The Greek Epic Poet Hesiod

Hesiod and Homer both composed important, famous epic poems. The two are also called the first great writers of Greek literature, having written during Greeces Archaic Age. Beyond the act of writing, they are central to the history of ancient Greece because the father of history, Herodotus, (Book II) credits them with giving the Greeks their gods: For Hesiod and Homer I suppose were four hundred years before my time and not more, and these are they who made a theogony for the Hellenes and gave the titles to the gods and distributed to them honours and arts, and set forth their forms: but the poets who are said to have been before these men were really in my opinion after them. Of these things the first are said by the priestesses of Dodona, and the latter things, those namely which have regard to Hesiod and Homer, by myself. We also credit Hesiod with giving us didactic (instructive and moralizing) poetry. Hesiod likely lived around 700 B.C., shortly after Homer, in a Boeotian village called Ascra. This is one of the few details of his life that Hesiod reveals in his writing. Career and Works Hesiod worked as a shepherd in the mountains, as a youth, and then, as a small peasant on a hard land when his father died. While tending his flock on Mt. Helicon, the Muses appeared to Hesiod in a mist. This mystical experience impelled Hesiod to write epic poetry. Hesiods major works are Theogony and Works and Days. Shield of Herakles, a variation on the Shield of Achilles theme from the Iliad, is attributed to Hesiod but was probably not actually written by him. Hesiod's "Theogony" on the Greek Gods The Theogony is particularly important as an (often confusing) account of the evolution of the Greek gods. Hesiod tells us that in the beginning was Chaos, a yawning chasm. Later Eros developed on its own. These figures were powers rather than anthropomorphic deities like Zeus (who wins and becomes king of the gods in the 3rd generation struggle against his father). Hesiod's "Works and Days" The occasion of Hesiods writing of the Works and Days is a dispute between Hesiod and his brother Perses over the distribution of his fathers land: Perses, lay up these things in your heart, and do not let that Strife who delights in mischief hold your heart back from work, while you peep and peer and listen to the wrangles of the court-house. Little concern has he with quarrels and courts who has not a years victuals laid up betimes, even that which the earth bears, Demeters grain. When you have got plenty of that, you can raise disputes and strive to get anothers goods. But you shall have no second chance to deal so again: nay, let us settle our dispute here with true judgement divided our inheritance, but you seized the greater share and carried it off, greatly swelling the glory of our bribe-swallowing lords who love to judge such a cause as this. Fools! They know not how much more the half is than the whole, nor what great advantage there is in mallow and asphodel. Works and Days is filled with moral precepts, myths, and fables (making it a didactic poem) for which reason, rather than its literary merit, it was highly valued by the ancients. It is a source for the Ages of Man. Hesiod's Death After Hesiod lost a lawsuit to his brother Perses, he left his homeland and moved to Naupactus. According to the legend about his death, he was murdered by the sons of his host in Oeneon. At the command of the Delphic Oracle Hesiods bones were brought to Orchomenus where a monument to Hesiod was erected in the marketplace.

Failed Weight Loss Of Bariatric Surgery Essay - 2340 Words

â€Å"I think I may go out on the town today and see what kind of fun things I can do.† Mommy look at that fat girl, fat people shouldn’t be allowed out, quack quack waddle fat girl, hey shamu go back to the water. These are some of the things that I have endured and heard on a day-to-day when going out in public as an obese individual. Like myself, a lot of other obese individuals have embarked on many failed weight loss attempts only to gain instead of lose weight. Bariatric Surgery is a great lifelong tool to help aid in weight loss and manage the success;, however, many individuals shy away from the surgery because many health professionals only state the risks over the benefits. Bariatric surgery has become very popular in the United States, but there are many factors to consider such as the risks and benefits, success rates, and procedure options offered. Bariatric surgery has afforded many obese individuals a new lease on life. Medical doctors and insurance co mpanies seem to be down playing the benefits as a way to keep patients with many obesity related ailments to keep them in business. The benefits that bariatric surgery has greatly outweigh the risks and allows for new beginnings. Obesity is an illness, and it is becoming a pandemic, according to an article by Karl Persson 34% of the United States population is classified as obese and these numbers are expected to hit 50% by the year 2030 (person, 2015). To put into perspective ,30% seems like a small number butShow MoreRelatedWeight Loss Methods to Try Before Surgery Essay525 Words   |  3 PagesSlimming pills and procedures like bariatric surgery and liposuctions may help reduce weight but are not considered â€Å"first line medicines.† Patients who qualify for bariatric surgery are those who have tried the conventional way of losing weight but failed. Performing bariatric surgery for obese children and adolescents in order to discipline their behavior warrants reflection and caution. In the field of weight loss, it’s not astonishing to hear of healthcare professionals proclaiming the virtuesRead MoreEssay on Surgical Treatment For Morbid Obesity1366 Words   |  6 Pagesdiet after diet. For them, bariatric surgery is an option even though risks are involved (Flancbaum, et al. 7; Goodman par 3; â€Å"The Weight† par 2). Overview   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Obesity is climbing the charts as being a major killer of our population. This paper informs the reader on how bariatric surgery treats the severely obese. Focus is given on who should have bariatric surgery, how the surgery works, risks of bariatric surgery, and what the patient can expect. Bariatric surgery is reserved for people whoRead MoreSurgical Weight Loss Systems : Surgical Loss1510 Words   |  7 Pages Surgical weight loss protocols Surgical weight loss is very common in today’s world. Many people who have diabetes turn to surgical weight loss to gain their life back. When you search surgical weight loss on the internet, it comes up with many ways that it has been done throughout the century. Many people find that it is much easier to get the surgery to lose the weight rather than using diet and exercise. Surgical weight loss should be monitored more closely, allowing only the people who haveRead MoreThe Average Fat Loss Rate Of Patients1458 Words   |  6 Pages(pre-surgery) BMR accounted for a larger proportion of the TEE pre-surgery compared to the Control group (92.1% to 72.2%). However, the TEE: BMR ratio for the patients at follow-up (post-surgery) was more similar to that of the Controls (82.5%). This suggests that the BMR is less of a determinant of TEE in more active individuals, which is consistent with the increased activity levels from pre to post-surgery. The average fat loss rate of patients was 0.124 kg/day between baseline (pre-surgery) andRead MoreA Literature Review On Opioid-Free General Anesthesia Versus1693 Words   |  7 PagesAnesthesia versus Opioid-Based General Anesthesia for Bariatric Surgery Ina Basha University of New England One third of the American adult population is considered to be overweight, a figure that is still on the rise. Numerous studies have presented the negative impacts that obesity has on health and how every organ system in the human body is affected. When minimally invasive strategies such as life style changes fail, bariatric surgery procedures have become the other option. The purpose ofRead MoreBariatric Surgery1636 Words   |  7 PagesBariatric Surgery Indication: No studies evaluate the commonly used indications for bariatric surgery. Consensus guidelines suggest that the surgical treatment of obesity should be reserved for patients with a body-mass index (BMI) gt;40 kg/m(2) or with BMI gt;35 kg/m(2) and 1 or more significant co morbid conditions, when less invasive methods of weight loss have failed and the patient is at high risk for obesity-associated morbidity and mortality (strength of recommendation: C, based onRead MoreObesity : The Disease Of Obesity Essay1374 Words   |  6 PagesMore than 93 million Americans are affected by the disease of obesity (Obesity Action-Brochure). There are many ways to approach this disease, such as weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, or diet and exercise plans. Doctors and insurance companies have different requirements that the patient must meet in order for the surgery to take place. Obesity is a condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body. Th ere is a difference between being overweightRead MoreObesity Treatment Essay1649 Words   |  7 Pagespasses through the stomach and enters the small intestine. Most of our nutrients and calories are absorbed in the small intestine and then it passes into the large intestine, where remaining waste is excreted from the body. In Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass surgery the doctors only use a small part of the stomach to create a new stomach pouch, which is roughly the size of an egg. Once the stomach is to the proper size they connect it directly to the middle portion of the small intestine, which is the jejunumRead MoreBariatric Surgery, Or Weight Loss Surgery2491 Words   |  10 Pages Bariatric surgery, or weight loss surgery, is a procedure performed on those who are obese in order to help them lose weight. The procedure works to reduce the size of the patient’s stomach, which results in weight loss and a healthier life. Restricting the size of the stomach causes malabsorption of nutrients, which is normally bad, but for an obese person it is the first step to losing weight. This paper gives a brief history of bariatric surgery, along with a description of how it works;Read MoreObesity : Obesity Causes And Solutions1658 Words   |  7 Pagesstruggle with obesity and having trouble losing weight, and the story about Henry Roberts from â€Å"Bariatric Surgery: The Solution to Obesity?† delivered an informative detailed account of his own personal struggle with obesity. â€Å"Bariatric Surgery: The Solution to Obesity?† gave an unbiased and objective view on Roberts’ story along with the actual facts involved with the risks and responsibilities with respect to obesity through the various weight loss surgeries. The article featured a personal account

