The Threat Of Global Warming - 1023 Words

â€Å"It’s a well-kept secret, but 95 percent of the climate models we are told prove the link between human CO2 emissions and catastrophic global warming have been found, after nearly two decades of temperature stasis, to be in error,† writes Maurice Newman, chief business advisor to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott (Dunn). With this bold declaration, Australia thrust itself onto the international stage where it was widely criticized and condemned by the United Nations and environmental supporters worldwide. Already behind the world in climate change legislation, Australia quickly became the face of global warming denial. Maintenance of positive international relations is not so simple to achieve as the reaction to this statement†¦show more content†¦Science is beginning to support global warming, much to the dismay of non-believers like Maurice Newman. According to NASA, global temperatures have risen .8 ° since 1880 with more than two-thirds of that increase occurring after 1975. To put this in proper perspective, a one to two degree decrease in temperature was enough to plunge the world into the last ice age (Carlowicz). While many governments have implemented programs to slow CO2 emissions, they either fail to adequately decrease emissions or do not go far enough in reducing them. The 2014 World Energy Outlook estimates that at the current rate of increase, greenhouse gases are set to cause a global warming of closer to 3.6 ° Celsius, well above the 2050 2 ° Celsius target (2). If Australia has the highest per capita carbon emissions of all developed nations (Medhora and Milman) , they cannot wait to change their policy on greenhouse gas emissions. Yet in a never-ending quest for power and economic control, current leadership and career politicians continue to dismiss the need to implement necessary legislation to help reduce global emissions. Global greenhouse gas reductions were the primary focus of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol and so far, one of the most important international treaties for climate change legislation. Signed by 154 industrialized countries, including Australia, all

The Communist System - 696 Words

Before getting deep into the topic of communism, it helps to know what communism is. The system has six defining characteristics: a monopoly of power, rigid discipline and strict hierarchy, it contains a centralized command economy (which fixed prices on everything produced), the state owns production, also the citizen’s sense of belonging to communism, and finally, the desire of the citizen to further the communist cause. (Brown, 2) The communist system also demands total submission to the state government, and the desire of the ordinary working class citizen to be controlled by the power-hungry leaders of the state’s regime. The malfunctioning of this system brought down the Soviet regime in the early 1990s along with the governments of most other countries that have tried to implement the communist system. The mismanagement of resources and inefficiency of the system was a determining factor of the downfall of communism. Under the system, business owners were to donate a majority of the goods to the government in return for basic and essential goods being given to them. (Pollick, 6) Most countries did not have the resources to support the needs of every last one of its people, eventually this system began to fail and a supply shortage would usually arise. The health care of most communist regimes was badly inadequate, and this would also result in the dissatisfaction of the people. The ambulances would take days, or even weeks, to arrive on mostShow MoreRelatedFailure of the Communist System Essay994 Words   |  4 PagesFailure of the Communist System The communist system fell for various reasons. In time, I dont think that this could have been avoided as the communist ideal had a basic flaw in it. It misunderstood human nature. Their ideology was based on every man working to the best of his ability for the good of the nation. However, humans will not work for more than they have to and therefore this massive decline in the quality of the work in communism led to its downfall as thereRead MoreChinese Politics And Comparative Communist Systems Essay1036 Words   |  5 PagesSujian Guo states in his book Chinese Politics in Comparative Communist Systems, â€Å"The existence of the party-state and the blending of the political and administrative functions is one of the distinctive characteristics of the communist system world wide† (Guo 9). These â€Å"Party-State Relations† occur in all communist countries. There are many key features of Party-State Relations. Firstly, the members of the controlling party (China Communist Party) have a key role in political decisions. The party holdsRead MoreGovernmental Systems of China1593 Words   |  6 Pageshas experienced a large and significant variety of governmental systems, from historical to contemporary. From the Manchu Empire which focused on Confucianism to the current Communist Party of the People’s Republic of China, the government of China has changed drastical ly throughout the years, ultimately contributing to the country that China is today. It is significant to understand that the changes made in the governmental system were so drastic, that they stretched from the Mainland all the wayRead MoreKarl Marx And The Communist Manifesto1044 Words   |  5 PagesWilliam Roubicek Nick Adey History 12 - Room 314 2nd January 2017 TITLE NOT YET FINAL On February 21st, 1848 the world was forever changed when Karl Marx published The Communist Manifesto, the ideas of a stateless and classless society would inspire many, and forge the path that many nations would follow, and give rise to numerous conflicts throughout the 20th century. Karl Marx was born in Trier, Germany on May 5th 1818. During his early years he studied philosophy and law,Read MoreThe Communist Manifesto By Karl Marx And Engels1135 Words   |  5 Pages The Communist Manifesto was written in 1847 by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, who were commissioned by the Communist League, a group of radical workers in London, England. Marx and Engels had known each other since they had met in Paris in 1843, and they had already written several essays together about Communism before being asked to write the Manifesto. The Communist Manifesto was published in England in 1848, and it is one of the most widely influential documents when it comes to modern socialismRead MoreThe Collapse of Communism in the USSR, Central, and Eastern