Tuesday, December 24, 2019

The Pros And Cons Of LNG - 959 Words

Like other fossil fuels, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a point of controversy in Canada. For the West Coast in particular, the processing and exporting of LNG is a complicated issue that has amassed both significant support and opposition. Steelhead LNG’s proposed natural gas liquefaction plant for the Bamberton site is one such project that has been affected by a downturn in the LNG market, increased opposition by environmentalists, and legal setbacks. Even with an export permit approved by the National Energy Board and a contract with the Malahat Nation, the possibility of the project moving into the development stage is diminishing. Due to the economic, environmental, and legal issues, the proposed Malahat LNG project is unlikely to†¦show more content†¦Due to the fact that power of the municipal governments is delegated from the province, they do not have the authority over LNG projects . First Nations also have the legal right to be consulted over any Crown proj ect that may adversely affect their treaty and non-treaty rights . The Malahat LNG project will have to go through the approval processes of both the federal and provincial governments and meet all of the consultation obligations to the First Nations before it can move forward. Liquefied natural gas has garnered both substantial support and extensive opposition. The BC Liberal party has promoted LNG. In 2013, then BC Premier Christy Clark announced the establishment of the BC Prosperity Fund, which would create new jobs and decrease the provincial debt through the development of LNG projects. The BC Green Party leader Andrew Weaver has been vocal against LNG, worrying that the development of projects like this will significantly set BC back in terms of decreasing its carbon emissions. The recently elected BC NDP government has stated that that it will â€Å"increase the environmental obligations for LNG companies that want to do business in the province,† meaning that the NDP’s will conditionally be supporting LNG projects. There are currently disparities between the First Nations communities along the Saanich Peninsula in regards to the Malahat LNG project. The Malahat Nation supports the project, and isShow MoreRelatedComparative Analysis Of Gtl And Lng As Gas Utilization1565 Words   |  7 PagesCOMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF GTL AND LNG AS GAS UTILIZATION OPTION which was done as part of my graduation B.Eng. in Petroleum Engineering, at Federal University of Technology, Owerri, in the duration of 2007- 2011. Chronology: XXXX-XXXX Name of the Organization: Federal University of Technology Geographical Location: Owerri, Nigeria. Project Title: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF GTL AND LNG AS GAS UTILIZATION OPTION Position: Student Trainee Background CE 2.2 Over the years, pipelines and LNG have been the two majorRead MoreEthical And Moral Aspects Of Unethical Practices1641 Words   |  7 Pagescorporations involved. Background According to an article by George and Lacey, it started in 1994 when the joint venture of Halliburton, TSKJ, entered into a series of contracts to construct and expand the liquefied natural gas project for Nigeria LNG Limited at Bonny Island in Rivers State. It is alleged that TSKJ through its joint venture in Nigeria paid Tri Star Investments (a firm headed by a British lawyer, Jeffery Tesler) $180 million which was passed on to Nigerian public officials throughRead MoreStrategic International Trade Operations Essay5253 Words   |  22 Pages------------------------------------------------- Assignment 2 Expansion strategies applying into Japanese LNG market ------------------------------------------------- Assignment 2 Expansion strategies applying into Japanese LNG market BEO3517 Strategic International Trade Practice BEO3517 Strategic International Trade Practice Table of Contents Introduction 1 The level of economic activity and demographics of Japan which is relevant to the expansion 2 Demographics of JapanRead MoreSustainable Environment; Engineering Solutions Essay1303 Words   |  6 Pagesmethanol fuel being used is M-85, which is made up of 85 percent methanol and 15 percent gasoline. Alternatively, natural gas is in gaseous form. It can be stored in a vehicle tank either in a compressed gaseous state (CNG) or in a liquefied state (LNG). Last but not least, is the hybrid-electric vehicle, which is combined internal combustion engine with electric motor. It can be operated by battery that is charged by internal combustion engine. Evaluation: There are many benefits and disadvantagesRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Ship Training1261 Words   |  6 Pagesexplains how the practice should take place and where the border between getting real-life knowledge and objective evidence in the form of the certificate lies. A Rapid increase in the number and tonnage of certain types of merchant vessels (VLCC, LNG, High-Speed Car Carrier, Mega-Containership etc.) causes vital problems for maritime safety by the lack of the experienced crew members, and especially officers for such type of vessels. It is the company s responsibility to make sure that the onboardRead MoreThe Future Of Natural Gas And Crude Oil4009 Words   |  17 Pageswas in 1950. Fracking increases every year around the world. We started producing gas in big amounts each year, which will affect our daily basis and is going to lead us to consume a lot of gas and oil each year. However, the fracking method has pros and cons on the worldwide range because it increases the seismic activity by making huge fractures into the rock and that results in faults. Fracking is under a high regulation on some countries whereas it’s been forbidden in others. Due to the low permeabilityRead MoreLotus Rental Car Essay2309 Words   |  10 Pagesof diesel fuel that is produced from vegetable oils. This type of fuel not only produces fewer pollutants than normal diesel fuel, but also be reused and filtered. Natural gas is used in two forms to fuel vehicles: compressed (CNG) or liquefied (LNG). CNG is the type used for passenger vehicles, which can run on CNG alone, or have a bi-fueling system that uses both CNG and gasoline (greenerchoices, 2006). While there are various alternative fuels, access to alternative fuels should be a considerationRead MoreThe Effect Of Unconventional Gas Expansion On Energy Economy3233 Words   |  13 Pagesmore heavily on long-term contracts with price terms based on a mix of competing fuels, e.g., fuel oil. †¢ Asia uses crude oil as a benchmark for natural gas prices and favours long-term contracts. Japan and Korea almost totally dependent on imported LNG. This dependence places a high premium on security of supply and has kept prices in Asia high relative to other regions (Suà ¡rez, 2012). Despite the two different trading methods between gas and oil, historically it has been noticed that the trend inRead MoreLiving in the Environment 16th Edition Chapter Review and Vocabulary6220 Words   |  25 Pagesresource? 5. Discuss two pros and two cons of drilling for oil in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. 6. What is oil sand or tar sand and how is it extracted and converted to heavy oil? What is shale oil and how is it produced? What are two major advantages and two major disadvantages of using heavy oils produced from oil sand and oil shales as energy resources? 7. What is the difference between natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG)? What are three major Read MoreIndia s Impact On The Economy2530 Words   |  11 PagesIndia is a standout amongst the mossycup oak populous nations on the globe. A nation for example, such that india countenances a considerable measure about issues when it goes of the matter for vitality security, populace need it’s own sets for pros Also cons,. The thing that the planet apprehensions may be a worldwide vitality Chrysis which Might bring divesting comes about on the Different countries Also associations on the reality particularly creating nations for example, india might be effected

