (2006) produced a survey of the top 100 private housebuilders (in 2004) by unit completion, to ascertain the most prolific drivers and barriers of MMCs in their opinion. As â€Å"the top 100 house builders contributed 113,882 (65%) of the total amount (of new houses) by the industry† (Pan, 2006, p.185) in 2003, the level of use of MMCs within the sector will be largely determined by these companies. â€Å"large housebuilders () account for the vast majority of housing completions and thus are determinant in increasing the take-up of MMC technologies† (Pan, 2006, p.189) It is for this reason that the significance of the issues to these housebuilders will have a large effect on the adoption of MMCs within the housing sector. The work produced by Pan (2006), found that the top 3 advantages to MMCs from the opinion of housebuilders were addressing the skills shortage (61%), ensuring time certainty (54%) and ensuring cost certainty (54%). These results were followed closely by achieving high quality (50%) and minimising on-site duration (43%). Venables (2004, p.10) also found reductions in on-site assembly time as an important driver to MMCs adoption, but interestingly found that â€Å"the quality of production and finish as the most significant advantages†, in the opinion of suppliers. The same study by Pan (2006) found that the top 3 barriers to MMC from the opinion of housebuilders were higher capital cost (68%), difficulties in achieving economics of scale (43%), the inability to ‘freeze the design early on, and complex interfacing between systems, both at (29%). The nature of the UK planning system was also ranked relatively high by 25% of the respondents. Contrarily to this, work by Edge (2002, p.V) found that the major barrier to MMCs was the negative perception of the client. Suppliers were found by Goodier (2006, p.598) to have a similar opinion, with 65% of respondents viewing the negative image of MMCs as the major barrier to increased adoption of the methods. This demonstrates that the significance of the barriers to increasing the adoption of MMCs varies, depending on the position within the industry. Following investigation of the literature however, the overriding issues, which will now be discussed in detail, are: Addressing the skills shortage, ensuring cost certainty, improved quality, minimising onsite duration, high capital costs, difficulties in achieving economics of scale, and the perception of MMCs in and around the industry. Significance of Drivers and Barriers The negative annotations associated with modern methods of construction are an issue for the industry. Edge (2002) conducted a study to ascertain the causes for the resistance by clients and the market to prefabrication and standardisation in housing. Findings revealed that a large proportion of the resistance was within the housing industry itself. The commitment for change that was found within senior management was failing to defuse throughout the organisations enough to bring about the transformation. Interestingly the study found that the public was not resistant to new forms of construction entirely, although there was a partial resistance when considering the ‘value of the new materials and methods. The study concluded that house buyers are strongly influenced by the negative association of the post-war ‘prefab and as a result of this will resist changes to what a ‘traditional house looks like. An example of this would be the adverse media coverage that was r eceived by timber framed houses. Edge (2002, p.I) explains that this adverse media coverage severely reduced the application of this method in England to nearly 0%, whereas in Scotland it constituted 65% of new houses in 2001. The findings of Edge (2002), it would seem, have not diminished over time. Goodier (2006, p.589) found that the negative image of MMCs are â€Å"by far the greatest influence on the industrys ability to expand†. This sentiment, although not listed directly as a barrier by the housebuilders, was found by Pan (2006 p.118) to be the most significant area to tackle, in their opinion, to see increase adoption of MMCs. â€Å"There exists significant prejudice against the take-up of MMC among housebuilders and in the wider context of housing supply†. This negative view towards MMCs was also found by Edge (2002 p.I) â€Å"lenders are reluctant to give mortgages on non-traditional construction, () valuers put lower values on it () and that planners delay the process of acquiring the necessary permissions†. Edge (2002) attributes these problems to the fear of the unknown techniques and potential maintenance problems, due to MMCs unproven nature that was discussed earlier. This Negative opinion towards MMCs is likely to be having a negative effect on the adoption of the methods. To increase MMCs take-up there will need to be considerable measures taken to improve its image. These measures are discussed in more detail in chapter 4. The suggested ‘improved quality that is presented as a driver for an increased adoption of MMCs may also have an influence in changing peoples perceptions, although it would appear that the industry is aware of this advantage. Pan (2006, p.187) found that 50% of the top 100 housebuilders viewed the ability to achieve