Mercy killing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mercy killing - Essay Example The terminology mercy killing on the other hand refers to someone taking a direct action to terminate the life of a patient without permission from the patient. The decision to take such an action is usually made on the assumption that the patient’s life is no longer meaningful or that if the patient was in a position to say so, he would express his desire to die (Padilla 219). The distinction between mercy death and mercy killing is that mercy death is voluntary and is conducted with the permission of the patient and often at his request while mercy killing is involuntary and does not involve the patient’s permission or request. None of the actions is more morally acceptable than the other and arguments exist against these actions. Many arguments used against suicide are applicable to mercy death to some extent but the issues surrounding mercy death are complicated by the fact that another person has to do the killing (Padilla 227). If patients who request for mercy de ath would wait to see the results of medical therapy and science, they would probably adjust to their situations and change their minds about dying. Mercy killing is also complicated by the fact that it is done without the consent of the patient and this is a violation of the Value of Life Principle, no one has the right to decide whether a person’s life is worthy. Human beings also have rights and they are not the same as those of animals and no matter what science may say no human being is merely an animal. Question 2: What are the arguments for and against mercy death? Is it morally justifiable in some situations? The first argument about mercy death is that people who are suffering and in pain are usually in a state of fear and depression and therefore cannot simply make rational decisions, if such patients were to wait and see what medical science and therapy can do for them they would probably adjust to their situation and change their minds about dying. The second argu ment states that just as we are generally willing to put animals out of their misery when they suffer, we should do the same for human beings but the rights of human beings to live and die are not the same as those of animals. Western religions maintain that human beings have immortal souls and even non religious humanists talk about the human spirit or personality stating that it should be accorded greater respect than the mere physical self (Padilla 230). Mercy killing is a direct violation of the Principle Value of Life mainly because it involves taking the life of an innocent person, murder is murder regardless of the motive and this is cemented by the fact that patients have not or cannot give their consent for the termination of their lives. The domino argument states that because the consent of patients cannot be obtained, an outside decision about the worth, value and meaning of a patient’s life has to be made but this is a dangerous move because no one has the right to decide if a person’s life is worthy, has value or is meaningful. There is also a possibility of finding cures in future and patients could therefore continue living. In cases of financial and emotional burdens to the family but finances and emotions should not be determining factors where human life is concerned. Both mercy death and mercy killing are not morally justifiable because humane alternatives for both mercy death an

Differential Gram’s staining Essay Example for Free

Differential Gram’s staining Essay To Gram stain the given bacterial suspension and to differentiate between gram positive and gram negative organism. Visualization of microorganisms in the living state is very difficult, not just because they are minute, but because they are transparent and almost colorless when suspended in an aqueous medium. To study their properties and divide microorganisms into specific groups for diagnostic purposes, biological stains and staining procedures, in conjunction with light microscopy, have become major tools in microbiology. Chemically, a stain may be defined as an organic compound containing a benzene ring plus a chromophore and an auxochrome. Stains are of 2 types: 1. Acidic stains e.g., picric acid 2. Basic stains e.g., methylene blue. Types of staining techniques: 1. Simple staining. (Use of a single stain)This type of staining is used for visualization of morphological shape (cocci, bacilli, and spirilli) and arrangement (chains, clusters, pairs, and tetrads). 2. Differential staining. (Use of 2 contrasting stains)It is divided into two groups: (a) Separation into groups, Gram stain and acid-fast stain. (b) Visualization of structures, Flagella stain, capsule stain, spore stain, nuclear stain. The Gram Stain The Gram stain is the most widely used staining procedure in bacteriology. It is called a differential stain since it differentiates between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Bacteria that stain purple with the Gram-staining procedure are termed Gram-positive; those that stain pink are said to be Gram-negative. The terms positive and negative have nothing to do with electrical charge, but simply designate 2 distinct morphological groups of bacteria. Grampositive and Gram-negative bacteria stain differently because of fundamental differences in the structure of their cell walls. The bacterial cell wall serves to give the organism its size and shape, as well as to prevent osmotic lysis. The material in the bacterial cell wall that confers rigidity is peptidoglycan. In electron micrographs, the Gram-positive cell wall appears as a broad, dense wall 20–80 nm thick and consists of numerous interconnecting layers of peptidoglycan. Chemically, 60% to 90% of the Gram-positive cell wall is peptidoglycan. Interwoven in the cell wall of Grampositive are teichoic acids. Teichoic acids that extend through and beyond the rest of the cell wall are composed of polymers of glycerol, phosphates, and the sugar alcohol ribitol. Some have a lipid attached (lipoteichoic acid). The outer surface of the peptidoglycan is studded with proteins that differ with the strain and species of the bacterium. The Gram-negative cell wall, on the other hand, contains only 2–3 layers of peptidoglycan and is surrounded by an outer membrane composed of phospholipids, lipopolysaccharide, lipoprotein, and proteins. Only 10%–20% of the Gram-negative cell wall is peptidoglycan. The phospholipids are located mainly in the inner layer of the outer membrane, as are the lipoproteins that connect the outer membrane to the peptidoglycan. The lipopolysaccharides, located in the outer layer of the outer membrane, consist of a lipid portion called lipid A: embedded in the membrane, and a polysaccharide portion extending outward from the bacterial surface. The outer membrane also contains a number of proteins that differ with the strain and species of the bacterium. PRINCIPLE The Gram-staining procedure involves 4 basic steps: 1. The bacteria are first stained with the basic dye crystal violet. Both Gram-positive and Gramnegative bacteria become directly stained and appear purple after this step. 2. The bacteria are then treated with Gram’s iodine solution. This allows the stain to be retained better by forming an insoluble crystal violet-iodine complex. Both Gram-positive and Gramnegative bacteria remain purple after this step. 3. Gram’s decolorizer, a mixture of ethyl alcohol and acetone, is then added. This is the differential step. Gram-positive bacteria retain the crystal violet-iodine complex, while Gramnegative are decolorized. 4. Finally, the counterstain safranin (also a basic dye) is applied. Since the Gram-positive bacteria are already stained purple, they are not affected by the counterstain. Gram-negative bacteria, which are now colorless, become directly stained by the safranin. Thus, Gram-positive bacteria appear purple and Gr am-negative bacteria appear pink. With the current theory behind Gram-staining, it is thought that in Gram-positive bacteria, the crystal violet and iodine combine to form a larger molecule that precipitates out within the cell. The alcohol/acetone mixture then causes dehydration of the multilayered peptidoglycan, thus decreasing the space between the molecules and causing the cell wall to trap the crystal violetiodine complex within the cell. In the case of Gram-negative bacteria, the alcohol/acetone mixture, being a lipid solvent, dissolves the outer membrane of the cell wall and may also damage the cytoplasmic membrane to which the peptidoglycan is attached. The single thin layer of peptidoglycan is unable to retain the crystal violet-iodine complex and the cell is decolorized. It is important to note that Gram-positivity (the ability to retain the purple crystal violet-iodine complex) is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon, but a matter of degree. There are several factors that could result in a Gram-positive organism staining Gram-negatively: 1. The method and techniques used: Overheating during heat fixation, over-decolorization with alcohol, and even too much washing with water between steps may result in Gram-positive bacteria losing the crystal violet-iodine complex. 2. The age of the culture: Cultures more than 24 hours old may lose their ability to retain the crystal violet-iodine complex. 3. The organism itself: Some Gram-positive bacteria are more able to retain the crystal violetiodine complex than others. Therefore, one must use very precise techniques in Gram staining and interpret the results with discretion. Crystal violet (2gm Crystal violet + 20ml 95% ethanol + 0.8gm Ammonium oxalet + 80ml distilled water) Gram’s iodine (1gm iodine + 2gm potassium iodide + 100ml distilled water) Decolorizer (Mix 95% alcohol acetone in equal proportion) Safranin (0.34gm safranin + 10ml absolute alcohol + 90ml distilled water) Clean grease free glass slide Nichrome wire loop Dropper Filter papers Compound microscope Cedar wood oil Miscellaneous PROCEDURE: On a grease free slide prepare smear of bacterial suspension and allow it to air dry. After drying heat fix smear and allow slide to cool. Cover the smear with crystal violet stain and leave for 1 minute Drain stain and wash the slide carefully under running tap water. Flood the smear with Gram’s iodine solution and wait for 1 minute. Wash the slide under running tap water. 6. Decolorize the smear with alcohol-acetone for 20-30 seconds (continue till purple stain just stops coming off the slide). 7. Gently wash the slide under running tap water and drain completely. 8. Counter stain the smear with safranin for 1 minute. 9. Wash the slide with water and air dry (or dry it carefully by using a blotting paper). 10. A drop of cedar wood oil is put over smear and the slide under oil-immersion lens. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Determine the growth curve of Escherichia coli by using colorimeter. The increase in the cell size and cell mass during the development of an organism is termed as growth. It is the unique characteristics of all organisms. The organism must require certain basic parameters for their energy generation and cellular biosynthesis. The growth of the organism is affected by both physical and Nutritional factors. The physical factors include the pH, temperature, Osmotic pressure, Hydrostatic pressure, and Moisture content of the medium in which the organism is growing. The nutritional factors include the amount of Carbon, nitrogen, Sulphur, phosphorous, and other trace elements provided in the growth medium. Bacteria are unicellular (single cell) organisms. When the bacteria reach a certain size, they divide by binary fission, in which the one cell divides into two, two into four and continue the process in a geometric fashion. The bacterium is then known to be in an actively growing phase. To study the bacterial growth population, the viable cells of the bacterium should be inoculated on to the sterile broth and incubated under optimal growth conditions. The bacterium starts utilising the components of the media and it will increase in its size and cellular mass. The dynamics of the bacterial growth can be studied by plotting the cell growth (absorbance) versus the incubation time OR log of cell number versus time. The curve thus obtained is a sigmoid curve and is known as a standard growth curve. The growth curve has four distinct phases 1. Lag phase When a microorganism is introduced into the fresh medium, it takes some time to adjust with the new environment. This phase is termed as Lag phase, in which cellular metabolism is accelerated, cells are increasing in size, but the bacteria are not able to replicate and therefore no increase in cell mass. The length of the lag phase depends directly on the previous growth condition of the organism. When the microorganism growing in a rich medium is inoculated into nutritionally poor medium, the organism will take more time to adapt with the new environment. The organism will start synthesizing the necessary proteins, co-enzymes and vitamins needed for their growth and hence there will be a subsequent increase in the lag phase. Similarly when an organism from a nutritionally poor medium is added to a nutritionally rich medium, the organism can easily adapt to the environment, it can start the cell division without any delay, and therefore will have less lag phase it may be absent. Exponential or Logarithmic (log) phase During this phase, the microorganisms are in a rapidly growing and dividing state. Their metabolic activity increases and the organism begin the DNA replication by binary fission at a constant rate. The growth medium is exploited at the maximal rate, the culture reaches the maximum growth rate and the number of bacteria increases logarithmically (exponentially) and finally the single cell divide into two, which replicate into four, eight, sixteen, thirty two and so on (That is 20, 21, 22, 232n, n is the number of generations) This will result in a balanced growth. The time taken by the bacteria to double in number during a specified time period is known as the generation time. The generation time tends to vary with different organisms. E.coli divides in every 20 minutes; hence its generation time is 20 minutes. 3. Stationary phase As the bacterial population continues to grow, all the nutrients in the growth medium are used up by the microorganism for their rapid multiplication. This results in the accumulation of waste materials, toxic metabolites and inhibitory compounds such as antibiotics in the medium. This shifts the conditions of the medium such as pH and temperature, thereby creating an unfavorable environment for the bacterial growth. The reproduction rate will slow down, the cells undergoing division is equal to the number of cell death, and finally bacterium stops its division completely. The cell number is not increased and thus the growth rate is stabilised. If a cell taken from the stationary phase is introduced into a fresh medium, the cell can easily move on the exponential phase and is able to perform its metabolic activities as usual. 4. Decline or Death phase The depletion of nutrients and the subsequent accumulation of metabolic waste products and other toxic materials in the media will facilitates the bacterium to move on to the Death phase. During this, the bacterium completely loses its ability to reproduce. Individual bacteria begin to die due to the unfavorable conditions and the death is rapid and at uniform rate. The number of dead cells exceeds the number of live cells. Some organisms which can resist this condition can survive in the environment by producing endospores.