What motivates different age groups visit bath for leisure purposes Free Essays

string(72) " gender demographic and the age demographic \(Lee Hwang, 2010\)\." Introduction to Urban Tourism Urban areas often emerge as a central hub which connect surrounding areas and open them up to business opportunities, trade and information exchange and utilisation (Page Hall, 2003). Urban areas, unlike rural areas, are known to be densely populated areas. With an area of such importance, it can be expected that services to support different kinds of transactions would emerge (Law, 2002) for example, people will be more likely to live there and businesses would be set up. We will write a custom essay sample on What motivates different age groups visit bath for leisure purposes? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Urban areas also serve another purpose. They serve as a meeting place for a highly diverse crowd of people in several different capacities, be it leisure, business, education of even health (Page Hall, 2003). Cities often hold records of culture and heritage of the people who inhabit it or have previously done so. They are also said to usually have a wide range of leisure facilities (Law, 2002). For whatever reason, visitors show interest in a city and cities exploit these visitors as much as they can. While this sort of interaction has been occurring for centuries, academic study of it has only recently been recognised. This is where urban tourism as we know it today stems from (Selby, 2004). Given that urban areas are defined as such, saying that urban tourism is simply tourism of any kind which takes place in urban areas (towns and cities), however, from an academic point of view at least, urban tourism is more complicated than that when consdering all the possible aspects and perceptions on the demand and supply side, in policies and planning, and everything else inbetween (Law, 2002; Page Hall, 2003; Selby, 2004). Looking at it from this perspective, urban tourism may be defined as the combination of several forms of tourism (such as heritage and cultural, place-specific and special interest, business tourism, etc) concentrated geographically and managed by an interlinked network of government organisations, planners and specialised firms (Ashworth, 2009; Law, 2002). This report talks about tourism and urban areas in from a demand side point of view. More specifically, it will be discussing the motivating factors that affect tourism in urban areas. The focus will be the tourists of the city of Bath and what inspires demand for the destination. Aim of the Research The aim of this research is to investigate what motivates people in different age groups to visit Bath. This research also aims to confirm or disprove the belief that older age groups are more motivated to visit Bath. Objectives Find relevant literature on what motivates tourists and what determines the demand of the destination Investigate which age groups visit Bath and their reasons for doing so Arrive at a conclusion on why different age groups visit Bath Literature Review Tourism is a general term for a range of activities which are the determinants of a destination’s demand. These determinants can be placed in three broad categories; economic determinants; socio-psychological determinants and; exogenous determinants (Page Hall, 2003, Page, 2003). These categorisations imply that a tourist might be in a city due to its economic convenience, its potential socio-psychological effects or due its business environment and its prospects (Page Hall, Managing Urban Tourism, 2003). A decision to spend one’s disposable income on one leisure activity rather than another, on entirely different alternatives, involves several â€Å"psychological determinants† (Kotler et al, 1996). Psychological determinants of tourism demand are most closely linked to leisure tourism (Bowen Clarke, 2009). Ryan (2003) suggests that taking a holiday enables a tourist to fulfil deep psychological needs. These needs might be anything from wanting to gain some social status to simple relaxation (Kotler et al, 1996). Within the socio-psychological category as a determinant of demand, there are a number of variables which can be studied (Kotler et al, 1996). Tourist motivation and behaviour are ultimately determined by these variables (Ryan Glendon, 1998). However, demographic variables and motivations will be most closely considered. These needs have been further elaborated by other authors, sometimes under different headings (Page Hall, 2003; Ryan, 1991; Kotler et al, 1996; Holloway Robinson, 1995). In these sub-categories, it is easy to see that determinants are interrelated and sometimes over-lap each other (Ryan, 1991). A psychological need to escape ones everyday surroundings might lead to falling into a majority demographic due to the sort of holiday a destination offers (Ryan, 2003; Page Hall 2003). In the discussion of the determinants of demand, the motives for visiting are rarely ignored. The variables that affect demand in general are categorized by Holloway Robinson (1991) as psychographic and demographic. Looking at the psychographic variables, tourists visit a destination due to certain factors with are categorized into either push factors or pull factors (Page, 2003). Researchers focusing on tourist motivation often hold the belief that a tourist might be â€Å"pushed† to leaving the area where they usually reside, and therefore escape, or â€Å"pulled† by the desire to be at another location (Ryan, 2003; 84; Goossens, 2000). Therefore, a push factor indicates that a tourists motivation for go on a vacation or to escape their usual routine or environment (Goossens, 2000; McCabe, 2000). It may even indicate a journey of self discovery or re-discovery as a group, in a family for example (Kotler, 1995; Ryan, 2003). The pull factor, however, signifies that a tourist’s motivation is more adventurous, meaning the tourist â€Å"seeks new experiences† (McCabe, 2000; 1049). There is reason for the pull motives to be researched as extensively as it is. This is because when a tourist is pulled to a destination, it show that there are certain elements about it that where attractive (McCabe, 2000). Therefore, for marketing purposes, researchers tend to focus on what makes a destination attractive (Goossens, 2000). However, this has led to a substantial gap between the amount of research done between push and pull factors of motivation (Goossens, 2000). The research covering the motivation of the ‘escapist tourist’ has been somewhat neglected in comparison. The demand for a destination is usually affected by various categories of demographics, most notably the status or income demographic, the gender demographic and the age demographic (Lee Hwang, 2010). You read "What motivates different age groups visit bath for leisure purposes?" in category "Essay examples" In the age demographic, segmentation is taken in six groups, namely the infants, tweens and teens, young adults, early middle ages, late middle ages and over 65’s (Kotler et al, 1996). An alternative is Pooler’s (2002) segmentation into three key, all encompassing, groups. These groups are the baby boomers and seniors, who, in this day, are represented in Kotler et al (1996) as late middle age and over 65 (Lamb et al, 2008); generation X, the generation after the baby-boomers classified as young adults and early middle aged (Kotler et al, 1996; Lamb et al, 2008) and finally; Generation Y, often associated with young adults, teenagers and preadolescents and called the Internet generation (Lee Hwang, 2010), who in this age, statistically (Pooler, 2002) more computer literacy than the previous generation did at the same age (Lamb et al, 2008). Pooler (2002) and Lamb et al (2008) draw attention to the characteristics of each of these three groups and how they are motivated. For example, generation Y spends more on entertainment and clothing. The group also centres a lot of activities on one form of technology and are more susceptible to internet marketing (Lamb et al, 2008). The baby boomer generation however have a need to interact and require more attention (Lamb et al, 2008). Generation X, where generation Y and baby boomers meet, are generally disloyal to brands and are most known for their extensive product search when deciding on any product (Pooler 2002; Lamb et al, 2008). In terms of research on tourist motivations as they relate to specific destinations, Kozak (2002) has studied push and pull motivations of german and british tourists in two popular holiday destinations. The study found that pleasure and relaxation were the highest ranked motivations in both groups in both detinations. This suggests that the major motives for taking a holiday, regardless of nationality and destination, was the need to relax, possibly with loved ones, and escape from stressfull situations to seek pleasure (Kozak, 2002). It was also found that, again regardless of the nationality, the tourists in both destinations were drawn there mainly because of the weather. These findings imply that tourists prefer to spend time in more temperate regions when they are on holiday (Kozak, 2002). Among the variables discussed, this research project, the focus will be mainly on the socio-psychological elements of a city’s demand, specifically within certain age groups. Within these age groups, the research will be examining how demand determinants differ within different age groups. More specifically, it will be exploring the various motivating factors and how they affect each age group, as well how different they are. Background With a declining wool industry, Bath had to find alternative means of boosting its economy in the mid-18th century. This was when the city began to focus on the largely underdeveloped spa trade (Hirschfelder, Borsay, Mohrmann, 2000). Bath began re-branding itself as a tourism city. Though the city had always had these spas, it was only at this time they were specifically developed for mass commercialisation (Hard Misa, 2008). Within thirty years, the city had become the foremost â€Å"health and leisure resort in Britain† (R. Russell, 2010, p. 18). This fame was however, short-lived. Although many European resort cities benefited in the long run from using celebrity culture as a marketing tool, Bath was not one of them (Borsay, 2000). In the mid-nineteenth century, Bath’s allure was lost as people became uninterested in the medicinal qualities of its spas and moved on to the next craze. The city itself was also revitalized, with many support facilities also being developed simultaneously. Like most other European destinations of its type, Bath was mainly marketing itself as a fashion resort (R. Russell, 2010). The trend at that time was the ‘medical’ or ‘cold’ baths which allegedly improved the health (Hard Misa, 2008). The market segments that where interested in this trend included celebrities and the celebrity-minded (R. Russell, 2010). Naturally, high class facilities were developed to support the main market. Though, Bath has been credited as being an early example of a modern tourist industry (Hard Misa, 