The Pros And Cons Of LNG - 959 Words

Like other fossil fuels, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a point of controversy in Canada. For the West Coast in particular, the processing and exporting of LNG is a complicated issue that has amassed both significant support and opposition. Steelhead LNG’s proposed natural gas liquefaction plant for the Bamberton site is one such project that has been affected by a downturn in the LNG market, increased opposition by environmentalists, and legal setbacks. Even with an export permit approved by the National Energy Board and a contract with the Malahat Nation, the possibility of the project moving into the development stage is diminishing. Due to the economic, environmental, and legal issues, the proposed Malahat LNG project is unlikely to†¦show more content†¦Due to the fact that power of the municipal governments is delegated from the province, they do not have the authority over LNG projects . First Nations also have the legal right to be consulted over any Crown proj ect that may adversely affect their treaty and non-treaty rights . The Malahat LNG project will have to go through the approval processes of both the federal and provincial governments and meet all of the consultation obligations to the First Nations before it can move forward. Liquefied natural gas has garnered both substantial support and extensive opposition. The BC Liberal party has promoted LNG. In 2013, then BC Premier Christy Clark announced the establishment of the BC Prosperity Fund, which would create new jobs and decrease the provincial debt through the development of LNG projects. The BC Green Party leader Andrew Weaver has been vocal against LNG, worrying that the development of projects like this will significantly set BC back in terms of decreasing its carbon emissions. The recently elected BC NDP government has stated that that it will â€Å"increase the environmental obligations for LNG companies that want to do business in the province,† meaning that the NDP’s will conditionally be supporting LNG projects. There are currently disparities between the First Nations communities along the Saanich Peninsula in regards to the Malahat LNG project. The Malahat Nation supports the project, and isShow MoreRelatedComparative Analysis Of Gtl And Lng As Gas Utilization1565 Words   |  7 PagesCOMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF GTL AND LNG AS GAS UTILIZATION OPTION which was done as part of my graduation B.Eng. in Petroleum Engineering, at Federal University of Technology, Owerri, in the duration of 2007- 2011. Chronology: XXXX-XXXX Name of the Organization: Federal University of Technology Geographical Location: Owerri, Nigeria. Project Title: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF GTL AND LNG AS GAS UTILIZATION OPTION Position: Student Trainee Background CE 2.2 Over the years, pipelines and LNG have been the two majorRead MoreEthical And Moral Aspects Of Unethical Practices1641 Words   |  7 Pagescorporations involved. Background According to an article by George and Lacey, it started in 1994 when the joint venture of Halliburton, TSKJ, entered into a series of contracts to construct and expand the liquefied natural gas project for Nigeria LNG Limited at Bonny Island in Rivers State. It is alleged that TSKJ through its joint venture in Nigeria paid Tri Star Investments (a firm headed by a British lawyer, Jeffery Tesler) $180 million which was passed on to Nigerian public officials throughRead MoreStrategic International Trade Operations Essay5253 Words   |  22 Pages------------------------------------------------- Assignment 2 Expansion strategies applying into Japanese LNG market ------------------------------------------------- Assignment 2 Expansion strategies applying into Japanese LNG market BEO3517 Strategic International Trade Practice BEO3517 Strategic International Trade Practice Table of Contents Introduction 1 The level of economic activity and demographics of Japan which is relevant to the expansion 2 Demographics of JapanRead MoreSustainable Environment; Engineering Solutions Essay1303 Words   |  6 Pagesmethanol fuel being used is M-85, which is made up of 85 percent methanol and 15 percent gasoline. Alternatively, natural gas is in gaseous form. It can be stored in a vehicle tank either in a compressed gaseous state (CNG) or in a liquefied state (LNG). Last but not least, is the hybrid-electric vehicle, which is combined internal combustion engine with electric motor. It can be operated by battery that is charged by internal combustion engine. Evaluation: There are many benefits and disadvantagesRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Ship Training1261 Words   |  6 Pagesexplains how the practice should take place and where the border between getting real-life knowledge and objective evidence in the form of the certificate lies. A Rapid increase in the number and tonnage of certain types of merchant vessels (VLCC, LNG, High-Speed Car Carrier, Mega-Containership etc.) causes vital problems for maritime safety by the lack of the experienced crew members, and especially officers for such type of vessels. It is the company s responsibility to make sure that the onboardRead MoreThe Future Of Natural Gas And Crude Oil4009 Words   |  17 Pageswas in 1950. Fracking increases every year around the world. We started producing gas in big amounts each year, which will affect our daily basis and is going to lead us to consume a lot of gas and oil each year. However, the fracking method has pros and cons on the worldwide range because it increases the seismic activity by making huge fractures into the rock and that results in faults. Fracking is under a high regulation on some countries whereas it’s been forbidden in others. Due to the low permeabilityRead MoreLotus Rental Car Essay2309 Words   |  10 Pagesof diesel fuel that is produced from vegetable oils. This type of fuel not only produces fewer pollutants than normal diesel fuel, but also be reused and filtered. Natural gas is used in two forms to fuel vehicles: compressed (CNG) or liquefied (LNG). CNG is the type used for passenger vehicles, which can run on CNG alone, or have a bi-fueling system that uses both CNG and gasoline (greenerchoices, 2006). While there are various alternative fuels, access to alternative fuels should be a considerationRead MoreThe Effect Of Unconventional Gas Expansion On Energy Economy3233 Words   |  13 Pagesmore heavily on long-term contracts with price terms based on a mix of competing fuels, e.g., fuel oil. †¢ Asia uses crude oil as a benchmark for natural gas prices and favours long-term contracts. Japan and Korea almost totally dependent on imported LNG. This dependence places a high premium on security of supply and has kept prices in Asia high relative to other regions (Suà ¡rez, 2012). Despite the two different trading methods between gas and oil, historically it has been noticed that the trend inRead MoreLiving in the Environment 16th Edition Chapter Review and Vocabulary6220 Words   |  25 Pagesresource? 5. Discuss two pros and two cons of drilling for oil in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. 6. What is oil sand or tar sand and how is it extracted and converted to heavy oil? What is shale oil and how is it produced? What are two major advantages and two major disadvantages of using heavy oils produced from oil sand and oil shales as energy resources? 7. What is the difference between natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG)? What are three major Read MoreIndia s Impact On The Economy2530 Words   |  11 PagesIndia is a standout amongst the mossycup oak populous nations on the globe. A nation for example, such that india countenances a considerable measure about issues when it goes of the matter for vitality security, populace need it’s own sets for pros Also cons,. The thing that the planet apprehensions may be a worldwide vitality Chrysis which Might bring divesting comes about on the Different countries Also associations on the reality particularly creating nations for example, india might be effected

The Pros And Cons Of LNG - 959 Words

Like other fossil fuels, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a point of controversy in Canada. For the West Coast in particular, the processing and exporting of LNG is a complicated issue that has amassed both significant support and opposition. Steelhead LNG’s proposed natural gas liquefaction plant for the Bamberton site is one such project that has been affected by a downturn in the LNG market, increased opposition by environmentalists, and legal setbacks. Even with an export permit approved by the National Energy Board and a contract with the Malahat Nation, the possibility of the project moving into the development stage is diminishing. Due to the economic, environmental, and legal issues, the proposed Malahat LNG project is unlikely to†¦show more content†¦Due to the fact that power of the municipal governments is delegated from the province, they do not have the authority over LNG projects . First Nations also have the legal right to be consulted over any Crown proj ect that may adversely affect their treaty and non-treaty rights . The Malahat LNG project will have to go through the approval processes of both the federal and provincial governments and meet all of the consultation obligations to the First Nations before it can move forward. Liquefied natural gas has garnered both substantial support and extensive opposition. The BC Liberal party has promoted LNG. In 2013, then BC Premier Christy Clark announced the establishment of the BC Prosperity Fund, which would create new jobs and decrease the provincial debt through the development of LNG projects. The BC Green Party leader Andrew Weaver has been vocal against LNG, worrying that the development of projects like this will significantly set BC back in terms of decreasing its carbon emissions. The recently elected BC NDP government has stated that that it will â€Å"increase the environmental obligations for LNG companies that want to do business in the province,† meaning that the NDP’s will conditionally be supporting LNG projects. There are currently disparities between the First Nations communities along the Saanich Peninsula in regards to the Malahat LNG project. The Malahat Nation supports the project, and isShow MoreRelatedComparative Analysis Of Gtl And Lng As Gas Utilization1565 Words   |  7 PagesCOMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF GTL AND LNG AS GAS UTILIZATION OPTION which was done as part of my graduation B.Eng. in Petroleum Engineering, at Federal University of Technology, Owerri, in the duration of 2007- 2011. Chronology: XXXX-XXXX Name of the Organization: Federal University of Technology Geographical Location: Owerri, Nigeria. Project Title: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF GTL AND LNG AS GAS UTILIZATION OPTION Position: Student Trainee Background CE 2.2 Over the years, pipelines and LNG have been the two majorRead MoreEthical And Moral Aspects Of Unethical Practices1641 Words   |  7 Pagescorporations involved. Background According to an article by George and Lacey, it started in 1994 when the joint venture of Halliburton, TSKJ, entered into a series of contracts to construct and expand the liquefied natural gas project for Nigeria LNG Limited at Bonny Island in Rivers State. It is alleged that TSKJ through its joint venture in Nigeria paid Tri Star Investments (a firm headed by a British lawyer, Jeffery Tesler) $180 million which was passed on to Nigerian public officials throughRead MoreStrategic International Trade Operations Essay5253 Words   |  22 Pages------------------------------------------------- Assignment 2 Expansion strategies applying into Japanese LNG market ------------------------------------------------- Assignment 2 Expansion strategies applying into Japanese LNG market BEO3517 Strategic International Trade Practice BEO3517 Strategic International Trade Practice Table of Contents Introduction 1 The level of economic activity and demographics of Japan which is relevant to the expansion 2 Demographics of JapanRead MoreSustainable Environment; Engineering Solutions Essay1303 Words   |  6 Pagesmethanol fuel being used is M-85, which is made up of 85 percent methanol and 15 percent gasoline. Alternatively, natural gas is in gaseous form. It can be stored in a vehicle tank either in a compressed gaseous state (CNG) or in a liquefied state (LNG). Last but not least, is the hybrid-electric vehicle, which is combined internal combustion engine with electric motor. It can be operated by battery that is charged by internal combustion engine. Evaluation: There are many benefits and disadvantagesRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Ship Training1261 Words   |  6 Pagesexplains how the practice should take place and where the border between getting real-life knowledge and objective evidence in the form of the certificate lies. A Rapid increase in the number and tonnage of certain types of merchant vessels (VLCC, LNG, High-Speed Car Carrier, Mega-Containership etc.) causes vital problems for maritime safety by the lack of the experienced crew members, and especially officers for such type of vessels. It is the company s responsibility to make sure that the onboardRead MoreThe Future Of Natural Gas And Crude Oil4009 Words   |  17 Pageswas in 1950. Fracking increases every year around the world. We started producing gas in big amounts each year, which will affect our daily basis and is going to lead us to consume a lot of gas and oil each year. However, the fracking method has pros and cons on the worldwide range because it increases the seismic activity by making huge fractures into the rock and that results in faults. Fracking is under a high regulation on some countries whereas it’s been forbidden in others. Due to the low permeabilityRead MoreLotus Rental Car Essay2309 Words   |  10 Pagesof diesel fuel that is produced from vegetable oils. This type of fuel not only produces fewer pollutants than normal diesel fuel, but also be reused and filtered. Natural gas is used in two forms to fuel vehicles: compressed (CNG) or liquefied (LNG). CNG is the type used for passenger vehicles, which can run on CNG alone, or have a bi-fueling system that uses both CNG and gasoline (greenerchoices, 2006). While there are various alternative fuels, access to alternative fuels should be a considerationRead MoreThe Effect Of Unconventional Gas Expansion On Energy Economy3233 Words   |  13 Pagesmore heavily on long-term contracts with price terms based on a mix of competing fuels, e.g., fuel oil. †¢ Asia uses crude oil as a benchmark for natural gas prices and favours long-term contracts. Japan and Korea almost totally dependent on imported LNG. This dependence places a high premium on security of supply and has kept prices in Asia high relative to other regions (Suà ¡rez, 2012). Despite the two different trading methods between gas and oil, historically it has been noticed that the trend inRead MoreLiving in the Environment 16th Edition Chapter Review and Vocabulary6220 Words   |  25 Pagesresource? 5. Discuss two pros and two cons of drilling for oil in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. 6. What is oil sand or tar sand and how is it extracted and converted to heavy oil? What is shale oil and how is it produced? What are two major advantages and two major disadvantages of using heavy oils produced from oil sand and oil shales as energy resources? 7. What is the difference between natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG)? What are three major Read MoreIndia s Impact On The Economy2530 Words   |  11 PagesIndia is a standout amongst the mossycup oak populous nations on the globe. A nation for example, such that india countenances a considerable measure about issues when it goes of the matter for vitality security, populace need it’s own sets for pros Also cons,. The thing that the planet apprehensions may be a worldwide vitality Chrysis which Might bring divesting comes about on the Different countries Also associations on the reality particularly creating nations for example, india might be effected

