Disinvestment and reinvestment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Disinvestment and reinvestment - Essay Example Disinvestment refers to the use of a concerted economic boycott, with specific emphasis on liquidating stock, to pressure a government towards policy or regime change. Ronald Reagan, the former American President during his regime the disinvestment movement was at its peak, also opposed it, instead favoring a policy of "constructive engagement" These principles called for corporations doing business in South Africa to adhere to strict standards of non-discrimination in hiring and promotions to set a positive example. The most frequently-encountered method of "disinvesting" was to persuade state, county and municipal governments to sell their stock in companies which had a presence in South Africa, such shares having been previously placed in the portfolio of the state's, county's or city's pension fund. Several states and localities did pass legislation ordering the sale of such securities, most notably the city of San Francisco. The Sudan Divestment Task Force collaborates with Amne sty International, International Crisis Group, a variety of international NGO's, and most of the major socially responsible investing firms in the US. Calvert, the largest socially responsible mutual fund company in the US, has explicitly endorsed the targeted divestment approach as one that exerts maximum influence on the Sudanese government while minimizing unintended consequences, such as the important development role basic commerce in Sudan plays in improving general living standards for all. In simple words Disinvestment takes place when proprietors or people stop investing in the community, building or neighborhoods and thus to end up with slum areas. Disinvestment hampers economic growth of a nation as a barrier of Urbanization. Demographically, the Urbanization denotes redistribution of populations from rural to urban settlements in a process associated with development of civilization. Since disinvestment phase of an economy yields zero to the social and even cultural enhancement of the people, I would feel empathy for the people and the locality during such dark time. From a philanthropic point of view, it curbs the birthright of the populace to live a better life for certain political or demographic reasons. If opportunity prevails, I would love to motivate the populace to work hard in order to attract investors for the welfare and development of the region. 2. Reinvestment as the etymology suggests stands for the economic period when investors foresee dividend in certain area of production and desire to sustain growth with their inputs. When a community or proprietor see value in the land and begin to rehabilitate an area that has lost value over the years and worth fixing such as water front properties paves the way to reinvestment. Remarkably, it is a product or urbanization. There are two major types of reinvestments; Capital Reinvestment and Manpower cohesion. Investors usually accumulate such funds from dividends, interest and capital gains earned in an investmentor mutual fundto purchase additional shares or units, rather than receiving the distributions in cash. Therefore, in terms of stocks, it is the reinvestment of dividends topurchase additional shares. On the other hand, in terms of mutual funds, it is the reinvestment of distributions and dividends to purchase additional units of that fund. Similarly, in terms of tax gain or loss harvesting, it is the realization of losses to offset a capital gains over liability. This is definitely a

Discuss The Effects That Multinational companies can have on a host Essay

Discuss The Effects That Multinational companies can have on a host acountry - Essay Example The many economic benefits to host countries have prompted many countries around the world, including developed and developing countries to focusing on attracting multinational companies or foreign direct investments as they are also called. Even countries that were otherwise hostile to these types of investments have been seeing them in a positive light. The targeting of these multinational companies has become an important development strategy as countries such as Ireland provide grants towards start up costs and research and development (Jensen 2006:38 ). One effect that multinational companies have on a host country is the economic and financial benefits that are gained by the host country. Especially in developing countries this is a welcome change for both the worker and the political directorate. High employment levels are a panacea for political and social stability. In many cases multinational companies pay higher wages than local companies. The high demand for workers also contributes to the higher wages. The workers also receive training in technology, management, and entrepreneurial expertise that can be transferred to other facilities and areas in the country. Some employees also receive training in the parent company overseas. Consequently, the host now will now have a more highly skilled workforce that will be better able to compete with other countries. The host country will also receive economic gain through revenues paid to the government. Generally the companies are subjected to the different tax guidelines of the countries. In many cases the bargaining power of the host country helps these countries in securing major financial benefits. These tax incentives will increase economic growth and progress and will also help in stabilizing local currencies. The host country will also benefit from improved and new infrastructure. These developments help not only as an immediate benefit but in the long run as well.