high quality as one of the top 3 drivers for MMCs. Goodier (2006, p.588) revealed similar findings, with 79% of clients and designers and 77% of contractors viewing increased quality as an advantage of MMCs. Venables (2004, p.30) found that 39% of manufacturers viewed quality as the most important advantage of MMCs. A reason for low adoption of MMCs, even though the improved quality is known as a major advantage may be due to the point raised earlier, that the commitment for change that was found within senior management was failing to defuse throughout the organisations enough to bring about the transformation. This is because the surveys that were carried out in both Goodier (2006) and Pan (2006) were answered by persons high up in the management structure and so the advantages and disadvantages of MMCs may in fact not actually be realised by the persons choosing and using the systems. There is a large amount of supporting literature that agrees that improved quality can be achieved with the use of MMCs. An example of this would be the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology who state that â€Å"MMC houses typically have fewer defects ()† (2003, p.1). The improved quality of MMC can be seen as a major driver, especially when considering that â€Å"traditional building practices often fall short in conforming to design specification† (The Market Transformation Programme 2008, p.3). A reason behind the apparent lack of impact that this advantage is having on adoption of MMC was given by The Market Transformation Programme (2008, p.3), â€Å"Changes in construction practice, such as the use of drylining instead of wet plaster and the internal walls being studwork instead of blockwork, may give the occupants the impression that houses are less solid or robust than they used to be†. This relates back to the negative perception of MMCs and the fear of the unknown that was mentioned earlier and show how it is having a much wider impact on the uptake of MMCs than was first suspected. Work produced by Pan (2006, p.189) however states that â€Å"the end market has shown little interest in how a house is built () location and price are the two main determinants of which house to buy.† It was argued that this is due to the housing shortage and that housebuilders themselves should reassess their attitudes towards MMCs. The quality of MMCs it was discussed by Taylor (2009, p.6) is greatly improved, in comparison to traditional methods. This was attributed to the controlled working conditions resulting in fully tested services and a better finish in an environment that inherently reduces risks of accidents and ill health among the workforce. The potential quality improvements that can be made with the use of MMCs will have a large impact on their take-up. This is because as quality and other advantages become more apparent within the industry, not only to the persons implementing the systems but everyone involved, than perceptions are likely to change resulting in an accelerated adoption of the methods. One of the largest incentives of an increase in the level of MMCs to be used in the UK is that of time and cost. â€Å"The construction industry () should use more offsite and standardisation in order to () reduce cost and time,† Goodier (2006, p.587). Similarly â€Å"innovative systems which take less time to construct on-site can lead to savings on, e.g. site prelims and equipment hire† NHBC Foundation (2006, p.5). Goodier (2004, p.4) supports this stating that â€Å"the belief that using off-site is more expensive when compared with traditional construction is clearly the main barrier to increased use of off-site in the UK.† This proportion of the literature suggests that there are cost and time savings to be made by the use of MMCs along with the work by Pan (2006) who found that cost certainty was viewed as a driver for 54% of the respondents. Although there is a view within the industry of cost savings, Pasquire (2004, p.2) found that â€Å"the use of off-site production, by many of those involved in the construction process, is poorly understood. Some view the approach as too expensive to justify its use ()†. This point was heighten by Venables (2004, p.33) who states that â€Å"the general view is that it (MMC) is currently more expensive.† A study conducted by The National Audit Office (2005) had similar findings, â€Å"Volumetric and hybrid methods were slightly more expensive (than traditional methods).† Lusby-Taylor (2004) also revealed that â€Å"projects would cost more than if traditionally built†. The most recent sources show that there is around 7-10% increase in MMCS costs, compared to traditional methods (The Market Transformation Programme, 2008, p.5). Taylor (2009, p.7) interesting states that â€Å"Tenders often take no account of the shorter delivery and erection times () Othe r savings are made in the reduction of preliminaries, reduced site storage requirements and welfare facilities.† This implies that the knock on savings of MMCs are often not included in the tender price. This was a sentiment that was also the opinion of Goodier in 2006 (p. 588). â€Å"Many projects are still judged purely on first or initial cost.