Burger King Market Analysis

Burger King Market Analysis Burger King known as Insta-Burg King was established in 1953 but then company ran into financial difficulties and was taken over by David Edgerton James Mclamore. Today it is headquartered in Florida (Miami).Burger King serves Global with 12,200 outlets in 73 countries. Part 1: The product and market According to Merriam-Webster online dictionary fast food is designed for ready availability, use, or consumption and with little consideration given to quality or significance. Basically fast-food is gaining momentum due to the busy lifestyle prerelavant nowadays. This type of food is served to customers in short span of time on order made. The product: Food like Burgers, French fries,Veggi etc. Product type: Fast food Type of Involvement: According to worldwatch.org, Indias fast-food industry is growing by 40 percent. Post liberalization 1991 Fast food industry has developed in India as many multinational providers have set up their business. McDonalds, Dominos, Pizza Hut and Nirulas are well-liked fast food joints in India. According to the findings of the recent online survey from AC Nielson [7, 8] India being At the seventh place, is among the top ten markets for weekly fast food consumption  among the countries of Asia-Pacific region.Over 70% of Urban Households consume outside food fast food from take-away restaurant at least once in a month or more. As per the survey conducted Pizza Hut is the most preferred fast food brand in India. India is one of the top ten countries among the 28 surveyed consuming fast food. Segmentation Types of Segmentation. Geographic segmentation-Urban Locations in India. Two main cities of India Delhi Bangalore. The reason to choose to Delhi is because it is a cosmopolitan city people are open to embrace new ideas lifestyle. It is also becoming a major Information Technology destination of India. Here many major multi nationals like IBM, Microsoft, Google, Sony etc. Many Business process outsourcing industries are there. Delhi is the symbol of old and new growing India. Bangalore city is the nerve of industrial city. It has the IT Park which has gained the popularity of being the Silicon valley. It is ranked among the ten fastest growing city. Today Bangalore is the fifth largest fastest growing city in Asia. Demographic segmentation- Urban Middle class Urban Upper Middle class The Urban % of Middle class income group is 21.7% from 2009-10 The Urban %Upper Middle class income group is 16.3% from 2009-10(Based on data from the Market Information Survey of Households survey of the National Council of Applied Economic Research Targeting Targeting-First Concentrate on Initial focus on Delhi Bangalore customers. Higher income groups. Exposure to western culture and open minded to variety Middle class Upper middle class customers. Positioning On introduction of Burger King it would be initially introduced in the capital city of India, Delhi Banglore.It would be a place for upscale strata consumers mainly to visit relax. It would be positioned differently unlike from its competitor Mc Donalds for family to come along with their children and have fun. An individual earning Rs.30K to 40K a month is expected to indulge in having food from Burger king. The age group mainly targeted on 25-35 year old individuals. Competitor Analysis- Direct competitor- Mc Donalds would be the competitor for Burger King. Indirect competitor-Fresh homemade cooked food localized restaurants Mc Donalds business is profit making in the fast food industry compared to its competitor Burger King by gross margin 38% of its rival by 33%. Mc Donalds is having a strong presence in United States and it is gaining international presence in the fast food industry. Mc Donalds has been a strong performer in 2009 in terms of market share. In comparison to other food chains like KFC and Pizza Hut the overall performance and a liking towards Mc Donalds has been very positive and commendable. Mc Donald marketing mix: think global, act local. However, Taylor (1991) supports the view that companies should use both internationalization and globalization elements to create a competitive advantage: it is important to heed the maxim: think global, act local. The firm must ensure that its structure fits in with its international environment while at the same time have the internal flexibility required to implement its strategic goal (Taylor 1991).McDonalds efficient supply chain in India ensure s delivery on time with reduction on cost maximizing profitability maintaining highest quality standards of products. McDonalds has separate production lines and processes for its vegetarian and non-vegetarian offerings. Marketing mix adopted by Mc Donalds- McCarthy (1975) formulated the concept of 4Ps- Product, Price, Promotion and Place. Moreover in case of service marketing in recent years theorists have identified 3Ps given by Fifield and Gilligan (1996) variables as an integral part of the marketing mix process, physical and people. Product- Concept of think global, act local has been clearly adopted by Mc Donalds. To support this concept there are many examples like in India as Hindus do not consume beef, Muslims do not eat pork and Jains (among others) do not eat meat of any type. To suit the majority food interest of the Indians Mc Donalds been innovative to serve customers with Vegetable McNuggets a mutton base Maharaja Mac (Big Mac). Pricing-Pricing decision is a vital factor taken care by McDonalds. The formulation of different pricing decisions has been made differently based on different geographic locations. The right price selection needed to be made for the right market. Various factors needed to be considered researched for the same. Some elements considered by McDonalds to determine the price for a particular market. The process, as described by Vignali et al/(1999)is listed below: Selecting the price objective; Determining demand; Estimating costs; Analyzing competitors costs, prices and offers; Selecting a pricing method; Selecting a final price. The process listed above is the basic framework that allows Mc Donalds localized pricing. McDonalds has highlighted pricing policy in the mission statement where it states that the most fundamental element of determining price was: McDonalds to remain in touch with pricing of our competitors allows them to price our products correctly, balancing quality and value. When Mc Donalds was looking to penetrate into New Delhi India, it determined the price and set it looking at Nirulas, a local food chain as a guideline. McDonalds was formed in India to have toll free number for customers to place the order. Part 2: The consumer Influence on the behavior of consumers for purchase of Burger King. Food consumed by a countrys citizen is a vital part of their culture. In India post liberalization in the economy there are many changes in the country. India being a democratic country all religions beliefs are considered equal with no discrimination. India known for its rich cultural heritage strong belief has witnessed some new developments. As compared to past more percentage of Indian women are employed today. A rise in the womens economic status in India has taken place making them independent and ensuring more of disposable income to spent on leisure and recreation, eating out and health and fitness. Recent expansion of service industry call centers, travel agencies airlines and hotels have led to more of employment opportunities. Therefore rise in employment is offering individuals to indulge in more than the basic need, allowing them to spend and save both. With hectic lifestyles, timesaving products are increasingly in demand. The basic Indian culture is of consuming homemade food. Its not very easy to bring changes to their eating habits as there are many different religions cultures. Reference group are also influence to a persons behavior of eating food outside. Like a family indulging in Non-veg food outside the hom e often, then it is passed to children also. Social class would also be a determining factor depending on Income education occupation. Balancing all these three elements influence the purchase behavior of an individual. Culture is an important element from the view point of the marketer. This influence the consumption behavior of individuals. In India beef is not consumed by Hindus due to religious reasons. Hindus constitute the major population in India. Muslims do not consume pork meat. For Jains they do not consume meat.It is completely prohibited. Therefore chicken is preferred. As the barriers to eat out entrenched in certain sectors of Indian society. The influence to purchase fast food are due to factors such as environment at home, availability and accessibility to fast food providers, social environment and surroundings. Some other additional some of individuals who are living alone have independence in their eating habits, sometimes opting for a new variety of food than t he traditional home cooked food. To spent time socializing in an ambience making them comfortable also affects the visit liking of fast food outlet. Indian consumers are of the view that hygiene conditions are to be provided in an around the kitchen. This model is an essence helping consumers to respond in decision making process. Its known as black box as we still know how human mind works. Some other influences also will be discussed like motivations, perception, perceived risks etc. 1) Problem Solving- a) When an individual is hungry and search of instant fulfillment. b) Target to consumers who are having open mindset to try a new variety of food. c) Target to Middle Upper middle class consumers who wish to visit out and socialize. d) Convenient to carry looking out for a change from the traditional Indian homemade food. 2) Information Search-The factors determined by consumers to recall the Fast food Brand Burger King. Internal Factors for Consumers to search. Recall of advertisements broadcasted on National Television. Hoardings Worldwide Brand value of Burger King for good quality and food. Some External factors which would influence-Colleagues, public sources, friends family. Some articles from product rating organizations as Consumer Report. 3) Alternative Evaluation- Mc Donalds, KFC, Nirulas, homemade food and other local restaurants. 