Kant The Problem of Modern Philosophy Essay Example

Kant The Problem of Modern Philosophy Essay Example Kant The Problem of Modern Philosophy Essay Kant The Problem of Modern Philosophy Essay Metaphysics in Kants Work In Immaneul Kants work, Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics, the principle idea or question of discussion is whether or not metaphysics is possible.Although this is clearly the objective of his argument, the author is not concerned with constructing metaphysics.Rather he uses this question as a method of articulating the problem of modern philosophy, for by creating an inquiry of the theory of metaphysics one is forced to examine its conditions of possibility.This problem of modern philosophy is based on the gap between the phenomenal and the noumenal, or the experience of reality and the knowledge of reality, as illustrated by the renowned empiricist, David Hume.According to Hume, we are fundamentally limited to the phenomenal, holding only our impressions as true based on perception.In contrast, Kant introduced the idea that the mind leaves an impression on perception, which illustrates cooperation between the mind and experience based on their conformity, t! hus explaining know ledge.This innate form has been given to us, and through time and space we are allowed a certain amount of flexibility within boundaries.The genius of Kant lies in the fact that he created an image of reality that was not possible with Hume, for he instilled a level of confidence through recognition of our limits.Therefore, the significance of Kants work is that it portrays the parameters within the mind, which in effect turns Humes skepticism into positive reinforcement of experience. It was Humes belief that you must have experience to have anything at all, for existence must be perceived through impression.The problem of this lies within the fact that our knowledge is restricted to appearances, for we will never know the true nature of things as they are in themselves. Moral law in Kants Conception Kant identifies something as the moral law as it is this purity that Kant acknowledges to exist withoutfirst needing to be perceived (which would therefore rely on that perception to validate it), and rightly claims as the absolute.He further argues that since this true and pure is omnipresent, then it is humanitys duty to hold itself to it, no matter how the inclination or desire to reason away from, or to ignore it, may tempt us.Kant then concludes that since it is this moral law that all beings are based, it is thusly imperative for the collective method, which we so direly depend upon to interpret and utilize the universe, should at its roots solely rely upon that knowledge given to us innately, and not upon empirical and anthropological grounds. Kant identifies this moral law by recognizing the innate sense of duty bestowed upon every being. That there must be such a [pure] philosophy is evident from the common idea of duty and of moral laws.Everyone must admit that if a law is to be morally valid, i.e., is to be valid as a ground of obligation, then it must carry with it absolute necessity. If a being has this idea of duty, of the need to fulfill, it is obvious that it should and must live in accordance to that obligation at every moment and in every way.The concept of survival in the animal kingdom supports this idea well.If we examine an animal and its daily activities, such as hunting for food, protecting its territory, and mating among others, we observe a duty in that animal to stay alive, to see another day. Those who have a Kantian way of thought believe in the universal laws which is when something is commonly known as right or wrong. People like this believe that an action has moral worth if it is done as the right thing to do. In this situation, the right thing to do would be to not cheat on the test because it is commonly known that cheating on a test is wrong. Kantians dont think too much about the consequences of the action or the effects it will have on others. They believe that people should treat others the way they want to be treated. For example, would you want someone in your class to cheat on a test when you’ve worked hard studying? This is known as the Categorical Imperative.

Global Warming and the Risk of Flooding in Tuvalu

Global Warming and the Risk of Flooding in Tuvalu Tuvalu is a tiny island country located in Oceania about halfway between the state of Hawaii and the nation of Australia. It consists of five coral atolls and four reef islands but none are more than 15 feet (5 meters) above sea level. Tuvalu has one of the worlds smallest economies and has recently been featured in the news as it is becoming increasingly threatened by global warming and rising sea levels. Basic Facts Population: 11,147 (July 2018 estimate) Capital: Funafuti (also Tuvalus largest city) Area: 10 square miles (26 sq km) Coastline: 15 miles (24 km) Official Languages: Tuvaluan and English Ethnic Groups: 96% Polynesian, 4% Other History of Tuvalu The islands of Tuvalu were first inhabited by Polynesian settlers from Samoa and/or Tonga and they were left largely untouched by Europeans until the 19th century. In 1826, the whole island group became known to Europeans and was mapped. By the 1860s, labor recruiters began arriving on the islands and removing its inhabitants either by force and/or bribe to work on sugar plantations in Fiji and Australia. Between 1850 and 1880, the population of the islands fell from 20,000 to just 3,000. As a result of its decline in population, the British government annexed the islands in 1892. At this time, the islands became known as the Ellice Islands and in 1915-1916, the islands were formally taken over by the British and formed a part of the colony called Gilbert and Ellice Islands. In 1975, the Ellice Islands separated from the Gilbert Islands due to hostilities between the Micronesian Gilbertese and the Polynesian Tuvaluans. Once the islands separated, they became known officially as Tuvalu. The name Tuvalu means eight islands and although there are nine islands comprising the country today, only eight were initially inhabited so the ninth is not included in its name. Tuvalu was granted full independence on September 30, 1978, but is still a part of the British Commonwealth today. In addition, Tuvalu grew in 1979 when the U.S. gave the country four islands that had been U.S. territories and in 2000, it joined the United Nations. Economy of Tuvalu Today Tuvalu has the distinction of being one of the smallest economies in the world. This is because the coral atolls on which its people are populated have extremely poor soils. Therefore, the country has no known mineral exports and it is largely unable to produce agricultural exports, making it dependent on imported goods. In addition, its remote location means tourism and the related service industries are mainly non-existent. Subsistence farming is practiced in Tuvalu and to produce the largest agricultural yield possible, pits are dug out of the coral. The most widely grown crops in Tuvalu are taro and coconut. In addition, copra (the dried flesh of a coconut used in making coconut oil) is a major part of Tuvalus economy. Fishing has also played an historic role in Tuvalus economy because the islands have a maritime exclusive economic zone of 500,000 square miles (1.2 million sq km) and because the region is a rich fishing ground, the country gains revenue from fees paid by other countries such as the U.S. wanting to fish in the region. Geography and Climate of Tuvalu Tuvalu is one of the  smallest countries on Earth.  It is in Oceania south of Kiribati and halfway between Australia and Hawaii. Its terrain consists of low lying, narrow coral atolls and reefs and it is spread over nine islands which stretch for just 360 miles (579 km). Tuvalus lowest point is the Pacific Ocean at sea level and the highest is an unnamed location on the island of Niulakita at only 15 feet (4.6 m). The largest city in Tuvalu is Funafuti with a population of 5,300 as of 2003. Six of the nine islands comprising Tuvalu have lagoons open to the ocean, while two have landlocked regions and one has no lagoons. In addition, none of the islands have any streams or rivers and because they are coral atolls, there is no drinkable ground water. Therefore, all of the water used by Tuvalus people is gathered via catchment systems and is kept in storage facilities. Tuvalus climate is tropical and is moderated by easterly trade winds from March to November. It has a heavy rain season with westerly winds from November to March and although tropical storms are rare, the islands are prone to flooding with high tides and changes in sea level. Tuvalu, Global Warming, and Rising Sea Levels Recently, Tuvalu has gained significant media attention worldwide because its low-lying land is so susceptible to rising sea levels. The beaches surrounding the atolls are sinking due to erosion caused by waves and this is exacerbated by rising sea levels. In addition, because the sea level is rising on the islands, Tuvaluans must continually deal with their homes flooding, as well as soil salination. Soil salination is a problem because it is making it difficult to get clean drinking water and is harming crops as they cannot grow with the saltier water. As a result, the country is becoming more and more dependent on foreign imports. The issue of rising sea levels has been a concern for Tuvalu since 1997 when the country began a campaign to show the need to control greenhouse gas emissions, reduce global warming and protect the future of low lying countries. In more recent years though, the flooding and soil salination have become such a problem in Tuvalu that the government there has made plans to evacuate the entire population to other countries as it is believed that Tuvalu will be completely submerged by the end of the 21st century. Resources and Further Reading Central Intelligence Agency. (2010, April 22). CIA The World Factbook Tuvalu.Infoplease.com. (n.d.) Tuvalu: History, Geography, Government, and Culture - Infoplease.com.United States Department of State. (2010, February). Tuvalu (02/10).

