Zara Marketing Case Study Analysis Essay Example

Zara Marketing Case Study Analysis Essay Zara Marketing Case Study Analysis: Design amp; Development of Integrated Communication Plan for Zara Zara Marketing Case Study Analysis Overview: Introduction Zara, the world’s biggest retail chain store of Inditex Group was founded by Amancio Ortega in Spain in the year 1975. The most profitable brand of Inditex is headquartered in La Coruna in Spain. The group has global presence in all the continents Asia, Europe, Australia, America and Africa. The business model of Zara is completely based upon the short deadlines, lesser quantities and an impressive range of options for style and clothes. Zara’s success depends upon two critical factors i. e. * Following the trend to be able to sell the garments at particular moment when people demand that kind of style and that too without any advertising. * Trusting the employees for designing the clothes and giving them the power to delegate. Event Analysis Brand Analysis The presence of Zara in 74 countries with a network of more than 1900 stores which are ideally located in all the major cities speaks about the strong brand presence of Zara across the globe. The 5 keys which make the Zara’s Business Model a success are: STORE: It acts as a meeting platform for the Zara fashion brand and the customer. New products are introduced twice a week. It has been found that at the topmost stores of Zara 17visits per year by every customer is done to checkout latest Zara brand clothings. TEAMS: The Zara teams have an extensive sales knowledge which is totally focused towards the customer. The friendly sales team of brand Zara creates a pleasant and customer friendly environment at Zara. We will write a custom essay sample on Zara Marketing Case Study Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Zara Marketing Case Study Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Zara Marketing Case Study Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer CUSTOMER: The business Model of Zara brand is totally customer centric therefore customers play leading role in each and every aspect of Zara be it Production, Teams, Logistics or Store designs. DESIGN / PRODUCTION: The production and designing team of brand Zara is inspired by the stores which are directly connected to the customers. That is why Zara has the specialty of immediately reacting to the latest trends in fashion industry with the help of well managed and efficient team of 186 suppliers and 200 designers. LOGISTICS: All the clothing’s are designed with keeping in mind the maximum flexibility and it is mostly customer oriented. It hardly takes bare minimum time of 24 hours from receiving order to delivering the product to the store. Branding is unique technique or method of clearly highlighting the features of the product which makes the product or service different and, much more attractive than the competitors. It also reflects the customer’s experience of the business and has impact on every interaction business has with its customers and suppliers. Successful branding means promoting all the strengths the business has. Zara has strengths like: * Faster delivery of newer products * Effective Value chain Management * Latest Design and Trends Audience Analysis The target audience of Zara through this event would be fashionable consumer which is more educated, demanding and fashion savvy. This ‘New breed of shoppers’ is found to be loyal and loves freshness and variety. The fashionable consumers of Zara buy because of interest which gives them pleasure and enjoyment and is a meaning of self-expression. That is why their purchasing experiences are fantasy, fun, social or emotional gratifications which result in impulsive buying behavior. Involvement is another aspect of consumers as they attach some meaning to the clothes they buy because there is major role of fashion which is being played by fashion in their society. The main drivers which make them buy Zara clothing’s are projection of desired self-image and their individual motives as well. Personal, aesthetic and economic values guide their consumer behavior. The emotional factors which influence the consumer behavior are: * Short span of decision time. * Feeling of getting constrained * More impulsive buying * Desire to reward themselves. The retail environment could be best used for influencing their moods which results in impulsive buying. Impulsive buying behavior of the target audience is of following types: * Fashion Oriented * Strongly involved with the latest fashion trends, which helps in providing experiential or sensory cues through their fashion products. * Symbolic Interactions Impulsive buying also results due to symbolic interactions of the fashion products and due to emotional experiences of the consumers. * Thus it is very necessary to understand the impulsive buying behavior of the target audience reading the experiential perspective which helps in developing the guidance strategies. * Band Analysis * Now we need to find the right band which goes with Zara’s image. Moreover the chosen band or musician should go al ong with the brand image Zara carries, according to the target audience and should go along with the Breast cancer Cause too. Few shortlisted Bands and Musicians are listed below along with their key attributes: The main market segments which will be attending the Zara’s brand event organized for raising money for breast Cancer Research would be women and young well educated girls starting from the age group of 22 years onwards. This will also include housewives and plus size women. Even Zara would like all such consumers who are well aware of the cause of Breast Cancer to join the event and contribute towards the social cause. Mostly women and young girls would be attracted towards such kind of event because breast cancer is mostly found in women. After analyzing all the most famous rock bands and musicians Kylie Minogue seems to be the best artist for performing for the Breast Cancer Festival and the reason being she herself has fought breast cancer at very early age and she enjoys international pop stardom although she belongs to Australia, which goes along with Zara’s brand image too as it is Spanish company ruling the whole fashion industry worldwide. The best part is that Kylie being a woman can easily catch the fancy of the target audience who are also women for this Zara Event. Event Detail Other important details of the vent which would be organized can be easily followed from the table depicted below along with the reasoning why they should be made part of this festival: Sponsorship Activity Sponsorship works as a key for a strong and powerful marketing plan. Sponsorship is the in-kind support or any kind of financial assistance given to specific activity to reach specific business goals  (Freidman, 2012). Here in case of organizing Zara Festival the supported activity is Breast Cancer research and the business goal of Zara is to reach out to its target audience through this festival. Through this festival they want to raise money to support the cause of breast cancer. Potential ESB/ National Brand Sponsors Qantas airlines The airline is both domestic as well as international airline and Zara being an upmarket brand most of its audience travels by air. So Qantas can launch a scheme that they will give rebate on airline tickets to the audience who buy Zara outfits this way they will have mutual sales benefit. Mor4eover Qantas can donate say $5 per airline ticket bought by Zara customers to breast cancer research foundation. Qantas can contribute money for the event and can also sponsor the flight for Kylie too. MTV Since this is a musical event so sponsorship or partnership with MTV would be of great benefit for Zara as well the popularity of the music channel will also grow. They can do live telecast of the music eve and thus gaining TRP’s and get ahead of their competitors and this will prove to be good advertising for Zara as well. Tropicana Juice Manufactured by the PepsiCo would be also a good national brand sponsor because this way they can get good amount of sales during the vent and promote healthy drink which will keep the fitness freak audience healthy and smart. PepsiCo can contribute by sponsoring the event. This way they will also get brand recognition and whatever sales they make, they can donate some portion to Breast Cancer cause too. McDonalds Getting a national brand sponsor like McDonalds to sponsor the vent which sit eh topmost fast food chain Zara would be able to satisfy the appetite of the audience as well as can get good amount of money for the event sponsorship. Local Brand Sponsors The Melbourne based potential sponsors which have been selected and which match the cause, brand and event are listed below. CABRINI HOSPITAL, Malvern Cabrini Hospital located in Malvern, Australia can be potential local brand sponsor for the Zara Fashion Festival. The well-known breast surgeon which they have is Dr. Jennifer Senior; she performed the breast cancer surgery for Kylie Minogue too. The sponsorship will be mutually beneficial for both the parties because the audience for them is the same. This will help Zara in increasing their sales and attracting more women audience who will contribute to this noble cause and at the same time both Cabrini Hospital as well as Zara will create positive publicity along with enhancing their visibility too. Hair Dresser Brad Mullins and Makeup Artist Sarah Tammer Cutting edge hairdresser Brad Mullins will guide women regarding hair styling suiting their personality and give their hair complete makeover. AT the same time makeup artist Sarah tamer will also work upon giving a new dimension to the personality of the women using her bets makeup strokes. They will use latest styles and trends to give awe inspiring looks to the women and young audience’s This will be mutually beneficial as it will enhance the brand image of both Zara as well as the makeup artist and hair dresser. Moreover the sales will also enhance form the profitability point of view. Ripple Melbourne Massage Day Spa and Beauty Women are always attracted towards getting beautiful skin and always wanted to look beautiful so on the makeover day Ripple Melbourne’s beauty specialists will help in making women look beautiful and guide them about what can be done to stay and look smart and beautiful. This way both the beauty and Spa will be benefitted as well as the Zara Fashions will get enough brand visibility. National Breast Cancer Foundation They will educate the target audience about breast cancer, cause and how to fight them. And mutually Zara will also get benefitted as they will get brand differentiation by aligning with the cause of breast cancer. Whatever donation Zara will receive or it can also work upon giving away $1. Per Zara outfit sale to National Breast Cancer Foundation. Selling the Sponsorships The sponsorships would be sold by first arranging a meeting with their publicity manager. Then we will explain them how whether local brand sponsor or national brand sponsor will be benefitted by associating with Zara’s breast Cancer supporting Festival Campaign. The key benefits which the sponsors will derive by sponsoring this breast cancer suppor6ting event would be: * Shaping the attitude of consumers and enhancing the brand image as well as association with such good cause will develop a positive brand image in the minds of consumer and they will tend to buy such good products. Driving their sales efforts, especially in case of food and beverage sector sponsors will derive greater benefits  Ã‚  Ã‚   through bigger sales and sampling, thus PepsiCo and McDonald will get greater benefits if they sponsor this event. *   Helps in Creating Positive publicity and heightening the visibility of the company as well as the brand. The media will definitely cover this event thus t hrough print as well as electronic media they will get wider exposure. Enhance their product differentiation from competitors as the target audience will definitely carry positive image about the product which has a positive image being associated with a social cause like breast cancer. * Help in portraying the image of ‘Corporate Citizen’ role in good capacity. The sponsoring company will be viewed as good neighbor by target audience as the company will be seen as supporting community as well as economic development of society.   Sponsoring such event will definitely help in enhancing not just business but will also help in developing VIP relations and consumer relationships. Thus using the direct marketing efforts of the events like sending mailers and newsletter regarding the events which will carry or talk about the sponsorship partners of Zara Event will deftly give strong brand image and differentiation to the sponsoring companies. Promotional Efforts Zara follo ws a very unique advertising and promotional approach and spends much lesser than their competitors on advertising. Large scale advertising is being taken care of by Zara so we need to support this large scale advertising of event through Point-of-Purchase advertising, sales promotion techniques, support media and social networking opportunities Point-of-Purchase advertising It is the best and the most effective way of advertising and promotional graphics are being developed which help in influencing the consumer behavior when the consumer is making purchasing decision. POP helps in creating impact on the buying decision by turning it into the favor of specific brand or product in-store. Moreover the POP application fits well as signage to so many applications like shelf, floor, walls, and window and vehicle decals too. Like signage or boards for Zara festival events with all relevant information should be places in various areas of the Zara store as well as should be advertised at various public places like grocery stores, fast food outlets and traffic signals banners can be out. Even hospitals can also be targeted. Sales Promotion techniques The techniques adopted by manufacturer to buy more and enhance the sales of products are called sales promotion. It mainly uses short-term a nonrecurring techniques to increase sales. The sales promotion for this event can be done by advertising the free samples scheme like if the audience buys a ticket for Zara festival scheme they will get 25% discount on any Zara label they would buy. Premium or Bonus offers can also be given to the target audience like if they buy tickets for the Zara festival they will get a   premium t-shirt signed by Kylie Minogue   or they can get limited editing Kylie music CD. Social networking opportunities A contest on Facebook page of Zara can be started to advertise the event where in the contest winner will get free passes for the Zara festival event. A contest can be designed in way like the consumer needs o answer few questions related to breast cancer and if all of them are correct they will win free tickets for the event. Another contest can be the audience need to upload their image of black and white combination dress and the best dress designed will get a limited edition music CD signed by Kylie Minogue. Public Relations Efforts Finally we need to launch the public relation efforts in order to promote the event and support the cause of breast cancer amongst the target audience. For this we will design a proactive strategy to promote Zara as well as the Breast cancer research as well as reactive strategy will be developed which will be handling after analysis of potential problems which might arise during the course of the festival. Proactive Strategy The main aim of proactive strategy for Public relations for Zara Festival supporting breast Cancer research cause is to communicate the reason for organizing the event and to develop a communication plan which consists of how and when the plan will be communicated. Digital PR is the strongest PR medium which can be used for launching the event and informing and educating about the event. The Digital PR thrives on who we want to inform since it is mostly women and young ladies or rather the whole section of women so it would be better to place the advertisement about the event or create a twitter or Face book page which speaks all about the cause with which this event is associated. We can also create a video in which the CEO of the company and an advertisement linking the vent can be uploaded on YouTube. Another proactive strategy which could be beneficial is placing a full page ad in the women’s magazines say two to three months before the events can also be helpful in increasing the awareness about the cause as well as informing the target audience about the event. Same way a poster competition can be organized online through Facebook regarding breast cancer or designing just simple black and white clothing line and the best design will get a gift hamper from Zara and along with this contest the whole event information can be displayed inviting all the potential customers. Reactive Strategy The reactive approach towards public relations planning is to respond in passive manner to any event once the event has occurred. Many environmentalists might stand against this event as such a large event will definitely create large amounts of carbon footprints. So we need to prepare a strategy beforehand to handle such situation. Firstly we need to educate through a press release that we would be using ecofriendly paper all through the event, secondly the music would not be loud enough to create noise pollution and required permission from the authorities would be taken beforehand. Demonstrate all the efforts taken to reduce the carbon footprints by Zara as a company so that they are convinced that by organizing this event no harm would be done to the environment.

