Law 421 Week 2

Role and Functions of Law Paper Amber Freetage Law/421 November 19, 2012 Eric Nord No matter where we are in our country, we are surrounded by many of them, and guarded by few. Some are short; some are long but no matter what they control every potential move we make day in and day out. We are talking about laws. By definition laws are, â€Å"a rule or set of rules, enforceable by the courts, regulating the government of a state, the relationship between the organs of government and the subjects of the state, and the relationship or conduct of subjects towards each other,† (Law.N. d. ). Over the years, our laws have changed and been added to in order to protect not only us as individuals but our businesses as well. Even though there have been limits placed by the U. S. Supreme Court, our Congress still exercises very broad powers to pass laws where the activity being regulated affects interstate commerce in any way (Chapter Two. P. 32). they have the authority to maintain chan nels of interstate commerce, the instrumentalities of interstate commerce, and the articles moving in interstate commerce.For our business’ this means that the Congress gets to have control or at least the final say with any involvement with vehicles used in shipping, our railways, and our beloved highways. Meaning any business transactions that are from state to state or across country the Congress can step in and change things to accommodate the law. For our business’ that rely on tourists, which many of our ocean front city’s do, it means that the cost for being open, staying open, and selling prices of items may be affected.This is true because Congress has the power to tax the citizenry and to spend the federal government’s money in any way that they see fit, as long as it generates common defense and general welfare. Another use of commerce power is within the Civil Rights Legislation. This commerce power is one that has affected our businesses, sch ools, and everyday lives because it gave Congress the power to ban any form of discrimination in places of public use (hotels, restaurants, stores).Placing this ban against discrimination allowed everyone the chance to shop, stay, work, and eat wherever they chose because those businesses made purchases or held business activity out of state. â€Å"States often wish to regulate commerce that crosses into their state borders. States are free to regulate commerce so long as (1) it does not impose a discriminatory law (such as a tax) on out-of-state businesses, and (2) the state law is a legitimate effort to regulate health, safety, and welfare,† (Chapter Two. P. 35)While we cannot go into deep detail of every law that regulates and mandates us to maintain a strict lifestyle or to keep a legit business’s doors open it is very important that laws are taken seriously so that lawsuits are prevented and as individuals, we are not put behind bars. While laws can be hard to und erstand, the ones that pertain to us as people are known or learned from experience or from our teachings. As a business owner take the time to know what guidelines we must follow in order to keep our job.In a previous employment position, knowing the laws came to be very informative. Federal laws are set to every state and no one can change them, except for the President, or Congress if all in agreement or high votes, but get to know the state laws where you reside. In a previous occupation, learning the laws became much easier when pointed in the right direction. As a full time employee, working no less than eight hours a day it became very apparent that I should be entitled to a break of some sort, but was not given one.After a few other employees started to mention this as well, we began to look into what we were supposed to be given as a break. To our surprise in an eight-hour day we should be given no less than a thirty minute break for lunch and two ten minute breaks to use t hroughout the day, according to the State work laws. However, when we looked through our employee handbook, breaks are not mentioned at all. When we asked management about the issue we were told, â€Å"Your breaks are in between customers. A little extreme but okay so we kept asking and we found out that since North Carolina is a right to work state there is nothing we can do but work as we are scheduled without breaks or be in fear of losing our job all together. So, you see laws are very important to learn and keep up with because you can be getting taken advantage of without even knowing what you are entitled. References Chapter Two: Business and the Constitution (p. 32-35). (n. d. ). Retrieved November 19, 2012 Law. (n. d. ). Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved November 19, 2012, from Dictionary. com

Ideal Person Essay

Ideal person An ideal person is is that man or woman who can easily deliver his or her thoughts and ideas in a perfect manner.Actually an ideal person possesses iron determination and is a moral giant in the true sense of the term.The qualities he/ she possesses are truthfulness, honesty,love for his fellowmen, taking oath not to hurt others, not to pain anyone’s soul and try to bow before the worthy and be a balm for the bruised hearts.If all such qualities are manifested the salt of the earth is born. Can my dream be fructified? May be, I know it for certain that in the modern society most of the people are morally corrupt. If my ideal person emerges somehow from the rotten system he/she may be the pathfinder of those fallen souls leading them towards the dream destination.At that very time our beautiful planet may get rid of the blemishes. It is quite evident that man or woman with lofty ideals are not at hand but still there are people who can earn our reverence through their honesty and virtues.If they were not present in the society the Sun never blazed the Moon never glared.In the desert of corrupt populace they are nothing but the oasis,yet we know they are there with their gorgeous presence amid us. How to be an ideal person Always keep smiling. That does not mean to laugh for no reason, but it means to remain composed and confident Be as thankful as you can in your life. Of course, not all circumstances in life will be a happy one, but keeping your glace upward will improve your window of the world. Remain as truthful as possible. Avoid being pretentious and fake Stay calm and collected. Whenever someone provokes you, try not to explode. Rather than adding fuel to the fire, perhaps ask what is going on. If they do not want to answer, then just remain in the sidelines. Try not to expect things. Instead, why don’t you try lowering the bar of your expectations. If you expect the best, you have to give your best. Keep your mind on the goal, but have temperance and patience. If you want something, you have to work for it. Obtaining things in life can be easy, but most of the time it is difficult. So do not give up! Respect your elders, not only the ones you know but also the ones whomyou do not know. Meet them cheerfully and happily. Live life with enthusiasm and perseverance. We all have the same time on earth, so rather than looking down upon a situation or your life, change it so that you can be happier. Things will roll slowly, but with dedication, faith, hope, and love, you can turn things around or make your life far better than it is now. Love yourself in a sense that look upon the ones who are lower to you in wealth and in matters of greatness and good virtue look upon the ones who are higher than you in it.

Cause and effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Cause and effect - Essay Example It is often said that people find religion in their deepest and darkest hour, but it is true that just as many people seem to â€Å"slip through the cracks.† Some examples of stressful times in people’s lives are divorce, illness, or the loss of a loved one. There is a small percentage of the population who take drugs for sport performance; however, the vast majority of those who begin taking drugs do so in order to escape whatever problems are facing them in their everyday lives. Everyone experiences hurt, whether physical or emotional, and drugs are a way out to bring relief to the pain that is being felt. A large percentage of people have no intention of becoming regular users; they think that drugs can be used as a short term option in order to relief immediate stress. What many people fail to take into account is that almost every drug is highly addictive. Drugs contain extremely tempting substances such as nicotine that can cause a user to feel dependent on a cert ain drug. This then develops into long term use because the user builds a dependency on that particular drug. Another cause of drug use is peer pressure. This is a cause that is often overlooked because many people do not know how to handle a situation where a close friend is asking them to do something. Human nature causes us to want to fit it, so we inevitably go along with what the group says. Even if someone gives up taking drugs, there will be both short and long term effects that may or may not be able to be reversed. One of the main organs than can be affected by drug use is the heart. Another organ that can be damaged due to drugs is the lungs. Cancer can form in the lungs and may spread to the rest of the body. Depending on the severity of the cancer, it may even cause the loss of someone’s life. Aside from these effects, which are mostly physical, there are other consequences that are over overlooked. Drug use can result in poor performance at work, affect

Total Quality Management (TQM) Practices and Traditional Management Assignment

Total Quality Management (TQM) Practices and Traditional Management Practices - Assignment Example According to the research findings, the difference between Total quality management (TQM) practices and traditional management practices in relation with management systems is that in TQM, all employees of the organization play their role in improving the efficiency of the organization in order to achieve long-term success through customer satisfaction. Both management and the employees make their efforts to improve the business processes and policies. Whereas if we talk about traditional management practices, we can say that the management staff practicing tradition management is more concerned with business processes and the customer side is often ignored or given less attention. Another negative aspect regarding traditional management practices is that the management is less innovative and does not want to involve employees’ views in decision-making processes. Organizational structure refers to the way through which management of an organization use employees and department s to drive the organization towards the achievement of different goals and objectives. For any organization, such as healthcare organizations, the structure plays an important role in its success because structure clarifies roles and responsibilities of every employee. â€Å"Organizational structure provides the guidelines for the system of reporting that drives an organization†. TQM views organizational structure as one unit whereas traditional management takes it as different units putting their efforts to achieve their respective goals. TQM gives importance to collective efforts to reach organizational goals and objectives whereas traditional managers do not want to take ideas of employees in making any kind of policy and views all departments as different units of the organization. Management’s role is critical to the success of any organization. For example, in a healthcare organization, management assigns tasks to different departments based on the nature of task s and the departments make their efforts to complete those tasks. The role of management using TQM is quite different to the role of the management practicing traditional management style. â€Å"TQM takes into account all quality measures taken at all levels and involving all company employees†.

Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) - Essay Example Prior to the 1970s, such risks were left to the companies to handle and there was minimal intervention from the federal government by way of work safety-related policies and regulatory standards. By the late 1960s, workplace accidents resulted to the death of an average 14,000 workers per year while an estimated two million more were harmed or disabled. Furthermore, there was too little known about the health effects of the variety of chemicals that were being churned out of factories even as environmental advocates have been raising the alarm on the possible dangers of exposure. This disturbing rates and figures prompted President Nixon to sign the Occupational Safety and Health Act in Dec. 17, 19701. The enactment of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) marked the first time that a federal program was established to protect and ensure the health and safety of the entire country’s work force by reducing job-related illness, injury, disability, accidents, and death. Then-Secretary of Labor James Hodgson’s first step was to establish the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a special agency within the United States Department of Labor tasked to implement and enforce the said Act; OSHA was established effective April 28, 19712. In order to carry out the mission which it was set out for, OSHA had to start from scratch, using the Bureau of Labor Standards as the nucleus from which to build up the program3. The OSH Act also established the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as the agency to conduct researches on known and possible work-related safety and health problems and to recommend regulatory standards which OSHA should consider based on their findings; as well as that, NIOSH was also to provide technical assistance to OSHA4. OSHA’s principal client groups are mainly organized labor and the business community; as such, they have played active roles

A4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A4 - Essay Example Staff may normally read legal correspondence only if the Governor suspects that their it could harm prison security, or the safety of others, or are otherwise of a criminal nature. In this case the prisoner involved shall be given the opportunity to be present and informed that their correspondence is to be read. Mr. Daly, a long term convict has objected to the checking of prisoners’ legal correspondence in their absence. He submits that section 47(1) of the Prison Act 1952, which empowers the Secretary of State to make rules for the regulation of prisons and for the discipline and control of prisoners, does not authorise the laying down and implementation of such a policy . â€Å"The requirement that a prisoner may not be present when his legally privileged correspondence is examined by prison officers,† is the clause to which he has objected strongly. He feels this is not only against the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, but also a violation of common law for human rights. On 9 September 1994, six category A prisoners, (who were as classified as presenting an exceptional risk) escaped from the Special Security Unit at HMP Whitemoor. This happened because over a period of time, prisoners and staff had become familiar with each other and the security checks had become less vigilant. "inspite of the deprivation of his general liberty, a prisoner still has rights related to the nature and conduct of his imprisonment . . . and can take the option of courts unless some statute decrees otherwise." In its report the inquiry team made a number of recommendations. One of these was that cells and property should be searched at frequent but irregular intervals. Following a strip search, each prisoner was to be excluded from his cell during the search, to avoid intimidation. However,