Childhood Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Childhood Obesity - Essay Example considered, little researched yet greatly damaging cycle these children have been caught in that provides little room for success and tremendous costs for failure. The book covers the topic of overweight children from a variety of perspectives based on results of the previously mentioned administered questionnaire, literature reviews and in-field practice. By covering the public health implications of overweight children early in the book (chapter 2) with a section written by her son, Dr. Eric Rimm with the Harvard School of Public Health, the author gets this broadly based topic out in the open and out of the way both at the same time. A discussion of why excess consumption of food and reduced levels of activity occurs as a child begins to gain weight opens the book and sets the stage for the remainder of the discussion. More than just the mathematics of more food plus less exercise equals an overweight child, Rimm goes into deeper detail to look at the emotional aspect of both of these questions. Food becomes equated with love, good times, special occasions and celebration. To deprive children of these foods automatically induces an impressi on of punishment whether that was the intent or not. At the same time, because of natural awkwardness or as the result of an increasing middle section, many of these kids are not as coordinated, quick, able or flexible as other kids, inducing a further punishment idea behind the concept of activity which further pushes them to avoid exercise. The rest of the book deals with the emotional impact of being overweight from many different angles. Explaining how being overweight can affect a child’s self-esteem, self-confidence, relationships with peers and acceptance of self, the impact this has on their academic careers as they evaluate themselves and as teachers evaluate them based on preconceived notions of the â€Å"fat and lazy† variety, exploring why these children’s interests are typically much different from the

MidTerm Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MidTerm - Term Paper Example The language of the text appears to reflect typical speech patterns of a relatively wealthy and educated woman of that time, as is evident in the opening lines, written in the first person, which refer to antiquated concepts such as â€Å"ancestral halls† which have â€Å"something queer† about them (Gilman 1). The descriptive adjectives that the narrator uses to describe the setting are sensuous and exuberant, such as for example the â€Å"delicious† garden (Gilman 1) and the yellow wallpaper which has â€Å"one of those sprawling flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin† (Gilman 2). This sharp power of observation contrasts with the narrator’s vague and hesitant mention of things to do with her husband’s medical work, such as for example the phrase â€Å"So I take phosphates or phosphites – whichever it is†. The narrator describes without irony how her husband calls her â€Å"a blessed little goose,† and the co mbination of her diffidence and his patronizing tone reveals that there is a clear hierarchy within the marriage. John dominates his wife, and she accepts infantilizing epithets as if it they are entirely natural and normal. At times the narrator uses strongly moral or even biblical language, as for example when she describes the wall-paper’s patchy appearance which shows it has been picked off despite the fact that it â€Å"sticketh closer than a brother† (Gilman 3). As the story progresses, the wallpaper assumes an increasingly powerful control over the narrator, and this is revealed in the compulsion that she feels to â€Å"follow that pointless pattern† (Gilman 4) which is endlessly repeated on the wall. Strange female forms appear in the pattern, as if they are trapped behind bars, and the subject matter of the latter half of the story is taken over by musings on the meaning of the paper, and its shifting appearance as the light changes from day to night. T he implications of this point of view are that the story represents the fate of women in general, imprisoned in marital obligation, and not allowed to escape into the fresh air of the world outside patriarchal dominance. As the wallpaper takes over the story, the narrator’s own personality retreats, so that in the end the subject matter is mainly the nocturnal musings of a woman who is losing her sense of self. The narratorial point of view does not change, since the whole story is told through the eyes of the main character, but as the story progresses the subject matter becomes more bizarre. The narrator is becoming one of the imprisoned women in the pattern, and the story shows the step by step descent into this pitiful condition. Clearly the narrator is unaware of the seriousness of this mental decline, since she makes light of the change in her daily routine, and imagines that she sees the woman in the paper creeping about outside the house. This is not a rational propos ition, but it is presented as a factual observation by the narrator, and no doubt makes sense to her. The narrator persona shifts from being an apparently normal woman, who has a vivid imagination and likes writing stories, into an unreliable describer of events. The growing unreliability of the narrative voice makes the ending very difficult to interpret, because there appears to be an element of delusion or

