Training and Development

Training and Development University of Phoenix HCS/341 Training and Development Training and development in today’s health care setting is an imperative process that must be engrained within an organizational structure. The organization’s Human Resource (HR) department must ensure that every employee in the organization is correctly trained to perform the job duties that are assigned. Managers must accurately measure each employee’s competencies in order to strategically plan and implement training and development programs geared towards the progression of the corporation. This paper will explain why training and development are vital in healthcare, the importance of measuring competencies, as well as describe the processes for tracking and evaluating training effectiveness. Training & Education Many people often correlate training in conjunction with development, although, these terms are to some extent analogous, both terms bear two different meanings. (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2010). In the book â€Å"Managing Human Resources†, the term training is defined as â€Å"The process of providing employees with specific skills or helping them correct deficiencies in their performance† (Gomez-Mejia et al. 2010, p. 246). On the other hand, development is defined as â€Å"an effort to provide employees with the abilities the organization will need in the future† (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010, p. 246). In the health care setting, training and development of each health care professional is essential to improving the delivery of medical s ervices for patients and their families as well as organizational and personal growth. Medical litigation seems to be one of the biggest issues affecting healthcare today. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which is an agency of the U. S. Department of health and human services, one of the most common root causes of medical error is the lack of training and education (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ], 2010). The AHRQ states: Organizational transfer of knowledge can include deficiencies in orientation or training, and lack of, or inconsistent, education and training for those providing care. This category of cause deals with the level of knowledge needed by individuals to perform the tasks that they are assigned. Transfer of knowledge is critical in areas where new employees or temporary help is often used. The organizational transfer of knowledge addresses how things are done in a particular organization or health care unit. This information is often not communicated or transferred. Organizational transfer of knowledge is also a critical issue in academic medical centers where physicians in training often rotate through numerous centers of care. ([AHRQ], 2010, Chapter 2) In order to reduce these common issues affecting healthcare, HR departments’ responsibility is to implement proper training regimens geared toward supporting the organization’s goals and missions. Certain training techniques are geared toward focusing on the skills needed to perform job duties. Some of the types of trainings include: skills, retaining, cross-functional, team, literacy, customer service, etc. (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). By receiving essential required training, health care professionals would then be able to effectively deliver quality care, furthermore, improving individual and organizational performance in efforts to achieve business and personal growth (Bureau of Labor statistics, U. S. Department of Labor [BLS, DOL], 2009). Measuring Competencies Measuring competencies is an extremely important process for HR. Accurately evaluating the validity of each employee’s goes a long way in ensuring protection for the organization as well as the individuals receiving health care. Managers must conduct a Task Analysis, which is an examination of the job or duties to be performed (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). A properly conducted job analysis should contain all the necessary information needed to understand job requirements and should be used to identify knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required to execute job functions (Gomez-Mejia et al. 2010) . Once the analysis is completed, the KSAs are then used to determine what kind of training is needed for the organization (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). By accurately evaluating each employee’s competency level, HR is then able to develop strategic plans that will advance growth for the organization as well as the individual. Measuring competencies is also vital to make certai n all staff members have the proficiency to abide by the standards and requirements set by government agencies. If competencies are not measured correctly, liability and ethics issues may arise which can result in costly litigation battles that may impede an organization’s growth. Tracking &Evaluating Training Effectiveness The process for tracking and evaluating training effectiveness takes place in the evaluation phase of the training program (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). In this phase, evaluation of training effectiveness is assessed through a four-level framework method (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). The book â€Å"Managing Human Resources† illustrates the process of the evaluation phase and the classification of the four-level framework system. The book states: Level 1 refers to the reaction of the trainees, and it may consist of ratings on a satisfaction scale that assess how happy trainees are with the training. Level 2 refers to how much the trainees learn, and it may be assessed with a skill exercise. Level 3 refers to the trainees’ behavior, and it may be measured by observers of the work operation. Level 4 refers to the results, which are generally assessed through the financial measure of return on investment (ROI). Results, the highest level of measurement, seem to be the most desirable way of assessing the success of a training program. (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010, p. 264) This evaluation process in then followed by four levels of evaluation employed by Garrett Engine Division (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). The Garrett Engine Division evaluation process measures performance before and after the training for both trained and untrained employees (Gomez-Mejia et al. 2010). HR must also conduct performance appraisals, which is the identification, measurement, and management of human performance in the health care organization to make certain employees are receiving effective training (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). Conclusion In summary, quality training, education, and development is imperative for the success of any healthcare organization. In order to achieve optimal development an d growth for the organization and the employees, HR must implement proper training and development programs within the organization’s structure. Competency assessment is vital in the process of building an employee’s career development plan, in addition to reducing organizational liability issues (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). Therefore, accurately measuring competencies and training effectiveness through an evaluation phase and performance appraisals prove to be beneficial in a variety of ways, ranging from operational to strategic purposes (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). References Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2010). Efforts to Reduce Medical Errors: AHRQ’s Response to Senate Committee on Appropriations Questions. In AHRQ’s Patient Safety Initiative (Ch. 2). Retrieved from http://www. ahrq. gov/qual/pscongrpt/psini2. htm Bureau of Labor statistics, U. S. Department of Labor. (2009). Human Resources, Training, and Labor Relations Managers and Specialists. In Occupational Outlook Handbook (2010-11 ed. ). Retrieved from http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos021. htm Gomez-Mejia, L. R. , Balkin, D. B. , & Cardy, R. L. (2010). Managing Human Resources (6th ed. ) [Adobe Reader]. doi: ISBN: 9780136093527 Mays, S. , Swetnich, D. , & Gorken, L. 2002, March). Towards a Unique Patient Identifier []. Health Management Technology, 23(3), 42. doi: ISSN:10744770 United States Department of Labor. (2009). Human Resources, Training, and Labor Relations Managers and Specialists. Retrieved from http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos021. htm Wager, K. A. , Lee, F. W. , Glaser, J. P. , & Burns, L. R. (2009). Purpose of Patient Records. In Health Care Information Systems. A Practical Approach for Health Care Management (2nd e d. , pp. 8-9). [Adobe Reader]. doi: ISBN: 9780470387801