Migration, remittance and livelyhood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 15000 words

Migration, remittance and livelyhood - Essay Example Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1Background Migration is a key element in the history of humanity in terms of continued existence and it has always gone hand in hand with the expansion of human race. On the other hand, over the years, the awareness of global migration and its impact to expansion has evolved, because of the growing recognition of the importance of remittance. The high quantity of migrant remittance flows to rising countries has guided to both pessimistic and optimistic views on the impacts of remittance. A wide range of literature and research has been available discussing the issue of remittance and its implications on expansion and migration. On the other hand, research to date has primarily concentrated on the impact of remittance to financial development, the connection between migration and remittance and so on. However, there remains an important gap examining the various processes of sending remittance and the wider problems remittance poses. The incomes that migrant s send home to their relatives, mainly global migrants, have expanded in current years to levels, which exceed direct foreign investments and official growth assistance. The World Bank estimated that worldwide remittances increased from about $85.6 billion in the year 2000 to about $167 billion in the year 2004 as contrasted to the direct foreign investment and development assistance. Presently, the bank estimates that global remittances reached about $318 billion in the year 2007, an amount of about $240 billion of that went to developing countries. Whereas potentially of similar importance, the quantity of internal remittances, sent mainly by urban migrants back to rural societies of their origin, as money or kind, are not commonly recorded and are hard to estimate. Extra migrants move internally than worldwide, and their earnings are inclined to be lower. Despite troubles of amount, the clearly huge amounts of remittances sent by global and internal migrants have attracted a lot of researchers to observe their impact on different aspects of growth. Recently, a growing sense of awareness has arisen with regard to the size and impact of informal remittances. Whereas formal remittances denote those remittances that enter a country during official banking channels, the informal remittances contain those money transfers that happen through private channels. Such private transfers contain remittances brought home by relatives, friends and even the migrant herself/himself. Whereas formal remittances to increasing countries have totalled to more than $167 billion in the year 2005, the point of informal remittances is practically unknown for the reason that they be inclined to flow through private channels. Estimates of the range of informal remittances differ widely, ranging from about 35 to 250 percent of formal remittances. This paper aims to fill this research gap by talking about the

Analysis using IS-LM model Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis using IS-LM model - Article Example These are considered to be the vital ingredients of an economy; therefore, a change in each would lead to an effect in the economy, as either an economic turmoil or a positive encounter. According to the Globe and Mail, China has been on the frontline in making an economic improvement in each subsequent year. The country has been improving in its economy with each passing year, growing to be the second world’s biggest economy. This is a positive approach to the country’s economy, as it has stipulated methods of growth. Since 2009, the country has recorded its ever first lowest decline in economic growth. The country’s economic growth dropped from an average of 8.1% to a low of 7.6%. This was an occurrence that proved that the country’s economic growth would further deteriorate if not approached with the best economic measures. The economy had to encompass economic strategies that would revive its economic growth to a better position, just like the previous years. Therefore, the second biggest world’s economy would have to improve its approach towards economic growth to resuscitate the economic turmoil. The economic redundancy in the china republic could be explained by the IS-LM curve in a number of ways, which are closely related to the economy. First, the economic decline was forced due to the stagnant real estate investments. Many people had acquired investments in real estates, with a focus of making an increase in their investments. In many countries, real estate is considered a highly viable investment. Therefore, many people have been compelled o increase their investments in the sector, including the china economy. However, the supply for real estate escalated, while the demand remained the same. With such a prevalent situation in the market, there were little tradeoffs between the real estate owners and the buyers. This led to a reduction in the interest rates as most of the owners had to

Conflict and Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Conflict and Change - Essay Example   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the themes that the author uses is controlling the mind. He says the government changes news and books contents. It does this to change the history that blackmails it as bad. The government monitors its citizens in all their daily activities. It banned the citizens from indulging in any forms of rebellious thinking, speaking, or activities. What results is a society of stooges and zombies who have no rights over themselves (Orwell & Fromm 2010). People are forced to control and suppress their sexual desires. The government makes children spies to seek for those who violate the orders. The act is unethical as the children will grow with conflicting thoughts and feelings to their families. The society marks the children as betrayers (Orwell & Fromm 2010). The author further develops his work with the theme of oppression. The government uses unethical and immoral tactics to quell the activities of Winston Smith the Protagonist. It takes his girlfriend away and forces him to give her up. Winston finally gives up and joins the government. It also forces its citizens to engage in strenuous jobs in the morning. They had to love what it was doing for them to be free (Orwell & Fromm 2010). Forcing anyone to love and adopt indecent activities is inhumane. The author uses the novel and its themes to show and warn the consequences of a totalitarianism government. The society and people become ethically and morally

Vitamin D requirement in pregnancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Vitamin D requirement in pregnancy - Essay Example The researchers did not stipulate their research question but this can be inferred from the article’s title and the study’s objective. The following is the inferred research questions as developed from these perspectives. Vitamin D supplementation was the study’s treatment. Deficiency of the vitamin in women was first noted and then corrected. Supplementation with 50000 IU and 100000 IU of the vitamin for different groups then followed. Random selection was used to recruit the participants and to assign them into groups, for those who had sufficient levels of the vitamin > 20ng/ml. participants with lower levels were first treated for initial boost before the study’s treatment of 50000 IU or 100000 IU of vitamin D. data was then measured from cord blood. Even though 34 of the participates had, initially, a vitamin D level > 20 ng/ml, all of the women had levels less than 30ng/ml. Fetuses of women from all of the groups recorded significant levels of vitamin D, greater than 20 ng/ml. The study shows that 50000 IU of vitamin D per month, from the forth month of pregnant, is necessary for ensuring a threshold level of vitamin D among neonates. The authors conclude that treatment of less than 50000 IU per month is not sufficient to ensure the threshold of 20 ng/ml of vitamin D in

A Formalist Approach on A Supermarket in California by Allen Ginsberg Essay Example for Free

A Formalist Approach on A Supermarket in California by Allen Ginsberg Essay Allen Ginsberg is considered to be one of the most influential poet of all time. He is regarded one of the most influential personalities of the beat generation during the 1950’s and 1960’s. His works became known for assaulting the prevalent conformity and materialism in the United States during his time. One of his best known work is the poem â€Å"A Supermarket in California. † It would be very interesting to approach a work of Ginsberg according to formalist standards. A formalist approach the work of Ginsberg would only reveal to us that he deliberately breaks-off from the conventions set by formalism. According to the criterion of formalism, an art work should only be judged according to the set conventions of its form. Poetry under formalism could also be considered as traditional poetry. In poetry, formalism would be more concerned with the form, rhyme scheme, and meter. Ginsberg’s â€Å"A Supermarket in California† violates many formalist standards. It would be important to note that the poem is not metered and there is no apparent end rhymes. The poem is actually written in long lines following the free-verse form. Free-verse is generally considered as an open genre of poetry wherein structure, rhyme, and meter are not prioritized (Lawlor 208). Reading orally would reveal to us that the poem is intended to be read. The poem takes on a poetic yet conversational tone. However, an interesting aspect about free-verse is that there is still some sense of control, something that holds the poem together, namely the metaphor. In this particular aspect of the poem, some sense of standard is found, therefore quasi-formalist. Ginsberg had used the supermarket as a metaphor for the society, wherein people are just produce â€Å"aisles full of husbands / wives in the avocados / babies in the tomatoes. † Ginsberg had portrayed Walt Whitman and Garcia Lorca as shoppers in â€Å"the neon fruit supermarket. It should be noted that Whitman and Lorca are regarded as two of the greatest poets in the history of literature. The metaphor is suggesting that the society is abundant with people whom poets could pick as an inspiration of their works. Another important aspect to be considered is that Allen Ginsberg is heavily associated with the beat generation, a group of writers dedicated to subvert the standards set by formalists (Lawlor 340). Without a doubt, Ginsberg’s work on â€Å"A Supermarket in California† would not pass the standards of formalist poetry. However, we must set Ginsberg’s poem within its context. The audience Ginsberg had was not entertained by formalist poetry. That is why he had written the poem in a simple and conversational manner. This is one of most admirable aspects of Allen Ginsberg’s poetry. After all, it all boils down to priority. A poet should decide which is more important, the message of the poem or the form?