Employment Law Essay Example for Free

Employment Law Essay Early this year, there are reports that the number of employees calling in sick has risen to staggering levels. According to an absence management company, there are about 3. 6 million employees who called in sick the first week of January (Pitcher, 2008). The United Kingdom ranked as second as having the most number of employees with long term sickness in a survey conducted by the European Community (Tehrani and Rainbird, 2005). The level of absence for UK was 27. 2% as against an average of 16. % of the European Union (Tehrani and Rainbird, 2005). An approximate figure of 14. 1 million days ‘were lost to stress and anxiety in 2001† (Tehrani and Rainbird, 2005). Absences due to stress and mental problems significantly affect both the employer and the employees. This matter apparently has been taken for granted and unaddressed for sometime until the enactment of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), Employment Act 2002, Employment Rights Act 1996, and the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. This paper shall show the manner by which the pertinent provisions of these pieces of legislation are applied to a hypothetical case and it shall also seek to identify and explain the remedies of an employee in case of violation of the provisions. Disability—Sickness Absence The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 defines disability as one having a ‘physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’ (Section 1(1), Part 1, DDA 1995). The Industrial Tribunal has applied the definition to the different cases brought before it. For instance, in the case of Greenwood v. United Tiles Limited; the employee concerned was suffering from diabetes and was held to be disabled by the Tribunal (Greenwood v. United Tiles Limited 1101067/97/C). In the case of O’Neil v Symm Company Limited, the Tribunal considered ME or chronic fatigue syndrome as a disability (O’Neil v Symm Company Limited, 2700054/97). Even abdominal pains which had no medical diagnosis with respect to its origin was declared as a disability by the Tribunal in the case of Howden v Capital Copiers (Edinburgh) Limited (400005/97) (Thompsons Solicitors web site, 2007). Anent mental disability, Walton v LI Group Limited case involved an employee who had learning difficulties. The Tribunal ruled that the employee is considered disabled under the DDA basing its conclusion on the testimonial evidence of the employee’s parents and the fact that the employee was receiving disability living allowance (Walton v LI Group Limited, 1600562/97). The increased awareness for mental health and issues associated with it has accelerated in time, clinical depression is in fact already considered as a disability. Clinical depression is a ‘common mood disorder in psychology and psychiatry in which a person’s enjoyment of life and ability to function socially and in day-to-day matters is disrupted by intense sadness, melancholia, numbness or despair’ (Farlex Free Dictionary web site, n. d. ). In the recent appealed case of OHanlon v Commissioners for HM Revenue Customs, the Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled that clinical depression is considered a disability and therefore falls within the coverage of the DDA 1995 [OHanlon v Commissioners for HM Revenue Customs (2007) EWCA Civ 283]. Applying the above discussed legal principles to the given hypothetical case, Vangeer has been diagnosed to be suffering from clinical depression. This was brought about by the incident when she accidentally pricked herself with a needle which she picked up while cleaning a bus in the depot of her employer. This caused panic attacks and anxiety and for which she was given a year off from work. At this juncture, it is important to stress that the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 requires the employers to ensure the health and safety of its employees in the place of work. Towards its realization, the law imposes upon the employer the duty to make ‘the provision and maintenance of plant and systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health’ (Section 2 (2)(a), HSWA 1974). This means that Snail Pace Bus Company should have provided a system of work including protective gear for those who clean their buses (Health Safety Executive, 2006). In addition, the employer is also supposed to take measures to protect their employee who may return to work considering that there is more likelihood that the employee may be weak because of the injury or disability (Health Safety Executive, 2006). Vangeer went on sickness absence for about a year. Sickness absence may be short term or long term. A long term sickness absence connotes serious medical reasons such as in the case of Vangeer. Long-term absence is ‘usually defined as a period of absence in excess of two weeks’ (Corcoran, 2006). When she returned for work, a new team leader made discriminatory remarks about her race. In hindsight, this may be considered as a violation of the Race Relations Act 1976. It may be shown that there is direct discrimination of Vangeer because she is black such as when she is treated less favourably than another (Thompsons Solicitors, n. d. ). Moreover, it may be shown that there is some form of harassment under the Race Relations Act 1976 as amended by the New Regulations of 2003 (Thompsons Solicitors, n. d. ). Harassment is broad as to include ‘abusive language, excessive monitoring of work, excessive criticism of someone’s work etc. ’ (Thompsons Solicitors, n. d. ). It may be claimed that Vangeer suffered by because she was degraded, intimidated and her dignity violated. The violation of her dignity is subjective and the Tribunal would need to rule using the ‘reasonableness’ standard (Thompsons Solicitors, n. d. In this case, the effect of Bob’s conduct has caused Vangeer to go on sickness absence for three weeks more based on the recommendation of her psychiatrist. Her transfer to another team was also suggested. Even before the period of sickness absence has lapsed, Snail Pace Bus Company was bought by Slow Coach Ltd. and Vangeer was called to a meeting about her absence. Thereafter, she was dismissed from her employment with pay. Her dismissal is illegal. ‘In relation to long-term sickness absence, the employer who dismisses an employee faces three potential legal risks’ (Lemon Co. 2008). Vangeer may file for a claim for unfair dismissal, for disability discrimination and for violation of her contract of employment. It is axiomatic that there exists between the employer and the employee, a contract of employment. It is an agreement whereby the rights and obligations of both the employee and the employer are specified (Direct. Gov web site, 2008). When the employee accepts employment, there is an automatic contract of employment that is created regardless of whether this has been reduced into writing (Direct. Gov web site, 2008). Generally, employment contracts contain the following clauses: ‘commencement, term, job title and duties, place of work, hours of work, pay, holiday entitlement, pension, sickness absence, intellectual property, confidentiality, termination disciplinary, dismissal and grievance procedures, and collective agreements’(Clickdocs web site, n. d. ). The terms of employment in respect of hours of work, pay, termination of employment and other benefits are provided by the statutes. This being the case, the employer is mandated to comply with the provisions of the statutes. For instance, dismissal procedures should be observed. In the instant case, Vangeer was invited to a meeting to discuss her absence and after a day she was dismissed from employment with pay. The Employment Act 2002, Part 3, Section 30 (1) provides that, ‘Every contract of employment shall have effect to require the employer and employee to comply, in relation to any matter to which a statutory procedure applies, with the requirements of the procedure’ (EA 2002). The law requires that the employer observe the procedure in cases of dismissal as provided for under section 29, Schedule 2 Statutory Dispute Resolution Procedures, Chapter 1 and 2. Substantially, the employer is required by law to put into writing the circumstances and acts