Europe1102 Words   |  4 PagesCommunism is a social system in which all the resources, economic activities are owned by state or country. † It is a system in which wealth is dispersed equally among the people and there is no private ownership of the resources and wealth. The state owns and controls resources and property. Soviet model of communism was based on these ideals, all the opposition parties were banned only who shared the communist ideals were allowed. Complete power was into the hands of the Communist party. In 1917, theRead MoreAnimal Farm: a Compare and Contrast on Karl Marx Communist Manifesto1037 Words   |  5 PagesTopic: Research the life of Karl Marx. What were the fundamentals of his Communist Manifesto and how do they compare to the ideas expressed by Old Major in Animal Farm. Animal Farm is a novella written by George Orwell in 1945. This particular story by George Orwell reflects on the events leading up to and during Stalin era in Russia. During the time he wrote, the work of Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto was being followed by the Russian leaders, and some of Marx’s ideas can be foundRead MoreMay Fourth Movement and Beyond1056 Words   |  5 Pageschanged the entire political system that China had been eternally run by. However, the idea of Communism exploded based on the leadership of Mao Zedong in 1949 which led to a variety of reforms. As a result, Zedong developed a new branch of Communism called Maoism. Still in the 21st century, China continues to strive to preserve its Communist ideals but has, in some ways, succumbed to Westernization. Although China continue to adhere to Maoist philosophies, the Communist Party of China has been allowingRead MoreKarl Marx Essay922 Words   |  4 Pages Marx has his own economic theory, called Marxism. Marx, a radical Communist ideas and philosophies played important roles int the forming of Communist nations during the twentieth century. Marx’s ideas would and have influenced the course of history. Even today, well past his death his philosophies and ideas are still talked about. Marx’s ideas are captured in his book the Communist manifesto. Communism is â€Å"a theory or system of social organization  based on the holding of all property in commonRead MoreCommunism And Its Impact On The World1583 Words   |  7 PagesCommunism is a system of social organisation which formerly consumed almost a third of countries in the entire world, having originated in Russia. The first official communist state was founded during the Russian revolutions in 1917, due to the inaugural communist political party ‘Bolsheviks’ gaining primal power. Afterwards, the influence of communism spread to other countries with the likes of Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and East Germany to name a few. These countries that were governed on communist principles

Acceptance Free Essays

string(79) " action that objectively indicates agreement risk the formation of a contract\." An acceptance is â€Å"a manifestation of assent to the terms [of the offer] made by the offeree in the manner invited or required by the offer. † In determining if an offeree accepted an offer and created a contract, a court will look for evidence of three factors: (1) the offeree intended to enter the contract, (2) the offeree accepted on the terms proposed by the offeror, and (3) the offeree communicated his acceptance to the offeror. Common Law: Traditional â€Å"Mirror Image† Rule The traditional contract law rule is that an acceptance must be the mirror image of the offer. We will write a custom essay sample on Acceptance or any similar topic only for you Order Now Attempts by offerees to change the terms of the offer or to add new terms to it are treated as counteroffers because they impliedly indicated an intent by the offeree to reject the offer instead of being bound by its terms. However, recent years have witnessed a judicial tendency to apply the mirror image rule in more liberal fashion by holding that only material (important) variances between an offer and a purported acceptance result in an implied rejection of the offer. Even under the mirror image rule, no rejection is implied if an offereee merely asks about the terms of the offer without indicating its rejection (an inquiry regarding terms), or accepts the offer’s terms while complaining about them (a grumbling acceptance). Distinguishing among a counteroffer, an inquiry regarding terms, and a grumbling acceptance is often a difficult task. The fundamental issue, however, remains the same: Did the offeree objectively indicate a resent intent to be bound by the terms of the offer? Communication of Acceptance To accept an offer for a bilateral contract, the offeree must make the promise requested by the offer. An offeror must communicate the terms of his proposal to the offeree before an offer results. This is so because communication is a necessary component of the present intent to contract required for the creation of an offer. For similar reasons, it is generally held that an offeree must communicate his intent to be bound by the offer before a contract can be created. To accept an offer for a unilateral ontract, however, the offeree must perform the requested act. The traditional contract law rule on this point assumes that the offeror will learn of the offeree’s performance and holds that no further notice from the offeree is necessary to create a contact unless the offeror specifically requests notice. Mailbox rule Under the so-called â€Å"mailbox rule,† properly addressed and dispatched acceptances can become effective when they are dispa tched, even if they are lost and never received by the offeror. The mailbox rule protects the offeree’s reasonable belief that a binding contract was created when the acceptance was dispatched. By the same token, it exposes the offeror to the risk of being bound by an acceptance that she has never received. The offeror, however, has the ability to minimize this risk by stipulating in her offer that she must actually receive the acceptance for it to be effective. Offerors who do this maximize the time they have to revoke their offers and ensure that they will never be bound by an acceptance that they have not received. As traditionally applied by the common law of contracts, the mailbox rule would make acceptances effective upon dispatch when the offeree used a manner of communication that was expressly or impliedly authorized (invite) by the offeror. Any manner of communication suggested by the offeror (e. g. , â€Å"You may respond by mail†) would be expressly authorized, resulting in an acceptance