† These sources show that there is much confusion as to the true cost of MMCs and if savings are achievable. The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology mention that accurate cost comparison is difficult as â€Å"project financial information is financially confidential† (2003, p.2) and that traditional masonry costs vary widely. The unclear cost information is quite significant in effecting the uptake of MMCs as if cost comparisons are unclear or inaccurate than there is likely to be a reluctance to move away from familiar traditional methods by actors within the industry. Gates (2004, p.2) suggests that MMCs have failed to deliver cost savings and that it is expensive because the industry is small. The fact that the industry is small is suspected to be a cause for the higher costs, â€Å"Many MMC suppliers currently design their products around tradition housing types. This is seen as a market entry strategy since it allows developers to demonstrate that a house produced using MMC components can be indistinguishable from a traditionally built home. Redesigning houses to better suit the specific characteristics of the MMC product would certainly allow for a cost reduction,† Venables (2004, p.33). This again points towards negative perception of MMCs and results in production of products aiming to look like a traditional construction. This means that improved quality and cost reductions could be achievable without the need for the products to be disguised as traditional construction. It was the opinion of The National Audit Office 2005 however th at the cost of building elements could be reduced by 15% as the MMC market matures. This is encouraging for the MMC market as a definite cost saving could result in an accelerated uptake of the methods (The Market Transformation Programme, 2008, p.3). Work produced by Goodier (2006, p.588) indicates that this may be the case with 67% of clients and designers, and 77% of contractors viewing the higher expense of MMCs as the main barrier. Whilst it is unclear as to the true cost of MMCs in comparison to traditional methods in practice, a number of studies have shown that the higher capital costs are a major issue for the industry. Pan (2006) found it to be the most significant barrier to MMCs in the opinion of the top 100 housebuilders with 68% of the respondents. This may be due to the supply chain of traditional building practices, where there is more of a uniform expenditure throughout the duration of the project. With a number of MMC techniques there is a large expenditure at the beginning of the project, for example when commissioning the construction of a large number of volumetric units, which can cause problems to the cash flows of many projects. Interestingly however, the study conducted by Goodier (2006, p588) found that reduce initial cost was in the opinion, of 44% of clients and designers, and 15% of contractors, to be an advantage of MMCs. This difference of opinion could be attributed to the vastly diff erent methods that constitute an MMC and varying project delivery methods that are used within the industry which result in lower capital costs then with the traditional equivalent. The opinions of the top 100 housebuilders show that measures are required to combat the issue of high capital costs, however it should be noted that Goodier (2006, p.590) found that only 25% of suppliers thought that a reduction costs would overcome the resistance to MMCs. It is for this reason that possible solutions are likely to include promoting the other advantages of MMCs to ensure that tenders are based on value as appose to cost. This will be discussed in more depth in chapter 4. 87% of clients and designers, and 92% or contractors in the survey conducted by Goodier (2006, p.588) found decreased construction time as the main advantage to MMCs. The study conducted by Pan (2006, p.187) found minimizing onsite duration as the 4th most important driver for increased adoption of MMC. This shows that there is a clear benefit to using MMCs with regard to construction time onsite from the industry view point. This is because much of the work can be performed in factory conditions before work is needed to take place on site. This lessens the chance of accidents and defects, and reduces reliance on clement weather. As a knock on effect there is a reduced cost of rectification of defects, equipment hire, dangerous working conditions and delays. Taylor (2009, p.7) An example of reduced time on site of a project was given by The Office Of the Deputy Prime Minister (2003, p.1) â€Å"the time on sight to complete () the project was 50 weeks, saving some 40 per cent compared with traditional site-based construction†. Venables (2004, p.33) however, makes an interesting point in that â€Å"while the actual on site assembly time for many off site manufactured components is significantly less than traditional components, the design and production lead in times, and in particular redesign times, can remove this time advantage† This point demonstrates that a major drawback of some forms of MMC, particularly those performed offsite, is the amount of pre construction work that is required in comparison to traditional methods. This point was found by Goodier (2006, p.588) as the 2nd most important barrier to an increased