4) Purchase Decision-The purchase decision when made in Burger King would be backed by many factors like a) Social Surroundings-The kind of people around as in India it would be targeted on Middle class and Upper middle class segment. The people present and included while making the purchase. b) Physical Appearance-Such as dà ©cor, ambience of the place, hygiene factors, speedy service offered some music. c) Antecedent States-The target being on individuals who earn Rs30,000 to 40Kper month. Including consumers mood and cash in hand. 5) Post-Purchase Behavior-In case of fast food joint it becomes bit difficult to known the customers opinion towards the food consumed by them as consumers are generally not very keen to provide. But sometimes it can be actively put into action to gather the feedback through some questionnaire which is not lengthy. Some point of contact for customers where an individual is appointed in the store to learn what consumers feel about the Fast-food served. Even through word of mouth if consumers are satisfied they would convey it to their near and dear ones too. Some internal Influence on Consumer Behavior. Motivation-Some people are food lovers who enjoy having food indulge in variety of cuisines. These individuals are internally motivated. Perception-The perception of the brand worldwide. The taste quality of food served is determined based on international standards and reports. Perceived risks-These risks in case of fast food would be related to health hazards which it can bring in the long run. The hygiene factor can be a cause of concern. Personal factors-These factors also influence the consumer behavior like economic situation, age, occupation, personality lifestyle. a) Economic situation-The economic situation in India is on a growth stage. With more people joining the labour force day by day and middle class and upper middle class population able to spend for their leisure, food and entertainment nowdays.People are having more of means to save for their future too additional to the disposable income to spend. As individuals with a monthly income of minimum Rs.30,000 it would targeted for. b) Lifestyle-The change in the lifestyle of people have also under gone a change. Most of the individuals are working and busy with their hectic schedule so hardly find time to cook and have homemade food. So fast food offers them convenience, taste and easily available at good price suiting the pockets of the individuals. People are nowadays governed by education, income, intelligence energy level. Mindset of people are undergoing a fast change ready to try different kind of food and a manner in which one can go and enjoy good tasty food outside. Part 3: Plan to Launch the Product Brand Name-Burger King Product Type-Fast food Burgers Campaign-Urban Regions Campaign-One King, Burger King Global companies like Burger king face the problem of initiating a global product launch, as the characteristics of varied culture, beliefs and multicultural situation of nations today. Cost increases and public relations support across multiple markets makes it more complicated. Food is an essential element of societys culture and ethnicity. Even during globalization and having a cosmopolitan outlook some basic ethnic taste, local preferences and market specifications in food industry of a particular country cannot afford to be forgotten. A proper market research need to be undertaken or it would negatively harm the product launch of the brand hurting the beliefs of the target market. Understanding the nerve and pros and cons of the local food market of a country would avoid making expensive mistakes. Burger King is known worldwide for its burgers which mainly serves beef pork as the ingredient in Burgers. But in a country like India which has people of different religious beliefs and cultures were Hindus and Muslims are prohibited from consumption of beef and pork. Burger King needs to introduce products customized for the Indian Market keeping in mind the Indian taste preference. Around 40% populations of Indians are vegetarians. This constitutes a fairly good number of populations. Moreover during some religious occasions, as India is land of festivals people do not consume non-veg products during that period too. And even during some fast period when observed by the people in India non-vegetarian food product consumption is low. Therefore Burger King needs to come out offering a proper blend of western basic food taste with some Indian spices some healthy options in Burger itself. As now many Indians are open to try the new variants of food but are also health conscious too. Brand Name-Burger King Product Type-Fast food Burgers Campaign-Urban Regions Campaign-One King, Burger King Pre-Launch Scenario Renowned worldwide for its Have it your way The challenge Competition with Mc Donald, KFC, Pizza Hut To establish a monopoly of Burgers is difficult Mc Donalds is wide spread in majority of locations To penetrate into the market with more tasty options to the target market Low level of customer commitment because of large number of options available in fast food outlets Continuous improvement to be made in value added technology services Health related issues to be sorted Target Audience Middle class and Upper Middleclass Individuals Target Locations Capital city of India, Delhi and Silicon valley of India, Bang lore. Four Ps of Marketing Place- The place to target would be urban areas like the Airports, Offices some shopping, malls. Price-The price would be affordable to Upper middle class and middle class customers individuals earning an annual income of Rs.3, 60,000 per annum. Promotion-Like in Delhi collecting points for seasonal travelers of metros would enable them with a coupon to treat them with Burger King. Product-Burger King to introduce the product suiting to the Indian taste offering variant options to the vegetarians, healthy options in form of drinks along with tasty non-vegetarian food. During some major festive seasons burger king can launch some new products to attract the target customers. People-The Burger king staff needs to be well trained and their uniform while catering to the customers can be a combination of indo-western attire which would be attractive. The staff needs to be efficient in undertaking tasks and right people to be recruited for the different nature of jobs. The staff should greet customers not by saying hello or Hi instead with NAMASTE as this would showcase the traditional culture of greeting the guest. Process-The process of delivering the food and service should be communicated well to the customers. As a large population is vegetarian lovers so food should be cooked keeping in mind the religious beliefs and norms of Indians. The food served should be quick and tasty suiting to the Indian consumers taste. Customers need to be informed in case of some wait period of the product been delivered. Proper communication need to be made. Facilities such as cleanliness and proper ambience need to be created for customers to enjoy. Burger king should try to engage with customers to receive the feedback on the service delivered by them. This can be filling some short questionnaire or by introducing something similar like A huge bell placed in Indian Pizza Hut to ring so that customers can exhibit their satisfaction towards the product. Physical Service-Service cant be experienced before its delivered. So choice made to use the service is risky as its intangible in nature. The uncertainty can be reduced in the mind of customers prior of consumption of the product if the features are well communicated to the target consumers. Promotion of Burger King done by marketing communication mix Advertising Sales promotion Direct marketing Public Relations Phase-1 Launch the Product The product launch of Burger King needs to be associated in a manner the perception which is associated of having burgers from other competitors of its. The product being aimed at Middle class and Upper middle class should be positioned in an upscale manner where Burgers are being offered of Kings taste and treated like King making them feel relaxed and enjoy the experience of eating the burger in an excellent ambience. Also the communication of Quality, speedy service and cleanliness needs to be communicated well. Burger King should introduce options for vegetarian lovers as this would help them to penetrate, into the market more easily. The religious sentiments of Indians need to be taken care in case of non-vegetarian burgers. The company needs to establish a trust on consumers about the method in which product is been prepared without harming any religious sentiments. Phase-2 Brand advertising The advertising of Burger king can be effectively done through Print Media, Television advertisements and hoardings. This should include making customers aware about the product, helping them for easy recall and relating it to them personally. The television advertisements to be broadcasted on news and business channels like CNN IBN, TIMES NOW and some other channels like MTV. The advertisement needs to effectively convey to the customers the place is for relaxing and to enjoy the Burger in Kings style. During this phase it needs to concentrate on building the brand and product relevance. It would be launched not for mass audience but segmented as niche market with high on quality, service and price. The brand should leverage the central theme of Have it your way. The DAGMAR philosophy model 1961(Defining advertising goals for measured advertising results). 1. From unawareness to awareness-To make the target potential customers aware about the product. 2. Comprehension-Customer able to recognize the product and having knowledge about the product. 3. Conviction-Customers holding a firm attitude of the product brand compared to others and can be based on emotional or rational basis. 4. Action-Move made to purchase reflects the advertisement has been effective to communicate with the target audience. The Unique selling proposition of Burger King needs to be highlighted. HAVE IT YOUR WAY Other Communication Channels- On introduction of Burger King in Metro like Delhi some coupons can be offered to the commuters travelling on monthly passes. In the silicon valley bang lore food coupons to the MNC offices like Google, Sony can be provided to promote Burger king. To advertise through social media campaign. To promote through electronic media. To promote in some Business seminars like Retail Association of India through offering vouchers and hoardings exhibiting Burger King finally in India. To advertise in events like, Common wealth games. Internet connectivity can be used as an effective medium of channel.