sent by the suggested means being effective on dispatch. Unless circumstances indicated to the contrary, a manner of communication used by the offeror in making the offer would be impliedly authorize (e. . , an offer sent by mail would impliedly authorize an acceptance by), as would a manner of communication common in parties’ trade or business (e. g. , a trade usage in the parties’ business that offers are made by mail and accepted by telegram would authorize an acceptance by telegraph). Conversely, an improper dispatched acceptance or one that was nonauthorized would be effective when received, assuming that the offer was still open at that time. This placed on the offeree the risk of the offer being revoked or the acceptance being lost. The mailbox rule is often applied more liberally by courts today. A modern version applied of the mailbox rule that is sanctioned by the Restatement (Second) holds that an offer that does not indicate otherwise is considered to invite acceptance by any reasonable means of communication, and a properly dispatched acceptance sent by a reasonable means of communication within a reasonable time is effective on dispatch. The Cantu case illustrates the more liberal version of the mailbox rule. Special Acceptance Problem Areas Acceptance in Unilateral Contracts A unilateral contract involves the exchange of a promise for an act. To accept an offer to enter such a contract, the offeree must perform the requested act. As you learned in the last chapter, however, courts applying modern contract rules may prevent an offeror from revoking such an offer once the offeree has begun performance. This is achieved by holding either that a bilateral contract is created by the beginning of performance or that the offeror’s power to revoke is suspended for the period of time reasonably necessary for the offeree to complete performance. Acceptance in Bilateral Contracts A bilateral contract involves the exchange of a promise for a promise. As a general rule, to accept an offer to enter such a contract, an offeree must make the promise requested by the offer. This may be done in a variety of ways. For example, Wallace sends Stevens a detailed offer for the purchase of Steven’s business. Within the time period prescribed by the offer, Steven sends Wallace a letter that says, â€Å"I accept your offer. † Stevens has expressly accepted Wallace’s offer, creating a contract on the terms of the offer. Acceptance, however, can be implied as well as expressed. Offerees who take action that objectively indicates agreement risk the formation of a contract. You read "Acceptance" in category "Papers" For example, offerees who act in a manner that is inconsistent with an offeror’s ownership of offered property are commonly held to have accepted the offeror’s terms. So, if Arnold, a farmer, leaves 10 bushels of corn with Porter, the owner of a grocery store, saying, â€Å"Look this corn over. If you want it, it’s $5 a bushel,† and Porter sells the corn, he has mpliedly accepted Arnold’s offer. But what if Porter just let the corn sit and, when Arnold returned a week later, Porter told Arnold that he did not want it? Could Porter’s failure to act ever amount to an acceptance? Silence as Acceptance Since contract law generally requires some objective indication that an offeree intends to contract, the general rule is that an offeree’s silence , without more, is not an acceptance. In addition, it is generally held that an offeror cannot impose on the offeree a duty to respond to the offer. So, even if Arnold made an offer to sell corn to Porter and said, â€Å"If I don’t hear from you in three days, I’ll assume you’re buying the corn,† Porter’s silence would still not amount to acceptance. On the other hand, the circumstance of a case sometimes impose a duty on the offeree to reject the offer affirmatively or be bound by its items. These are cases in which the offeree’s silence objectively indicates an intent to accept. Customary trade practice or prior dealings between the parties may indicate that silence signals acceptance. So, if Arnold and Porter had dealt with each other on numerous occasion and Porter has always promptly returned items that her did not want, Porter’s silent retention of the goods for a week would probably constitute an acceptance. Likewise, an offeree’s silence can also operate as an acceptance if the offeree has indicated that it will. For example, Porter (the offeree) tells Arnold, â€Å"If you don’t hear from me in three days, I accept. † Finally, it is generally held that offerees who accept an offeror’s performance knowing what the offeror expects in return for his performance have impliedly accepted the offeror’s terms. So, if Apex Paving Corporation offers to do the paving work on new subdivision being developed by Majestic Homes Corporation, and Majestic fails to respond to Apex’s offer but allows Apex to do the work, most courts would hold that Majestic is bound by the terms of Apex’s offer. Acceptance When a Writing Is Anticipated Frequently, the parties to a contract intend to prepare a written draft of their agreement for both parties to sign. This is a good idea not only because the law requires written evidence of some contracts, but also ecause it provides written evidence of the terms of the agreement if a dispute arises at a later date. If a dispute arises before such a writing has been prepared or signed, however, a question may arise concerning whether the signing of the agreement was a necessary condition to the creation of a contract. A party to the agreement who now wants out of the deal may argue that the parties did not intend to be bound until both parties signed in writing. A clear expression of such intent by the parties during the negotiation process prevents the formation of a contract until both parties have signed. However, in the absence of such a clear expression of intent, the courts ask whether a reasonable person familiar with all the circumstances of the parties’ negotiations would conclude that the parties intended to be bound only when a formal agreement was signed. If it appears that the parties had concluded their negotiations and reached agreement on all the essential aspects of the transaction, most courts would probably find a contract at the time agreement was reached, even though no formal agreement had been signed. Acceptance of Ambiguous Offers. Although offerors have the power to specify the manner in which their offers can be accepted by requiring that the offeree make a return promise (a bilateral contract) or perform a specific act (a unilateral contract), often an offer is