Micropresentation Topics- Christ University

MICRO PRESENTATION TOPICS 1 Excellence is not an accomplishment, its a never ending process 39 What is meant to be, will always find a way 2 The pursuit of happiness 40 Its not the load that breaks you down. It is the way you carry it 3 The difference between a leader and boss 41 When all is said and done there is more said than done 3 The difference between a leader and boss 41 When all is said and done there is more said than done 4 Corporate social responsibility 42 Your focus determines your reality 5 Failure is an opportunity to begin again 3 Greenpeace 6 To be or not to be 44 Carbon footprints 7 Freedom and responsibility 45 Marine pollution 8 Knowledge and wisdom go hand in hand 46 Greenhouse effect 9 Democracy and India 47 What is global warming? 10 Leaders must be followers first 48 Genetic engineering 11 Inter-linking of rivers as a solution to water problems 49 You have to know the past to understand the present 12 Inter-linking of rivers – An ecological disaster 50 The key to successful leadership is influence, not authority 13 Pollution and economic development 1 Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world 14 The educated Indian and national commitment 52 Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. 15 Advertising and the consumer 53 Innovations in education 16 Intellectual bankruptcy in politics 54 We are creatures of our habits 17 Malala Yousafzai – candidate for Nobel Peace prize 55 India is a poor country with rich people. 18 India's preparedness to face terror attacks. 56 How can we contribute to saving the environment 19 Corruption – an epidemic 57 Genetic enginnering 0 India's lopsided development puts pressure on the cities 58 Marine pollution 21 State controlled economy vs liberalised economy 59 Coal mining and its impact on the environment 22 Indian states should be made smaller 60 What is soil conservation 23 Should India change its national game? 61 2013 budget 24 The corrupt efficient politician vs the inefficient honest politician 62 The problems of clinical waste 25 Funding of IIMs and IITs should be stopped 63 Economic development and its impact on the environment 26 Indians and patriotism 64 Kumbh Mela 2013 7 Higher education should be privatised 65 Land degradation 28 Oil prices in India 66 Environmental ethics 29 Success is all about human relations 67 Solutions for sustainable living 30 Are education and success co-related? 68 River contamination in India 31 Does the UN have relevance today 69 Impact of Facebook and Twiiter on youth 32 Happiness is not readymade. It comes from your own actions 70 Inflation and the Indian Economy 33 Is there hope in the darkest of days 71 Impact of decontrol of diesel on the common man 34 The purpose of life is to be happy 2 Haste makes waste 35 Age is an issue of mind over matter 73 The purpose of flashmobs 36 All things are difficult before they are easy 74 Organic farming 37 To live is the rarest t hing in the world. Most people only exist. 75 Impact of Coalition governments on the progress of the nation 38 Sometimes answers are simple to complicated questions †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1. All candidates are required to participate in the Micro Presentation (Extempore) to test their communication skill and knowledge on the given topics. 2. The Micro Presentation is for 90 seconds per candidate, 3.Each Candidate will be asked to pick a topic on random basis at the Selection Process Venue and present orally on the Topic. 4. Candidates will have a chance to present only ONE topic listed. No second chance will be given to any candidate 5. Candidates should not possess any material related to the Topics during the Selection Process 6. Candidates will not be permitted to present any topic in Power Point (PPT) or Video 7. Cellular Phone, Satellite Phone, Pager, Scientific Calculators, Notebook, Textbooks, Printed Materials etc. , are not allowed into the Selection Process Venue. . The decision of the GD/MP Panel will be final and binding â€Å"Excellence is not an accomplishment. It is a spirit, a never ending process. † ~ What happens when you think you have reached â€Å"excellence†? Most will just stop because they think that they have reached it and there is really no need to go further. Well, have you ever wondered what was on the other side of excellence? How will we ever know unless we take a peak and strive for better? As Mr. Miller stated, it’s a never ending process. We are always looking for ways to improve our own performance so we must take the xtra step and look for ways to improve the organizations excellence. It all starts with you and one small positive action will have a domino effect into more smaller positive actions and eventually into massive positive actions to improving our excellence! Take a look around your own facility and see where you can improve. Maybe it starts wit h you or maybe it starts with improving something in your facility. Always remember to think like our customers. From our customers perspective, what can be done to become even more efficient at what we do and even better than we were yesterday.Taking positive actions in the right direction is certainly one of the easiest ways to make that spirit of excellence soar into other aspects of Family and MWR. We are one big family of the most superb service providers so let's always make we do not just excellent, but beyond that! †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. The Pursuit of Happyness is a 2006 American biographical drama film based on Chris Gardner's nearly one-year struggle with homelessness. Directed by Gabriele Muccino, the film features Will Smith as Gardner, an on-and-off-homeless salesman-turned stockbroker. Smith's son Jaden Smith co-stars, making his film debut as Gardner's son Christopher Jr.The screenplay by Steven Conrad is based on the best-selling memoir written by Gardner with Quinc y Troupe. The film was released on December 15, 2006, by Columbia Pictures. For his performance, Smith, was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Actor. The unusual spelling of the film's title comes from a sign Gardner saw when he was homeless. In the film, â€Å"happiness† is misspelled as â€Å"happyness† outside the daycare facility Gardner's son attends. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. My friend has a saying; Leadership cannot be demanded – only earned and deserved.With that in mind, has anyone ever told you the difference between a boss and a leader? 1. The boss drives people; the leader coaches them. 2. The boss depends upon authority; the leader on good will. 3. The boss inspires fear; the leader inspires enthusiasm. 4. The boss says ‘I’; the leader says ‘we. ’ 5. The boss says ‘Get here on time’; the leader gets there ahead of time. 6. The boss fixes the blame for the breakdown; the leader fixes the br eakdown. 7. The boss knows how it is done; the leader shows how. 8. The boss makes work a drudgery; the leader makes work a game. 9.The boss says ‘Go’; the leader says ‘Let’s go. ’† 10. The boss justifies or lays blame – the leader takes responsibility. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Corporate social responsibility Workers in all industries – including agriculture, technology, furniture, etc. – are still at risk. Today, after years of intense focus on the apparel and footwear industries, people are beginning to realize that urgent action is needed in other sectors, too. A proverbial â€Å"light bulb† has gone off in the minds of consumers and corporate executives alike: no brand is immune to supply chain issues, and the abuse of workers will not be tolerated in any industry.Last month Apple became the first technology company to join FLA as a Participating Company, triggering what we can only hope will be a new wave of corp orate social responsibility; a wave which knows no boundaries and cascades over geographic borders and product lines. Apple’s decision to join FLA sets a new standard for the technology industry, and reinforces that supply chain issues and protecting workers’ rights are not just the responsibility of apparel and footwear brands. It’s time for another generation of brands to join the fold. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..Your focus determines your reality Your focus determines your reality†, this famous line was spoken by Qui-Gonn Jinn of Start Wars-The Phantom Menace fame. Ok, perhaps it is really infamous and you don't remember that quote. Nonetheless, think about it for a moment. Would you agree or disagree? I'm about to show you why I emphatically agree with this certain Jedi Master and not just because it's from Star Wars†¦ well not completely 😉 No I'm going to show you how your focus relates to anything you want to be successful in and then more s pecifically your Christian life.Ready? Let's Go! â€Å"Close or narrow attention; concentration† – so says Mister dictionary. com. When you are focusing on a certain aspect of anything, you generally ignore the rest of the picture. You're concentrating so hard that the rest of it at the very least becomes far less important and occupies less of your mental powers. So what happens? You get more of what you're focusing on. And less of what you're ignoring. You can be successful at what ever it is you are focusing on because you're giving it all your attention.And everything else gets harder to become better at. Whatever is in your focus, you will start to concentrate on it and you will be better conditioned to alter certain aspects of your life which will allow the object of your focus to actually become a true part of your life. Perhaps an example is in order: [Example] Say you are on a diet. You're not allowed to eat any carbohydrates. So what should you focus on? If y ou're gonna focus on the fact that you can't eat donuts and ho hos, what do you think you're gonna be craving all day? That's right–ho hos and donuts!Now instead, lets say you focus on how you can make a great tasting meal out of fresh vegetables and yummy lean meat products, how you're gonna prepare them, cook them and enrich the flavor. What do you think you're gonna be craving that night? The no-carb-lean-meaty meal of course! [end example] See how your focus determines your reality? If you're concentrating on what you shouldn't be doing, you're setting yourself up for failure†¦ are you starting to see how this relates to your Christian walk? What do most Christians focus on? What do most preachers preach on? What you can't do! Am I right?The only result that can come from focusing on what you can't do is you doing exactly that! Most Christians think in terms of what they can't do–the law. The Bible goes so far as to say that we would not even know about sin if it wasn't for the law: â€Å"On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, â€Å"YOU SHALL NOT COVET. But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind† Romans 7:7-8 Likewise we would not even have the desire to do what we're not supposed to do if we weren't focused on not doing it. just read it again, It'll make sense). So it is clear that by fixating our attention on what it is we are trying to avoid, we are actually setting ourselves up for failure. You can't focus on what you don't want and get what you want. But you need to focus on something! And like our diet example, the right way to focus is on what you do want! Just like the diet works if you focus on the good foods, your Christian life will work if you focus on what is good–Jesus Christ and his life that he gave you. Focusing on Christ and allowing him to express himself through you daily is the key to success in your Christian life.Pay no heed to what you're not supposed to do, â€Å"out of sight-out of mind! â€Å". So I guess ole Qui Gonn was right, â€Å"your focus does determine your reality†! †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Greenpeace is a non-governmental[2] environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. [3] Greenpeace states its goal is to â€Å"ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its diversity†[4] and focuses its campaigning on world wide issues such as global warming, deforestation, overfishing, commercial whaling, genetic engineering, and anti-nuclear issues.Greenpeace uses direct action, lobbying and research to achieve its goals. The global organization does not accept funding from governments, corporations or political parties, relying on 2. 9 million individual supporters and foundation grants. [5][6] Greenpeace has a general consultative status in the United Nations Economic and Social Council[7] and is a founding member[8] of the INGO Accountability Charter; an international non-governmental organization that intends to foster accountability and transparency of non-governmental organizations.Greenpeace evolved from the peace movement and anti-nuclear protests in Vancouver, British Columbia, in the late 1960s and early 1970s. On September 15, 1971, the newly founded Don't Make a Wave Committee sent a chartered ship, Phyllis Cormack, renamed Greenpeace for the protest, from Vancouver to oppose United States testing of nuclear devices in Amchitka, Alaska. The Don't Make a Wave Committee subsequently adopted the name Greenpeace. [9] In a few years, Greenpeace spread to several countries and started to campaign on other environmental issues such as commercial whaling and toxic waste. In the late 1970s, the ifferent regional Greenpeace groups formed Greenpeace International to oversee the goals and operatio ns of the regional organizations globally. [10] Greenpeace received international attention during the 1980s when the French intelligence agency bombed the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland's Waitemata Harbour, one of the most well-known vessels operated by Greenpeace, killing one individual. [11] In the following years, Greenpeace evolved into one of the largest environmental organizations in the world. [12][13] Greenpeace is known for its direct actions[14][15] and has been described as the most visible environmental organization in the world. 16][17] Greenpeace has raised environmental issues to public knowledge,[18][19][20] and influenced both the private and the public sector. [21][22] Greenpeace has also been a source of controversy;[23] its motives and methods have received criticism[24][25] and the organization's direct actions have sparked legal actions against Greenpeace activists. [26][27] †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"To Be, Or Not To Be† Meaning [pic] To live or n ot to live, that is the question. Is it better to stay, and suffer all of the ridiculous highs and lows of life? Or to leave, and avoid the trials and tribulations altogether?We cannot answer this. Even after you die you still might dream. And who knows what you'll dream? If it wasn't for that fear who would bear all the evils and humiliations of life? The injustices and oppression? The gloating of the powerful? The pain of loving someone who could care less? The lack of integrity? The abuses of the government? The rejections we all face? Why would we put up with all of this when we could just end our lives so easily? Why burden ourselves by continuing to live? It's the fear of what awaits after death.Death is an undiscovered country, a place from which no one ever returns. The existence of death puzzles us and makes us put up with all the miseries of life. So instead of exploring something we can't we perceive in advance, we continue to put up with our lives here. Our imaginations make us cowards. And our resolutions only turn us into self-compromised human beings. Therefore, we choose to take no action. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. A carbon footprint has historically been defined by Championne as â€Å"the total sets of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person. [1] However, calculating the total carbon footprint is impossible due to the large amount of data required and the fact that carbon dioxide can be produced by natural occurrences. It is for this reason that Wright, Kemp, and Williams, writing in the journal Carbon Management, have suggested a more practicable definition: â€Å"A measure of the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions of a defined population, system or activity, considering all relevant sources, sinks and storage within the spatial and temporal boundary of the population, system or activity of interest.Calculated as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) using the relevant 100-year global warming potential (GWP100). â€Å"[2] Greenhouse gases can be emitted through transport, land clearance, and the production and consumption of food, fuels, manufactured goods, materials, wood, roads, buildings, and services. [3] For simplicity of reporting, it is often expressed in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide, or its equivalent of other GHGs, emitted. Most of the carbon footprint emissions for the average U. S. household come from â€Å"indirect† sources, i. e. uel burned to produce goods far away from the final consumer. These are distinguished from emissions which come from burning fuel directly in one's car or stove, commonly referred to as â€Å"direct† sources of the consumer's carbon footprint. [4] The concept name of the carbon footprint originates from ecological footprint,discussion,[5] which was developed by Rees and Wackernagel in the 1990s which estimates the number of â€Å"earths† that would theoretically be required if e veryone on the planet consumed resources at the same level as the person calculating their ecological footprint.However, carbon footprints are much more specific than ecological footprints since they measure direct emissions of gasses that cause climate change into the atmosphere. Measuring Carbon Footprints An individual's, nation's, or organization's carbon footprint can be measured by undertaking a GHG emissions assessment or other calculative activities denoted as carbon accounting. Once the size of a carbon footprint is known, a strategy can be devised to reduce it, e. g. by technological developments, better process and product management, changed Green Public or Private Procurement (GPP), carbon capture, consumption strategies, and others.Several free online carbon footprint calculators exist, with at least one supported by publicly available peer-reviewed data and calculations from the University of California, Berkeley's CoolClimate Network research consortium. [6][7] The m itigation of carbon footprints through the development of alternative projects, such as solar or wind energy or reforestation, represents one way of reducing a carbon footprint and is often known as Carbon offsetting. The main influences on carbon footprints include population, economic output, and energy and carbon intensity of the economy. 