The Debated and Hated SUV Essay -- Transportation Cars Vehicles Papers

The Debated and Hated SUV Since the early 1990s, the car market has become saturated with sport utility vehicles. While SUV’s have been enthusiastically received by a wide spectrum of the demographic – everyone from teenagers to soccer moms -- not all are excited by its arrival. Some of the current complaints with SUVs have to do with their ridiculous size and relative fuel inefficiency. Others criticize the vehicles as being unsafe, and certainly unnecessary, for the tasks for which they are commonly used. But even with the recent campaigns to educate the public on the possible physical and environmental risks posed by the automobiles, SUV purchases continue to be on the rise. Indeed, with car sales on the decline, and the SUV being seen as a possible savior -- or at least band-aid -- for the struggling motor industry, any movement to ban SUVs in the near future is unlikely. There have been many arguments made for and against SUV’s. Anti-SUV groups have made good points by closely entwining logos and pathos arguments. Often anti-SUV arguments use crash statistics and environmental research to make there clams. While their use of statistics is good, anti-SUV arguments can err on the side of being so emotional they create a pathos fallacy. SUV advocates make arguments also based on statistics, but they rely more heavily on pathos based argument. One of the most prevalent fallacies made in pro-SUV arguments is that of distraction by focusing on the anti-SUV groups rather than discussing the issue at hand. Both anti and pro groups have made fallacies, but they have also made several great arguments. The desire for self-preservation is present in all people; this is why SUV safety is such a huge issue. â€Å"Ask a typic... ...e. There are those that would ban SUVs, and others that would rather just regulate them. Those that proudly drive their SUVs feel that all the bad press is directed at them. In the end there are several good arguments made on both sides. Works Cited Davidson, Ross. â€Å"The Bully on the Block.† Salon. Dec. 8, 1997 http://www.salon.com/news/1997/12/08news2.html Flint, Jerry. â€Å"The Holy War on SUVs.† Forbes. 03.03.2003. http://www.forbes.com/global/2003/0303/051.html Kirn, Walter. â€Å"Why I Love My SUV.† Time. Feb 24, 2003 v161 i8 p42 Mencimer, Stephanie. â€Å"Bumper Mentality.† Washington Monthly. December 20, 2002 http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=14839 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ SUV Info Link, The. â€Å"Environmental Double Standards for Sport Utility Vehicles.† http://www.suv.org/environ.html The Debated and Hated SUV Essay -- Transportation Cars Vehicles Papers The Debated and Hated SUV Since the early 1990s, the car market has become saturated with sport utility vehicles. While SUV’s have been enthusiastically received by a wide spectrum of the demographic – everyone from teenagers to soccer moms -- not all are excited by its arrival. Some of the current complaints with SUVs have to do with their ridiculous size and relative fuel inefficiency. Others criticize the vehicles as being unsafe, and certainly unnecessary, for the tasks for which they are commonly used. But even with the recent campaigns to educate the public on the possible physical and environmental risks posed by the automobiles, SUV purchases continue to be on the rise. Indeed, with car sales on the decline, and the SUV being seen as a possible savior -- or at least band-aid -- for the struggling motor industry, any movement to ban SUVs in the near future is unlikely. There have been many arguments made for and against SUV’s. Anti-SUV groups have made good points by closely entwining logos and pathos arguments. Often anti-SUV arguments use crash statistics and environmental research to make there clams. While their use of statistics is good, anti-SUV arguments can err on the side of being so emotional they create a pathos fallacy. SUV advocates make arguments also based on statistics, but they rely more heavily on pathos based argument. One of the most prevalent fallacies made in pro-SUV arguments is that of distraction by focusing on the anti-SUV groups rather than discussing the issue at hand. Both anti and pro groups have made fallacies, but they have also made several great arguments. The desire for self-preservation is present in all people; this is why SUV safety is such a huge issue. â€Å"Ask a typic... ...e. There are those that would ban SUVs, and others that would rather just regulate them. Those that proudly drive their SUVs feel that all the bad press is directed at them. In the end there are several good arguments made on both sides. Works Cited Davidson, Ross. â€Å"The Bully on the Block.† Salon. Dec. 8, 1997 http://www.salon.com/news/1997/12/08news2.html Flint, Jerry. â€Å"The Holy War on SUVs.† Forbes. 03.03.2003. http://www.forbes.com/global/2003/0303/051.html Kirn, Walter. â€Å"Why I Love My SUV.† Time. Feb 24, 2003 v161 i8 p42 Mencimer, Stephanie. â€Å"Bumper Mentality.† Washington Monthly. December 20, 2002 http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=14839 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ SUV Info Link, The. â€Å"Environmental Double Standards for Sport Utility Vehicles.† http://www.suv.org/environ.html