unclear about which form of acceptance is necessary to create a contract. In such a case, the offer may be accepted in any manner that is reasonable in light of the circumstances surrounding the offer. Thus, either a promise to perform or performance, if reasonable , creates a contract. Acceptance by Shipment. The Code specifically elaborates on the rule stated in the preceding section by stating that an order requesting prompt or current shipment of goods may be accepted either by a prompt promise to ship or by a prompt or current shipment of the goods [2-206(1)(b)]. So, if Apex Corporation orders 500 IBM personal computers from Marks Office Supply, to be shipped immediately, Marks could accept either promptly promising to ship the goods or by promptly shipping them. If Marks accepts by shipping, any subsequent attempt by Ampex to revoke the order will be ineffective. What if Marks did ot have 500 IBMs in stock and Marks knew that Ampex desperately needed the goods? Marks might be tempted to ship another brand of computers (that is, nonconforming goods – goods different from what the buyer ordered), hoping that Ampex would be forced by its circumstances to accept them because by the time they arrived it would be too late to get the correct goods elsewhere. M arks would argue that by shipping the wrong goods it had made a counteroffer because it had not performed the act requested by Ampex’s order. If Ampex accepts the goods, Marks could argue that Ampex has impliedly accepted the counteroffer. If Ampex rejects the goods, Marks would arguably have no liability since it did not accept the order. The Code prevents such a result by providing that prompt shipment of either conforming goods (what the order asked for) or nonconforming goods (something else) operates as an acceptance of the order [2-206(1)(b)]. This protects buyers such as Ampex because, sellers who ship the wrong goods have simultaneously accepted their offers and breached the contract by sending the wrong merchandise. But what if Marks is an honest seller merely trying to help out a customer that has placed a rush order? Must Marks expose itself to liability for breach of contract in the process? The Code prevents such a result by providing that no contract is created if the seller notifies the buyer within a reasonable time that the shipment of nonconforming goods is intended as an accommodation (an attempt to help the buyer) [2-206(1)(b)]. In this case, the shipment is merely a counteroffer that the buyer is free to accept or reject and the seller’s notification gives the buyer the opportunity t seek the goods he needs elsewhere. Who Can Accept an Offer? As the masters of their offers, offerees have the right to determine who can bind them in a contract. So, the only person with the legal power to accept an offer and create a contract is the original offeree. An attempt to accept by anyone other than the offeree is treated as an offer, because the party attempting to accept is indicating a present intent to contract on the original offer’s terms. For example, Price offers to sell his car to Waterhouse for $5,000. Anderson learns of the offer, calls Price, and attempts to accept. Anderson has made an offer that Price is free to accept or reject How to cite Acceptance, Papers

Minerva Mirabal Essay Example

Minerva Mirabal Paper In The Time of Minerva Malabar In my tenth grade literature class this year I had the opportunity to read a book that I had never thought about reading. To my surprise, once I started reading I couldnt stop. The book was titled, In The Time of The Butterflies. This book spoke of four sisters who were just trying to survive. One of the sisters, however, decided she wouldnt Just survive, she would fight. This young woman was known as Minerva Miramar, the outspoken butterfly. How would you treat your half sisters and your fathers mistress? With hatred and anger Sibyl, or would you give them love like Minerva Miramar did? It takes a strong person like Minerva to do something as astonishing as this. A strong person that Is destined to change the world one life at a time, and she did Just that. Minerva Malabar Is the name of a woman that will always live on. She went through many different hardships and roadblocks, but she never stopped persevering. She was one of the people, who even dur ing Truffles reign of terror never gave up hope. Throughout Minerals time of rebelling people often forgot to look at Minerals life as a whole. Minerva Miramar was the daughter of a man named Unripe Miramar. She had three sisters, or so she thought. Half way through Minerals short life she found out about her fathers mistress and Minerals other four sisters. At first sight Minerva was outraged. She did not think that anything like this was possible. She even went as far as crashing her car into her fathers while he was at his mistress house. What she did next was even more astonishing. Minerva forgave her father. Forgiving her father was Just a little of what we know about Minerva Miramar. However, this Is enough to let us know what type of person she was. Minerva was the type of person that cared more for others than herself. We will write a custom essay sample on Minerva Mirabal specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Minerva Mirabal specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Minerva Mirabal specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Even when she was In Jail she made sure that all the woman had what they needed. Minerva constantly put others before herself. Once Minerva started to realize the predicament her father got himself in she started to help. If Unripe Miramar wasnt able to bring the girls money or other items Minerva would. Once Unripe died Minerva decided to enroll her younger sisters into school. Minerva wanted to make everything possible for the girls that was possible for her. She felt that it was her duty to make sure that the girls grew up right. It is amazing to think that even while Minerva was fighting Trujillo regime she would not give up on her family. She showed this by taking care of her sisters. Not Just the ones that she grew up with, but also the ones she barely found out about. This shows everyone how good of a person Minerva was inside and out. She was as gentle as a butterfly and Just as determined. I know that this essay does not do Minerva Malabar Justice. I Just hope that It gets people to start to understand. I want this essay to be the start of peoples understanding of the Marsupials. Once this essay is read I wish that the reader becomes as intrigued in the peoples minds every now and again.