Monday, December 16, 2019

The Key to Successful 5th Grade Essay Samples

The Key to Successful 5th Grade Essay Samples 5th Grade Essay Samples - What Is It? Creating good narrative essay topics sounds like it would be somewhat easy, but it isn't as easy as you might think. So it is critical to first decide the topic and begin writing it. If you don't have a well-defined topic to write on, you can't write efficiently. Among the most well-known topics is the way to protect against bullying essay. You have to make sure the similarities or differences are clearly defined. Any examples or support you provide ought to be regarding the topic available. Using 5th Grade Essay Samples When you have decided on your topic and completed your outline, you might want to develop a thesis statement. Just click the image below and you will be taken to a page where you could read more and see an in depth preview of what's included. Click the image below to get to the join page. 10-11 year-old 5th graders are anticipated in order to organize their ideas and structure sentences well. Your target may not be to develop into a transcendent essay-writing master. You will likely have to customize these rubrics to fulfill your aims and standards, but these should provide you a good place to begin. 5th Grade Essay Samples at a Glance School bullying is just one of the fundamental issues in many educational institutions. Students lead busy lives and frequently forget about an approaching dead line. The students should comprehend the issue. Your students have lots of personal experiences to write about in regards to family. The Tried and True Method for 5th Grade Essay Samples in Step by Step Detail Likewise, it has to be logically complete and express a particular idea. There are things which are the very same and several other things which are really different. If you should share your thoughts on a slice of paper and receive the maximum grade, get in touch with our professional group of writers. It is not convincing evidence because you've got zero idea how it's relevant. The Importance of 5th Grade Essay Samples Students have to be able to share their ideas with proper and efficient word choice and use a wide variety of different sentence structures. They need to have the ability to clearly convey concepts and information in their writing. Upper elementary students will gain from reminders on how best to refer to and cite text evidence. An outline will allow you to organize your principal thoughts and determine the order in which you're likely to write about them. At JumpStart, an individual can discover worksheets specializing in individual topics, giving children the liberty to practice in accordance with their requirements. It's possible to browse all our 730 writing worksheets in thumbnail view, and that means you don't have to wait around for any of them to load to acquire an idea about what they're like. Customize the RTF file to fulfill your particular objectives and requirements. Whatever you must finish your writing and receive a fantastic grade, you can purchase it right here. The fifth grade social studies curriculum comprises numerous lessons, and worksheets and quizzes, organized into various chapters. To get ready for the demands of middle school and higher school writing, fifth graders ought to be mastering skills needed for strong nonfiction writing. Fifth grade students utilize every phase o f the writing procedure and continue to construct their understanding of writing conventions. Because many exams need you to write persuasive essays, it could be a very good concept to begin your practice with one. Don't forget that you would like to capture the experience of taking a genuine essay exam. Many times, students are confused regarding how to structure their essay. The very first paragraph, or introduction, is essential when writing any essay. Sooner or later, you want to get started writing your 5 paragraph essay! The thesis statement is the principal idea of the essay and it expresses what you would like to tell the reader in a couple of sentences. You don't need to start out with a topic sentence, but you are going to have to make certain that you have one somewhere in the paragraph. The Appeal of 5th Grade Essay Samples Attempt to find something unusual to produce your writing more effective. Imagine you're a superhero. It is essential in any sort of writing. You only have to be mindful of how long you must work, and break the writing into small ch unks if you should. Without an introduction, your readers will not have any idea what you're writing about! A biography is an account of an individual's life written by another person. A writer can begin with the hook or rewritten thesis. Becoming an effective writer requires a lifetime. The Ultimate Strategy for 5th Grade Essay Samples It is possible to also find a variety of discounts on our site which will help you to save some more money for future orders or anything you want to spend them on. After discovering our website, you will no longer will need to bother friends and family with these kinds of requests. Also keep an eye on where each bit of information is found so you can readily cite your sources in the event the teacher requires it. When you want an example written by means of a student check out our vast assortment of absolutely free student models.

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Applying Knowledge of Special Education Law