adoption of MMCs, with 46% of clients and designers, and 62% of contractors. Other associated problems inherent with these forms of MMC can be defects. As it has been established, MMCS generally result in fewer defects and improved quality, however when they occur, particularly in mass produced items such as a bathroom pod, the defects are likely to be present in all of the products. This is due to the repetitive nature of the construction, as opposed to traditional construction where a defect in the roof construction of a house is likely to be due to poor workmanship and expected to be present in only one roof. (The Market Transformation Programme, 2008, p.2) Venables (2004, p.33) states that if standard components can be used in a creative way to create variation in designs, whilst minimising alterations in the production lines, it will allow for the best advantages of economics of scales to be had. It should be reiterated however that Goodier (2007, p.590), found that only around 25% of the suppliers in the survey viewed a reduction in price as a means of overcoming resistance to modern methods of construction. This was in spite of the fact that it was viewed as the main barrier to MMCs adoption in the study conducted by Pan (2006). Goodier (2007, p.590) concluded that this was possibly due to the other appeals of MMCs, and so were basing their opinion on value as opposed to cost. Pan (2006, p.192) suggested that not all MMCs are applicable in all circumstances, however certain instances allow for significant gains to be had via economics of scale. By mass producing products there can be a number of benefits that result in quite substantial savings, however due to the specific instances that are required for this to take place the impact of this issue on further adoption of MMCs, as a hole, is likely to be minimal. A large proportion of the literature has expressed that a shortage of a skilled workforce as a barrier to MMC adoption. The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (2003, p.3) found that in 2003, 80% of housebuilders reported difficulties with recruitment. The skills shortage it would appear does not only exist within contractors on site but also at factories where a large proportion of MMCs are constructed. 11% of the respondents in the study conducted by Pan (2006, p.188) viewed the skills shortage as a barrier to MMC use. The study conducted by Goodier (2006, p.588) found that insufficient worker skill was an issue for 21% of clients and designers and 23% of contractors. This low rating by those within the industry may be due to the point raised by The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (2003, p.3), who argued that â€Å"using MMC to build house parts in factories, and faster on site construction, means that fewer labourers are required.† This would sugge st that increasing the adoption of MMCs is likely to decrease the problems found by housebuilders with recruitment. Goodier (2006, p.592) expressed that between 70% and 80% of the workforce within UK construction has no formal qualification, with a narrow skill base and limited training. The study found that the skills most lacking were Electricians, Joiners and Brick layers in the opinions of suppliers, designers and clients, and contractors. Goodier (2006, p.588) concluded that this is a driver for an increased application of MMCs, due to their findings that most within the industry viewed MMCs as requiring an equally or less skilled workforce. Contrary to this Clarke (2002) argues that â€Å"a skilled workforce is required to enable innovation () to be applied† and that due to the lack of broad basic training in construction after which they specialise, workers are usually trained for one role. This makes it difficult for the workforce to become multi skilled which is required for increasing the adoption of MMCs. Venables (2004, p.38) indicated that suppliers usually had to provide addit ional training as 89% of the general Labour available did not possess the multiple skills required. This was because suppliers normally require â€Å"semi-skilled and multi-skilled workers with a medium level of training, rather than specific trades†, (p.593). Taylor (2009, p.7) puts forward the idea that increasing the adoption of MMCs will reduce the impact of a skills shortage as permanently based factory units allow for the numbers and levels of skill to be more easily addressed than on static sites. It is also suggested that due to the lack of locally available skilled labour, the workforce will have to travel large distances with traditional construction, where as with offsite methods the workforce can be more centrally based increasing local employment. This shows that the skills shortage in some instances is acting as a driver of MMC adoption but at the same time may actually be limiting its take-up. A lack of skill on site may drive for an increased use of prefabricated components that require less skill to construct (Goodier, 2006, p.588), but if suppliers and manufactures of the products cannot obtain the skills required to build the components than MMC adoption is likely to fall. Chapter 4 will discuss the potential solutions suggested within the literature for coping with a shortage of skill in the workforce. Summary The discussion so far has established that there are a number of potential barriers and drivers to the industry if attempting to increase the adoption of MMCs. Major barriers have been determined and include: the negative public perception, the perceived or actual higher cost, the perceived or actual higher initial cost and the shortage of skills. The major drivers were also determined, these include, improved quality, reduced onsite duration and, again, the shortage of skills. Although advantageous to the industry it was discussed that they also have their own associated drawbacks.