mechanical energy essays

mechanical energy essays MECHANICAL ENERGY Have you ever wondered how a jet aircraft lifts its tremendous weight off the ground, or what gives a runner the stamina to reach the finish line in a race? In order to answer all these questions we must talk about the transformation of one sort of energy into another. The jet aircraft gets its power from jet turbines. These powerful jet engines create a high-pressure stream of very hot gases that push the aircraft forward as they leave the engine. This is an example of heat being transformed into movement. This is sometimes described as Mechanical Energy. However, this transformation could not take place without the fuel that the aircraft gets within its wings or fuselage. Fuel is considered a chemical energy. This diagram shows how the jet engine acts as energy to lift the aircraft off the surface of earth. Fuel can take the form of gases, solids or liquids. When fuels combine with oxygen from the air, they release their stored en ergy as heat. We recognize this process as burning. The individual relies on food for fuel which contains energy-giving substances that our bodies can store until we need this energy to use our muscles. When we do use our muscles within us, we may not always be sure that heat is given off. Our bodies do not burst into flames but the perspiration on our skin is a clue to what is happening. The movement of the windsurfer has a different explanation. The windsurfer is propelled along by a sail which collects mechanical energy from the winds that sweep along the water. This energy has been produced by the sun which warms the earth's surface and sets the air above in motion. The sun's heat comes to the earth as a form of radiant energy. When the heat reaches the surface of the earth, it causes the land or seas to rise in temperature. The sun is very hot. Infact, the center of the sun can reach temperatures of up to 27 million degrees Fahrenheit. ...