Question: Describe about the Least Restrictive Environment, Summary of court cases and their outcomes and Proactive solutions for due process problems for Applying Knowledge of Special Education Law? Answer: Least Restrictive Environment Introduction The Federal government under the 20 U.S.C. 1400 et. Seq. introduced the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in order to design educational facilities for students with mental and physical disabilities. IDEA provides financial assistance to the state and the local educational institutions for providing free and proper public education (FAPE) to the thousands of disabled children (Flores, 2001). The process of IDEA is based on six major principles namely Individualized Education Program (IEP), Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), Measurable goals and appropriate evaluation, Zero reject and procedural safeguards. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act 1973 was the first act to be introduced to prohibit discrimination against the disabled people and this act combined with IDEA provides financial assistance and protective guidelines against exclusion of disabled children from their educational facilities, unequal treatments at school, jobs and in the community. The IDEA act was passed in the year 1975 keeping in view of the civil rights of around 4 million disabled children in United States (O'Laughlin, n.d.). The major advantage that the IDEA provides is to arrange free and appropriate education for the disabled children in a least restrictive environment similar to the normal environment provided to the normal students. The assignment here is based on the procedural assessment of the mainstream policy of the IDEA Least Restrictive Environment (Flores, 2001). This policy adopted by IDEA provides that the educational institutes should educate the disabled children in regular classroom scenarios along with normal children. The IDEA generated this principle to strengthen the mental condition of the disabled children and make them connected to the society to the maximum possible extent. Summary of court cases and their outcomes The issue relating to availing the provision for LRE gave rise to a number of court cases in various countries. Following are the summaries of some of the notable cases and their outcomes. Roncker v. Walter, 700 F2d. 1058 (6th Circuit Court 1993) (Rockner v. Walter, 1983) Summary of the case This case dealt with a nine-year-old male child who suffered from severe mental retardation and seizures. Constant monitoring of the child was required so that he may not harm himself as well as others. However, when the child was put in a non-restrictive normal school environment he was able to communicate socially with the non-disabled students. However, the Cincinnati School District suggested that segregated educational programs would be more effective for Roncker. The parents of the child availing the IDEA demanded regular classroom facility and LRE for their child and appealed to the court to make some changes to fit the childs needs. Outcomes To determine the case the court established several concepts namely the definition of a segregated program, Advantages of segregated program over the mainstream programming and the extent of modification that can be provided in a regular school environment. Finally, the court passes the verdict in favor of the child and his parents by establishing a principle of Portability. The principle of Portability stated that the placement of the child would depend upon the IEP of the child. As per PL 94-142 of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act 1975 the court stated that some desirable services would be accommodated within the integrated school setting without hampering the normal setting procedures in order to provide a least restrictive environment for the child. This case passed a resolution of principle of portability which restricted the district schools from making placement decisions based on disability issues of the child rather than availing the IEP and the federal laws. Oberti vs Board of Education of the Borough of Clementon School District 3rd Circuit Court 1993(Oberti vs Board of Education of the Borough of Clementon School District, 1993) Summary of the case This case focused on the placement issue of an 8-year-old boy Rafael Oberti who suffered from the Down syndrome. On evaluation of his mental condition, the placement team suggested to place him in a special education school that was far from his district. The parents of the child was not satisfied with the settings of the special school hence the placement team in the second session suggested to put the child in a local school in the morning and a special education class in the afternoon. Although the child showed slow progress however he encountered behavioral difficulties and negative behaviors from the teachers. In the third setting, the placement team decided to place Rafael in segregated school facility for the mentally retarded children. However the parents of the child protested to the decision and demanded for regular settings for the child under the LRE principle of IDEA. Outcome The court ruled in support of the child and his parents stating that the educational institutes must consider the supplementary aids and services that can be given to the disabled child before segregating the child into special classrooms. The district court ordered the placement of the child in s special education class however the Federal court ruled the decision of the district court and ordered that as per the norms of the IDEA all districts schools should judge the maximum extent appropriate service that they can accommodate in the normal settings. The inclusion of the maximum extent appropriate efforts includes the child attending normal programs along with the non-disabled students like music, art, lunch activities and indoor activities. However, the Federal court proved that the district court had not successfully engaged Rafael into appropriate regular classroom benefits rather the child in the morning session was made to observe the behavior of the non-disabled students tha t did not involve the child interacting with the non-disabled peers socially. Hence, the court dismissed the decision of the district court. Moreover, the IEP experts opined that Rafael would be better in a regular classroom atmosphere and hence the school districts appeal was rejected. The final verdict of the Federal court stated that Rafael would be provided special education under the principles of least restrictive environment by accommodating certain required changes within the integrated school settings. Sacramento City Unified School District vs. Holland (9th Circuit Court, 1994) (Sacramento City Unified Sch. Dist. V. Rachel H, 1994) Summary of the case The facts of the case were that the daughter was placed in one special education classroom for one half-time and other half-time in a regular classroom by the district court. The district court had stated that when the school district place students with any disability then the probable presumption is the mainstream. In this case, the parents challenged the decision of the district court and they insisted on placing their daughter in a regular full-time classroom. The daughter in question was a person with mental retardation and when test was conducted on her I.Q. level was 44. The decision of the court was that Rachel was severely disabled for receiving any benefits for any full-time placement in any regular class. The 9th Circuit Court based its judgment on the four part test of balancing in order to decide whether the school was fulfilling the principles of IDEA. These four criteria are the benefit of education in order to place the child in the full time and regular education pro gram, the benefits of the non-academic benefits of the placements, the effects on the child with regard to the behavior of the teacher and the other fellow students in any regular classroom, (in this regard the court noted the social as well as the communication skills along with her self confidence in any regular class) and the costs of the aids given as supplements and other services that is associated with the placements. Outcomes The outcome of the case was that the court held that the only element that can negatively affect the available services for the other children. During the Clinton administration, the Office of Special Education Programs had filed a brief on "friend of the court" with the Court of Appeals supporting the placement of the child in the general education department. Daniel R.R. v State Board of Education , 874 F.2d 1036 (5th Circuit Court 1989) Summary of the case The fact of the case was that a handicapped boy and the parents urged that the local school had failed to comply in accordance with the Education of the Handicapped Act. They stated that when the school district refused to place the child in any classroom that is for the non handicapped students it is a violation of the act. On this issue the district court disagreed and after a proper review of the work, even the higher court affirmed this decision of the court. The court stated that the regular education placement would be correct for any child having any disability when they obtain suitable education even when such education is not the paramount academic education given to the child. In this regard the benefits that are non-academic may be considered. The Court further stated that for mainstreaming academic achievement is not the only objective. When any handicapped child is integrated into any other non - handicapped environment it will be advantageous for all even when the child cannot achieve the require results academically. In order to determine whether the actions of the district court were according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Circuit Court carried out the two-pronged test. The primary questions that were to be answered were basically whether education in any regular classroom done using the supplemental aids and services would be adequate and whether the school had conventionalized the child to th e proper degree. In this regard the intention of the school for providing special education or whether the school intends to take out the child from the regular education should be kept in mind. With this regard the Court has assumed a number of factors that would help in all the stages of inquiry. However it must be remembered that all the factors cannot be considered in all cases and neither can one single factor be applicable in all the cases. Hence the analysis of the court needs to be more individualized and more fact specific that would help the court in analyzing the nature and severity of the handicapped condition of the child along with his capabilities and requirements and the response of the school for the needs of the child. Greer vs. Rome City School District (11th Circuit Court, 1992) (Greer vs. Rome City School District, 1992) Summary of the case The fact of the case was that the father of Christy Greer had initiated this case under the Education for All Handicapped Children's Act of 1975. 20 U.S.C. under sections 1400-1484 and under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. His daughter was a nine year old child who was suffering from the Downs syndrome. Under the said act this condition was considered as a handicap. The main issue in this case was whether the provisions of the Education for All Handicapped Children's Act was followed when the Rome City School District as well as the Rome City Board of Education took the decision that the student be placed in the special education class which was primarily made for the students who had similar conditions that were as the same as the child (Norlin, 2010). The child was then attending a traditional kindergarten class that was present in her neighborhood. The place where her parents were insisting to admit their child was another elementary school that was different from t he kindergarten school. The plaintiffs challenged the decision taken to place the child Christy in a separate special education class. This challenge was primarily made in order to attack the decision making process of the School system and to determine whether the proposed placement was legal. The main driving force in the case was whether the child receives the "free appropriate public education" that she was supposed to receive in accordance with the Education for All Handicapped Children's Act of 1975 given under the section 1401(a)(18). In accordance to the Act, the child has the right to public education that has been specially figured according to her special needs (Norlin, 2010). This goal can be achieved by developing and implementing the educational program of the individual. Outcomes In this case, the court had held that prior to the school district considering whether a disabled child would be educated beyond the standard classroom methods, the school should primarily consider whether there are supplementary aids and services that would be available to the child in the standard classrooms and they would receive the satisfactory education. The parents stated that it was the school that determined that due to the severe impairment of the child it would be justified to put the child in a self contained classroom where special education was provided. The court in this regard argued that the expenses that would be required in the classroom would be extremely high (O'Laughlin, n.d.). The decision of the court was in support of the parents and it stated that the school did not make any efforts to change the kindergarten programs so that the child could be accommodated in the ordinary classroom. The court further stated that it was not possible for the district to serve the child since it would be of additional cost to them. The court stated that the officials in the school should in future share the placement issues with the parents of the child during the IEP meeting before any final decision regarding placement is made. Procedural due process issues The Congress had enacted the Education for All Handicapped Children's Act in the year 1975. In this act they had included an entire system with regard to the procedural safeguards which was specially made for the protection of the rights of the children having disabilities and also their parents. After a number of reauthorizations this law later came to be known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This act had maintained the standards and also new safeguards were added (O'Laughlin, n.d.). With regard to the procedural safeguards there are a number of issues that generally as to the service of notice for the relevant information to the parents, proper examination of the educational records and obtaining of educational evaluation for the child. In this regard the law states that proper examination of the records is to be done and a self-determining educational assessment of the child. Every parent has the right to a written notice when the school decides to modify or make changes with regard to the identification or placement or evaluation of the child. There are a number of methods to resolve the disputes. These include the process of mediation, a session for resolution and also hearings for due process. These procedural safeguards are generally legally binding and are printed mediation agreements with the clauses of confidentiality. One very controversial factor with regard to the least restrictive environment is the cost required for determining the LRE with regard to whether the application is appropriate or not and what proper test is required to be applied in this case. A number of courts laid stress on the factor of cost and further state that this factor is not adequately strong for determining the LRE of the child. In the case of Rockner (Rockner v. Walter, 1983), the court had acknowledged the financial burden which the mainstreaming of the child may impose on the school. On the other hand the Fifth Circuit did not mention about the cost previously but in subsequent applications this factor was relevant. Also, in the case of Rachel H (Sacramento City Unified Sch. Dist. V. Rachel H, 1994) the Ninth Circuit considered the cost factor and most people do feel that the cost should be an important factor in LRE for the children with special needs. Another relevant procedural issue was that appropriate placement for the preschoolers. This act states that the children with any special needs should be entitled to individualized education that is appropriate for the needs in accordance with the least restrictive environment. Nonetheless, in case of preschoolers there is an additional challenge since in most cases the public schools do not allow preschoolers with special needs. Hence special education with regard to the preschoolers and their attempt to get them general education is tough. Proactive solutions for due process problems There are a number of provisions in the act that are necessary for ensuring that the procedural due process is working smoothly. For instance section 615 (d) of the act states that the parents need to be given a copy of the procedural safeguards whenever there is any initial reference for any evaluation of notification or registration of any complaints. This would make the parents aware of the required changes. This act lays more emphasis on the proactive approach to those behaviors which tend to interfere in the learning for those children having disabilities whose behavior creates obstruction for their learning and others too. The team of IEP addresses the IEP of the child and uses positive behavioral intervention and such strategies in order to address the behavior. This has been given under the section 614(d)(3)(B)(i) of the Act. Primarily there are three main points which the school personnel is required to remember while they discuss the procedural safeguards. Firstly, the righ ts of the parents and the children need to be protected. Secondly, ensure that proper information has been provided and finally the process for resolving the disputes needs to be reviewed. Conclusion This legislation has initially helped to improve the level of education for the students with disabilities to a great extent. Nevertheless, it must be noted that no part of the legislation determines the least restrictive setting and the proper level for including the children in the general education classroom. Since this lack of authority is present there are a number of issues that is present in order to determine the least restrictive environment for the students with special education. Had there been Supreme Court rulings on this issue there would have been more clarity. References Crockett, J., Kauffman, J. (2013).The Least Restrictive Environment. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. Daniel R.R. v State Board of Education, 874 F.2d 1036 (5th Circuit Court 1989). Flores, N. (2001).The implementation of the least restrictive environment provision of the individuals with disabilities education act (IDEA) for secondary students with learning disabilities on Guam. Greer vs. Rome City School District (11th Circuit Court 1992). Norlin, J. (2010).Educating students with autism in the LRE. Horsham, Pa.: LRP Publications. Oberti vs Board of Education of the Borough of Clementon School District (3rd Circuit Court 1993). O'Laughlin, L.The least restrictive environment clause of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and institutional ableism. Rockner v. Walter, 700 F.2d 1058, 1063 (1983). Sacramento City Unified Sch. Dist. V. Rachel H, 14 F.3d 1398 (1994).

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Motorcycles and Sweetgrass by Drew Hayden Taylor Essay Example

Motorcycles and Sweetgrass by Drew Hayden Taylor Essay In the novel Motorcycles and Sweetgrass, author Drew Hayden Taylor is concerned with aboriginal community politics, identity, mythology, and intergenerational legacies. It is written in an adventurous perspective on aboriginal life and traditions. The characters respond to change and they embrace it. this is shown by examining the actions/ roles of the characters in the novel such as Maggie, Wayne and Sammy considering the purpose of this book is to connect the experience of aboriginal life through the characters from Motorcycles and sweetgrass. Sammy Aandeg is an individual of many residential school survivors who refuses change but somehow finds ways to adapt gradually to the new lifestyle in Otter Lake reserve. Back in residential school change was forced upon Sammy from the different hairstyle to a different believe in cultural values. His will to stay true to himself lead him to rebellious actions while his stay at residential school,when he arrived hed bitten a nun attempting to shave his head. That was seven years ago, and time and repeated punishments had not managed to subdue him.(Taylor 11). He has strong will to resist the regular beatings and abuse done to him by the priest and nuns for continuously clinging onto his true identity and refusing to give up his language. This connects back to aboriginals and their will to resist in order to continue their traditions and teachings of their culture passed down to the younger generations. Although Sammy resists change, he still makes effort to adapt in the new lifesty le, he speaks in iambic pentameter which is Shakespeare and Anishnawbe combined,he speaks iambic pentameter. Only in Anishnawbe. Same structure, weak, strong, weak strong. Ten syllables. All the usual rules.(Taylor 170). Shakespearean is the only thing that Sammy tolerated during his time in residential school, therefore his use of iambic pentameter in anishnawbe is giving him the satisfaction of winning afte We will write a custom essay sample on Motorcycles and Sweetgrass by Drew Hayden Taylor specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Motorcycles and Sweetgrass by Drew Hayden Taylor specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Motorcycles and Sweetgrass by Drew Hayden Taylor specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Outline and assess the main arguments about the need for global governance Essays