Can Sustainable Development Address The North South Divide Politics Essay

Can Sustainable Development Address The North South Divide Politics Essay The North-South divide, is a serious issue that needs to be addressed, it can also be seen as a critical factor for achieving global sustainability. During the course of this text, key ideas and actions related to this issue, will be considered. Sustainable development and the North-South divide will be introduced, followed by an overview and discussion of the situation and status quo. The divide and its solution will be summarised and the text will conclude, with my perspective on the issue. WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT? The word sustainable means to sustain, to keep from failing during stress or difficulty. Therefore, an action can be considered sustainable, if it has the capacity to sustain. So what does this mean for our society? Plainly speaking, any instance were actions as a result of our survival, sustain, leave intact or protect the environment, from the stress of our existence within it, can be considered to be sustainable. The most commonly recognised threat, albeit debatable by some, is the impact of climate change on the environment (Carter, 2001). This and other environmental problems such as biodiversity and overconsumption, have resulted in sustainable development becoming a prominent and central issue in international politics (Carter, 2001). The ability of the present generation to meet its needs without undermining the ability of future generations to meet their needs (Carter, 2001) The definition of sustainable development quoted from Carter (2001), arose to suggest that, it is possible to have economic development and protect the environment at the same time. The definition above is as abigious as the concept, which is still being debated. Notwithstanding, the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was created in 1992, to oversee and implement the concept in different countries (Carter, 2001). Sustainable development, gives priority to the worlds poor both in the North and in the South, providing the opportunity to live a good life to all. It also recognises, the need to moderate our demand on resources, from the enviornment (Carter, 2001). THE NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE The International Monetary Fund (IMF), was developed to reach a goal of an internationally managed economy. However, the fund is much smaller than the original proposed in 1942, by Keynes and together with the World Bank, it served to aid primarily the global North (Raffer and Singer, 2001). The current system is an incomplete version of the Bretton woods system, lacking Keynes International Trade Organisation (ITO), among other pillars of support. The general idea of the system, was to sustain the economy and prevent another great depression, both in the global North and South (Raffer and Singer, 2001). In addition, the system intended for the IMF and the World Bank to be agencies of the United Nations (UN), guided by the UN General Assembly and the UN Economic and Social Council, to achieve its goal. As a result of the incomplete system being modified and implemented to suit, countries in the global south experienced balance of payments crisis and the subsequent debt crisis (Raffer and Singer, 2001). However, it left intact and in some cases fuelled the growth of economies in the North, driving a biased development. The quote below, puts into perspective the current issue and the reason for a need of consensus between the North and South, bridging the divide on the issue of climate change mitigation. For the next decades, we are locked-in to an unavoidable rise in global mean temperatures by virtue of our past emissions, due to factors such as the large thermal inertia of the earths oceans. This is unlikely to pass wihtout creating serious climate hazards (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) under BaU conditions the number of people affected by weather related disasters in 2030 would be somewhere between 220 and 860 million in the worst case () (Muller, 2002) During the percieved economic growth, globalisation and the IT revolution, swept the world. This wave created a division between the countries that, successfully took advantage of the revolution and those that did/could not (Kawaguchi, 2002). Taking advantage of the scenario, the subsequent economic growth that followed in the North -which was driven by fossil fuel- further widened the economic divide between the North and the South (Koehn, 2004). This divide and the following growth and development