The Recycling Of Metals Engineering Essay

The Recycling Of Metals Engineering Essay In our report we are discussing about recycling of metals and why we go in for recycling it. Also we have chosen five metals namely steel, aluminum, copper, lead, and tungsten which are recycled efficiently during the recycling process and discuss about the method of processing and benefits of recycling process. Metals play an important part in modern societies and have historically been linked with industrial development and improved living standards. Society can draw on metal resources from Earths crust as well as from metal discarded after use in the economy [1]. Metals are highly recyclable materials because their intrinsic properties dont change much on repeated recycling. If we increase their reuse and recycling the metals have a potential to improve resource productivity, and to reduce energy use, some emissions, and waste disposal. Improper recovery of metals from the economy increases reliance on primary resources and can impact nature by increasing the dispersion of metals in ecosystems. What is metal recycling? Metal recycling is the process of reusing old metal material, mainly aluminum and steel, to make new products. Recycling old metal products uses 95% less  energy  than manufacturing it from new materials [2]. Why metal recycling? It is easy and cost-effective to recycle metal, and metal can be recycled continuously without losing its properties. Therefore recycling metal reduces the environmental impacts associated with metal mining and production.   2. Materials and Methods a. Aluminum Aluminum is the most abundant metal in the world and also one of the most recycled a fact that can be attributed to the strong price it commands in worldwide commodities markets. It is estimated that over 50% of aluminum cans produced will be recycled, with some countries having a recovery rate of greater than 90%. Aluminum is a sustainable metal because of its high recovery rate and recyclability, with 2/3 of all the aluminum ever produced in use today. i. Applications of aluminum Electrical conductors, transport, packaging, building and architecture, miscellaneous applications such as high pressure gas cylinders, machined components, sporting equipment, road barriers and signs and lithographic plates ii. Recycling of Aluminum The recycling of aluminum provides many environmental and economic benefits. Aluminum recycling saves a substantial amount of energy. Aluminum is a sustainable metal and can be recycled repeatedly for any number of times. It is also the most valuable recycled product that we humans consume. The marketing of aluminum enables the municipalities to reduce some of the cost of recycling of other less valuable products, which provides an economic necessity to recycle. In these days, it is cheaper, faster and more energy saving and also efficient to recycle aluminum than the olden days. Aluminum, being 100 percent recyclable can be recycled indefinitely. The process of recycling aluminum cans is described below [3]; Aluminum cans and other such wastes are collected from house wastes and by municipal garbage. Using a device called eddy current separator, the wastes are sorted when it arrives to company. The eddy current electrically charges and causes it to repel from the device in to a sorting stream and then is passed on in to an awaiting bin. Then these are condensed into highly dense, briquettes weighing 30-pound or bales of 1,200-pound. This is then shipped off to aluminum companies for melting and further processing. Once the condensed briquettes and bales arrives to the aluminum companies, it is shredded, crushed and torn off of their inside and outside decorations through a simple process of burning. Then, these palm sized pieces of aluminum are loaded into furnaces for melting, where the recycled metal is blended along with the new, virgin aluminum. Aluminum is melted and then poured ingot moulds and is cast in to ingots. It is then arranged in to 25-foot long ingots that weigh over 30,000 pounds. These ingots are then fed into rolling mills which reduce the thickness of the metal from about 20 inches into sheets that are about 10/1,000 of an inch thick. These metal sheets are then coiled and shipped to can makers that produce cans and other related products. These processed cans are then delivered for the filling of beverages to companies. Molten furnaceThe filled cans are then distributed to stores and supermarkets for sales. The consumers then consume it and is then put in to bins or collecting centres. Then the cans enter the recycling cycle and the whole process repeated. A used can gets back in to the stores shelves in as little as 60 days. Reverse mill products aluminum Aluminum plant plant Aliuminum plant process scrap Used aluminum products Aluminum ingot output Ingot cast Molten aluminum Aluminum scrap are collected iii. Applications of recycled aluminum Transportation Equipment, Containers and Packaging, Construction Materials, Durable Goods iv. Benefits of recycling aluminum [4] Conserves energy Manufacturing aluminum from virgin ore consumes a huge amount of energy in each and every step from metallurgy to casting which increases our dependence on fossil fuels. Recycling aluminum saves 92 percent of the energy needed to produce aluminum from bauxite ore. A single aluminum can, when recycled saves the amount of energy that is equivalent to the energy that is needed to power a television set for 3 hours. Conserves raw material Main source for the aluminum industry is the aluminum scrap because of its recycling nature. The recycled aluminum saves 4 tons of bauxite ore and 1,500 pounds of petroleum coke and pitch for every ton of re-melted aluminum instead of extracting. Reduces Pollution Recycling aluminum requires only less energy than manufacturing so, it means reduced greenhouse emissions. Also it reduces secondary effects on the environment, such as global warming and acid rain. Therefore recycling aluminum instead of extracting virgin ore eliminates nearly about 95 percent of air pollution and 97 percent of water pollution. b. Copper Copper is the ancient and most used metal by man. After iron and aluminum, copper is the most leading metal produced in the market. Copper is very commonly used in electrical and plumbing applications. Since number of electrical components are used in our day to day life, the application of copper increases day by day. Copper is used directly or as an alloy with iron (Bronze). Many ancient aircrafts are made of bronze. Most of the raw materials have alloys added to their base metal. i. Applications of copper Comparing to other metals, copper is more often used in its pure form than alloys. Copper have high resistance to corrosion and high electrical and thermal conductivity in the pure form which makes it suitable for most of the electrical, heating and plumbing applications. ii. Recycling of copper Casting the molten metal Temp 11600C into billets Molten furnace 99% pure Cu Extrusion process into tubes Collection and sorting of the scrap In Europe, 41% of copper for its applications are obtained from recycling [5]. Recycling of copper is done by the following steps. The scraps rich in copper are waste electrical and electronic equipments, old taps, plumbing pipes and scraps from copper/copper alloy production and manufacturing. So these scraps are first collected, sized and sorted. These sorted scraps are then melted, casted and then made into new copper products. When the copper scraps are received for recycling, it is first visually inspected, graded and analyzed chemically if necessary. Loose scraps are baled and stored until processed. High grade copper scraps are melted directly, but in some cases it is brought to higher purity when it is in a molten state while refining. It is then followed by deoxidization and then casted into billets or ingots for further production process. Temperature is reduced to 6000C optimal extrusion Wired into different diameters for several applications iii. Benefits of copper recycling [5] Environment Continuous mining may reduce the strength of the soil. The refining process will emit some dust particles along with some waste gases such as sulphur dioxide etc which will have some harmful effects on the environment. Even though many copper producers are involved in minimizing these harmful effects (sulphur dioxide is captured and used to make sulphuric acid) it is not possible to eliminate them completely. So the recycling process will enhance for this as a whole. Landfill costs If the used materials are not recycled, it will be sent for landfills. It is same in the case of copper where the non recycled copper materials are dumped as a whole in the earth called landfill. Once if we are continuously involved in increasing the content of landfill, it becomes very difficult