Outline and assess the main arguments about the need for global governance Essays Outline and assess the main arguments about the need for global governance Paper Outline and assess the main arguments about the need for global governance Paper Essay Topic: Arguments Within the past few years global governance is a topic which has been raised quite frequently within discussions, it has been defined as a new, co-operative, though as yet largely unspecified way of running world affairs in response to the changes bought by both globalisation and rapid technological change. This definition of global governance is also agreed upon by Simai (1994) who states it is the maintenance of social order world-wide, in which there is no world government and responsibility rests on no actor alone. 1 On the subject there are many different views for the need for global governance, but there are many arguments which highlight the importance of global governance, one of the main arguments is that global governance would be able to regulate other countries. This is that global governance demands that there is regulation which is beyond the normal parameters of the state. This idea has already been put in practice; examples of this would be th e United Nations (UN) and also the world trade organisation (WTO). These organisations were set up to regulate all of their members, to represent the countries which were in need of assistance, and also to negotiate terms of e. g. trade which would benefit populations or in some cases all of society (the banning of CFCs). Latham agrees with this view as in his opinion State governments are too inefficient and there is need for some degree of order which helps strengthen the argument of the effectiveness of global governance. 2 As global governance would be established to monitor the actions of countries, issues which they would have to scrutinize would be issues such as whether the populations were receiving at the very least their basic human rights; the reason for this is that universal human rights are the basis of social organisation. Violations of these are a threat to peace, and their implementation on a global scale is the obligation of the international community. As stated above the WTO is a good example of this as they are a non-discriminatory body whose basic principles are the reciprocity of privileges, open markets, privatization, and liberalization. 3 This can be seen as a justification of the need for governance as if this organisation was not introduced countries would be able to take away both their own population and also other countries basic human rights, or maybe taking advantage of another nations situation which they may presently be in. Instead there would be a set of guidelines which countries would have to comply with, otherwise actions could be taken, e. . sanctions or even a military takeover. Another point which supports the notion of the need for global governance is stated by Reginald Dale who says the argument for global governance is relatively simple, as many of todays problems, such as crime disease, pollution and destabilizing capital flows are not confined to national borders and therefore cannot be solved by indiv idual governments alone. Though individual countries can harm their neighbours, if not the entire world, for instance, by failing to control cyber crime, money laundering or environmental disasters. 4 This point elaborates the view how co-operation is needed from all nations as for example the technology in the UK or the USA would be more advanced then less developed countries such as Indonesia, and so the resources of more developed countries could help combat diseases effecting these populations. At present less developed countries are not receiving the representation which they require to help solve problems or concerns which they may have, as countries such as the UK and the USA (considered rich countries) are disproportionably represented when they attend summits or negotiations on area which concern the global population. If global governance was actually introduced this would not be the case, this has two sides though as it means that though less developed countries would be willing to introduce this theory as it would give them more authority, countries such as the major powers would be less willing to give up their position of authority and so this is one of the reasons why it would be difficult for this notion to be implemented. The last statement elaborates the fact of the control in which these rich countries have on the rest of them, this is why in fact that global governance has to be implemented as there will be a proportionate amount of representation and issues which are effecting the largest amount of people or are evaluated as most important topics are put into the forefront of the agenda, overall causing a fairer and just society. Global governance is directed against a set of global problems. Economic, security, and environmental issues are observed to be in the need of global management and submitted to global mechanisms and institutions. In this view, the outside of global governance consists in any resistance to the global management of the respective issue-areas. Since the initiatives and measures of global governance are meant to produce solutions to the issue-areas at hand, any forces that might challenge the governance effort are treated as undesirable disruptions. 5Though this can be seen as a negative view of global governance, the statement could be also seen in a different light. The reason for this is that though it tells us that anything outside global governance is seen as a resistance, the quote shows us the main principles of global governance and if it was introduced would help cause a kind of security blanket for the members who complied with their regulations. Throughout this essay it has been stated how global governance would act as a type of regulatory body monitoring the actions of the countries, though it would have to monitor regulations such as trade agreements it also can monitor actual leaders/presidents of countries to make sure they are using their influence and power in the most suitable way for the population which they govern, and so global governance can help promote human rights and has the capacity to contribute to that objective. This train of thought is really touching on how global governance can help being a boundary for the political. This view is taken by Konrad Spath who states that global governance takes place after the relevant issues are identified and the course of action is selected. Inside the global governance system, the type of problems and the form of solutions that should guide governance are already identified and are waiting for implementation. Any form of politics is supposed to stay outside, because it would undermine the effective operation of the governance system. In this way, governance becomes somewhat post-political, because it is something that takes place after values are chosen, goals are set and political deliberations have designed the future path to a better world. Because political struggles and contests would be counterproductive to the emerging consensus of global regulation, governance itself has to become a sort of boundary for the political. 6 In conclusion, the main arguments for the need of global governance would be that as individual governments cannot solve all issues by themselves global governance can help to regulate all countries, give protection for human rights and trade agreements similar to that being carried out by organisations like the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Also, global governance would be a boundary for the political and would help less developed countries have more of an input into how the world is run, and ways in which they would be able to improve their populations standard of living. In my point of view I believe that global governance is a relevant theory which should be considered as there would be many benefits for society if it was introduced, in theory it would create a fairer more just society which would benefit everyone. Though in the light of the arguments it seems that global governance is seen as a good idea, yet we dont know whether this would be the case if put in practice, but only time will tell as at present we do not have any real life examples of this theory to compare with.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Effective Classroom Policies and Procedures

Effective Classroom Policies and Procedures   In order for your classroom to run smoothly you will need to write your own policies and procedures handbook. This handy guide will help you and your students (and parents) know exactly what you expect of them. Here are a few examples of the types of things that you can put into your classroom policies and procedures handbook. Birthdays Birthdays will be celebrated in the classroom. However, in order to ensure the safety of all students in the classroom and throughout the school with life-treating allergies, no food products may be sent in that include peanuts or tree nuts. You may send in non-food items as well such as stickers, pencils, erasers, small grab bags, etc. Book Orders A Scholastic book order flyer will be sent home each month and payments must be received by the date attached to the flyer in order to ensure the order will get out on time. If you wish to place an order online, you will be given a class code to do so. Class DoJo Class DoJo is an online behavior management/classroom communication website. Students will have the opportunity to earn points throughout the day for modeling positive behavior. Each month students can redeem the points earned for various rewards. Parents have the option to download the app which will allow you to receive instant notifications and messages throughout the school day. Communication Building and maintaining a partnership between home and school is essential. Parent communication will be weekly through notes home, emails, a weekly newsletter, on Class Dojo, or on the class website. Fun Friday Each Friday, students who have turned in all their work will earn the chance to participate in â€Å"Fun Friday† activities in our classroom.   A student who has not completed all homework or classwork will not participate, and will go to another classroom to catch up on incomplete assignments. Homework All assigned homework will be sent home in a take-home folder each night. A list of spelling words will be sent home each Monday and will be tested on Friday. Students will also receive a math, language arts, or other homework sheet each night as well. All homework must be turned in the following day unless stated otherwise. There will be no homework on the weekends, only Monday-Thursday. Newsletter Our newsletter will be sent home every Friday.   This newsletter will keep you updated on what is happening at school. You can also find a copy of this newsletter on the class website. Please refer to this newsletter for any weekly and monthly classroom and school-wide information. Parent Volunteers Parent volunteers are always welcome in the classroom, regardless of the age of the students. If parents or family members are interested in helping out on special occasions or would like to donate any school supplies or classroom items, then there will be a sign-up sheet in the classroom, as well as on the classroom website. Reading Logs Reading is an essential and necessary skill to practice each night in order to achieve success in all content areas. Students are expected to read on a daily basis. Each month students will receive a reading log to track the amount of time spent at home reading. Please sign the log each week and it will be collected at the end of the month. You can find this reading log attached to your childs take home folder. Snack Please send in a healthy snack each day with your child. This peanut/tree nut free snack can be anything from goldfish, animal crackers, fruit, or pretzels, to vegetables, veggie sticks, or anything else that you can think of that is healthy and quick. Water Bottles Students are encouraged to bring in a water bottle (filled with only water, not anything else) and keep it at their desk. Students need to be well hydrated in order to remain focused throughout the school day. Website Our class has a website. Many forms can be downloaded from it, and there is much classroom information to be found on it. Please refer to this website for any missed homework assignments, classroom pictures, or any further information.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Situational Price Sensitivity in Marketing Essay

Situational Price Sensitivity in Marketing - Essay Example Each customer will have a certain price acceptability window and different customers have different limits in their perceptions of what price is within their range. Pricing is an extremely important part of the marketing mix that has been neglected for a long time. It is the only marketing strategy variable that generates a positive cash flow. The remaining variables (Advertising and promotion, product development, selling effort, distribution, packaging) all create costs. To optimize pricing and all related marketing mix instruments, price sensitivity is an essential contract. Sensitivity is defined as "the response of an organ or organism to external stimuli" (Webster's Third New International Dictionary 1993). Price Sensitivity is used by organizations that are working with unknown pricing situations, new products, products that offer thin margins or products that offer improved benefits to established products. Put together, the term price sensitivity clearly refers to the response of an individual to the amount of money asked or paid for a good or service. This commonsense definition is generally agreed upon (e.g., Hoch et al. 1995; Tellis 1988). It indicates what effect a price change will have on the buyer's intention to purchase a given product or class of products. If buyers are considered price sensitive, changes in price will cause (definite) changes in their buyer behavior. If they are not price sensitive at all, price changes will not result in a change in their purchasing behaviour. In this study, price is assumed to have a negative effect on the purchase probability. A higher price will normally lead to lower demand.(1) Price is hence a negative attribute of an electronic entertainment product. Price sensitivity is defined as the degree to which consumers use price as a decision-making criterion (Lichtenstein, Bloch, and Black 1988). However, its analysis has been mostly focused on traditional consumer goods like groceries or apparel, which have different characteristics in production and consumption than electronic entertainment or media products. In order to assesses what actions have to be taken by media companies to react to price sensitive consumers, the price sensitivity construct and its determinants and consequences have to be scrutinized. There have been many prior studies of how advertising affects two equilibrium quantities: the price elasticity of demand and/or the price level. Our work is differentiated from previous work primarily by our focus on how advertising shifts demand curves as a whole. As Becker and Murphy pointed out, a focus on equilibrium prices or elasticities alone can be quite misleading. Indeed, in many instances, the observation that advertising causes prices to fall and/or demand elasticities to increase, has misled authors into concluding that consumer "price sensitivity" must have increased, meaning the number of consumers' willing to pay any particular price for a