Phases And Track Of The Business Cycle Economics Essay

Phases And Track Of The Business Cycle Economics Essay Business Cycle, term used by economists to designate a periodic increase and decrease in an economys production and employment. Ever since the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s, the overall level of production in industrialized capitalist countries has varied from high output and employment to low output and employment. Economists started to study business cycles because they have a significant impact on all aspects of an economy. Furthermore, the preparation of this report aims to look at the Business Cycle in general, history of business cycle and examples of long waves, phases of business cycle: recession, depression, expansion and recovery and peak and how to keep track on business cycles in order to to understand why there are ups downs in that nations economy and to learn what can be done to prevent recessions and maintain prosperity Business Cycle: a predictable long-term pattern of alternating periods of economic growth (recovery) and decline (recession), characterized by changing employment, industrial productivity, and interest rates. Also called economic cycle. History of Business Cycle: Many people believe that business cycles exist according to the theories. This has not been a permanent belief. In the 19th century, business cycles werent mentioned at all and it was spells of crises which is interrupting the smooth development of the economy. In later years, both economists and non- economists began to believe in the regularity of such crises, analyzing how they were spaced apart and associated with changing economic structures. Obviously, not every economic cycle operates on the same yardstick. The following classification, originally conjured up by Schumpeter (1939), defines a few of them by their duration (trough to trough or peak to peak) for examples: Seasonal cycles within a year Kitchin cycles 3 years Juglar cycles 9-10 years Kuznets cycles 15-20 years Kondratiev cycles 48-60 years Also, Schumpeter labeled the four-phases of a cycle which are: boom, recession, depression and recovery. Boom, is a rise which lasts until the peak is reached; a recession is the drop from the peak back to the mean; a depression is the slide from the mean down to the trough and a recovery is the rise from the trough back up to the mean. Despite the meanings, these phases cycle are moved up into another boom and thus the beginning of another four-phase cycle. Additionally, if any cycle of whatever duration can be described as going through these four phases, the fluctuations cannot really be described as cycles. Theorists of business cycle believe that the economy goes through like waves of economic activity. However, it causes the economy to exhibit this type of activity has been a source of many disruptive, as a result it become far imaginative and exercises. There are many empirical facts that all business cycle theorists should be acquainted. To begin with, empirical evidence shows that throughout the 19th Century, the price level oscillated heavily while output was much less subject to fluctuations. Thus, the early analysis of cycles was based precisely on their definition as swings in price levels and not output. Nevertheless, during the 20th Century there has normally been a constant upward trend in prices by saving few exceptions. Prices varied, of course, but only around this upward trend. Output, however, oscillated heavily in the 20th century thus what were defined as cyclical were movements in output like: in recessions and depressions. Also, output would increase in the recovery and boom. That means the cycle or even a crisis as a movement in output is a rather recent phenomenon. Lastly, Wesley C.Mitchell dedicated much of his life to measuring and analyzing business cycles, thus it is no surprise that Mitchells NBER has maintained the most widely accepted historical record of business cycles in the United States. Long Waves The NBER does not record Kondratiev Cycles (or long waves) and they dont believe these cycles exist. Even so, these four Kondratiev waves have been identified by going through four phases of boom, recession, depression and recovery (the dates and labels are from Kuznets, 1940) such as: (1) The Industrial Revolution (1787-1842) is the most famous Kondratiev wave: the boom began in about 1787 and turned into a recession at the beginning of the Napoleonic age in 1801 and, in 1814, deepened into a depression. The depression lasted until about 1827 after which there was a recovery until 1842. As is obvious, this Kondratiev rode on the development of textile, iron and other steam-powered industries. (2) The Bourgeois Kondratiev (1843-1897): After 1842, the boom reemerged and a new Kondratiev wave began this one as a result of the railroadization in Northern Europe and America and the accompanying expansion in the coal and iron industries. The boom ended approximately in 1857 when it turned into a recession. The recession turned into a depression into 1870, which lasted until about 1885. The recovery began after that and lasted until 1897. (3) The Neo-Mercantilist Kondratiev (1898-1950?): The boom began about 1898 with the expansion of electric power and the automobile industry and lasted until about 1911. The recession which followed turned into depression in about 1925 which lasted until around 1935. We can assume that this third wave entered into a recovery immediately afterwards which one might suspect lasted until around 1950. (4) The Fourth Kondratiev (1950 2010?). There has been much debate among believers on the dating the Fourth Wave largely because of the confusions generated by the low fluctuation in price levels and the issue of Keynesian policies and hence this debate is yet to be resolved. Perhaps the most acceptable set of dates is that the boom began around 1950 and lasted until about 1974 wherein recession set in. When (and if) this recession fell into its depression phase may be more difficult to ascertain (c.1981?), but what has been more or less agreed upon is that 1992 (or thereabouts) the recovery began and has been projected to give way to a boom and thus a new Kondratiev wave around 2010 or so. The Phases Of The Business Cycle Economists have many different ways of labeling the business cycle. The business cycle may be defined as the changes that occur to the real GDP because of alternating periods of expansion and contraction. The phases are: 1. Recession. A decline in the real GDP occurs for at least two or more quarters. During a recession, business people spend less than they once did. As a result, sales are failing. Businesses do what they can to reduce their spending. They lay off workers, buy less merchandise, and postpone plans to expand. When this happens, business suppliers do what they can to protect themselves. They too lay off workers and reduce spending. Since workers earn less, they spend less, and business income and profits decline still more. Businesses spend even less than before and lay off still more workers. The economy continues to slide. 2. Low Point or Depression. State of the economy where there are large unemployment rates, a decline in annual income, and overproduction. The time of the the real GDP stops there decline and starts expanding to the lowest point. Sooner or later, the recession will reach the bottom of the business cycle. How long the cycle will remain at this low point varies from a matter of weeks to many months. During some depressions, such as the one in the 1930s, the low point has lasted for years. 3. Expansion and Recovery. A period in which the real GDP grows; recovery from a recession. When business begins to improve a bit, firms will hire a few more workers and increase their orders of materials from their suppliers. Increased orders lead other firms to increase production and rehire workers. More employment leads to more consumer spending, further business activity, and still more jobs. Economists describe this upturn in the business cycle as a period of expansion and recovery. 4. Peak. The point of real GDP stops increasing and begins its decline; the highest point. At the top, or peak, of the business cycle, business expansion ends its upward climb. Employment, consumer spending, and production hit their highest levels. A peak, like a depression, can last for a short or long period of time. When the peak lasts for a long time, we are in a period of prosperity. One of the dangers of peak periods is that of inflation. During periods of inflation, prices rise and the value of money declines. Inflation is more of a threat during peak periods because employment and earnings are at high levels. With more money in their pockets, people are willing to spend more than before. In this way, demand is increased and prices rise. Graphically the phases would look like so: How Do Economists Keep Track Of The Business Cycle? For many years, economists have tried to identify why there are ups and downs in that nations economy. They want to learn what can be done to prevent recessions and maintain prosperity. Therefore, they ask the following questions which are: (1) in what phase of the business cycle is our economy at the present time? And (2) Where is the business cycle heading? On the other hand, economists believe that there are five causes of the business cycle. The first cause is changes in capital expenditures. Businesses have expectations of sales growth, when the economy is strong. They invest heavily in capital goods. Although, businesses may decide that they have expanded to their limit, so they begin to pull back on their capital investments and cause an eventual recession. The second cause of the business cycle is inventory adjustments. At the first sign of an economy reaching its peak, there are some businesses that cut back their inventories and then build them back up again at the first sign of a trough. Both actions cause the real GDP to fluctuate. Innovation and imitation are the third causes of the business cycle. Innovations include new products, new inventions, or a new way of performing a task. When a business innovates, it often gains an edge on its competitors because its costs decrease or its sales increase. Whatever the case, profits increase and the business grows. If other business in the same industry wants to keep up, they then copy what the innovator has done (imitation) or they come up with something better. While, Imitation companies usually invest heavily and an investment boom follows, the innovation spreads to another industry and the situation changes. Additional investments are unnecessary and economic activity may slow. The fourth causes of the business cycle are the credit and loan policies of commercial banking. When easy money policies are in effect, interest rates are low and loans are easy to get. They encourage the private sector to borrow and invest, thus stimulating the economy. Eventually the increased demand for loans causes the interest rates to rise, which discourage new borrowers. The economy keeps declining until interest rates fall and the business cycle begins over again. So it wont be slow down and decline. The final cause of the business cycle is external shocks. Shocks such as increases in oil prices, wars, and international conflict, have the potential to either drive the economy up, or down. The economy may benefit when a new supply of natural resources is discovered. Such was the case with Great Britain in the 1970s when an oil field was discovered off its coast in the North Sea. The British economy of course profited seeing that world oil prices were at an all time high, but the high prices hurt the United States at the same time. Conclusion The central idea of business-cycle, that the economy has regular and periodic wavesa cyclelasting for several years, has few adherents today. Perhaps such cycles never existed, or perhaps they once did but no longer do because the government now plays a large and active role in the economy. However, the business-cycle approach remains useful because it is an easy way to introduce a number of macroeconomic topics, including the adjustment process that remains central in macroeconomics. It also provides a transition from our examination of monetary theories to an introduction to Keynesian economics, a very different way of viewing the macroeconomic.