to dispose those materials if it becomes full. Energy saving In general, the energy required for extracting one ton of copper from its ore is approximately 100GJ. But the energy required for producing same amount of copper from recycling is only 10GJ, which is only 10% of the energy needed for extraction. This results in saving a number of valuable reserves such as coal, natural gas etc. Conservation Currently 12% of known copper resources have been mined. However the number is finite and it makes sense to conserve these ores by recycling. The recycling efficiency of copper is about 40 to 60%. Economics Recycling copper is very economical compared to mine and extract new copper. Recycled copper saves 90% of the cost of the original copper which obviously helps to keep the cost of copper products down. c. Steel Steel  is an alloy mostly consists of  iron and carbon  content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight [7]. Steel is normally produced by smelting iron ore which is a commercial process where it contains more carbon and to become steel, it must be melted and reprocessed to reduce the amount of carbon and other elements are added, the liquid is then  continuously cast  into long slabs or  cast  into  ingots .Steel is mostly used in engineering and construction materials. It is very friendly to the environment and completely recyclable due to high durability, less energy consumption. i. Applications of steel Iron and steel are most widely used in the construction of roads, railways, other infrastructure appliances and buildings.Steel is used in variety of other  construction  materials, such as bolts,  nails, and  screws [10]. ii. Recycling of steel The unique magnetic properties of steel make it an easy material to recover from the waste so it can be recycled. The properties of the steel remain unchanged no matter how many times they are recycled. Steel recycling saves 75 percent of the energy which would be used to create steel from raw materials, enough to power 18 million homes. Over 65 percent of the steel produced in the U.S. is recycled into new steel every year. Steel is recycled in the following process. Collecting: The steel scraps are collected first from the companies; households etc†¦Then are taken to the recycling industry. Shredding: After it has reached the recycling plant the collected scraps are shredded into pieces. Magnetic Separation: The shredded pieces reach the magnetic separation process where the steel is attracted to magnet and gets separated from other metals. De tinning:   Steel cans normally have a layer of tin on them, where tin can is recycled on its own. This is usually carried out in specialized steel company, such as a steel mill or a scrap dealer. Melting: The separated steels scarps are the kept in a furnace for melting and hence the melted steel is casted and rolled into flat sheets.   Reformation:   Once the steel is in sheet form, it can be molded into products such as new steel cans, car parts or construction materials. Steel can be recycled infinitely without losing its strength or quality. iii. Applications of Recycled steel The recycled steel are used in appliances, Bridges Cans, Cars/trucks, Construction materials, Desks, File cabinets, Fire hydrants, Guard rails, Utility poles. iv. Benefits of recycling steel [9] Conservation of Natural Resources The recycling process in less expensive when compared with the manufacturing and also ecofriendly. Therefore using scrap steel helps preserve natural resources and energy. According to the Steel Recycling Institute, for every ton of steel recycled, 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal and 120 pounds of limestone are conserved. By recycling, the steel industry also conserves a huge amount of energy, thus the energy can be used for other useful purposes. Landfill Space Recycling steel helps in saving landfill space by diverting steel from the waste stream. Reduces Air and water pollution Manufacturing steel from its virgin ore involves the emission of greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming. Therefore using recycled steel generates 85 percent fewer emissions. Using scrap steel as a raw material in a steel mill can diminish water pollution by 76 percent and its mining waste by 97 percent said by Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries. Economically Advantageous Recycling the old steel into new steel than manufacturing steel completely from virgin ore is more profitable. d. Lead Lead is an element with a symbol Pb and has an atomic number of 82. It is very soft and malleable in nature. It comes under the category of heavy metals. Lead as a metal has a bluish-white color when it is freshly cut, but the color soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when it is exposed to air. Lead forms in to a shiny chrome-silver luster when it is melted into a liquid. Melting point of lead is 327.46 degree Celsius and a boiling point of 1749 degree Celsius. It is also known for its density which is 11.34g/cubic meter. Another important property of lead is that it is resistant to corrosion [11] i. Applications of lead Lead is used in ballast keel of sailboats and also in scube diving belts due to its property of high density. It is also used to cast small arms and ammunition and shotgun pellets. Lead is also used in printing. Since it is a non corrosion metal it suitable for outdoor applications when in contact with water. It is used in statues and sculptures and also in construction industry. Apart from all these, more than half of the worldwide lead production is used as electrodes in the lead-acid battery used extensively as a car battery. ii. Recycling of lead [13] Following are the recycling process. Receiving Batteries and recyclable raw materials are unloaded, weighed and sent to raw material processing center. Separation Batteries are broken apart in the hammer mill, and separated into three main components-leads, plastic and acid-by screening and gravity separation. Each component moves into a separate processing stream. Containment After initial processing, recovered lead and other lead wastes are stored in a specially designed containment building with a double-lined floor and leak-detection system. Purification The Waste water purification and treatment system neutralizes, purifies and converts the sulphuric acid into a pH- neutral liquid that is safely released into the sewer system. Smelting and refining After the lead is melted in blast furnaces, we mix the reclaimed lead with other materials to produce lead alloys. Casting Refined lead is poured into molds and cooled. Ingot molds come in three size large blocks (hogs), rectangular bars (pigs), and tube-shaped (billets). iii. Benefits of recycling lead Mining of lead requires energy of about 1000 TJ whereas recovering of lead from batteries and other sources requires only about 12.9 TJ. We clearly see that we save nearly 77 times the energy in the recovering process. Recycling lead also releases less amount of carbon dioxide when compared to the process of mining of lead from ore. To be accurate, recycling process gives 1.5Kt CO2 while the mining process gives 163Kt CO2 .This clearly shows the reduction in the amount of emission of green house gases to more than 100 times. Mineral resources are saved. Land resources are also saved from making it in to landfills. Lead recycling gives almost 100% efficiency. e. Tungsten recycling [14] Tungsten is a chemical element with a chemical symbol W and an atomic weight of 74. Tungsten is a whitish-gray metal and is one of the heaviest metals that have the highest melting point of any element except carbon; excellent high-temperature mechanical properties. The average concentration of tungsten in the Earths crust is estimated to be approximately0.0001%. The available ores for extracting tungsten are Scheelite (CaWO4) and Wolframite [(Fe, Mn) WO4].The leading use was as tungsten carbide in cemented carbides are use to make cutting tools and also as wear-resistant components by the construction, metalworking, mining, and oil drilling industries. Tungsten alloy or pure tungsten metal contacts, electrodes, and wires are used in electrical, electronic, heating, lighting, and welding applications. Tungsten alloys and composites are used as a substitute for lead in bullets and shot. Tungsten chemicals are used to make catalysts, corrosion-resistant coatings, dyes and pigments, fir e-resistant compounds, high-temperature lubricants, and phosphors. As on today, the market rate for the tungsten ore is $16.25 per pound. This clearly shows the demand and the necessity for the metal. We have seen previously that only 0.0001 percent of ore is present over the earths crust and the price too being very expensive brings about the necessity of recovering and recycling from used mediums. This can save a lot of