Microcredit Essay -- Economy, Loans, Microloans

Microcredit can be defined as small loans, or microloans, for people around the world in extreme poverty to help spur entrepreneurship. The issue of microcredit is extremely important in the world’s economy. Poverty alleviation and economic development are the primary goals of microcredit programs, that is why they began in the developing countries of Asia and Latin America, economist Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank in Bangladesh are credited of pioneering this financial innovation (Smith, Thurman, 2007). After acquiring a loan, impoverished people get involved in self-employment projects that help them to start a business and begin generating income and in many cases leave poverty. Microcredit offers loans to poor people without requesting any financial history from them. These loans help to improve the quality of life of individuals and communities through commitment. In recent years, the idea of giving small loans to poor people became the darling of the development wor ld, giving a way to propel even the poorest people into better lives (Jolis, 2011). Since its emergence, microcredit has been viewed as a very important tool for development. Many around the world believe microcredit is the antidote for global poverty. Although the Grameen Bank focuses only on people from Bangladesh, different microfinance institutions had been established around the world. Accion International is one example of these institutions in Latin America, which started providing loans in 1973 (The history of microfinance, 2005). These financial institutions started to grow rapidly due to high demands of small loans. Poor people around the world started to lose faith to their countries’ authorities to provide for their well being and started to tur... ...e of the challenges that the Grameen Bank has faced in the last years is that the government believed that citizens from Bangladesh are just growing a big dept that will only damage their lives in the future. However, as stated before, 98% of the loans have been repaid. Overall, microcredit has helped millions of people around the world and it continues to have a great impact on poor people, informing them that all they need is a little ‘push’ or start-up money to begin creating a better life and subsequently a better community. Each organization has its own goals and purposes depending on the country where they reside as well as different challenges that have appeared. Microcredit is helping poor people and small business owners to better themselves as well as to their families and have their time, skills, and ideas utilized in an effective and positive way.

South Africa

Sindy Veritus March 9, 2013 Global Studies: Argumentative Essay South African Apartheid Apartheid in South Africa was a system of racial segregation enforced through legislation by the National Party government from 1948 to 1994 of South Africa. Racial segregation in South Africa began in colonial times by the Dutch and British. Apartheid as an official policy was introduced following the general election in 1948. Apartheid was developed after War World II by the Afrikaner-dominated National Party and was first colonized by the Dutch and then the English came in and took most of it away.The population of South Africa was classified into four groups which was the Black, White, Indian, and Colored. The Colored group included people regarded as being of mixed descent including people of Bantu, and European ancestry and much more. Knowing that Apartheid was a system of laws created to keep the white population in control. The Group Areas act of 1951 controlled people where they could of live. The black where driven far away from their city, although their jobs were still in the cities in the white neighborhood.The Bantu education Act meant that the black students were disadvantaged with their education. â€Å"Bus fares were expensive and catching public transport everyday was expensive and caused hardship and depression for the black people. † (Wikipedia) The apartheid policy was highly effective of achieving its goal of privileged conduct for whites. On the other hand, the white population supported apartheid because they felt it was there to own the land of South Africa.There were many white pro apartheid people because of the much larger population of black South Africans causing the white people to believe that if the black were given rights and freedom, they would of no longer have political power. The white people were worried because they thought that their race would be taken over and they would lose the control that they always had. As a final point , In February 1990 President FW de Klerk announced the release of Nelson Mandela and began the exclusion of the Apartheid system.In 1992 a white council approved the reform process and on April 27, 1994 the first democratic elections were held in South Africa with people of all different races being able to vote. After the Apartheid came to an end in South Africa, people had more freedom. The Africans now have a little more money now that it’s not all going to the white. South Africa is now peaceful and the anniversary of the elections, which was held on April 27, is celebrated as a public holiday in South Africa known as Freedom Day.

English Oral – Shark Cullings

Shark Culling Each year in Australia, the number of deaths from shark attacks ranges between zero to three deaths. To put this into perspective, more people around the world are killed as a result of falling coconuts or vending machines. Following a small rise in the number of shark attacks In Western Australia over the past two years, the Western Australian Government has legalized the culling of all sharks over three meters long caught on baited drum lines, In an attempt to reduce the risk of fatal shark attacks.The decision has sparked mixed reactions from the public, with a scarce amount purporting the Government's decision. Those who agree feel that the culling will make swimming at the beach a safer, more relaxing experience. On the other hand, those who disagree argue that the Government has made a quick decision without doing their research. They say that we will never completely prevent shark attacks and there are other ways to prevent shark attacks without going on a  "killing spree†. The first image presents a rather horrifying image of a dead shark covered in blood, with it's jaws open showing all of it's teeth.A man is kneeling down beside the shark with one arm appearing to be resting on the shark. The shark is a lot bigger than the man in the photo, this is magnified even more by the man kneeling down. The photographer is positioning the viewer to see the shark as a big, scary monster, and the man to be a hero for killing it†¦ As though killing a shark is something to be proud of. The second photo presents a beautiful scene of healthy green beach shrubbery, with the sand, beach and waves in the background as the water is populated by numerous surfers enjoying the morning waves.Hard to Ignore, however, is the warning sign In the foreground of the Image warning beach-goers of a shark sighting. It could be said that these surfers are Just plain stupid, but it could also be said that they know how small the risk of being attacked by a shark Is, especially when In a group of surfers close to shore. The mall figure In the photo Is the warning sign. It draws viewers attention to the risk that the surfers are taking and the viewer's focal point shifts from the sign to the surfers In confusion. The photographer has positioned the warning sign to be the largest, most obvious WARNING' to all people not to enter the water.However, by the photographer capturing the surfers in the background, viewers are bled to see that the surfers have ‘looked past' the apparently big warning and that the surfers don't see the sharks as big scary monsters to be afraid of. The photographer made the sharks appear to be a minor issue as opposed to an issue that makes the public so fearful of sharks that they're too afraid to enter the water. The third image is perhaps the most powerful image. It presents a photo of a human swimming or diving deep in the ocean, right next to a big shark. The shark looks big, but not in a scary wayâ₠¬ ¦ In quite a majestic and beautiful way.The photographer is positioning viewers to see that the shark is a beautiful creature f the ocean that means no harm to humans. The photographer has captured the blue ocean water in the photo which makes people feel calm and relaxed. This allows viewers to see the diver as relaxed and at ease, and also to see the shark as gentle and calm. In this image viewers are able to see how large the shark is in comparison to the human. Usually people are scared of things larger and greater in size than them, but in this case the person doesn't appear to be scared of the shark. Can't see teeth. Texture is smooth and not rough and scary. Calming.Majestic Light – glow of the light shining through the water which is beautiful and pretty. CONCLUSION Photographers can manipulate viewers to perceive a particular issue in either a negative or positive way. Quite often when pictures are used with articles or stories, the picture supports the story or ar ticle by the tone in the writing and agrees with what is stated. The shark culling topic has many different opinions, either negative, positive or neutral. The photos or images that accompany articles in the newspapers or magazines help to support what the writer is saying by providing the viewers with a biased approach to the issue.

