Rational Thought and Technological Advancement Essay Example for Free

Rational Thought and Technological Advancement Essay 1 The notion of rational thought is a very strong reason technology has become so influential in the world today. The opening of the mind influenced all ways of life and society. Major ideas blossomed like politics, governing laws, literature, art, history, and new inventions. Scientific thinking was groundbreaking. Ideas of mathematics, astronomy, architecture, and anatomy engrossed the public. The revolution of rational thought dominated society and began a transition because people began using reason to explain human and natural events, rather than the gods. Many Philosophers with their rational thought put things in motion for people to begin to question what influenced their lives in the time of Enlightenment and the French Revolution. Rational thinking gave birth to new inventors to include Hero or Heron of Alexandria. It also made its impact on the way inventions would work throughout history into modern times. Three major contributors to the theory of rational thought were Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. With their search for more knowledge came newer teaching for others, which began a new revolution of education. People were questioning the major factors that ran their lives. The rights people were questioning were their choice of religion, their social standing, and their government and laws. Within these times new governments and laws were formed along with new theories of art and new technological advances. Scientific thinking was groundbreaking among Greek minds. Ideas of mathematics, astronomy, architecture, and anatomy engro ssed the public. During times like the industrial revolution technology came into play through rational thought. People began to think of ways to better themselves and took on the theory to better their work. People began to question the meanings of life and began using their minds to expand the world. Even today, rational thought is used by all of us and continues to influence society. 2 The creation of rational thought began with the Age of Enlightenment. People believed that human reason could be used to combat ignorance, superstition, and tyranny and to build a better world. Their principal targets were religion (embodied in France in the Catholic Church) and the domination of society by a hereditary aristocracy. (Brian, Paul) The citizens were open to new ideas and influenced by traders from around the world. Laws were invented and written down to express the will of their society. Although, monarchies still often ruled during the 1700s, but with less security than in earlier times. The English executed their king in 1642, France executed their king and queen (in 1793 and 1794 respectively) during the French Revolution, and other European monarchies soon fell. Royal instability suggested insecurity of the social order over which aristocracies had ruled. (McClure, Beverly) During the Age of Enlightenment politics and democracy exploded. The French Revolution began due to the fact that people were now thinking of themselves and not how they could serve others. The French Revolution, was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France that had a lasting impact on French hi story and more broadly throughout Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed within three years. French society underwent an epic transformation, as feudal, aristocratic and religious privileges evaporated under a sustained assault from radical left-wing political groups, masses on the streets, and peasants in the countryside. Old ideas about tradition and hierarchy regarding monarchs, aristocrats, and the Catholic Church were abruptly overthrown by new principles liberty, equality and fraternity. The royal houses across Europe were horrified and led a counter-crusade that by 1814 had restored the old monarchy, but many 3 major reforms became permanent. So too did antagonisms between the supporters and enemies of the Revolution, who fought it out politically over the next two centuries. People were also thinking of how they could make their individual lives better. New inventions to include the Millennium Clock, the spinning jenny, and steam powered products were realized during this time. Although steam powered products were not really realized until this time they were invented long before. Hero or Heron of Alexandria was an ancient Greek mathematician and engineer who was active in his native city of Alexandria, Roman Egypt. He is considered the greatest experimenter of antiquity and his work is representative of the Hellenistic scientific tradition. Hero published a well-recognized description of a steam-powered device called an aeolipile (hence sometimes called a Hero engine). Among his most famous inventions was a wind wheel, constituting the earliest instance of wind harnessing on land. He is said to have been a follower of the Atomists. Some of his ideas were derived from the works of Ctesibius. Although, much of Heros original writings and designs have been lost, but some of his works were preserved in Arab manuscripts. The first steam powered invention fully used turned up in the 18th century. Since the beginning of the 18th century, many inventors and designers had been hard at work trying to get steam to function as an industrial power source. Many technical problems stood in the way, but one inventor, James Watts, took the bull by the horns and developed a condenser, a double-acting engine and governor to make the steam engine practical as a new energy source. After the Revolution, Politicians and citizens were able to debate issues and question justice. This form of independent thinking brought great pride and self-confidence to members of 4 society. On 10 June 1789, Abbà © Sieyà ¨s moved that the Third Estate, now meeting as the Communes proceed with verification of its own powers and invite the other two estates to take part, but not to wait for them. They proceeded to do so two days later, completing the process on 17 June. Then they voted a measure far more radical, declaring