of the employee which he led him to initiate disciplinary or dismissal steps and invite him to discuss it in a meeting. The employee must have notice and reasonable opportunity to be apprised of the same. After the meeting, the employer must inform the employee of his decision and inform him of his right to appeal. Should the employee opt for an appeal, another meeting should be scheduled before the dismissal or the disciplinary penalty shall have been effective (Section 29, Schedule 2, Chapter 1, EA 2002). In the instant case, Vangeer apparently may have been given an unfairly short notice and was not informed of her right of appeal if she was not satisfied with the decision. In retrospect, the jurisdiction over wrongful dismissal cases were lodged in courts until 1994 when jurisdiction was given to the Employment Tribunals which were authorised to grant only up to GBP25,000 (British Employment web site, 2007). A contrary rule is observed with respect to unfair dismissals and discrimination cases, where the courts can award greater amounts of monetary damages. Wrongful dismissal results when employer fails to give the employee notice in accordance with the employment contract and without appropriate pay (British Employment web site, 2007). It has been observed though that it is better for the ‘employee to sue if the contract provides a fairly long notice period’ (British Employment web site, 2007). Monetary damages in these cases are computed based on the amount of loss in terms of compensation and other benefits. Unfair dismissal occurs when the employee is terminated from employment and the employer in doing so had no valid and justifiable reason (Direct. gov web site, 2008). The Employment Rights Act 1996, specifically Part X sections 111 to 132 provide for the remedies in case of unfair dismissal. In a nutshell, there are three options: an order for reinstatement, an order for re-engagement or an order for compensation. Reinstatement is when the Tribunal orders the employer to put the employee back to work with the same position and assigned tasks. There is re-engagement when the employee is placed back to work with a new post and tasks but under the same employer ((British Employment web site, 2007). In cases where the Tribunal issues an order for reinstatement or re-engagement, it cannot also order compensation [Wilson (HM Inspector of Taxes) v Clayton (2003) EWCA Civ 1657]. In the instant case, Vangeer was unlawfully dismissed because of her long absence. The Employment Rights Act 1996 provide for the employer’s responsibilities in case sickness absence and dismissal are due to ill-health (Mace Jones web site, 2007). Bad health may be considered a good basis for dismissal of an employee because it affects the ability and capacity of the employee to perform his assigned duties and tasks. The law mandates that in order for a dismissal based on ill-health can be considered as fair, the employer must observe and comply with the legal requirements (Mace Jones web site, 2007). The employee must be given the reasonable opportunity to recover and return to work before they can be dismissed’ (Lemon Co. web site, 2008). In the instant case, Snail Pace Bus Company gave Vangeer about a year to recover from her clinical depression. A return to work programme was drawn up for her. Her relapse was instigated by her new manager. She was given a three week off from work and before the lapse of that time she was dismissed after the discussion with Slow Coach Ltd. Vangeer apparently was not given a reasonable opportunity to even use her three week off when in fact, the relapse was caused by management. However, it should be pointed out that not in all cases shall the employer be liable even if he partly or wholly was responsible for the incapacity of the employee. In the case of McAdie v Royal Bank of Scotland [2007] EWCA Civ 806, the Employment Appeal Tribunal reversed the decision of the Employment Tribunal when it ruled that the dismissal was justified even if the employer, partly or wholly caused the employee’s incapacity because based on the medical evidence obtained ‘there was no prospect of the employee returning to work’ [McAdie v Royal Bank of Scotland (2007) EWCA Civ 806]. Another requirement would be is for the employer to seek evidence of the medical status of the illness of the employee. The employer must request for medical reports from the employee’s physician upon the authorisation of the former (Lemon Co. web site, 2008). The employer may also request for the examination of the employee by the employer’s own physician. The meeting should be for purposes of assessing the current medical state, the existing medical advice and medical evidence. In the case of Vangeer, Slow Coach Ltd. ailed to request the medical reports from her physician. Moreover, the employee must be consulted through a series of meetings for purposes of exploring ways and issues for alternative options and reasonable adjustments (Lemon Co. web site, 2008). Albeit, there is one meeting conducted with Vangeer, no exhaustive discussion seemed to have been made. Finally, ‘The employer must consider the possibility of making adjustments to the working environment in order to permit the employee to return to work’ (Lemon Co. eb site, 2008). When Vangeer was ill the first time, the employer made a programme which allowed her to start work late and go home early. However in the case of relapse, the suggestion that she be re-assigned to a different team was not deliberated upon and carried out by Slow Coach Ltd. It is the responsibility of the employer to seek and accept suggestions from the employee on how she can work when she returns. In a complaint for unfair dismissal, the Employment Tribunal shall take the following factors into consideration: ‘nature of the employees illness, the likely duration of the illness, the nature of the job, the needs of the employer, the employees length of service, the type (and amount) of sick pay paid to the employee and alternative employment’ (Lemon Co. web site, 2008). The most important factor that will be considered is whether the employer took measures in gathering information and ascertaining medical reports from which he would base a fair and reasonable conclusion and decision. There must be recent, comprehensive and competent medical findings (Direct. gov web site, 2008). He must also comply with the procedures in dismissing an employee in accordance with the Employment Act 2002 and the Dispute Regulations 2004 (Direct. gov web site, 2008). Failure to follow the â€Å"statutory minimum dismissal and disciplinary procedure† shall make him liable to ‘a minimum basic award of 4 weeks pay. Furthermore, any compensation awarded by an Employment Tribunal may increase by 10-50%’ (Direct. gov web site, 2008). There is no distinction between sickness absence and disability. In the case of Clark v Novacold (18901661/97) ‘the Industrial Tribunal concluded that there should be no distinction between the two, and dismissal for sickness absence does in fact relate to the disability and accordingly is prima facie unlawful’ (Thompsons Solicitors web site, 1997). According to Solicitor Michael Corcoran, if the disability is the cause of the long term sickness absence and the employee was in fact dismissed, such dismissal is tantamount to discrimination unless it is shown that dismissal is justifiable (Corcoran, 2006). The lack of knowledge of Slow Coach Ltd. may have on the disability would be irrelevant and immaterial to the issue of whether Vangeer was treated less favourably (Corcoran, 2006). Under Section 20 of the Discrimination Disability Act 1995, direct discrimination is committed when the employee is ‘treated less favourably’ than another not suffering from such disability and that such treatment is by reason of the employee’s disability (DDA 2005). Moreover, the employer shall also be liable if he failed to make reasonable adjustments so that the disabled employee can continue his or her employment (HSE, n. d. ). The law requires that the employer ‘go an extra mile’ for the disabled employee, albeit the law does not set parameters of its extent. However, case law has laid down legal principles based on each of the precedent-setting case (HSE, n. d. ).