A Narrative of My Goals in My Bucket List

A Narrative of My Goals in My Bucket List Having bucket list that we want to accomplish before we die, is basically showing that we have goals that might seem impossible to accomplish. These goals show how much we appreciate what we see around us. Theres a movie called The Bucket List in which the actors decided that their bucket list items were so important that they needed to find people to help them achieve their goals. Items such as climbing Mount Everest, going skydiving. I am pretty sure that we all have thought of or made a bucket list at some point in our lives, these items could also be described as goals that we want to achieve in our personal lives. For example mine are to travel around the world, perform a kind deed without expecting anything in return, and to become a criminal profiler. My goals go anywhere from economical pleasure, career of choice, and even an opportunity to become a better human. I believe that bucket list items dont necessarily have to be activities that we want to complete before we die, bu t also, life improvements that are necessary but at the moment are difficult to obtain. First, Traveling all around the world has always been my goal since I was little. I grew up in a tiny town I had a difficult time envisioning much else outside my comfortable country bubble. When you travel to other countries and see the amazing beauty of sunsets over seas, rain forests, waterfalls, you realize the world is full of more beauty that you are capable of seeing in a lifetime. But, you still have the intense passion to try. Not seeing this when I was younger, I would of have less desire to venture out when I’m older and have job and family constraints in play. I would have less of a desire to put the effort into taking the time to travel. Secondly, Performing a kind deed without expecting anything in return, has always touched my heart. Since I was in Puerto Rico I used to see people at the traffic lights asking for money, food, coats anything they could ask for. Seeing people in those conditions have made me go and give food or at least five dollars. Its hard to see them struggling and not do anything for them. When you do a good deed you helping someone. The homeless person now has food to eat, thanks to the kindness of these generous people. The person who is the receiver of a good deed or random act of kindness has gotten some help. However, he received more than just a meal or two. In addition to getting food, he also received the message that he is important and worth helping. This good deed warms his heart as well as fills his stomach. Third, Becoming a Criminal Profiler has always been my dream. Since I started to watch Lie to me that show has inspired me to become someone who can help other find justice for our world. Lie to me it is based on a scientist whose expertise is detecting and interpreting micro expressions, involuntary facial expressions that last just a moment. A useful skill if you want to figure out whether someones lying, and why. Dr.Lightman runs a consulting firm from which he and three supporting characters traverse the Washington, D.C., area solving mysteries for the police, FBI and pretty much any other client who needs a lie detector. Criminal Profiler has Law Enforcement agencies rely to help them identify suspects in an investigation. Profilers use the details of a crime, including evidence and witness testimony, to determine a behavior pattern as well as develop a psychological portrait of the suspect. This allows law enforcement officials to focus their search on suspects who fit this p rofile. Individuals who work as profilers typically have a degree in criminal justice, psychology or behavioral science. Finally, Accomplishing these three things before I die would make me feel good about myself, because I got to where I wanted to be. I really liked the movie because to me it was about dealing with what life gives you and dealing with it the best you can and with the best attitude you can have. I like that even though they were old and dying that they still had goals that they wanted to do and they still got out there and did it even though they may not have felt great all the time. It tells you that you should live life to the fullest everyday and to always have a goal to keep yourself going and looking forward. It gives you something to look forward to.

Steel building design Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Steel building design - Coursework Example At the same time, the design should also ensure and provide the necessary comfort, energy-efficiency and safety to the inhabitants. To attain the fundamental building requirements, it is then necessary to integrate adequate structural resistance to building designs. The primary purpose of this is to sustain the actions (i.e. loads, imposed displacements, thermal strains) and influences resistance so that the building will remain serviceable and durable (Brettle, 2009). Meanwhile, in order to secure the structural safety of the building during its intended life, it should be designed and executed with appropriate degrees of reliability. Further, it should also be built in an economic sustainable approach in order to meet its required serviceability structure or structural element standard. Meaning it should fit for the use or function it is required whilst providing comfort and physical aesthetic. Moreover, building designs also incorporated robustness to ensure that the built environ ment is resistant to damages cause by events such as explosion, impact and consequences of human errors (Brettle, 2009). Likewise, it is also important to consider the snow loads, wind actions, thermal actions, and other accidental actions in the building designs in order to integrate appropriate building resistant techniques and strategies. The snow load capacity of the built environment is very important to determine in order to integrate in the design the characteristic values applicable for ground snow load for the site and the imposed roof snow load and shape coefficient. The EN 1991-1-3 (Annex C) of the UK Eurocode provides the snow load map which would be used to deter snow loads for building construction. Meanwhile, the Annex B of the same Eurocode also provide the benchmarks applicable for present roof shape coefficients including other information for exceptional snow drifts, multi-span pitched roofs, roofs abutting and close to taller structures, roofs with projections, o bstructions and parapets. It is also important to note the applicable wind actions in building designs. The EN 1991-1-4 of the UK Eurocode served as guideline in order to determine the natural wind actions during the construction phase of the building. The code also included other information such values of wind actions, value of the basic wind velocity, wind speed, peak velocity pressure, and wind pressures and forces. Likewise, thermal actions should also be considered in the design in order to address the seasonal climatic changes. The characteristic values of thermal action are enclosed in the EN 1991-1-5 of the UK Eurocode. The code is also served as temperature reference especially when steel sub-grade materials are utilized in the building construction. However, it is recommended to further refer to the EN 1993-1-10 of the Eurocode to meet the required standard. Moreover, the UK Eurocode also provided general principles and rules especially during construction and execution o f the building works in order to avoid and prevent accidents in the work site. These guidelines are enclosed in the EN 1991-1-6 of the UK code which included temporary works i.e. cofferdams, falsework, scaffolding and propping system. It also noticeable that new building designs utilized structural materials that are fire resistant. Aside from this, building designers also integrated adequate built-in fire safety measures such as