experienced by the North, can be seen as a catalyst or root cause, of the current North-South divide on the climate issue. The divide between the North and South on the issue of mitigating global climate change has been confirmed, it was stated that the most important issue for developing countries (the global South) is the dissproportionate human impact burden, which has until recently largely been ignored by the North (Muller, 2002). For example, consider for a moment the agenda for emissions mitigation, which has been firmly set by the industrialised world (Muller, 2002). This agenda, places disportionate burden on countries around the world. Especially those that cannot afford it and those more concerned with other immediate issues (Evans, 2009). The nature of the climate change equity problem, clarifies the stance both North and South side take, in dealing with the current climate crisis. In the North, it is regarded as a need to allocate emission mitigation targets, while in the South it is regarded as a need to assign responsibility for and the sharing of climate impact burdens (Muller, 2002). In addition, it is the perspective of the South, that the proposals for reductions in emissions do not account for disporportionate historical contributions of developed countries. Further adding, that the in effect the structural inequities embedded in the current international economic order, have been extended (Koehn, 2004; Evans, 2009). The Norths response to this perspective, is to disregard historical contributions and system inequities, focussing instead on gross emissions and future projections (Koehn, 2004). The reason for this is that, climate change in the eyes of the North is seen as a problem of polluting the environment and while impacts on human welfare are regarded as potentially life-style-threatening, they are seen to be deserved (Muller, 2002). This presents an overriding moral purpose of environmental integrity. To put it plainly, there is the acceptance of pollution from industralisation, being the cause of the climate crisis. However, there is also denial of the disproportionate nature of the proposed solution, resultant burden and welfare issues relevance. In the South however, the situation is very different (Muller, 2002). Climate change is seen as a human welfare problem, with the people as its prime victims. In addition, there is also the issue of equity between the human culprits and the human victims (Muller, 2002). There is compelling evidence that human-induced climate change is warming the earths atmosphere. The global heat poses a threat to ecological sustainability in the North and South (Koehn, 2004; Evans, 2009). In higher lattitudes this will cause rising sea levels and increase the likelihood of natural disasters, as well as increasing the vulnerability of human populations (Koehn, 2004). This presents a scenario of the inevitibility of climate change impact and its associated burdens, both in the global North and the global South. As an obvious consequence, there is the need to make ready and present innovative and effective solutions by the collective nations, for climate change impacts in the near and medium-term. This will provide the oppourtunity to mitigate and reduce the inevitable impact, in the North and in the South (Evans, 2009). The report, Bridging the Divide: Redressing The Balance, argues that we have reached a point where we must face the inevitability and begin to prepa re disaster responses (Muller, 2002). Notwithstanding, there are nations that are still in disagreement. Gurdial Singh Nijar who represented the Asia-Pacific group, says that without fair and equitable access and benefit-sharing (ABS) protocol, there will be no agreement. Leahy (2010) in his press release goes on to say that, there is concensus that countries, which supply valuable resources to the industrial world should be compensated. However, the situation may not be as straight forward as it seems, since the national representatives have been undergoing complex negotiations for six years (Leahy, 2010). So far, the negotiations have played along the traditional North-South divide, posing the danger of turning them into a sort of collective bargaining. Furthermore, as a result of current rise in economies of some developing countries, this approach has become obselete (Kawaguchi, 2002). To put it all more simply, the problem is the inability to agree on a soltuion, for the inevitable unfair distribution of climate imp act burdens (Muller, 2002). In one of the preparotory sessions, a delegate from the North and one from the South were discussing the form of the Charter. The Northern delegate offered that the Charter should be a short, poetic statement that could be reproduced on posters (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) on the walls of childrens bedrooms (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) as a message of inspiration (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) The Southern delegate responded that most children in the South do not have their own bedrooms and many of them are unable to read. (Wapner, 2003) THE JOHANNESBURG SUMMIT IN BRIEF The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), held in Johannesburg