The Internet: Fad or Fortune? :: Computers Technology Web Essays

The Internet: Fad or Fortune? Many people have rushed to Internet much like the gold diggers rushed to California in search for the illusive gold that laid hidden in the hills somewhere. People have come to view the Internet almost as a money tree where all they need to do is put up their business site and within weeks they will be making hundreds of thousands of dollars. Nothing could be further from the truth. Much like the siren’s songs in sailors’ legends, consultants, venture capitalists, and others have painted a picture of how the Internet was going to change the world and make everyone who was a part of it rich. A few success stories were all that it took for everyone to jump in and take their stab at it. Now that many dot-coms have crashed and the dust is starting to settle a bit we can take a better look at what has gone wrong with this overly simple and optimistic paradigm. The Internet is an amazing and powerful business tool if it is used in a way that will help an existing or new business become more profitable than it would be without it. There are four basic things that a company or person must keep in mind when trying to take their organization or idea online. These considerations are to 1) know exactly what you want out of your website, 2) know how this website connects to every other part of your business (internal environment), 3) know how this website meets your customers / suppliers needs (external environment), and 4) know when to say â€Å"when.† This list is not meant to be an exhaustive list or a complete set of criteria by which to judge a company’s integration into the World Wide Web. Rather it is a list that is meant to invoke some careful reflection on the part of the business owners or managers before jumping into the shark tank because every body else is. Each of the four considerations will be discussed below. Know what you need first Far to many people jump into the Internet game not really knowing what it is they are after or what they are going to accomplish (aside from some pipe dream to be the next internet millionaire) with their Internet presence.

Solar Power Has a Future :: Solar Energy is the Future

This is NOT a paper. It is an Annotated Bibliography Plan: I want to look into solar energy and assess how likely it is to change American energy usage through the 21st century. This type of energy has worked well in Germany and should be greatly considered in the US. I think widespread usage of solar energy can prove a large step in solving our current energy crisis and assist in the current climate crisis at the same time. Outline I. Introduction A. The current energy system needs a new solution B. That solution may be solar energy C. Basics of how solar works/types of energy available D. Generally why solar is a great renewable energy resource II. The issues and solar energy A. More detailed explanation of how solar works than the brief explanation given in intro B. Photovoltaic cells C. Solar heating D. Biofuels E. How solar is the greenest energy source III. Challenges A. Technology is expensive B. The sun only shines part of the day and only on sunny days C. Batteries are needed to store energy for use at non-peak times D. Large scale production requires large amounts of land E. Current technology is very inefficient IV. Benefits A. Arguably the greenest energy source B. Technology pays for itself halfway through its lifespan C. Installing panels on your home or business allows you to sell that energy to the grid D. Rather simple for home usage E. Small scale units take up no space otherwise used V. Germany’s experience A. The government pushes solar greatly B. For a brief time on a June day 50% of the country’s energy was coming from solar energy C. Generally how they have been doing: pros and cons of their experience D. They are continuing to push for greater amounts of solar and other renewable energies VI. Governmental policies A. Pressure for utility companies to make a percentage of their energy come from solar B. Tax incentives C. Europe feels more pressure from the EU than felt in the US and they’re doing better at switching to renewables D. The US still lacks strong governmental policies to make the push toward solar and other renewables VII. Conclusions A. Solar is certainly a way to help solve the current energy crisis B. Solar alone will not become the new full scale energy provider C. It works best on a smaller scale especially for the individual Solar Power Has a Future :: Solar Energy is the Future This is NOT a paper. It is an Annotated Bibliography Plan: I want to look into solar energy and assess how likely it is to change American energy usage through the 21st century. This type of energy has worked well in Germany and should be greatly considered in the US. I think widespread usage of solar energy can prove a large step in solving our current energy crisis and assist in the current climate crisis at the same time. Outline I. Introduction A. The current energy system needs a new solution B. That solution may be solar energy C. Basics of how solar works/types of energy available D. Generally why solar is a great renewable energy resource II. The issues and solar energy A. More detailed explanation of how solar works than the brief explanation given in intro B. Photovoltaic cells C. Solar heating D. Biofuels E. How solar is the greenest energy source III. Challenges A. Technology is expensive B. The sun only shines part of the day and only on sunny days C. Batteries are needed to store energy for use at non-peak times D. Large scale production requires large amounts of land E. Current technology is very inefficient IV. Benefits A. Arguably the greenest energy source B. Technology pays for itself halfway through its lifespan C. Installing panels on your home or business allows you to sell that energy to the grid D. Rather simple for home usage E. Small scale units take up no space otherwise used V. Germany’s experience A. The government pushes solar greatly B. For a brief time on a June day 50% of the country’s energy was coming from solar energy C. Generally how they have been doing: pros and cons of their experience D. They are continuing to push for greater amounts of solar and other renewable energies VI. Governmental policies A. Pressure for utility companies to make a percentage of their energy come from solar B. Tax incentives C. Europe feels more pressure from the EU than felt in the US and they’re doing better at switching to renewables D. The US still lacks strong governmental policies to make the push toward solar and other renewables VII. Conclusions A. Solar is certainly a way to help solve the current energy crisis B. Solar alone will not become the new full scale energy provider C. It works best on a smaller scale especially for the individual