8] These factors are the main targets of individuals and businesses in order to decrease carbon footprints. Scholars suggest the most effective way to decrease a carbon footprint is to either decrease the amount of energy needed for production or to decrease the dependence on carbon emitting fuels. [8] †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Freedom & Responsibility Freedom, from an existential perspective, cannot be separated from responsibility. With freedom comes responsibility. Yet, it is common for many people to seek freedom while trying to avoid responsibility.While, at times, it appears that people may be able to succeed at this, there remai ns a psychological consequence. This consequence is often not very noticeable, but may find expression through guilt, anxiety, depression, or even anger. Existential freedom is not the same things as freedom in the political sense we often think of it in America. In fact, political freedom could be view to be a rather shallow, though not unimportant, type of freedom. A person can be existentially free despite not being politically free, and a person can avoid embracing their existential freedom despite being offered great political freedoms.Frankl (1984), in the story of his experience in the concentration camps, provides a powerful overview of this distinction. While all his political or social freedoms were taken away, he gives credit for his survival to his psychological freedom. This psychological freedom allowed him to find and embrace meaning in the midst of what appeared to be meaningless suffering. Ways of Avoiding Responsibility There are several common examples of how peop le avoid responsibility in American culture. Conformity is one good example. Americans pride themselves on being autonomous individuals to the point of idealizing individualism.However, upon closer analysis, Americans find extremely creative ways of giving up their freedom. Americans conform through blind allegiance to various organizations and institutions including political parties and religious institutions. This is not to say that being dedicated to either of these are bad. In fact, often they can lead to very positive outcomes. The problem comes with blind allegiance where a person gives up their responsibility to critically think through the beliefs, perspectives, and values of the organization.When this happens, the individual's values are no longer authentic. When a person gives their allegiance to an external belief structure, they may go in one of several directions. First, they often will become very rigid in their allegiance to the organization or structure to which the y have committed. This type of conformity can be seen through various forms of fundamentalism — religious, political, psychological systems, etc. Second, they may present as being very committed to a belief systems or organization, but they feel very comfortable bending the rules where it does fit their desires.It becomes easy to bend the rules because they are not really committed to the underlying values system. However, when a person is deeply committed to authentic moral or value principles, they are less willing to act in ways which contradict these principles. The principles are authentic. Another way avoid responsibility can occur through the belief that one is powerless. There can be many factors which are seen to render a person powerless. A person can perceive themselves as a victim of their environment, of various supernatural or spiritual forces, their unconscious, or a victim of their biology/genes.While an existential approach will recognize that all of these fa ctors may influence a person, none of them render a person powerless or completely control them. The Ability to Choose Freedom Otto Rank discusses the issue of freedom beautifully. Essentially, Rank states that the degree to which a person is unaware of those forces which influence us, they are controlled by them. Stated differently, the degree which we are unaware of how our drives, instincts, unconscious, and environment are influencing us, they control us.However, if a person chooses not to be aware of these influences, even if done so passively or unconsciously, a choice has still been made. Self-awareness, in Rank's conceptualization, is a commitment people make which can enhance their freedom. Yet, most people choose to live a life of being unaware. It can be frightening to deeply know who we are and the realities of our existence. Yet, it can be even more rewarding. The movie the Matrix provides a parallel to this understanding of freedom and awareness.While many choose to av oid living in the realities of life, a few choose to live more fully in awareness. The existential question then becomes do you choose the blue pill? Or will you take the red one? Self-Awareness and the Ethical Life If we accept Ranks views on freedom, the unconscious, and the will, then to live a responsible life is to live a life committed to self-awareness. If the choice made is to merely be a product of our biology, our unconscious, and our environment; then the choice has been made to live an inauthentic and irresponsible life.This commitment is not always an easy one, but, again, the rewards can be great. The inauthentic and unaware life limits a person in so many ways. First, it limits a person's ability to live an ethical life. Second, it limits the potential for authenticity. A third loss, which is necessarily connected to the second loss, is that we are limited in our ability for intimacy and relational satisfaction. It is only through knowing ourselves that we can be auth entically in relationship with others. However, the ironic paradox remains that the only way we can come to now ourselves is through relationship with others. In returning to the discussion of ethics, it can be seen that this is profoundly different approach to ethics than the one typically embraced by American society. A close look at America's value system reveals that it typically is based on a) conformity to rules and ethics codes, b) what benefits the individual or their family the most, or c) what is more financially beneficial for the individual. I would maintain that an existential approach to ethics must be counterculture in American society.As existential thought tends to be anti-structural, it will focus on broader principles instead of rules. These principles may be derived from a religious or spiritual system, but not necessarily so. They would embrace a respect for human existence, but also the broader environmental and natural systems (nature) of which human existence is a part. Love, compassion, and a commitment to social justice (not in the punitive or avenging sense, but rather in seeking to change the evils of society) are the principles which are foundational to existential theory.While many individual principles may also be a part of different peoples' values system, I would maintain that these principles are essential to an existential ethics. Self awareness is needed to live in accordance with these principles. However, the lack of self awareness is not an acceptable excuse for a person's behavior. Freedom & Responsibility in Therapy The process of change cannot begin until a person accepts responsibility. This is one of the difficult challenges of growth. In order to grow, a person must accept responsibility for what they have done to contribute to where they are at in life.If they have no responsibility, then they have little ability to change. When applied to therapy, this could be taken to mean that the therapist must break through t he walls of defense in order to help the client take responsibility. This is generally not consistent with the existential approach. Bugental (1987) provides some of the best illustrations of this. With his profound respect for the client, Bugental also shows a respect for the client's defenses. Instead of forcing through defenses, they can be used as a guide to help the therapist know when the client is ready to go deeper into an issue.When the defenses are strong, the therapist respects the need for the defense and does not push on that issue at that time. However, when the defenses are lowered the therapist then can recognize that it is a good time to move deeper. This is not to suggest there is never a time to confront or challenge a client's defenses. Rather it recognizes that before this is done the therapist must recognize the value of the defense. It also suggests that defenses can be challenged or confronted in a softer manner. I like to use the metaphor of the invitation h ere.The job of the therapist is to continuously invite the client to examine the defenses and the issues which the defenses are protecting, yet always respect the client's desire to not accept the invitation. †¦. Marine pollution occurs when harmful, or potentially harmful, effects result from the entry into the ocean of chemicals, particles, industrial, agricultural and residential waste, noise, or the spread of invasive organisms. Most sources of marine pollution are land based. The pollution often comes from nonpoint sources such as agricultural runoff and wind blown debris and dust.Many potentially toxic chemicals adhere to tiny particles which are then taken up by plankton and benthos animals, most of which are either deposit or filter feeders. In this way, the toxins are concentrated upward within ocean food chains. Many particles combine chemically in a manner highly depletive of oxygen, causing estuaries to become anoxic. When pesticides are incorporated into the marine ecosystem, they quickly become absorbed into marine food webs. Once in the food webs, these pesticides can cause mutations, as well as diseases, which can be harmful to humans as well as the entire food web.Toxic metals can also be introduced into marine food webs. These can cause a change to tissue matter, biochemistry, behaviour, reproduction, and suppress growth in marine life. Also, many animal feeds have a high fish meal or fish hydrolysate content. In this way, marine toxins can be transferred to land animals, and appear later in meat and dairy products †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Knowledge and wisdom go hand in hand Best Answer – Chosen by Asker My thought on knowledge is that people learn while as a child through their parents and teachers. Its that learned knowledge that has been passed down rom one generation to the next from one person to the next and then passed on to another. Its the Transfer of Knowledge from person to person. Wisdom is the knowledge a person has gai ned as they have grown and experienced while living life. Its the knowledge that people acquire separate from their parents because they have not been able to for one reason or another inform, educate or teach. Its the knowledge one can only learn from doing and experiencing. Intellectuality comes from high intelligence, coupled with interest in the world around you.If you're curious about things and want to know things, you'll study. It's irrelevant where you study. You can simply read up on your own without getting a tertiary education. Life experience will aid wisdom. But being intellectual doesn't necessarily mean you're wise. Wisdom is the sum of your life experience. It's emotional and experience that you apply to your life. Intellectuality is more abstract. You apply it to problems and questions that don't necessarily have anything to do with life and living. You can be wise without being intellectual, and vise versa. Or you can be both. Or†¦ sometimes†¦ either. :p †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ The greenhouse effect is a process by which thermal radiation from a planetary surface is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases, and is re-radiated in all directions. Since part of this re-radiation is back towards the surface and the lower atmosphere, it results in an elevation of the average surface temperature above what it would be in the absence of the gases. [1][2] Solar radiation at the frequencies of visible light largely passes through the atmosphere to warm the planetary surface, which then emits this energy at the lower frequencies of infrared thermal radiation.Infrared radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases, which in turn re-radiate much of the energy to the surface and lower atmosphere. The mechanism is named after the effect of solar radiation passing through glass and warming a greenhouse, but the way it retains heat is fundamentally different as a greenhouse works by reducing airflow, isolating the warm air inside the structure so that heat is no t lost by convection. [2][3][4] If an ideal thermally conductive blackbody was the same distance from the Sun as the Earth is, it would have a temperature of about 5.  °C. However, since the Earth reflects about 30%[5] [6] of the incoming sunlight, this idealized planet's effective temperature (the temperature of a blackbody that would emit the same amount of radiation) would be about ? 18  °C. [7][8] The surface temperature of this hypothetical planet is 33  °C below Earth's actual surface temperature of approximately 14  °C. [9] The mechanism that produces this difference between the actual surface temperature and the effective temperature is due to the atmosphere and is known as the greenhouse effect. 10] Earth’s natural greenhouse effect makes life as we know it possible. However, human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels and clearing of forests, have intensified the natural greenhouse effect, causing global warming. [11] †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Democracy and India India is the seventh largest (by area) and the second most populous country in the world, with roughly one-sixth of its population, of about a billion and a quarter. It is the world's largest democracy. It is one of the world's oldest civilizations yet, a very young nation. Elections to its Parliament are held once every 5 years.Currently, Prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is the head of the government, enjoying a majority in the Parliament, while President Pranab Mukherjee, is the head of state. India is a constitutional republic governed under the world's longest written constitution, federally consisting of 28 states and seven centrally administered union territories, with New Delhi as the nation's capital. The country has four main national parties: the Indian National Congress (INC), Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist).The Indian National Congress has governed the country for 3/4th's of the time si nce independence from Britain in 1947, under the de facto one party system[1] and now, under the Dominant-party system. At the level of its states, many regional parties stand for elections to state legislatures, every five years. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Global warming is the rise in the average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans since the late 19th century and its projected continuation. Since the early 20th century, Earth's mean surface temperature has increased by about 0. 8  °C (1.  °F), with about two-thirds of the increase occurring since 1980. [2] Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and scientists are more than 90% certain that it is primarily caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. [3][4][5][6] These findings are recognized by the national science academies of all major industrialized nations. [7][A] Climate model projections were summarized in the 2007 F ourth Assessment Report (AR4) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).They indicated that during the 21st century the global surface temperature is likely to rise a further 1. 1 to 2. 9  °C (2 to 5. 2  °F) for their lowest emissions scenario and 2. 4 to 6. 4  °C (4. 3 to 11. 5  °F) for their highest. [8] The ranges of these estimates arise from the use of models with differing sensitivity to greenhouse gas concentrations. [9][10] Future warming and related changes will vary from region to region around the globe. [11] The effects of an increase in global temperature include a rise in sea levels and a change in the amount and pattern of precipitation, as well a probable expansion of subtropical deserts. 12] Warming is expected to be strongest in the Arctic and would be associated with the continuing retreat of glaciers, permafrost and sea ice. Other likely effects of the warming include a more frequent occurrence of extreme-weather events including heat waves, droughts and heavy rainfall, ocean acidification and species extinctions due to shifting temperature regimes. Effects significant to humans include the threat to food security from decreasing crop yields and the loss of habitat from inundation. 13][14] Proposed policy responses to global warming include mitigation by emissions reduction, adaptation to its effects, and possible future geoengineering. Most countries are parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),[15] whose ultimate objective is to prevent dangerous anthropogenic (i. e. , human-induced) climate change. [16] Parties to the UNFCCC have adopted a range of policies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions[17]:10[18][19][20]:9 and to assist in adaptation to global warming. 17]:13[20]:10[21][22] Parties to the UNFCCC have agreed that deep cuts in emissions are required,[23] and that future global warming should be limited to below 2. 0  °C (3. 6  °F) relative to the pre-industrial l evel. [23][B] Reports published in 2011 by the United Nations Environment Programme[24] and the International Energy Agency[25] suggest that efforts as of the early 21st century to reduce emissions may be inadequate to meet the UNFCCC's 2  °C target. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Followers First, Leaders Second. March 15, 2009 | by Randy Willis | Leave a Comment!One morning last week, during my time with God, I was praying for my (and Joleen’s) ministry/leadership, and said †¦ Make us the followers you want us to be so that we can be the leaders you call us to be! I have always believed that leaders must first be followers. Christ-following leaders must first be followers of God; indeed, their leadership flows out of following God! But leaders must also be good followers of others (e. g. , those in authority, other leaders, etc. ). In other words, followership is a prerequisite of leadership.One of the challenges leaders face is knowing when to follow and when to lead. Certainly, lea ders must always follow God. At times, leaders need to know when to follow others as well, particularly, those to whom they delegate responsibility and/or share ministry. Leaders carry the ultimate responsibility of leadership, of course, but there are times when they need to follow, to let others lead. We are followers first (that’s one of the reasons why I like and prefer the term â€Å"Christ-followers†), then leaders.So, are you a good leader? And, just as important for leaders, are you a good follower? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct manipulation of an organism's genome using biotechnology. New DNA may be inserted in the host genome by first isolating and copying the genetic material of interest using molecular cloning methods to generate a DNA sequence, or by synthesizing the DNA, and then inserting this construct into the host organism. Genes may be removed, or â€Å"knocked out†, using a nuclease.Gene targeting is a different technique that uses homologous recombination to change an endogenous gene, and can be used to delete a gene, remove exons, add a gene, or introduce point mutations. An organism that is generated through genetic engineering is considered to be a genetically modified organism (GMO). The first GMOs were bacteria in 1973; GM mice were generated in 1974. Insulin-producing bacteria were commercialized in 1982 and genetically modified food has been sold since 1994. Genetic engineering techniques have been applied in numerous fields including research, agriculture, industrial biotechnology, and medicine.Enzymes used in laundry detergent and medicines such as insulin and human growth hormone are now manufactured in GM cells, experimental GM cell lines and GM animals such as mice or zebrafish are being used for research purposes, and genetically modified crops have been commercialized. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Inter-linking of rivers as a solution to water problems The India n Rivers Inter-link is a proposed large-scale civil engineering project that aims to join the majority of India's rivers by canals and so reduce persistent water shortages in parts of India. [edit] HistoryIn 1972 the then Minister for Irrigation K. L. Rao proposed a 2640 kilometer long link between the Ganges and Kaveri rivers. In 1974 plans were proposed for the ‘Garland canal'. In 1982 the National Water Development Agency was set up to carry out surveys of the links and prepare feasibility studies. The Garland Canal was proposed by Dinshaw J. Dastur, a consultant Engineer [edit] The Project The Inter-link would consist of two parts, a northern Himalayan River Development component and a southern Peninsular River Development component. [edit] Himalayan developmentThe northern component would consist of a series of dams built along the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers in India, Nepal and Bhutan for the purposes of storage. Canals would be built to transfer surplus water from the eastern tributaries of the Ganga to the west. The Brahmaputra and its tributaries would be linked with the Ganga and the Ganga with the Mahanadi river. This part of the project would provide additional irrigation for about 220,000 square kilometres and generate about 30 gigawatts of electricity. In theory it would provide extra flood control in the Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins.It could also provide excess water for the controversial Farakka Barrage which could be used to flush out the silt at the port of Kolkata. [edit] Peninsular development The main part of the project would send water from the eastern part of India to the south and west. The southern development project would consist of four main parts. First, the Mahanadi, Godavari. Krishna and Kaveri rivers would all be linked by canals. Extra water storage dams would be built along the course of these rivers. The purpose of this would be to transfer surplus water from the Mahanadi and Godavari rivers to the south of Indi a.Second, those rivers that flow west to the north of Mumbai and the south of Tapi would be linked. Due to the irregular fluctuations in water levels in the region, as much storage capacity would be built as possible. The water would be used by the urban areas of Bombay and also to provide irrigation in the coastal areas of Maharashtra. Third the Ken and Chambal rivers would be linked in order to provide better water facilities for Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Finally a number of west-flowing rivers along the Western Ghats simply discharge into the Arabian Sea. As many of these as possible would be diverted for irrigation purposes.The Peninsular part of the project would provide additional irrigation to 130,000 square kilometres and generation an additional 4 gigawatts of power. [edit] Criticism †¢ Critics also point to the enormous costs conservatively estimated at some US$ 140b which India cannot afford to spend. †¢ The change in elevation (a minimum of 100 m, gener ally increases towards the south) from the plains of northern India to the Vindhya and Satpura ranges and the Deccan Plateau beyond them, pose a major challenge to the project; as the water would have to travel upwards in order to reach Maharashtra and southern India. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Inter-linking of rivers – An ecological disaster Less than a month after Rahul Gandhi warned against â€Å"playing with nature†, Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said the idea of interlinking India's rivers was a â€Å"disaster†, putting a question mark on the future of the ambitious project. â€Å"The interlinking of rivers will be a human-ecological-economic disaster. It is easy to do interlinking on paper. Interlinking of rivers has limited basin value, but largescale interlinking would be a disaster,† Ramesh said at a press briefing today.In Chennai last month, Rahul had expressed concern over the environmental fallout of interlinking. â€Å"We should not play with nature on such a massive scale,† he was quoted as saying. The remark drew flak from UPA ally DMK, which reminded Rahul that it was Indira Gandhi who set up the National Water Development Agency in 1982 to study the possibility of water transfers from surplus basins to deficit areas. DMK chief M Karunanidhi pointed out that UPA-I's 2004 National Common Minimum Programme had promised â€Å"a comprehensive assessment of the feasibility of linking of rivers†¦ tarting with south-bound rivers†. Asked about the party's stand on the issue, the Congress remained non-committal. â€Å"It is a larger issue. It is not a magic wand. There is an awesome scale of interlinking. It is a super long term solution, and not a medium or short-term solution,† spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said. â€Å"I don't think anybody is rejecting or accepting it. After 25 years of considerable expenditure, you may still have the same problem. Unless you are s ure, you can't embark on it. It is a project with extremely multifarious aspects and the jury is out,† Singhvi said. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ The key to successful leadership is influence, not authority Managing in a business environment would also entail making the most effective use of that thing or resource whether it is money, machines, material, supply chains, accounting, engineering, people or whatever. Very few managers are unaware of the fact that if we only used the machine and never properly cared for it, the machine's capacity would degrade rather steadily over time and eventually suffer a casualty which would render it useless. To be successful at maintaining machinery or a function like ccounting, one must thoroughly understand that machine or function, how it works and what it needs. Direction, integrity, consistency, and connection create the leadership relationship. That's a first step in building an organization, but it doesn't address the issue of how lea ders make their organizations successful. Leaders can choose to lead in a good direction or a bad one. Actually, a full spectrum exists from exceptionally bad to exceptionally good. Every manager will by his/her actions will lead in some direction within this spectrum.This direction may not be understood or chosen by the manager, but that is irrelevant. This is always the leaderaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s choice, whether or not the leader realizes it. Leadership is not a process any manager can change. It happens inexorably every minute of every day because most people follow more or less. The only choice available to a manager is the standard that employees will follow. Because of these characteristics, â€Å"followership† turns out to be a major force in managing people. Those managers who take advantage of it can become extremely effective at managing their human capital.You cannot build trust without treating people with respect and dignity. It is now all too common to have layoffs in which those let go are immediately escorted off the premises. This process deprives them and those left behind of the opportunity to say good-bye and, more fundamentally, signals distrust and disrespect. Consider instead the New Zealand Post, which, since becoming a state-owned enterprise expected to operate like a private company in 1987, has accomplished amazing things. People laid off were offered generous severance, given parties on their leaving, and recognized for their contributions to the company.Indeed, the Post even let the staff help decide who would go and who would stay — for it turned out that some people the organization intended to keep wanted to leave or retire and others wanted to stay. Clear expectations are critical to building trust. The more clear you are about what others expect from you and what you expect from others, the easier you will find it to build trust. When your supervisor and your employees know that you really care about their personal a nd professional success, and your actions demonstrate this case, they will find you easier to trust.Building trust is not difficult, but it takes time. There may be instant pudding and instant tea; there is no such thing as instant trust. But, if you do what you say youaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re going to do; do even more than is expected; openly communicate often; practice the concept of aâ‚ ¬? no surprises;aâ‚ ¬? be honest, even when it costs you something to be honest; and really care about an individualaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s personal and professional success, you will find it easier to build relationships based on trust.You can get people to do what they are paid to do by using all sorts of manipulative tactics. You could easily tell employees that if they do not get a task done, you will give them a negative performance appraisal, and that, in turn, will make them ineligible for the next round of raises. That may work. Or you may have employees who do aâ‚ ¬? exactly what you tell them to do. aâ‚ ¬? What you will not have is a workforce that is motivated to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Because you do not care about them.Their level of care for you as an individual, or your success as a manager, is lacking because of their limited relationship with you. True leaders understand that success does not depend on their titles, but on the values they uphold and the choices they make on a daily basis. They know that leadership is not achieved through technical expertise, but rather is based on a relationship with their followers. It is our hope that the following insights will help you with the aâ‚ ¬? relationship savvyaâ‚ ¬? ou need to be a great supervisor, and an outstanding leader. †¦.. Pollution and economic development There are many environmental issues in India. Air pollution, water pollution, garbage, and pollution of the natural environment are all challenges for India. The situation was worse between 1947 through 1995. According to d ata collection and environment assessment studies of World Bank experts, between 1995 through 2010, India has made one of the fastest progress in the world, in addressing its environmental issues and improving its environmental quality. 1][2] Still, India has a long way to go to reach environmental quality similar to those enjoyed in developed economies. Pollution remains a major challenge and opportunity for India. Some believe economic development is causing the environmental issues. Others believe economic development is key to improving India's environmental management and preventing pollution in India. It is also suggested that India's growing population is the primary cause of India's environmental degradation. Systematic studies challenge this theory.Empirical evidence from countries such as Japan, England and Singapore, each with population density similar or higher than India, yet each enjoying environmental quality vastly superior than India, suggests population density ma y not be the only factor affecting India's issues. [3] Major environmental issues are forest and agricultural degradation of land, resource depletion (water, mineral, forest, sand, rocks etc. ), environmental degradation, public health, loss of biodiversity, loss of resilience in ecosystems, livelihood security for the poor. 4] The major sources of pollution in India include the rampant burning of fuelwood and biomass such as dried waste from livestock as the primary source of energy,[5] lack of organized garbage and waste removal services, lack of sewage treatment operations, lack of flood control and monsoon water drainage system, diversion of consumer waste into rivers, cremation practices near major rivers, government mandated protection of highly polluting old public transport, and continued operation by Indian government of government owned, high emission plants built between 1950 to 1980. 6][7][8][9][10] India's water supply and sanitation issues are related to many environme ntal issues. Environmental issues are one of the primary causes of disease, health issues and long term livelihood impact for India. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world Nelson Mandela once said that education is the most powerful weapon which can be used to change the world. But when Christo van der Rheede and his team facilitated a leadership and management course for teachers, education as a weapon seemed impossible when it was found that teachers themselves aren’t equipped to enforce this notion.While these teachers have all the commitment and enthusiasm necessary, how is it possible that most of our schools are struggling to deliver quality education Comments By Anonymous Wed 4 Aug, 2010 – 16:58 it is good †¢ reply â€Å"Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world. † These are the wise words of former president Nelson Mandela who celebrates his 91st birthday t his month. Indeed prophetic words calling on all South Africans to account for the way in which education is used to ensure the success of South Africa’s nation-building project.Education forms the cornerstone of this project, as it entails the transfer of knowledge, skills and values. If education fails, all the effort up to now will be in vain. Already, a very disconcerting picture is painted by researchers investigating an education system which fails to produce skilled citizens. We, at the Stigting vir Bemagtiging deur Afrikaans (SBA), share the concern over the state of affairs in education. For this reason, SBA recently facilitated a three-day leadership and management course to approximately fifty teachers, under the auspices of the Enkwenkwezi Trust.What struck me was the commitment and enthusiasm of the teachers who sacrificed their winter holidays working through the modules from 9am – 4pm. They clearly thirsted for the knowledge we shared with them. This exp erience has compelled me to critically question not only the nature and extent of support given to teachers but also the role which office-based education officials, specifically appointed for the task, can be expected to play in this regard.If the majority of the teaching personnel at ground level are prepared to perform their daily tasks with such commitment and enthusiasm, how is it possible that most of our schools are struggling to deliver quality education? My observation during all our training sessions is that many of the teachers do not have an adequate grasp of the new curriculum. It was expected of an entire generation of teachers trained during the previous dispensation to undergo a change in mindset from the ‘old’ to the ‘new’ in a matter of weeks.To them it was and still is an uphill battle, as a few weeks’ training in the new curriculum is simply not sufficient and often leaves them more confused and despondent. In contrast, the genera tion of teachers now being trained has a better understanding of the new curriculum after four years of training. It is no wonder, therefore, that they are considered a ray of light by many principals and their senior management. However, making a change of mindset from the ‘old’ to the ‘new’ is possible. With proper guidance and sensible management of these changes teachers will be able to make headway.Unfortunately, we have a chronic shortage of experienced and in some instances indifferent office-based education officials to give teachers step-by-step guidance and top-class support. In some provinces, especially in urban areas, this expertise is readily available. These schools also have access to the internet and resource centres where teachers can get the necessary assistance. There are, however, education district offices in the former homelands, rural as well as urban areas that lack expertise to give teachers the necessary guidance and support.To ma ke matters worse, those schools do not even have access to the internet or to well-equipped resource centres. No wonder most of the schools in our country are struggling to provide quality education to our children. The entire curriculum delivery process is compromised due to a lack of support and this I wish to motivate by means of the following diagram: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. A customer who complains to you should be valued – many of your dissatisfied customers will take their business elsewhere and not even give you an opportunity to respond.Bill Gates has stated that: â€Å"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning†. If you want to build long and loving relationships with your customers then: †¢ Always be open to discussing problems with your customers †¢ Listen and empathize – consider the reasons behind the dissatisfaction and hurt †¢ Be personal and ca ring – don’t brush them aside with automated, standard responses †¢ Say sorry and acknowledge the problem – even if you believe you are not in the wrong †¢ Show your affection when you’re in the wrong – but don’t overdo it! Give customers and complaint handlers access to someone who can come in to mediate when a solution cannot be found but a continued relationship is still required †¢ Take time to think about your actions and look at ways to improve the way you do things in future †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Advertising and the consumer Why is it so difficult to introspect on advertising and how it influences us? Because we look for major effects, that’s why! Too often, we look for the ability of an ad to persuade us. We look for a major effect rather than more subtle, minor effects.Big and immediate effects of advertising do occur when the advertiser has something new to say. Then it is easy for us to introspect on its effect. But most effects of advertising fall well short of persuasion. These minor effects are not obvious but they are more characteristic of the way advertising works. To understand advertising we have to understand and measure these effects. When our kids are growing up we don’t notice their physical growth each day but from time to time we become aware that they have grown.Determining how much a child has grown in the last 24 hours is like evaluating the effect of being exposed to a single commercial. In both cases, the changes are too small for us to notice. But even small effects of advertising can influence which brand we choose especially when all other factors are equal and when alternative brands are much the same. Advertising is paid, nonpersonal communication that is designed to communicate in a creative manner, through the use of mass or information-directed media, the nature of products, services, and ideas.It is a form of persuasive communication that offer s information about products, ideas, and services that serves the objectives determined by the advertiser. Advertising may influence consumers in many different ways, but the primary goal of advertising is to increase the probability that consumers exposed to an advertisement will behave or believe as the advertiser wishes. Thus, the ultimate objective of advertising is to sell things persuasively and creatively.Advertising is used by commercial firms trying to sell products and services; by politicians and political interest groups to sell ideas or persuade voters; by not-for-profit organizations to raise funds, solicit volunteers, or influence the actions of viewers; and by governments seeking to encourage or discourage particular activities, such a wearing seatbelts, participating in the census, or ceasing to smoke. The forms that advertising takes and the media in which advertisements appear are as varied as the advertisers themselves and the messages that they wish to deliver. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Innovation in EducationIntroduction Education is the crucible in which Innovations are forged. Promoting creativity and incentivizing innovations through our educational institutions is a first step towards broadening and deepening the impact of innovations in our society and economy. In large scale education systems such as ours, catering to a vast population with relatively limited resources, this is a major challenge. At the same time, with rapid advances in new technologies, changing needs of the economy, and the very presence of the challenges identified above, the sector itself presents a fertile ground for pioneering innovations.Recognising the fundamental role of education in nurturing and fostering an ecosystem of innovation the National Innovation Council is engaged in a series of initiatives to encourage innovations in existing educational institutions – universities, colleges and schools, as well as promoting new educational m odels and innovative platforms for knowledge creation, dissemination and application. Some of the key proposals of the NInc in this domain include: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Intellectual bankruptcy in politicsGujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi launched a fresh attack on the Center on December 27, saying the country was in the grip of pessimism because of â€Å"policy paralysis, intellectual bankruptcy and lack of leadership. † He said the Center’s policies â€Å"lack urgency or seriousness† in tackling economic crises and thus the â€Å"sense of pessimism† in the 12th Plan. â€Å"There is a policy paralysis, intellectual bankruptcy and lack of leadership in the country because of which the country was experiencing stagnancy. We are going on the path of negative growth,† Modi told reporters at the 57th National Development Council (NDC) meeting here.In his speech at the meeting, Modi said, â€Å"It seems that there is no urgency or seriousness in tackling economic crises facing the country. There has been a virtual lack of direction in the macro-economic management of the country. † Modi also called for setting up a National Resources Commission on the lines of the Finance Commission, which discusses the allocation of grants to states every five years. He said the country is facing a demographic opportunity as 65 percent of the population is young and pitched for a youth-centric growth, which focused on skill development. It is unfortunate that the central government has been bereft of any vision or strategy in this regard. This feeling of helplessness in making effective policy interventions has resulted in job creation suffering and the youth of the country becoming disillusioned,† he said in his speech. †¦. We are creatures of our habits This blog will be about habits. I do research on habits and self-change and I've blogged on these topics for almost two years now. Here at Psychology Today, I have a bigger and b etter platform, and I am ever so grateful. But, what to say first?How to set the tone? Perhaps I should begin with the title of my blog, Creatures of Habit. The title says so much about my approach to human psychology in general, and to habits in particular. First off, we are creatures. We are animals. We're very sophisticated and good-looking and all that, but let's never forget that we're made of flesh and blood. In particular, our brains are incredibly complex evolved machines. Our brains govern basic processes such as breathing and food intake, and also enable us to appreciate the finer points of John Cleese's performances in Fawlty Towers.Bottom of Form As creatures, we have needs. We need to eat, and so we eat. As rather intelligent and social creatures, we like to chat with one another, and so we do. We take turns and finish our conversations gracefully. And there