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Auditing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Auditing - Essay Example Assurance service is an independent professional service, typically provided by CPAs, with the goal of improving the information or the context of the information so that decision makers can make more informed, and presumably better decisions. Attestation services are consultations that evaluate the reliability of written statements that are another party’s responsibility. Audits can be considered a type of assurance service but are only designed to test the validity of the financial statements. Recent economic issues drive increased demand for assurance services. The banking and finance industry fiasco of recent years has made these services indispensible in today’s market. There are differences between assurance engagements and attestation engagements other than audits and financial statements. One attestation is that of an entity’s compliance with requirements of specified laws, regulations, rules, contracts, or grants. A type of assurance engagement is that o f a comfort letter prepared to assure the recipient of the financial soundness company. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) have positioned the auditing professions to become "assurance professions." Here, we explored the difference between assurance services, attestation services and auditing services. Furthermore, we discussed economic issues that drive increased demand for assurance services. We also identified one assurance engagement and one attestation engagement other than an audit of financial statements and the differences between them. The ten Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS) provide the foundation for all other auditing standards and interpretations. Here, we define the standard of "due professional care" and how a court might decide whether an audit firm met the standard. We also discuss why independence is often considered the

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Jehovah’s Witnesses Essay Example for Free

Jehovah’s Witnesses Essay They do this because they consider it an honor to spread the word of god. Their religious practices are generally similar to others they worship God, pray to him, and think that all things good come from him. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe God can not lie therefore what the bible says will come true and earth will someday be cleansed of all the â€Å"wickedness†. In addition, most religions do some kind of baptizing when a child is young however, Jehovah’s Witnesses only baptise those who want to serve as a Jehovah’s Witness. * * Jehovah’s Witnesses have contributed to American Culture in many ways. For instance, they help with education, disaster relief, and parenting. They contribute in many ways and are modest about the history in the making. Jahovah’s Witnesses set out to help people become law abiding citizens that do right by God. They have also won many court battles about religious freedom issues. Other groups that do not have the same beliefs have discriminated against Jehovah’s Witnesses. Jehovah’s Witnesses have been treated poorly or even been victims of violent crimes. Jehovah’s Witnesses have been shunned in many different areas of the world. For instance; in France (2006) the government branded them as dangerous and 71 kingdom halls were burned, firebombed, shot at, and vandalized. In India (2006) door to door Jehovah’s Witnesses were attacked and beaten with fence posts. The Jehovah’s Witnesses were charged with inciting the violence. The sources of this discrimination and prejudice came from governments as well as general population. What I have learned about this religion helps me understand it just as well as I understand any religion. Jahovah’s Witnesses are fighting for what they believe in just as many of us are. They are no different accept their beliefs differ from others. Jahovah’s Witnesses deserve to believe what they want to believe in. Everyone needs to believe in something and they should not be treated differently because the way they practice is not the same as everyone else. Racial/ethnic group: Hispanic and Latino * * Hispanic and Latino culture is different in many ways. Some of these differences include skin color, language, and physical features. Many Hispanic and Latinos speak Spanish and their second language is English. Their culture is defferent in the sense that they try to avoid standing out in their own groups. In addition, Hispanic and Latino children are raised to have a deep connection with family. This group many times has a strong bond with all family including Aunts Uncles, and Grandparents, many times these family members live in the same household or near by. * * Hispanic and Latinos have been treated poorly similar to any other racial group. The efforts to increase border patrol on the Mexican American border have done nothing but increase prejudice and discrimination against Hispanic and Latino people. There have even been reports that women and children are treated poorly as well. Here in Tucson Az. for instance we hear many reports about the border patrol having to work over time to keep them out. Someday I feel it will all come crashing down and anyone who tried to keep them out will have to pay for that in some way shape or form. Hispanics and Latinos should not be told they can not come to the US. Many of them say that the US has better opportunitys and that is why they want to be here. If we can help other countrys organize then why not Mexico as well. Hispanic and Latinos have highly influenced American culture. First and foremost the food thay they showed us is popular all over the world. Tortillas, burritos, chimichangas, and many other dishes that are simply delicious. In addition, the music they have introduced us to has definitely spiced things up in many clubs all over the U. S. Also many students are now required to complete spanish as a second language in school, which at first may have been frowned upon but now is embraced by most parents and students. Some discrimination that Hispanic and Latinos deal with still today is the difficulty to get good paying jobs. Because many of them do not speak english well and have little to no education the jobs they get are in most cases low wage high labor jobs. The sources of this prejudice and discrimination is employers as well as general population. Hispanics and Latinos are looked upon as different especially if they were not born in the US. In addition, in many films Hispanics are often prtrayed as lazy, hyper-sexual, or violent which is simply untrue and not very different from any other ethnic group. What I have learned about this racial and ethnic group does help me understand it. I have never understood why so many of them live under the same roof and now I understand it is because their family is close. In addition, now I know that it is the lack of education the prevents them from getting higher paying jobs and maybe not so much that they are different. The prejedice between my selected racial and ethnic group is similar because it is all in the same category. Prejedice and discrimination is all a way of making a person or a group feel inadequate and that they do not belong. Regardless of the way Jahovah’s wittnesses were beaten and harrassed or the way the Hispanic and Latinos have been cast out and told they are not welcome in the US it is all wrong and should not be tolerated. In conclusion, discrimination comes in all shapes and sizes and can happen to anyone. Jahovah’s Witnesses References: Reference: http://www. jw. org/en/publications/magazines/g201008/what-do-jehovahs-witnesses-believe/ Reference: http://www. knocking. org/ReligiousPersecutionReport. html Reference: http://www. jw-media. org/aboutjw/article44. htm Reference: http://wiki. answers. com/Q/How_have_Jehovah%27s_Witnesses_contributed_to_American_culture Hispanic and Latino Reference: Reference: http://www. coedu. usf. edu/zalaquett/hoy/culture. html Reference:

Thursday, November 14, 2019

outsourcing at clarendon :: Globalization essays, research papers

INTRODUCTION Clarendon Street Consultants (CSC) is a long-standing consulting firm based in Chicago. With a history of operations spanning more than forty years, our firm has established a faithful client base, which it serves through five privately-owned offices. The firm has recently been confronted with the controversial issue of outsourcing American jobs. Proponents of the measures claim that the outsourcing of labor is beneficial for Americans in terms of cost savings for corporations and the creation of better-paying jobs for workers. Those that oppose these measures point out the loss of American jobs at the expense of low income households, as well as a greater dependence on other countries. CSC has decided to examine the issues of outsourcing American labor from a bilateral perspective—the firm will analyze the issue based on its positive impact on profitability and American society. The firm wishes to form its own conclusion based on available information. This conclusion will help CSC in its own future outsourcing-related issues, and will guide the advice given to clients on the subject. A recent article on the subject of outsourcing from Business Today proved useful in our analysis. In the article, author Max P. Michaels heavily favors outsourcing. Michaels, who is a member of the India Business Council, gave a few valid arguments supporting the use of outsourcing in the U.S. However, in order to get a clearer picture of these arguments, I found it useful to analyze the article itself and the arguments in favor of such a position. ARGUMENT In his article, Max P. Michaels concludes that â€Å"Offshoring is Good for America† (96). In order to determine why Michaels believes this is so, we must first take a closer look at his argument. He has provided the following reasons to support his conclusion that offshoring is good for America: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cross border outsourcing of American labor results in U.S. wealth creation †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cross border outsourcing is good for shareholders, consumers, and workers in America ANALYSIS Cross-border Outsourcing Creates Wealth Michaels provides his first reason for his argument by stating that â€Å"America is going through a wave of wealth creation, this time triggered by cross-border outsourcing† (96). Restated, the reason simply states that cross-border outsourcing causes wealth creation. This is a good reason to support the author’s conclusion, but there are a few impediments to his argument in the article. First, the author uses ambiguous wording to describe his presentation of the facts. The phrase â€Å"disruptive creation† is used twice in this section, without leaving the reader with any clue as to the author’s meaning (96).