Emersons Self-Reliance Essays - Lecturers, Transcendentalism

Emerson's Self-Reliance Essays - Lecturers, Transcendentalism Emerson's Self-Reliance Ralph Emerson wrote many journals and essays dealing with the subject of transcendentalism. One of his most famous works is the essay Self-Reliance. In Self-Reliance, Emerson hit on the idea that the individual should be completely reliant on God, and that every person has been put into their certain life and position by God and that the person needs to trust themselves. He said that God has put the power to handle things, think, and act into each individual and that the individual needs to trust what God has put inside them to do things with their lives. The idea is almost that of predestination, except for the fact that we have the choice of which road to take. Predestination is the idea that a higher power, or God, has planned everything that will happen to a person in their life. Emersons idea is that God has put the choice to us, but he has given us all of our unique gifts for the paths we can choose to take. In Self-Reliance, Emerson wrote, Trust thyself: every heart vibrates t o that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contempararies, the connection of events (Runes 362). Emerson also gave the idea of trusting ourselves through God. He said that you have to trust in God to tell you what to do and what to think. He said that if you do this that God will provide answers (363). Another quote from his popular essay, Self-Reliance, supports this. And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny; and not minors and invalids in a protected corner, not cowards fleeing before a revolution, but guides, redeemers and benefactors, obeying the Almighty effort and advancing on Chaos and the Dark (363). Emerson also had the idea that we need to be ourselves, especially in the things that we say. Again from the popular essay, Self-Reliance, he spoke about how we need to say what we think one day, and then speak what is on your mind the next day, even if you completely contradict what you said in the first day. Then he said that people will definitely not understand you if this happens (365). That goes along with the whole idea above about how transcendentalism was widely misunderstood because even the great minds that thought it up dont fully understand everything about the philosophy. Emerson concludes this thought to say that, To be great is to be misunderstood (365). Emerson is obviously the father of transcendentalism, and his great ideas were conveyed in his brilliant essays, journals, and poems. He helped pass the philosophy on to other philosophers and writers. One of these writers is Thoreau. Thoreau studied under Emerson and also wrote many pieces dealing with the subject of transcendentalism. One of his most popular pieces of writing about transcendentalism is Walden.

buy custom Elemental Cost Estimate essay

buy custom Elemental Cost Estimate essay The developer would like to consider the potential of developing five 3-storey detached houses instead of the ten 2-storey semi-detached houses as described above. Each detached houses will have 4 bedrooms; two of them are en-suite, a kitchen, an individual dining room, a bathroom, a guest toilet, a sitting room and a study. Given that GIA and the storey height for the houses of the alternative option remains unchanged; discuss the likely cost implications on individual building elements. The cost implication of constructing five-3storey detached house over ten-2 storey semi-detached houses is likely to reduce the cost of each element of building the houses. This is because there will be time saving on building five-3 storey instead of ten-2 storey, because a ten-2 storey takes more time. There will be an increase in quality of work and cost reduction. (Smith Jaggar, 2007) Foundation The function of the foundation is spreading building weight on the ground thus avoiding settlement and giving support to the building against load. This through excavating of a trench following the rooms and house contours, ten filling with concrete followed by construction work. The number of foundation for building five- 3 storey detached houses reduces as compared to building ten-2 storey semidetached houses with more foundations. This will not automatically lower the cost of building because linking building together results in cost saving through reduction of quantity of foundations. (Smith Jaggar, 2007) p style="text-align: justify;">Roofs The functions of roofs are to give protection to people living there form wind, rain and heat. Roofs need to be of high quality, should be durable. Resistance from fire and its appearance should be appealing. The cost incurred in building five-3 storey houses is likely to reduce because of five roofs construction as compared to ten roofs. Reduction in roofing area often offsets the cost of construction. There will be a small cost implication thus the G.I.A will be greater to benefit from the cost of materials reductions. External walls The function of external walls is to transfer the loads from the roofs to the foundation area. It prevents people living around from loads in construction and elements. The number of wall constructed will likely fall in construction of a five-3 storey house. The elements unit quantity will be greater by a big margin. Even though the elements rate can be discounted it is not sufficient to offset the total difference in cost. The cost of labor is higher in 10-2 storey houses because of construction of more walls. (Ashworth, 2004) Windows, external and internal doors These provide access to and from the building, giving security and allow entry of light into the building. The number of doors and windows is bases more on unit quantity for this case. It is effective in terms of cost to build a five-3 storey house as compared to 10- 2 storey houses. This is because the number of doors and windows will reduce and a drop in cost of labor incurred. (Smith Jaggar, 2007) Site works This involves preparation of the site, material delivery, fencing the site and landscaping of the site. A five storey house is easier to lay down up, because it requires less space as compared to ten storey house which will require more space. Addition in overhead cost will occur in 10 storey house because of additional site requirement, and storage. Also, delivery of more construction material in 10 storey houses thus adding the cost of construction. (Ashworth, 2004) Upper floors An upper floor provides a safe platform for the residents of the houses to be able to stand at the lower floors safely. In this case constructing, five-3 storey houses will have less upper floors as compared to the other option. The unit price will reduce in constructing five-three storey house as less quantity used in construction. More construction materials are used in the 10-two storey house construction. (Ashworth, 2004) Services A service is essential in construction of houses to be used by people so that they are comfortable. Services that are essential include supply of water, electricity, radiator, basins and satellites. In today world services is becoming more complex as the standards of living goes up which change in technology. This leads to increase in prices of construction elements as the design changes. Constructing of ten-two storey houses incurs more cost in services as compared to constructing five- 3 storey houses. (Ashworth, 2004) Buy custom Elemental Cost Estimate essay

WATCH How to choose the right career path for you

WATCH How to choose the right career path for you Do we choose our careers or are they chosen for us?   Often simple fate determines where we spend our professional lives, but tech entrepreneur and former Chief Operating Officer of Duo Security Zack Urlocker believes it’s imperative that we consciously choose our own path.

Sandstone Reservoirs Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sandstone Reservoirs - Research Paper Example Examples of sandstone reservoirs are found in Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, coastal basins of Equatorial Africa, United States’ Gulf Coast, Rocky Mountains and Southern North Sea (Stoneley 39). 2. Carbonate Rock Reservoirs Carbonate reservoirs comprise of geologic formation that are naturally fractured which are characterized by heterogeneous permeability and porosity distributions. These are the predominant types of reservoirs all over the world accounting for about 50% of all reservoirs. The distinctive aspect of carbonate reservoirs is their intrabasinal origin. Their mode of formation was primarily dependent on organic activities. They were formed through biochemical processes in special environments. Organisms involved in their formation also contributed in determination of their qualities. Carbonate reservoirs are highly susceptible to processes of modification as a result of post-depositional mechanisms. The variations observed among various carbonate reservoirs res ult from processes such as lithification and compaction (Ahr 50). A notable feature of these reservoirs is their high sensitivity to environmental changes. Changes in temperatures affect biogenic activities thus affecting sediment production. This aspect is what makes carbonate reservoir development depth dependent. Favorable conditions enhance organic productivity while in unfavorable conditions productivity ceases. Carbonate reservoirs are considered autochthonous since they develop close to their final depositional sites. Water energy and basin configuration influences deposition which leads to formation of carbonate reservoirs. Examples of carbonate reservoirs are found in Big Horn Basin in Wyoming and south Caspian basin which encompasses... They develop better vugs and fractures that are relatively important for flow and storage of fluids. Carbonate reservoirs are also harder and tighter than sandstone reservoirs (Renpu 9). Primary porosity of sandstone reservoirs is exclusively interparticle while that of carbonate reservoirs can either be intraparticle, interparticle, intercrystalline, vuggy, fenestral or cavernous. Porosity-permeability relationships of sandstones are relatively consistent and dependent on particle texture while that of carbonate reservoirs are highly varied and independent of particle size (Ahr 53). Shale reservoirs differ from sandstone reservoirs in that shale reservoirs can contain organic mudstones which are not present in sandstone reservoirs. They can also have open fractures which are not common in sandstone reservoirs. Conglomerate reservoirs differ from sandstone reservoirs in that conglomerate reservoirs exhibit an extra-high heterogeneity as a result of a complex pore structure. They also display rapid changes in permeability and porosity between their layers which is not the case with sandstone reservoirs (Zou 298). Advantages of Sandstone Reservoirs Porosity of sandstone reservoirs is uniform over time since it does not diminish with increasing saturation of the reservoir. Chemical processes do not affect the permeability and porosity of sandstone reservoirs. Effects and of micro and macro organisms do not impede fluid transfer through sandstone reservoirs as can be the case with carbonate reservoirs (Renpu 11).