Economics For Business, The Canadian Economy in the years 2006, 2007 Essay

Economics For Business, The Canadian Economy in the years 2006, 2007 until end of 2008 - Essay Example The government has catalysed saving by reducing taxes and providing non-taxable savings accounts. (conservative.ca, 2009) Fundamentally, the main objective of the monetary policy of Canada is to ensure Canadian citizen’s wellbeing. This is by enhancing an economic growth that is sustained, increasing employment levels as well as improved standards of living. From experience, monetary policy only achieves this goal by way of offering businesses and households’ confidence as far as the value of money is concerned. In 2008, October 23rd the Bank of Canada released a report on monetary policy. The report contained current financial and economic trends in line with the control of inflation is concerned. According to the report, the three main interrelated world developments are affecting the economy of Canada and resulting to the economic growth outlook more unpredictable. This is due to the world financial crisis resulting to major strains in the markets of financial instruments. Demand is prospected to continue being weak due to exports. Lower prices of goods and services will also lead to an outlook that is damp since the terms of trade for Canada are set to decline as well as a growth in domestic demand that’s moderate. Generally, the Bank of Canada predicts a real GDP growth of 0.6% in years 2008 and 2009. 2010’s is set to be 3.4%. (bankofcanada.ca, 2008) In the 2009’s monetary policy report, the Bank of Canada noted that the economic environment continues to highly unpredictable. This is due to the large negative impacts by the recession of the global economy. Emanating from this, the Canadian economy is projected to fall by 3.0% in the year 2009. Recovery is likely to occur in the fourth quarter and the projected growth in the real GDP is 2.5% in year 2010. 2011’s economic growth is set to be 4.7%. The core

Theories Definition Essay Example for Free

Theories Definition Essay This essay discusses theory in a general perspective and some related concepts underpinning it. Kuhn is also presented as an example of an alternative theorist. Theories, according to Littlejohn (1992) are abstractions or frameworks for speculating, interpreting, guessing, understanding, evaluating, rationalizing, explaining or predicting complexity of phenomena, events, ideas, mathematical or logical discussions, human relations, and communication through observation and critical thinking. The basic elements of theories are (1) concepts, which are usually categorized, and (2) explanation, which identifies patterns in the relationships among variables and can be casual or practical. Theory, in a traditional perspective, is based on the premise of â€Å"knowledge as discovery†. It is modeled on the experimental natural sciences through hypothetico-deductive method that includes four processes: (1) developing questions, (2) forming hypotheses, (3) testing the hypotheses, and (4) formulating theory. This method can be done through variable analysis and it is based on the concepts of hypothesis, operationism, control and manipulation, covering laws, and prediction. Littlejohn cites Robyn Penman in describing alternative paradigm through the following five tenets: (1) Action is voluntary. (2) Knowledge is created socially. (3) Theories are historical. (4) Theories affect the reality they are covering. (5) Theories are value laden. The concept of metatheory is used in discussing the criticisms of the work of Kuhn because it describes and explains the similarities and differences among theories. The critics of Kuhn have also their own set of ideas or theories in explaining why Kuhn’s ideas are not accepted. Metatheory issues are grouped into three Major themes – epistemology (questions of knowledge), ontology (questions of existence), and axiology (questions of value). Thomas Samuel Kuhn (1992-1996), an American natural scientist and contemporary philosopher who contributed in the evolution of science principles, has contributed much in the history of and issues on science, culture, and policy in the academic, political, and business fields. Kuhn’s SSR provides his antithetical views in the philosophy of science in which, like Imre Lakatos and Paul Feyerabend, Kuhn emphasized the role and nature of â€Å"rationality† in the processes of science. Kuhn contends that â€Å"science operates as a social structure rather than as an impersonal entity advancing toward epistemological commitment† (Mackie, 1998, p. 25). He contradicts the concept of logical positivism which states that scientists choose between competing theories in a purely rational fashion (Philosophy of Science, 2004). Like William Whewell, Kuhn denies the overly systematic approach to science or the scientific method as the framework for inquiry (Prosise, Miller, Mills, 1996; Mackie, 1998; Roberts, 2000; Nickles, 2003). In SSR, Kuhn presented issues on the nature of and the role of community in scientific development. Thus, paradigm depends on the community to which a practitioner belongs (Roberts, 2000). He interprets the history of science based on the development of â€Å"paradigms,† which are not just simple theories but also â€Å"accepted examples of actual scientific practice [that] provide models from which spring particular coherent traditions of scientific research† (Kuhn 1970, 4, 10). Paradigms provide new information about the world and people’s behavior (Swirski, 1996; Mackie, 1998; Roberts, 2000). Kuhn argues that scientific thought advances through intellectually violent revolutions (Copulos, 2001). This asserts Kuhn’s statement the evolution of science is characterized by alternating periods of â€Å"normal† and â€Å"revolutionary† scientific activity, with the periods of normal science being far more common (Mackie, 1998, p. 27). For instance, a paradigm shift can be seen in the practice of medicine since alternative medicine has been discovered to be also a promising way of treating diseases but it remains a controversy (Copulos, 2001). It appears that the paradigm cannot be fully developed and evaluated solely in a rational manner based on the verification of facts. This approach impacts on the philosophy of science since it is accepted that a paradigm becomes a prerequisite to â€Å"understanding why revolutionary science occurs and why periods of normal science persist† (Mackie, 1998, p. 28). Kuhn is criticized in his vision of scientific revolution which was seen as maligned for its seemingly inconclusive historical perspective; his description of normal science because it implicitly redefined scientific activity; and his ambiguous usage of the term â€Å"paradigm† in different ways (Mackie, 1998). Specifically, Israel Scheffler (1967) argued that Kuhn is a radical irrationalist, subjectivist, irrealist, and relativist because he denies that science provides the basis for objective truth about reality at the perceptual-phenomenal level. Nickles (2003) adds that: â€Å"†¦Kuhn as a principal source of postmodern relativism and of culture-theoretical treatments of science generally†¦Other critics view Kuhn as intellectually conservative in important ways. ..Kuhn differed rather little from the logical positivists on crucial issues, especially assumptions about language and meaning. †¦Kuhns work is also politically conservative and elitist, so much so that, owing to its great influence, it has destroyed any attempt to develop a more democratic science policy for the foreseeable future† (p. 3). Despite the criticisms he received, Kuhn was able to defend his theories by defining his terms more carefully. His second edition of SSR (1970) made amendments and used â€Å"disciplinary matrix† to substitute for â€Å"paradigm† (Mackie, 1998). In the third edition of SSR, Kuhn denied the accusation of relativism and he further clarified his views to avoid misinterpretation (Dyson, 1999). The changes made by Kuhn in SSR shows development from ambiguity to a clearer explanation. As Littlejohn (1992) notes, theories are constantly evolving and they need to be mastered. As an alternative-paradigm theorist, Kuhn did the process of â€Å"fine-tuning interpretive framework for understanding the flow of events† (p. 25). Although Kuhn was criticized for his theories in his SSR, it is undeniable that his theories played significant role in describing, although not accurately, the development of science principles. Kuhn’s theory focused on rational assessment of ideas and it suits disciplines outside normal science because it is irrelevant to philosophy of science but is significant in the analysis of human behavior. References â€Å"Philosophy of Science.† (2004). The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th edition. New York: Columbia University Press. Dyson, F. (1999). The Sun, the Genome, and the Internet: Tools of Scientific Revolutions. Oxford University Press, Inc.. Kuhn, T. S. (1970). The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 2d ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Littlejohn, S. (1992). Chapter 2: Theory in the process of inquiry, Theories of Human Communication. Wadsworth Publishing Co, 25. Mackie, C. D. (1998). Canonizing Economic Theory: How Theories and Ideas Are Selected in Economics. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe. Milton R. Copulos, (November 12, 2001). A Shift in Thinking about Medicine. Insight on the News 17(42), 46. Nickles, T. (ed.) (2003). Thomas Kuhn. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Prosise, T. O., Miller, Greg R., Mills, Jordan P. (1996). Argument Fields as Arenas of Discursive Struggle: Argument Fields and Pierre Bourdieus Theory of Social Practice. Argumentation and Advocacy 32(3), 111+. Roberts, L. J. (2000). Thomas Kuhns the Structure of Scientific Revolutions. ETC.: A Review of General Semantics, 57(1), 59. Swirski, P. (1996). Game Theory in the Third Pentagon: A Study in Strategy and Rationality. Criticism 38(2), 303+.