themselves the National Assembly, an assembly not of the Estates but of the People. Philosophy and rational thinking continued to grow throughout the world in the next few centuries. Rational thought had become the most dominant ideology in Western Civilization. Philosophers aimed to examine human happiness, self-control, and equality. Also, there was a major focus on the study of science. Understanding the world from the human required many philosophers to devote immense research in science. In turn this influenced how the western world reasoned and used rational thought. This allowed for huge successes for further Philosophy, architecture, a rt, mathematics, anatomy, botany, literature, and creativity. A few Greek philosophers named Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were rational thinkers who influenced their worlds. These three contemporary wise men influenced Western Civilization and technology with their quest for knowledge and thought, and their writings that are still widely read today! Socrates believed that knowledge was the key to good life and that knowledge led to happy citizens with good moral conduct.(Kemerling, Garth) One of the best known sayings of Socrates is I only know that I know nothing. The conventional interpretation of this remark is that Socrates wisdom was limited to an awareness of his own ignorance. Socrates believed wrongdoing was a consequence of ignorance and those who did wrong knew 5 no better. The one thing Socrates consistently claimed to have knowledge of was the art of love, which he connected with the concept of the love of wisdom, i.e., philosophy. He never actually claimed to be wise, only to understand the path a lover of wisdom must take in pursuing it. It is debatable whether Socrates believed humans (as opposed to gods like Apollo) could actually become wise. On the one hand, he drew a clear line between human ignorance and ideal knowledge; on the other, Platos Symposium (Diotimas Speech) and Republic (Allegory of the Cave) describe a method for ascending to wisdom. His beliefs and questions angered many of his peers so much, that they convicted him of corrupting society and sentenced him to death. Plato was Socrates student and â€Å"he displays in his works his absorption in the political events and intellectual movements of his time, but the questions he raises are so profound and the strategies he uses for tackling them so richly suggestive and pr ovocative that educated readers of nearly every period have in some way been influenced by him, and in practically every age there have been philosophers who count themselves Platonists in some important respects†.(Kraut, Richard) He sought knowledge on creating a perfect society. Also, he opened a school for rational thought called the Academy. In this school, he stressed that knowledge was found through debate and the conflict created from them. There is great debate on how Plato died. There are many theories to include him dying in his sleep and dying at a wedding feast. The last of the three great Greek philosophers was Aristotle. Aristotle was a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. He was a writer of logic, politics, and biology. He summarized most of the previous knowledge of philosophy into his own writings. Aristotle collected constitutions from many Greek states, researched them, and provided ideas for greater political thought. Questions arose from every 6 debate or conversation and rational thought exploded. Due to the rise of all the questions on life, and possible answers, rational thought surfaced. New centers for education began opening around the world. These centers spread new ideas including: writing and rhetoric, mathematics, innovations, arts, technologies, and medicines. Also, there was a major focus on the study of science. Understanding the world from the human required many philosophers to devote immense research in science. In turn this influenced how the western world reasoned and used rational thought. Rational Thinking began to grow. It made people begin to think of things in a whole new light, to include how their lives could be made easier with new inventions. Alexandria was the site of creative inventors and scientific researchers. Citizens there built a huge library called the House of the Muses. The library grew to include star observatories, lecture halls, and laboratories, and also held over half a million manu scripts. Rational thought allowed scientists and inventors a better understanding of the world around them. Mathematicians like Euclid and Archimedes studied geometry and higher mathematics (Encyclopedia Britannica). Archimedes also invented a screw pump that lifted water from the ground. (Noel, William) Others invented navigational instruments and mapmaking abilities for ships out at sea, built small steam engines, and even washing machines. Geographers tried to map the world, while astronomers questioned life outside the world. Alexandria was, unfortunately, destroyed by the Christians in the fourth century. (Chesser, Preston) Imagine what the world would be like if all the knowledge and 7 research had made it out of Alexandria. The information that did survive the destruction continues to help researchers to this day. Overall, rational thought is something most of us take for granted. It is from the rational thought influence that we are able to think for ourselves and make well thought out decisions. Rational thought gave the individual a new outlook on their daily lives and how they could step away from the old way of living under the heel of the church. It is from the Greek influence that we are able to think for ourselves and make rational decisions. Great minds have helped contribute to this great civilization we live in. The world has forever been changed by the ability to reason and question reality. Without the humble beginnings of rational thought our world may not be as advanced in technology as it is today. The Western world has forever been changed by the ability to reason and question reality. Many future civilizations used the thoughts of famous Greeks a nd today rational thought is