Deception Point Page 93

POTUS. She felt a sudden surge of hope. Something about POTUS struck Gabrielle as being a perfect Sexton password. Simple, positive, self-referential. She quickly typed in the letters. POTUS. Holding her breath, she hit â€Å"return.† The computer beeped. Invalid Password – Access Denied Slumping, Gabrielle gave up. She headed back toward the bathroom door to exit the way she had come. She was halfway across the room, when her cellphone rang. She was already on edge, and the sound startled her. Stopping short, she pulled out her phone and glanced up to check the time on Sexton's prized Jourdain grandfather clock. Almost 4:00 A.M. At this hour, Gabrielle knew the caller could only be Sexton. He was obviously wondering where the hell she was. Do I pick up or let it ring? If she answered, Gabrielle would have to lie. But if she didn't, Sexton would get suspicious. She took the call. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Gabrielle?† Sexton sounded impatient. â€Å"What's keeping you?† â€Å"The FDR Memorial,† Gabrielle said. â€Å"The taxi got hemmed in, and now we're-â€Å" â€Å"You don't sound like you're in a taxi.† â€Å"No,† she said, her blood pumping now. â€Å"I'm not. I decided to stop by my office and pick up some NASA documents that might be relevant to PODS. I'm having some trouble finding them.† â€Å"Well, hurry up. I want to schedule a press conference for the morning, and we need to talk specifics.† â€Å"I'm coming soon,† she said. There was a pause on the line. â€Å"You're in your office?† He sounded suddenly confused. â€Å"Yeah. Another ten minutes and I'll be on my way over.† Another pause. â€Å"Okay. I'll see you soon.† Gabrielle hung up, too preoccupied to notice the loud and distinctive triple-tick of Sexton's prized Jourdain grandfather clock only a few feet away. 113 Michael Tolland did not realize Rachel was hurt until he saw the blood on her arm as he pulled her to cover behind the Triton. He sensed from the catatonic look on her face that she was not aware of any pain. Steadying her, Tolland wheeled to find Corky. The astrophysicist scrambled across the deck to join them, his eyes blank with terror. We've got to find cover, Tolland thought, the horror of what had just happened not yet fully registering. Instinctively, his eyes raced up the tiers of decks above them. The stairs leading up to the bridge were all in the open, and the bridge itself was a glass box-a transparent bull's-eye from the air. Going up was suicide, which left only one other direction to go. For a fleeting instant, Tolland turned a hopeful gaze to the Triton submersible, wondering perhaps if he could get everyone underwater, away from the bullets. Absurd. The Triton had room for one person, and the deployment winch took a good ten minutes to lower the sub through the trap door in the deck to the ocean thirty feet below. Besides, without properly charged batteries and compressors, the Triton would be dead in the water. â€Å"Here they come!† Corky shouted, his voice shrill with fear as he pointed into the sky. Tolland didn't even look up. He pointed to a nearby bulkhead, where an aluminum ramp descended belowdecks. Corky apparently needed no encouragement. Keeping his head low, Corky scurried toward the opening and disappeared down the incline. Tolland put a firm arm around Rachel's waist and followed. The two of them disappeared belowdecks just as the helicopter returned, spraying bullets overhead. Tolland helped Rachel down the grated ramp to the suspended platform at the bottom. As they arrived, Tolland could feel Rachel's body go suddenly rigid. He wheeled, fearing maybe she'd been hit by a ricocheting bullet. When he saw her face, he knew it was something else. Tolland followed her petrified gaze downward and immediately understood. Rachel stood motionless, her legs refusing to move. She was staring down at the bizarre world beneath her. Because of its SWATH design, the Goya had no hull but rather struts like a giant catamaran. They had just descended through the deck onto a grated catwalk that hung above an open chasm, thirty feet straight down to the raging sea. The noise was deafening here, reverberating off the underside of the deck. Adding to Rachel's terror was the fact that the ship's underwater spotlights were still illuminated, casting a greenish effulgence deep into the ocean directly beneath her. She found herself gazing down at six or seven ghostly silhouettes in the water. Enormous hammerhead sharks, their long shadows swimming in place against the current-rubbery bodies flexing back and forth. Tolland's voice was in her ear. â€Å"Rachel, you're okay. Eyes straight ahead. I'm right behind you.† His hands were reaching around from behind, gently trying to coax her clenched fists off the banister. It was then that Rachel saw the crimson droplet of blood roll off her arm and fall through the grating. Her eyes followed the drip as it plummeted toward the sea. Although she never saw it hit the water, she knew the instant it happened because all at once the hammerheads spun in unison, thrusting with their powerful tails, crashing together in a roiling frenzy of teeth and fins. Enhanced telencephalon olfactory lobes†¦ They smell blood a mile away. â€Å"Eyes straight ahead,† Tolland repeated, his voice strong and reassuring. â€Å"I'm right behind you.† Rachel felt his hands on her hips now, urging her forward. Blocking out the void beneath her, Rachel started down the catwalk. Somewhere above she could hear the rotors of the chopper again. Corky was already well out in front of them, reeling across the catwalk in a kind of drunken panic. Tolland called out to him. â€Å"All the way to the far strut, Corky! Down the stairs!† Rachel could now see where they were headed. Up ahead, a series of switchback ramps descended. At water level, a narrow, shelflike deck extended the length of the Goya. Jutting off this deck were several small, suspended docks, creating a kind of miniature marina stationed beneath the ship. A large sign read: DIVE AREA Swimmers May Surface without Warning – Boats Proceed with Caution- Rachel could only assume Michael did not intend for them to do any swimming. Her trepidation intensified when Tolland stopped at a bank of wire-mesh storage lockers flanking the catwalk. He pulled open the doors to reveal hanging wetsuits, snorkels, flippers, life jackets, and spearguns. Before she could protest, he reached in and grabbed a flare gun. â€Å"Let's go.† They were moving again. Up ahead, Corky had reached the switchback ramps and was already halfway down. â€Å"I see it!† he shouted, his voice sounding almost joyous over the raging water. See what? Rachel wondered as Corky ran along the narrow walkway. All she could see was a shark-infested ocean lapping dangerously close. Tolland urged her forward, and suddenly Rachel could see what Corky was so excited about. At the far end of the decking below, a small powerboat was moored. Corky ran toward it. Rachel stared. Outrun a helicopter in a motorboat? â€Å"It has a radio,† Tolland said. â€Å"And if we can get far enough away from the helicopter's jamming†¦ â€Å" Rachel did not hear another word he said. She had just spied something that made her blood run cold. â€Å"Too late,† she croaked, extending a trembling finger. We're finished†¦ When Tolland turned, he knew in an instant it was over. At the far end of the ship, like a dragon peering into the opening of a cave, the black helicopter had dropped down low and was facing them. For an instant, Tolland thought it was going to fly directly at them through the center of the boat. But the helicopter began to turn at an angle, taking aim. Tolland followed the direction of the gun barrels. No!