Amazon Case Study

Amazon Case Study Introduction Amazon is a leading global company in the online bookselling industry. The company has 32 million customers in approximately 150 countries. In addition, there are more than 900,000 sites and associate programmes that links users to Amazon.com (Johnson 2011). Amazon was founded as Amazon.com, Inc. by Jeff Bezos.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Amazon specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With its headquarters in Seattle, Washington, Amazon has enjoyed immense growth and at the moment, it is regarded as United States’ leading online retailer. As of January 2010, Amazon.com recorded internet sales revenue that was three times that of Staples, Inc., its runner up (Amazon.com 2010). Upon inception, Amazon.com operated as an online bookstore. However, as time went by, Amazon deemed it necessary to diversify its operations. This is how then that the company got itself involved in the business of selling DVDs, video games, MP3 downloads, and CDs. Other products sold by Amazon include apparel, toys, electronics, food, furniture, and computer software. Amazon also offers international shipping for a number of its products to certain countries. The paper presents a SWOT analysis of Amazon. In addition, a PEST analysis of the company is also provided, along with the Porter’s five forces as they impact on Amazon. Also, the Porter’s value chain of Amazon is addressed as well. The market served by Amazon and the potential challenges that could face the company in these markets is addressed as well. SWOT Analysis Strengths Amazon still remains the leading global online retailer of various educative and entertaining media products and books. Two factors are responsible for the recognition of Amazon as a powerful brand across the globe (Barry 2011). Within a period of 10 years, the company had managed to amass a customer base of 30 million. Amazon pioneered e-commerce technologi es (Hansell 2008). The business strategy for Amazon benefits immensely from sound information technology and customer relationship management that the company practices (Briggs 2008). Amazon utilizes data on the buyer behavior and this has enabled the company to provide them with specific items that they seek, on the basis of their preference. As a result, this has helped to increase customer loyalty (Halkias 2010). The product portfolio for Amazon is quite diverse and includes such products as CD/DVDs and books, among others.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Weaknesses The brand image of Amazon is at risk in as far as the issue of product expansion is concerned. In this case, Amazon product portfolio now includes other products besides books. As the leading online retailer, an increase in products offering could in fact result in a weakened brand owing to poss ible confusion on the part of the consumers. It is important for online retailers to focus more on the issue of technology. In this case, constant system maintenance is necessary so that there are no delays in the provision of customer service. Amazon relies heavily on external companies for the delivery of their products and there is a risk involved here as it could result in uncontained problems in as far as the issue of service delivery is concerned (Stone 2009). Eventually, this may lead to increased costs. Opportunities Amazon could consider entering into a partnership with the public sector. In this regard, Amazon stands to benefit from the services of public libraries so that potential users may benefit from catalog and search option services. This service could also cover the rare and antique books. Amazon may consider forging a relationship with book publishers in order to benefit from exclusive launch authors and exclusive offers. As a result, this would translate into inc reased growth for the company owing to the tendency by consumers to read an author repeatedly. Amazon has the chance to invest more on the expectation of its customers and this shall enable the company to enhance their loyalty towards the company. Amazon could vend its rich human resource expertise to a majority of the book stores. Amazon may forge a partnership with a majority of the retailing firms dealing in e-commerce Threats Competitors are quickly attracted to internet businesses and as such, it becomes rather hard to maintain differentiated products. This also means that differentiating the brand of a given company from that of the competition is also hard. Owing to the expansion of online business, competition is also expected to intensify There has been a rapid increase in the cost of transport owing to the sharp increase in the price of fuel. This often has a direct impact on the overall price of the books sold by Amazon as they have to factor in the cost of transport as w ell, paid to the third party (The New York Times 2010). When considering expanding into other countries, Amazon has to take into account the customs and trends of the country of choice so as to understand the behavior of potential customers.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Amazon specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More PEST Analysis Political/Legal Amazon is not a monopoly in the market of operation and with such other players as eBay, Yahoo! and Google, the company is faced with intense competition. Some foreign trade regulations could also hinder the quest by Amazon to expand to other countries. For example, such countries as China are less tolerant to the concept of e-commerce and this may hinder the expansion of Amazon to the lucrative market (Brown 2008). Government policies and issues of taxation could also hamper the growth and expansion of Amazon Economic Factors The world is still reeling from the effects of the recent global financial crisis and as such, the GDP trend of most countries is still on the path to recovery. In addition, for a majority of the countries, the interest rates have gone up and this has had a negative impact on money supply. In addition, the level of employment in most economies is has been on the increase in recent years and as such, this would mean that the disposable income of a majority of the members of the population is low. Consequently, they would not be in a position to partake in the purchase of the products and services that Amazon offers (Wallbank 2011). As a result, this translates into lost business for the company. Socio-cultural factors The