Creative Writing Piece on Friendship

Creative Writing Piece on Friendship ‘TIL THE END February 14th, 2014 As I filled my last luggage, I looked around my, now empty, room. My last hour here, in New York. I guess it didn’t matter anymore, since all my friends had left me; they all turned their backs on me when I needed them the most. On the bright side, my departure would be less painful, since there was no one to be missed. It was a bright sunny day of August and I was moving; to start a new life in California. We had been driving for four straight hours now, and there was no turning back. I was sitting in the passenger seat alongside my mother, who was driving silently. The last few months had been very dark, filled with sadness. Ever since the incident, we had barely said a word to each other, for the time had been too painful to even think. â€Å"This is it,† she smiled. â€Å"Our new home. The moving trucks will arrive soon, so go ahead, go take a look at your new room. I got the whole house painted a while ago, your room is a light cream color, just as you love.† â€Å"Thank you.† I gently hugged her, and entered the house to find my beloved room. Even if the house was a lot smaller than my older one, this room was bigger. Indeed, the color she chose was gorgeous. â€Å"This is the start of something new,† I thought. â€Å"Meet new people, make new memories, and forget the old ones that haunt me.† My thoughts disconnected when the doorbell rang. â€Å"Probably the moving trucks,† I thought, going downstairs to open the door. To my surprise, there stood a boy, probably my age, smiling. â€Å"Hey, I’m Scott, and I’m your new neighbour,† he smiled, warmly. â€Å"I’m Paige, nice to meet you,† I smiled back. He had crystal clear, blue eyes, lightly ruffled brown hair, and an irresistible smile. He was a little taller than me, which made me look up every time he spoke. â€Å"Do you want me to show you around?† He asked, politely. â€Å"I don’t-â€Å" â€Å"Sure she can!† My mother cut me off. â€Å"Paige, just be home by supper.† And out I was, with a guy I barely knew, wondering around the streets of a town I barely knew. â€Å"This is the park I often go to with my friends,† he pointed out to a cute little playground, with a vast area of grass. â€Å"Do you have a lot of friends?† â€Å"I have a few,† he laughed. â€Å"Oh, and, this is the school I go to, probably the one you’ll be attending, too, since it’s the only one around.† I looked up at him, and smiled. Why couldn’t we have more guys as sweet as him in my old town? Most of them were jerks. â€Å"By the way, how old are you?† He asked. â€Å"I’m fifteen, but I’ll be sixteen in a few days, but, you know, whatever,† I laughed. â€Å"You?† â€Å"I’m sixteen. I actually turned that age a few days ago!† â€Å"That’s great! Happy late birthday, I guess,† I giggled. â€Å"Thanks.† As we walked back home, I couldn’t have felt happier. I just hoped my mother wouldn’t ask too many questions. â€Å"Your mom told you to be home by supper, so here you are. See you around then?† He smiled. â€Å"See you around,† I smiled back. Luckily, my mother didn’t ask too many questions. The rest of the week went by very quickly, and I didn’t even get to see Scott again. The next thing I knew, it was my first day at a new school. As I stepped outside, I noticed him sitting on my porch. â€Å"You didn’t really think I was going to let you go to school alone on your first day?† He got up. â€Å"Actually, I did. But I’d definitely love to walk to school with you,† I smiled. During the whole walk, he spent most of the time asking me about my home town, but never asked about my friends. â€Å"So, what do your friends think about this whole moving thing?† The only question I didn’t want to answer. Crap. â€Å"Well, um, you see†¦ I don’t really have any friends. They all left me after, um, something happened.† â€Å"What happened?† He looked confused. â€Å"It’s a long story.† I barely knew him. Could I trust him? Yet, he was my only friend. He stopped. â€Å"We have time,† he smiled. â€Å"Classes don’t start until an hour from now. I checked my schedule, and we’re in most of the same classes, by the way,† He smiled. â€Å"Well, um†¦ Basically, my father left town for a week, for a business trip. Three days after his departure, someone he worked with called us, and told us that he, um†¦ He died. A heart attack.† Oh god, my eyes were already teary. Surprisingly, he wrapped me in his arms. â€Å"You’ve never told anyone before me, huh? It shows†¦ Your emotions. Don’t worry, I’ll never leave your side.† He squeezed me tighter. I felt secure in his arms. After wiping away my tears, and fixing my mascara using my phone as a mirror, we continued our walk to school. It was huge. The walls were tall and full of colourful designs; my old school was nothing compared to this. â€Å"What do you think?† he asked. â€Å"I think I think it’s amazing! I hope the people here are just as great,† I joked. â€Å"Um Depends who,† he laughed. I guessed that was reassuring. He showed me around, and then led me to my locker. It wasn’t far from his, so I at least knew someone nearby. During the two first periods, we didn’t do much in class. The teacher introduced me to everyone, and made me talk a bit about where I came from. A few people came to talk to me, which was really sweet. One girl, Angel, helped me to organize my locker according to my schedule, and helped me around when Scott wasn’t there. Scott. He was probably with his friends, which I haven’t met yet. They must be cool. â€Å"Paige, do you want to have lunch with me, today? Well, me and my friends,† Angel asked. â€Å"Um, sure! I’ll just go tell Scott to not look for me.† â€Å"Scott, huh? Yeah, he’s a really nice guy.† She smiled. â€Å"Indeed, he is,† I smiled back. Then I left to go find him. He was at his locker, and to my surprise, he was alone. â€Å"Scott! Hey!† I approached his locker. â€Å"Oh, hey. How were your first classes?† He asked. â€Å"They were cool. I met a girl, Angel Well, I’m actually going to have lunch with her!† â€Å"Oh, um, really?† He looked at me. â€Å"I I thought Um, anyway, just Her friends Be careful. She’s sweet, but the others† He stopped. â€Å"What about the others?† â€Å"I don’t like to judge. Have a nice lunch, though, see you soon.† Then, he left. What was wrong with him? Anyway, I left to go find Angel, who was sitting with four other girls. â€Å"Hey, Paige! Over here!† Angel shouted. I smiled, and walked to her table. As I sat next to her, one of her friends whispered to another. â€Å"That’s the new girl, right?† â€Å"Yeah I didn’t think Angel would actually go talk to her Urgh, that girl is too sweet And that wasn’t a compliment.† â€Å"Why is the new girl even eating with us?† â€Å"Well, I’m pretty sure she doesn’t have any friends here She probably won’t make any, either.† Then they laughed. They thought I couldn’t hear them, but I could. And it felt like my old high school all over again. â€Å"Paige Are you alright?† Angel looked at me. I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore, this was too much. â€Å"I I’m sorry, I have to go.† And with that, I left the cafeteria, my face dripping with soaked mascara, trying to find a place to hide. â€Å"Paige Paige! PAIGE, SLOW DOWN!† I heard someone scream. Then, someone grabbed my arm, and turned me around; It was Scott. â€Å"Don’t Scott† My breathing was uneven. â€Å"What happened? Wait Don’t answer that The girls, huh?† I was incapable of saying a single word. I just looked up at him, trying to wipe away the tears. â€Å"That’s what happens when you don’t listen to my warning† He giggled, and wrapped me in his arms. We stayed like that, until someone came. â€Å"Oh god, Paige! I’m so sorry about my friends They always do that to the new kids I should’ve just spent my lunch time with you, alone! I Wait, am I interrupting something?† She smirked. â€Å"No, oh, no, haha! It’s fine, I don’t blame you,† I smiled. She gave me a gentle squeeze. â€Å"Tomorrow. Just the three of us,† she winked, and then left. The rest of the day went perfectly fine, with my new friends. Actually, the six months that followed were probably the best six months I’ve ever lived. Scott and I become extremely close, to the point where I started to feel something for him. That feeling made me a little uncomfortable, since we were only friends. Yet, he didn’t seem to be himself, lately, either†¦. Today, a Saturday, we were going to spend the day together, Scott and I. He said he had something important to tell me†¦. I wonder what†¦ Just then, someone knocked on the door. â€Å"Hey!† He chirped. â€Å"Hey,† I smiled. I told my mother that I was leaving, then left with Scott to a park nearby. We sat on the bench, and stayed there, in an awkward silence, for about five minutes. â€Å"Scott, what was that important thing you needed to tell me?† I asked. â€Å"Um, well, um†¦ Listen†¦ I†¦ I just†¦ Would you†¦ I mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  What? At that moment, I felt his hands turn my face against his, and gently pressing his lips against mine. It felt like an explosion of paradise†¦ And questioning. â€Å"Scott, I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have. You see, I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He was extremely nervous, but it was cute. â€Å"Yes, Scott, I’ll be your girlfriend,† I giggled. At that moment, his face lit up like I had never seen him before. â€Å"But, the thing is†¦ We’ve known each other for six months, only†¦ But I am willing to try, because I love you,† I smiled. I had never said these three last words to a guy in my life, and somehow it felt good. â€Å"I’m glad. And, I love you, too,† he blushed, then gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. Honestly, I had no idea how these relationship things worked, but I guessed that I’d just have to follow his lead. After a few weeks of being together, we finally went public. To my surprise, no one, or almost, judged us, not even Angel’s brat gang. Although, going public didn’t mean trying to make everyone jealous or uncomfortable. It meant not being shy or afraid to hold hands, or even kiss, around other people. When I talked about us to other people, it almost sounded like a perfect fairytale couple, even thought we weren’t. We fought a few times, nothing extravagant. I can’t imagine myself without him. Yet, another part of me knows we’re only sixteen, and I feel like that doesn’t really bother him†¦ â€Å"Hey, Paige,† said Scott, as he came over to me and kissed me. â€Å"Hey,† I smiled. â€Å"Listen, I have something to ask you, and I’ve been wanting to ask you for a very long time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes?† What now? â€Å"Will†¦ Will you love me†¦ Forever?† Oh, god, what kind of a question was that? I can’t possibly†¦ â€Å"Scott,† I chuckled. â€Å"We’re only sixteen, remember? I love you, a lot, but you know†¦ Anything can change between now and later†¦Ã¢â‚¬  What else could I say? â€Å"I know, but still†¦ Please answer my question. Will you love me, forever?† Damn, he was determined. â€Å"I†¦ I don’t know, Scott. Please ask me some other time.† He looked down. â€Å"Alright. Well, I have to get going, I have, um, stuff to do.† With that, he left me, standing on my porch, alone, wondering about what just happened. Later that night, I tried to message him, but he never replied. Maybe he was really busy? I tried to concentrate on something else, to get my mind off things. As I took out a piece of blank paper and a pencil, I heard a loud gun shot, not far from where I was standing. â€Å"Mom? What’s going on?† I asked, rushing downstairs. â€Å"It’s nothing, honey. Probably just some loud thunder. Now, please, go back to your room.† I barely had the chance to speak, that I was already in my room. As I laid in my bed, I wondered†¦ What happened? Where did that gunshot come from? I hoped it didn’t come from Scott’s house†¦ Then, I fell asleep. I woke up the next morning with a disastrous call from Angel. â€Å"PAIGE! IT’S IMPORTANT!† Angel yelled. â€Å"What’s more important than my sleep?† I yawned. â€Å"Scott.† She answered. No way. That gunshot, it couldn’t be†¦ â€Å"What happened?† â€Å"He†¦ Last night, a robber barged in his house†¦ Scott tried to defend himself, and get the guy out†¦ And he was armed†¦ He†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She cut her breathing. â€Å"He got shot, Paige. Scott got shot, and he’s in the hospital.† â€Å"No, this can’t be possible! No, please, please tell me this is a lie!† I cried. â€Å"I’m so sorry, Paige†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She sniffed. â€Å"No. I have to go, sorry. I’ll talk to you later, okay?† I tried to keep myself from falling apart. â€Å"It’s fine, take all the time you need, I’ll be here.† â€Å"Thank you, I love you.† With that I hook up, and rushed out the house to the nearest bus that could take me to the General Hospital. â€Å"Scott†¦ Where is Scott Adams?† I shouted. There was no point in staying calm. I couldn’t. â€Å"You must me Paige. He’s right here, follow me. Beware though, he just came out of surgery so he won’t be looking so good.† This couldn’t be happening. 8 months of happiness, and this how it all crashes down. I can’t lose another person. As I walked into the room, I noticed his mother waiting outside the room, with a bunch of tissues filling her puffed face. â€Å"Scott! Oh, Scott, please be alright,† I said, worriedly. â€Å"Paige†¦ I’m fine†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He tried to smile. â€Å"Don’t†¦ You’ll be out in a week, right? Back home, smiling, talking long walks in the streets, holding hands†¦ All that fun stuff, in a week,† I tried to cheer him up. All he managed to do was smile. He was barely able to do anything. That gunshot hit him too hard, as hard I would want to hit the guy who did this. For the rest of the week, I visited him, everyday after school, until very late at night. I couldn’t stand seeing him like this, yet I didn’t want to leave his side, in case they were my last moments with him. Angel has been helping me a lot, trying to get my spirit back up, but it was useless. Everyday, I brought him a red flower, reminding him that my love stands by his side. He was strong, and I was sure he would be able to face this. On Friday, after school, I went to see him, like I did every other day. As I was about to enter the room, the nurse stopped me. â€Å"Miss Brooks, I just wanted to tell you that Scott will be fine, he’s weak, but he’s getting better,† she smiled. â€Å"Thank you, this makes me feel a lot less stressed,† I grinned. She smiled, and left. â€Å"Did you hear that, Scott? You’ll be alright! You’re getting better, and soon you’ll be out of here,† I said, cheerfully. â€Å"Paige, I†¦ No, I won’t make it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His voice was fading. â€Å"What? No, you’ll be fine, please stay with me, okay? It’s going to be fine.† I took his hand, and gently squeezed it. â€Å"I love you, Paige†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His eyes were slowly shutting. â€Å"No, shut up, don’t say that, please. Don’t think like that, you’ll be fine, I†¦ The nurse said†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I was extremely worried. â€Å"The nurse came while I was sleeping, she couldn’t tell†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His eyes slowly shut, and his hand started to cool. â€Å"No, no, don’t†¦ Please, Scott,† I couldn’t take this. â€Å"I’m sorry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He whispered. â€Å"Yes,† I slowly approached his ear. â€Å"Yes, I will love you forever.† He smiled slowly, as his heart rate slowed, too. At that moment, his chest stopped moving, his eyes shut, along with the rest of him. This couldn’t be. He couldn’t be gone. â€Å"Scott! Scott, please wake up! Someone, help, he just†¦ He just†¦ He’s dead,† I cried, loudly. Tears poured down my face, as I couldn’t control my emotions. The doctors came rushing in, checking his pulse, trying to get him going again, but it was no use. The doctor turned to me, shaking his head, as a sign he was gone, forever. The doctors took him away, and I was too shocked to even breathe. I couldn’t hear anything, except for my heart beating faster than ever. â€Å"Paige†¦ Paige! Paige, we have to go,† Angel shook me. â€Å"I came here as soon as I got the news. It’s very tragic, but you can’t stay here forever.† â€Å"No!† I protested. â€Å"I don’t want to leave! This is a dream, he’s not dead! He’s not! I’ll wake up tomorrow morning with a cute text from him telling me how much he loves me, and I’ll smile, just like every time he texts me. This is just a dream. Angel, please tell me that this is just a dream,† I sobbed. â€Å"It’s†¦ It’s not, Paige. I’m sorry,† she hugged me. I cried even louder. It’s over. He’s gone. I’ve lost two of the most important people in my life during the past year, and I just couldn’t bear it. Angel walked me to her car, and drove us to her house. Four days later, it was time for the funeral. I had to do a speech, and I wasn’t sure if I could make it. As they called my name, Angel gave me a quick hug, and helped me get up and go to the microphone. â€Å"Um†¦ Scott Adams was probably the best thing that has ever happened to me. He was the first person I met when I arrived here. He was also my only friend, at first. His smile was contagious, and he could make anyone smile, even during their darkest days. He was a special guy, someone I’ll never forget, someone I’ll never replace. At first, seeing him disappear in front of me was probably the worst thing ever. Yet, I now know that I was with him during his last moments, and that I loved him, very much. Someday, we’ll meet again, in another world. We had know each other for eight months, and been together for two. I will never forget the best times we had. To all of you who were also very close with Scott, I’m sure his spirit is with us, right now, smiling to the fact that we’re all here, for him. Scott was different, and I think we all know that. He will be missed, but someday, many years from now when we’ll also fade away, weâ€⠄¢ll all meet again, we’ll all be happy again. Scott isn’t in any pain, he left us peacefully, and I am grateful to have known him. Thank you very much.† I exited the stage, seeing everyone crying and clapping for my speech. Before going back to my seat, I approached the coffin where he laid, peacefully, saying my last words to him, â€Å"Forever and ever.†

Aztec Civilization Essay -- essays research papers

The Aztec Indians created a great civilization in Central Mexico, reaching its peak in the 1500’s. Being late arrivals to the area, and because of their strong neighboring nations, they were forced to live in the swampy western areas of the Lake Texcoco. Because of the swampy surroundings, the Aztecs used mud to create miniature islands in the swamps. These islands are called chinampas, or “floating gardens,'; and were used as farming lands. On these fertile islands they grew corn, squash, vegetables, and flowers. Being an agriculturally dependant empire, the Aztec’s religion was based highly on the forces of nature and worshipped them as gods. The god of war, Huitzilopochtli, was the most important deity. They had many other important gods, such as Tlaloc, the god of rain, Quetzalcoatl, the god of wind and of learning, and Tenochtitlan, the sun god. The Aztecs believed in order to appease these and many other gods that they needed to perform human sacrifices. The main purpose of the great Aztec pyramids was, in fact, human sacrifices. They also believed that there were “lucky'; and “unlucky'; days for baptism and to declare war on, which were decided by a priest. Most art and architecture in the Aztec civilization was based on their religion. There are many brightly colored murals and paintings on walls and on bark which depict religious ceremonies, along with large idols of gods. One of the most amazing and famous of the...