resources, energy required for mining ores and its processing to get the metal. Thus we clearly see recycling and recovering serves a great way for saving tungsten recourses. i. Recycling process Recycling of tungsten has been done since early 90s. We evidently are having a good progress in this recycling process. There are many ways to recycle the metal. But it depends on the type of scrap we choose to recover it from. The types of scraps are given below: Old scrap It consists of tungsten-bearing products that are worn out. Used cemented carbide parts like metal cutting tools, some tungsten metal and tungsten alloy parts from electrical equipments. Old super alloy scrap includes used turbine blades and other parts removed from jet engines. It also includes some tool steel components. New scrap It is generated during the processing of tungsten concentrates, scrap, and chemicals to make metal powder and during the fabrication of tungsten products from these materials. This includes hard scrap consisting of solid pieces, such as sub specification alloy parts and cemented carbide parts, soft scrap consists of fine particles, such as bag house dust from steel and alloy manufacture. Unrecovered scrap It represents tungsten in scrap that has not been recycled. Some of its examples include burned out lamps and lighting fixtures, electrical contact disks, land filled spent catalysts and low-grade grinding swarfs, non collectable carbide parts, tungsten carbide hard facing materials, and welding electrode stubs. Processing of alloy scraps The oxidation-reduction process is the preferred method for recycling tungsten heavy metal alloy turnings and powders. In this direct recycling process, the scrap is oxidized by heating it in air at 800 ° C, milled and screened, hydrogen reduced between 900 ° to 1,000 °C, screened, blended, and then mixed with virgin heavy metal alloy powder to make a ready-to-press powder for the production of new products. Processing of cemented carbide scrap Cemented carbide producers supply scrap directly to converters, who return recycled powders to them for reuse. The processing method involves oxidation followed by alkali leaching. Cemented carbide scrap could be recycled by semi direct methods, such as acid leaching, bloating followed by leaching, electrolysis, or leach-milling. Processing of pure tungsten powder scraps Pure tungsten metal scrap could be recycled by using the following method. Electrolysis, which uses the scrap as an anode in an electrolytic solution, then chemical processing in which melting is followed by oxidation-reduction. Processing of thoriated tungsten scrap Thoriated tungsten electrodes are also used in a variety of high-performance and special application lighting products, such as high-intensity discharge lamps. The scrap is oxidized in air and then either reduced with iron by using a silicothermic or aluminothermic process to make ferrotungsten or processed chemically to make APT. The thorium oxide, which ends up in the slag in the production process is sent to a low-level radiation depository. Cleaned thoriated tungsten powders, solids, and turnings, which are generated as new scrap during the production of thoriated tungsten products or, in the case of solids, as old scrap by consumers, are processed by using the oxidation-reduction method. ii. Benefits of recycling tungsten †¢Recovering tungsten this way enables us to save two-third of energy we spend for mining new tungsten from the ore. That is we spend only one-third of energy for recovering Tungsten when compared to mining. †¢Recycle efficiency of tungsten is 66% †¢CO2 emission is sustained there by contributing its merit to green house effect. †¢Saves mineral resource i.e 0.0001% of tungsten in earths crust What are the Benefits of metal recycling? Get paid for you give to scrap metal recycling facilities. Emission of green house gases gets reduced. Aluminum and steel can be recycled repeatedly. Decreases environmental damage caused by mining Conserves land and water resource. Things to be done The secondary metal production is been affected by environmental regulation through laws that control emissions and govern the classification and treatment of metal-loaded wastes. Also industry must develop better technology to isolate and recover maximum value from metals in waste streams, and governments must institute policies that remove barriers to their economically and environmentally. Only through a cooperative effort can society recover a maximum amount of metal from the industrial/social system to benefit the environment. Conclusions Recycling of metals helps us to make sustained use of metals. It conserves energy, natural resources, therefore reduces pollution. Due to the unique valuable properties metals will remain an integral part of future industrial society. Decades of increased productivity and more efficient technologies for metals production and use has decreased the share claimed by the primary and secondary metals industries. Many recycling techniques should be carried out so that the environmental benefits gets increasing on the reliance on secondary metal production include conserving energy, landscapes, and natural resources, and reducing toxic and nontoxic waste streams. If every country embraces it, a global impact will be achieved.

Margaret Fell Fox Essays -- essays research papers

Margaret Askew Fell Fox In the seventeenth century, a commanding female public minister emerged during the radical religious movement of Quakerism. Margaret Askew Fell Fox was one of the founding members of the Religious Society of Friends, and was popularly known as the "Mother of Quakerism". She has been known less as a minister and more as a founder and provider of financial support then other young women. Throughout this paper I will refer to her as Fell Fox, name she acquired through marriages during her lifetime. Through her struggles and triumphs, radical actions and beliefs, and her desire to worship God, Fell Fox had a significant impact on the world around her. In this essay, I hope to share how Fell Fox’s life, writings, and actions contributed to her radical contribution to life in seventeenth century England. In 1614, Fell Fox was born in Lancashire, England. She was born into the landed gentry, a level of society with both good education and breeding. In her late teens, she married an older man, a highly respected judge, by the name of Thomas Fell. Fell was politically involved in the society and several times was a member of Parliament. During their marriage, Fell inherited a house from his father and he and Margaret lived at the estate. The estate had been named Swarthmoor Hall by Fell’s father. During that time, Fell was often away from home on court circuits. Fell was well known in the region for his hospitality to travelers, and accordingly, the Hall was open to travelers. Fell Fox followed her husband’s desire for hospitality. In June 1652, George Fox came to Swarthmoor while Fell was away on a circuit. (Fox was later credited with being the founder of the Quakers.) When Fell returned home, Fell Fox and their nine children were no longer attending their community Anglican Church. Instead, Fell Fox had deeply involved her family and herself in the â€Å"Principle and Persuasion† that was introduced to her through Fox. We have later learned that the moment Fell Fox met Fox, she changed her religious alliance. According to a analysis of Fell Fox’s works, her conversion from the Anglican Church to Quakerism revealed â€Å"none of the traditional Puritan obsession with self-doubt and self-introspection, while going through a gradual faith-awakening proc... ...aking. Wallingford: Pendle Hill Publishers, 1976. First Feminists: British Women Writers 1578 – 1799. ed. Moria Ferguson. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1985. Kunze, Bonnelyn Young. Margaret Fell and the Rise of Quakerism. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1994. _____. â€Å"An Unpublished Work of Margaret Fell.† Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society. 1986. Ross, Isabel. Margaret Fell, Mother of Quakerism. London: Longman, 1984. Primary:  ¬Fell, Margaret. Margaret Fells Answer to Allan Smallwood Dr. Priest of Grastock in Cumberland. London: 1668 _____. Margaret Fell to John Rouse (her son in law) and Wife, 1st of 8th Month, 1664. London: 1664. _____. A Paper Concerning Such as are Made Ministers. H.W., 1659. _____. A True Testimony from the People of God. London: Robert Wilson, 1660. _____. Women’s Speaking Justified, Proved, and Allowed by the Scriptures. Augustan Reprint Society. Fox, George. A Journal of George Fox. London: 1694. Fox, Margaret Fell. The Testimony of Margaret Fox, Concerning her Late Husband, George Fox; Together with a Brief Account of Some of his Travels, Sufferings, and Hardships Endured for the Truth’s Sake. London: 1964.