Chicano Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Chicano Culture - Essay Example It was the only instrument that was popular among the Chicanos in Texas in the last decade of the nineteenth century. Later on saxophone was also used by the conjuncto groups. The conjuncto style was considered similar to the norteno music which was common in Northern Mexico. Although initially the conjuncto style was popular among the Chicanos working class, it gradually spread to other regions of America and became well known among the non-Chicanos. (Castro, 63) The band concept was like a ritual process in the East Los Angeles and the eastside musicians satisfied the passion for music of the audiences. The eastside sound was formed with adopted genres like â€Å"rhythm and blues, soul, rock, funk, salsa and Mexican traditional forms†. Eastside music was influenced both by American and Mexican cultures. It was more popular among the â€Å"lowrider car clubs, street gangs and high school teens†. (Loza, 95) Narciso Martinez who was born in Mexico but grew up in Texas is known as the one who was gave birth to conjuncto music. He was a professional accordion player and he did his first recording in 1935. As the recording proved to be a huge success, its date is considered as the birth date of conjuncto music. Another popular contemporary accordion player was Santiago Jimenez who did his first recording of songs in 1936. (Castro, 63-64) The success story of the eastside music is of tragedy as musicians like Ritchie Valens who popularized Mexican rock and roll version with hits like Donna died early in a plane crash. Another important person was producer Eddie Davis who recorded eastside groups in the 1960s and 1970s. (Loza, 96) By 1962, eastside music was made popular in nightclubs by Davis and his partner Billy Cardenas. One popular eastside musical group was formed by Salsa brothers who sang Mexican rancheras and boleros in family reunions. (Loza, 96-97) Conjuncto music became more popular among the ballroom dance culture

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 31

Assignment - Essay Example The River Woods facility is projected to be more automated with recent technology in production of appliances (Cameron). This will also ensure that the facility produces more at the least cost while using the least human resource power. The organizational structure of River Woods facility is also under review and most of the top official agree that the facility should be managed by a general manager. The new manager under the proposal is likely to face the following challenges. One of the challenges is the new manager may become overworked. The manager is also likely to face resistance from the subordinates due to the new kind of leadership. The manager may also face communication problems, which are likely to be brought out by the organizational structure and the changes in technology at River Woods. The manger is also likely to become ‘bossy’ since he/she will be ata position of making some of the important decisions in the company. Operating River Wood facility will require a manager who is willing and more able to meet the objectives of the company. In order to manage effectively one is required to have the ability to control others and influence their decision. Owning the position of a manger automatically gives one the legitimate power to assign and give duties in addition to commanding what takes place in the organization. The other source of power the manager at River Woods is likely to exercise is the expert power based on his knowledge and his level of education. The skills he possesses will be able to influence his/her subordinates regarding the control of operations at the facility. The ability of the new manager to socialize and cultivate a good relationship with the subordinates will give him/her referent power. The interpersonal skills and good relationship in an organization always provides a company with the ability to attain its objectives. The new manager will obtain power by being

Prohibition of Torture in the case of Guantanamo Bay Essay

Prohibition of Torture in the case of Guantanamo Bay - Essay Example As much as people tend to think that it is something of the past, it indeed happens more than it is thought of. Democratic countries such the United States of America which are said to uphold human rights are in fact culprits of condoning torture. For example, there has been a lot of evidence through videos leaked through the internet and other forms of media that implicate the United States of America condoning torture in Guantanamo bay. The first Government official to accept that indeed torture did take place in Guantanamo bay detention camp was Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. What is the Guantanamo Bay Detention camp? After the 2001 terrorist attack, the United States government opened a military interrogation and detainment camp in the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.2 This camp was meant for holding and interrogating detainees suspected to be terrorists. This mainly focused on the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Guantanamo Bay detention camp is divided into three sections, th at is; Camp X-ray camp delta and camp Iguana. Camp iguana was meant to hold detainees considered to be children (those under the age of 16 years). â€Å"Camp X-ray was the first section set up to detain suspected terrorist but was later replaced by camp delta since it was a temporarily section.†3 The first detainees to be detained in Guantanamo bay detention camp were brought on January 11, 2002.... One characteristic in the two is the use of torture. In the Middle East, Israel can be used as an example. This is because; Israel is also sensitive to terrorist attacks as much as the United States of America. This is as a result of its conflicts with her neighbors especially Palestine. In both scenarios detention of terror suspects is done without any court process. In the Middle East, there are various methods of torture. One such method is suffocating of suspects using a towel and water during interrogation. This is where a prisoner is held down or strapped facing upward and his face covered with a towel or a cloth. Water is then poured on the towel. â€Å"The process of water interrogation creates a drowning feeling†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...’ The same is done in Guantanamo Bay detention camp. In both Guantanamo Bay detention camp and detention camps in Israel, water interrogation is the most used form of torture during interrogation. In the Middle East detainees are also emotiona lly tortured, and they are subjected to a lot of humiliation. For example, in Iraq, there have been reports of women detainees being stripped naked. Iraqi soldiers and policemen are known for their inhumane way of handling detainees and prisoners. They mistreat them to the extent of even urinating on them. The same was going on in Guantanamo bay detention camp. Lesser Ethics in Relation to Torture and the Geneva Conventions Terrorism has brought about a new debate not only in the United States of America, but in the whole world as well. This is because the Geneva Convention prohibits torture of any soldier, detainee, civilian and prisoners of war. The Geneva conventions are treaties signed by the international community.

Software evaluation Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Software evaluation - Thesis Example laces of education, computers are used and the basic applications that are used in educational institutions are the applications of MS Office (Roblyer 2005). For creating a document, MS Word is used, for calculation and listings, MS Excel is used, for making presentations, MS PowerPoint is used, for sending email, MS Outlook is used and for generating a database, MS Access is used (Mendelson 2006). All the mentioned applications are part of the MS Office package that is mostly used in educational institutions to accommodate the students with all kinds of knowledge that they are going to encounter in their professional lives. With the improvement of technology, the applications of MS Office are made better and new applications are introduced in the MS office package due to which, many tasks related to documentation, calculation, information gathering, information sending, record keeping and many other tasks are becoming much easier to perform. At educational level, the teachers and the administration staff has to consider various issues concerning the education of students. The teachers are required to develop a strategy for the students so that they can get the best kind of education with all the latest technology (Software Evaluation Sheets 1985). For educational purposes, the administrative staff along with the teachers should choose suitable software for the students that should be taught to them (Roblyer 2005). MS office is such software that is very significant on educational level and the teachers should select this software for the educational purpose (Squires and McDougall 1994). The package of MS office contains MS Word, MS Excel, MS Access, MS PowerPoint and MS Outlook that are employed on educational level generally. The package contains more applications but at educational level, only the applications that are mentioned above are employed by students, teachers and other related people (Ivers 1997). All of the applications of MS office accommodate

Human Resource Management Soft and Hard Practices Essay

Human Resource Management Soft and Hard Practices - Essay Example Human resource management involves several distinct but intersecting areas of administrative activity. The five wide functions of HRM are people resourcing, managing performance, managing reward, human resource development, and employment relations. Each of these will be discussed in detail below. To start with, people resourcing is making sure there is sufficient staffing for the present and future needs of the business through activities like human resource planning, induction, selection, recruitment succession planning, talent management, and the dissolution of the Employment affiliation (including managing redundancy and retirement). Second, managing performance is the process of managing a team and individual performance and the support of employees to the accomplishment of the goals of the organization, for instance, through performance appraisals and goal setting (Bratton & Gold 2012). Thirdly, managing reward is implementing and designing the pay and reward systems covering c ollective and individual, economic and non-economic reward, comprising workers benefits, pensions, and perks. In addition, employee relations is managing the communication and participation of employees in activities of the organization like decision making, managing workers welfare, handling union-management affairs (comprising collective bargaining and industrial action over the terms and conditions of hiring), handling employee discipline and grievance.

Police effectiveness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Police effectiveness - Essay Example eness obviously depends on the ability of law enforcement agencies to conform to the ideology, and meet the changing needs, of the society they protect, and to tackle the constant evolution in the character of crime. In democratic societies, policing policies have largely moved away from the rigidity of traditional policing. A policy which is popularly being adopted today is Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (COPPS). Community Oriented Policing acknowledges the right of the community to be involved in law enforcement. Prevention of crimes is by working in partnership with community members, and public and private non-governmental organizations, to identify and eliminate the underlying causal factors. There is the decentralization of authority and a personal approach from police officers, who are allotted permanent beats to become familiar members of the community. The focus is on shared responsibility of the police and the community through interactive community meetings, door to door calls and foot or bike patrols, fostering of mutual trust, and the formation of grassroots movements to monitor and report crimes. Community development projects, such as neighborhood clean-ups and combating drug usage, and problem solving, are prioritized. Officers are granted increased discretion and autonomy to deal with problems on a proactive, case-by-case basis, tailoring responses to particular local conditi ons. Rigid procedural responses are not favored. Community Oriented Policing â€Å"is cooperative, communicative and collaborative† (Summerfield, 2005). Problem Oriented Policing emphasizes preventive responses. It acknowledges that community problems may not be strictly criminal in nature and police discretion and locality-specific responses are more effective than arrest and prosecution. It favors a long term approach and a proactive police role. It involves (a) Scanning: identifying a recurring problem, its’ frequency and consequences. (b) Analysis:

Literature review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 16

Literature review - Essay Example The study revealed that the patients’ wellbeing improved with better nurse staffing ratios such as skills and the hours of work spent on the patients (Castle & Anderson, 2011). Nurse staffing is an imperative aspect in determining the quality of services offered in hospitals and patient outcomes. Nurse Staffing Ratio and Quality Outcome in long-term care. I selected this topic because of the existence of research gaps on the topics investigating the existence of inefficient services in many health facilities and homecare due to understaffing. However, before examining the connection between clinical outcomes and nurse staffing, it is imperative to note that this research faces common challenges that are likely to crop up during the process of designing the staffing outcomes. For instance, the issue of getting suitable data sources that are reliable; correct measures for patient outcome and staffing and the problem of establishing authentic linkages between the two variables to come out with valid conclusions. According to Spilsbury et al. (2011), nurse staffing is a primary responsibility of the hospital administrators. The researchers go ahead to pinpoint budgetary constraint considerations and the nurse labor markets as some of the factors that influences nurse staffing ratios in hospitals. Moreover, according to the agency nursing staff model the hours assigned to each staff in a subunit within the facility and nature of supervision form another set of elements that significantly influences the nurse staffing (Spilsbury et al., 2011). The quality of care provided by the nurses is greatly influenced by the characteristics of the individual nurse such as fatigue, knowledge, and experience. The quality of care is also, affected by the system in which nurses work because it involves staffing levels and the needs of patient under care; organization of colleague officers, their availability, support services as well as

Critique paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Critique paper - Essay Example honestly and courageously presents her views about the so-called positive approach to cancer as opposed to what would generally be expected from her and other patients. Ehrenreich narrates how she discovered the exaltation of cancer as something that is rather a blessing than a curse to which she strongly disagrees. Her stand about the issue is clearly reflected in the article and she cites examples from the two perspectives to drive her point and show how America has been fooled in the â€Å"positive thinking† approach. The article was written with the author appealing to readers through logical reasoning. She uses pertinent examples to give her arguments some strong backbones, making her a reliable writer. Her balanced consideration of her thoughts and other people’s claims gives an interesting quality to her work that simply grabs the reader’s attention. What makes the essay more interesting perhaps is the fact that her argument is not in unison with the more acceptable norm in the cancer community. Rather, she tries to encourage her readers to face their trials head-on, whether it is physical, financial, emotional or otherwise; through an honest emotional approach, saying that such manner is more beneficial to the person involved rather than sugar-coating and hiding the bitter realities of life. Such approaches make Ehrenreich’s argument quite strong and efficient. In the aforementioned essay, Ehrenreich states that when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she has been reading various materials from different authors about the disease and how to cure or even cope with the struggles, especially with anger. However, she soon found out that no one seemed to share her feelings toward her sickness. Instead, she discovered that most patients and survivors offered positive attitudes toward their fate. She even observes that â€Å"The cheerfulness of breast cancer culture goes beyond mere absence of anger to what looks, all too often, like a positive embrace of