Stereotypical Media Portrayal of Tyrannosaurus Rex Essay -- Explorator

Stereotypical Media Portrayal of Tyrannosaurus Rex   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Since kindergarten, our heads have been filled with fantastic pictures and stories about the great dinosaurs that have long been extinct.   But like a lot of our childhood education, scientific information is often simplified and exaggerated by teachers, parents and the media.   The case of the T- Rex is an exceptional example of how the media can create a stereotype based on incomplete and outdated information, which ends up asserting itself   back in mainstream popular culture. Thus,  a certain myth of the Tyrannosaurus Rex  being a speedy eating machine, becomes a social â€Å"fact† based on fiction.     Ã‚  Ã‚   If someone asked a five or six year old boy what he thought the Tyrannosaurus rex looked like, he would probably draw an angry, large dinosaur with sharp teeth, small arms and long slim legs.   If asked, the same boy would probably describe the T- Rex as the meanest, fastest scariest dinosaurs of all. While fact and fiction aren’t always separated for children,   its interesting that today still as college students we would respond as the child did.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Having seen Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, it's obvious that children and college students aren’t the only ones who think of T-Rex as the fastest and meanest dinosaur of them all.   Throughout the movie T-Rex is feared by the main characters not only because he is a carnivore, but because of his speed.   But recent studies have confirmed that the belief that T- Rex could run as fast as say, a Ceolophysis could, is nothing more than a myth.   Ã‚  Ã‚   On March 2, 2002 Science News (The Weekly Newsmagazine of Science)   ran an article by Sid Perkins, No Olympian: Analysis T. Rex ran slowly, if at all. In his a... ... what, where, when and why we perceive things as a society. As a whole,  American’s have the idea of T- Rex being the â€Å"meanest, fastest and   scariest† of dinosaurs, when other carnivorous dinosaurs like the Velociraptor were just as much a predator as they.   And as long as the Speilberg’s of Hollywood portray the popularized and stereotypical aspects of culture in their movies, people will continue to believe that what they see is fact, not fiction. Works Cited Garcia, Mariano & John R. Hutchinson â€Å"Tyrannosaurus was not a Fast Runner† Nature Journal 415   (Feb 28,2002): 1018-1021 Anonymous, â€Å"How Fast Could Tyrannosaurus rex Run?† Physics Today, Copywrite 2002 American Institute of   Physics www.physicstoday.com/vol-55/iss-4/p18.html Perkins, Sid â€Å"No Olympian: Analysis hints T. Rex ran slowly, if at all.†Ã‚   Science News   March 2. 2002 Vol. 161, No. 9, P. 131