US Government Misinterprets Ugandan HIV/AIDS Success Story :: Essays Papers

US Government Misinterprets Ugandan HIV/AIDS Success Story The United States Government should embrace a comprehensive HIV prevention policy that emphasizes condom use, rather than the current policy which is largely based on misinterpretations of the Ugandan HIV success story. According to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)—which manages most of President Bush’s â€Å"Emergency Plan for AIDS†Ã¢â‚¬â€in 1991, 15 percent of Ugandans were infected with HIV. By 2001, the rate was 5 percent, a drop unmatched anywhere in the world. How this was done and what this means for the shape of Washington’s programs to fight AIDS overseas has been tragically misinterpreted by the US Government. According to Dr. Justin Parkhurst, who wrote his dissertation on Ugandan HIV prevention policy at the University of Oxford, Uganda was successful for reasons different than the US Government officials would have you believe. A frequent mistake, he said, is the notion that declined prevalence was due to a few specific interventions by the Ugandan government. He emphasized that the government was but one player—among numerous NGOs, church groups, community activists—in the fight against the virus. He also emphasizes that condom use, rather than abstinence and being faithful, was the most important behavior change that influenced declined HIV prevalence. â€Å"Unfounded claims of Ugandan success have persisted in international policy discourse,† he noted. Although the Ugandan experience could provide invaluable information to other nations in their prevention efforts, he said, â€Å"inappropriate recommendations based on poor interpretations of evidence must not be used as the basis for policy.† Such misguided policy pervades the US Government’s HIV prevention activities. While the Director of UNAIDS-Uganda, Dr. Ruben de Robiene, commented, â€Å"I don’t know what the Uganda Model is, no one knows,† the religious right within the US Government is convinced that it knows Uganda's secret: abstinence and being faithful. According to a USAID report, â€Å"Condom social marketing did not play a major role† in Uganda’s relative success. Dr. Anne Peterson, a physician and the USAID director of global health who is responsible for overseeing US anti-HIV programs, says, â€Å"Kids are willing and able to abstain from sex. The core of Uganda's success story is big A, big B and little C.† Dr. Peterson said the US’s HIV prevention policy is not an ideological balm for religious conservatives or any other group beholden to the Bush administration.

Focus on Trash Island, Save Our Life Essay

Ignored by humans for decades of years, garbage floating on the ocean has become a trash island. The island consists of plastic bags, cans, tires and other plastic debris. The worse thing is that the trash island is still growing. The seawater in the center of Subtropical Airflow of pacific flows extremely slowly, with the addition of weather patterns, a large amount of garbage gather in this place. Year after year, a trash island has formed, which was called â€Å"the eighth continent†. It consists of four million tons of pelagic plastics, chemical sludge, and other debris, researchers estimate island area may be twice the size of Texas! (Wikipedia.com) The floating debris can absorb organic pollutants from seawater, and then such debris can be ingested by small fish, which are then eaten by larger fish. Many of these fish are then consumed by humans, resulting in their ingestion of toxic chemicals. (Ballard 2004). Therefore, human life will be threatened by this situation. What should be done to reduce the amount of pollution and garbage building up on trash islands? It is undeniable we should take this problem seriously; otherwise humans will be faced with disaster. After realized how urgent we should clean the trash island, humans did a lot of work, try to diminish it. Once it was a project called â€Å"Project Kaisei†, which devoted to study the ways of cleaning up the trash island. According to the material, in 2009, Project Kaisei embarked on its first expedition to the Pacific Patch. There are two vessels in this trip, one is the â€Å"Kaisei†, and the other is the â€Å"New Horizon†. Each research vessel had a crew of scientists and volunteers on board in order to research the effects that might be occurring as a result of the large amounts of floating debris in this area of ocean. Investigation was carried out for material science, toxicity, invasive species, ecosystem impact and new catch methods to develop ways for removing some of the debris in the future in a larger scale.(projectkaisei.org). Similar projects are taken; scientists and government are trying to find ways to recycle plastic wastes. Project Kaisei drawn out a plan to save the ocean, which will raise about 200 million dollars in the next 18 month, then it will clean up more than 400,000 tons of garbage; those garbage can be decomposed as fuel. The Kaisei Project indeed got a good return, basically it clean up part of the island, however, the island is still growing because those factories never stop dumping plastic waste into the ocean. Take the real situation into consideration, I think the best strategy we should do is to avoid the island growing bigger. Charles Moore, who firstly found â€Å"the eighth continent†, said even cost all the country’s financial resources, and killed a large number of wildlife, it is impossible to clean up the whole trash island in the Pacific Ocean. (Earth Island Journal, 2010). The technology may not be advanced so much that we can’t clean up the whole island at present; moreover, the costs have far exceeded the benefits. I believe we should develop the technology firstly and seek out the most effective and economical process to recycle and resolve the trash. On the other hand, we can take other actions to prevent more debris from inflowing the ocean. And the costs will be much lower than cleaning the island up. Unquestionably the garbage island is a serious issue that worth to think. Prevention may not solve the problem once for all, but it can avoid it getting worse. And it is practical and workable, has a chance to be enacted. Government can encourage entrepreneur to develop green industry; policy can be carried out to close those factories which had high pollution productive process. Research and development department has the ability to improve technology, as a result, the discharge of pollutant will be reduced and eliminated. Communities can contribute by lobbying companies to find environmentally safe alternatives to plastic and formulate reusable packaging. â€Å"International treaties prohibiting dumping at sea must also be enforced, such as prohibiting sewage from being allowed to flow into the ocean, or eliminating the use of plastic bags†(Silverman, 2007). Factories can find a way to reduce the discharge of plastic waste, or they can stop dumping the wasted into the ocean; there must be approach to resolve the waste rather than simply discard them to the sea. With all efforts, the trash island will not bigger any more. Beyond this, our individual should stop dumping plastic wastes into the sea. As an article said, about 80% of the debris comes from land, much of which is plastic bags, bottles and other consumer products as wind â€Å"blows plastic rubbish out of littered streets and landfills where it gets into rivers and storm drains before riding the tides and currents out to sea† (Grant, 2009). Some tourists always think the ocean is â€Å"a big trash dustbin†, they enjoy the scenery as well as drop the trash unconsciously. Environmental protection advertisement, public announcement and collection can be made to wake up the awareness of environmental protection from human. Although it’s hard to persuade those factories to close down their pollution business, the policies still need to be put into effect. It is indeed the most helpful approach to prevent the trash island grow up. At the national level in the United States, authorities like the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 do not specifically mention marine debris, but include standards applicable to the control of land based sources of marine debris (Interagency 2008). The most important thing is, such management can heighten human’s awareness of protecting environmental, constant dropping wears the stone, I believe it will lead a right direction. If we can change our habits, the trash island will not grow. â€Å"Ultimately more plastic recycling and wider use of biodegradable materials is the best hope for controlling these garbage patches† (McLendon, 2010). Without global effort, we cannot successfully control the situation and protect the ocean environment; marine animals and human’s life will be at risk. Changes and actions need to be made, thus we can fix the problem and prevent it from occurring again. In conclusion, reduction of sources and international collaboration for cleanup is the most efficient way to reduce the expansion of the trash island. Work Cited â€Å"Project Kaisei – Capturing the Plastic Vortex.† Project Kaisei – Capturing the Plastic Vortex. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2012. Ballard, K. ―The importance and conservation of Biomes.â€â€" University of California. (2004) â€Å"Great Pacific Garbage Patch. â€Å"Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation . Captain Charles Moore. Earth Island Journal, Aug. 2009. Web. 05 Dec. 2012. Silverman,J.(2007,September 19).Why is the World’s Biggest Land fill in the Pacific Ocean Retrieved February13,2012,from HowStuffWorks: http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/greatYpacificYgarbageYpatch3.html Grant, R.(2009,April 24).Drowning in plastic: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is twice the size of France.The’Telegraph . Interagency Report on Marine Debris Sources, Impacts, Strategies and Recommendations. Interagency marine debris coordinating committee (2008) McLendon,R.(2010,February 24).What’is’the’Great’ Pacific’Garbage’Patch? Retrieved February 13, 2012,from Mother Nature Network: http://www.mnn.com/earthYmatters/translatingYuncleYsam/stories/whatYisYtheYgreatYpacificYoceanYgarbageYpatch