level of education impacts greatly on the purchase behavior of consumers. For example, in the case of Amazon, in order for one to participate in the online transactions, there is need to be acquainted with what entails e-commerce transactions and as such, individuals with no background information on e-commerce may be discouraged from taking part. In addition, population demographics also affect the marketing strategies of Amazon (Sage Honan 2009). For example, an increase in the number of peoples within a specific target market that Amazon aims to reach translates into potential increase in sales revenues. Lifestyle changes also affect the sales of products and services. In the case of Amazon, the company has to periodically uptake its technology in order to keep pace with the latest developments. This has seen the company move from its traditional business model of only selling hard copy books to the use of the Kindle technology, whereby using software, one can get to read the book in its softcopy (Steiner 2010).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Technological factors Although there has been a dramatic improvement in internet systems and security, nonetheless, from a global perspective, technology distribution is faced with inequality and this has acted to undermine one of the technologically- focused companies as Amazon. In the case of Amazon, business associated with the company and the customer as well needs to embrace technological education in order to augment socio-political and resolutions and internet penetration. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis Entry threat Amazon is faced with a medium to low entry threat. As a pioneer in online book retailing, the company acts as a good example of what is likely to face any amateur firm in the industry. Thanks to continuous service upgrade and the huge amount of capital that Amazon has invested over the past 8 years, the company now has an advantage in the market over other firms. Furthermore, Amazon has managed to forge alliances and acquisitions with other firms. Amazon has also been involved in endless innovation and technology developments (Steiner 2010). Accordingly, in order to imitate Amazon, any rival company would be expected to build a strong relationship in the market and this might prove to be an uphill task because as a pioneer, Amazon has already achieved this. On the other hand, Amazon is faced with the issue of moderate switching costs and this appears to offer respite to such niche players in the market as eBay. Amazon may also anticipate retaliation from such niche competitors as eBay. Supplier power Supplier power is low. Retailers are dwarfed by the industry firms. On the other hand, the presence of internet technology is an indication of untapped global exposure. As a result, firms dealing in E-commerce have remained loyal to their suppliers, and more so those with access to global marketable services/products. Buyer power Buyer power is low. Save for the B2B transactions both pure buyers and merchants that use this industry are geo graphically segregated and independent from one another. As a result, this means that they have an insignificant individual purchase. Threat of substitutes The threat of substitutes in the industry is low. On the other hand, customers’ online purchase decisions rely on convenient shopping at discounted options and prices. As such, they are characterized by expensive switching costs. Sometimes, customers have had to experience reduced purchasing ability of the needed items due to delay in decision making. Consequently, the threat of substitutes is an alternative worth of exploration. Competitive Rivalry Amazon is faced with medium to high competitive rivalry. Although the industry has many players, nonetheless, they could be classified as overly diversified (Yahoo!) and niche (eBay) competitors of Amazon, a diversified firm. Consequently, Priceline and Barneys are on a head-to-head competition and the two companies have established a strategic alliance with Amazon (Leeds 2008) . The industry is also faced with high storage and fixed costs because firms are required to undertake stock inventory at the various warehouses in order to facilitate the delivery of orders. In addition, there exists little product differentiation among competitors, meaning that the switching costs of customers are low. Entry Barriers The industry is characterized by low entry barriers. As such, small players are increasingly getting lured into the industry with a view to targeting a given niche in the market. On the other hand, large entrants are more likely to engage in unsolicitated take-over bids for such diversified and established companies as Amazon. Alternatively, they may decide to forge partnership with such other partners firms as Google and Yahoo! in order to increase their market share. Porter’s Value Chain Analysis There is an apparent support of such primary activities of Amazon as the inbound logistics by secondary activities (for example, technological devel opments and selective procurement). This support is capable of filtering the service/product choice from the manufacturers/retailers so that the customers can have access to safe transactions (Steiner 2010). Furthermore, Amazon enjoys firm infrastructure and as such, this enables the firm to compress its marketing and operational activities into a single commission-based scheme that can be accessed by all its 900,000 associate partners (Oswald 2008). Moreover, Amazon’s infrastructure has also enabled the company to reduce tax payments. On the other hand, the outbound logistics of Amazon that are affiliated with its center at Delaware facilitates access to such markets as Japan and other countries in Asia and Europe as well. Consequently, the value chain makes it possible for Amazon to integrate the supportive and comparatively low-cost environment of its Seattle headquarters where the company’s developers are based. At the same time, the value chain also enables Amazon to establish efficient procurement and storage of products. This is in addition to ensuring an efficient delivery of products (Porter 1985) by way of closing warehouses that have provide inefficient and at the same time, helping to open up new warehouses that adds value and are strategically located. Amazon Products The product line of Amazon include books, DVDs, music CDs, consumer electronics, videotapes, tools, toys games, lawn, baby products, sporting goods, baby