Research on Hybrid Cars Essay Example for Free

Research on Hybrid Cars Essay I. Introduction: ? Overview Of The Project: This project is based on the latest technology in automobile (car) industry- HYBRID TECHNOLOGY. In this project we are going to discuss about the hybrid technology in cars, the impact of hybrid technology on Indian automobile (car) industry, the companies which have adopted and benefited through this technology and the findings the conclusion. ? Hybrid Technology: A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. Power sources include: ? On-board or out-board rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) ? Gasoline or Diesel fuel ? Hydrogen ? Compressed air ? Human powered e. g. pedaling or rowing ? Wind ? Compressed or liquefied natural gas ? Solar ? Coal, wood or other solid combustibles The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors. ? HYBRID CARS: Hybrid cars are one among the promising types of new generation cars. In the present era, the motor vehicle industry is going through a transition phase, which is to meet the pace of the growing world. Cars are now become inevitable assistants for the travel and it is not uncommon to have 2 or 3 cars in a home. And, motor vehicles are now facing the next generation problems of the conventional cars. Moreover, many environmental and energy utilization issues are coming cross. Hybrid cars are developed with an intention to answer much of these questions, and the success of it in the road make it a favorite choice of many. Although any car, which has a combination of two different ideas can be called as a hybrid, but the cars, which combine two energy sources for its running is popularly named as hybrid car. To be simple, the conventional cars run on a single fuel source such as gasoline, petrol and diesel. The energy efficiency of the cars was insufficient to meet the future needs, in the highly energy depleting situation. The search for alternative resources is intensive and one of them, electric cars were a success, but its limitation was the inadequacy for a long drive and difficulty for frequent recharges. Hybrid cars were a better solution since it combines the benefits of both types of cars. Now, most of the hybrid cars use the engine that work in combination of gasoline and electricity. Hybrid cars are much appreciated by the experts because of its energy efficiency. As the car has two energy sources, the car will in effect, use up only reduced energy and the most beneficial attribute is that the batteries in the car for electrical transmission will be spontaneously charged, along with the working of the car. However, the success of the hybrid cars among the motorists relies on mainly on its performance on the road. Despite of the great fear, whether the new car could give out the performance as of a conventional car, hybrid car gave out adequate performance, with aid of its sophisticated technology and aerodynamic design. The utility of hybrid cars for the society was proved, when Government adopted particular measures for its promotion. Now, as part of its preferred usage, tax credits are available, which are changed yearly, according to the prevailing market conditions. Government was impressed with the two important advantages such as improved mileage and reduced tailpipe emissions, which can attribute low environmental pollution and reduced non renewable fuel consumption. Now many companies such as Toyota, Ford, Honda and Lexus are competing in the market of hybrid cars with their latest versions. Any how, a comparison of different models is advised before the purchase. Hybrid cars are thus the present phase of car industry. The advancements are going on continuously in its fuel selection and structure, to persist it to a future car, and motorists are looking forward to the best out of it. ? History of Hybrid Vehicles The history of hybrid cars dates back to the late 1800s and 1900s. In 1905, Mr. H Piper filed a patent for a gasoline engine-electric motor powertrain. According to him, the electric motor would augment a gasoline engine, allowing a vehicle to accelerate from zero to 25 miles an hour in 10 seconds, much faster than the gasoline engines of that time. Ironically, when finally Mr. H Piper was granted the patent a few years later, normal engines were capable of producing the same kind of acceleration. Due to rapid advancements in the gasoline engine, the popularity of a hybrid car slowly diminished untill again in the early to mid 1970s, the time of oil crisis. Many companies poured funds to build experimental Hybrid Electric Vehicles. But as the oil became available again, the surge for HEVs died down immediately. The Europeans and Japanese researching on reducing production costs and making HEVs more salable. Companies like Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi came up with ways to reduce emissions and better the mileage. Toyota introduced the Prius in 1997 (in Japan and in 2000 in the US) which proved to be a huge success. Recent sales figures indicate that well over 300,000 units of Toyota Prius have been sold the world over justifying the concept of a clean family car. In 1999, Honda introduced its first production hybrid car, the Insight and then the Civic Hybrid in 2002. Ford came up with the first hybrid SUV, the Escape, which hit the road in 2004. Quick on their path are several other contestants such as Dodge with their hybrid pickup, the Ram, and chevrolets Silverado. ? How Hybrid Cars Work? Hybrid Cars integrate the power of the conventional gasoline engine with that of an electric motor. A high powered battery pack provides energy to the motor which itself gets recharged when the car is decelerating. This is called as regenerative braking. The gas engine can also assist the battery in recharging. This kills the need to plug the car to an external source of energy. As of now, there are two types of hybrid vehicles. In one type, the electric motor acts as a side-kick to the gas engine, assisting it whenever surplus power is needed. The electric motor alone is incapable of independently operating the vehicle. Hondas Power Assist technology in its hybrids, Civic and Insight is an example. Such vehicles are termed as Mild Hybrids. In mild hybrids, the gasoline engine provides the main source of power, and the electric motor provides additional power whenever needed. The second type of hybrid can be termed as a Full Hybrid, where the gasoline engine and the electric motor can operate the vehicle saperately. In this type, the electric motor can drive the vehicle at lower speeds. In need of more speed, the gasoline engine kicks in. The Toyota Prius and the Ford Escape implement the same techonology. Be it mild hybrids or full hybrids, both are capable of providing lower emissions and better fuel efficiency. The Internal-Combustion Engines (both gasoline and diesel) installed in Hybrid cars are often smaller than those in normal cars for a simple reason that Hybrids have the electric motor for assistance. The motor can take care of city travel which poses stop and go conditions as well as power-consuming add-ons such as the A/C or power-windows and power-steering. At high speeds, the gasoline engine supplies power. This switching of power sources is computer controled and nothing needs to be manually done. Power to the electric motor comes from the battery-pack. Recharging of the battery is automatic and need not be done by external sources. When the car is in uniform motion or when it is decelerating, it generates power which charges the batteries which utilises the valuable kinetic energy. As with any other battery, the Hybrid car battery also has a limited life span. Auto makers however, put the battery life at around 200,000 miles which roughly comes around to 7-8 years, depending on the kind of travel it endures. Thus, It pays to take extra care of your vehicle and travel when necessary. ? Hybrid Car Technology: With the prices of gasoline and fuel always on the increase, car manufacturers have today found a new form of car technology that is fuel efficient and low in pollution. This technology is called the hybrid car technology where the cars have a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) found in the vehicle, along with some fuel propulsion source. Hybrid cars don’t produce much pollution and consumes minimal fuel; and its different propulsion systems have either common parts or systems. Hybrid cars are generally designated to vehicles running on a combination of petroleum and electricity. These vehicles are called hybrid-electric vehicles where electric cells are used to power electric engines, along with an internal combustion engine. The advantage of these cars is that they sort of extend their battery charge through the kinetic energy they catch in regenerative braking. Moreover when such cars cruise, or move on a small thrust, the combustion engine generates energy with the running of a second electric motor. This is done to either recharge the battery or to provide energy to the motor for driving the car. This is unlike the conventional electrical cars where they avail of their battery charge through external sources like the grid. Today, most of the hybrid cars run on either gasoline or diesel as their main energy source while there are some cases where other fuels like ethanol or plant based oils are used too. There are also some cars that use hydrogen fuel. Sometimes, hybrid cars are also referred to the cars that are flexible-fuel vehicles where they run on a combination of different fuels like gasoline and ethanol alcohol fuel. The main reason people prefer to use hybrid cars is because of its hybrid technology of a combination of technologies. With this, a lot of gas fuel is saved which is of course, beneficial to the car buyer. With the passage of time, hybrid car technology has improved in the different hybrid cars. This is because with time, hybrid cars have also become popular and the manufacturers have been working on more means to make the car more feasible to the prospective car buyer. With hybrid car technology, the motion of the car is designed in such a way that the engines in these cars have a smaller size that is used when drifting and driving leisurely. It is usually the battery source that provides the additional power like going uphill or accelerating whenever needed. To couple things, when the hybrid car is stopped, the hybrid fuel engine gets switched off to run off the electric motor. Hybrid cars are built lighter and are designed more aerodynamically for better speed. And its tires are usually stiffer and have a higher inflation so that the drag of the car is reduced. So it can be seen that with hybrid car technology, a car has become more efficient. Though the rates of these cars may initially be a bit high, they are very much worth it in the long run during its lifespan. ? Hybrid Car Pro and Cons. The pros and cons of hybrid car is one of the widely discussed topics since hybrid car is a trend among the new generation vehicles. Hybrid car is the type of car, which utilizes two different energy sources to meet the energy requirement. Even though the hybrid technology was prevailing for many purposes such as train engines and submarines, its well-liked use among the people was begun only with the incorporation of the idea in the motor vehicles. Hybrid car became soon accepted among the customers, however, its increased popularity arise the need for a cross analysis since it is a fact that every factor will have two sides. ? Pros of Hybrid Vehicles Hybrid cars carry with them a bundle of advantages. o Hybrids combine clean energy of the electrical motor with the power of the gas-powered engine which results into lower emissions and better mileage. o Thanks to the ever improving technology, hybrids perform at par with the normal ga-powered vehicles, if not better. o Hybrids are reliable and comfortable as any traditional car and they have a tax benefits(only till 2006). o There are purchase incentives for Hybrid vehicle owners (varies by state). o Hybrids are much cleaner cars than normal vehicles with lesser CO and other greenhouse gas emissions. o Hybrids provide a better mileage. o The future for hybrids looks bright with rapid developments in hybrid technology to improve engine efficiency. o Due to the Regenerative Braking technology, the batteries need not be charged by an external source. o o Special warranties are provided for the battery pack, the electric motor other costly items. o Hybrids help reduce the dependency on fossil fuels which directely affects fuel prices. Hybrid cars are often refereed to as the ‘car of the era’. The unique advantages of the hybrid car will be sole basis for such recognition in the market. The motor industry was always in the effort to develop most beneficial model and the disadvantages of the conventional model might be the triggering factor for the formation of advantageous models. Usually, anything to be considered as advantageous will make benefit only to its owner, and to the maximum, the family of the owner. The specialty of the hybrid car enhances in this situation since its advantages can attribute benefit to not only the owner or his family, but to the entire society, nation and the mankind. The advantages of the hybrid car start right from its difference in the basic pattern. Hybrid car is type of car that utilizes two energy sources for its movement. The popular hybrid cars in the market are manufactured in such a manner to combine the benefits of an internal combustion engine and electrical motor. The shortening level of gasoline in the world as it is a non-renewable energy was the major drawback of the conventional cars, which was rectified in the electrical cars, but it also had its own disadvantages. The advantage of the hybrid car is that it can rectify the complaints in the both systems and balances the use of electrical energy and gasoline engine, in their optimum levels. In the hybrid car, the electrical energy is used while starting up of the car and its low speed ranges, which will help to impart a check to the tail pipe emissions. As the automobiles is increasing, world is at the threat of toxic pollutants and global warming, due to their exhaust ingredients. The decrease in the tail pipe emission will be a great advantage for the environment as well as the society. However, gasoline engine will take up the transmission, when the speed goes up since, it is essential to attribute the pace for the drive. While the traffic stops and steep slopes the electrical energy will be again activated, which will help to reduce the gasoline utilization. The aerodynamic design, lighter materials and smoother tyre will help for better energy consumption. The striking technological advantage of the hybrid car is that the energy loss, while braking is re-channeled for the electrical battery charging, called as regenerative braking, and a separate energy for battery charging is not required. The advantages of the hybrid car are multifaceted since it attributes economical, technical and economical benefits. Despite of the owner, the country as well as, is benefited from the gasoline saving as the oil prices are steeping very high, and its effects the country’s whole economy. This advantage is also a benefit to the customer as government has decided to give reductions and tax credits for the hybrid car buying. In addition to Federal exemption certain states also provide local exemptions to promote the use of hybrid car. Hybrid car is thus an advantageous car, which helps to over come much of the crisis related to the motor world. ? Disdvantages Of Hybrid Cars Hybrid cars, though useful, have some disadvantages. The point to be noted here is that the advantages far exceed the disadvantages. o High cost: hybrids cost anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 more their non-Hybrid versions. o More weight due to battery packs. o Some states charge additional fees for registration. o In the event of an unfortunate accident, there is a risk of exposure to high voltage wires. o They have a complicated system which needs to be taken care of by experienced mechanics only. o Spare parts maybe hard to find and may be costly. o Usually, hybrids have a lower acceleration than that their normal counterparts. II. INDUSTRY PROFILE: ? HYBRID TECHNOLOGY IN INDIAN AUTOMOBILE (CAR) INDUSTRY: ? INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY AN OVERVIEW: The manufacturing of automobiles commenced in India 60 years ago, since then, the journey of the Indian Automotive industry can be classified into three main phases. Touching upon them briefly: The first phase till mid 1980s could be termed as one of protection for the Indian automotive industry. There were restrictions on the manufacturing and import of automobiles and the Indian automobile market was a seller’s market. The second phase, post 1991, could be termed as a phase of liberalization as the Indian automotive market was the beneficiary of the opening up of India’s economy. This phase was marked by the entry of foreign automobile players and increase in the availability of automotive financing. The Indian automotive market became a buyer’s market during this phase. Coinciding with the second wave of liberalization, the third phase from early 2000 till date could be termed as a phase of globalization of the Indian automotive industry. This phase has been marked by the removal of most import controls, entry of many more foreign players in the Indian automotive market and Indian companies gaining a global identity and acquiring foreign companies. The year 2008 is an important year for the Indian automobile industry. Today, the Indian automobile industry is ranked first in the world in the production of three wheelers, second in the production of two wheelers, fourth in the production of commercial vehicles and ninth in the production of passenger vehicles. With a production of nearly 10. 