2008), the tourism industry’s structure has changed since its fame declined. Bath has therefore found new ways to market itself. It focuses mainly on historic tourism (Page Hall, 2003), marketing its roman heritage more than any other aspect (City of Bath, 2008).Today, Bath’s early retirement or retirement age-groups are increasing (City of Bath, 2008), suggesting the market would be shifting to meet the demands of a growing population (Kotler et al, 2005), in turn, attracting tourists in similar age groups. Methodology Based on the research design of Kozak (2002), which studied the tourist motivations by nationality, A 33 item questionnaire was formulated. This comprised three sections. The first contained 8 general demographic questions about the respondent as well as the level of familiarity they have with the city of Bath. The next two sections outlined potential pull and push factors and used a 5-point Likert scale to determine the level to which the respondent was influenced. It is suggested that respondents are more likely to understand a questionnaire with words rather than values (Haley Case, 1979. As such, the questionnaire was designed with words representing the figures on the scale and presented thus: (1) strongly disagree, (2) disagree, (3) neither agree nor disagree, (4) agree (5) strongly agree. The second section consisted of 10 potential push factors. This section was again based on Kozak’s (2002) design, excluding factors which were not applicable to a non-temperate region. These included enjoying good weather, engaging in sports and experiencing nature. These are not actively present in the chosen destination and were therefore removed from the list of items. In the final section, a 15 item table of potential pull motives were outlined. Though Kozak (2002) uses open-end questions to determine what the pull motives of respondents are, in this study, a table was formulated and respondents were to use the Likert scale to demonstrate their opinions. The reason for this modification is the presence of a list of factors which were generated from Kozak’s (2002) open-end questions. The list outlines what the most common pull motives are. Therefore, the list was used as a reference point for the table in this section. Following, the completion of the questionnaire design, a pilot test was conducted. 5 questionnaires were given to 2 staff members who had visited Bath previously, 2 staff members who had not ever visited Bath, and a Lecturer of the Hospitality and Tourism department at St. Patrick’s College London. These questionnaires were assessed for content and accuracy of the questions. Data Analysis and Results The data analysis was conducted using pie charts and tables. Section one was represented in 8 pie charts (appendices 1-8) which illustrate the characteristics of the respondents. In sections two and three, the numerical values of the Likert scale were put in tables and subsequently put in stacked bar charts (appendices 9 and 10). During the data collection, 150 questionnaires where filled in by visitors in Bath. Out of this sample, 8 (5%) questionnaires were unusable due to the fact that they were wrongly filled in. The 142 questionnaires were further divided into those who were in Bath specifically for leisure purposes, which was 86 (58%) of the respondents. Analysis of the remaining 142 questionnaires more than half of the respondents, 34% could be said to be within the retirement age of over 45 years. The 17% made up the baby boomer generation of over 55 years. Those in the middle age bracket who are described as the generation X in the literature review made up 38% of the respondents. Those aged 25 and under were under made up a relatively high 28% of the respondents. They were the highest percentage out of all the age groups that answered the questionnaires. In section 2, the five age groups in the questionnaires were put into three broader age groups of under 25 years (generation Y), 35-44 years (generation X) and 45 years and over (baby boomers), as discussed in the literature review. This section asked respondents to rate push motives. In the generation Y group, the motives with the highest agreement rate were to spend time with loved ones (67.3%); to get away from home (67.3%); to have fun (61.9%); and to relax (57.9%). Those with the lowest agreement rate were to be active (9.7%); to socialize with tourists like me (10%); and to experience culture first-hand (12.3%). The generation X group had the highest agreement rate for the motivating factors of having fun (64.5%), spending time with loved ones (56.4%); and relaxing (54.2%). The group’s motives with the lowest agreement rate where to socialize with tourists (12.4%) and to be active (15.9%). Finally, in the baby boomer group, respondents were most motivated by the need to relax (78.3); to spend time with loved ones (55.9%); and to experience heritage and culture first hand (51.6%). The where least motivated by the need to socialize with tourists of similar interests (3.6%); to seek adventure (9%); and to learn and experience new things (11%). During the analysis of section 3, it was discovered that there was insufficient data to analyse as a significant number of the questionnaires (34) had not been filled or were ticked as â€Å"someone else’s decision†. In at least two of the age groups, the sample size was insufficient to come to a reasonable conclusion. For this reason, section 3 was analysed collectively. There was no special analysis for each age group. sOn average the highest rated pull motives which had a agreement rating of at least 40% were cleanliness (51.3%); attraction range (43.8%); accommodation (42.2%); and the Roman Baths (41.7%). The lowest rated were weather (4%) and nightlife (13.9). Discussion and Conclusion From the findings, it can be assumed that the perception of older tourists visiting Bath more frequently than younger ones might be wrong as over 50% of the respondents were under 34 and only 17% of the respondents could be at retirement age. The implication is that an older resident population may not necessarily translate to an older tourist population (Lynch, Duinker, Sheehan, Chute, 2011). The initial perception might have been born from the idea that an older age group is usually attracted to a historical tourist destination (Lynch, Duinker, Sheehan, Chute, 2011), which is what the City of Bath is. Apart from this misconception, it would seem that Bath’s residents may be mistaken for tourists more often than not, as observed during the data collection period. In addition, more than half of the respondents were under the age of 34, which contradicts the city’s resident demographics report which suggest that there is a decline in the number of people that fall under this age bracket, due to a number of them moving out of the area. It is possible that while Bath residents in this age group relocate, they still keep in touch with family and friends in the area and visit on a regular bases, which would explains the high number of tourists in the group. This is back up by the results of the survey which show that 56.3% agreed that they were in Bath to spend time with loved ones. The most significant push motive was the need to relax. This has also been observed in Kozak’s (2002) study, where the significance of relaxation in the motivations of a holidaying tourist was noted. However, contrary to Kozak’s findings, escape motives hardly influenced the decision of the respondents in Bath. This may be due to how different destinations in both instances are. The majority of the respondents were home visitors, with only 6% of internationals making up the respondents. In Kozak’s study, 100% of the sample population were away visitors. Kozak has also noted the link between an away holiday and the escape push motive. In this study, it is suggested that tourists are more likely to go farther if their motivations are escape related. Rather than the escape motive, in would seem the visitors to bath were more influenced by the need to spend time with someone, be it those living in Bath or those visiting with family. The large number of home visitors could possibly be the reason for this. Limitations This study was limited by various factors. The city of Bath attracts a variety of tourists. One of the major limitations during data collection was the language barrier between the researcher and many of the tourists. Because the data collection tool was in only one language, a significant section of the target group was not able to answer the questionnaire. In addition, as the data was collected during an off-peak period, there might have been a significant loss of certain key respondents. Beyond these two factors, the sample size might have been insufficient when considering that Bath host hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. In the future, it is hoped that another survey examining the leisure motivates of visitors with families in Bath would be conducted as it seems this is a key area which should be explored further. References Borsay, P. (2000). The image of Georgian Bath, 1700-2000: towns, heritage, and history. New York: Oxford University Press. Bowen, D., Clarke, J. (2009). Contemporary Tourist Behaviour: Yourself and Others as Tourists. Oxfordshire: CABI. City of Bath. (2008, August 19). Bath Demograpics. Retrieved March 1, 2011, from cityofbath.com: http://www.cityofbath.com/planning/file/1%20Demographics%20Chapter%205%2019%2008.pdf Goossens, C. (2000). Tourism Information and Pleasure Motivation. Annals of Tourism Research 27 (2), 301-321. Hard, M., Misa, T. (2008). Urban machinery: inside modern European cities. Massachusetts: MIT Press. Hirschfelder, G., Borsay, P., Mohrmann, R. (2000). New directions in urban history: aspects of European art, health, tourism and leisure since the Enlightenment. Berlin: Waxmann Verlag. Holloway, J. C., Robinson, C. (1991). Marketing for Tourism. Essex: Pearson Education. Kozak, M. (2002). Comparative Analysis of tourist motivations by Nationality and Destinations. Tourism Management 23, 221-232. Lee, J. H., Hwang, J. (2010). Luxury Marketing: The influences of psychological and demographiccharacteristics on attitudes toward luxury restaurants. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 1-12. McCabe, A. S. (2000). Tourism Motivation Process. Annals of Tourism Research 27 (4), 1049-1052. Page, S. J. (2003). Tourism Management: Managing for Change. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Page, S. J., Hall, M. C. (2003). Managing Urban Tourism. Essex: Prentice Hall. Pooler, J. A. (2002). Demographic Targeting: The Essetial Role of Popularion Groups in Retail Marketing . surrey: Ashgate. R., B., Russell, R. (2010). Giants of Tourism. Oxfordshire: CABI. Ryan, C. (1991). Recreational Tourism: A Social Science Perspective. London: Routledge. Ryan, C. (2003). Recreational Tourism: Demand and Impacts. Clevedon: Channel View. Ryan, C., Glendon, I. (1998). Application of Leisure Movitation Scale to Tourism. Annals of Tourism Research 25 (1), 169-194. How to cite What motivates different age groups visit bath for leisure purposes?, Essay examples