The Qur’an

The Qur'an is recognized as the last literal words of GOD given to his people by Muhammad the last prophet, or messenger of GOD (Quran recitations and translation online, 2006-2009). The Quran is without a beginning, middle, or ending, and consists of 114 chapters of varying lengths called â€Å"Sura†. Each ‘Sura’ is titled dependant on the message being portrayed (Hooker, 1996). It also reveals the following â€Å"five pillars of Islam† (Five Pillars of Islam, 2009) or standards that define Muslim religious belief and practice. These pillars are the foundation of Muslim religion. Good introduction and thesis statement. â€Å"Shahada† means the acceptance of no other GOD but ALLAH and that Mohammad is the prophet of Allah (Five Pillars of Islam, 2009). This same theme is reinereated thoroughout the Quran is is the single most important basis of Muslim religion. Develop paragraph further. â€Å"Salat† is the requirement to pray daily starting at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night facing toward the Mecca. (source? ) This time is seen as a personal conversation with Allah expressing gratitude and worship as well as asking for assistance if needed. It is believed that this practice enables one to remain on a true path of righteousness. (Five Pillars of Islam, 2009) Muslims are seen daily at the Mosques during this ritual prayer but it is not a requirement to pray in a Mosque the only requirement for daily prayer is the area is to be clean. â€Å"Zakah† or charitable giving consists of two main types. First, there is the kajj, which is a fixed amount based on the cost of food that is paid during the month of Ramadan for the entire family. Make an original title that reflects your thesis statement. This could be very expensive depending on the amount of people in the family and whether or not you included the extended family in the accounting. Avoid 2nd person voice. Second, there is the Zakat on wealth, which covers money made in business, savings, income, and valuables held for longer than one year only as long as the value is greater than ‘Nisab’ (the equilivent of 3 ozs of gold). (source? ) One can always give more in order to obtain a greater divine reward. The following guiding principles should be followed when giving the Zakat: the giver must declare is intention to GOD. It must be paid on the day that it is due, or it is considered the refusal to fulfill GODS wishes. (source? ) Payment must be in kind, wealthy people pay in cash while poorer people can pay in goods or time depending on their ability. And finally the Zakat is always distributed in the community it originated. It is through Zakat that the responsibility to eliminate inequity and ease economic hardship in every community is fulfilled. Five Pillars of Islam, 2009) This practice of distribution in the community at times can lead to inequality when economics of the area are factored in. Fragment- Make topic sentence- â€Å"Sawm† or Ramadan Fasting. During this 30 day period one must abstain from food, drink, and sexual intercourse from dawn to dusk while being especially mindful of other sins. (source? ) There are three different types of fasting recognized although the act of fasting remains the same. There is ritual fasting, fasting as compensation or repentance, and ascetic fasting. † (source? ) The purpose is to allow Muslims to seek nearness to Allah, to express their gratitude to and dependence on him, to atone for their past sins, and to remind them of the needy. Since there is the fasting in place during daylight hours, some mosques hold early morning breakfast gatherings as well as community dinners at night during the period of Ramadan. (Five Pillars of Islam, 2009) â€Å"Hajj† or the pilgrimage to Mecca is the last pillar of Islam. Every able-bodied Muslim is obliged to make this at least once in their lifetime if they can afford it (Five Pillars of Islam, 2009). This pilgrimage is not dependant on distance either. If living in the States or even further away it is still an expectation that if able the pilgrimage will be made. The five pillars of Islam are just the beginning of the Qur'an’s foundation for living. The Quran is also a book of wisdom giving inspiration and guidance to the people of Muslim religion. As reported in the Sura 17 â€Å"This Qur'an guides to that which is more right and better. It reassures the believers who do the good that their reward will be great† (Topic index of the Quran, 1995-2001). It is filled with reminders of God’s mercy, blessing, warnings of what will occur to those who do not follow the righteous path, instructions for daily living and also includes stories of ancient civilizations and the lessons they learned (Hooker, 1996). This makes the Quran the bible or words of wisdom followed by all Muslims in the practice of their religion and lifestyles.