8 million vehicles in FY07-08, the Indian automotive industry has shown an outstanding resilience after the last down cycle about a decade back. In the last few years, the Indian automotive industry has grown at a healthy rate by reducing costs and improving efficiency. With its new found confidence, it has gone beyond the shores of India and is creating a noteworthy footprint in different geographies in the world. The Indian automotive market with a healthy growth rate of 13% in the last 7 years was a source of attraction to many foreign automobile companies whose entry in the Indian market not only increased competition, but also raised customer expectations about product quality and reliability. This forced the Indian companies to introduce new and interesting products and innovation has now become a noteable feature of the Indian automotive industry. The innovation story of the Indian automotive industry would not be complete without mentioning the NANO, which has evoked worldwide interest, curiosity and confidence in the competency of Indian talent. It has not only brought the automobile industry, but also India into focus. The NANO and other similar products have the potential to change the paradigm of the automotive industry worldwide. To maintain a high rate of growth, retain the attractiveness of the Indian market and to further enhance competitiveness in the market place, the Indian automotive industry has been working in a collaborative manner with the government and has drafted an Automotive Mission Plan 2006-16. Some of the key initiatives which have been pursued as per the Automotive Mission Plan include: †¢ Establishment of National Automotive Testing and RD Infrastructure development Project (NATRIP) †¢ Initiatives for creation and fulfillment of automotive demand †¢ Initiatives towards the betterment of society and the environment, and †¢ Initiatives to become a catalyst for generating an additional 25 million jobs. In the last five years, sales in various segments of the Indian automobile market have grown at a healthy rate of 15% to 27 %. This growth provided encouragement to various players and nearly Rs 78,000 crores of investment has been planned, out of which more than 50% has already been committed. However, today the Indian automotive industry is facing unprecedented challenges. On one hand, demand is shrinking because of the lack of availability of consumer finance, high interest rates and the high cost of fuel, and on the other, cost of input materials has witnessed massive increases. e. g. in the last two years, steel price has increased by almost 40%, copper prices are up by 45%, natural rubber has risen by 40% . The impact of steel price increase alone on various segments of automobiles is quite significant. These factors are having a catastrophic impact on the bottom line of the Indian automotive industry and are resulting in withdrawal, scaling down or deferment of capital investment which would hurt the objectives of the Automotive Mission Plan in the long run. Two other long term challenges are faced by the Indian automotive industry. The first one is climate change due to global warming which would have an impact on all. Contribution of carbon dioxide emissions giving rise to global warming by various sectors are Public Electricity and Heat Production: 53% Manufacturing Industries Construction21% Internal transportation (Road,rail,air)12% Others14% (Source: International Energy Agency-2005 Report based on 2001 data for India) Reduction in carbon dioxide emission would require a holistic and an integrated approach. However, the automotive industry is aware of its 10% contribution and is conscious and determined to pursue initiatives to reduce the same. This could be implemented by adopting an integrated and a partnership approach. Some of the initiatives that would reduce carbon dioxide emissions include introduction of new and more fuel efficient vehicles, a mandatory inspection and maintenance regime, the removal of old vehicles as they contribute to a larger portion of carbon dioxide emissions, efficient traffic management, use of alternative fuels like CNG, LPG, bio-diesel etc and the introduction of electric vehicles / hybrid. The second challenge which the Indian automotive industry is facing today is in attracting and nurturing talented manpower not only for the creation of better and reliable products but also for servicing and maintenance throughout the life cycle of the product. More than 60% of the additional 25 million jobs that is projected to get created as per the Automotive Mission Plan, would be in the skilled category. ? INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY AND HYBRID TECHNOLOGY: [pic] ? WHY HYBRIDS IN INDIA: [pic] [pic] [pic] CONCLUSION: [pic] III. COMPANIES PROFILE: Hybrid technology has become a latest trend in the automotive industry. There are a number of companies which have adopted this technology. The list of the companies which have launched their hybrid vehicles are: ? TATA ? Hyundai ? Honda ? Mahindra Mahindra ? Ford ? Toyota ? BMW ? Nissan Motors A brief profile of these companies and their hybrid car versions are discussed in the following pages: [pic] ? COMPANY OVERVIEW: The Hyundai Motor Company, a division of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, is South Korea’s largest and the world’s fifth largest automaker in terms of units sold per year. Headquartered in Seoul, Hyundai operates the world’s largest integrated automobile manufacturing facility in Ulsan, which is capable of producing 1. 6 million units annually. The Hyundai logo, a slanted, stylized H, is said to be symbolic of two people (the company and customer) shaking hands. In 1998, after a shake-up in the Korean auto industry caused by overambitious expansion and the Asian financial crisis, Hyundai acquired rival Kia Motors. In 2000, the company established a strategic alliance with DaimlerChrysler and severed its partnership with the Hyundai Group. In 2001, the Daimler-Hyundai Truck Corporation was formed. In 2004, however, DaimlerChrysler divested its interest in the company by selling its 10. 5 percent stake for $900 million. Hyundai has invested in manufacturing plants in the North America, China, Pakistan, India, and Turkey as well as research and development centers in Europe, North America, and Japan. In 2004, Hyundai Motor Company had $57. 2 billion in sales in South Korea making it the country’s second largest corporation, or chaebol. Worldwide sales in 2005 reached 2,533,695 units, an 11 percent increase over the previous year. Hyundai has set as its 2006 target worldwide sales of 2. 7 million units (excluding exports of CKD kits). Hyundai motor vehicles are sold in 193 countries through some 5,000 dealerships and showrooms. After a recent survey of global automotive sales by Automotive News, Hyundai is now the tenth largest automaker in the world in 2007. [5] Hyundai Motor Company’s brand power continues to rise as it was ranked 72nd in the 2007 Best Global Brands by Interbrand and Business Week survey. Brand value estimated at $4. 5 billion. Public perception of the Hyundai brand has been transformed as a result of dramatic improvements in the quality of Hyundai vehicles. ? HYBRIDS IN HYUNDAI: Hyundai plans to begin producing hybrid electric vehicles in 2009. The Avante will be the first vehicle to be produced. Since 2004, Hyundai has supplied about 3,000 hybrid versions of its Getz and Accent small cars to government fleets as part of a testing program. The automaker cites a lack of local tax benefits for purchasing hybrids as a barrier to its hybrid development program. But Hyundai expects the tax situation to change in 2009. The new hybrid electric Sonata will make its debut at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in November 2008. Hyundai expects to release it in the U. S. market in 2010, featuring lithium-ion battery technology ? HYUNDAI HYBRIDS IN INDIA: Hyundai is getting increasingly aggressive these days. If Genesis sedan assault wasnt enough, Hyundai is now seriously looking at another Japanese stronghold, the Hybrids. The company is planning to go full steam in developing its own hybrid technology. The company will start off with the hybrid variants of Accent, Sonata and Avante sedan while the research and development center in India will be given the go ahead to develop the technology for small cars. Currently, Hyundai provides Verna (Accent) hybrid models to government agencies as pilot projects. The plan is to expand the line-up to mid-sized sedans and beyond for mass production, starting from 2009. Seok San Jang, a senior vice president for Hyundai’s international business operations saysâ€Å"We have been slow in the field so far but have aggressive plans given the fact that high oil prices have made hybrids almost a necessity now. From next year, we will sell hybrid cars in Korea and by 2010 we will be selling them all over the world, India is our hub for small cars and hybrids for smaller cars will also eventually come from there. † ? HYUNDAI HYBRID MODELS: |[pic] |[pic] | |HYUNDAI ACCENT |HYUNDAI GETZ | [pic] ? COMPANY OVERVIEW: Tata Motors Limited, formerly known as TELCO (TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company), is a multinational corporation headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is Indias largest passenger automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturing company. Part of the Tata Group, and one of the worlds largest manufacturers of commercial vehicles. The OICA ranked it as the worlds 20th largest automaker, based on figures for 2006. Tata Motors was established in 1945, when the company began manufacturing locomotives. The company manufactured its first commercial vehicle in 1954 in collaboration with Daimler-Benz AG, which ended in 1969. Tata Motors was listed on the NYSE in 2004, and by 2005 it was ranked among the top 10 corporations in India with an annual revenue exceeding INR 320 billion. In 2004, it bought Daewoos truck manufacturing unit, now known as Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle, in South Korea. It also, acquired a 21% stake in Hispano Carrocera SA, giving it controlling rights in the company. Tata Motors launched their much awaited Tata Nano, noted for its Rs 100,000 price-tag, in January 2008. In March 2008, it finalised a deal with Ford Motor Company to acquire their British Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) business, which also includes the Rover, Daimler and Lanchester brand names. The purchase was completed on 2 June 2008 Tata Motors has its manufacturing base in Jamshedpur, Pantnagar, Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Pune. ? HYBRIDS IN TATA The world’s cheapest car, Tata Nano, may also turn out to be world’s cheapest hybrid version as well. Tata Motors intends to offer micro-hybrid version of Tata Nano with micro-hybrid technology that allows the vehicle to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by up to 10 percent. According to a leading Indian news channel, Bosch shall provide the micro-hybrid technology to Nano also known as Start-Stop System. This system allows the engine to automatically turn off when the vehicle is not moving. This additional technology may cost another Rs. 4000 to Rs. 6000 to the overall cost but this technology is definitely the cheapest hybrid technology most suitable for the world’s cheapest car. Most of the countries around the world are getting stricter with fuel consumption and emission norms including Europe and the US. This micro-hybrid technology can b deployed to the vehicles at much lower cost than full hybrid systems. The micro-hybrid technology will also be available in diesel and electric variants of Nano. [pic] TATA NANO [pic] ? COMPANY OVERVIEW: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW), (English: Bavarian Motor Works) is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916. It also produces motorcycles, is the owner of the MINI brand and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. ? HYBRIDS IN BMW: ? BMW H6 ACTIVE HYBRID: BMW ActiveHybrid is a particular highlight of BMW EfficientDynamics, BMWs trendsetting development strategy for todays world. Introducing this technology, BMW is taking the next step in the ongoing reduction of fuel consumption and emissions. BMW ActiveHybrid is based on a modular concept following the strategy of Best of Hybrid to integrate the most appropriate, optimum components in each case in different concepts. The concept is running a new BMW drivetrain that integrates the batteries, electronics systems and power inverter all within the transmission. Compared with the non-hybrid model, the new Active Hybrid is said to improve fuel-economy by up to 20%. The two-mode hybrid system, co-developed with General Motors and DaimlerChrysler, uses twin electric motors which can either be used to boost acceleration, charge the batteries or as a generator to mutually power each other. The two-mode active transmission is based on an ECVT electrical continuously variable transmission. The two operating modes, one of which has been optimised for low, the other for high speeds, are supplemented by fixed transmission ratios. Fitting in with BMW’s new EfficientDynamics focus, the modular hybrid system can be easily adapted to other models and should make its way across more cars in coming years. [pic] BMW X6 ACTIVE HYBRID ? BMW DIESEL X5 HYBRID VERSION: BMW will be presenting a new eco-friendly concept touting the latest in EfficientDynamics technology at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. BMW has given a preview of the upcoming concept, a twin-turbo diesel X5 with a hybrid system. As has been the trend in Europe of late, carmakers are developing ultra-efficient hybrid models by combining frugal diesel engines with electric powertrains. BMW X5 SUV is fitted with a 2. 0L turbodiesel and the carmaker’s mild ActiveHybrid technology plus an eight-speed automatic gearbox and even roof-mounted solar panels. All of these technologies combine to deliver the best fuel economy and lowest emissions of any fullsize SUV currently on sale. The BMW Vision EfficientDynamics delivers 43. 5mpg on the combined cycle and just 172g/km of CO2 emissions. Despite its green credentials, the X5 ActiveHybrid is no slouch. Output from the diesel stands at 204hp and 400Nm of torque, and the hybrid systems adds a further 20hp and 210Nm of torque under acceleration.