The Identifying Factors in the Development of Aggression and Violence i

The Identifying Factors in the Development of Aggression and Violence in Youth Today Tragic events like the shootings at Columbine High School capture public attention and concern, but are not typical of youth violence. Most adolescent homicides are committed in inner cities and outside of school. They most frequently involve an interpersonal dispute and a single victim. On average, six or seven youths are murdered in this country each day. Most of these are inner-city minority youths. Such acts of violence are tragic and contribute to a climate of fear in schools and communities. Research findings are identifying factors in the development of aggressive and antisocial behavior from early childhood to adolescence and into adulthood. Prospective longitudinal and intervention studies have identified major correlates for the initiation, escalation, continuation, and cessation of serious violent offending. Many studies indicate that a single factor or a single defining situation does not cause child and adolescent antisocial behavior. Rather, multiple factors contribute to and shape antisocial behavior over the course of development. Some factors relate to characteristics within the child, but many others relate to factors within the social environment (e.g., family, peers, school, neighborhood, and community contexts) that enable, shape, and maintain aggression, antisocial behavior, and related behavior problems. The research on risk for aggressive, antisocial and violent behavior includes multiple aspects and stages of life, beginning with interactions in the family. Such forces as weak bonding, ineffective parenting (poor monitoring, ineffective, excessively harsh, or inconsistent discipline, inadequate super-vision), exposure to violence in the home, and a climate that supports aggression and violence puts children at risk for being violent later in life. This is particularly so for youth with problem behavior, such as early conduct and attention problems, depression, anxiety disorders, lower cognitive and verbal abilities, etc. Outside of the home, one of the major factors contributing to youth violence is the impact of peers. In the early school years, a good deal of mild aggression and violence is related to peer rejection and competition for status and attention. More serious behavior problems and violence are associated with smaller numb... ...earch on violence has built upon that foundation. In 1966, NIMH created a Center for Studies of Crime and Delinquency, which was the locus of pioneering research on aggressive, antisocial, and violent behavior and its consequences. NIMH-supported research has generated information needed to identify, treat, and prevent not only the causes of violent behavior but also the effects of violence on victims, for example, child abuse. Most recently, the NIMH has assumed a lead role, along with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in developing a Surgeon General's report on the topic of youth violence. The NIMH believes that this report, as follow-up to the Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, will be an effective and highly credible means of educating the public about the interaction of mental disorders and youth violence. For More Information About NIMH The Office of Communications and Public Liaison carries out educational activities and publishes and distributes research reports, press releases, fact sheets, and publications intended for researchers, health care providers, and the general public.

Mernissi Essay -- English Literature Essays

Mernissi Mernissi makes the claim that "Any man who believes that a Muslim woman who fights for her dignity and right to citizenship excludes herself necessarily from the umma...is a man who misunderstands his own religious heritage, his own cultural identity" (Mernissi viii). She goes about supporting this claim by delving into the very detailed documentation of Islam history. She attributes misogyny in the past and present Muslim culture to the male elite. She gives many examples of how Muhammad and Islam have only supported equality of the sexes and also how the male elite used false hadiths and very narrow interpretations of the Koran and true hadiths for their purpose. She begins by describing how the male elite started running things right from the onset of Muhammad's death. When a successor to Muhammad was picked, it did not involve the people of the community at all or any women. It was done by a small group of followers which were very close to the prophet, a sort of elite group. This sort of leadership in Islam continued in the same manner as only the elite were involved. This helped preserve what they thought was essential and according to the interests of the participants the essentials varied. The fabrication of false hadiths by the male elite was probably the first and most popular way for them to protect their interests. The people governing knew how important it was to "seek legitimacy in and through the sacred text" (Mernissi 43). Mernissi talks about al-Bukhari, who methodically and systematically collected and verified true Hadiths. He was exiled from his native town because he refused to bring the knowledge of the Hadith to the governor of the town and have it corrupted. He knew that the invitation from the governor was made only for him to probably fabricate some Hadith which would benefit the politicians. Many did not follow al-Bukhari's example but allowed themselves to be bought for a price and fabricated Hadiths for the politicians. Even Companions of the Prophet fabricated Hadiths in order to promote their own personal views. In the case of the Hadith which states, "Those who entrust their affairs to a woman will never know prosperity", Mernissi argues that this Hadith was never uttered by the Prophet and probably made up for personal reasons of Abu Bakra, who claimed to have heard the Hadith spoken by the... ... as instructing them not to give any wealth to women, the foolish. This is quite obvious narrow interpretation of the text, which meant not to give your to any foolish person no matter the sex. Mernissi goes on to give other texts which are harder to reject the sexist attitude in them, but goes on to give the example of Muhammad and his life as the ideal Islam or Muslim way of life. She wraps up the book by saying that the Muslim man could not accept the change in the present time back in Muhammad's time and has not been able since then to let go of the past. She also started the book by describing how the Muslim nation has always fled to the past to escape change in the present and future. I agree with Mernissi when she says, "The image of `his women' will change when he feels the pressing need to root his future in a liberating memory" (Mernissi 195). Until Muslim men let go of their past, things will never change, unfortunately, for the women in that society. Mernissi got her point across really well in this book in a way which is simple for anybody to understand and I would like to know how the male elite handled and responded to this book when it came out.