Genetically Modified Food †Pros & Cons Essay

Never before in history has mankind so masterfully commanded its food chain. Thousands of years ago, much of our species made the leap from a hunter-gatherer level of subsistence to an agricultural society. With agriculture, slowly but surely many modifications were made to plants and animals used and domesticated by us for the purpose of feeding ourselves. New specialized varieties with specific desirable traits slowly emerged; with the advent of knowledge of hybridization, this process was greatly expedited. By today, much has changed in the way we shape the foods we put into our bodies. With modern food science has come the dawn of genetic modification. Food scientists working in tandem with genetic engineers can now isolate the genes for specific desirable traits from an entirely unrelated organism and splice them into an organism that we have traditionally consumed—say hello to â€Å"frankenfood. † As a practice, genetic engineering is the careful modification of a living organism done by essentially rewriting its DNA, thus altering its genetic makeup â€Å"in a way that does not occur naturally† (Domingo 535). The process of genetically modifying a plant entails inserting genes into plant cells by injecting viruses which copy specialized DNA into the cells. The end goal is that specific traits deemed beneficial become newly expressed in the GMO (genetically modified organism). The movie Food Inc. , narrated by well-known authors Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser (authors of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Fast Food Nation, respectively), dedicates a large portion of time to the modern use of genetically modified food—particularly soybeans—in American agriculture. The film hints at the various effects of using GM soybeans in agriculture, yet seems to be mainly focused on the economic impact the Monsanto GM soybean has on Midwestern farmers. It does at times indirectly suggest some possible health effects, though, at the time the movie was produced (2008—only four years ago), not nearly as much was known about such ill bodily effects. The pro-GMO food camp often boasts of the feats of this space age engineering in terms of productivity, efficiency, and health benefits. Skeptics, on the other hand, see how this practice can wreak havoc on the environment, exploit the economically disenfranchised, and also pose many risks to human health. Here, through the scope of the critical, food-safety concerned (people identifying with the questions raised by authors Pollan and Schlosser), we will explore these various claims about human health as they pertain to the most current technologies in â€Å"frankenfood. † One of the main purposes of genetically modifying crops is to improve nutrition. There is simply less food to go around in today’s world. With the growing population and lessened crop yields due to drought (a likely implication of climate change), â€Å"the price of wheat and corn [has] tripled† (Bourne) in recent years. Multitudes of people have been negatively affected by this. The frightening shortage has prevented many of the world’s poorest citizens from getting the basic, nutritious food staple they need to survive. In some of the hardest hit places, food riots have broken out in response to the startling scarcity. One of the clear potentially benefits of genetic modification in plants is its capability to lessen hunger worldwide. Genetically modified crops could help reverse the decline in yield growth by increasing drought tolerance, nitrogen efficiency, pest resistance, and photosynthesis rates (Crosson and Anderson). The â€Å"challenge of putting enough food in nine billion mouths by 2050 is daunting† (Bourne) with the increasing prevalence of food shortages. Genetic engineering of plants on a global scale may prove to be pivotal in averting a Malthusian catastrophe; that is, necessary for the survival—or at least temporary sustenance—of humanity. Companies involved in the genetic modification of crops, such as Monsanto, believe that â€Å"biotech will make it possible to double yields of†¦ core crops of corn, cotton, and soybeans by 2030† (Bourne). Introducing such crops to malnourished regions will potentially help alleviate the rising demand for food the world is currently facing. In Uganda, where cassava, a potato-like tuber, is the primary food staple for the masses, a destructive plant virus struck the nation in the early 1990s. The pathogen devastated the cassava plant’s yield, damages many farmers livelihoods, led to near economic ruin, and, most importantly here, jeopardized health and nutrition of many thousands of native Ugandans. In some of the hardest hit areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, the cassava yields had been halved, all while the population of the continent continued to grow at a very fast pace. In terms of health, this disaster has led to, among other deleterious effects, widespread malnutrition and starvation. In 1999, â€Å"scientists genetically engineered the plant†¦ to resist the [devastating] virus† (Hand). Since then, there has been appreciable improvement in the situation. The recent political situation in Uganda (and many other famine-stricken, war-torn African nations), however, has prevented such ambitious implementations of genetically modified crops from reaching their full potential in helping to solve the global food crisis. In addition to alleviating this hunger crisis, the genetic modification of plants can foreseeably further advances in modern medicine. One very practical use for genetic engineering is to turn bacteria into factories to make proteins and other compounds that are useful to humans. Researchers at Harvard University, for example, have recently â€Å"added a few genes to [E. coli’s] solitary circular chromosome, coaxing the organism to produce lycopene† (â€Å"Bacteria into Biotech Factories†). In bacteria, this process allows for useful and vital products like insulin to be produced much more easily, and at lower costs. Likewise, genetic engineering of plants can be used to increase the concentration of beneficial botanical compounds used in medicine and health supplements. Although certainly not without risk, GMO technology has been around for almost two decades now, and has had much fewer negative implications on human beings than, for instance, newly developed cancer treatments. Yet trial and error for cancer treatment does not get the negative publicity that the genetic modification of plants does, despite the fact that both aim at improving health for people who are otherwise very sick (be it cancer or starvation). In the United States, where opposition to â€Å"frankenfood† has steadily grown over the past decade, many scientists fear public suspicion regarding genetically engineered foods (within the country and abroad) could derail further research and development of them. Skeptical public sentiment may hinder the advancement of such crops that could potentially improve nutrition and overall health in regions—such as famished Sub-Saharan Africa—that could desperately use it. In addition to solving the modern world-wide hunger epidemic, a more indirect yet very significant positive impact on human health owing to the implementation of GMOs in agriculture would be the lessening or cessation of mass deployment of harsh, toxic pesticides over acres upon acres of cropland. Pesticides have long been cited as producing many detrimental effects with regards to human health. One of the largest indirect positive health implication of implementing GMOs in agricultural is the reduced use or end of pesticide application on food crops. First and foremost, pesticides ultimately cause â€Å"target organisms [to] develop resistance† (Lu and Cosca) to their chemical components. In the end, this leads to increasingly larger, more widespread use of pesticides and the need for more serious, more expensive, and more toxic pesticides to be applied to food crops. Studies have specifically demonstrated that agricultural workers exposed to pesticides on a routine basis â€Å"developed higher incidence rates of cancers of the nervous, lymphatic and hematopoietic systems† (Lu and Cosca). Furthermore, it has been documented that among infants whose mothers were exposed to routine pesticide use, there has been a â€Å"significant association between in utero organophosphate [(a very common agricultural pesticide)] exposure and abnormal reflexes† (Lu and Cosca). For this same commonly used pesticide, researchers have discovered a severe and widespread incidence of â€Å"neurotoxicity among the exposed† (Lu and Cosca). Less severe yet nonetheless very disturbing effects of â€Å"muscle pain, weakness†¦ change in taste†¦ eye pain, headache[s], drowsiness†¦ tremors†¦ difficulty in breathing, palpitations, throat irritation, and sweating† (Lu and Cosca) have been linked to pesticide use as well. Many of these symptoms and conditions have been correlated to merely the level of â€Å"pesticide levels found in soils† (Lu and Cosca), and have not only affected agricultural workers, but also individuals living within relatively close proximity to intensely farmed areas. If (and/or possibly when) genetically modified food crops designed to resist pests â€Å"naturally† are introduced on a significant scale, the use of these chemical pesticides and their harmful effects on human health will inevitably be curtailed. Despite the growing yet relatively mild opposition to the genetic engineering of crops in the United States (as opposed to