supported the sustainable development concept, which suggests that the environment can be cherished without sacrificing economic growth, especially in southern (developing) countries (Kawaguchi, 2002). In addition the summit recognized that poverty alleviation cannot come by safeguarding the natural environment alone, but requires actively intervening in the economic system. Futhermore, this can be best achieved, by rigorously considering networks and partnership models of economic development, which are linked to empowerment drivers (Kawaguchi, 2002). The WSSD also recongnises, that access to natural resources plays a major role in development, while in developing countries it also under pins Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Petrie, 2007). A key contribution of the WSSD, was to establish partnerships. Thereby, translating overall principles into hands-on actions, towards adressing specific challenges of sustainabl e development (Wapner, 2003). It is the perception, that sustainable development has failed to bring together the North and the South. As a result, a lot of effort has gone into modifying the concept, so that it can meet interests of both sides (Wapner, 2003). One example of such efforts, is Kawaguchi (2002) proposal of the concept of global sharing, which encourages the sharing of strategies, responsibilities, experiences and information. I understand the importance of fossil fuels to the American people. Dick Cheney understands that. The president understands that Frederick D. Palmer, Executive Vice President for Legal and External Affairs at Peabody (Koehn, 2004) A SOLUTION IN SIGHT? The UN says that without an ABS (access and benefit-sharing) agreement, countries have shut down their genetic resources. As a result, a species of fly attacking mango populations in Kenya, cannot be properly controlled since the flys natural predator in Asia cannot be obtained (Leahy, 2010). The solution to a problem of this magnitude is not simple, made harder still by the lack of sufficient hands-on action to mitgate the threat. Although, there are some schemes, strategies and innitiatives, these should not wrongly be seen as being able to sufficiently sustain the weight of the climate change impact. The task is still very much incomplete, after all, the goal is to create a system that will sustain us (and the environment) through the climate threat. For that to happen, action must be taken. Actions like a complete UN inspired by Keynes or actions like bridging the divide between the North and the South. There have been a few attempts in the past to bridge the divide. The first was a Joint Implementation (JI) mechanism, which was based on the concept that transferring clean technologies to other nations, towards reducing green house gas (GHG) emisssions, could count towards obligations of the nations suppling the technology. The JI mechanism was meant to lower the compliance costs for Northern nations under the Kyoto protocol (Evans, 2009). To the South, this is clearly biased as the benefits will almost surely fall soley in the North, giving Northern nations the oppourtunity to force weaker nations to meet obligations for them. In the end JI was incorporated as a mechanism used amongst Northern nations (Evans, 2009). The second attempt, dubbed the Brazilian proposal was the Clean Development Fund (CDF), designed to provide financing for emissions mitigations projects in Southern nations (Evans, 2009). This would be done by allocating funds collected from Northern nations, who failed to meet their Kyoto requirements. However, Northern nation opposed this structure arguing that it is politically toxic, going on to create a more positive cooperative mechanism. This is how the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) came to be (Evans, 2009). Kyoto protocols Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), is currently the only policy initiative linking developing nations emissions to international cooperative efforts on climate change. It has been hailed as the grand compromise of the North-South divide over climate change mitigation (Evans, 2009). CDM is a market based mechanism, which allows Northern nations with binding emissions reduction commitments under the Kyoto protocol, to earn credits towards meeting their commitments. They do so by implementing emission reduction projects in Southern nations, where it is most cost effective. Southern nations in exchange, gain from the transfer of project related sustainable development benefits (Evans, 2009). However, what a benefit is in terms of sustainable development under CDM is left undefined, creating vagueness and subsequent conflict of interests. As a result, Southern nations place more emphasis on the development aspect of susatianable development, while the North tends to focus more on the GHG related definition of sustainability when assessing the benefits of CDM (Evans, 2009). This serves to drive continued tension over the issues of compensation for historical debt and equity of the South, and the Northern proirities of cost-efficiency and free markets, even with CDM in place (Evans, 2009). It is also thought that instead of facilitating enviornmentally sustainable development efforts in Southern