Joint Venture Negotiations in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Joint Venture Negotiations in China - Essay Example This culture highly values personal relationships to an extend that, it is the basis on which long-term business relationships are formed. They get involved in an individual’s personal live prior to doing long-term business with them. At a social level, formal and informal relations make a big difference when it comes to business relationships. The Chinese culture would rather one pretends than to express an honest opinion or individualism if it will hurt or discredit another person’s feelings. Emotions are a private matter not to be shared in public. At social functions, there are certain rules that have to be observed failure to which a guest is deemed as disrespecting to the host. This etiquette at social functions control interpersonal relationships. Universally, smiling and laughter are used to express pleasure and humour but the Chinese culture also uses this as a response to negative occurrences. In the American culture, long-term business relationships are not n ecessarily determined by how well people know each other’s personal live. As long as objectives of both entities are met, business proceeds. At the social level, Americans freely express their emotions, opinions and individualism unlike the Chinese. Smiling and laughter in the American culture is for expressing humour and pleasure and sad emotions are also freely expressed. The Chinese businessmen place a great importance on personal relationships and social traditions when conducting business with one another unlike the Americans who place great importance on business issues. The political environment in China is not so friendly to foreign investors. Some political measures in place such imports being controlled by the government, their courts not enforcing contracts and holding back tax preferences for foreign investors delay businesses and cause mistrust to the foreign investor. In conclusion, culture is important since it allows members of a given society to function with one another without the need to negotiate meaning at every moment. Negotiations between Electrowide and Motosuzhou failed because four key criteria for the selection of a Joint Venture partner were not met as outlined below. Strategic complementarily Strategic objective is broad goal that an organization must attain for it to be successful in its strategy. Strategic complementarily implies that the strategies of the two organizations must complement each other. Electrowide’s strategic objective is to become a major, aggressive player in Asia. On the other hand, Motosuzhou’s objective is to team up with a foreign venture that will harmoniously work with government’s policies. This means that the ultimate direction comes from the municipal. This doesn’t complement Electrowide’s strategy and therefore, negotiations on a joint venture cannot work. Compatible operating policies Policies are rules and guidelines adopted by an organization to reach its l ong-term goals. They influence and determine all major decisions and actions in an organization with all activities taking place within the boundaries set by them. The two entities differed in their employment policies. For example, China still discriminates against women workers by placing them in lower positions with little wages which the counterparts, the U.S, have affirmative action policy where they don’t discriminate. Communication Communication is the sharing of ideas and information from a sender to a receiver. For it to be

Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Information Systems - Essay Example The spare capacity if available can be used for different purposes. The remote hosting at the third-party facilities as well leads the company to the curtailing of the costs while maintaining the internal control over hardware, software and communications and keeping its established relationship with the third party. Hosting at the Surebridge’s facilities, on the other hand, has the advantage of sparing the customer worry about establishing and maintaining its own IS infrastructure, investing into hardware etc. Moreover, customer receives over-the-clock access to the monitoring tools and gets a dedicated manager who is well aware of the company’s specifics and recent history. To make a sound choice, more information about both the options and the company’s particular needs is desirable in order to successfully match one with another. On the Surebridge’s side, additional required information would include price, total cost of ownership, connectivity and speed of connection, security standards with regards to transfer and processing of the commercial data, set-up time, reliability of the back-up system and assurance of operations continuity, additional services provided. On the company’s side, it would be necessary to know whether its operations and needs are quite similar to those of other companies in the industry, or does it need the customized solutions and treatment. It is also important to know if the company already has a modern IS infrastructure and some trained personnel, or an agreement on hosting with a third party in place. Moreover, the required speed and volume of processing stemming out of the scope of the company’s operations and necessity of the computers and IT infrastructure to be deployed for other purposes should also be considered. A possibility to visit Sharebridge’s facilities would be an exciting experience. I would like to start by looking at the