more powerful than ever. The most valuable things in the world are just trinkets compared to the value of the mind. From the beginning of the age rational thought our modern civilizations have been based around how to make our lives easier with better decisions. We are accustomed to thinking of rationality as a feature of modern societies. Modernity has been accompanied by an unprecedented growth of science and the breakdown of many taboos. We are able, as our ancestors were not, to question everything, choose our leaders, and 8 build on reliable knowledge accumulated over the past few hundred years. This is why modernity appears to us as a value that must be preserved. References Brian, Paul 1998, â€Å"The Enlightment†, Washington University http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/hum_303/enlightenment.html. McClure, Beverly, â€Å"The Enlightenment, Age of Reason† Southwest Tennessee Community College http://www.westga.edu/~mmcfar/enlightenment_or_age_of_reas.htm Kemerling, Garth, â€Å"Socrates† (1997) http://www.philosophypages.com/ph/socr.htm. Kraut, Richard, Plato, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (summer 2012 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2012/entries/plato/. Britannica, Encyclopedia, 2006, â€Å"The Elements†, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/194880/Euclid Noel, William, â€Å"The Archimedes Palimpsest†, (2006), http://archimedespalimpsest.org/about/management/ Chesser, Preston â€Å"The Burning of the Library of Alexandria†, (2002), http://ehistory.osu.edu/world/articles/articleview.cfm?aid=9

The Importance Of Wastewater Treatment Environmental Sciences Essay

The Importance Of Wastewater Treatment Environmental Sciences Essay Water scarcity is the major problem that is faced all across the world. Although 2/3rd of the earths crust is made up of water but all this water is not available for drinking and for other human activities as either it is locked in the form of ice or present in the form of vast saline oceans and seas. It has been found out that 97% of the total water is salty that is of no use to human and animals (except marine animal) and the remaining three percent is available as freshwater. More than half of this three percent is locked in glacier and less than 0.01% is available as fresh water. So water resources are less as compare to human demand for water. Above this, the major part of water that can be consumed is getting polluted because of human activities. This polluted and untreated water is causing abundant water borne diseases. Then the world is facing a huge climatic change which is further aggravating the water problem. Some of the regions are getting more rain water than earlier and some are getting almost negligible. Experts even believe that the next World War would not be for oil or land but it will be for water. Also because of improper use of water and lack of water treatment, the problem of water crisis will further increase where 884 million people are already not getting easy access to safe drinking water. And a further 2.5 billion people are getting difficult access to water for disposable and sanitation. Agriculture is also overusing and polluting the ground water thus depleting the natural source of water. So here water treatment plants will play important role. Water crisis at present is the biggest problem according to the United Nations. Almost 25 countries of Africa, parts of China, Peru and Brazil in Latin America, some parts of Middle East like Iran, Chile, Mexico, and Paraguay are some of the countries that are facing the water crisis. Even other parts of the world are facing the varied levels of the water crisis. Because of acute shortage of water, the food problems are getting aggravated. About 40 million people in Africa are facing the problem of food shortage. It is expected that if the similar conditions will persist then there will be 500 million till 2025 who will suffer from these problems. Nature has its role but the major water problem is arising because of its increasing consumption and faulty usage. Major chunk of the problem can be solved if the wastewater treatment is taken very seriously and precautions at every step are taken to improve the water quality. The supply and demand The demand for fresh clean water delivered to our homes is ever increasing as more and more residential homes are being established. Although 70% of the world is covered with water, only 1% is fresh water and thus raises a need to recycle waste water to satisfy our needs. Efforts to continuously recycle waste water are always stressed upon as a shortage would mean a disaster in heavily populated areas. Governments have committed billions towards research and development to such projects. Fresh water is also needed in agriculture. The demand for water in this sector is very high as farmer need fresh water for crops and cattle. Therefore, stresses the demand for sewage water treatment plants to be built. Water from rivers and lake are inadequate to provide water for farm and residences alike. The supply of sewage water treatment facilities are slowly dwindling. A crisis may arise from a lack of sewage water treatment plants as this would greatly reduce the supply of fresh water. Governments are desperately trying to keep up with the pace of development of the population but are slowly lagging behind. The supply of fresh water will be adequate for the next few years but if the development of sewage water treatment plant continues at its current pace it without a doubt a shortage would take place. Furthermore, the agriculture industry will be greatly impacted and the supply of food will go down as well leading to famine due to a shortage of water. The prospects of this industry The wastewater treatment industry most probably will be successful in future due to presence of new wastewater treatment technologies. Advanced Immobilized Cell Reactor technology is one of the new technologies which immobilize the organisms such as bacteria in the pores of the carbon matrix. This process can avoid the immobilized organisms from shock load application as the diffusion of the