Ethical Dilemma in Hrm

A business can only be sustainable for long term, if it’s practicing ethically. Sustainable businesses are those businesses which are able to make profit for its share holder and provide good employment opportunities for its staff. Similarly sustainable businesses are ones which pay taxes to governments of countries in which it exist. Beside this sustainable businesses are also responsible to contribute to community in which operate. In a perfect world, businesses and their employees would always do the right thing. Unfortunately, in the real world, ethical dilemmas are a common occurrence in the workplace.According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, dilemmas are situations or problems where a person has to make a difficult choice; an ethical dilemma is a problem where a person has to choose between a moral and an immoral act. Employees must deal with pressures to perform and help the company succeed as well as personal temptations to take the easy way out. In the end, workers will likely face many dilemmas in their careers; companies should provide training and information to assist them in making the right decision. Nike  has been accused of using  child labor  in the production of its soccer balls in  Pakistan. Read also â€Å"Glengarry Glen Ross†Ã‚   by David MametThis case study will examine the claims and describe the industry and its impact on laborers and their working conditions. While Pakistan has laws against child labor and slavery, the government has taken very little action to combat it. Only a boycott by the United States and other nations will have any impact on slavery and child-based industries. Futhermore the U. S constitution states that child labor is an illegal and inhumane practice and any U. S. company found guilty practicing and encouraging it will be prosecuted.GATT and WTO prohibits member nations, like the United States, from discriminating against the importation of goods made by children. Are dolphins becoming more important than children? A question making WTO to reconsider the children's appeal of the third world. akistan has a per-capita income of $1,900 per year -meaning that a typical person survives barely on $5 per day. And that's nonot all, Pakistan has a traditional culture where earning of one person goes on feeding 10 mouths; and with the high rate of inflation it becomes difficult for a low income population to survive.Child labor is spread all over Pakistan but has the greatest impact in the north-west of punjab province, that is Sialkot. Pakistan   has a population of approximately 1 million and is an important centre for the production of goods for export to international markets, particularly sporting goods. In 1994,   exports from Sialkot brought income of almost US$ 385 million into the Pakistan economy. Sialkot is thus one of the world’s most important centres for production of sporting goods. Child labor exists in Sialkot both in the export sector and the domestic sector.This fact has been well documented and reported by the international media for several years but nothing has been done about it. In Pakistan it is clearly documented that child labor is against the law, but the government carries lack of willingness to do anything about it. Provision for education is very limited, due to the fact that very low priority is given to education in the national budgets. Education receives around 3% of the total gross domestic product when compared to over ten times of this amount spent on military.Gender and other forms of discrmination plus adding to the lack of political will, gives the clear picture of the existence of child labor in Pakistan. ecently if you go to a shop to buy your child a new soccer ball. There is a good possibility that the ball has been made by someone your child's age or even younger. About half of the world's soccer ball are made in Pakistan, and each one of them passes through a process of production where child labor is involved. This problem not only pertains to Pakistan but is worldwide. More than 200 children, some as young as 4 and 5 years of age, are involved in the production line.Majority of these children work in Asia, e. g in the nations of India, Pa kistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia. Nike is characterized of making its equipments   in countries which are in the developing phase, having very cheap labor, authoritarian government and lack of human rights appeal and union movement. In doing this it has made greater margins on the cost of mere cents to its workers. So Nike success story is not based on good name and advertising alone but also attached to it is the tears of tortured workers and child labor.A columnist ‘Stephen Chapman'   from Libertarian newspaper argues that â€Å"But why is it unconscionable for a poor country to allow child labor? Pakistan has a per-capita income of $1,900 per year – meaning that the typical person subsists on barely $5 per day. Is it a a revelation – or a crime – that some parents willingly send their children off to work in a factory to survive? Is it cruel for Nike to give them the chance? †Ã‚   (source: http://www. raincity. com/~williamf/words96. html) St ephen argues that the best way to end child-labor is to buy more of the products that children produce.This would increase their demand, and as they will produce more, they will earn more, hence giving themselves chane to rise above poverty level and thus also benefiting the families of the children and as well as the nation. However, the issue is not that simple. Increasing the demand of the products produced by child labor means encouraging more child labor, encouraging more birth rates, more slavery, increasing sweatshops and discouraging education – as parents of the children working in factories would want them to work more and earn more.If this happened to be the case, then more and more children will be bought and sold on the black market, leading no end to this problem. By encouraging more child labor, you are not only taking away those innocent years from them but also the right to be educated and the right to be free. Nike – a good chess player As a good ches s player Nike always thinks ahead of its movement. It does not launch its production directly in to the developing country, such as Pakistan, but instead it subcontracts it to them by selecting a local firm.When doing this, the local firm, in this case SAGA sports,   has to abide by the Nike's international rules and regulations when producing its goods. And it is the duty of the international firm (NIKE) to monitor its subcontracted production units and hold   it to tight scrutuny. But this is not what really happens. Both Nike and the local production company aims to minimize cost and earn the highest amounts of profit   thus involving themselves in illegal practices, such as child labor, a practice which is not so highlighted by the government of the host developing country.So what happens when you question Nike about its labor practices? An answer comes that it is not they who are involved in this illegal labor practices but   it is the local subcontracter who is doing s o. This is wrong to say as Nike and SAGA sports both benefits with access to cheap child labor in Pakistan. And if Nike cannot control its subcontracted plants, it means they have not implemented their rules and regulations effectively and is not abiding by the international standards which they have set for themselves. Nike's entrance in to the Pakistani markets was the part of its long term strategic planning.It is false to explain that Nike didn't knew that child labor is an ages-old practice in Pakistan. Nike went into Pakistan, having full knowledge of the favorable conditions prevailing in terms of child labor and has taken no precautions whatsoever to prevent the use of child labor in the production of its soccer balls. Instead Nike has made a profit from its Pakistani contractors who inturn has used bonded child labor in the production process. Critically analyzing the situation, â€Å"Why Nike always land up in places having cheap or bonded labors or in places where it can easily get away with illegal labor practices? Examples incude: Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. Nike simply bases its operations on finding the lowest-cost labor to make its products. Twelve-year-old girls work in Indonesian sweatshops 70 hours a week making Nike shoes in unhealthy plants. According to a Foulball campaign report, Nike has refused twice to have a check in their Saga-managed center in Pakistan while on the other hand Nike's rival Reebok readily granted access to its Moltex-managed center in Pakistan. Nike has the habit of hiding behind its good public image and its effective means of promotions and advertising.Nike attempts to create a good public image by offering charity, donating equipments and never passing an opportunity to remind the public that it has set up stitching centers in places such as Sialkot, Pakistan. How it all started – Consumer awareness 1996 When the June, 1996 issue of Life magazine carried an article about chil d labor in Pakistan, Nike knew that it was   in trouble. The article's lead photograph showed 12-year-old Tariq surrounded by the pieces of a Nike soccer ball   which he would spend most of a day stitching together for the grand sum of 60 cents.In a matter of weeks, activists all across   Canada and the United States were standing in front of Nike outlets, holding up Tariq's photo. And yet, Nike has not done an especially good job of scrutinizing the subcontractors with which it's working. Nor has it been open about its labor practices in the way public companies should be expected to be. Cameramen have been pushed out of factory floors. Supervisors at a plant in Vietnam apparently beat workers being paid 20 cents an hour and refused to allow them to leave their work posts. Indonesian labor organizers has been put behind bars.And, most troubling, nearly all the soccer balls made in Pakistan have been revealed to be made by young children getting paid just cents a day. Nike cha irman Phil Knight also acknowledged that a shipment of soccer balls Nike purchased in Pakistan in the year 1996 was made by a subcontractor using child labor in â€Å"horrible conditions. † Although 1996 was the first year in which real public attention was focused on Nike's labor practices abroad, it's important to recognize that manufacturing shoes in low-wage countries was, from the start, a crucial part of Phil Knight's plan for his company.In other words,   American jobs have not been shipped abroad. On the contrary, Nike has never made shoes in the United States. Its first factories, built in the 1960s, were in Japan, when that country was still a part of the Third World. And since thirty years Nike have migrating from nation to nation, arriving as countries install the necessary mechanisms for orderly business operations and leaving as living standards become too high to make manufacturing profitable. Nike â€Å"not  Just do it  but  Do it right. â€Å"This i s the first time that Nike has had to face real questions about its labor practices abroad, the first time that it has felt a public-relations impact. At this point, that impact does not seem at all devastating. While in the short run Americans are generally horrified by the issue of child labor and has expressed concern over the working conditions in foreign factories, Nike should take immediate actions in order to provide remedy to all the activism it faces, otherwise it can prove devastating for the company's image in the long run. The basic truth about Nike is that its only real strength is its good name.Nike rules because of all the good things people associate with the company: sharp ads, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, little Penny, and Michael Jordan again. If â€Å"beaten workers† and â€Å"child labor† get added to that list, then Nike's greatest asset will be lost. Now the burden is on the company both to do a better job of   implementing company-wide global standards of conduct and also to improve its openness to the media. The more you hide, after all, the more people think you have something to hide. Every hand that goes up, hurts Nike in the public eye. And when you're a consumer company, that's the only eye that matters.Consumers — â€Å"Just don't do it. † dership by example: The CEO of Nike and the senior managers of the company need to be openly and strong committed to the social responsibility and ethical conduct. They must give constant leadership in renewing the ethical values and the social responsibility of the company. The management must be active in communicating about the company’s commitment in the speeches, directives, company publications and especially in actions too. The CEO along with the company’s managers is the ones that set the tone of the organization most clearly by their behavior.Code of ethics: Code of ethics state that the values or behaviors that are expected and those that wi ll not be tolerated backed up by management’s actions. (Schuler & Jackson,   2007)       Ethical structures: ethical structure actually represents the various systems, positions and programs that a company can undertake to implement a social effort and ethical behavior. An ethics committee is a group of executives under the CEO to oversee the company’s ethics and CSR efforts, for example, the Nike committee that conducts corporate social responsibility efforts.Whistle blowing: employee disclosure of illegal, immoral or illegitimate practices on the employer’s part is called whistle blowing. No organization like Nike can rely only on codes of conduct to prevent such kinds of behavior. When there are no effective protective measures, whistle blowers suffer and the company may continue its unethical or illegal activities. The CEO and the management of Nike should make sure that the managers are trained well so that they view whistle blowing as a benefit and n ot a threat. (Schuler & Jackson,   2007)