Financial Risk Management at Toyota Essay

Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) is Japan’s largest and the world’s fourth-largest automobile manufacturer. The company offers well-known car models like Camry, Corona, Corolla and Lexus. Though a late entrant, compared to General Motors and Ford, Toyota has become one of the strongest players in the automobile industry. Toyota has continued to set new benchmarks for providing value to customers more effectively than competitors. Toyota is exposed to market risk due to changes in currency rates, interest rates and certain commodity and equity prices. In order to manage these risks, Toyota uses various derivative financial instruments. These instruments are in general executed only with creditworthy financial institutions. The case outlines the various financial risks Toyota faces and how the company manages them. Introduction Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota), Japan’s largest and the world’s fourth-largest automobile manufacturer offered well-known car models like Camry, Corona, Corolla, and Lexus. Though a late entrant, compared to General Motors and Ford, Toyota had become one of the strongest players in the automobile industry. In an industry, generally considered to be mature in terms of technology, Toyota had continued to set new benchmarks for providing value to customers more effectively than competitors. Toyota had also redefined the rules of the game in various areas – product development, manufacturing, vendor management and human resources management. A recent Business Week issue had Toyota on the cover with the caption â€Å"Can anything stop Toyota?† Background Note Sakichi Toyoda, born in 1868, founded Toyota. He showed little interest in the family’s carpentry business. Instead, Toyoda concentrated on improving the handloom machinery used in textile factories. These efforts led to the Toyoda Automatic Loom. In 1926, Sakichi founded Toyoda Automatic Loom Works (TALW) to make looms. He entrusted his son Kiichiro with the task of using the profits from the textile machinery business to develop a motor car. In 1933, Kiichiro opened an auto department within the loom works and began copying US engine designs. After Sakichi died in 1930, Kiichiro faced stiff competition from Ford and General Motors, who had set up their manufacturing units in Japan. Family members including brother Risaburo showed little interest in Kiichiro’s plans. In spite of these difficulties, the articles of association of the company were amended in 1933 to permit automobile manufacturing†¦ Credit Risk Toyota used various financial instruments, in the normal course of business. These instruments were in general executed only with creditworthy financial institutions. Virtually all foreign currency contracts were denominated in U.S. dollars, euros and other currencies of major industrialized countries†¦ Market Risk Toyota was exposed to market risk due to changes in currency rates, interest rates and certain commodity and equity prices. In order to manage these risks, Toyota used various derivative financial instruments†¦ Derivative financial instruments: Accounting & Valuation Toyota employed derivative financial instruments, including foreign exchange forward contracts, foreign currency options, interest rate swaps, currency swap agreements and interest rate options to manage its exposure to fluctuations in interest rates and foreign exchange rates†¦

The text under interpretation is “The Happy Man” by William Somerset Maugham

First some information about the author. W. S. Maugham was a well-known English playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was the son of a British diplomat. He was educated at King's school in Canterbury, studied painting in Paris, went to Heidelberg University in Germany and studied to be a doctor at St. Thomas Hospital in England. So, he put his hand in different activities and that's why he is a versatile and experienced person. S. Maugham was critical of the morals, the narrow-mindedness and hypocrisy of bourgeois society. Such novels as â€Å"Of Human Bondage†, â€Å"The Moon and Sixpence†, â€Å"The Theatre† and others came under his pen. He was also the master of the short story. Among them are: â€Å"Colonel's Lady†, â€Å"Friend in Need†, â€Å"Lion's Skin†, etc. S. Maugham was among the most popular writers of his era, and reputedly, the highest paid author during the 1930s. I like this author. S. Maugham's style of writing is clear and precise. He doesn't impose his views on the reader. He puts a question and leaves it to the reader to answer. 1 also like his reveling the weak sides and vices of human nature skillfully. Well, this text is about a successful man, who had a good job, a family, a nice flat in London, but he wasn't satisfied with his life and made up his mind to give up everything for uncertainty. But, why is this man unhappy? He seems to have everything to be happy. But he doesn't consider himself happy. He is unpleased with his life. And the question arises: What is happiness then? I believe that each person has his own values in life. Everyone has his own ideas about happiness. And this text is dedicated to the man who is trying to find his happiness. 1 liked this text. It made me think about the values in life and about what happiness is. So, the main problem of this text is that everyone is an architect of his own fortune. f'he main characters of this text are: the narrator and doctor Stephens. The structure is a bit unusual because of a philosophical digression which makes the reader think about the attitude to life, relations with people and values in hfe. The general slant of the text is matter-of-fact. f rom the very beginning of the text we learn about the author's reflections