Corporate Financial Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Corporate Financial Strategy - Essay Example The decision to make an investment is based on this benchmark. Mostly the companies employ various sources of finance such as equity, preference, debentures, term loans etc. The calculation of WACC is done using the weights of the different components of capital base. There are varying returns for all the sources. As the equity holders bear the maximum risk, the returns required by them is higher than the other investors. This is mainly because in case of extreme situation like insolvency, the equity shareholders have the last claim on the assets of the company. In such situations preference is given to the lenders of the company. Moreover, the declaration of dividends is not mandatory for the companies. A dividend is declared only if the company has surplus earnings whereas the payment of interest cost is mandatory. The company has to honour its debts irrespective of its profitability. This is the reason that the lenders get a lower return as compared to equity holders. But, if the company is highly leveraged, even the lenders become cautious and demand for higher returns. This is the reason that all the companies try to optimize their capital base for minimizing the cost of capital. The cost of capital is the minimum return that a company must earn from the business activities to payoff its investors who provide the necessary capital in the form of shares, debentures and loans. Two sets of information are needed for calculating the cost of capital- weights of the various sources of finance and their respective costs. Many studies have been conducted on the cost of capital which is dependent on the composition of the capital base of the company. The capital structure of a business measures the ability of a company towards meeting the needs of its stakeholders. Modigliani and Miller (1994) highlighted how the value of the firm is not affected by its capital structure as the tax advantage of debt

Analyzing film The Story of Bottled Water Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analyzing film The Story of Bottled Water - Essay Example The film seeks to explain how bottled water is not safer than tap water thus people should opt for tap water that is cheaper. The most important pattern of the film is when it indicates how bottled water is a scam. Indeed, the simplest way of understanding this is by watching the short film that utilizes simple language and charming episodes that makes viewers walk through the economy of bottled water. In brief, the film brings into attention benefits that emerge from taking tap water than bottled water. It indicates how bottle water is not often cleaner than tap water and worse to it cost expensive. To persuade the audience of its purpose, the film uses two strategies, which are simplest language and animation. The film uses simplest language that â€Å"Bottled water costs about 2, 000 times more than tap water.† The narrator proceeds by saying how bottled water is a lot pricier than tap water despite being not safer than tap water. The film uses animation to contribute the effect of the video of most people taking ten bottled water that in total is a lot pricier. This video is created in such a way that, it persuades viewers to take tap water as it easily available and cheaper compared to bottled water that frequently derived from the tap, which is sometimes not safer than tap water. The film captures viewers’ attention when it recalls how the Coca-Cola Company discovered that its water exceeded the limit for carcinogen and bromated. Still, it highlights how The Environmental Working Group tested ten bottled water to have contained harmful chemical pollutants thus, indicating how bottled water is not safer than tap water. The purpose of the video is to educate viewers on being cautious not to spend more money on bottled water while it is not safer than tap water. In doing this, he uses the text of how Americans spends a lot of money purchasing bottled water and indeed, it is not safer than tap water as it

Museum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Museum - Essay Example There are a number of ways that the museum attempts to discover this original context by interpreting the social languages evident in the objects they collect. Kavanaugh1 indicates that social languages have essentially three component parts, one of which is the direct use of signs and symbols in the form of objects and space while the other two, non-verbal communication such as gestures and body language and verbal communication such as speech and writing, can also be preserved somewhat in the objects that are left behind and can help in determining the culture from which the object originated. Because objects share a role in the interrelated social communication modes of a particular society, the interpretation of these objects may differ from one society to the next or even one time period to the next. The museum attempts to convey an idea of the original culture by grouping artifacts according to their age and date and place of discovery. By grouping things in this way, it is hoped an idea of the lifestyle of the people who created them will emerge that is free from the understandings of the modern age. Artifacts are shown with explanatory placards that tell what the object was used for and how old it is thought to be. Markings on the objects are interpreted as signs of the beliefs and legends of the originating society whenever possible and other contextualizing information is given. For example, a vase might be explained by the techniques used to make it, the markings that appear on its sides, the design or shape of its form and the anticipated use based on remnants of materials found within the vase. However, the way in which the object is interpreted can not only provide significant contextual clues to the society from which it was produced, but can also reflect the understanding of the society attempting to

Business Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Resources - Essay Example The mere presence of resources in a business is not sufficient to ensure that the business is successful. The resources of a business should be employed in an intelligent and strategic manner to ensure its success. The human resources of a business include the personnel and employees working in the company. The human resources also include the management expertise and skills resources. The human resources are considered to be the most critical resources of a business in the modern business world. The effectiveness of the human resources of a business can be gauged with the help of the skill base achieved in the business. The skills possessed in a business and the ability to use the skills to meet the changing dynamics and requirements of the business are important factors that should be considered for evaluating the human resources of the business. The audit of the human resources should be conducted periodically to ensure that the assessment of the human resources available to the business is done fairly and to find out the emerging needs of the business regarding human resource management. Some relevant factors that can be used to audit the human resources are the identification of resources of staffing like the number of employees by function, the remuneration, qualification, location, experience, and grades of the employees. The assessment of key intangibles like business culture and morale are other factors which can be used to represent the effectiveness of human resources present in a business. The physical resources of a business include a number of operational resources that can be used for the delivery of specific strategies using physical capabilities. The physical resources of a business may be of many types and can vary according to the nature and scale of the business. The production facilities like capacity, production processes, maintenance and investment requirements, quality and organization are important factors which decide the effectiveness of physical resources in an organization.

Museum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Museum - Essay Example There are a number of ways that the museum attempts to discover this original context by interpreting the social languages evident in the objects they collect. Kavanaugh1 indicates that social languages have essentially three component parts, one of which is the direct use of signs and symbols in the form of objects and space while the other two, non-verbal communication such as gestures and body language and verbal communication such as speech and writing, can also be preserved somewhat in the objects that are left behind and can help in determining the culture from which the object originated. Because objects share a role in the interrelated social communication modes of a particular society, the interpretation of these objects may differ from one society to the next or even one time period to the next. The museum attempts to convey an idea of the original culture by grouping artifacts according to their age and date and place of discovery. By grouping things in this way, it is hoped an idea of the lifestyle of the people who created them will emerge that is free from the understandings of the modern age. Artifacts are shown with explanatory placards that tell what the object was used for and how old it is thought to be. Markings on the objects are interpreted as signs of the beliefs and legends of the originating society whenever possible and other contextualizing information is given. For example, a vase might be explained by the techniques used to make it, the markings that appear on its sides, the design or shape of its form and the anticipated use based on remnants of materials found within the vase. However, the way in which the object is interpreted can not only provide significant contextual clues to the society from which it was produced, but can also reflect the understanding of the society attempting to

Clashes over Muslim minorities in Europe throughout the past ten years Research Paper

Clashes over Muslim minorities in Europe throughout the past ten years - Research Paper Example This has happened because of world developments relating to Muslims such as the Arab revolution, Afghanistan war, uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia and the revolution in Iran. Additionally, Europeans countries have recently seen an increasing number of Muslim immigrants to their countries. This has led to reactions by some of those governments to the differences in the religions and the political system of Muslims. Furthermore, the case of September 11th has led to fear of Muslim individuals in most European countries. More of this has also been accelerated by the laws which European government enacted relating to terrorist activities. Clashes by Muslim minorities are an expression of fury because of perceived insults expressed to them by secular European communities. European nations have seen increasing number of immigrants for the past four decades. The immigrants are mainly driven by economic changes in their countries of origin. For example, the immigrants are in search of jobs and better living standards as compared to their countries. With this increasing number of movement to European countries, the Islamic population has so far increased in percentage in comparison to the majority population. Consider the case of France, according to Islam in France (1), the number of Muslims in France are about 3.5 to 5 million which is approximately 6 to 8% of the whole population. With these figures it is clear that the number of Muslims in European countries is large. Most of those Muslims are immigrants from North African countries like Algeria, Tunisia. Others are from Middle East and Turkey. The Muslims in France have settled in most parts of the country. In addition, Taras (54) shows that approximately 70% of the Muslims in France are from Algeria and Tunisia respectively. The author points out that since 1950, there has been an increase in the number of Islamic communities in Europe. The approximation provided by the author is 800,000 to 15 million from the 1950s to 2000. The number has so far risen and by year 2008 there were 20 million Muslims in Europe. The high growth of the Islamic population in Europe has increased the attention from Europeans because the population is more and increasing as compared to other minorities. The reproduction rate caused by the previous settled Muslim contributes to the increasing population including the immigration flows. Tara (55) presented statistics showing that in 2011, the number of Muslims throughout Europe were 44 million in all parts of Europe. This increasing number has caused questions from some of the prominent people especially journalists. One of the journalist blogged about the increasing number of Muslims throughout Europe, with the explanation given being that the growth is high in big cities like London, Paris and Berlin. Most bloggers have been talking about the increasing number, according to the research conducted by US Department of State; the percentage of people talking about incre asing number of Muslims in their country has risen. The statistic of the research showed that 61 percent of people in Hungary agree that there is an increase in the number of Muslims in the country. Other European countries have had the same talk, Italy, Poland, Germany and Britain have falling percentages respectively. The research showed