Hilton Hotel

These things that I learned at last lesson: 1)Product and service difference: Basically ; Products are tangible and services are intangible. For example; Apple Iphone, Coffe Mocha at Starbucks are products,but healthy services sector,home repair service,wireless communication,trip to somewhere ;they dont result ownership of anything. 2)Customer vs. consumer :Customer and consumer are not same things. For example;mother buy napkin for her baby and then baby consume it in this situation baby is a consumer, mother is a customer . )Sales dont mean to marketing. Sales cover just selling but marketing process makes the broad strategy. Selling and advertising are only part of larger ‘marketing mix’ marketers purpose satisfying customer needs. 4)Consumer Behavior:’The behavior that consumers display in searching for purchasing,using,evaulating and disposing of products and services that they expect will satisfy their needs’. When ? decide to buy new product what fa ctors influence on me?A)External factors:cultural,social,family roles&status,reference groups B)Internal factors:psychological factors(motivation,perception,learning,belief and attitudes) * Consumer behavior includes all the decisions a consumer makes when spending their time and money. The what,why,when,where,and how of consumer purchases are examined. 5)Two consumer entities Personal consumer:the individual who buys goods &services for his or her own use for household use. Organizational consumer:Business,government Marketing Concept: Production orientation:company wanted efficient production lines ,not focused product variation.Sales Orientation:overproduction,excess product Marketing concept:focus on customer,expectations of customer,marketers become more sophisticated in understanding the consumer and delivering products that meet their need. Societal Marketing Concept:Consider consumers long run best interest,in this concept marketers are consciousof negative effect health,env ironment. * Fair trade: trying to give support manufacturer,especially poor companies such as Africa Endonesia. Segmentation,targeting,positioning:Segment:share simialr meet and expectations and enables marketers to target consumers.Divide the total market into smaller segments. (segmentation) Types of segmentation:geographic,demographic(age gender,family size,family life-cycle Marketing mix: The set of tactical marketing tool. 4P=PRODUCT,PLACE,PROMOTION,PRICE. P roduct;goods&services combination. Place;includes company activities that make the product available to target consumers. for example;using social networks,internet stores. Promotion;activities that malke product availableto target customers,and persuade. (public relation,advertisement,selling process. Customer value:Perceived value is relative and subjective.Developing a value proposition(unique selling proposition) is critical in attaining successful positioning of a broad Customer trust: Recommendation,word of mouth infl uence on customers,newspaper,websites Customer retention:loyal customer:buy more products, are less price sensitive Customer profitibality-focused marketing: BCG growth-share matrix=each produsct hs different contribution(star,question mark,cash cow,dog) Platinum- heavy user,not price sensitive Gold-heavy user but not as profitable Iron Lead-like dogs in bcg approaches SEYMA TEMEL-135710019 Hilton Hotel News Brief Hilton Hotels tops in customer satisfaction http://planyourmeetings. com/2006/06/01/hilton-hotels-tops-in-customer-satisfaction/ By Kristi Casey Sanders Published: June 1, 2006 Hilton Hotels Corporation leads the hotel industry in customer satisfaction, according to the latest statistics from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). With a score of 78 points out of a possible 100, Hilton took the leadership position among the seven hotel companies mentioned in the survey. Overall, the hotel industry improved 3 percent to 75, equaling its highest score since 1994. Hilton takes great pride in its ACSI customer satisfaction score, which confirms the results of an unparalleled focus and commitment by the 74,000 team members at our owned and managed hotel properties across the country to deliver the best in guest service,† said Dieter Huckestein, president – hotel operations owned and managed for Hilton Hotels Corporation. Hilton’s portfolio of 2,000 hotels includes Hilton, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites by Hilton.The ACSI is produced through a partnership of the University of Michigan Business School, ASQ, and CFI Group, which measures customer satisfaction in the competitive hotel industry on a regular basis. The ACSI is updated on a rolling basis. New scores for the hotel industry replace those collected one year ago and are added to scores of five other sectors of the economy measured during the intervening year. One sector that didn’t fare well was the airline industry, which dropped 1. percent to 65, its lowest score since the industry was rocked by 9/11. Southwest Airlines still rules the industry at 74. US Airways made the industry’s biggest jump, improving nearly 9 percent to 62. Northwest Airlines, on the other hand, dropped 4. 7 percent to 61, taking last place in the industry as it struggles with strikes and a Chapter 11 bankr uptcy filing. The overall decline was attributed to the airlines’ struggle with labor contracts, bankruptcies and higher fuel prices, leaving consumers feeling they are getting less for their money.

Free Essays on Auden Verses Williams

are mentioned in order to further portray the fact that while one event occurs in our own life, other events are occurring elsewhere. Directly after Auden mentions various life events he transitions into the second stanza. The first statement of the second stanza is, â€Å"Brueghel’s Icarus, for instance†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (14). Auden begins the second stanza this way in order to use Icarus’ story as an example of the way in which suffering occurs all around in life. Lines fourteen and fifteen lead into a list of things from Brueghel’s painting which ignore Icarus’ fall by stating, â€Å"†¦how easily everything turns away/Qu... Free Essays on Auden Verses Williams Free Essays on Auden Verses Williams W.H. Auden and William Carlos Williams have both written poems inspired by the painting, The Fall of Icarus, by Pieter Brueghel. Auden’s poem â€Å"Musà ©e des Beaux Arts† and Williams’ poem, â€Å"Landscape with the Fall of Icarus† each discuss the story of Icarus in different ways. Auden’s poem uses Brueghel’s painting of Icarus as an example to make a general point about suffering while Williams’ poem focuses more directly on the story of Icarus through Brueghel’s painting to indirectly imply an idea about suffering. â€Å"Musà ©e des Beaux Arts† uses the tale of Icarus to explain how easily people ignore suffering that occurs around them. Auden begins his poem by mentioning how well â€Å"Old Masters,† or famous painters, understood human suffering. The poem implies that famous painters understand that during feeble daily tasks, there are other people suffering. Auden discusses the way in which suffering â€Å"takes place/while someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking/dully along† (3-4). â€Å"Musà ©e des Beaux Arts† includes lines about various events that occur in daily life that go unnoticed in the first stanza. Words in the poem’s first stanza such as: waiting, birth, skating, and martyrdom are mentioned to show the sporadic pattern of events in life. I believe each of these words are mentioned in order to further portray the fact that while one event occurs in our own life, other events are occurring elsewhere. Directly after Aud en mentions various life events he transitions into the second stanza. The first statement of the second stanza is, â€Å"Brueghel’s Icarus, for instance†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (14). Auden begins the second stanza this way in order to use Icarus’ story as an example of the way in which suffering occurs all around in life. Lines fourteen and fifteen lead into a list of things from Brueghel’s painting which ignore Icarus’ fall by stating, â€Å"†¦how easily everything turns away/Qu...

Compliance cars are only produced to meet California mandate.