Commercial Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico Research Paper

Commercial Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico - Research Paper Example The mainland shore of the Gulf is shared by the United States and Mexico and it covers more than 4000 miles from Cabo Catoche in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico to Florida Keys the US (GMP, 2011). According to GMA (2008, p5), the Gulf of Mexico covers an estimated area of about 600,000 square miles. Due to its unique location, the Gulf is rich in diverse natural resources that play a critical role in defining the economic, environmental, political and social dimensions in the region. According to GMA(2008, p2), the gulf offers aquatic resources that include recreation, navigation, commercial fishing, oil and natural gas in addition to rich habitats for diverse marine life. This paper investigates the problems associated with commercial fishing in the Gulf of Mexico and their impacts on the American culture. According to GMA(2008, p7), the five US states bordering the Gulf of Mexico have a total gross domestic product of over $2.2 trillion and much of the economic activities depend on the natural resources from the gulf. The economic contribution of the Gulf of Mexico to the United States is significant. ... These ports provide the country with a good infrastructural network of enhancing international trade. The population growth in the gulf region has been increasing, recording 103% growth from 1970 to 2008 (GMA, 2008, p 11). The region is highly attractive to job seekers and retirees because of the availability of many opportunities and favorable climatic conditions. By 2015, Polunin (2008, p 37), predicts population increase of 10 % in the gulf region compared with an average of 7% in total population of the United States. The rapid population growth in the region has resulted to a vibrant construction industry to cater for the housing needs. According to GMA (2008, p 11), 30 percent of the leading counties in building residential houses are located in the gulf coast region. The Gulf of Mexico is prone to natural disasters such as hurricanes but residential developments are on the increase. In addition to residential buildings, construction of seasonal homes is also gaining prominence in the gulf region. This is attributed to the scenic attractions that draw people from all over the country for vacations (GMP, 2011). The Gulf of Mexico is one of the largest water bodies in the world and it consists of a wide marine diversity ranging from shrimps to unexploited corals in the deep horizons of the water. Due to the wide ecological diversity of the region, many environmental activities have been established in the Gulf of Mexico. They include national parks, wildlife preservation regions and wetlands. According to GMA (2008, p13), half of all the wetlands in United States are located in the coastal areas in the gulf. The wetlands provide suitable habitats for a wide variety of biological resources including sea turtles, fisheries, nesting waterfowl in

Recycling and Plastic Bag Essay Example for Free

Recycling and Plastic Bag Essay They are also cheap, light, durable, easy to carry and in many cases, free. The most commonly used shopping bag is made of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). This type is used in the majority of supermarkets and stores. After these bags are used, they often end up in landfills or as litter, roughly only three percent of plastic bags is actually recycled per year (Planet Ark, 2011). The materials used in making plastic bags make them non-biodegradable. According to the science dictionary, 2011 refers to â€Å"these materials cannot be decomposed into environmentally safe waste materials by the action of soil bacteria. † These harmful substances are toxic and take approximately four hundred years to break down, or in this case photo-degrade; which is how plastics made from (HDPE) break down. Since they are not biodegradable, they remain in the environment and are absorbed in soil or water (Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment, 2010). This essay will discuss the various harmful effects of plastic bags, and demonstrate the risks that these bags impose on humans, animals and the environment. It will also discuss a series of suggested solutions that could help reduce plastic bag usage. Although plastic bags appear to be fragile and light, their negative environmental effect is devastating. Plastic bags may cause large amounts of pollution in every step of their limited life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials, production, transportation, and recycling or disposal. Plastic bags can be defined as the most damaging form of environmental pollution. They can have a damaging effect on marine animals and wildlife in addition to the aesthetic effects on beaches, parks, and trees. Plastic bags are potentially one of the main causes of death to marine animals (Harbor keepers,2008). Up to one hundred thousand marine animals or more die each year from eating plastic bags which are mistaken for food. This can result in