Education System Comparison Between Usa and Latvia Essay Example for Free

Education System Comparison Between Usa and Latvia Essay Introduction Everyone knows that in nowadays there are many possibilities and ways to learn, but in Latvia this is very topical theme right now. Many of the high school graduates want to learn abroad. And I do not think that this is good, because like about half of the students or people that go to learn abroad, never comes back to the native country. That is why I have chosen this topical theme. I am going to study educational systems in these countries. I am going to poll some of the 12th grade students about what are they thinking about learning in USA. I want to achieve that kind of position when a student reads my research project and especially the higher education in Latvia part he changes his mind and stays to learn here. My hypothesis for this Research Work is the education systems in Latvia and in the USA are different and this is a reason why people in Latvia choose the USA for studies very often. The Aim of the Research Work is to compare the education systems in the USA and in Latvia and to find out middle school students opinion about studies in Latvia and in the USA. The main objectives of the Research Work are: †¢ To collect the information about educational system in Latvia †¢ To collect the information about educational system in the USA †¢ To make a questionnaire and analyze the results of middle school students opinion about studies in Latvia and in the USA Educational system in USA Education in the United States is provided mainly by government, with control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local. School attendance is mandatory and nearly universal at the primary and secondary levels. At these levels, school curricula, funding, teaching, and other policies are set through locally elected school boards with jurisdiction over school districts. School districts are usually separate from other local jurisdictions, with independent officials and budgets. Educational standards and standardized testing decisions are usually made by state governments. The age for compulsory education vary by state, beginning at the age five to eight and ending at the age of fourteen to eighteen. A growing number of states are now requiring school attendance until the age of 18.[6] 1.1 Preschool There are no mandatory public prekindergarten or crà ¨che programs in the United States. The federal government funds the preschool program for children of low-income families, but most families are on their own with regard to finding a preschool or childcare. In the large cities, there are sometimes upper-class preschools catering to the children of the wealthy.[6] 1.2 Elementary and Secondary Education Schooling is compulsory for all children in the United States, but the age range for which school attendance is required varies from state to state. Most children begin elementary education with kindergarten (usually five to six years old) and finish secondary education with twelfth grade (usually eighteen years old). In some cases, pupils may be promoted beyond the next regular grade. Some states allow students to leave school at the age of 14–17 with parental permission, before finishing high school. Most parents send their children to either a public or private institution. According to government data, one-tenth of students are enrolled in private schools. Approximately 85% of students enter the public schools, largely because they are free (tax burdens by school districts vary from area to area). Most students attend school for around six hours per day, and usually anywhere from 175 to 185 days per year. Most schools have a summer break period for about two and half months from June through August. This break is much longer than in many other nations. Originally, summer vacation, as it is colloquially called, allowed students to participate in the harvest period during the summer. However, this remains largely by tradition.[6] Parents may also choose to educate their own children at home; 1.7% of children are educated in this manner. 1.2.1 Junior high school Junior high school is any school intermediate between elementary school and high school. It usually includes seventh and eighth grade, and sometimes sixth or ninth grade. In some locations, junior high school includes ninth grade only, allowing students to adjust to a high school environment. Middle school is often used instead of junior high school when demographic factors increase the number of younger students. At this time, students are given more independence as choosing their own classes. Usually, starting in ninth grade, grades become part of a student’s official transcript. Future employers or colleges may want to see steady improvement in grades and a good attendance record on the official transcript. Therefore, students are encouraged to take much more responsibility for their education.[6] 1.3 Higher education Post-secondary education in the United States is known as college or university and commonly consists of four years of study at an institution of higher learning. There are 4,352* colleges, universities, and junior colleges in the USA. Students traditionally apply to receive admission into college, with varying difficulties of entrance. Schools differ in their competitiveness and reputation; generally, the most prestigious schools are private, rather than public. Admissions criteria involve the rigor and grades earned in high school courses taken, class ranking, and standardized test. Most colleges also consider more subjective factors such as a commitment to extracurricular activities, a personal essay, and an interview. While numerical factors rarely ever are absolute required values, each college usually has a rough threshold below which admission is unlikely.[2] *- January 2009. data from www.ed.gov Once admitted, students engage in undergraduate study, which consists of satisfying university and class requirements to achieve a bachelors degree in a field of concentration known as a major. The most common method consists of four years of study leading to a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), a Bachelor of Science (B.S.), or sometimes another bachelors degree such as Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.), Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.,) or Bachelor of Philosophy (B.Phil.) Five-Year Professional Architecture programs offer the Bachelor of Architecture Degree (B.Arch.) Professional degrees such as law, medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry, are offered as graduate study after earning at least three years of undergraduate schooling or after earning a bachelors degree depending on the program. These professional fields do not require a specific undergraduate major, though medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry have set prerequisite courses that must be taken before enrollment.[2] Some students choose to attend a community college for two years prior to further study at another college or university. In most states, community colleges are operated either by a division of the state university or by local special districts subject to guidance from a state agency. Community colleges may award Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree after two years. Those seeking to continue their education may transfer to a four-year college or university. Some community colleges have automatic enrollment agreements with a local four-year college, where the community college provides the first two years of study and the university provides the remaining years of study, sometimes all on one campus. The community college awards the associates degree, and the university awards the bachelors and masters degrees. Graduate study, conducted after obtaining an initial degree and sometimes after several years of professional work, leads to a more advanced degree such as a masters degree, which could be a Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS), Master of Business Administration (MBA), or other less common masters degrees such as Master of Education (MEd), and Master of Fine Arts (MFA). After additional years of study and sometimes in conjunction with the completion of a masters degree, students may earn a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or other doctoral degree, such as Doctor of Arts, Doctor of Education, Doctor of Theology, Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Physical Therapy, or Doctor of Jurisprudence. Some programs, such as medicine, have formal apprenticeship procedures post-graduation like residency and internship which must be completed after graduation and befor e one is considered to be fully trained. Other professional programs like law and business have no formal apprenticeship requirements after graduation.[3] Entrance into graduate programs usually depends upon a students undergraduate academic performance or professional experience as well as their score on a standardized entrance exam. Many graduate and law schools do not require experience after earning a bachelors degree to enter their programs; however, business school candidates are usually required to gain a few years of professional work experience before applying. Only 8.9 % of students ever receive postgraduate degrees, and most, after obtaining their bachelors degree, proceed directly into the workforce.[7] 1.4 Basic Curricular Structure Generally, at the high school level, students take a broad variety of classes without special emphasis in any particular subject. Curricula vary widely in quality and rigidity. The following subjects are fairly universally required in the United States: †¢ Science (usually two years minimum, normally biology, chemistry and physics) †¢ Mathematics (usually two years minimum, normally including algebra, geometry, algebra II, and/or trigonometry) †¢ English (usually four years minimum, including literature, humanities, etc.) †¢ Social Science (usually three years minimum, including various history, government/economics courses) †¢ Physical education (at least one year) Many states require a health course in which students learn about anatomy, nutrition, first aid, sexuality, and birth control. Anti-drug use programs are also usually part of health courses. In many cases, however, options are provided for students to test out or perform independent study in order to complete this requirement. Foreign language and some form of art education are also a mandatory part of the curriculum in some schools.[6] 1.5 Extracurricular activities A major characteristic of American schools is the high priority given to sports, clubs and activities by the community, the parents, the schools and the students themselves. Extracurricular activities are educational activities not falling within the scope of the regular curriculum but under the supervision of the school. These activities can extend to large amounts of time outside the normal school day; home-schooled students, however, are not normally allowed to participate. Student participation in sports programs, drill teams, bands, and spirit groups can amount to hours of practices and performances. Most states have organizations which develop rules for competition between groups. These organizations are usually forced to implement time limits on hours practiced as a prerequisite for participation. Many schools also have non-varsity sports teams, however these are usually afforded less resources and attention. The idea of having sports teams associated with high schools is relatively unique to the United States in comparison with other countries. Sports programs and their related games, especially football and/or basketball, are major events for American students and for larger schools can be a major source of funds for school districts. High school athletic competitions often generate intense interest in the community. Inner city schools serving poor students are heavily scouted by college and even professional coaches, with national attention given to which colleges outstanding high school students choose to attend. State high school championship tournaments football and basketball attract high levels of public interest. In addition to sports, numerous non-athletic extracurricular activities are available in American schools, both public and private. Activities include musical groups, marching bands, student government, school newspapers, science fairs, debate teams, and clubs focused on an academic area or cultural interests.[5] 1.6 Electives Many high schools offer a wide variety of elective courses, although the availability of such courses depends upon each particular schools financial resources and desired curriculum emphases. Common types of electives include: †¢ Visual arts (drawing, sculpture, painting, photography, film) †¢ Performing arts (drama, band, chorus, orchestra, dance) †¢ Technology education (woodworking, metalworking, automobile repair, robotics) †¢ Computers (word processing, programming, graphic design) †¢ Athletics (cross country, football, baseball, basketball, track and field, swimming, tennis, gymnastics, water polo, soccer, wrestling, cheerleading, volleyball, lacrosse, ice hockey, field hockey, boxing, skiing/snowboarding) †¢ Publishing (journalism/student newspaper, yearbook/annual, literary magazine) †¢ Foreign languages (Spanish, French are common; Chinese, Latin, Greek, German, Italian, Arabic, and Japanese are less common)[5] 1.7 Advanced Courses Many high schools provide Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. These are special forms of honours classes where the curriculum is more challenging and lessons more aggressively paced than standard courses. AP or IB courses are usually taken during the 11th or 12th grade of high school.[6] 1.8 Home Schooling There was 1,3 million children that were home schooled in 2008, up 74% from 1999 when the US Department of Education first started keeping statistics. This was 2.9% of all children. Parents select moral or religious reasons for home schooling their children.[1] 1.9 School grades As you can see in the table (Table N.1), in the U.S. the first year of compulsory schooling begins with children at the age of five or six. Children are then placed in year groups known as grades, beginning with first grade and culminating in twelfth grade. Typical ages and grade groupings in public and private schools may be found through the U.S. Department of Education. Many different variations exist across the country.[2] For more foreseen scheme of education in USA see Appendix N.1. 1.10 Grading scale In schools in the United States children are continually assessed throughout the school year by their teachers, and report cards are issued to parents at varying intervals. Generally the scores for individual assignments and tests are recorded for each student in a grade book, along with the maximum number of points for each assignment. At any time, the total number of points for a student when divided by the total number of possible points produces a percent grade which can be translated to a letter grade. Letter grades are often used on report cards at the end of a marking period, although the current grade may be available at other times. Although grading scales usually differ from school to school, the grade scale which seems to be most common is as follows. The grading is based on a scale of 0-100 or a percentile. Note that in some jurisdictions the D grade (or that below 70) is considered a failing grade. In other jurisdictions a D grade is considered passing in certain classes , and failing in others. If you need a concept of grading scale, see Table N.2.[6] Table N.2 Example grading scale in USA |E,N,U or F |D |C |B |A | | |- | |+ |- | |arodpamatskola |vocational basic school |9-year education may be |2 |no | | | |incomplete | | | |arodvidusskola |vocational secondary school|9-year education |3 |no | |arodgimnazija |vocational gymnasium |9-year education |4 |yes | |arodskola |vocational school |general secondary education |1-2 |no | | |(postsecondary) | | | | As it is seen from table (Table N.4), just one type of vocational schools – four year vocational gymnasium concurrently to vocational training provide general secondary education and, consequently, access to higher education.[10] 2.8 Access to Higher Education In principle, access to higher education is general for all holders of general secondary education certificates. However, the institutions of higher education are free to determine which of the elective subjects must have been taken by the applicant at the secondary school in order to become eligible for admission to a chosen program. There are no fixed all-Latvian rules determining the admission system and it may differ between different institutions and even between different faculties of the same institution of higher education. The main forms of admission procedure may be as follows: †¢ 1 to 4 competitive entrance examinations; †¢ a competition of diplomas plus an interview by the Admission board, which may include general questions in subjects important to the chosen specialty; †¢ just a competition of diplomas (usually judging by the marks in subjects important to the chosen program and/or average mark in the secondary school certificate); †¢ knowledge of Latvian language is evaluated in these cases when the applicant has not had Latvian as the language of instruction in secondary school. An admission board consisting of staff members is formed in all higher educational institutions to carry out admission procedures in accordance with conditions announced at least 5 months before.[9] 2.9 Higher Education 2.9.1 Academic higher education (AkadÄ“miskÄ  augstÄ kÄ  izglÄ «tÄ «ba) is understood as a general higher education based upon fundamental and/or applied science. Academic education can be (and in most cases is) divided into two stages. A student has to perform a thesis of a Research Work at the end of each stage. I. First degree An academic degree and a Bachelor diploma (Bakalaura grÄ ds) can be awarded after successive completion of the first stage. Bachelor degree is an intermediate degree and can be treated as a completed higher education only in these cases when duration of program is 4+ years. However, part of the students leave universities having a bachelor`s degree and find their gap in the labor market. II. Second degree Academic master degree (MaÄ £istra grÄ ds) and the appropriate diploma is awarded after the second stage of academic education and should be treated as a complete university-type higher education. Master degree or a degree equivalent to it (e.g. medical studies are of a level of master`s degree but name of master`s degree is not applicable) can be awarded after total duration of 5-7 years of university studies. Master degree (or equivalent) is required for admission to doctoral studies. III. Higher degrees There are two of doctoral degrees in Latvia Degree of Ph.D. (Doktora grÄ ds) Holders of master`s degree are eligible for doctoral studies and the holders of Ph.D. is expected to be achieved in a 3-4 year period of full-time doctoral studies after a public defense of doctoral thesis. After defense of habilitation thesis you are awarded with a degree of habilitated doctor (habilitÄ“ts doktors). Doctoral degrees are awarded by specialized councils: †¢ promotion council (promocijas padome) awarding the degree doktors only †¢ habilitation council (habilitÄ cijas padome) awarding both doctoral degrees. The regulations for awarding of doctoral degrees are set and the promotion and habilitation councils are appointed by Latvian Science Council (Latvijas ZinÄ tnes Padome). 2.9.2 Higher professional education (ProfesionÄ la augstakÄ  izglÄ «tÄ «ba) is a higher education based upon applied science. It provides knowledge and skills for professional activities. Acquirement of the programs of professional studies can take place independently of academic studies, concurrently to or after them. Non-university type higher education institutions offer higher professional education programs leading directly to professional qualifications. To be treated as a completed higher education, the duration of professional studies has to be not less than 4 years. University-type higher education institutions may offer 1-2 year programs leading to professional qualification after achieving bachelor degree (bakalaurs).[8]