The Case against ‘The Case against Perfection’

Michael Sandels essay The Case against Perfection (The Atlantic Monthly, April, 2004) is basically a stand that opposes the idea of genetic enhancement primarily via cloning. Sandels places forward his idea of what is wrong with genetic engineering. He admitted its benefits, but he also tried to show how bad it could be allow cloning and genetic engineering. Sandels starts with a thesis that states his stand over the subject matter. His choice of words even in the first sentence alone shows his opposition to the idea of using genetic engineering to enhance the next generation   offspring of a couple.. Throughout the text, the readers find Sandels pondering on perspetive of the advocates of genetic engineering, talking about the possibilities of the technology and then giving the possible good effects that the development of the technology might bring. He then talks about the how the different popular issues against genetic engineering may be invalid. He defends the stand of genetic engineers, but not to really defend it, but only to show why some reasons some parties are against it are not valid at all. Then, he would present the case which he believes is the more valid reason why genetic engineering should not be used to enhance the future generations. Sandels attacks the issue by presenting its different facets using analogies and logical reasoning. Even a s he ended the essay, he quoted what he must have believed to be the stronges and the most tempting reasons why genetic engineering should be given a chance to be used to enhance future generations – perfect muscles, right height,   intelligence, and freedom from diseases.   Yet, like in the other paragraphs, Sandels only refuted the idea of genetic engineering, however, his he failed to lay in details his counter against the satnd of the last author he quoted. In his attempt to show all the sides of the issue to avoid being biased, Sandels showed clearly how the idea of the advocates of genetic engineering works. But most of the time, he is unable to discuss clearly why the idea of the advocates he mention the different parts of the essay are wrong. In some cases, he had problems with reasoning. Let us start with the first issue he raised in the first paragraph. The last part of the paragraph sounds strong, but there are flaws in his reasoning: â€Å"In liberal societies they reach first for the language of autonomy, fairness, and individual rights. But this part of our moral vocabulary is ill equipped to address the hardest questions posed by genetic engineering.† This reasoning is like an ad hominem, only, it does not attack the speaker but the words which encompass the basis of the liberal societies in advocating genetic engineering. In ad hominem, the argument attacks the speaker rather than the reason, but here the words â€Å"autonomy†, â€Å"fairness†, and â€Å"individual rights† appear to be the sources f the argument and are the ones being attacked instead of the arguments that are according to Sandels, founded on these words. Instead of focusing on the reasons, he preempted the arguments of the believers of genetic engineering by claiming there is something wrong with how we define the â€Å"autonomy†, â€Å"fairness† and â€Å"equal rights†. It can further be noted that Sandels himself refuted the oppositions to genetic engineering that are based on autonomy. He did not define clearly what he meant by autonomy in his essay. Moreover, instead of strengthening the position of the opposing parties that base their arguments on autonomy. What he strengthened rather was the stand of genetic engineers when he made analogies between cloning and using botox and steroids. When he countered the argument about autonomy, the first reason he gave why the argument was not convincing is: â€Å"†¦it wrongly implies that absent a designing parent, children are free to choose their characteristics for themselves. But none of us chooses his genetic inheritance. The alternative to a cloned or genetically enhanced child is not one whose future is unbound by particular talents but one at the mercy of the genetic lottery.† (par. 5) His point seems rather ambiguous, for what is the sense of the second sentence of the excerpt? How can an enhanced child be at the mercy of the genetic lottery when the parents have already determined the child’s genes? Moreover, he mentioned that the argument has a wrong implication – that children whose parents did not choose their genes for them are free to choose their characteristics for themselves. The argument states that parents disallow the rights of the child to an open future by choosing a genetic structure of the kid in advance. His does not imply that children can choose their genes. It only wants to say that if their genes are not pre-selected by their parents, they can choose their career paths based on what pleases them and not based on the genes that their parents designed for them, and he even explained it this way. In paragraph 8, he drags the issue to theology, that claiming that it is a matter of moral. He makes it appear that the only way to resolve this issue is by consulting theological thoughts about the issue. He is pushing the idea that this issue can only be resolved if we look into the moral status of nature and proper stance of the human beings toward the given world. He may be right that this is a moral issue, but the grounds on which he based his arguments seem not well founded. This part of his paper appears more like a moralistic fallacy. He seems to be setting up the readers for something that would discuss how things should be and let that be the basis of the argument against genetic engineering or be the argument itself. In paragraph 9, he made a generalization, â€Å"Everyone would welcome a gene therapy to alleviate muscular dystrophy and to reverse the debilitating muscle loss that comes with old age.† This is perhaps a swift overview or an overgeneralization. How could he be sure that everyone would be open to the idea? He did not even present any survey to support his claim at least inductively. This is a sweeping statement that can be toppled any who would say that he does not welcome a gene therapy to alleviate muscular dystrophy or to reverse the debilitating muscle loss. In the same paragraph, he made weak analogy. The author claimed â€Å"The widespread use of steroids and other performance-improving drugs in professional sports suggests that many athletes will be eager to avail themselves of genetic enhancement.† Logically speaking, it does not follow that though A and B have similarities, what applies to A will apply to B. Though his claim may be true, he fails to make the necessary connections to establish a strong analogy between genetic engineering and performance enhancers. Again, as he had done in the earlier paragraphs, in paragraph 11, Sandels presents an argument against genetic engineering and refutes it: â€Å"It might be argued that a genetically enhanced athlete, like a drug-enhanced athlete, would have an unfair advantage over his unenhanced competitors. But the fairness argument against enhancement has a fatal flaw: it has always been the case that some athletes are better endowed genetically than others, and yet we do not consider this to undermine the fairness of competitive sports.† Here, mentions that the fatal flaw in the argument is that there have always been athletes who are disadvantaged because some athletes are better endowed. That some athletes are better endowed than others is true, but that this fact is a fatal flaw is the flawed idea. This is a case of fallacy of relevance. Being genetically or drug enhanced is very different from being genetically endowed by nature. A person endowed by nature with genes that make him competitive may have an advantage over those who are not endowed, but both have the equal chance to enhance their abilities through practice. However, it must be considered that an athlete is more likely genetically endowed than not. Hence, the biggest factor is not the natural abilities of the athlete, but perhaps the preparedness of the athlete for a contest. If an athlete is drug enhanced or genetically enhanced, he may not need to practice or train as hard to achieve the results he wants. Therefore, Sandels conclusion that â€Å"if genetic development in sports is ethically offensive, it should be for motives other than fairness† is invalid. In paragraph 14, Sandels proposes two reasons why we should worry about bioengineering – â€Å"Is the scenario troubling because the unenhanced poor would be denied the benefits of bioengineering, or because the enhanced affluent would somehow be dehumanized?† Above this is his belief that â€Å"worry about access ignores the moral status of enhancement itself.† In his argument, Sandels commits a fallacy of presumption, specifically, a fallacy of dilemmas. He limits the situation to two negative scenario – the poor cannot afford the cost of genetic enhancement and the rich who can afford become dehumanized. The question is, â€Å"what evidences point to the situations he is saying?† What he is saying may be plausible, but he is not able to develop it logically to make the premises strong and firm. Limiting his choices to only two scenarios makes it appear that there is nothing more to bioengineering than deprivation of the poor of it and the dehumanization of the rich. This reasoning also makes it appear that only the rich may be able to access genetic enhancement. Furthermore, he limited the tern dehumanization to the rich. This poses a sort of bias to those who can afford it, when earlier in the paper he was talking about athletes who might access genetic enhancement the way they do performance enhancement drugs. Towards the end of paragraph 14, Sandels had a firm claim that â€Å"the fundamental question is not how to ensure equal access to enhancement but whether we should aspire to it in the first place.