The Leadership Style of Warren Buffett Essay Sample free essay sample

Warren Buffett ( Buffett ) is the world’s second-wealthiest individual and one of its most successful investors. His character. leading manner and concern acumen have positioned Buffett in a universe category of his ain. His Birth and EducationWarren Buffett. born on August 30. 1030 in Omaha. Nebraska. attended the University of Nebraska. There. he had the juncture to read a book entitled. The Intelligent Investor. written by a Columbia professor by the name of Benjamin Graham ( Graham ) . Buffett was so influenced by Graham’s thoughts that he applied to Columbia Business School to analyze under. be trained by Graham and finally become Graham’s protege . ( Hagstrom. 2005. p. 2 ) . Hagstrom notes that Bill Ruane. Chairman of the Sequoia Fund. was in the ame category as Buffett. Ruane recalls the followers: â€Å"There was an instantaneous chemical science between Buffett and Graham. and that the remainder of the category was chiefly an audience. † ( Hagstrom. 2005. p. 2 ) . How Do We Describe BuffettIn her book. Warren Buffett Speaks. Janet Lowe’s opening paragraph in her debut sums up the challenge one would hold in depicting Buffett. She wrote: â€Å" Is at that place anyone anywhere who has more monikers than Warren Buffett? Vanity Fair called him the Forrest Gump of Finance. He’s been dubbed the Oracle of Omaha. Omaha’s field trader. the corn-fed capitalist. St. Warren ( with a less than look up toing inflexion ) . and the fiscal world’s Will Rogers. He could besides be called the King of Bling for his ownership of jewellery shops. including the 2nd largest in the United States. Borsheim’s of Omaha† . ( Lowe. 2007. p. 1 ) . Buffett embraces the simple and avoids the complicated. ( Pardoe. 2005. p. 5 ) . Michael Lee Stallard. President of E Pluribus Partners describes Buffett in this manner: â€Å" He [ Buffett ] is ever gracious and considerate. He lacks haughtiness and easy connects with people. Stallard notes that Buffett’s long clip Administrative Assistant says that she has neer seen him in a province of choler with anyone. ( Stallard. March 24. 2011 p. 2 ) . Buffett’s Leadership StyleStallard states that Buffett creates a connexion civilization. By that he means that Buffett keeps his direction squads emotionally connected to Berkshire Hathaway– Buffett’s multi-billion dollar keeping company – the corporate vehicle from which he buys and controls his investings. and to Buffett. Buffet treats every director as if he is his ain CEO and encourages them to handle the concern as their ain. Buffett is more of an reliable leader with some traits of a transformational leader with the exclusion of the high risk-taking factor. Buffet keeps it simple and corsets in zones. which he is knowing. He knows and understands himself. knows what he believes and values. and acts on his values and beliefs through unfastened and honest communications with subsidiaries and others. ( Hellreigel/Slocum. 2011. p. 326 ) . Warren Buffett did non go one of â€Å"America’s Best Leaders† merely for his puting art. Rather. he was selected for his leading and influence in the greater corporate universe. His committedness to sound moralss and rules. his self–discipline and consistence. his transparence in unwraping errors. his unfavorable judgment of Wall Street fees and compensation of underperforming CEOs. and his supplication for bettering corporate administration – all have had a good influence on the corporate community. ( Bill George. U. S. News. â€Å"The Master Gives It Back. † Retrieved February 2/6. 2012. Posted 10/22/2006. World Wide Web. usnews. com/usnews/news/articles/061022/30buffett_print. htm. ) Stallard emphasizes that Buffett is ever gracious and considerate and lacks haughtiness. He notes that Buffett easy connects with people. As to his directors. Buffett brings to the tabular array the component of voice. He is ever available to his directors. doing himself a sounding board. He brings the component of the Vision to life. He ever talks about Berkshire Hathaway as a healthy company. He makes statements to his troughs like â€Å"just maintain on making what you’re making because we are neer traveling to state a 400 batter to alter his batting stance. † ( Stallard. e-Video recorded for Athenaonline. com. World Wide Web. michaelleestallard. com/the-leadership-style-of-warren-buffett ) published on March 2. 2009 08:36 a. m. under Uncategorized. Buffett’s Fundamental Business Principles: Four Wise Work forceIn order to hold some apprehension of Buffett and Buffettology. the underlying concern rules which Warren Buffett adheres to and which have caused his unmeasurable success. it is necessary to analyze briefly the impact of four wise work forces whom Buffett honored and allowed to impact his life and his concern which has spearheaded to the position of the â€Å"great† and in other related spheres. â€Å"the greatest. † Benjamin Graham played a major function in the life of and the version of investing scheme that would maintain Buffett in the mainstream about one-half a century and with promise by what he would seed. a crop of harvesting great fruit in all subjects for many coevalss to come. Graham is considered the Dean of Financial Analysis. He had no predecessor in the field and/or work. Graham had two celebrated plants. Security Analysis. co-authored with David Dodd and originally published in 1934 . The Intelligent Investor was originally published in 1949. ( Hagstrom. 2007. p. 12 ) . Graham began his calling on Wall Street as a courier at the securities firm house of Newburger. Henderson and Loeb. posting stock monetary values on a chalkboard for $ 12 per hebdomad. From courier he rose to composing research studies and shortly was awarded an one-year wage of $ 600. 000. He was merely 25 old ages old. ( Hagstrom. 2007. p. 12 ) . In 1926 Graham formed an investing partnership with Jerome Newman. It was this partnership that hired Buffett some 30 old ages subsequently. ( Hagstrom. 2007. p. 12 ) . Graham gave Buffett the rational footing for puting. the border of safety. and helped Buffett larn how to get the hang his emotions to take advantage of market fluctuations. ( Hagstrom. 2007. p. 28 ) . The 2nd influential person in Buffett’s life was Phillip Fisher. While Graham was composing Security Analysis. Fisher was get downing his calling as an investing counsellor. Fisher began work as an analyst at the Anglo London A ; Paris National Bank in San Francisco. He was made in charge of the Bank’s statistical section. It was from this perch that Fisher witnessed the Crash of 1929. After a brief and unproductive calling with a local secur ities firm house. Fisher opened his ain investing guidance house and operations began March 1. 1931. Fisher recalled that at Stanford one of the teachers of one of his concern categories required that Fisher accompany him to diverse concerns. The professor would acquire the concern directors to speak about their operations. and frequently helped them work out an immediate job. Driving back. Fisherman and his professor would recap what they observed about the companies and directors. Fisher held this memory as beloved and said â€Å"that hr each hebdomad was the most utile preparation I had of all time received. † ( Hagstrom. 2007. pp. 16. 17 ) . â€Å"From these experiences. Fisher came to believe that people could do superior net incomes by puting in companies with above-average potency and alining themselves with the most capable direction. To sun these exceeding companies. Fisher developed a point system that qualified a company the features of its concern and its direction. † ( Hagstrom. 2007. pp. 12-13 ) . â€Å"The impact of Fisher’s point of view on Warren Buffett was that he gave Buffett an updated. feasible methodological analysis that enabled him to place good long-run investings and pull o ff a profile over the long term and taught the value of concentrating on merely a few good companies. † ( Hagstrom. 2007. p. 28 ) . Fisher besides emphasized the quality of direction as a standard for placing outstanding companies. Fisher impacted Buffett to understand that superior directors are determined to develop new merchandises and services that will do growing to go on and spur long after the terminal of current merchandises and services. Fisher’s place was that direction should be set uping policies to guarantee consistent additions for 10 to 20 old ages. even at the costs of subordinating immediate net incomes. He makes clear the differentiation between subordination and forfeit. Finally. another critical trait concerned that direction must be unquestionable in unity and honestness. They must see themselves as legal guardians for the shareholders. ( Hagstrom. p. 18 ) . John Burr Williams. like Fisher graduated from Harvard and Harvard Business School. He worked as a security analyst at two well-known Wall Street Firms during two critical periods. the howling 20’s and the clang of 1929. His thesis was entitled the Theory of Investment Value and it has influenced fiscal analysts and investors of all time since. For 60 old ages it has served as the foundation on which many celebrated economic experts have based their ain work. Today. Williams’ theory is known as the dividend price reduction theoretical account. or discounted net hard currency flow analysis which provides a manner to set a value on a stock or a bond. It is the underlying methodological analysis that Warren Buffett uses to measure stocks and companies. ( Hagstrom. 2007. pp. 20. 21 ) . Charles Munger. lawyer. boy of a attorney and grandson of a federal justice believed in common sense concern rules and he and Buffett had a enormous relationship. After his influence on Buffett with respect to act uponing him to travel off from inexpensive purchases. Munger helped Buffett develop a more progressive mentality sing the fringy difference in the economic returns which was the effect of purchasing and owning quality and important concerns. ( Hagstrom. 2007. pp. 22. 23. 24 ) . These wise work forces were the precursors of the universe of investings and finance as we know it today. Buffett was right at that place as a receiver of their labours and rational end products. They were his wise mans. In his ain mastermind he was able to integrate these schemes into a individual cohesive attack. ( Hagstrom. 2007. pp 22–24 ) . Preferable Leadership StyleTransformational leading is the preferable leading manner. It involves expecting future tendencies. animating followings to understand and encompassing of a new vision of possibilities. developing others to be leaders or better leaders and constructing the organisation or group into a community of challenged and rewarded scholars. It allows for more control mechanisms which is more realistic than reliable leading. SCORE is a portion of the Small Business Administration and offers diversified services which are needed for all concerns at any degree of its formation and operation. The Online Workshops and low cost off site workshops can be tailored to accommodate the several demands. Transformational leaders must be assured that all subsidiaries and diverse managerial staff are well-trained. able to pass on and understand with lucidity the ability to show the same in an articulate manner the vision of the organization/corporation. SCORE besides offers on-line and off site concern wise mans and managers. This facet is helpful with the digital tendencies and fast paced activities of demand and supply and the ability to do accurate determinations for the concern and direction. Mark offers templets and tools. which enables the concern program to be current and accurate with respect to general market tendencies. MentionsBooks: Hagstrom. R. G. ( 2005 ) The Warren Buffett Way. Second Edition. John Wiley A ; Sons. Inc. Lofton. L. ( 2011 ) . Warren Buffett Invests Like A Girl And Why You Should Too. The Motley Fool. Inc. Lowe. J. ( 2007 ) . Warren Buffett Speaks. Wit and Wisdom from the World’s Greatest Investor. Wholly revised and Updated. . John Wiley and Sons. Inc. Pardoe. J. ( 2005 ) . How Buffett Does It. 24 Simple Investing Schemes From the World’s Greatest Value Investor. . The McGraw-Hill Companies. Inc. E-Articles: George. Bill. U. S. News A ; World Report. USNEWS. COM. The Maestro Gives It Back. Posted October 22. 2006.hypertext transfer protocol: //www. usnews. com/usnews/news/articles/061022/30buffett_print. htm Stallard. Michael Lee: The Leadership Style of Warren Buffett. . Published by Michael. Lee Stallard on March 2. 208 8:36 a. m. under Uncateogrized. hypertext transfer protocol: //www. michaelleestallard. com/the-leadershp-style-of-warren-buffett

On my way to work today I was ... free essay sample

On my way to work today I was thinking about my goals. I dont think we think aboutthese things often enough. We let our daily lives get in the way of what we really want. Work,traffic, chores, and many more things cloud our minds and overwhelm us.Realizing the importance of putting a plan together and writing down my goals has made a hugechange in my life. Setting yearly goals, monthly goals and even daily goals has helped me stayon track even with the everyday craziness.Most would say that being a single mom of three would be enough of a distraction right?I can honestly say that being in business for myself has definitely created a different mindset forme. Where most use their kids as an excuse, I use my kids as my reason. My reason forputting goals down, for doing things that make me extremely uncomfortable but are helping megrow, for pushing myself even on days when all I want to do is crawl under a blanket. We will write a custom essay sample on On my way to work today I was or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I think tomyself, what type of example am I for my kids, will I teach them to hide from life under a blankettoo? No! I will be the example of someone that doesnt quit, that falls and gets back up quickly,someone who knows their worth and believes that they deserve great things in life. Even my kids know to write down what they would like to achieve, to say theiraffirmations and to believe that they can do anything. Im teaching them to write down theirgoals, but not just that, also to write down a plan on how to obtain them. Kids are never tooyoung to be taught these important life lessons. We need to create a path for them that will leadto success, and we do that by being the examples, not just by speaking but by actually doingthe things that we tell them will help them to be great in life.As a parent, I think a lot of what type of adults my kids will grow up to be. Will theybecome average adults, just working a day to day job; unfulfilled and unhappy? Or am I plantingenough seeds in them to help them become strong adults, who thrive, who believe that they aremeant for more? My wish is that they become adults who will want to also make a change andhelp others. Our ultimate goal should be to create a family legacy, a family of entrepreneurswho do philanthropic work and want to not only create better lives for themselves, but also wantto assist others to do the same. Im proud to be a part Virtuity, a company that believes that nobody should be mediocreand that pours belief into every single associate by reminding them that anyone can achievegreatness. We are taught to create business plans, given direction and coaching withphenomenal tools so that we can obtain the things we want through our business. Howwonderful is that? It is a dream to work with people who value me as not just an employee, butas a partner whose contribution to the team and the business is paramount.So I would say, find some time in your day today, and start writing some goals down,write down what you want to achieve, and as you are writing think about how it would feel toachieve these goals. Also, start making a plan on how to achieve your goals, and make it yourmission to complete the tasks needed. Believe you deserve it, know that time dedicated tobettering yourself is never wasted; its invested. Make the decision today, what kind of aninvestment you want it to be?