Europe), many scientists in the United States assert—including former Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore—that genetic engineering isn’t fundamentally different from traditional breeding. Amidst objections raised by opponents concerning health risks, scientists such as Moore â€Å"have questioned the honesty of the environmental lobby’s arguments on biotechnology† and denounced such arguments â€Å"as scare tactics† (Lacy 195). To this group’s way of thinking, the benefits of genetically modifying food in terms of health have so far outweighed the risks. As is true in the scientific community, opinions on GMOs vary widely among different groups and individuals. In the interviews I conducted, public opinion ranged from â€Å"I think it’s good† and â€Å"yes,† ‘I think it’s safe from a health perspective’ to â€Å"I don’t like it,† â€Å"It is unethical,† and â€Å"it can’t be too safe. † More people were uneasy with its use than those who were not. One person even stated his belief that â€Å"genetic modification can cause unnatural cell division†¦ [and] spread bacteria. † From a scientific standpoint, this person’s former claim is very plausible yet the latter is a little more unknown. Despite the likely benefits of increased yield and its effect on mitigating the world hunger crisis, as well as indirectly preventing many health problems associated with the use of pesticides on non-genetically modified crops, there are also many valid health concerns surrounding this young biotechnology. Many researchers and experts have conveyed their legitimate apprehension over the potentially negative effects on health due to the consumption of genetically engineered agricultural products. Myriad studies have indeed found many potential health risks associated with consuming GM food products. Most of these ‘con’ findings and opinions are not merely hypothetical and based on sociobiological models either; rather, they are largely based on true scientific studies conducted in labs. In Food Inc. , author Michael Pollan is quick to point out that, contrary to the oft-cited plus of switching to genetically engineered crops that less harmful pesticides will be used, some GM crops are actually merely designed to better withstand pesticides. The film makes an example out of Monsanto’s Roundup Ready ® GM Soybean, which has been engineered to withstand much larger quantities of glyphosate, the highly toxic main ingredient in that particular pesticide (Food Inc. ). This fact directly contradicts the common claim that the implementation of genetically modified crops will lead to less pesticide use, at least in some very significant cases. Given Monsanto’s mammoth market share within American agribusiness—which produces much of the world’s food in our â€Å"bread basket†Ã¢â‚¬â€this finding is all the more disturbing. More pesticide (the dangers of which being previously mentioned), not less, coupled with the finding that â€Å"many GM foods have some common toxic effects† (Dona and Arvanitoyannis 172), may compound health issues in the near futures. For good reason, this combination seems at least somewhat likely to prove to be quite a venomous cocktail. In addition to allowing for increased pesticide usage in certain circumstances, one of genetically engineered crops’ demonstrated direct detrimental effects on the body is the increased incidence of allergenicity. Findings show that the â€Å"introduction of novel proteins into foods†¦ may elicit potentially harmful immunological responses, including allergic hypersensitivity† (Dona and Arvanitoyannis 168). Due to the inherently complex biochemical nature of cultivated food crops, the â€Å"introduction of a gene-expressing, nonallergenic protein†¦ may not always result in a product without allergenicity† (Dona and Arvanitoyannis 168). That is, allergies to foods that were otherwise unknown or non-existent could randomly crop up as a result of this unnatural exchange of proteins used to alter the core nature of a food crop. Generally speaking, many â€Å"adverse microscopic and molecular effects of some GM foods in different organs of tissues have been reported† (Domingo 537). Other than allergies, more serious health effects of GMOs include the potential â€Å"that they may cause hepatic, pancreatic, renal, and reproductive effects and may alter hematological, biochemical, and immunological parameters† (Dona and Arvanitoyannis 172). Through GMO consumption, humans are being exposed to an unprecedented amount of dangerous â€Å"anti-nutrients such as phytoestrogens, glucinins, and phytic acid† (Dona and Arvanitoyannis 165). These were proven to cause marked infertility in laboratory animals (sheep and cattle). Moreover, inflammation of the GI tract due to GM foods â€Å"may lead after many years to cancer† (Dona and Arvanitoyannis 169). Of utmost concern, however, is the disturbing finding that â€Å"maternally ingested foreign DNA could be a potential mutagen for [a] developing fetus† (Dona and Arvanitoyannis 170). Given these findings, it is clear not enough regulation is imposed and not enough research is made available and/or taken seriously by companies involved in the genetic modification of food crops. Now that this new leap in biotechnology has been available for over a decade and a half, scientists have had time to study the health implications of genetically engineered foods on the body more in-depth. The results the scientific community is gathering are startling. Pointing to a prior lack of extensive research on the subject, scientists underscore that â€Å"the lack of evidence that GM food is unsafe cannot be interpreted as proof it is safe† (Dona and Arvanitoyannis 164). We should also proceed with the production of such genetically modified food as â€Å"every single GM food through the food chain will eventually reach the consumer† (Dona and Arvanitoyannis 164). In order to ensure food safety, many concerned researchers reaffirm the assertion that every genetically modified food crop â€Å"containing a new marker gene should be tested for toxicity with long term studies, since GM food will consumed for a life time† (Dona and Arvanitoyannis 167). Although the technology, as mentioned above, has been available to us for over fifteen years, this amount of time has not been sufficient enough to draw any such long-term conclusions. Until that is done, its implementation should be limited to reasonable, unbiased experts’ assessments of what is necessary, or situations in which the likely pros would outweigh the likely cons. It is human nature to fear the unknown. As yet, genetically modified foods are still largely unknown to us. While these fears may legitimately stymie progress with regards to such a new, potential human health panacea, at the same time they also protects us as a species from over-ambitiously and haphazardly ‘playing God,’ thus potentially opening a biological Pandora’s Box of sorts. It can only help to push us further into solving our food dilemmas if we adopt a fundamentally cautious and critical mind-set regarding food safety, a la Food Inc. Because there are so many disconcerting findings regarding negative health effects on the human body with current GMO technology, it is imperative we continue to aggressively and objectively study it. And, given the very plausible positive effects of using GMOs in agriculture en masse—such as a well-nourished world exposed to fewer carcinogenic and neurotoxic substances—the key to harnessing this technology to our species’ benefit as a whole is a slow, careful, unbiased approach to its research, development, and testing. In any event, â€Å"frankenfoods† are charging their way into the modern world of agriculture and will almost certainly be a very significant hallmark of the near-future’s era of food science, technology, and agriculture. Works Cited Bourne, Joel K. â€Å"The Global Food Crisis: The End of Plenty. † National Geographic Magazine. Jun 2009: n. page. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. Crosson, Pierre, and Jock R. Anderson. â€Å"Technologies for Meeting Future Global Demands for Food. † Resources for the Future. 2. (2002): n. page. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. . Domingo, Jose L. â€Å"Human Health Effects of Genetically Modified (GM) Plants: Risk and Perception. † Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal 17. 3 (2011): 535-37. Taylor and Francis Group, LLC, 08 June 2011. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. . Dona, Artemis, and Ioannis S. Arvanitoyannis. â€Å"Health Risks of Genetically Modified Foods. † Critical Review in Food Science and Nutrition 49 (2009): 164-75. Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. Food Inc. Dir. Robert Kenner. Prod. Elise Pearlstein. Perf. Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser. Magnolia Pictures, 2008. DVD. Hand, Eric. â€Å"St. Louis team fights crop killer in Africa. † St. Louis Post-Dispatch 12 Sep 2006, n. pag. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. . Lacy, Peter G. â€Å"Deploying the Full Arsenal: Fighting Hunger with Biotechnology. † SAIS Review 23. 1 (2003): 181-202. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. Lu, Jinky L., and Katherine Cosca. â€Å"Pesticide Application and Health Hazards: Implications for Farmers and the Environment. † Internation Journal of Environmental Studies (2011): 37-41. Routledge, 13 Apr. 2011. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. . â€Å"Researchers Rapidly Turn Bacteria into Biotech Factories. † Wyss Institute at Harvard. Harvard University, 2011. Web. 11 Apr. 2012. .