blocking the animal’s intestines and possibly lead to the animal’s death. Another possible situation is that wildlife, such as birds, can get tangled in plastic bags causing choking and immobility, which may eventually lead to death. (Senior, 2008) and (Citizen Campaign, 2010). In other situations, after plastic bags photo degrade they remain toxic and could be eaten by fish, shellfish or any other marine life and survive this allows the toxins to enter our food chain through bioaccumulation (Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, 2011). As a solution to these types of problems is taking action by educating and increasing the public’s awareness to the harmful affects that a plastic bag impose on our environment. Applying this would mean to get consumers involved in reducing the number of plastic bags they consume and instead of getting new bags they can simply reuse their old bags (Sea Turtles Conservancy,2011). Another important solution would be using bio degradable bags instead; these types of bags take up a shorter time to degrade and become environmentally safe to both humans and animals. These types of bags are made from natural materials therefore; they are digested if animals swallow them (Biodegradable Plastic Bags,2011). The harmful effects of plastic bags extend to affect human health and social lives. According to the US CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2011) suffocation has been a significant of death among children under the age of one. According to a report presented in 2007 by Clean up Australia, when plastic bags are thrown in the streets they may block the drains and result in flooding during heavy rain. Stagnant water in blocked drains may create a breeding ground for many forms of insects like mosquitoes, which can transmit dangerous diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and encephalitis (World Health Organisation, 2011). Reducing, reusing and recycling, in that order, could be the most viable option to decrease the social and health impact of plastic bags. Reducing the number of plastic bags can be applied by imposing a fee such as PlasTax. In 2002 PlasTax was issued in The Republic of Ireland, which is a fee on plastic bags. This new tax resulted in a ninety four percent drop in plastic bag consumption in one year (Convery F, McDonnell S, Ferreira S, 2007). The next step is to reuse, instead of disposing of plastic bags consumers should be encouraged to keep reusing their bags. The final step is to recycle the plastic bags, many supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s give the consumers the option to bring in their old bags for recycling. In conclusion, usages of plastic bags are very limited unlike their infinite damages. They are harmful to health, the environment and wildlife. The solutions to put an end to the problems associated with plastic bags are available, cooperation between governments, shops and individuals is vital to take the necessary actions by reducing, reusing and recycling plastic bags.

Influence of Al3+ Addition on Activated Sludge

Influence of Al3+ Addition on Activated Sludge Influence of Al3+ addition on the flocculation and sedimentation of activated sludge: Comparison of single and multiple dosing patterns Mariam Touati Abstract In this research, single and multiple dosing of Al3+ were used to study the flocculation and sedimentation of activated sludge (AS). It was found that in the single Al3+ dosing condition; sludge flocculation is improved but sedimentation is declined. Adding the same amount of Al3+ during multiple dosing attained a similar reduction in turbidity. Interaction energy had a major role during single dosing conditions, whereas multiple dosing was mostly effective in reducing EPS content; this is regarding the differences in the performance of flocculation. Introduction The widely most used process for wastewater treatment is the activated sludge (AS) system. The water quality of the sewerage is affected in a large way by the solid-liquid separation in the system, which depends efficient sludge flocculation and sedimentation. 70% 90% of the secondary clarifiers in the AS systems however have encountered solid-liquid separation issues. Two of the main causers of these issues are the reproduction of filamentous bacteria and deficient sludge flocculation. Dosing of flocculants is one of the most effective solution to poor flocculation performance. Cations act as flocculants when added to wastewater and ease flocculation. High cation concentration helps improve biological flocculation. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) consist of polysaccharides, proteins, humic compounds, and other cellular ingredients. EPS is considered an important component of AS flocs. They play a major role in maintaining AS flocs structure and function. In most of the cases, dense, strong, and large flocs are desirable for AS settling and compaction. AS flocs have microorganisms in addition to organic and inorganic particles ingrained in the EPS, and the suspended solids accumulate into them. By bridging with multivalent cations, EPS is able to bind to the microbial cells, which are likely to have an influence on the EPS content in the system. An increase in monovalent cations in the AS declines sludge properties and damages floc, while addition of multivalent cations improves sludge flocculation. It was found that, compared to monovalent and bivalent cations, trivalent cations help improve flocculation performance of the AS under both wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and laboratory conditions. In the present study, Al3+ was added to AS systems according to single and multiple dosing patterns, and a concentration gradient was set under single dosing conditions. The research objectives were as follows: To investigate the influence of Al3+ dosage on AS flocculation and sedimentation. To determine the more efficient dosing pattern. To reveal the mechanisms governing the influence of Al3+ on AS flocculation and sedimentation. Material and methods AS cultivation The AS used in this study was cultivated in two parallel sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) numbered R-S (single dosing) and R-M (multiple dosing), and each had a working volume of 4 L. The following steps were taken: Each reactor was supplied with a paddle mixer, which operates at 100 rads/min, and that is to prevent the AS from settling. To maintain the dissolved oxygen (DO) in the range of 2-3 mg/L, air was added. sludge retention time (SRT) was controlled around 10 d. The temperatures were kept at 22  ±1à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °c in the reactors. The SBRs were working at a cycle time of 12 h, and 2 cycles were performed each day. The time used for filling, aerating, settling and decanting was 20, 640, 40 and 20 minutes respectively. Both the influent and effluent volumes per cycle were maintained at 2 L. Tap water was used to synthesize the artificial wastewater. Glucose, NH4Cl and KH2PO4 were used as sources of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) respectively. The relative proportion of chemical oxygen demand (COD), N and P (COD: N: P ratio) in the influent was maintained at 100: 5: 1, with the COD concentration at 700  ± 30 mg/L. Al3+ dosing test Single dosing test The AS in reactor R-S was cultivated without adding Al3+ in the influent. 500 mL of AS sample were added into 5 identical 250 mL beakers, each receiving 100 mL, to which a different Al3+ dosage was added. The Al3+ dosages were 0.125, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 meq/L, respectively, in beakers designated as S-0.125, S-0.5, S-1.0, S-1.5, respectively. No Al3+ was added into beaker S-0, which was the blank control of the experiment. All of the Al3+ in the single dosing test was added once. At 50 rad/min for 5 min then 117 rad/min for 5 min, the samples were mixed. Multiple dosing test In this test, Al3+ at a concentration 0.1 meq/L was added to the influent of reactor R-M and introduced to the reactor in each operation cycle. The mixing pattern was in accordance with single dosing test. EPS extraction protocol A 25-mL sample of AS suspension was centrifuged at 6000 g for 10 min at 4à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C, and the supernatant that was carefully collected was bulk solution. A NaCl solution with the same conductivity as the AS sample was prepared; then it was applied to re-suspend the AS material in the tube. Immediately, the AS suspension was oscillated by a vortex mixer for 1 min and then sheared using an ultrasonication instrument at 0.4 W/mL for 30 sec. The suspension was centrifuged at 4000 g for 10 min at 4à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C, and the supernatant was collected as LB-EPS. The AS sample left in the tube was re-suspended to its original volume of 25 mL with the NaCl solution, and then oscillated for 1 min and sheared at 0.5 W/mL for 1 min. Subsequently, the suspended sample was centrifuged at 4000 g for 15 min at 4à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C, from which the supernatant collected was TB-EPS, and the AS sample left in the tube was the pellet. The final step, the bulk solution, LB-EPS and TB-EPS extracted were filtrated through a 0.45 micro-meter cellulose acetate membrane. Analytical technique The total organic carbon (TOC) contents of the bulk solution, LB-EPS and TB-EPS were determined using a TOC/TN analyzer. The Al3+ concentrations in the bulk solution were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. After settling for 30 min, 100 mL of AS suspension were suctioned and transferred into a graduated cylinder for measuring the SVI. The turbidity of the supernatant was measured. The total interaction energy of AS was measured and calculated. Results and discussions Basic characteristics of the AS system Influence of Al3+ on AS interaction energy Single dosing According to the total interaction energy curves of the single dosing test, the energy barrier and Al3+ concentration are inversely proportional, as in, the energy barrier decreased as the Al3+ concentration increased. Comparison between single and multiple dosing patterns Multiple Al3+ dosing compressed the double electrical layers through charge neutralization. In addition to zeta potential, other factors also had an effect on AS flocculation, which reimbursed the relatively weak zeta potential reduction following multiple Al3+ dosing and ultimately equilibrated the effluent turbidities. Other factors contributed to the lower turbidity related to multiple Al3+ dosing. These observations suggested that the investigation should not be restricted to zeta potential