Impact of Air Pollution to the Environment in Malaysia

Impact of Air Pollution to the Environment in Malaysia 1.0  Introduction Health impact assessment (HIA) is the process of evaluating the possible impact of a biological, chemical, physical or social factor on specific human population system under a fixed environment and for certain duration. (HIA) is an important element of the environmental impact assessment process, which has been considered compulsory for all approved activities under the Environmental Impact Assessment Order, 1987, which comes under the umbrella of the Environmental Quality Act, 1974. Although all involved HIA consultants are registered under the EIA Consultant Registration Scheme, their HIA conduct in Malaysia is not consistent with the requirement. Therefore, introduction of a guidance document is a needed to make all HIA practice is more consistent with the enforcement. The aim of the Guidance Document on HIA is to provide information to all stakeholders such as consultants, industries, government agencies and the public on the assessment of health impacts from a project developme nt. Prof. Dr. Jamal Hisham Hashim, DOE,( 2009) Health Impact Assessment also a planning tool and a process that systematically recognizes and inspects both the potential positive and negative health impacts of an activity or a project development. In this planning structure, the outcome of an assessment provides the perfect way to implement the plan to maximize positive health controls and minimize negative health impacts to the environment. Open burning is a major source of air pollution in the urban area in Malaysia. Burning rubbish openly, burning the forest for replantation or development, burning rice straw on paddy fields which releases harmful chemicals and gases should be totally avoided altogether to avoid the air pollution in Malaysia. Many citizens of Malaysia are still unaware of the impact of their action which their action lead environmental and health effect in Malaysia. In this assignment, the reader should be able to understand the assessment process of Health and Impact Assessment and the effects of air pollutio n from open burning in the urban area of Malaysia and the strategies that can be applied to reduce or eliminate them. Prof. Dr. Jamal Hisham Hashim, DOE, 2009) 2.0  Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Process According to Department of Environment (DOE)Malaysia, environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a study to explore, predict, evaluate and convey the consequences of the open burning to the environment and the mitigating measures prior to a project approval and implementation (DOE, 2009). Minister of Natural Resources and Environment was empowers under section 34A of the Environmental Quality Act, 1974 to perform prescribe any activity which may have substantial environmental impact in Malaysia. 2.1  The purpose of Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Process The purpose of HIA process is to evaluate the potential development need to conduct an HIA for the project. HIA may not require for all development projects in Malaysia. As detailed in EIA, HIA is not required unless it can be objectively debated that an HIA is not give significant effect to the particular project. Referring to the previous project history and the known outcome of the prescribed activities of the projects record will describe the requirement of HIA for a particular project. However, the project not listed in HIA database listing are must be screened for the need to undergo an HIA. A screening checklist is has been developed to assist the Project Initiators and the Department of Environment in screening potential projects or prescribed activities that would require an HIA. 2.2  The scope of Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Process Health impact assessment (HIA) is becoming an important tool for assessing the health impacts of policies, programmes and projects. There are several guidelines on HIA, both general and specific procedure that has been published to describe the requirements. The aim of this â€Å"Guidance Document† is to specifically address requirement of the assessment. The application of HIA has been mainly in the framework of an EIA study in Malaysia. However, due to lack of official guideline on its implementation, many methodologies and formats have been engaged by HIA consultants resulting in inconsistency in the HIA. Therefore, the scope of HIA is to prevent the health impacts that may arise from a project development. HIA not only developed to help avoiding unnecessary difficulties of negative health impacts but also preventing a health effect in which certainly less cost effective than treating them. 2.3  The assessment of Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Process Risk reduction is a process of risk management and it required to be assessed before an initiative to minimize the risk can be taken. The goal of health risk assessment process is to identify, define the risk and subsequently is to assess the risk exposure to the surrounding. The risk can be adequately assessed and categorised from the information obtained from hazard and exposure and Health Impact Assessment and it can also be defined as an organisational approach. Health risk assessment is applied for the assessment of health hazards from the environment. There are two methods to assess the health risk exposure, namely the quantitative and qualitative health risk assessment. A numerical measure of the risk or safety of a chemical exposure is derived from the quantitative risk assessment. The generated numerical measure value of the risk is than compared with the guideline or a defined acceptable risk level. There are two categories of risks being assessed when performing a quantitative risk assessment, namely non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risk and it is the preferred assessment for HIA in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) whenever this is applicable. DOE (2009) A qualitative risk assessment simply characterises or compares the hazard of a chemical relation to each other’s or describes the hazard in only qualitative terms, such as mutagen or carcinogen, which predicts certain risk or safety procedures measures may not require a numerical assessment or quantitative risk assessment. Some health risk related with contagious diseases may not fit well to quantitative risk assessment due to the nature of the risk. Therefore, a qualitative risk assessment may only be the assessment method whenever it is possible to execute based on the requirement. As quoted in National Academy of Sciences (1996), â€Å"quantitative risk assessment can be defined as the classification of the potential adverse health effects of human exposures to environmental hazards†. The risk assessment contains four steps, which consist of hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment and risk classification. The use of quantitative health ri sk assessment is mostly limited to the assessment of chemical hazards. Biological and physical hazards do not fit well to quantitative assessment where in such cases, qualitative assessment should be applied for the purpose. DOE, (2009) 3.0  Open burning activity According to Environmental Quality Act 1974 (Act 127) any burning conducted in such a manner that combustion air is not efficiently controlled and that combustion products are not vented through a stack or chimney, including but not limited to burning conducted in open outdoor fires, common burn barrels and backyard incinerators is define as open burning. The burning is typically conducted using burn barrels, separated pits, backyard burners, and pilling up of refuse, trash, yard trimmings or leaves also considered into this category. Datuk Law Hieng Ding, DOE (2000) 3.1 Causes of open burning i)  Jungle fire Jungle fire fires and the resultant smoke-haze are somewhat new experiences to Malaysia. The problems are seemed to be intensely increasing and repeated occasionally. Under normal circumstances, the unexplored jungles of Malaysia will not catch fire easily and even if it catches fire, the fire will not be spreading extensively due to the humidity that exceeds 75% and the rate of litter decomposition on the forest ground is reasonably fast. There is very little chance of the forest to catch fire unless these conditions are changed due climate changes. However, when water in these areas is drained during development projects, the ground becomes completely dry and is has high possibility to catch fire. Under these conditions the fire spreads underground and can keep burning for a long time. Wan Mohd Shukri Wan Ahmad ( 2001) ii)  Human causes The other sources that can contribute to one of the causes of the fire are mostly by the actions of humans. Some of the major reasons are caused by individuals who want to eliminate things like garbage from their backyard. There are some farmers who burn rice straws to clean their fields before replantation and preparation of agricultural plantations. These are activities that are very commonly can be seen in Malaysia. DES,(2013) 3.2 The effect of open burning The fire gives extensive damage to plants, animals, environment and the health of people surrounding the affected areas. The haze and air pollution are at a dangerous level in most of these areas and at times it reaches to intolerable and hazardous levels. Although there’s an increase in respiratory related sicknesses in the neighbourhood caused by the forest fire, the long term effects of open burning will affect mainly the health of people and is difficult to solve and is now an issue of concern in Malaysia. Besides the effect as mentioned above, open burning also disrupts the Malaysian economy and other measurable effects including reasons as quoted below. i)  Production losses. In