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

I believe in second chances Essay

Carl Band once said, â€Å"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.† Growing up, I’ve learned to believe in second chances. Throughout my lifetime, I have noticed that every person makes mistakes at various points in their lifetime. As humans, we tend to hold grudges, but what we really need to try is to forgive and forget. Giving people second chances is a great thing to do; but what you do with your second chance is your decision. People can use the second chance to their advantage or they can use it to harm the people they have once hurt. I too have made mistakes in my life, but the people I’ve hurt the most while making these mistakes have always been the ones to forgive me. Three summers ago, I met my current boyfriend and I took advantage of him being there for me; he had given me so much love but I took that all for granted. How we met was strange. One night, I was on a video call with my best friend and randomly a guy appeared on the call; that was the night I met my boyfriend. At the beginning, the conversation was so awkward because, all he was doing was talking to my best friend, and finally she introduced me to him. She had told me that they meet through mutual friends and became close. After we got confortable with each other, we talked for hours about the most random topics all night long; I had never felt like I had a connection with someone like I did with him. After that night, we were inseparable; we talked constantly to each other. Regardless of not having anything to talk about or have the most pointless conversation, we could stay on the phone for hours and it just felt right. As time went on, I thought I had feelings for him and we finally decided to be together. The first month was just what I had imagined, but as school started, we slowly drifted apart. Living in two different states was already hard enough for both of us to communicate so, I started talking to different people and I started falling for someone else. It came to the point that I thought it was best to end things with my current boyfriend. What I didn’t  realize at that moment was that leaving my boyfriend was one of the worse mistakes I could make. Even though I moved on and went to another relationship for a while, in the back of my mind, I was constantly wondering what would have happened if we had stayed together and if we had actually tried to save our relationship. I had not spoken a word to him since we broke up, but two years later, we met again. August 31, 2013, was a night to remember: I got to reconnect with the love of my life. We were both at a charity event for our mosque. I had heard from a friend that his parents decided to send him to military school in Atlanta but I never actually met up with him while he was there. At first all I got was dirty stares from him, but finally we sat down and had a real conversation. We forgave each other for all the wrong things we did to each other and we slowly started bonding again. I got a second chance with him and I made certain that this time I did it right. For the first month, we talked and got to know each other again. On September 25, 2013 we officially got back together. After that moment, I realized that he was the guy for me. He was always so supportive of me and always cared about me. No matter how much the distant was, he was always there for me. Sometimes he couldn’t physically be their for me but, I knew if I ever needed advice or if I just needed someone to vent too, he was a phone call away. I was blessed to find a boyfriend and best friend all in one. I had given up on our relationship the first time and this time around; I would make sure that didn’t happen again. Now a year has passed and we still are together and happier than ever. Everyone makes mistakes. We all wish we had a redo button that magically fixed every mistake we have made, but life isn’t always that easy. In this situation, I was lucky to be given a second chance to mend my relationship. Knowing that second chances aren’t handed out, my current boyfriend gave me one because he believed in me and knew that with that second chance I could prove that things would really turn around this time.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Brazil’s Political Factor in Business