only, and that the total interaction energy should also be taken into consideration. Multiple Al3+ dosing can promote AS flocculation by compressing the double electrical layers. It was found out that clarifying how dosing patterns affects flocculation performance in terms of total interaction energy is relatively difficult. To evaluate the influence of Al3à ¾ on AS flocculation, the role of EPS, besides that of interaction energy, must be examined. Influence of Al3+ on the EPS content Single dosing test High EPS content could worsen sludge flocculation. Sludge flocs become denser and more compact with Al3+ addition. LB-EPS play an important role in the formation of AS flocs But, an excess of LB-EPS might have a negative effect on the bonding of cells and could deteriorate the floc structure, eventually causing undesirable solid-liquid separation. EPS and supernatant turbidity decrease as Al3+ dosage increased. High LB-EPS content may result in high water content in the sludge flocs, leading to worsened sludge compactness and increased floc porosity, all causing poor flocculation The addition of Al3+ was found to lighten AS flocculation by counteracting the negative effect of LB-EPS. Al3+ reduces the suspended solids in the supernatant and improves effluent turbidity. Comparison between single and multiple dosing Both the LB-EPS and TB-EPS contents that were extracted in the multiple dosing test were much lower than those extracted in the single dosing test. Which means that in the multiple dosing test, Al3+ augmented effectively the densification of sludge through the ion bridging effect. Single dosing of Al3+ shown greater effect on the interaction energy, whereas multiple dosing of Al3+ reduced the EPS content more effectively. The eventual flocculation performances achieved by the two dosing patterns were equal. Al3+ distribution characteristics in the AS Distribution characteristics As the single dose increased the Al 3+ concentration found in the sludge increased as well. Because of Al 3+ high charge valence and solubility, almost all of it dosed constrained with the sludge. Therefore, no Al 3+ was found in the bulk solution. The amount of negative charges in different sludge components is in the following sequence: pellet > TBEPS > LB-EPS. No Al3+ could be detected in sludge components other than the pellet when the single dosage was less than 0.125 meq/L. When equal amounts of Al 3+ was added during single and multiple dosing, the Al 3+ accumulations in the sludge were similar, the Al 3+ spreading in different sludge components were different. As seen in figure 2. Al3+ could be detected in the bulk solution in the multiple dosing test, but not in the single dosing test. According to all these findings, it was concluded that the bonding capacity between Al 3+ and the sludge was different with the dosing pattern. Single dosing Single Al3+ dosage and the amount of Al3+ in the pellet are directly proportional, as the first increased the second increases as well, respectively. This caused an increase in the sludge flocs density and a decrease in the content of suspended solids, which leads to the improvement of effluent turbidity. Comparison between single and multiple dosing Pellet Al 3+ concentration has an essential positive effect on sludge flocculation. The time for the reaction between multivalent cations and the AS is critical to flocculation performance. The decrease in the sludge surface charges declined due to the increased Al3+ accumulation in the pellet. Influence of Al3+ on AS settleability Single dosing A higher single dosage of flocculant could increase the nucleation rate and the amount of small aggregates, and through the bridging function, it strengthen the interaction energy among the organics on the sludge surface. Comparison between single and multiple dosing EPS content has a significant effect on sludge settleability. Both sludge flocculation and sedimentation were enhanced by multiple additions of Al3+. Al3+ achieved floc densification by the constant recognition of the sludge structure as well as removing water. The key difference between the two dosing patterns was the variation in the reaction time. Engineering significance In case of the failure of AS flocculation and/or sedimentation in waste water treatment process (WWTP), a solution could be to add flocculants only once. Multiple dosing, which is continuous addition of flocculants in WWTPs, extends the reaction time and at the same time promotes flocculation and sedimentation performances. Therefore, it is preferable that the concentrations of multivalent cations in the pellet, in a practical operational procedure, be continuously monitored and observed; where as soon as these concentrations decrease, low concentration of flocculants must be added continuously, in order to maintain the flocculation and sedimentation of the sludge. Conclusion Sludge flocculation and turbidity elimination ware enhanced when the single dosing increased, whereas sludge sedimentation deteriorated. Better sludge sedimentation was accomplished with multiple dosing, even though there was no big difference in the reduction of turbidity between single and multiple dosing. Regarding reducing the interaction energy barrier, single dosing was more adequate, while in terms of decreasing the EPS content, multiple dosing was more effective.