nations, CDM can deter them from pursuing sustainable development paths, as doing so would decrease their ability to attract CDM investment in the future (Evans, 2009). The current means of evaluating the efficiency of CDM is synonymous with cost-effectiveness, however CDM is not meant to just facilitate low-cost emissions reductions. Rather it is designed to engage Southern nations in the global effort to reduce emissions (Evans, 2009). As a result it is more important to focus on factors of the mechanism that concern the South. The efficiency therefore should be, synonymous instead with mitigating the North-South divide, towards reconciling the interests of both sides. Despite the existsence of North-South cooperation in CDM today, the divide nonetheless spreads throughout the mechanism, resulting in divergent demands and expectations based on different priorities and perceptions of what the CDM should offer (Evans, 2009). The earth is a complex geo-biochemical entity whose precise functioning, as well as the complex interactions that occur among its myriad elements, we are yet to understand fully. Its fragile self-regenerative systems (e.g. the carbon cycle) have limited capacity for processing anthropogenic environmental contamination (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) the excess accumulates to disrupt or disable the systems themselves (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) this is the main reason for the mounting environmental predicament confronting us today. (Nath, 2004) ONE WORLD INTRICATELY CONNECTED Under the current regime, the old has been abandoned and the North no longer only care about the environment, neither do the South only care about development, both unable to concieve of one factor deviod of the other (Wapner, 2003). However, Northern governments are letting fall environment issues in favour of economic development (Wapner, 2003). The UNFCCC says that, developing countries will play a significant role in determining the success of multilateral climate change regime. It is accepted that there is a need for increasing attention towards accomodating Southern interests in the CDM specifically (Muller, 2002; Evans, 2009). The economy has been seen to drive growth and development. However, it is also the problem and the best solution towards our survival, is to embrace growth via knowledge and science. It will be necessary to abandon the driving psyche of the economic bottom-line, as well as the excessive consumption of our resources, otherwise our survival is forfiet. The brundtland report stated that, the adoption of less-consumptive and less-polluting life-styles, is required to progress towards global sustainability (Nath, 2004). However, since the rich and powerful are as unlikely to renounce their wealth, as the poor are unlikely to rein in their developments towards a better life, there is a fundamental problem. Ideas in the North, like sustainable consumption a concept which provided policies and strategies in the Netherlands, to curb levels of consumption, attempt to reduce the nations impact on the environment (Spaargaren and Martens, 2005). On the other hand, even though the role of the resources sector in sustainable development is disconnected from the social fabric of life in the developed world, it is seen as the lifeblood of the economy in developing countries (Petrie, 2007). Once again the bottom line inhibits our progress and survival, it is not the economy or planet that needs saving, it is us. Although they are important, if we are not around to support the economy it will crash and the planet, well it will survive whether we do or not. Our prime directive in this crisis should be human welfare and welfare growth/development; charity they say begins at home. You Americans raped your environment in order to develop your country and raise your standard of living. Now we Jamaicans reserve the right to do the same. Jamaican Official (Evans, 2009) CONCLUSION It is reasonable to conclude that an abandonment of market mechanisms may be necessary to facilitate the substantive perticipation of Southern nations in global emissions abatement efforts which is required by the severity of the climate crisis. After all, a crisis of this magnitude will undoubtedly drain the piggy bank, those who do survive will be more valuable than abstract numbers and values, especially when it comes to rebuilding. Therefore, it is imperitive we accept that, protecting the economy in favour of the environment and/or human welfare is detrimental to our survival. It is clear that the crisis is inevitable just as it is clear that we are entangled with the fate of the planet, for better or worse. Where sustainable development has failed CDM seems to fair better, even though it too has not completely solved the problem. The solution does not lie solely in the realm of policy but also in the state of mind of the people. Just like a train changes from a dead end track to a clear one, so also do we need a change of paradigm. In addition, science, knowledge and a true, unified UN will be indispensible tools in our efforts. Furthermore, these tools will aid to bridge the Nouth-South divide on the climate issue, putting both sides on the same page.