Political factor by ashraful islam Trade Policies in political factor Brazil's economic history has been influenced remarkably by foreign trade trends and policies. Successive cycles of export booms in such commodities as sugar, gold and diamonds, rubber, and coffee played major roles in Brazilian development before World War II. In the 1930s, the collapse of coffee prices signaled a turn inward, resulting in a nascent industrialization. In succeeding decades, industrial development was fostered deliberately through restrictive trade policies, making Brazil a relatively closed economy by the mid-1960s.Only in the early 1990s did Brazil begin significant liberalization of its trade policies, and even these reforms were modest by comparison with those in a number of other Latin American nations. Government intervention in foreign trade has a long history in Brazil, reaching back to the colonial period when Portugal forbade Brazilian trade with other nations. Following independence in 1 822, Brazil opened its ports and expanded its trade with other nations, particularly Britain. Extensive government regulation of trade continued, however, with tariffs providing over half of the government's revenue before World War I.Other forms of intervention in trade included the 1906 coffee price support plan, which was a sophisticated attempt to exploit Brazil's monopolistic position in the world coffee market. Before World War II, trade policies were used mostly as a source of revenue or as a response to specific groups such as the coffee producers, rather than as a means of achieving national economic goals. In the early 1950s, Brazil began to use trade policy in a more deliberate way to promote industrialization. The forced reduction in Brazilian imports after 1929 had resulted in the first major industrial growth in Brazil, centered in Sao Paulo.Heeding this apparent lesson, policy makers in the 1950s argued that measures that deliberately reduced imports would stimulate d omestic production, thereby encouraging technological development and increasing employment in activities that were regarded as more â€Å"modern† than Brazil's traditional agricultural and extractive activities. The steep rise in world oil prices that began in late 1973 soon ended Brazil's move toward greater trade openness. The approximate balance between imports and exports in the early 1970s became an unprecedented US$4. billion deficit in 1974. Although record levels of external capital flows financed this deficit, Brazilian policy makers responded by restricting imports. In June 1974, import financing for many products was suspended, while tariff rates on more than 900 items were doubled. Over the year, restrictions were increased further, and in 1975 the government required that imports be paid for in advance with deposits that did not earn interest or any correction for inflation. On the export side, further measures were taken to promote exports, especially for manuf actures.Despite these measures, Brazil's trade balance remained in deficit for most of the 1970s. The combination of tightened import controls, real depreciation, and the fall in domestic demand induced by the restrictive macroeconomic policies of the early 1980s resulted in a sharp adjustment in Brazil's external accounts. The magnitude of the adjustment appears to have surprised even many of its proponents, both in the Brazilian government and among creditors. After 1983 the massive trade surpluses averaged more than 3 percent of GDP, compared with negative or negligible levels through most of the 1968-82 period.In 1984, as the full effects of the adjustment program were felt, exports were about double imports, and Brazil's trade surplus reached an unprecedented 6. 1 percent of GDP, far exceeding the comparable shares in other important economies such as Japan (3. 5 percent of GDP) and West Germany (3. 8 percent). By 1984 it was clear that the successful external adjustment had a domestic price, as inflation accelerated to more than 200 percent at annual rates. Trade policy consequently began to be viewed as a potential instrument for internal stabilization, with some import liberalization viewed as a potential contributor to reduced inflation.In late 1984, a number of the direct controls on imports were cut back, and the number of products on the negative list was reduced substantially. Import financing requirements were also relaxed through exemptions, and tariff surcharges were replaced by smaller additions to the legal tariff. On the administrative side, the Cacex policy of import restrictions for balance of payments purposes was reduced. Although import licenses were not abolished, their approval became a relatively routine operation, and by 1991 most licenses were being issued within five working days.The CTIC became primarily a reporting and registration agency, which had little of the discretionary power formerly exercised by Cacex. The former CPA, w hich had been far overshadowed by Cacex, was replaced by an agency coequal with the CTIC, the Technical Coordinating Office for Tariffs (Coordenadoria Tecnica de Tarifas–CTT). With the shift in emphasis in trade policy from discretionary administrative control to the automaticity of published tariffs, many of them limited by Brazil's treaty commitments, the CTT's role in formulating import policy became significantly greater than the CPA's had been.Early in 1991, the Collor de Mello government announced a series of tariff reductions to be phased in over the 1991-94 period. These were among the most far-reaching and significant reductions in Brazilian trade protection in several decades. Earlier tariff reductions often had been largely cosmetic, only reducing rates that were prohibitive to high levels that still barred many imports. The 1991 reforms went much further, and in many sectors reduced rates to about a third of their level in the early 1980s.Equally important, the re forms reduced the wide variability or dispersion of tariff rates that were once characteristic of Brazilian trade policy. The overall trend in Brazilian trade policy is clear. By the mid-1990s, Brazil had become a much more open economy than it had been a decade earlier. priorities in terms of business support Market Overview The Federative Republic of Brazil is Latin America's biggest economy and is the fifth largest country in the world in terms of land mass and population with about 192 million people.Brazil’s economy, the 6th largest in the world, grew 2. 7% in 2011. Growth slowed due to reduced demand for Brazilian exports in Europe and Asia, despite solid domestic demand and a growing middle class. During the past decade, the country has maintained macroeconomic policies that controlled inflation and promoted economic growth. Inflation was at 6. 5% in 2011, and urban unemployment reached a historic low of 6. 0%. Interest rates, though high compared to the rest of the wo rld, remained historically low at the Central Bank benchmark rate of 8. 0% as of July 2012. In 2011, the U. S. as Brazil’s largest source of imports followed by China, Argentina, Germany, and South Korea. U. S. merchandise exports to Brazil in 2011 were US$42. 9 billion, and U. S. imports from Brazil were US$31. 3 billion. Market Challenges Brazil has a large and diversified economy that offers U. S. companies many opportunities to export their goods and services, and U. S. exports are increasing rapidly. Doing business in Brazil requires intimate knowledge of the local environment, including both the explicit as well as implicit costs of doing business (referred to as the â€Å"Custo Brasil†).Such costs are often related to distribution, government procedures, employee benefits, environmental laws, and a complex tax structure. Logistics pose a particular challenge, given infrastructure limitations posed by nearly a decade of economic expansion. In addition to tariffs, U. S. companies will find a complex customs and legal system. Market Opportunities There are few, if any, sectors in Brazil that do not have excellent short term opportunities. Certain sectors of the Brazilian market have experienced higher than average growth, such as air transportation, telecoms, oil and gas, and mining.Under the second phase of the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC II), the Government of Brazil will spend R$955 billion (the equivalent of around US$470 billion) in development of the country’s energy generation and distribution system, roads, railroads, ports, and airports as well as stadiums as it prepares for the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. Other promising areas for U. S. exports and investment include agriculture, agricultural equipment, building and construction, aerospace and aviation, electrical power, safety and security devices, environmental technologies, retail, and transportation.The Brazilian national oil company Petrobras' expans ion may represent the largest global business opportunity in the oil & gas sector until 2020. The offshore pre-salt oil deposits discovered in 2006 and 2007 are estimated to exceed 60 billion barrels in probable or recoverable reserves, and could place Brazil among the world’s top ten oil-producing countries. Petrobras anticipates that it will invest $224 billion in exploration and development through 2015. Brazil is one of the largest IT markets within the emerging economies. IT end-user spending in Brazil is expected to grow to $134 billion in 2014.The largest share of spending will be on telecom equipment, representing 72% of the market, followed by IT services at 13. 3% and computing hardware at 11. 9%. In the years leading up to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil will host several international mega-events. In 2011, Brazil hosted the World Military Games and the Pan-American Maccabi Games and in 2012, Rio de Janeiro hosted the Rio+20 global environmental su stainability conference. In 2013, Brazil will host a papal visit and the World Youth Day event as well as the soccer Confederations Cup.In 2014, twelve Brazilian cities will host the soccer World Cup. The Government of Brazil expects to invest $106 billion in the preparations for these events. These investments, which will include outlays for infrastructure, construction, transportation systems, port improvements, public security, and airport infrastructure upgrades, will present significant commercial opportunities for U. S. companies. Most of the major infrastructure upgrades will be carried out through Public-Private Partnerships under Brazil’s Growth Acceleration Program. Market Entry StrategyBrazil’s business culture relies heavily on the development of strong personal relationships. Companies need a local presence and must invest time in developing relationships in Brazil. The U. S. Commercial Service encourages U. S. companies visiting Brazil to meet one-on-one with potential partners. One of the best ways for U. S. companies to enter the Brazilian market is by participating in local trade shows or using the U. S. Commercial Service’s Gold Key Service (GKS), through which they can meet with pre-screened potential clients or partners.It is essential to work through a qualified representative or distributor when developing the Brazilian market. Some firms establish an office or joint venture in Brazil. Further discussion of these alternatives can be found in the â€Å"Marketing Products & Services† chapter. It is very difficult for U. S. companies to get involved in public sector procurement without a local Brazilian partner. Education of the workforce Despite being one of the world's most populous countries, Brazil does not have a single university ranked in the top 100 internationally.Of its college graduates, 5 percent are engineers, far below the rates of countries such as China and South Korea, according to Brazilian busin esses. Since Brazil's education system is falling short, Vale, like several other Brazilian companies, has decided to build its own. â€Å"For years, technical education was not the main focus of the government,† said Marco Dalpozzo, Vale's global human resources director. â€Å"Mining was not seen for the last 20 years as a great opportunity or a vocational business opportunity for the country. So you have professions for which Vale had to create their own entire system of education. Over the past few years, several Latin American countries have enjoyed soaring growth rates as they exported oil, minerals and agricultural products around the world. In Brazil, gross domestic product more than doubled, to $1. 3 trillion, in the five years ending in 2007, while inflation dropped to 3. 6 percent, a quarter of the 2003 level. Yet recent studies have shown that workers in Latin America have less education than those in East Asia and Eastern Europe and that the percentage of studen ts enrolled in high school is far lower than in developed countries.In Colombia, one out of every 700,000 people receive PhDs, compared with one in 5,000 in developed countries, wrote Jeffrey M. Puryear and Tamara Ortega Goodspeed in a contribution to a book published this year titled â€Å"Can Latin America Compete? † â€Å"The region's limited number of scientists and advanced degree recipients weakens the region's competitiveness by limiting countries' ability to use and generate knowledge, and to carry out research,† they wrote.For younger students, Latin American countries have focused in recent years on building schools and expanding access to public education, rather than improving the quality of that education, said Emiliana Vegas, a senior education economist at the World Bank. Teachers' pay raises are based on longevity rather than performance, and few parents are used to demanding more rigorous standards. â€Å"Most Latin American parents have less educatio n than their kids. They feel their kids are already receiving an advantage they didn't get,† said Vegas, who co-authored the book â€Å"Raising Student Learning in Latin America. In the most recent results of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's triennial tests of 15-year-olds from 57 countries, the Latin American countries that participated, including Brazil, Argentina and Colombia, consistently scored near the bottom. â€Å"It's not just that kids need to go to school, they need to learn in school,† Vegas said. Brazil – quality of port infrastructure Quality of port infrastructure, WEF (1=extremely underdeveloped to 7=well developed and efficient by international standards)Definition: Quality of Port Infrastructure measures business executives' perceptions of their country's port facilities. The rating ranges from 1 to 7, with a higher score indicating better development of port infrastructure. Source: World Economic Forum, Global Compet iveness Report |Year |Value | |2007 |2. 63 | |2008 |2. 52 | |2009 |2. 65 | |2010 |2. 94 | |2011 |2. 70 | Airports The Brazilian airport network has long been lamented as underdeveloped and poorly maintained. The network is run almost exclusively by Infraero, an authority that reports to the country? s defense ministry.In operation for 37 years, Infraero has more than 28,000 employees and contractors assisting in the management of 67 airports throughout the country. These airports handle 97 percent of all air traffic in the country, with more than 2 million takeoffs and landings and over 113 million passengers annually. 11 The company? s charge is quite difficult, considering that the airports are spread across a country the size of the contiguous United States Roadways Like the United States, Brazil is heavily dependent on its road system for transportation. However, there is great disparity in the quality of these road networks.Despite constituting 68 percent of Brazil? s transport needs, only 12 percent of the country? s 1. 6 million kilometers of roads are paved. 20 The consequence of these infrastructure deficiencies is slower and more expensive transport – costs can be up to 35 percent greater on unpaved roads. 21 This affects the booming agricultural sector greatly, as many of the goods are produced in remote locations with poor road conditions. Rail Brazil? s national rail network consists of approximately 28,000 kilometers of track, and most of it is operated by private concessionaires.These concessions have been utilized for 12 years, and the government is reviewing its concession model to make better use of the rail network. â€Å"One of the main objectives of the changes is to put abandoned or low-capacity stretches back into operation. †29 As part of the Ministry of Transport? s National Plan, Brazil will consolidate a new rail network, developing almost 12,000 additional kilometers of track. 30 These rail lines will serve areas of ag ricultural and mineral productivity and enable the increased transfer of cargo between transportation modes.Additionally, the rail lines will be implemented in planned corridors that are specifically designed to link production and consumption regions, as well as production and shipment areas (like ports). The MOT is also studying the feasibility of a corridor that will link railways from Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. Economic factors by ashraful islam Economy – overview: Characterized by large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy outweighs that of all other South American countries, and Brazil is expanding its presence in world markets.Since 2003, Brazil has steadily improved its macroeconomic stability, building up foreign reserves, and reducing its debt profile by shifting its debt burden toward real denominated and domestically held instruments. In 2008, Brazil became a net external creditor and tw o ratings agencies awarded investment grade status to its debt. After strong growth in 2007 and 2008, the onset of the global financial crisis hit Brazil in 2008. Brazil experienced two quarters of recession, as global demand for Brazil's commodity-based exports dwindled and external credit dried up.However, Brazil was one of the first emerging markets to begin a recovery. In 2010, consumer and investor confidence revived and GDP growth reached 7. 5%, the highest growth rate in the past 25 years. Rising inflation led the authorities to take measures to cool the economy; these actions and the deteriorating international economic situation slowed growth to 2. 7% for 2011 as a whole, though forecasts for 2012 growth are somewhat higher. Despite slower growth in 2011, Brazil overtook the United Kingdom as the world's seventh largest economy in terms of GDP.Urban unemployment is at the historic low of 4. 7% (December 2011), and Brazil's traditionally high level of income equality has dec lined for each of the last 12 years. Brazil's high interest rates make it an attractive destination for foreign investors. Large capital inflows over the past several years have contributed to the appreciation of the currency, hurting the competitiveness of Brazilian manufacturing and leading the government to intervene in foreign exchanges markets and raise taxes on some foreign capital inflows.President Dilma ROUSSEFF has retained the previous administration's commitment to inflation targeting by the central bank, a floating exchange rate, and fiscal restraint. | | | | |Brazil Interest Rate | | |The benchmark interest rate in Brazil was last reported at 7. 25 percent. Historically, from 1999 until 2012, Brazil Interest | | |Rate averaged 16. 6 Percent reaching an all time high of 45. 00 Percent in March of 1999 and a record low of 7. 25 Percent in | | |October of 2012. In Brazil, interest rate decisions are taken by The Central Bank of Brazil's Monetary Policy Committee | | |(CO POM). The official interest rate is the Special System of Clearance and Custody rate (SELIC) which is the overnight lending | | |rate. This page includes a chart with historical data for Brazil Interest Rate. | [pic] Brazil Income Taxes 2012 Last partial update, May 2012Individual Income Tax: Brazil's individual income tax rates for 2012 are progressive, from 7. 5% to 27. 5%. Personal annual tax rates 2012 (BRL) |Income (BRL) |% | |1-18,799 |- | |18,799-28,174 |7. 5 | |28,174-37,566 |15 | |37,566-46,939 |22. 5 | |over 46,939 |27. 5 |Note: Nonresidents pay a flat 27. 5% tax on income earned in Brazil Corporate Tax: Brazil's combined corporate tax rate for 2012 is 34%. The tax consists of a basic tax of 15%. There is also a surtax of 10% for annual income of over BRL 240,000, about $ 110,000. Additonal 9% are added for social contribution on net profits. Capital Gains: Capital gains of companies are added to the regular income. Individuals: Pay 15% tax on capital gains, dividend incom e from local companies is tax exempt. Residence A foreign company is resident if incorporated in Brazil.An individual is resident when holding a permanent visa, or a temporary visa with an employment agreement, or even without an employment agreement, when staying in Brazil for more than 183 days within 12 months. Brazil Tax Deductions †¢ Losses are carried forward indefinitely. In future years only 30% of the current year taxable income can be set off against the loss. †¢ Depreciation is deducted using the straight line method. Companies working in 2 shifts can claim 150% of the standard rates, while companies working in 3 shifts are entitled to 200% of the standard rates. Companies involved in development of technical research can use accelerated depreciation for tax purpose. †¢ There is no company consolidation for tax purpose. †¢ Thin capitalisation rules relating to interest expenses are in effect in Brazil from 1. 1. 2010. Brazil Personal Credits and Deduct ions For Brazilian residents, the first annual income of BRL 18,799 is tax exempt. There is a standard monthly deduction for each dependant. Education expenses are deductible, up to a limit. Deductions are also permitted for social security payments by an employee, payments to private Brazilian pension plans, up tp a limit, and for alimony payments.Deduction of Tax at Source In Brazil tax is deducted at source from the following payments to non residents: Dividend- 0%. Interest- 15%/25%. Royalties- 15%. Services -15%/25%. Social Security The contributions by the employer and the employee are subject to to ceiling defined by law. Employer: 37. 3% of the gross salary, 28. 8% social security and 8. 5% for severance fund. Employee: 7. 65%-11% of the gross salary. The employee's payment, which is capped, is based on a â€Å"contribution salary table†, provided by the government.