year 1997, Malaysia reached a new urgency causing by the haze when the Air Pollution Index (API) readings reached 500ÃŽ ¼g/m3. Sarawak declared 10 days emergency state due prolongation of the haze which resulted in various production losses of economic activities. Firstly, the production losses inclusive of a reduction in growth of crops subsequent caused by reduction of sunlight. Secondly, the fishing activities reduced due to poor visibility for the fishing boats. These effects indirectly have reduced the expected profit per day of the business. Finally, the industrial and commercial activity delays in logistics and an increase the effort in cleaning and maintenance of equipment due to dust and corrosion occurrence. During this production downtime, the profits fall far away from the estimated value. Wan Mohd Shukri Wan Ahmad ( 2001) ii)  Tourism losses Tourism industry will tremendously hit by a drastic impact due to reduction of tourist arrivals from various countries to Malaysia caused by the haze. The government is forced to declare a state of emergency in certain areas where the air pollution indices reached dangerous levels which may lead to serious health concerns. This action is taken in order to regulate the effect of economic crisis which in itself is expected to affect the incoming of tourists into this land. Wan Mohd Shukri Wan Ahmad ( 2001) iii)  Health effect Open trash burning can release hexchlorobenzene (HCB) to the environment. This chemical contains high toxin that miscible slowly in the air. Theoretically, it can travel long distances in the air. It bio- accumulates in marine lives, birds and animals that feed on fish and sea plants. HCB is a probable human carcinogen, and based on studies, long-term and low-level exposures to HCB can damage growth of a developing baby or animal, kidney and liver damage and cause exhaustion and skin disease. Environmental service, (2013) iv) Global worming Open burning can also be the cause for global warming on earth. Numerous open burning is done by individuals who are not responsible. These activities can result in the release of carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere and in will trap heat that originates from the earth. 3.3  Legal requirement for open burning. Government has launched an initiative to prevent and control the deterioration of air quality when the Department of Environment enforced the Environmental Quality Act (EQA 1974) Section 29A that discusses the prevention of open burning and Section 22 of the EQA 1974, section 29AA which prohibits individuals, companies or the premise of the release of pollutants air into atmosphere above the limit prescribed under the Environmental Quality Regulations EQA 1974. Datuk Law Hieng Ding, DOE (2000) a) Three main rules are enforced under Section 22 is as follows; i. Regulations Environmental Quality (Clean Air) ii. Regulations Environmental Quality (Control of Emission from Diesel engines) iii. Regulations Environmental Quality (Control of Emission from Petrol engines) b)  Exclusion from open burning â€Å"section, 29AA† The minister may declare the stop order relates to any fire, combustion or smouldering for the purpose of any activity specified in that order is not open burning as defined in and for the purpose of section 29A whenever conditions as may be specified in section 22A which exceed the specified in the order. DOE, (2014) c)  Offenses and penalties To prevent the open burning in Malaysia, the Department of Environment will take firm action against those who are involved in open burning as specified as an offense including compound of RM 2000 for each offense and court action in which the convicted will be penalised of the offense under Section 22 (3) Act and can be fined up to One Hundred Thousand Dollars (RM100,000) or imprisonment up to 5 years and under Section 29A of the EQA 1974 may which bring to a fine of up to Five Hundred Thousand Dollars (RM 500,000) or 5 years imprisonment if the charges are proven in the court. DOE,(2014) d)  Strategies to reduce open burning There are several ways to tackle the air pollution caused by open burning. i) The first step is that we need to change the mind set and attitude of our own. Most air pollution is due to the attitudes of people who are concerned with their own interests. Factory owners release toxic gases into the air because they want to make more profit and do not want to waste the money to filter gases. Therefore, we need to change the mind set and attitude of our own knowing air pollution will bring a lot of negative effects of environmental damage. ii) The second step is that the government should hold campaigns on air pollution awareness to the public. The aim is educate society about the importance of maintaining and protecting the environment. In addition, the public will be exposed to the effects, causes and measures to cope with the environment. This campaign should be held throughout so that the community will not forget the effort to protect the environment. This campaign can be provided at the school, council housing or public library and posters can also be placed in places that can be seen by the public. iii) The third step is to enforce laws and regulations. Intention to enforce the laws and regulations are parties to air pollution will be share out with in terms of the law. Factories, agricultural field that release fumes that pollute the air will be charged will be summoned. If they continue to perform these activities, the business license should be revoked. The objective is to minimize air pollution levels are lower. iv) Responsibility of community. Last but not least to the actions taken by the government and the authorities, the public must be responsible and equally protect the environment to ensure the earth is sustainable. Among the actions that can be made à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹is that to use public transport instead of private vehicles or car. On the other hand, the owner of the vehicle must ensure their vehicles do not release black smoke by taking steps to perform regular inspection and maintenance especially for the engine carburettor and fuel pump to be in good condition. The farmers are also should responsible take initiative to recycle the residual wood to transform into fertilizer or other mean of disposing waste creatively. The public can also make a complaint to the Royal Malaysian Police, Fire and Rescue Department and Local Authorities What if there is combustion of solid waste and reports can also be made to the DOE of any open burning carried out by industry and plantations. 4.0  Conclusion Health impact assessment (HIA) is the process of evaluating the possible impact of a biological, chemical, physical or social factor on specific human population system under a fixed environment and for certain duration. The activities approved under the Environmental Impact Assessment Order 1987, which comes under the umbrella of the Environmental Quality Act, 1974. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a study is conducted to explore, predict, evaluate and convey the outcome of the consequences of the environment pollution and the mitigating measures prior to project approval and implementation of EQA 1974 and the purpose of HIA process is to evaluate the potential development need to conduct an HIA for the project. There are two methods to assess the health risk exposure, namely the quantitative and qualitative health risk assessment. A numerical measure of the risk or safety of a chemical exposure is derived from the quantitative risk assessment whereby the qualitative risk as sessment may only be the assessment the nature of the risk. Open burning becomes the contribution factor for air pollution in this country. Several cause which being identified such as Forest fire and Human causes and the effects which contributing to production losses, tourism losses, health effect and global warming. Rules and regulation are established by the government to prevent and control the deterioration of air quality under EQA 1974 and the action taken who found to be breaking the law. Strategies taken inclusive of changing people mind set and attitude, campaigns for public awareness, enforcing laws and regulations and encouraging using public transport which may reduce the environmental impact to air pollution. In conclusion, the people and the government must work together to solve the problem of air pollution. Although it cannot be eliminated overnight, but with the cooperation of various parties air pollution problems can be solved. We must think of the generations that will require environmental gives a beautiful and comfortab le for them to live in this world and just treat the environment that has been created by God. 2973 Words 5.0  References Datuk Law Hieng Ding/DOE. (2000). Environmental Quality Act 1974 [ACT 127]. Retrieved Oct 2,2014, from http://cp.doe.gov.my/pdf/Environmental%20 Quality %20(Prescribed%20Activities)%20(Open%20Burning).pdf Department of Environmental Services , New Hamspire. (2013). Open Burning of Residential Trash. Retrieved Oct 2,2014, from http://des.nh.gov/organization/ commissioner/pip/factsheets/ard/documents/ard-33.pdf Department for Environment. (2014). Enforcement on Air Pollution . Retrieved Oct 3,2014, from http://www.doe.gov.my/portalv1/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Kenyataan-Akhbar-Mengenai-Penguatkuasaan-Pencemaran-Udara-24-Julai-2014.pdf Prof. Dr. Jamal Hisham Hashim/DOE. (2009). Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Retrieved Oct 2,2014, from http://www.doe.gov.my/eia/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/HIA-Guidance-Document.pdf Wan Mohd Shukri Wan Ahmad/ Natural Forest Division. (2001). Forest Fire Situation in Malaysia. Retrieved Oct 2,2014, from http://www.fire.uni-freiburg.de/ iffn/country/ my/ my_2.htm