products, watches, beauty products, groceries, and clothing, among others (Smith 2011). Amazon Kindle is yet another product that the company helped to launch in November 2007. This product is in the form of an e-book reader. With the e-book reader, a user is in a position to download the contents. This is made possible by a wireless network. In the case of the amazons Kindle, the wireless network in use is the Sprint Nextel EV-DO. As part of its product diversification, Amazon was involved in the launching of MP3 ser vices. This was in January 2008. As a result, websites subsidiary to Amazon are now better able to access the MP3 service worldwide. The newest product to be launched by Amazon is Amazon.com exclusives. The product is mainly in the form of a DVD and its availability is restricted to Amaon.com only. On the basis of the products offered by Amazon, the company targets diverse markets. For example, in the case of its music CDs/DVDs, the company mainly targets teenagers and young adults below the age of 40 years, on the other hand, books sold by Amazon targets students, researchers, academic and research institutions, and libraries. Changes and challenges facing markets served by Amazon As an online retailer, Amazon is faced with a number of challenges in their quest to serve target markets without the usual conventional brick and mortar types of businesses. For instance, in case there is a consumer who wish to buy a digital camera, unless the customer in question is very explicit about the nature and specifications of such a camera, the only option left is for you to go to a best buy store for example and sample various cameras in order to find out the exact features that you desire. In the case of Amazon however, since the company is online, one does not have the privilege to sample the actual products (Malik 2008). As such, the main problem facing potential customers in the market is that a lot of the times, some of the items that would have otherwise been purchased from the company o not actually get to be purchased, owing to such technicalities. In addition, the company has on certain occasions experienced a number of technical issues and this means that customers are not in a position to place their orders with the company. If this happens repeatedly, consumers are likely to lose their confidence with the company, and this means lost business for Amazon. In recent years, Amazon has been under political and legal pressure not only from the conventional retaile rs, but also from state governments. This is because the company does not collect sales taxes in those regions where it lacks physical presence. This may clearly hinder the quest for Amazon to expand into various markets because state government would not entertain an investor who is least concerned about the welfare of the surrounding physical environment. In the same way, the traditional retailers would clearly oppose the expansion strategies of Amazon into their neighborhood because this would afford the company an unfair advantage over them (Smith 2011). Conclusion Thanks to an increase in customer base and a powerful global brand, Amazon has enjoyed an unprecedented level of success in the online bookselling industry. However, the Amazon brand is faced with the risk of products expansion. However, Amazon enjoys a rich human resource expertise and the company could benefit from vending them to a majority of the bookstores. Competitors are quickly attracted to internet business a nd for this reason customers may find it hard to differentiate the products offered to the market by Amazon, relative to those of the competitors. Amazon is faced with a medium to low entry threat and the supplier power in the industry is low. The buyer power is also low, along with the threat of substitutes. On the other hand, entry barriers into the online bookselling industry are low. As an operator in the online bookselling industry, Amazon is faced with a number of challenges, such as technical issues. This may prevent customers from placing orders with the company and consumers may lose confidence with the company. It is important therefore for Amazon to fully address all of these issues in order to remain competitive in the industry. Reference List Amazon.com 2010, ‘Amazon.com’, 09 September, amazon.com Barry, H 2011, ‘119 to lose jobs when Amazon closes Texas facility’, American-  Statesman, 11 February, statesman.com/business/119-to-lose-jobs-whe n-amazon-closes-texas- 1248784.html Briggs, B 2008, ‘Amazon weaves fabric.com into its e-commerce quilt’, Internet Retailer, 25 June, internetretailer.com/dailyNews.asp?id=26889 Brown, D 2008, ‘Online giant Amazon.co.uk celebrates its 10th anniversary as shoppers use retailer website to buy goods, thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1809903.ece Halkias, M 2010, ‘Texas bills Amazon for millions in sales taxes’, The Dallas Morning  News 23 October. Hansell, S 2008, ‘Amazon sues New York State to void sales tax rules’, The New York  Times, 1 May. Johnson, B 2011 ‘Retailers oppose Amazon sales tax pass’, The Tennessean, 31 January. Leeds, F 2008 ’Amazon to sell Warner Music minus copy protection’, The New York  Times, 28 December, Malik, O 2008, ‘The growing ex-Amazon club and why it’s a good thing’, Gigaom, 21 November, http://gigaom.com/2008/11/21/the-growing-ex-amazon-club-and-why-it s-a-good- thing/ Oswald, D 2008 ‘Borders returns to online sales, drops Amazon’, International Business  Times, 25 May, ibtimes.com/articles/20080527/borders-amazon -barnes-noble-web-online-store-retailer.htm Smith, R 2011, Which stock falls first? Motley Fool, 18 January Steiner, I 2010, ‘Seller’s choice: merchants rate ecommerce marketplaces’,  Auctionbytes.com, 24 January, auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y210/m01/abu0255/s02 Steiner, I 2010, Seller’s choice marketplace ratings:eBay’, Auctionbytes.com, 24 January, auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y210/m01/abu0255/s03 Stone, B 2009, ‘Amazon erases Orwell books from kindle’, The New York Times, 18 July, nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18amazon.html. Sage, A Honan E 2009, ‘NY Judge tosses amazon.com lawsuit over sales tax’,  Reuters, 13 January. The New York Times 2010 ‘E-books top hardcovers at Amazon’, The New York Times, 19 July, Wallbank, P 2011, ‘ Amazon’s fight with Illinois is a small of a bigger global battle between online retailers and tax authorities’, Business Insider, 18 January.