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens Essay -- English Literature

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens "David Copperfield" charts a little boy's wretched childhood and his progress to a successful novelist and his finding true love along the way. The author made a romantic effort to be realistic and thus captured the essence of all parts of human life in the pages of this book. David Copperfield is the main character of the novel, but he is not the hero of the novel. David, a fatherless child born in a little village in Victorian England is deeply attached to his mother and his nurse Peggotty. His world turns upside down when his mother marries a man by the name of Murdstone. The pain that his stepfather and his "murdering woman of a sister" inflict upon David leads to his untimely loss of innocence. David is sent to "Salem House" a school where he is forced to live under the brutal regime of Mr. Creakle. Soon he loses his beloved mother and is "provided for" by his stepfather to work as a labourer at a warehouse in London. David feels his "hopes of growing up to be a learned and distinguished man crushed" in his bosom. Disguste...

Irrepresive Individuals :: essays research papers

The Irrepressible Individual in the Works of Shirley Jackson Throughout her life, Shirley Jackson struggled with a conflict between her dogged individuality and society's requirement that she adhere to its norms and standards. Jackson saw a second level of human nature, an inner identity lurking beneath the one which outwardly conforms with society's expectations. Society's repression of her individuality haunted Jackson in her personal life and expressed itself in her writing through the opposition of two levels of reality, one magical and one mundane, but both equally real. All of the various dichotomies that make up Jackson's double-sided reality can be traced to the hidden human nature, the repressed individual she saw within each of us. From an early age, Jackson did not feel completely comfortable in the society around her. She preferred to sit in her room and write poetry rather than play with the other children in her neighborhood (Oppenheimer 16). Alone in her room, Jackson explored the magical worlds, the alter-egos which her family did not understand. "I will not tolerate having these other worlds called imaginary," she insisted (Oppenheimer 21). Jackson did not satisfy her mother, a wealthy socialite who wanted her daughter to be beautiful and popular and was disturbed by her talk of "other worlds." Relations between Jackson and her mother were tense throughout her life, paralleling the conflict between Jackson and the society in which she found no place for herself. "I will not tolerate having these other worlds called imaginary" -Shirley Jackson Jackson's mother wrote to her once that "you were always a wilful child" (Oppenheimer 14). This careless statement captures Jackson's stubborn assertion of her individuality, as well as her mother's disapproval. Jackson's obesity particularly troubled her mother, who suggestively sent her corsets even after she was married (Oppenheimer 14). Being overweight symbolized Jackson's rebellion against her mother and the standards of fashionable society. Her obesity demonstrates the connection Jackson made between her unique individuality and the "freakish and abnormal, the 'grotesque and arabesque'" (Sullivan n. pag.). The abnormal second reality Jackson contemplated in the seclusion of her room was to her supremely ironic. Jackson rarely ends her stories with a resolution of the plot; instead, a dramatic incident or revelation serves to illustrate the irony she sees in the world. In her most famous short story, "The Lottery," Jackson takes pains to describe a village of hard-working, upstanding Americans.

“Is College Worth the Money?” by Daniel S. Cheever, Jr. Essay

In this day and age, the cost of a college education is more than most middle-class families’ yearly salary. In today’s job market, a lack of having a college education makes it difficult to land an entry level position. The discussion of college cost comes and goes but is a major question in the minds of parents and potential college applicants around the nation. In Daniel S. Cheever, Jr’s article, â€Å"Is College Worth the Money†, Cheever urges people to look at other factors when judging the value of a college education rather than its cost. To begin with, Cheever brings home the point that college tuition is rising at an exponential rate. Over the last 20 years, undergrad tuition at Havard has risen over twenty thousand dollars, outpacing the consumer price index. Cheever makes a valid point, by only focusing on one institution, is this indicative of all colleges across the board? By attending Harvard University, one could argue that one is paying for the prestige of the school rather than the quality of the education. Cheever also points out; parents are willing to take out $100,000 to pay for a highly educated graduate that, by the end of a working, career will make one million dollars more than someone who didn’t get a higher education. Taking cost out of the equation, what does that investment yield for the student? The final statement that Cheever makes, â€Å"Parents and students will demand a proven and verifiable outcome that measures the outcome on their investment† is a bleak conclusion. It is no t indicative of the students that go for a good time and not the quality of their education. Cheever makes bold claims throughout his essay that he seems to fail to back up. Though Cheever lacks depth in his essay, he makes many agreeable statements as to what we should consider in valuing a college education.We should look deeper into what a college brings to the table, more than just the prestige it has acquired. Having a after-grad services would definitely play a factor in how we judge a schools value. During the schooling years though, being able to become an economically productive and community minded citizen will aide anyone who attends, even if they decide to leave town, or even the state, after graduation. Cheever brings great ideas to the table, even if  just briefly touching each subject, he still makes the question, â€Å"Is College worth the money?† a tough one to answer. With all these great tips, asking is college worth the money is still a difficult decision. Ultimately, it falls to the students and parents seeking higher education to make the decision. Everyone is different, different upbringings, different theologies and requirements about what a school should do for them. If answering a generic question, â€Å"Is College worth the money?† is as easy as Cheever makes it out to be, why hasn’t the discussion stopped? There may never be a direct answer, but it has some basic guidelines based on Cheever’s essay. If you need any more information though, you’re better off calling each school you’re interested in and asking the same questions and seeing which school is the best for you. Reference Cheever Jr., Cheever S. â€Å"Is College Worth the Money?.† The Blair Reader. Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. Boston: Pearson, Prentice-Hall, 2014. 113-115. Print.

Part Five Chapter XV

XV In Church Row, Miles Mollison came tearing out of his house in bedroom slippers and sprinted down the steep sloping pavement to the Old Vicarage on the corner. He banged on the thick oak door with his left hand, while trying to dial his wife's number with his right. ‘Yes?' said Parminder, opening the door. ‘My dad,' gasped Miles ‘†¦ another heart attack †¦ Mum's called an ambulance †¦ will you come? Please, will you come?' Parminder made a swift move back into the house, mentally seizing her doctor's bag, but checked. ‘I can't. I'm suspended from work, Miles. I can't.' ‘You're joking †¦ please †¦ the ambulance won't be here for – ‘ ‘I can't, Miles,' she said. He turned and ran away from her through the open gate. Ahead, he saw Samantha, walking up their garden path. He called to her, his voice breaking, and she turned in surprise. At first, she thought that his panic was on her account. ‘Dad †¦ collapsed †¦ there's an ambulance coming †¦ bloody Parminder Jawanda won't come †¦' ‘My God,' said Samantha. ‘Oh my God.' They dashed to the car and drove up the road, Miles in his slippers, Samantha in the clogs that had blistered her feet. ‘Miles, listen, there's a siren – it's here already †¦' But when they turned into Evertree Crescent, there was nothing there, and the siren was already gone. On a lawn a mile away, Sukhvinder Jawanda was vomiting river water beneath a willow tree, while an old lady pressed blankets around her that were already as sodden as Sukhvinder's clothes. A short distance away, the dog-walker who had dragged Sukhvinder from the river by her hair and her sweatshirt was bent over a small, limp body. Sukhvinder had thought she felt Robbie struggling in her arms, but had that been the cruel tug of the river, trying to rip him from her? She was a strong swimmer, but the Orr had dragged her under, pulled her helplessly wherever it chose. She had been swept around the bend, and it had thrown her in towards land, and she had managed a scream, and seen the man with his dog, running towards her along the bank †¦ ‘No good,' said the man, who had worked on Robbie's little body for twenty minutes. ‘He's gone.' Sukhvinder wailed, and slumped to the cold wet ground, shaking furiously as the sound of the siren reached them, too late. Back in Evertree Crescent, the paramedics were having enormous difficulty getting Howard onto the stretcher; Miles and Samantha had to help. ‘We'll follow in the car, you go with Dad,' Miles shouted at Shirley, who seemed bewildered, and unwilling to get into the ambulance. Maureen, who had just shown her last customer out of the Copper Kettle, stood on the doorstep, listening. ‘Lots of sirens,' she said over her shoulder to an exhausted Andrew, who was mopping tables. ‘Something must have happened.' And she took a deep breath, as though she hoped to taste the tang of disaster on the warm afternoon air.