WWI-Comparison of German+French Soldiers experienc Essays

WWI-Comparison of German+French Soldiers experienc Essays WWI-Comparison of German+French Soldiers experiences History WWI-Comparison of German+French Soldiers experiences The first World War was a horrible experience for all sides involved. No one was immune to the effects of this global conflict and each country was affected in various ways. However, one area of relative comparison can be noted in the experiences of the French and German soldiers. In gaining a better understanding of the French experience, Wilfred Owen's Dulce et Decorum Est was particularly useful. Regarding the German soldier's experience, various selections from Erice Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front proved to be a valuable source of insight. A analysis of the above mentioned sources, one can note various similarities between the German and French armies during World War I in the areas of trench warfare, ill-fated troops, and military technology. Trench warfare was totally unbiased. The trench did not discriminate between cultures. This "new warfare" was unlike anything the world had seen before, millions of people died during a war that was supposed to be over in time for the holidays. Each side entrenched themselves in makeshift bunkers that attempted to provide protection from the incoming shells and brave soldiers. After receiving an order to overtake the enemies bunker, soldiers trounced their way through the land between the opposing armies that was referred to as "no man's land." The direness of the war was exemplified in a quotation taken from Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, "Attacks alternate with counter-attacks and slowly the dead pile up in the field of craters between the trenches. We are able to bring in most of the wounded that do not lie too far off. But many have long to wait and we listen to them dying." (382) After years of this trench warfare, corpses of both German and French soldiers began to pile up and soldiers and civilians began to realize the futility of trench warfare. However, it was many years before any major thrusts were made along the Western front. As soldiers past away, recruits were ushered to the front to replenish the dead and crippled. These recruits were typically not well prepared for the rigors of war and were very often mowed down due to their stupidity. Both the French and Germans were guilty of sending ill-prepared youths to the front under the guise that "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country." (380) Owen's Dulce et Decorum Est is a prime example of this "false optimism" created by the military machine in France to recruit eager new troops to die a hero's death on the front lines. Remarque also alluded to the fact incompetent young recruits were sentence to death. In reference to the young recruits Remarque stated, "It brings a lump into the throat to see how they go over, and run and fall. A man would like to spank them, they are so stupid, and to take them by the arm and lead them away from here where they have no business to be." (383) Millions of French and German soldiers, both young and old lost their lives during this world-wide struggle for survival. It is not necessary for one to go through an intense amount of abstraction in order to note similarities in the weaponry each side employed during the first World War. "Bombardment, barrage, curtain-fire, mines, gas, tanks, machine-guns, hand grenades" were all weapons that served the same purpose. (383) It did not matter if these weapons were in the hands of German or French soldiers, they all indiscriminately dealt death to the opposition. Gas was a particularly horrid creation. It would seeming spring out of the ground without much notice and if one did not seek the security of a gas mask, dreams would be smothered "under a green sea" and as one solider stated (in reference to those who were caught up in the pungent clouds of death) "He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning." (380) Typical sights for soldiers on any given day were "men without mouths, without jaws, without faces; we find one man who has held the artery of his arm in his teeth for two hours in order not to bleed to death. (384) The destructive weapons of war contributed to the massive amount of death neither the French nor German army could escape. Both the accounts looked at in this inquiry unveil a mass of similarities between German and French soldiers during the First World War. Based on Remarque's firsthand encounters with trench warfare in World War I and Owen's vivid descriptions

Emergency Care Practitionera Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emergency Care Practitionera - Essay Example From 1999 till 2004 reform in areas of Ambulance services and emergency services were beginning to sprinkle upon and NHS as part of its focus on these new services NHS has decided to introduce in the year 2004 new type of Practitioner called as Emergency Care Practitioner (ECP). An ECP is usually picked up from Paramedics, people with nursing background and other healthcare professions like physiotherapy etc. An ECP is usually given training or they even take up courses at university level so as to get the required proficiency and in process enhance their role and its scope. Flexibility and adaptability is considered as key requisite in performing the roles and in obtaining success as a practitioner. Some of the other skills which an ECP should be able to perform are minor surgical procedures in the field, System based assessment & otoscopy/ opthalmoscopy and prescription of medicines like antibiotics. It is a requirement as apart of job role that they give immediate response to injuries in different environments like minor injury units, out of house services ands A& E departments (Accidents and Emergency departments). I feel that I would be able to contribute to this ever changing environment of Emergency Care Practitioner as I have gained a c

Strategic Analysis Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Analysis Case Study - Essay Example Current paper focuses on the examination of the performance of a specific British firm, O2; this firm has achieved to keep its position in its market and further expand its activities through the continuous review and update of its strategies. The specific issue is analytically examined in the sections that follow; the position of the firm in its industry will be identified and evaluated taking into account the response of the firm to the challenges set by the global political and financial crisis. The position of competitors will be also examined while specific suggestions are going to be made regarding the potential improvement of specific parts of the corporate strategy. Appropriate theoretical models (like PESTEL analysis and ANSOFF matrix) will be used in this paper in order to show the changes in the firm’s performance through the years; in this way the choice of this firm as a ‘model’ for business analysis will be justified. In Stakeholder analysis all people or groups of people influencing the firm’s performance have to be identified. In order to understand and evaluate the role of various stakeholders in the performance of O2, it is necessary primarily to identify the firm’s stakeholders; at a next level, their role in the firm’s performance within its industry is going to be appropriately evaluated. The firm’s stakeholders can be listed as follows (a numeric scale from 0-10 [10 is the highest grade] has been used in order to identify the impact/ importance of stakeholders for the performance of O2 and their influence on the firm’s success). The influence of the above listed stakeholders on the performance of O2 has to be further assessed and evaluated taking into account the conditions of the British market but also the conditions of the international market. It is clear from the list presented above that the firm’s customers have a significant influence on the firm’s success within the British market (given the rank 9);

The Great Wall China Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Great Wall China - Research Paper Example It is a truly captivating site. The Great Wall was never intended to stand as a testament of art or the grandeur of architecture, it served a far more simpler and practical purpose. Yet, all the same it is remarked as one of the greatest architectural feats of human history, like the pyramids at Giza and the city of Machu Pichu; and remains so today. It is still worthy of further research and discussion. History There is a myth that has become truly intertwined with the legend of the Great Wall of China. The myth tells the story of the wall as one great single undertaking, spanning, decades, of continuous building. However, this is, simply, not the case. The wall was built in different sections, in different locations, ultimately linked, throughout the years. ("Chinese Heritage Quarterly" 1) It is Qin Shih Huang, or the First Emperor, who is credited with conceiving of the idea to create a wall of immense length and strength that would prevent the invasion of the threatening Huns. Ho wever, many scholars today acknowledge that there are portions of the wall that may date back to smaller construction efforts that predates the rule of Qin Shih Huang. All the same the greatest portions were inspired by his intention to protect China from outsiders. There were, in fact, several Chinese Dynasties that contributed to the Wall, the Qi, the Wei, and the Zhao, however, it is three dynasties that are attributed with the greatest contributions. Qin Dynasty Again, Qin Shih Huang is responsible for the many of the oldest parts of the Great Wall. He foresaw the Wall as a fortification to protect the country from Hun invaders, as well as, ensure the rule of his descendents and future emperors who will take power after him. As one can see in the photograph these older sections of the wall have are formed of simple, natural materials, and are bit worse for wear in some sections. However, Qin, despite all of the innovations he brought during his rule, book printing and road build ing, but much of his rule was considered harsh and, even, cruel. The use of force to maintain work on the wall, along with a number of other sources of social unrest, resulted in a rebellion that ended his dynasty just after his death ("Chinese Heritage Quarterly" 1). Han Dynasty The Han Dynasty, regarded as one of the most powerful of Chinese dynasties, also, feared invasion from Hun Forces. This diplomatic rule attempted to make peace with by offering trade and economic incentives. However, this had little success and the Chinese resorted to a few offensive battles, but they became too costly to finance. The Han focused on adding to portions of the Great Wall, again as a defense, but this time it moved west toward the Gobi Desert; the intention being to protect the Silk Roads that were so essential to the empires economy ("The Great Wall of China"). As can be seen in the photograph, there is distinct difference in style and coloring of the stones in comparison between the Qin and the Han contributions; the Hans stones are darker and red Ming Dynasty The Ming Dynasty is credited with being the most prolific contributor to the building of the Great Wall. In fact, the majority of the wall that we are familiar with today is remnants of the works of this dynasty added between the years of 1368-1644 C.E. The Ming