Distillation Definition in Chemistry

Distillation Definition in Chemistry In the most general sense, distillation means to purify something. For example, one you might distill the main point from a story. In chemistry, distillation refers to a particular method of purifying liquids: Distillation Definition Distillation is the technique of heating a liquid to create vapor which is collected when cooled separate from the original liquid. Its based on the different boiling point or volatility values of the components. The technique may be used to separate components of a mixture or to aid in purification. The equipment used for distillation may be called a  distillation apparatus or  still. A structure designed to house one or more stills is termed a distillery. Distillation Example Pure water can be separated from salt water through distillation. Salt water is boiled to create form steam, but the salt remains in the solution. The steam is collected and allowed to cool back into salt-free water. The salt remains in the original container. Uses of Distillation Distillation has many applications: Its used in chemistry to separate and purify liquids.Distillation is used to make alcoholic beverages, vinegar, and purified water.Its one of the oldest methods of desalinating water. Distilled water dates back to at least 200 AD, when it was described by Greek philosopher Alexander of Aphrodisias.Distillation is used on an industrial scale to purify chemicals.The fossil fuel industry uses distillation to separate components of crude oil to make chemical feedstock and fuel. Types of Distillation Types of distillation include: Batch Distillation - A mixture of two volatile substances is heated until it boils. The vapor will contain a higher concentration of the more volatile component, so more of it will be condensed and removed from the system. This changes the ratio of components in the boiling mixture, raising its boiling point. If there is a large difference in the vapor pressure between the two components, the boiled liquid will become higher in the less volatile component, while the distillate will be mostly the more volatile component. Batch distillation is the most common type of distillation used in a laboratory. Continuous Distillation - Distillation is ongoing, with new liquid fed into the process and separated fractions continuously removed. Because new material is input, the concentrations of the components should not change as in batch distillation. Simple Distillation - In simple distillation, vapor enters a condenser, cools, and is collected. The resulting liquid has a composition identical to that of the vapor, so simple distillation is used when components have greatly different boiling points or to separate volatile from non-volatile components. Fractional Distillation - Both batch and continuous distillation may incorporate fractional distillation, which involves use of a fractionating column above the distillation flask. The column offers more surface area, allowing for more efficient condensation of vapor and an improved separation. A fractionating column may even be set up to include subsystems with separate liquid-vapor equilibrium values. Steam Distillation - In steam distillation, water is added to the distilling flask. This lowers the boiling point of the components so they may be separated at a temperature below their decomposition point. Other types of distillation include vacuum distillation, short-path distillation, zone distillation, reactive distillation, pervaporation, catalytic distillation, flash evaporation, freeze distillation, and extractive distillation,

Evaluate E-Business Website (www.universalorlando.com) Assignment

Evaluate E-Business Website (www.universalorlando.com) - Assignment Example 2- INTRODUCTION In the ever increasing worldwide economy, e-commerce and e-business have progressively turned out to be a necessary element of business strategy as well as a powerful channel for financial progress. Additionally, the incorporation of ICT (information technology) in traditional business practice has transformed associations inside businesses, among stakeholders (such as workers and managers) and outside businesses. In addition, the utilization of information technology in business area has proficiently improved production, offered enhanced customer contribution, and facilitated through massive personalization, with the intention of minimizing business expenditures to some extent. Moreover, with the developments in web-based technologies and internet, differences among customary marketplaces and the worldwide electronic markets are slowly being confined. In this scenario, in e-business platforms, the use of ICT is intended to improve business performance. Additionally, it comprises some procedures that a business (legislative, a revenue or non-profit unit) can perform over a network supported by computer systems. In this scenario, wide-ranging description of e-business could be the change in a business’s practices to provide extra customer support through the implementation of technologies, computing models and thinking of the modern financial aspects (Andam, 2003), (Ray, 2011) and (Turban et al., 2005). 3- BUSINESS OVERVIEW Universal-Studios-Florida, Orlando was started in 90s as theme park that allows visitors to have rides as well as enjoy movies based entertainment. Additionally, the ideas of Universal Studio are aimed at providing the guests with an experience resembling that they are in a movie set watching shows, enjoying rides and a lot of children based facilities and attractions that are inspired by well-liked television, film and music productions for example Harry Porter based theme park. In addition, the park is composed of 6-t hemed sections those are Production Central, Hollywood, San Francisco/Amity, New York, Woody Woodpecker's Kidzone and World Expo. Universal Orlando Resort is a theme-park and attractive visiting place in Florida, Orlando. It is a combined business framework among Blackstone Group along with NBC Universal. In addition, Universal CityWalk is a night time activity place, and it comprises three Loews Hotels. Moreover, the Universal-Orlando-Resort is the leading assets owned by Universal Studios. Subsequent to the Walt Disney World Resort, the Theme Parks of Universal-Studios-Florida are the second biggest resort in Greater Orlando (Universal Orlando Resort, 2011). Furthermore, the Universal-Studios-Florida, Orlando uses a web technology based website that is www.universalorlando.com. This website is an e-business platform that allows visitors to purchase and take information about the business rides and resorts online. Moreover, this website also provides Universal Studios Florida Parks , Vacation Plans, tickets, hotels, packages and Park Tickets. 4- E-BUSINESS OF UNIVERSAL ORLANDO E-Business Universal Orlando is formed on multiple business paradigms. Universal Orlando