Interview Qaisra Shahraz

Aquaria Sahara visited many places in India and gave talks on her two books. Her trip was made possible by her Indian publishers Penguin. I chanced to read her work and I found It Interesting. Later my colleague and the co -editor of this book Professor A. R. Sidewalk suggested that we could Interest many people to contribute essays on the art and craft of Aquaria Sahara. The response simply overwhelmed us. In almost no time we received the consent of a great many colleagues in India and elsewhere in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Europe and the United States to write for this volume. Most of them have kept their word.We are indeed grateful to them for their interest. Out of so many post-colonial Indian and Pakistani writers writing In English, what, In your pollen. Is special about Salsa Sahara as a remarkable fiction writer? Of the postcolonial writers it is only Indian writers who hog all limelight. The Resides, the Gosh, the Despise. The fact is a lot of new and interesting writing is e merging from unlikely places. From Pakistan, from Bangladesh. And whatever be the mage of Pakistan in the media, Western and Indian, an interesting thing is that a lot of new writers are emerging from Pakistan.Most of this writing Is very political which Is not surprising since Pakistan faces problems which are essentially of political nature. However, there are some writers who focus attention on issues of a different nature. Aquaria Sahara is one such writer. She has charted a different territory. Issues of identity-rural, regional, gender -are her basic concerns. How has she contributed to the discourse on the gender Issue with specific reference o Pakistani society, especially in view of her being based in the UK/West?Most writers maintain their link with their country of origin. Pakistan never disappeared from Aquaria Ashram's imaginative space. As a woman who has lived her life In two countries her writing is only enriched by her experience. The diasporas Identity has Its own advantages. In her case It Is not lack of something but rather the an open eye. In her work she shows the limitations of both Western and non-western feminism. Does Aquaria Sahara typify the Feminist perspective? She goes farther than that. She redefines feminism for Pakistani society.Call it Islamic feminism, Muslim feminism or by whatever name she does not mindlessly indulge in Islam and Muslim bashing which is the motif in lots of ,what has been called, oppressed women's novels. Her target is rather the agrarian system, some oppressive customs in Kinds and the subversion of Islam to serve one's own interest. What is Aquaria Ashram's attitude to patriarchy which is rife in Pakistani Culture? She has a very critical view of some patriarchal institutions. Some of her characters are self-consciously feminist. Professor Night Sultana, for instance.Even Karri Banjo's supposedly meek capitulation to a patriarchal institution can be read as a criticism of patriarchy. In this instance she shows both the power and the evil nature of patriarchy. What are your comments on Aquaria Ashram's understanding and depiction of Pakistani village life and Islamic culture? For a person who has mostly lived in cities Aquaria Sahara shows remarkable understanding of rural life. The character of Kanji, Skull's and Amanita bib' and others are products of rural set-up. While reading her novels I was myself transported back in time and place.I was thinking of a woman in Titular,( my native place in Attar Pradesh) who passed invitations by word of mouth, fixed matches and spread gossip in her own inimitable ways. I was reminded of the institution of village match maker, a task which is now done on the net. The close- knit community, oppressive customs, force of gossip, the distrust of the corrupting ways of the city-?these are all beautifully captured by Sierra's narrative, especially in Typhoon. Sierra's language is very different from other Indo-Anglican writers like Rushed, Koran Ide as Iranian Ideas for instance.Could you elucidate? Of course it is different room what Rushed calls citified English. Others have Jokingly referred to the fortification of English. Aquaria has her own share of non English words because she is translating an entire culture. Words like Zeta and Kismet add a richness to English vocabulary. I especially liked the papacy style of Sahara in Typhoon. It is her choice of words and English structures which is responsible for the leisurely pace of the Holy Woman and the fast and furious pace of Typhoon – the contrast in the pace of the two books is so remarkable.How do you think this volume of Critical Essays on Aquaria Ashram's craft will intricate to literature and cultural studies? I must confess that the multiplicity of perspectives offered by the contributors has far exceeded my initial understanding of her work. The contributors have analyses her work from all critical angles possible-? pedagogical. The varied backgrounds of the contributors-?British, American, Arab, African, German, Indian and Pakistani-?add some more dimensions to the critical discourse on Sahara.What are some of the main conclusions of the critical scholarship on Aquaria Ashram's work. This is certainly not the final word on Aquaria Ashram's work. It is Just the beginning. Other critics, most certainly students of literature, can take this work forward and explore ideas treated by the contributors to this volume. Some critical opinion quotes on Aquaria Ashram's work. China Aquaria Sahara, a Pakistani-born English writer and scriptwriter, is such a wonderful story teller that readers can hardly put her stories down once they begin them.Reading her works is like starting a Journey with her unforgettable characters to Pakistan and gaining a deep insight into their lives, in particular the poignant lives of Pakistani women. Living in the I-J since she was 9 years old, but deeply rooted in her own Pakistani culture, she bridges the understand ing between the East and the West. More importantly, through her excellent novels The Holy Woman and Typhoon, she clarifies many Westerns' stereotypical misconceptions about the Islamic cultures. I hope that Ms.Ashram's fascinating works will soon be introduced into China so that they will reach an even wider readership and arouse the academic interest among Chinese academia, also in view of the fact that China also has a large population of Muslims. Tinting Going, Associate Professor of English, Southwest University of Science and Technology( Managing) and translator of Holy Woman and Typhoon, China Germany My reading of Aquaria Ashram's The Holy Woman and Typhoon offered me my first real insight into the lives of women in Pakistani villages and into the types of story which symbolism rural and urban society in that country.It was a revelation and I read both books back to back. The Holy Woman in particular has rightly attracted global attention through its non-partisan portrayal o f the ambivalent relationship teen Islamic culture and Western consciousness as seen through the eyes of a woman. It is a very significant book indeed and Aquaria Ashram's is a voice of mediation which should be more widely heard. Robert Scrimshaw, KulturwissenschaftlichesKolleg, University of Constant, Germany. India transmutable.The migrant imagination produces texts that cross geographic, national, ethnic, and even linguistic boundaries and make connections with the past and the present. Aquaria Sahara who describes herself as a British Muslim of Pakistani origin retains her sensitive understanding of Pakistani society and culture, ND in living away from it, benefits from the distancing perspective which enables her in her fiction to nuance characters, situations and events; negotiate with history and memory; Juxtapose and examine old traditions and new sensibilities.She weaves flavors of life and the sense of living into the texture of her writing. Each of her stories becomes a metaphor for complex exploration of identity formations and self- definitions. In her remarkable novels The Holy Woman and Typhoon and in her short stories, fictive imagination and historical inscription blend significantly to produce reared texts that invite deep engagement and innovative strategies of reading. Tune Musketeer, Professor of Comparative Literature, University of Hydrated, India.Indonesia As a citizen of a country with the biggest Muslim population in the world, I found Aquaria Ashram's works as an eye opener about the diversity of the world Muslims. And I think I am not alone in this opinion, since we witnessed how her two novels, The Holy Woman and Typhoon got a very good response from the Indonesian readers–that's why we plan to republish the two in a product line that we call Gold Edition (novels).I do think that the Indonesian readers got the same enlightenment, that even when we are united as Muslims, we might grow on a different soil of culture that very much influences our interpretation about Islam. And because of that, we need more and more constructive dialogue, not only between the Muslim world and the West (non Muslim world), but also between world-Muslims itself – to bridge differences to gain understanding between cultures. Mrs..Payments Innings, Chief Executive Officer, Mizzen Publishing House – Indonesia Morocco Aquaria Sahara is a voice of light whose piercing scream faces the dark continent of ultra blindness and patriarchal and ideological manipulation. Her feminist writings vehemently uncover the weight of the patriarchal order in an ideologically- biased Pakistani Islamic context, unveil the misuse of Islam in depriving women of their human and sexual rights and, consequently, invite a complex post-colonial and post-harem critical perspective on women's predicaments in the Arab-Islamic sphere as a whole.Ashram's feminist commitment calls for an urgent re-consideration of sexual politics and women's invo lvement in dismantling various areas of masculine animation and building up a modern and gender-democratic Muslim society. Hosannas Cirri, Professor, School of Humanities, Pakistan Aquaria Sahara is one of the most important category English fiction writer of Pakistani origin. Her fiction writing has created its own distinctive place by virtue of its quality and relevance to the contemporary issues.She has an extraordinary skill of raising some delicate and fundamental questions related to women issues in general and in particular about those women who are struggling to discover their individual identity in a polarize world. She presents some important aspects of the infiltration of values between different civilizations through her powerfully conceived characters. Though her characters and setting may represent a certain class or section but her themes overwhelmingly remain universal and humanism formulates the basic fiber of her fiction.Karma Charisma Squid, Editor (English), Paki stan Academy of Letters, Islamabad, Pakistan Turkey The works of Aquaria Sahara, Actual Caddy (The Holy Woman) and Tiffany (Typhoon), have attracted attention with their striking themes and contemporary topics in Turkey. When Ms. Sahara visited our country in 2005 for *Istanbul Book Fair, I got the hence to know her better. I saw that although writers, scientists or intellectuals from the East live in the West, they don't lose touch with their own culture.Aquaria Sahara is one of those intellectuals, who has the ability and experience to interpret the East truly. She is a writer who can deftly read the East while she lives in the West. In this respect, I can say that her novels are important examples to be analyzed academically. Since they were published in our country at a time when discussions were ongoing on the theme of the clash of civilizations, they have also been reliable ND useful sources of information for those who interpret the West differently from the East.We hope that Ms. Sahara, who deserves to be praised in terms of her literary insight, will go on writing books which will take their place among Eastern Classics books with their insightful themes. Burk Fuzzy kabuki, Chief Editor Para Publishing House, Istanbul, Turkey Aquaria Ashram's writing, which has delighted and inspired readers all over the world for the past two decades, is finally receiving the scholarly attention it deserves.This exciting new collection of articles surveys the diverse range of themes and issues treated in Ashram's work – feudalism and modernity; female sexuality, romance and divorce; religious faith and the wearing of the veil; the Pakistani homeland and its Diaspora – and pays tribute to the emotional depth and moral complexity of her gathered from across the globe -? will be of especial interest to non-Muslim readers wishing to understand more about the historical and political context of Ashram's work.Just as Aquaria Ashram's writing has touched the l ives of many thousands of general readers around the world, so will this collection most surely win her new fans within the academic community. Lynn Pearce, Professor of Literary Theory and Women's Writing, Lancaster University, I-J United States of America I was caught by the drama, the romance, the traditions, the shibboleths and the descriptions of town, village, house and home in her novels The Holy Woman and Typhoon.I could see so well the settings and characters Aquaria Sahara described so vividly. She let me into and behind the scenes so far from those in western homes but still of common human interest. I hope to read the further adventures of her protagonists! Ann Nicholson, Radio Host/Producer, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA

Environmental Impact of Textile Production – Handloom Production Is the Answer

D. Narasimha Reddy 1/11 Environmental Impact of Mechanised and Automated Textile Production Introduction The contribution of mechanised and automated manufacturing to various environmental impacts is enormous. Environmental impacts from manufacturing industries can be seen such areas as toxic chemicals, waste, energy, and carbon emissions. Manufacturing in developed countries is also a heavy user of water, and there have been many cases of air, water and soil contamination which have led to such actions as cleanups, class actions suits and a variety of other corporate liabilities. Environmental impact can be seen in all phases of textile production and use, from growing or making fibres to discarding a product after its useful life has ended. The physical environment is affected by these processes, including resource depletion, pollution and energy use; the biological environment, by considering what happens as a result of manufacture, and the social environment as it impinges on our psychological, physical and physiological comfort, as well as our financial well-being. In recent years, textile industry in developed countries has been facing severe problems, the most serious of which are those connected with pollution. In fact, governments have been bringing up environmental laws which strictly prohibit wastewater discharge in rivers and lakes. This situation indeed burdens the textile industries and also leads to increase in production costs. Textile Industry and Process Description The textile industry includes multiple processes and activities. The four major textile operations are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Yarn Formation: preparing and spinning raw materials (natural and synthetic); texturizing man-made filament fibers. Fabric Formation: warping and slashing yarn; performing weaving and knitting operations. Wet Processing: preparing the fabric for dyeing and finishing; dyeing, printing, and finishing operations. Product Fabrication: cutting and sewing the fabric, performing final finishing operations. In the yarn formation process, fibers are bound using spinning operations, grouping, and twisting. Staple fibers, natural and man-made, are prepared for spinning through a combination of various processing steps such as blending, drawing, carding, opening, combing, and roving. Following drying operations, yarn may then be woven into fabric. From the spun or filament yarn, fabric is formed by knitting or weaving operations. Yarn e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 2/11 can be processed directly through knitting operations but typically requires preparation for weaving operations. Preparation for weaving includes warping and slashing (sizing). Wet processing enhances appearance, durability, and serviceability of the fabric. Chemical Pollution Textile production involves a number of wet processes that may use solvents. Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) mainly arise from textiles finishing, drying processes, and solvent use. VOC concentrations vary from 10 milligrams of carbon per cubic meter (mg/m3) for the thermosol process to 350 mg carbon/m3 for drying and condensation process. Waste water from processes is a major source of pollutants. It is typically alkaline and has high BOD5 (700 to 2,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L)) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) (approximately 2 to 5 times the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) level), solids, oil and possibly toxic organics, including phenols (from dyeing and finishing) and halogenated organics (from processes such as bleaching). Dye effluents are frequently highly colored and may contain heavy metals such as copper and chromium. Pesticides used on natural fibers are transferred to effluents during washing and scouring operations. Pesticides are also used for moth proofing, brominated flame retardants for synthetic fabrics, and isocyanates for lamination. Effluents might include pesticides (such as DDT and PCP), and metals (such as mercury, arsenic, and copper). Air emissions include dust, oil mists, acid vapors, odors, and boiler exhausts. Cleaning and production changes result in sludges from tanks and spent process chemicals, which may contain toxic organics and metals. Table 1: Chemicals and Chemical Categories Commonly Encountered in Textile Manufacturing Process Chemicals and Chemical Categories Dyeing/Printing Ethylene glycol, ertain glycol ethers, methanol, copper compounds, chromium compounds Desizing Certain glycol ethers Sizing Methanol Scouring Biphenyl, xylene, certain glycol ethers Chemical Finishing Certain glycol ethers, methyl ethyl ketone, formaldehyde Coating Operations Dichloromethane, methanol, methyl ethyl ketone, toluene Article/Formulation Chromium compounds, copper compounds, methanol, Components antimony compounds Manufacturing/Processing Ethylene glycol, methanol, phenol, toluene, xylene, Aids biphenyl Reactants Diisocyanates, formaldehyde, methanol, phenol Source: Emergency Planning and Community Right- To-Know Act Section 313 Reporting Guidance for the Textile Processing Industry, US Environmental Protection Agency, May, 2000 Chemicals are used for the removal of impurities from the fiber and for machine maintenance. Man-made filament fibers may be manufactured using chemicals. e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 3/11 Processing of these fibers, known as texturizing, can result in the removal and subsequent release and other waste management activities of chemicals from the fiber. Oils, lubricants, machine maintenance chemicals, and waste yarn and material are also released. Chemical sizing agents are added to the yarn by solution or pad/dry techniques and other chemical additives may be added to increase yarn softness and pliability. Chemicals are also used during fabric formation as fabric processing agents and equipment cleaning and maintenance chemicals. Fabric processing agents include sizing agents and performance enhancing chemicals such as certain glycol ethers, ethylene glycol, and methanol. These chemicals typically volatilize or are washed off during fabric formation. However, some may remain with the fabric throughout the fabric formation process and into the wet processing and finishing operations. Both fugitive and point source air emissions containing chemicals typically occur during the slashing (sizing) operation or during fabric drying operations. This includes chemicals used as sizing agents or performance enhancing chemicals. Dust air emissions may also be generated during fabric formation. Effluents are generated from fabric cleaning and slashing operations; used oil, lubricants, and other machine maintenance chemicals; and equipment cleaning operations. Solid waste is also released from fabric formation. The primary source of solid waste is excess fabric material and scraps that may contain chemicals not volatilized or removed during fabric formation or chemicals brought on-site with the raw material (e. g. , antimony oxide used as a fire resistant). Dust containing chemicals is also generated during knitting or weaving operations, which when collected by air pollution control devices or by floor sweepings is a significant solid waste. During slashing operations, residue left in sizing agent or other chemical agent containers may be a source of chemicals. Fugitive emissions are most likely to result from slashing and drying operations when chemicals, such as methanol, evaporate. In wet processing, chemical agents, such as dyes, pigments, strength agents, and flame resistors are applied through a water-intensive process. Synthetic materials may be desized and scoured prior to dyeing or printing. After preparation for wet processing, dyeing or printing can occur, followed by rinsing, drying, or heat setting. Printing operations typically do not use water. The final wet processing step is mechanical and chemical finishing; these operations are used to improve appearance, texture, and performance of the fabric. Dye application includes various dye types and methods. Dyes can be fixed to the textile chemically and/or physically. Dyes may be bonded to the fabric or precipitated by removal of a dye solubilizing agent. Color can be affixed through the use of pigments, solvents, and resin binders. For the textile industry, wet processing operations are significant sources of chemical release. Typical chemicals include ammonia, certain glycol ethers, and methyl ethyl ketone. Alkaline or solvent solutions are used during scouring. Solvents, although used in the past, are being replaced with aqueous chemicals. Bleaching agents and other chemical e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 4/11 additives are used during bleaching operations, however, these are usually not chemicals. Acids are used for neutralizing remaining caustic soda during mercerizing operations. During dyeing or printing operations, chemicals such as solubilizing agents, dye carriers, salts, and fixing agents may be employed to speed the process or enhance the process effects. Chemicals used during finishing operations include optical brighteners, softeners, and flame resistant chemicals. Effluents are generated from spent process baths, solutions, and rinses. Process effluents include spent sizing solutions, scouring and dyeing baths, cleaning rinses, dyeing rinses, textile cleaning water, and mercerizing operations. Chemicals in textile effluents include dyes, pigments, and salts. Salts present in process effluents may be either raw materials (e. g. , metal compound salts) or byproducts from neutralization or other chemical reactions (e. g. , nitrate compounds). Metal compounds such as copper compounds and chromium compounds are also commonly present. Other sources include equipment cleaning wastewater, container cleaning wastewater, and used lubricants and other machine operating aids. Cleaning solvents may become part of the wastewater after scouring operations and equipment cleaning. The US EPA has estimated that there are approximately 135 major source facilities, in US, in the printing, coating, and dyeing of fabrics and other textiles source category. The principal hazardous air pollutants emitted by these sources include toluene, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), methanol, xylenes, methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), methylene chloride, trichloroethylene, n- hexane, glycol ethers (ethylene glycol), and formaldehyde. Exposure to these substances has been demonstrated to cause adverse health effects such as irritation of the eye, lung, and mucous membranes, effects on the central nervous system, and damage to the liver. The EPA has classified two of the hazardous air pollutants, methylene chloride and trichloroethylene, as probable or possible human carcinogens. Dyeing The art of textile dyeing dates back thousands of years, when dyes extracted from plants or sea snails were used to color cloth. Today, most dyes are synthetically manufactured, yet only 40-90% actually resides on the cloth. The residual dye is treated and discharged into our rivers and streams. World wide, it is estimated that this accounts for over 400,000 tons of dye per year. Colorfastness is a textile industry standard that determines how stable the color is in a garment. Good colorfastness means the garment won’t fade after one washing. Resin pretreatment is done for garments that require excellent colorfastness. Cationic fixatives could be used for outerwear garments where colorfastness to washing is moderate but colorfastness to dry cleaning is high. Poor shade repeats are a major cause of economic loss and pollution in dyeing operations. An average dye worker makes 300 weighings per day. Sources of error are many, e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 5/11 including sorption of moisture from the atmosphere which way amout to up to a maximum of 20% error in dye weight. Other factors such as water quality, fiber variations, and the like also contribute to reworks and off quality. There needs to be a balance between improved productivity in dyeing, and the need to minimize water, energy, and effluent discharge in the textile industry. There is a need to regulate usage of dyes in improving shades on textiles while optimizing water, dye and energy utilization. Under most circumstances, a mixture of dyes is utilised to achieve the desired shade. This means that a small number of dyes can be used to achieve an infinite number of colours, but also means that achieving the exact shade desired requires some skill and can often entail redyeing with a shading addition to correct the shade. In extreme cases, the cloth can be stripped of colour and completely redyed, but this is an environmental and commercial last resort. One of the root causes of problems in achieving the required shade is that if dyes in a mixture have different dyeing profiles the shade and depth of dyeing may change with time and the timing of the dyeing process is therefore crucial. Thus, the difficulty associated with reliable attainment of shade and depth provides a hidden cost in production through reduced capacity and proportionately increases the environmental impact of reactive dyeing through the extra water, chemicals, energy and time needed to make a shading addition. Dyes and auxiliary chemicals used in textile mills are developed to be resistant to environmental influences. As a result, they are hard to remove from wastewater generated during the dyeing processes. In India, the detrimental nature of the synthetic dye industry has been recognised. The Central Pollution Control Board of India has included it in its â€Å"hyper-red† category reserved for the seventeen most polluting industries in the country. The true costs of synthetic dye production and application have never, to our knowledge, been assessed. According to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, an estimated 80. 70 million litres of effluent water is discharged daily into the Noyy al River from dyeing and bleaching units in Tirupur. 2 Water Consumption Water is used extensively throughout textile processing operations. Textile operations vary greatly in water consumption. Water use can vary widely between similar operations as well. Almost all dyes, specialty chemicals, and finishing chemicals are applied to textile substrates from water baths. In addition, most fabric preparation steps, including desizing, scouring, bleaching, and mercerizing, use aqueous systems. The amount of http://www. undp. org. in/Programme/Environment/natdye/dyejust. tm Zero Discharge – Treatment Options for Textile Dye Effluent: A Case Study at Manickapurampudur Common Effluent Treatment Plant, Tirupur, Tamil Nadu, S. Eswaramoorthi, K. Dhanapal1 and J. Karpagam EPIC in India, No. 33, Anugraha Gardens, Central Studio Road, Trichy Main Road, Singanallur, Coimbatore-641005, India, 2004. 2 1 e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 6/11 water used varies widely in the industry, depending on specific processes operated at the mill, equipment used, and prevailing management philosophy concerning water use. The various stages of textile production (from spinning, weaving and knitting, to dyeing and finishing) require enormous energy and water use. For example, 26. 5 gallons of water are needed to process 2. 2 pounds of textiles. Reducing water consumption in textile processing is important, due in part because excess water use dilutes pollutants and adds to the effluent load. Table 2: Water Use in Textile Processing Processing Water Use Water Use Subcategory Minimum, Median, gal/lb gal/lb of production of production Wool 13. 