The Common Problems Associated With Dams Environmental Sciences Essay

The Common Problems Associated With Dams Environmental Sciences Essay A Dam is a physical barrier constructed across a river or a waterway to control the flow of or raise the level of water. The purpose of such a construction may be flood control, irrigation needs and generation of hydroelectricity. A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or slows down the flow, often creating a reservoir, lake or impoundments. Most dams have a section called a spillway or weir over which, or through which, water flows, either intermittently or continuously, and many have hydroelectric power generation systems installed. The dams are advantageous in more than a single way. Advantages of a dam are listed below: They are helpful in preventing floods. They serve as a solution to energy crises by generating hydroelectricity. They prove to be helpful in irrigation They better the water transport. And last but not the least they attract tourists. Dams are too beneficial for mankind but at the same time they are harmful too in several ways. Disadvantages of a dam are listed below: Building a dam is an expensive affair. For building a dam a huge population of nearby area is moved. The living environment of aquatic and semi aquatic flora and fauna gets disturbed in lower case. Collapse of the dam causes great damage. Fig 1 Dam [www.timboucher.com] Now in this paper we will be viewing and observing the main causes of Dam Failure along with case study for every cause. Main causes of Dam Failure are: Spillway designing error. Sliding of mountain into the dam lake. Poor maintenance especially of outlet pipes. We will be discussing all of the above mentioned causes one by one. Besides all the above causes there is one more reason due to which dams are collapsed. In technical terms it is called Deliberate Dam Failure. This happens during the course of War. When force of one country destroys the dam of other country deliberately then this is known as Deliberate Dam Failure. As this cause is nat a common cause so we would not consider this in our study. SPILLWAY DESIGN ERROR Spillway (shown in Fig 2) is a characteristic structure of a dam which is used to provide controlled release of flows of water from the dam into the downstream. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy the dam. There are two ways of spillways: Controlled and Uncontrolled. Controlled Spillway: It has gates which regulate the water. This design gives us an opportunity to exploit the full height of the dam and flood waters can be released as required by opening one or more gates. Uncontrolled Spillway: It does not have gates, when the water rises above the lip of the spillway it begins to be released from the reservoir. The rate of discharge of water is controlled only by the depth of water within the reservoir. All of the storage volume in the reservoir above the spillway lip can be used only for the temporary storage of floodwater, and cannot be used as water supply storage because it is normally empty. Fig 2 Spillway [www.wikipedia.com] CASE STUDY: The South Fork Dam As a case study under this cause of Dam Failure we will study the demolition of South Fork Dam which was located on Lake Conemaugh, an artificial water body located near South Park, Pennsylvania, USA. On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam failed and 20 million tons of water from Lake Conemaugh burst through and raced 14 miles (23 km) downstream, causing the Johnstown Flood. History of South Fork Dam The South Fork Dam was built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania between 1838 and 1852 as a reservoir for the canal basin in Johnstown. The dam is located 14 miles upstream from Johnstown. The Comenaugh River runs through the heart of Johnstown and it had been made narrower in order to build more structures on it banks. The river was susceptible to flooding due to ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s location on a flood plain. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania sold the dam to the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1857. With the arrival of rail service in 1852, the use of the canal for delivery of goods took a downturn. The South Fork Dam was abandoned and allowed to go into a state of disrepair. In 1862, part of the culvert gave way but was never repaired. In 1879, a group of businessmen formed a company and called it the South Fork Hunting and Fishing Club. They purchased the dam with the intention of building a summer resort on Lake Comenaugh for wealthy Pittsburg families. Plans included lowering the dam in order to build a road on top and raising the level of the lake. The club continued to make alterations to the dam and in the end, the lake was 450 feet higher than Johnstown.[suit101.com] From the above abstract we can easily make out that the ill maintenance of the spillway and rising of the level of river made the condition worse and finally the continuous rain made the Dam collapsed. After the Dam gave up nearly about 20 million tons of water spilled over the dam and Jhonstown was hit without any prior warning. The water headed towards the town with a speed of nearly 40 miles per hour. The flood played havoc and made over 2,200 people lose their lives and all over damage was estimated to cost $17 million. This was the first major disaster faced by the newly-formed American Red Cross. Aid came from 18 countries across the globe. The South Fork Dam Break is shown Below[Fig 3] Beside the Spillway failure there are other causes which are responsible for the Disaster and they are: Heavy and continuous Rainfall. Rising water caused erosion of new embankment which was made up of mud and straw. Fig 3 South Fork Dam Break [www.accuweather.com] Precautions which could have saved South Fork Dam: The main cause of the break was Spillway design error. There were insufficient spillways which made the enormous amount of water to spill. If there had been more spillways then the disaster would have been avoided. The damaged parts of the dam should have been repaired. The new parts should have been made up of concrete instead of stone, mud and straw. SLIDING OF MOUNTAIN INTO THE DAM LAKE A dam is made at the base of a river and in between a valley which means that the lake or water body which is dammed has mountains on both side of it. Now as a dam is made the natural geological balance is disturbed and these mountains get loosen up and develops cracks which causes landslides to occur. These landslides pose a great threat when they fall in the lake. If a landslide of great volume falls in the lake then it raises the water level to a great extent and that too suddenly. This sudden rise makes a huge amount of water to spill over the dam causing tsunami (seiche wave). This wave brings a massive flood and destruction to the valley below which wipes a great area. CASE STUDY: The Vajont Dam As a case study under this cause of Dam Failure we will study the demolition of Vajont Dam [shown in Fig 4] which was located on Vajont River under Monte Toc, 100 km north to the Venice, Italy. It was responsible for the deaths of approximately 2,000 people in a 1963 landslide. One of the highest dams in the world, it was 262 meters (860 ft) high, 27 meters (89 ft) thick at the base and 3.4 meters (11 ft) at the top. The dam was built by SADE (Society of Adriatic Energy Corporation), the electricity supply and distribution monopolist in North-Eastern Italy. History of Vajont Dam: The construction work of the dam started in 1950. In 1959 some slides were noticed and new studies were made and the experts told SADE that the side of Mount Toc is unstable and is likely to collapse if the filling is continued. The study and experts were ignored completely. In October 1959 the construction was complete and in February 1960 SADE was authorized to start filling the basin. As soon as the filling started and reached to certain level till summers of 1960 minor land slides started taking place. But even these slides were ignored and the few journalists who raised their voice were sued. Finally on 4 of November 1960 a landslide of about 800,000 cubic meters collapsed in the lake. This made SADE to halt filling but it was started again after lowering the level by 50 meters and start building an artificial gallery. The minor slides kept on taking place and officials of SADE kept on predicting the disaster but they were ignored. On 9 October 1963 at approximately 10:35pm, the combination of drawing-down the reservoir and heavy rains triggered a landslide of about 260 million cubic meters of forest, earth, and rock, which fell into the reservoir at up to 110  km per hour (68  mph). The resulting displacement of water caused 50 million cubic meters of water to over-top the dam in a 250-metre high wave.[6] Despite this, the dams structure was largely undamaged. Approximately 1900 to 2500 people were dead and 350 families were completely wiped off. The major causes of this disaster are: The heavy 50 million cubic meter landslide into the lake which made the tsunami wave rose. The other minor land slides in the lake and in the artificial gallery. Heavy rainfall which paved the path for the disaster. Major causes for the land slides are: Disturbance in the geological balance of Mount Toc. Continuous filling of the basin. Time to time rainfall. Fig 4 Vajont Dam[wikipedia.com] Precautions which could have saved South Fork Dam: If anyhow the land slide could be prevented then the disaster might have been avoided. The landslide can be prevented by following two methods: Plantation: More and more plants on the seaward side of the mountain. The roots of the plants help in binding the rocks and soil together and prevent erosion thus land sliding. Terrace plantation is a good option. By artificial mountain binding: In this process the mountain is bound with the help steel net which prevent slides and even if land slide, the net prevent it from falling. POOR MAINTENANCE ESPECIALLY OF OUTLET PIPES Outlets came in range of designs, sizes, materials and type of control. Most of the controlling mechanisms and conduits are usually submerged and are pretty tedious to access for maintenance as well as inspection. This is the reason of negligence and some serious problems start developing. The problem can range from the control works becoming inoperable to the conduit deteriorating to the point of embankment failure. Proper inspection of the outlet usually requires advanced planning to allow outflows to be shut off and inundated areas to be pumped out. CASE STUDY: Lawn Lake Dam Now as a case study under this section we will make a thorough study of Lawn Lake Dam [Fig 5]. This dam failure occurred due to the disrepair of the outlet pipe which was located at the remote and tedious location. The continuous negligence of remotely situated leaky pipes caused the disaster when on July 15, 1982 at 6 a.m. 830,000 m3 of water exploded out of the faulty pipes. This enormous amount of water caused a flash flood and priced $31 million. History of Lawn Lake Dam: Originally the Lawn Lake was a natural lake covering a surface area of over 66,000 m3. It was situated at a height of 3,400 m in the rocky mountain. In 1903 some farmers seeking irrigation facilities out of this lake, built a dam and the covering land of the lake increased to 190,000m3. It was started in 1902 and the dam was completed in 1903. The dam increased the storage capacity of this natural water body. This dam was built in the eastern part. The water from this dam was released through the steep channel into the Big Thompson River. As the dam was built in the rocky mountain, its design was such that it made the location of outlet pipe quit remote. Bearing the negligence of officials the dam survived 80 long years. On the morning of 15 July 1982 the dam collapsed releasing 228 million gallons of water all of a sudden. This huge amount of water poured through the steep and narrow mountainside. It is said that there was tremendous sound and the earth shook. The release rate of water was 510 m3/s. Though this great aquatic rampage killed only one person camping alongside but economically the cost of this disaster was estimated to be $31 million. The water got poured in the river and hit the cascade dam resulting in downfall of the same adding more amount of water to the flood. This flood destroyed the Aspenglen campground. Then after the flood water entered the town of Estes Park and caused great damage to the downtown shops after which the flood joined Thompson River. This flood deposited an alluvial fan of debris in Horseshoe Park. Fig 5 Alluvial Fan [wikipedia.com] Precautions that could have saved the Lake Lawn Dam: Only two precautions would have saved the disastrous end of Lake Lawn Dam and they are If the dam would have been design in such a way that the outlet pipes could have been easily accessed then the repair work wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have been delayed and the leakage could have been avoided. Timely repairing work of the dam would have saved this great damage.