The Amendments of the Bill of Rights essays

The Amendments of the Bill of Rights essays The Bill of Rights, consisting of ten amendments, was ratified into the constitution in the year 1791. The document's purpose was to spell out the liberties of the people that the government could not infringe upon. Considered necessary by many at the time of its development, the Bill of Rights was written to protect U.S. citizens from abuse of power that may be committed by the different areas of their government. It does this by expressing clear restrictions on the three branches of government laid out previously in the Constitution. Each amendment either states what the government cannot do or limits its powers by providing certain procedures that it must abide by. The Bill of Rights expresses civil liberties-liberties that are for the people and states that the government cannot take action that would go against or infringe upon on these rights. The First Amendment guarantees the people the freedom of expression, which includes the freedoms of religion, speech, press, and assembly, as well as the right "to petition the government for a redress of grievances." The original reason for adopting the First Amendment was that the first settlers who came to the Americas in search of religious toleration and political asylum wanted to make sure that injustices would never happen again. The Second Amendment is the right to bear arms. This amendment was added to the Bill of Rights so that Congress could not pass laws to disarm state militias. The Third Amendment is the prohibition against the quartering of troops in private homes. The Fourth, Fifth and Sixth amendments all protect a person who is a suspect in crime from being treated unfairly. The Fourth Amendment prevents against unlawful search and seizure. It prevents police and other government officials from searching people's homes, offices, and from seizing their property wit hout reasonable grounds to believe that a crime has been committed. The Fifth Amendment has five important p...

Basic Rhetorical Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Basic Rhetorical Analysis - Assignment Example There are applications for the citizens in paying energy bills available on the Internet, and at the local county office. Addresses Certain Users Someone needs only fills in the application with honest answers. If someone does not speak English, and requires assistance filling in the application there is someone at the local county office who is available to assist someone in filling in the application. There are directions available at the back of the application explaining some of the definitions, and offer’s assistance to anyone who is in need of it. The certain users the application addresses are low income families who are in need of assistance with energy bills. There is a large X at the bottom of the application for someone to sign, and the usability of the application was made for anyone who speaks English, and if someone needs assistance there is someone at the local county office who is available to offer assistance. Help readers solve problems If readers are filling in the application over the Internet, some readers need only fills in the highlighted areas of the application. If a reader is in doubt of what information needs to be put in the application readers need only to address this issue by reading the definitions, and explanations that accompany the question.

MUSEUM VISIT & ESSAY ASSIGNMENT Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MUSEUM VISIT & ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example The painting depict Buddha seated on his throne while stepping on a tiger that seems to drink water from the stream below. Buddha is holding a golden scepter in his right hand. The scepter has a shiny lamp at the top and a flowing red cloth. Above Buddha’s head, wavy lines are used to depict cloud movements in the blue sky. The sun is depicted on the left side of the painting while the moon and stars are on the right side. This symbolizes that Buddha controls both day and night. On the left side of the painting, there are green mountains and valleys with a flowing stream of water (Tulachan 1). Down the mountain, a half body of a horse and two men seems to be enjoying their bountiful harvest. The right side of the painting depicts flowing air and human figures. A stream of cool water flows beneath Buddha’s legs. The tiger seems to be drinking from the stream and blooming flowers and green plants manifest the importance of the water. The artist combined shades and tints of red, blue and yellow and complemented them with brown color. The sky and the waters below are blue, symbolizing calmness. The light blue clouds have red tails symbolizing their energetic and strong movement in the sky. Part of Buddha’s garment is blue, signifying loyalty, order and peace. Buddha’s garment parts, throne decoration, center of the sun, and lamp are red orange to symbolize his power and strength, and love and energy on humankind. The golden yellow color of Buddha’s face, hands, sun and the environs signify the promise of an affirmative, happiness and enlightenments. The green color symbolizes fertility while brown signifies protection, security and wealth. The painter made use of line to create shape and movement. Wavy lines are used to depict movement and create outlines. Curved lines are predominantly used in natural forms to depict grace, softness, joy and flexibility that come with