3 34. 1 Woven 0. 6 13. 6 Knit 2. 4 10. 0 Carpet 1. 0 5. 6 Stock/Yarn 0. 4 12. 0 Nonwoven 0. 3 4. 8 Felted Fabrics 4. 0 25. 5 Water Use Maximum, gal/ lb of production 78. 9 60. 9 45. 2 19. 5 66. 9 9. 9 111. 8 Different types of processing machinery use different amounts of water, particularly in relation to the bath ratio in dyeing processes (the ratio of the mass of water in an exhaust dyebath to the mass of fabric). Washing fabric consumes greater quantities of water than dyeing. Water consumption of a batch processing machine depends on its bath ratio and also on mechanical factors such as agitation, mixing, bath and fabric turnover rate (called contact), turbulence and other mechanical considerations, as well as physical flow characteristics involved in washing operations. These factors all affect washing efficiency. In general, heating, wash, and dyebaths constitute the major portion of energy consumed in dyeing. Washing and rinsing operations are two of the most common operations in textile manufacturing that involve significant water consumption. Many processes involve washing and rinsing stages. To grow the fiber for one cotton diaper requires 105. 3 gallons of water, one T-shirt needs 256. 6 gallons of water, one bath towel needs 401. 4 gallons of water, a man's dress shirt requires 414. 5 gallons of water, and 987 gallons of water are required for one pair of jeans. An average integrated textile mill produces 15 tons of finished cloth per day. It uses a total of approximately 3,840 cubic meters of water per day, including 1,680 cubic meters for finishing and processing, another 960 cubic meters for steam generation, and an 3 Source: Sustainable Planet: Solutions for the 21st Century, â€Å"Cleaning the Closet: Toward a New Fashion Ethic,† Juliet Schor, November 2002; http://www2. bc. edu 4 California Cotton Ginners and Growers Associations, Cotton Facts, http://www. ccgga. org e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 7/11 equivalent volume for serving the workers colony and other domestic uses of water. The water used for finishing and processing results in contaminated liquid effluent of approximately 1,500 cubic meters per day. 5 In Tirupur, annually the textile industries alone utilize around 28. 8 billion litres of ground water. 6 An estimated 70 percent of textile effluents and 20 percent of dyestuffs are still dumped into water supplies by global factories. Energy Consumption Textile manufacturers use energy as a raw material input to the manufacturing process or for some other purpose usually referred to as non-fuel use. Electricity consumption is increasing in textile mills. Textile manufacturers have to deal with rising energy supply costs. Dow Chemical Co. nd DuPont both recently announced they're raising prices on nearly everything they sell, from chemicals used in bathroom cleaners to freezer bags and kitchen counter tops, because of high raw materials costs. Testifying before Congress in October, 2005, Dow CEO Andrew Liveris said high prices for natural gas that Dow and other companies use for both fuel and raw materials have rendered â€Å"the entire U. S. chemical industry uncompetitive†. â€Å"We simply cannot compete with the rest of the world at these prices,† Liveris said, adding that Dow is shifting some work overseas. â€Å"It undermines all U. S. manufacturing, because we supply all of U. S. manufacturing. † Raw materials and energy account for 50 percent of Dow's costs today, Liveris said. Energy costs were also a factor in layoffs at a Hanes Dye and Finishing plant in WinstonSalem and a Klaussner Furniture plant in Robbins, in Moore County in US. â€Å"China was the big reason, but energy costs make it difficult to compete in the global market,† said Mike Vaughan, vice president of operations and general manager for Hanes. Vaughan said the company uses a significant amount of natural gas to operate the machinery at its facilities. In the past three years, he said, the costs have tripled. 7 In Indian textile industry, energy accounts for an estimated 12%-15% of total cost of production. It was estimated that the energy saving potential is as high as 23%. 8 The Textiles Committee has taken up a programme to help processing units in Tirupur reduce their energy costs. Committee sources told The Hindu9 that three small-scale dyeing units, that were members of the Mannarai Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), had been selected for this purpose. The project has three phases. This project Pakistan: Environmental Impact of Cotton Production and Trade, Tariq Banuri, Copyright  © 1999 International Institute for Sustainable Development, Canada 6 Ibid 2 7 http://www. newsobserver. com/102/story/374287. html, 16th March, 2006 8 http://www. renewingindia. org 9 The Hindu, 22nd January, 2004 e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com 5 D. Narasimha Reddy 8/11 was taken up in association with the School of Energy of the PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, under the cluster development programme of the committee. Sources explained that power, steam and water consumed by these units for processing one kg of fabric were estimated. During the first phase, energy auditing had been carried out in the three units. The energy consumption and the actual requirement were estimated in each of the participating units. Under the second phase, the areas that required â€Å"corrective action† were identified. Measures that had to be taken by the units and the cost implications were also recommended to them. Growth in artificial fibre over natural fibre Fibres are transformed into yarn through spinning for natural and blended yarns or drawing and texturising for synthetic filament yarn production. Yarn is weaved into cloth. The process of fabric formation or weaving comprises preparatory activities followed by actual weaving on the loom. The preparatory process includes winding, warping, sizing, drawing-in and denting. The sheets of yarn thus prepared are then converted into fabric on the looms. This weaved cloth or fabric is stitched into garments or sold in other forms of finished textiles. These stages of manufacture have various levels of automation possible as an improvement from the basic process. Textile fibres are predominantly of two types – natural and manmade (see figure ‘Basic Threads’). Based on the source, natural fibres, in turn, can be those derived from animals, vegetables or minerals. On the other hand, manmade fibres are produced in the fibre form by application of mainly chemical processes on the naturally occurring substances (like hydrocarbons). The textile industry uses vegetable fibers such as cotton, animal fibers — such as wool and silk, and a wide range of synthetic materials such as nylon, polyester, and acrylics. The production of natural fibers is approximately equal in amount to the production of synthetic fibers. Polyester accounts for about 50% of synthetics. Manmade fibres fall in two categories – synthetics and cellulosics. Synthetic fibres are primarily made from petrochemicals whereas cellulosics are mainly regenerated wood pulp with chemical and physical treating. These fibres can be either long, highly strong yarn called filament yarn (which is oriented and fully drawn and is straight) or in staple form (much smaller in length and crimpy like natural fibres). Filament yarns are woven or knitted as they are. They are also woven into fabrics of textured yarn by combining with other types of filament yarns, twisting yarns and texturing in accordance with the aim of the product. The filament yarns are processed into circular, triangular, oval, hollow and other cross-sections that have even better properties. The staple fibres can be easily blended with other types of fibres. They are woven into fabrics by blending with cotton, wool and linen fibres to suit the aim of the product. e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 9/11 The principal manmade fibres include polyester, nylon, acrylic and viscose. Chemically, polyester (or many esters) is primarily a family of polymers wherein the monomers belong to the category â€Å"esters†. The most commonly used polyester is the polymer of diglycol terephthalate and is called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Nylon is a group of polymers, which can be classified as polyamides. Today several types of nylon are produced with properties tuned to meet customer specifications. The most commonly used ones are nylon-6 (which is manufactured from caprolactam) and nylon66 (made from adipic acid and hexamethylene diamine). The special characteristics of manmade fibres combined with availability and cost factors have seen an enormous increase in their use in the global textile industry. Fibres consumption (and consumption of related goods) has been growing at an astonishing rate. Consumption per capita of fibres has been growing steadily passing from 3. 7 kilos in 1950 to 9 kilos in 2002. The growth of manmade fibres in the textile industry has been phenomenal. Production of artificial fibres outnumbers natural fibres since the beginning of the 1990s. In 2002, natural fibres production was at 22. 5 million tons against 33. 6 for man made fibres. Table 3: World fibre production/Consumption per capita10 Year Natural Manmade TOTAL Population Consumption * ‘000 billion** kg / capita tons 2002 22. 463 33. 657 56. 120 6,23 9,0 2000 21. 504 31. 147 52. 651 6,08 8,7 1990 21. 460 19. 380 40. 840 5,28 7,7 1980 15. 227 14. 301 29. 528 4,46 6,6 1970 13. 484 8. 394 21. 878 3,71 5,9 1960 11. 607 3. 367 14. 974 3,04 4,9 1950 7. 723 1. 681 9. 404 2,56 3,7 * Ramie, flax, hemp, jute, sisal and coir (fibre prepared from the husk of the coconut) not included. * World population Comparing the domestic consumption patterns of fibres in India and China, two of the largest textile players on the global market, the imbalance is evident. In India, the textile industry covers a wide range of economic activities and has a significant role in the economy of the c ountry. In 2003, it was growing at the annual rate of 5%. In the meanwhile, the per capita consumption of textile fibre in India is one of the lowest (2. 5 kg) in the world. In China, the consumption of textiles is booming. Synthetic fibre yarns are in the top fifty import commodities. In 2003 China imported 710,000 tons of cotton yarn and almost all Source: 2003/feb/25bud20. htm 10 www. indo-rama. net/FiberYear2002. pdf; www. rediff. com/money/ e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 10/11 luxury yarns and fibres are imported. During the same year, China's quantity per capita of processed chemical fibre reached 10 kg, much higher than the world's average. China's textile sector is predicted to achieve a 6. 0% growth to take its total fibre consumption to 14. 0 million tonnes by 2005 and its per capita fibre consumption from the 2001 level of 6. 0 kg to 8. 0 kg. In India, as yet there is no effort to quantify the overall environment impact of wet processing of ma n-made fibers, especially with respect to chemical components, processing formulations and the effluent produced from the process. It is known that pretreatment of cellulosic textiles is characterized by high consumption of chemicals, water, and energy along with great discharge of waster water. This is mainly due to carrying out pretreatment operations on separate steps with repeated washing operations after each step. Conclusion Clothes and other textiles can affect the environment to varying degrees throughout their life cycles. Before textiles reach the consumer, they have gone through many different chemical processes. They may be treated with chemicals to dye them, make them more hardwearing or wrinkle-resistant, or less flammable. Some of these chemicals are carcinogenic or may cause harm to children even before birth. Others may trigger allergic reactions in some people. Some flame retardants that are used in certain textiles contain organic bromine compounds that are persistent (break down very slowly in the environment). The use of some dangerous chemicals in textiles is restricted such as azo dyes and formaldehyde. All textiles processes have an impact on the environment. The industry uses large amounts of natural resources such as water, while many operations use chemicals and solvents. All companies use energy, produce solid waste, discharge effluent and emit dust, fumes, etc to the atmosphere. Many textiles companies are located in rural areas where environmental protection assumes significance. While companies in developed countries are faced with increasingly stringent legislative controls and rising water and other raw material costs, their competitors in developing countries are getting away by externalising the environmental costs. Efficient and effective use of raw materials and improved process operations are vital for Western companies to remain competitive. Pressure is also being exerted by suppliers and customers on such companies to reduce their environmental impact. Environmental aspects in the textile industry are typically addressed at the corporate level, and the environmental costs are viewed as corporate overhead, but in general not discussed at the national level. A more efficient compliance with proper environmental guidelines is required for significant cost reduction on environment. e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 11/11 Environmental issues can no longer be ignored by the textiles industry and the government. Indian textile industry should realize that to remain competitive operating costs have to be reduced and environmental compliance has to be increased. Government should also integrate environmental goals into the national textile policy, and cannot have independent growth strategies, as environmental costs are proving to be a drag on growth and development. The textile industry in Tirupur was expected to grow to achieve the targetted textile product export of US$ 50 Billion by the year 2010. But, such growth is now greatly hampered due to immense environmental damage caused to the Noyyal river, ground water system, and agricultural production, by the textile wet processing industries in Tirupur. 11 All these factors mean that environmental issues should be an essential part of textile growth policies. For Indian textile sector, the main drivers for environmentally benign growth can be: †¢ Growth of handloom sector †¢ Competition †¢ Pressure exerted down the supply chain by the consumer †¢ Reducing production costs †¢ Meeting current and anticipated legislative requirements †¢ Concern for the global and local environment In India, a comprehensive approach has not been undertaken before on environmental impacts of textile manufacturing and has never previously been associated with textile production and use. A comprehensive analysis of the environmental impact of textile manufacturing activity should be done, which includes an analysis of the degradation by air pollution, wind, water and other agents. A complete survey of how developments in the textile industry and consumers of its products have affected the environment in the past needs to be taken up. This should also cover the most recent solutions adopted by the industry to alleviate the problems. This is important given the high textile production targets post 2005, and the ways in which the industry is responding to the environmental challenge. It will help the national textile policy and the growth of textile industry as well. 11 Ibid 2 e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com