Alcon Gove PTY Limited

The economic valuation principles highlights the bottom line of any energy efficient or cost saving measure that will determine whether to proceed with a specific implementation (Anon n. d. ). The company ensures that in all cases when necessary they prevent, minimise, mitigate and remediate potential harmful effects of the Group's operations on the environment (Rio Tinto 2010). The company has been very much proactive with the program of Greenhouse Challenge and since 2001 they even voluntarily submitted its annual greenhouse gas emissions inventory.Since Rio Tinto Alcan Gove’s operations as a whole expends a lot of energy they continuously identify energy efficiency improvement projects prior to the of the Energy Efficiency Opportunities Act (Australian Government Dept of resources, energy and Tourism 2009). According to the company on their Sustainable development review, their focus on providing sound governance and high standards of conduct in which they felt that this wo uld give a competitive advantage over the industry.They are an active member of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) for the purpose of providing leadership on scientific and policy matters, consistent communication with all stakeholders and promote applying the sustainable development principles to promote best practice performance standards (Rio Tinto 2010). Just recently an example of this activity was displayed.When the company plans to invest $340 million in a molybdenum facility, in which has the capability of processing a lower-grade molybdenum concentrate to be processed more efficiently than through conventional roasters, basically this facility is much more safer and reliable to use for its employees and produces a more high quality product that even its by-products can be utilized which will be also beneficial for Rio Tinto (Utah Pulse 2010). 2- What will be the impact on the consumer of the product or serviceThe impact based on these strategies and polic ies employed internally by Alcan Gove will actually benefit all consumers for its products and services. By being cautious regarding safety and mitigating risks for environment, Rio Tinto displays its integrity by building this foundation of compliance with relevant local laws and regulations and international standards. Consumers tend to choose a company that offers a good quality product that also has done measures to ensure that overall business operations reduces or better yet prevent risks to safety and damaging effects on the environment.3-How might consumer behaviour affects the business's profitability in general terms Consumer behavior definitely has great effects on any overall business profitability. People’s needs and expectations drive demand, and based on statistics on industries especially for developing economies the growth rate in terms of this market can be related to potential significant sales for Alcan Gove (United Nations 2005).Another thing that may imp act demand is the perception of Alcan Gove’s consistent measures to ensure safety for its employees and reduction on environmental impacts, this will create a reflection on how concerned the company is on its surroundings which translates better to the behavior of overall consumers to purchase from them. 4-How could the business respond to these changes to minimise their impact and maximise the benefit to stakeholdersThe company should maintain their strategy on sustainable development, and guarantee that their operations and products as well will be continuously used and developed appropriately throughout their lifecycle. Another strategy that can be employed is on reduction of environmental footprint of their operations, which includes making sure that balancing the impact of overall operations with enhanced environmental outcomes, economic development and overall efficiency of operations.For various types of stakeholders, instant and significant monetary gains may not be e xpected as early as now, but with the continuous improvements focusing on sustainable development and steady growth, stakeholders will reap those rewards soon. References Anon (n. d). Economic Evaluation Principles. [Online] Available from . [27 May 2010] Rio Tinto. (2010). Environmental stewardship.[Online] Available from < http://www. riotinto. com/ourapproach/17194_environmental_stewardship. asp> [27 May 2010] Australian Government Dept of resources, Energy and Tourism (2009). Alcan Gove Pty Limited, Energy Efficiency Opportunities Public Report 2009. [PDF] United Nations (2005). World Population Prospects. [PDF] Utah Pulse. (2010). Rio Tinto to invest $340m in molybdenum facility. [Online] Available from >. [27 May 2010]