† This is a misleading notion of presumption. He makes this assumption and lets the evidences suit it rather than conclude based on empirical data and logical analysis. It seems that only because â€Å"the fundamental question is not how to ensure equal access,† then the major concern is whether we should desire for it (bioengineering) in the first place. What he is saying may be true, but the way he develops it makes his reasoning invalid. It weakens his propositions. He repeats the same fallacy in paragraph 18 when he claimed that the real question about growth hormones is not its availability but whether we want to live in a society where the parents spend for genetic enhancement. In his discussion about the possible solutions to problems of unequal access to bioengineering, he made it sound all too simple for the government to subsidize the demands even of the poor. He did not realize that had the governments of different countries the money or funds, they would rather use that money to make sure nobody gets hungry, and not on expensive genetic enhancement that does not have any promise to save people from hunger based on any study. He created a scenario that seemed too easy to happen just to let his idea stand out. His proposition is perhaps a more important question, but the way he brings it out hurts the validity of his arguments. Another issue on his discussion of genetic enhancement is the ability of the parents to choose the sex of their child. In the previous paragraphs he would always state the case of something that is already prevalent and then compare it with genetic engineering. Here, he only mentioned that where folk remedies failed, genetic enhancement or bioengineering can be of help. Through bioengineering, a couple can choose the sex of the offspring. He pointed out in his discussion about this matter that choosing the sex of the offspring somehow removes the giftedness when the child comes. The child not longer comes as a gift, but more like a planned object. He did not criticize how folk remedies also tend create the same effect whether they are effective or not. It is clear ere how he leans toward a bias in attacking genetic engineering. Sandels also had reasons that are too far flung from reality. Consider his argument in paragraph 30. While it is true that effort is not everything, it would not have been possible that a basketball paler who trains harder than Michael Jordan would be a mediocre player. It would take a lot to be more than like Jordan and to earn more than he did, but one who trains harder he (Jordan) did would not remain mediocre. He is using an impossible scenario to create his point. And that does not make much sense at all. In paragraph 40, Sandels said that â€Å"Genetic manipulation seems somehow worse — more intrusive, more sinister — than other ways of enhancing performance and seeking success.† There is a grave error here suggesting that all efforts of parents in seeking to enhance the performance of their children so they may become successful are bad, intrusive, or sinister. What of parents who personally train their children? What of parents who lets their children attend to trainings that they want to attend, because they (the children) want to be successful in that endeavor? Would that be sinister? Maybe that is not what he means, but that is the message his paper seems to be putting across. It could have been better if he specified which ways of enhancing the child’s performance are sinister. In paragraph 53, Sandels wants to pint out that genetic engineering does not only violate religious morals, but also secular morals: â€Å"The moral stakes can also be described in secular terms. If bioengineering made the myth of the â€Å"self-made man† come true, it would be difficult to view our talents as gifts for which we are indebted, rather than as achievements for which we are responsible. This would transform three key features of our moral landscape: humility, responsibility, and solidarity.† He denies religion in this part, but he talks about gifts for which we are indebted. The question now, is, â€Å"to whom are we indebted?† Taking our talents as gifts inevitably leads us to a proposition that involves religion, for where will the gift come from? If the gifts were merely from nature, to whom do we owe humility, responsibility, and solidarity? He further argues that genetic engineering takes away these three. He forgets to consider that the characteristics of a person are but secondary. What a person, whether genetically endowed or not, savors most is life itself. With or without genetic enhancement, a person has reasonability to his fellowmen. In the same way, whether genetically enhanced or not, a person may be boastful or humble depending on how the parents reared him. Solidarity has nothing to do with genetic enhancement or endowment. People unite for a common cause, for love and for peace. His argument is presuming that genetically enhanced individuals are incapable of humility, responsibility, and solidarity, but he did not develop the issue logically. If his statements in paragraph 53 were factual, why did he have to mention, â€Å"The more we become masters of our genetic endowments, the greater the burden we bear for the talents we have and the way we perform†? Immediately following this, he mentioned about the future scenario in which a basketball player may be blamed now for missing rebound, but in the future for being short. Here is another reasoning error, for who would hire a small basketball player if not for his exceptional skill? Basketball payers are usually tall, hired for height and skill, so what is saying is another far flung argument. The last argument in favor f genetic engineering he mentioned pondered on the possibilities of enhancing IQ and physical abilities of children. All he said about this is, â€Å"But that promise of mastery is flawed. It threatens to banish our appreciation of life as a gift, and to leave us with nothing to affirm or behold outside our own will.† If it were indeed flawed, then how is it flawed? How can it banish our appreciation of life as a gift? How can he say hat it leaves us with nothing to behold and affirm with our free will when he himself talked about being endowed by nature? He may be right to think that cloning and other forms of genetic engineering have setbacks, but his essay provided arguments that are pro genetic engineering that he failed to counter effectively. References Sandel, M. J. (April 2004). The Case Against Perfection. Retrieved 9 April 2008, from http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/medical_ethics/me0056.html)   

International Mother Language Day Essay

UNESCO’s declaration of 21st February as the International Mother Language Day has brought fresh glory and prestige to Bangladesh which is making significant strides towards peace, progress and prosperity at home and discharging international obligations abroad. After 1952, the people of Bangladesh have been observing every year the 21st day of February as their glorious and unforgettable Language Martyrs Day. What happened on 21st February 1952 is widely known. Still let us very briefly recount the fateful happenings of that day and the circumstances that led to and followed them. In August 1947, a new state called Pakistan, comprising two far-flung wings in the west and east, separated by 1600 kilometers of foreign territory, emerged on the world map. The ideological basis of that strange phenomenon was the absurd and pernicious two nation theory of Mr. Jinnah that ignored such basic elements as language and culture and considered religion as a bond strong and sufficient enough to transform a people into a nation. The language of the people of eastern wing of Pakistan, and they were the majority, was Bangla. It had a rich tradition of literature of over a thousand years. The Bangalees also had a highly developed culture that had little in common with the culture of the people of western wing of Pakistan. The Bangalees love for and attachment to their language and culture were great and when in 1952 the neo-colonial, power-hungry, arrogant rulers of Pakistan declared that ‘Urdu and Urdu alone would be the state language of Pakistan, they sowed the seed of its future disintegration. The people of the then East Pakistan, particularly the students, rose in angry protest against the vicious undemocratic designs of the government. Those designs really amounted to the destruction of Bangla language and culture and imposition of the language and culture of the people of western wing on the people of eastern wing. The reaction was strong and spontaneous. The government decided to quell protests by brute force. The police opened  fire on 21st February 1952 on unarmed peaceful protesters, most of whom were students, resulting in the death, among others, of Rafiq, Barkat, Jabbar and Salam. As the news of those deaths spread, the entire people of the eastern wing felt greatly involved emotionally. Those who lost their lives to uphold the prestige defend the rights of their mother-language became hallowed martyrs. [Barkat] [Rafiq] [Saifur] Their sacrifice at once tragic glorious and the indignation of the people against an autocratic government had far reaching effect. 21st February became a symbol and attained mythic properties, it nourished the concepts of democracy and secularism. It also contributed significantly to the flowering of Bangalee nationalism. It led to the dawning of the realization in the minds of the Bangalees that they constituted a separate nation and their destiny lay not with Pakistan but elsewhere as an independent country. The subsequent democratic mass movements of the late fifties, throughout the sixties and the seventies, and finally the struggle for independence and the war of liberation owed a great deal to 21st February. From 1953 onwards, starting from 21st February 1953, the immortal 21st February has been observed as a great national event all over Bangladesh, and also beyond the frontiers of Bangladesh: in several places of India, UK, USA, Canada and elsewhere, wherever there is a sizeable concentration of Bangla speaking people. Yet so long, it has been mainly a national event of Bangladesh. But with the declaration of 21st February as the International Mother Language Day, it has transcended the national borders of Bangladesh and acquired an international significance and a global dimension. International Mother Language Day is particularly significant in the sense that it has a cultural importance. From now on, 21st February – so long observed in Bangladesh as the Bangla Language Martyrs’ Day – will be observed here simultaneously as the Bangla Language Martyrs’ Day and the International Mother Language Day. And in nearly 200 countries of the world, various peoples speaking various languages and belonging to various national cultures will observe 21st February as the International Mother Language Day. They will naturally celebrate their own mother languages, but while doing so, it is more than likely that they will refer to Bangladesh and the Language Movement launched by her people that reached a climactic point on 21st February 1952. The declaration made by the UNESCO in November 1999 designating 21st February as the International Mother Language Day has placed Bangladesh on the cultural map of the world with a highly positive image. We, people of Bangladesh, should now do all that we can to further develop our mother language Bangla in all branches of knowledge so that it can play a worthy role in the community of world languages. We shall love, cherish and promote Bangla, our own mother language, but we shall not indulged in any kind of chauvinism. While devotedly serving our own language, we shall respect the languages of all the peoples of the world make 21st February – The International Mother Language Day – a great day, to be observed worldwide in the new century and the millennium that we have recently stepped into. Long live 21st February the International Mother Language Day!