What It Means To Be Australian :: essays research papers

What It Means To Be an Australian Australia is a very unique place, along with our multiculturalism there is also a strong heritage surrounding us. At first thought of Australian heritage we think about such landmarks as Uluru, The Sydney harbour bridge and The Sydney opera house, The Great Barrier reef and other internationally recognised places. But our heritage goes much deeper than that; it is far more than outstanding icons. Along with these icons there are also unsung places like the old cattle stations, Aboriginal missions, migrant hostels, War memorials, our unique wetlands and the towns and cities we have built. Adding all of these things together, helps to tell the story of who we are and how we have shaped this land in the unique identity it has today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But familiar landmarks and also the unfamiliar ones aren't the whole make-up of Australia's heritage. It's the people that make a difference. Australia is made up of people from all walks of life who have migrated here for different reasons. Among these, the most common migrants are from Greece, Italy, Russia and Asia. Australia is made up of material culture: the places and objects, but also Living culture: In forms such as Music, Crafts, Literature etc. It is an interplay between international cultures and beliefs, the claims of nationalism and ethnic and religious traditions, as well as the local and community priorities that’s make up the unique Australian heritage. The Aboriginal people of Australia were here thousands of years before European settlement and we forced them to adapt to the changes of environment around them. This change might be for better or worse, but we will never find out. But with the European settlement came the birth of industry, agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, manufacture, electricity, gas and water just to name a few.

Personality Traits of a Real Writer Essay

All writers are creative types, with cluttered desks, and messy piles, right? To be a good writer, one lives on coffee and stale potato chips only coming up for air when the book’s done, right? Maybe. Or maybe we as writers have convinced ourselves that this is how a â€Å"real† writer acts. Writers spend so much time trying to determine when they will be a â€Å"real† writer. Just like the stereotype that all accountants wear green eyeshades, the stereotypes about writers persist whether they are accurate or not. Writing is generally considered a creative â€Å"right-brain† activity. However, you don’t have to turn off the left-half of your brain to be a writer. The best writers learn the secrets of when to use their right-brain and when to use their left-brain. The most successful writers realize that writing is a business, and just like any other business, a certain amount of organization and timeliness is required. The best writers can read their mood. On creative days, they crank out the pages to their novel. On left-brain days, they send out invoices, clean out their files, and clean off their desks. MESSY VS. ORGANIZED Certain personality types crave â€Å"messes. † The clutter makes them feel comfortable. But it also eats away at their writing time since they spend it searching through piles of papers and old half-eaten sandwiches. The secret for the messy writer is to confine the messes to a â€Å"messy zone. † The messy zone is limited to one shelf in an office or the basket next to a reading chair. The mess is still there for the comfort factor, but it doesn’t take over. PROCRASTINATOR The procrastinating writer writes the book but never sends the manuscript. Their brilliant ideas pile up, but they never send a query. There’s always a better time†¦later. Unfortunately, the procrastinator never feels the joy of success. The procrastinator needs rewards, and lots of them. By planning wonderful rewards for simple acts, the procrastinator realizes the best time to write isn’t later. It’s right now. PERFECTIONIST The perfectionist writes the book but never finishes it. They are constantly revising, editing and reworking. This time eater takes away the fun of writing. Since nothing is ever good enough, what’s the point of writing anything? The perfectionist needs positive feedback and reinforcement. When they hear others say, â€Å"This is really good. You should submit it,† they can silence the inner critic that says, â€Å"You could make it sound better. † What is a real writer? It’s actually anyone who puts words to paper and sends them out into the world. And while anyone can sit down with a word processor, only real writers overcome the personality traits that could sidetrack them. Want to learn more? Visit http://www. organizedwriter. com? src=a103. Julie Hood is the author of â€Å"The Organized Writer: 30 Days to More Time, More Money and Less Frustration,† a new ebook with a roadmap for combining a writing career with the rest of your life. She manages the OrganizedWriter. com web site and writes Writer-Reminders, a weekly newsletter for writers. Newsletter subscribers receive a free ebook, The Sidetracked Writer’s Planner. When she isn’t writing, she sneaks in cleaning house around a busy household with two children, her husband, and two avid golfers. Copyright 2002 (c) Julie Hood, Finally Organized LLC. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission.

Reaction: Sin Tax Law Essay

I am so glad of the very purpose of passing the sin tax law which is to protect the health and save the lives of the countrymen. This simply means that the government officials are concern about the good health of all Filipinos but this doesn’t mean that I am into this bill, for some reasons that the government or most of the senate themselves failed to look unto. Firstly, I would like to agree with Sen. Marcos who said that farmers stand to lose their livelihood because of the measure. This is very true, we all know of the fact that Philippines’ one trademark in the field of import and export of raw materials is the tobacco, there have been a lot of Filipino families who are dependent on their incomes from tobacco industries and wine manufactories. And here comes this bill passed without proposing alternatives that would help these people; it should be taken an account in the first place . It is even harder for the government to generate jobs for thousands of jobless Filipinos who have finished their degrees how much more these people. Is the government expecting them to easily shift to another source of income? What kind of income would that be? Smuggling? Second, given the proposed prices of alcohol and cigarettes, I see it as so illogical for the government to risk their time and effort on this issue , giving the people-friendly prices at the end of the day I suggest this is not supporting to their proposal, because for the people who have been addicted to cigarettes and alcohol, like the need of rice no matter how you increase the price since it is what they needed and wanted they’d rather take the risk to get a source of money just to buy those things. Sin tax is a form of an excise tax. It is a tax levied on some commodities but not all commodities unlike sales tax. This is how the government generates more revenues However, the opposition claims that this bill will backfire on its goals. Since the price of the price of the commodities will rise, the demand will decrease. Thus, there will be no revenues to generate which contrast one of the goals of the bill since industries such as tobacco will die. However, the p roducts under sin tax are vices. Some people are already addicted to them. Even if the price of these products will rise , people will still buy though some price conscious such as the poor sector and students will cut their consumption .Plus, even the demand for the sin products will decrease; the increased tax will make up for the loss demand. Thus, the industries will not die. The opposition also said that the rate of smuggling will worsen. Thats all i can say this law. REACTION: SIN TAX LAW Sumptuary taxes are ostensibly used for reducing transactions involving something that society considers undesirable, and is thus a kind of sumptuary law. Sin tax is used for taxes on activities that are considered socially undesirable. Common targets of sumptuary taxes are alcohol and tobacco, gambling, and vehicles emitting excessive pollutants. Sumptuary tax on sugar and soft drinks has also been suggested.[1] Some jurisdictions have also levied taxes on illegal drugs such as cocaine and marijuana.[citation needed] The revenue generated by sin taxes is sometimes used for special projects, but might also be used in the ordinary budget. American cities and countries have used them to pay for stadiums, while in Sweden the tax for gambling is used for helping people with gambling problems. Sin taxes have historically triggered rampant smuggling and black markets, especially when they create large price differences in neighboring jurisdictions.[citation needed] †¢ Critics of sin tax argue[who?] that it is a regressive tax in nature and discriminates against the lower classes, since taxation of a product such as alcohol or cigarettes does not account for ability to pay, therefore poor people pay a greater amount of their income as tax. Sin taxes are not normally value added in nature meaning that expensive, high-quality products more likely to be purchased by the wealthy will have the tax comprise a much smaller proportion of its final purchase price, thus ensuring that the lower classes pay a much greater proportion of their lower income in tax. Sin taxes fail to affect consumers’ behaviorS in the way that tax proponents suggest, for instance increasing smokers’ propensity to smoke high-tar, high-nicotine cigarettes when the per-pack price is raised and increasing the rate of people mixing their own drinks rather than buying pre-mix alcoholic spirits