Compliance cars are only produced to meet California mandate. Let’s say you’re a Honda fan. Your father bought Hondas and you naturally followed. Now let’s say that you are interested in an electric vehicle (EV), and you know Honda has an electric version of the Fit hatchback. But, unless you live in California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York or Oregon you can’t just waltz into your local Honda dealer for a test drive. Here’s why. A California Mandate Yes, the Left Coast is the reason that some electric vehicles are only available in a few states, and in some cases just one or two states. In 2012, the California Air Resource Board (CARB) mandated that automakers that sell at least 60,000 vehicles a year in the state - Chrysler (now Fiat Chrysler), Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota - must sell zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs) using the formula of 0.79 percent of their total California sales. Next year the number is bumped to three percent. Under the regulation, failure to meet the numbers would result in losing the ability to sell any vehicle in California. Thus, the Chevrolet Spark EV, Ford Focus EV, Fiat 500e, Honda Fit EV and Toyota RAV4 EV were born. They are called compliance cars because they are designed and engineered specifically to comply with the CARB requirements and allow the automakers to continue selling cars in the state.   Of the six biggest car companies, Nissan avoided the â€Å"compliance car† moniker with its Leaf electric vehicle that debuted in late 2011. It not only meets the CARB sales number requirements, but it also exceeds it. Plus, the Leaf is the top selling battery-electric powered vehicle across the U.S. Tesla is relieved from the CARB mandate, even though it sells roughly 1,000 Model S electric cars per month in the U.S., because of its small overall California sales numbers. Other States Sign On Under federal law, other states are allowed to adopt California’s emissions rules even if they are more strict than federal regulations. At this point, the District of Columbia and ten states have signed on to follow the Golden State’s lead with ZEV requirements of their own. They are Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Now you know why Honda Fit EV availability is limited to seven states. And the other compliance cars? Chevrolet’s Spark EV and the Fiat 500e are both available in California and Oregon. The Toyota RAV4 EV, the lone electric sport-utility vehicle, is a California-only availability. RAV4 production will cease sometime this year as Toyota is betting on fuel cell vehicles. Lastly, sales of Ford’s Focus EV started in California but can be purchased at select dealers in 48 states. Oh, by the way, if you do live in a state where the Fit EV is available, you can’t buy one. Honda, for some reason, will only lease the car. And, like Toyota, Honda believes future ZEVs will be hydrogen fuel cell powered and will discontinue the compliance Fit EV next year. But Wait, There’s More As you might suspect, there’s more to this ZEV mandate thing than just engineering and hopefully selling enough compliance vehicles to satisfy CARB regulators. Since it’s not likely that Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, and Toyota can sell enough vehicles to meet the quotas, there is a way for these automakers to stay in the good graces of the state. Under the regulations, a certain number of credits are earned by every automaker for each zero emission vehicle they make. A ZEV is not limited to vehicles that use an electric-drive powertrain and rechargeable batteries. Included are electric-drive vehicles that employ a fuel cell to produce electricity onboard from compressed hydrogen gas fuel in an electrochemical process. A lesser credit amount is also given to plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles based on the amount of electric power provided. To date, the biggest winner in this credit derby is Tesla. How so? Well, credits awarded can be sold to carmakers that didn’t earn enough credits selling their compliance cars. Tesla has collected a very large number of ZEV credits, and in turn, has sold them for a very handsome sum of money. Buying these credits has allowed GM, Fiat Chrysler, and the others to continue to sell conventionally-fueled vehicles in the state. More Compliance Cars to Come In 2017, new requirements will be implemented. In addition to the six car companies affected by the current plan, BMW, Hyundai and its Kia subsidiary, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen along with its Audi unit also will be included under the new rules. But rather than waiting until 2017, these companies are getting a jump start. First out of the gate is BMW with its i3, the lightest and perhaps the quirkiest-looking electric vehicle. You can order one now in every state but expect at least a six-month wait for delivery. Electric vehicles coming later this year with limited distribution are the Kia Soul EV, the B-Class Electric Drive from Mercedes-Benz and the Volkswagen E-Golf. Hyundai is going a different route to meet the CARB mandate with its Tucson Fuel Cell.  It is arriving now at a select few California dealerships and is available with a lease only. There are also two EVs on the market that are not affected by California’s regulations. The Mitsubishi I-MiEV and the Smart Electric Drive have been on sale for a couple of years, although Smart has a small number of U.S. dealerships. And of course, Nissan’s Leaf and Tesla’s Model S are available nationwide. By the end of 2014, even with the addition of the cars from BMW, Mercedes, Kia and Volkswagen, the selection of electric vehicles will be very limited. Unless that is, you reside in California or one of the other states that have joined the CARB movement.

Challenges and Impacts of Tobacco Use on Employers Research Paper

Challenges and Impacts of Tobacco Use on Employers - Research Paper Example It is believed that smoking in organizations is generally a very bad thing to do, the reason being that a lot of passive inhaling is done on the part of the people who are actually not anywhere close to the usage of tobacco. This creates upheaval amongst such people and they start detesting the very fact that they are being let down by the smoker community that exists within an organization. One should believe that smoking within organizational realms creates rifts. It makes the employees disillusioned with the fact that they are being treated in a very sordid manner. The smokers must not be allowed to let it be, as they need to be taken to consider what they are doing for the sake of the organization in essence and the negativity that they are inflicting upon other employees (Timmins 1989). The reason for understanding this phenomenon is that smoking in offices is generally not a very viable exercise and could succumb into different kinds of fights, rage attacks and so on. The peopl e who usually smoke at such dispositions are either unaware of the harmful effects that they are causing to the office environment or are very prone to what usually happens once they smoke in an organization. ... The arguments which are raised by different quarters include the fact that smoking is a very private affair and one must not comment on something to this effect at all. This is a pretty debatable point since smoking in organizations means negativities attached for one and all. And there are no areas of respite. The arguments thus generally center on the premise of harmful instigation which could be caused for the worsening sake of the employees at large (Devries 2009). In essence, smoking in business realms is fatal for the lives of one and all. It is an element of disaster as far as cordiality and oneness amongst people is concerned. It makes them feel awkward and helpless, all at the same time. Thus smoking in organizations paints a very gloomy picture of how things actually shape up in the long run. It is essentially intolerable to have an employee in one’s close proximity who is a die-hard chain smoker and who would be unwilling to give up on this bad habit. This employee would be criticized for his acts and at times, taunts would also make the rounds of his personality. On the flip side of the discussion, majority of the employees believe that the smokers within the office place are not at all less productive than any other employees who do not indulge in tobacco usage. This is because the employees who smoke usually sleep less and can be awake for longer periods of time. However they would smoke time and again when they are within the reins of an organization. Their direction seems straying, but they would not be misdirected by any stretch of the imagination. Some research studies have shown that smokers give in more