My Room :: essays research papers

My First Bedroom   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All my life I had shared a bedroom with my siblings. First, I had to share a bedroom with my brother, because we lived in a two-bedroom apartment. A few years later my sister was born. By then, we have moved into a three-bedroom apartment, so my brother got his own room and I had to share with my little sister. Nine years later the last member of the family was born, another kid sister. Therefore, I ended up with two roommates. I wanted my own bedroom so bad that I was always complaining to my parents about how 15 years old girls should have their own bedroom. Finally, we all moved into a five-bedroom house, and I finally got my own room.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If I close my eyes, I can still remember every detail of my bedroom. My bedroom was in the shape of a perfect little square. The door was in the left side of the room facing the window. Looking in the bedroom from the door, I see my bed placed against the wall in the right side of the room, with my mirror drawer facing the bed, leaving the window in between them. My closet was behind the opened door, which was very small. I did not like having too many things in my room; it was later that I added a desk to hold my television and radio. I placed the desk against the wall in front of the bed. My mother used to put light colored curtains on the window because I loved the way the sun shined through them and it added more meaning into the room. The smell of Sunflowers perfume always takes me back to my first bedroom. I used to wear that perfume all the time because it blended right in with the settings of the room. Every morning I used to open the window and immediatel y smelled the pear tree blocked my window with its leaves. Felling the breeze of the tree through my window was very relaxing. I used to spend a long time sitting by the window looking down at the neighbor’s kids running around.

Nike Case Analysis Essay

QUESTION 1- Prior to the â€Å"Game Changing† proposal for global woman’s fitness where would you put Nike on the CSI chart? Why Prior to â€Å"Game Changing† initiative, I would categorize Nike as a scope-driven organization on the Complex Strategic Integration Chart. Generally, in a scope-driven strategy, resources are mobilized across business units to pursue major opportunities. Nike business strategy is centered on big events. Nike scope dimension indicates the magnitude to which pursuing a new business opportunity requires the collaboration of the existing business units with the corporate strategy. Prior to the â€Å"Game Change† proposal, Nike was an initiative-driven organization, product group and business units work together on major marketing events but then go back to their silos as soon as the common goal is accomplished. Nike focus on product improvement, it has organized its core business around a product orientation, with primary business units focuse d on their main competencies. In other words, Nike’s strategic integration contributes to the support of the strategic push of the company’s core business. Furthermore, Nike’s business units represented the lead dimension of the matrixed organization structure. Within Nike’s matrixed structure, the business units dominated decision-making and priority setting. Members of different business unit teams only collaborated across business unit boundaries commonly to support short-term projects as such World Cup and Olympics. The cross-communication, sharing, and transferring of resources among business units is conducted in order to meet Nike strategic desire to optimize innovation and execution around its primary products. As an example, prior Game changing, Nike ‘strategic integration did not support redirection; Nike’s marketing strategy was focus on products and product innovation. According to Nike managers, it was difficult to gain the support of all the business units in ongoing strategy preceding the Game changing initiative. To make the matter even more challenging business units were much disintegrated; each business unit had its own timelines of bringing product to market, making collaboration harder. Functional representative were not always involved in vital business activities. Nike’s structure did not support ongoing strategy. This prevented Nike from recognizing opportunities. QUESTION 2-How would you describe the new strategy for Global Woman’s Fitness? The â€Å"Game Changing† strategy is crucial in the women’s fitness segment since it focuses on  providing vertical integration of all products within the segment rather than having products developed separately without a common vision. The new strategy proposed by the â€Å"Game Change team put’s Nike in a strong position to capture significant market shares do mestically, as well as in emerging markets where women had traditionally have not been allowed to participate in sports are now finding it acceptable to do so. This new strategy gives women’s fitness its own category of focus, instead of the focus being on product divisions such as footwear and apparel. Nike had traditionally organized its business around footwear, apparel, and equipment. Integration between these three business units was inconsistent at best. The goals of the â€Å"Game Change† proposal was to reorganization and take a more consumer-oriented approach to the market to give customers holistic collections of everything they want and need in a particular sports category. This required Nike to breakdown its product-oriented silos and collaborate on a more formal, ongoing basis. The reorganization also reflected a change in Nike’s corporate strategy. The elevation of women’s fitness to a major focus for the company was a substantial victory to proponent of this initiative, those who recognized the potential of women market, and had been fighting for the increased prominence of this market segment for years. For Nike female consumers are the core of a new organizational product and marketing strategy aimed at finding ways to capture the women’s sport market after years of failure. QUESTION 3-What was the biggest external barrier facing Nike? Nike external barriers are its consumers, retailers, and competitors. Nonetheless, the biggest Nike’s external barrier was consumers, trying to be clear on what they wanted exactly, that would lead to want to buy from Nike. Nike discovered that they had to get much more specific regarding what is different about dance versus running and so forth. Nike faced off against a handful of traditional but well respected brands in the women’s footwear market, also a lot of new and smaller competitors. Nike led the market in some categories, but not other. As an example, Reebok dominated the market in women’s aerobics, but Nike led in women running from the market share and revenue perspective. Fundamentally, no firm controls the market. For this reason, Nike competitors appeared to be rethinking their positioning in the space. Retailers were also other external barrier, the retailers Nike sale to are  locked into their own of doing business. It would not be easy for them conform to Nike’s collection of creating â€Å"a store within a store† for Nike’s products. The game changing team would have to work with their supplier to make sure that they had the product available together. REFERENCE: †¢Burgelman, R, Christensen, C & Wheelwright, S 2009, 5th Ed., Nike’s Global Women’s fitness Business: Driving Strategic Integration, Mc Graw-Hill, America,pp. 1213-1234

Charlegmagne †Peace Throughout Western Europe

Charlegmagne – Peace Throughout Western Europe Free Online Research Papers Charlemagne restored order and peace throughout Western Europe during the middle ages after barbarians took over the entire region. Charlemagne launched a 30 year campaign and fought relentlessly to bring the European society to a civil state. What I find most admirable about Charlemagne was his ability and dedication to organizing all of Europe. I also like the fact that he was a learned man who believed that learning and academics was important to the growth of society. He believed in what we call today democracy, he believed that the government should be for the governed. Although Charlemagne stood for what was right at the time; he did a lot of killing in order to make this reform. This is where I feel Charlemagne was not too removed from barbarian ways. Charlemagne had the abilities and powers to persuade assemblies, humor nobility, lead an army, and dominate clergy. Charles began changing government by writing laws down and strictly enforcing them through the help of investigators called missi dominici. These investigators inspected the government, administering justice, and began reawakening all citizens to their civil and religious duties. Charlemagne had a meeting to discuss the empire and its affairs twice a year. He was the final decision maker even with the church issues. With this he brought together church and state. Charlemagne brought together ethnic groups by allowing them to retain their local laws. He set up money standards to encourage commerce and urged better farming methods. This is the kind of organization that brought Europe back to its civil state. Another attribute that makes Charlemagne admirable to me is the fact that he valued education. In this time illiteracy was prevalent, very few people knew how to read or write. Even those who ran the country had no education. He brought people from other countries to teach in the schools, and to teach the clergy men who were illiterate He revived the palace school at Aachen, his capital. He also set up other schools which he opened to peasant boys as well as nobles. Charlemagne and people who surrounded him were also learning; this included his wife and children. Charlemagne learned to read Latin and a bit of Greek but didn’t really master writing. Instead of having jesters perform he listened to scholars read various works. The Frankish King also appreciated art. He brought monks from Rome to train his Frankish singers and also brought valuable art from Italy. Although Charlemagne was into organizing and learning he was also into war. This where I think his Germanic origins come into play. In order to bring Europe together he had to do a lot of conquering. The barbarians were being barbaric and in order to bring political order back in to Europe I feel Charlemagne had to have a strong hand. He defeated the Lombards in Italy, attained Bavaria, and led many campaigns in Spain and Hungary. What makes him have qualities of a barbarian is he led most of these campaigns himself whereas; most kings would send their soldiers or warriors to do the fighting. Charlemagne also led a 30 year campaign which subdued the Saxons and got rid of Avars. This campaign called for the beheading of 4,500 Saxons in one day. Charlemagne got his point across at any cost. Charlemagne was admirable for his capability to organize all of Europe, his value for education and helping people. In changing society, he had to use a forceful hand which he acquired from his Germanic background. He defeated anything that threatened the strengthening of his empire and was not in favor of bringing order to Europe. Charlemagne is who allowed civilization to be what it is today. Research Papers on Charlegmagne - Peace Throughout Western EuropeAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeQuebec and CanadaAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Comparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoStandardized TestingBringing Democracy to AfricaCapital PunishmentCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayPETSTEL analysis of India

Candidates Views on Social Security and Medicare essays

Candidates Views on Social Security and Medicare essays Prescriptions are costing more and more everyday and there are many people that cant afford them. In the last year alone they have risen seventeen percent. (A Plan for Stronger, Healthier Seniors) Even the people that have Medicare have had to pay full price for their prescriptions. (A Plan for Stronger, Healthier Seniors) Thats why the candidates for the upcoming election are trying to fix the problem of over priced prescriptions and to strengthen social security. (A Plan for Stronger, Healthier Seniors) According to John Kerry Social Security and Medicare are growing at rates that will eventually bankrupt them and that could leave little to pay for everything that the government does. (A Plan for Stronger, Healthier Seniors)The federal government already spends seven times as much on the elderly as it does on children. (A Plan for Stronger, Healthier Seniors) He also believes that if we allow that ratio to grow even more imbalanced it would be unfair to todays workers and the next generations. (A Plan for Stronger, Healthier Seniors) In addition, Social Security and Medicare need to be modernized to reflect conditions not envisioned when they were created in the 1930s and the 1960s. (A Plan for Stronger, Healthier Seniors) Kerry wants Medicare to offer retirees more choices and a modern benefit package that includes prescription drugs. (A Plan for Stronger, Healthier Seniors) Although such changes will only add to the cost of the programs unless they are accompanied by structura l reforms that restrain their growth and limit their claim on the working families whose taxes support the programs. (A Plan for Stronger, Healthier Seniors) Kerrys goals for 2010 are to honor our commitment to seniors by ensuring the future solvency of Social Security and Medicare. (A Plan for Strong...

Sun shines enterprise case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Sun shines enterprise - Case Study Example Sunshine faces numerous threats, strengths, opportunities and limitations the business venture is faced with. Sunshine enterprise operates a chain of restaurants in various locations. These restaurants are managed by Abby, who is the manager of the business. He is responsible for scrutinizing the quality of services offered by the workforce in the company. This has significantly enabled the company to expand continuously. This is because they have the ability to address the complaints and reactions of the customers, hence maintaining better and quality services. On the other hand, Sunshine enterprise is faced with numerous limitations. For example, the company is solely managed by one individual, who is the manager of the business venture. This is a limitation because it is extremely hard to manage the quality of services provided in six restaurants by oneself (Fine, 2009). Therefore, they should consider hiring several staff members to maintain the quality of services provided in the company. In addition, Sunshine has a vast opportunity in the business world. This is because they have the ability to expand the business. The current case study asserts that the company runs six restaurants in various locations. The company can use the profit generated from these six restaurants to expand the business by setting up more restaurants in other locations. The company can also consider rewarding their employees in order to maintain the quality of services provided (Fine, 2009). This can involve the provision of incentives in the form of rewards. The company also faces various threats in the business world. Sunshine Enterprise faces a considerable threat in delivering quality services based on the small number of employees in the company (Fine, 2009). The company should consider increasing the number of staff members to improve the quality of services provided in

Just War Doctrine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Just War Doctrine - Essay Example In this direction, Orend, Brian (2008) argues that â€Å"just war theory is probably the most influential perspective on the ethics of war and peace.† This means that the talk of just war raises a lot of questions on ethics and morality. Many researchers and theorist have therefore propounded a lot of ideas and theories on just war. One of such is the ‘consequentialist’ moral dynamic for intelligence operations introduced by Arrigo. The Arrigo Paper and believers of it thereof raise a lot of issues of when human source intelligence, counterintelligence, or covert operations pass the â€Å"moral divide† and violate the Just War doctrine. As an expectation of civilians from the military, wars should be started by causes and causes should be found through intelligence. For this reason, a justified war comes with a justifiable cause and for that matter, a justifiable intelligence. It is therefore important that â€Å"a doctrine of just war should coordinate wi th a doctrine of just intelligence, especially for human source intelligence, counterintelligence, and covert operations† (Arrigo, 2001).

Listening Teaching Demos for Intermediate Level Essay

Listening Teaching Demos for Intermediate Level - Essay Example Likewise, the teaching presentation can be altered based on whether or not the speed at which the stakeholders are taking the information is slower or faster than may have been anticipated. Such an approach is especially salient when teaching in the elementary setting where the educator is oftentimes unaware of whether or not the students have been presented information before. (5 minutes) Introduction Teacher will introduce the lesson for the students by drawing cardinal points on the board to indicate the four directions, and then will proceed to a brief presentation regarding how these cardinal points have a long history, a brief discussion of the compass, and a segue to why Saudi Arabia, arguably the center of Arab culture, has been chosen for review. In this way, a brief history of the compass, an understanding of how cardinal points affect one’s life and allow individuals to relate to one another / identify with one another can be effected with the students. (20 minutes) Explaining & feedback The teacher will explain the lesson by writing on the board the directions such as north, south, east, and west, and will show the students a map of Saudi Arabia to recognize its boundary by (See the Appendix) referring to the four directions to find a city location. Afterwards, the teacher will point out if a city location is between two cardinal points using these terms: North South East West Northwest (NW) Southeast (SE) Southwest (SW) Northeast (NE) Then the teacher will ask the students randomly to answer a series of questions by using the Saudi Arabia map, such as: 1. What is to the north of Saudi Arabia? – Kuwait, Iraq, and Jordan. 2.... Listening Teaching Demos for Intermediate Level From the information that is thus far been provided, it can be seen that delivering a discussion and class participation module with respect to cardinal points can have a primary, secondary, and tertiary impact upon a litany of different aspects of furthering the educational process. Firstly, it targets participation and encourages students to become actively engaged in the learning process through working in teams and seeking out solutions. Secondly, it utilizes only a handful of instructional materials as a way of making the point and providing the active forms of education that have been previously delineated. Thirdly, it organizes the classroom environment in a non-unidirectional way. What is meant by this is that the teacher is not responsible for providing the students with an endless stream of information and then expecting them to regurgitate this back to him / her. Rather, the active part of learning within this particular scenario is taken by the pupils themselves. Although it is understood by this particular educator that it is not his role to be responsible for teaching each of these different subject matters in their entirety, providing the linkage between them and allowing the students to explore and improve their education based upon these determinants has a marked level of educational benefit. However, as has been noted with regard to the lesson plan above, by allowing curiosity and excitement of the unknown to help promote these determinants, the students are in fact able to partially motivate themselves as a means of engaging with the subject matter at hand.

Soil conservation Essay Example for Free

Soil conservation Essay Soil conservation is a combination of all methods of management and land use that safeguard the soil against depletion or deterioration by natural or man-induced factors. It most often attempts to ensure that SOIL does not erode and wash into streams and lakes or blow away in the wind, but it also involves the protection of the soil from damage by machinery (compaction) or by detrimental changes to its chemistry (acidification or salinization). Soil conservation comprises of all the procedures and methods that involve protecting the soil from natural as well as manmade destructions. There are many natural ways in which soil could get eroded or blown away. In the same way, soil could also get contaminated or chemically altered owing to acidification or salinization, or destruction from machinery. The saying, ‘change is the only constant’ holds true for everything †¦including nature. Everything in our natural world is in a perpetual state of evolution and change. However, when this change is triggered by unnatural methods, that is when an imbalance occurs in the natural process of the planet and it begins to affect our quality of life. Soil conservation is a very important issue, both in developing nations where a good portion of income is derived from agriculture and in developed nations where mechanized farming and an over-abundant use of chemical fertilizers can sometimes have a detrimental effect on the land. But it is not only for farmers and agriculturists it has a far-reaching effect on the environment and so concerns all of us. There is a growing need to prevent and control soil erosion and soil contamination, and to maintain soil fertility. Implementing various strategies and methods can help in stemming erosion of the soil, in preserving the quality of the soil and in increasing its productive capacity. Good soil conversation leads to enriched lands, better crop yields, good financial returns and a balanced environment. THE AGRICULTURAL SOIL CONSERVATION In order to carry out effective soil conservation, you must first consider several aspects of the land in question. Here are some of the things that must be considered – Is there enough vegetative cover over the land or does it need to be developed? What are the proper erosion control methods that can be utilized and how will you implement them? What is the soil salinity level and how are you going to manage it? What is the soil acidity level and how are you going to control it? What is the soil mineral content and do you need to regularly add mineral supplements? Is the soil contaminated and, if so, what methods are you going to use to remediate it and to prevent future contamination? Are there beneficial soil organisms in the soil and are they allowed to thrive? Once you know what kind of soil conservation is needed, you can consider implementing any or all the following methods – Planting dense rows of trees as wind-breaks along the borders of the land, especially on the sides that are exposed to stiff wind. Their roots stabilize the soil and prevent it from being shifted away by the wind.s Planting crops in rotation. Alternating crops helps avoid depleting the soil nutrients too fast. Planting cover crops. These stabilize the soil and reduce the effects of soil erosion. They also discourage the spread of weeds and help the soil retain its moisture in the summers. Plowing along the contour of the land. Planting crops parallel to the slope of the land. Going for strip cropping. This involves planting grasses or pulses between regular crops like corn. The corn crop is not particularly effective in preventing soil erosion, but the grasses keep erosion in check. Adding much to the soil surface. This prevents erosion by acting as a barrier and catching run-off water. Adding coir logs as barriers. These are very useful in areas where too much erosion has taken place and act as erosion preventing barriers and a support for new developing vegetation. Aside from coir barriers, sand bag and gravel bag barriers are also used. Growing grass on slopes and in waterways. Grassed waterways prevent too much soil from being washed away. Making use of natural as well as man-made fertilizers. Keeping the land fallow in order to rest it. Managing the levels of salinity. In areas where irrigation is in excess or where the saline water tables are low, the salinity levels can go up and make the land unsuitable for agriculture. This problem can be resolved by the use of humic acid. Managing the soil ph. The soil pH is what determines the amount of nutrients that the plants can absorb from the soil. Soil pH levels can be raised or decreased, as needed, by adding certain chemicals for example, agriculture lime for raising pH level and ammonium phosphate for reducing it. Encouraging beneficial soil organisms like earthworms and nitrogen fixing bacteria to thrive in the soil. The presence of such organisms enriches the soil. Using man-made chemical insecticides, pesticides and herbicides in very low amounts. Over use of chemicals can poison the soil and kill of useful organisms, and is generally harmful to the environment. Regularly add minerals to the soil. Minerals provide much-need nutrients to the soil to be absorbed by the plants. To mineralize the soil, add chemical supplements or try adding crushed rock.