pollutants from bulk fluid phase to organisms follows Ficks law. Through conventional biological wastewater treatment, infinite electrical energy and vast land area are being consumed. Besides that, a huge investment in electromechanical equipment is involved which will bring about a huge total cost of operation. Generally, the total cost of operation for new technology is lowered compared to the convention technology. By using the new technology, the total cost of operation can be cut down to approximately 50 percent of the total cost of conventional treatment. Furthermore, the biological oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand are reduced by 94 percent and 90 percent respectively. Oxygen consumption in the new technology is lower than in conventional technology. The oxygen gas is supplied in the form if compressed air from the bottom of the reactor. Both liquid and gas streams are in counter-current direction which facilitates the oxidation of dissolved organics and desorbs the converted products. This is to make sure the activated carbon keep up its activity throughout the process. Moreover, with all those new wastewater technologies such as Advanced Oxidation Process, NERV (Natural Endogenous Respiration Vessel), Wet oxidation and many others processes, wastewater treatment can be done efficiently. For instant, through the new technologies less land is required to use to build plant; the power consumption is lowered. Besides that, the requirement for electrical and mechanical equipment is lower compared to conventional technology. In a conclusion, wastewater treatment industries have a good prospect in the future with the help of new technologies. By using all those new technologies, waste water treatment can be done efficiently with lower overall lifecycle costs, lesser energy and equipment needed. We are sure that there is more new technologies will be invented in order to improve the wastewater treatment. The impact on the environment When the waste water is mixed with the waste materials such like garbage, household waste, toilets liquid and disposable things, the resulting product called sewage or waste water. This sewage water is normally will undergo a few process before it is release to the environment but there are still some impact on the environment. One of the impacts on the environment is agricultural impacts. The sewage water contains salts which is soluble that may accumulate in the root zone with possible harmful effect on soil health and crop yield. The physical and mechanical properties of the soil, such as dispersion of particle, stability of aggregates, soil structure and permeability are very sensitive to the types of exchangeable ions present in irrigation water. Thus, when effluent use is being planned, several factors related to the soil properties must be taken into consideration. On the other hand the effect of dissolved solids in the irrigation water on the growth of plants is also another aspect of agriculture which we have to concern. Dissolved salts increase the osmotic potential of soil water and increase the osmotic pressure of the soil solution which increases the growth and the yield of most plants decline progressively as osmotic pressure increases. In addition the one of the environment impact is ecological impact where the drainage water from waste water irrigation schemes drains particularly into small confined lakes and water bodies and surface water, and if phosphatesin the ortho phosphate form are present, the remains of nutrients may cause eutrophication. Here the overloading organic materials resulting in decrease in dissolved oxygen may lead to changes in the composition of a aquatic life such as fish deaths and reduced fishery. The eutrophication potential of waste water irrigation can be assessed using biological indices, which in turn can be qualified in monitory units using economic valuation techniques. The hidden impact on the environment is the increase on the production of green house emissions. The large agriculture reuse project might cause to the environmental externalities associated with pumping water uphill which emits greenhouse gas. Another impact is on the health. The sewage water contains pathogenic microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, protozoans and parasitic worms, the diseases and signs related with such infection are also diverse including typhoid,dysentry and cholera, diarrhea and vomiting. the concentration of he pathogens in waste water is dependent on the source population and the susceptibility to infection varies from one population to another. So basically he waste water is actually harm for the nature even though its treated and release to the environment so as a human being we should not dispose the waste into the water thus our water will be clean and the cost of the treatment can be reduced. The Processes involved in this industry Pre-Treatment(prepared by Brian Lee CL, 0902669) Pre-treatment consists of three sub-stages which are Screening, Grit Removal and Fat and Grease Removal. Pre-treatment is done to remove materials which are easily collected such as debris, leaves and trash which would damage or clog up pumps and skimmers of the primary treatment. Screening is used to remove large objects such as leaves, twigs and cans in the sewage stream. This is normally done with a giant mechanical rake bar which is automated. The rake bar revolves around a central axis at a rate varying on the accumulation and flow rate of the sewage stream. The screens vary in sizes to optimize solid removal. Objects accumulated are collected and disposed in landfills. Grit is minute granules such as sand or stone. The wastewater is channeled to a chamber where to velocity of the water is adjusted so that the grit would settle at the bottom of the chamber. Grit may cause damage to the pumps or other equipment. Grit removal may not necessary in smaller plant. Fat and grease are groups of compounds which are generally insoluble in water. The fat and grease are normally found floating on the surface of the water. In some plants, the fat and grease are removed by using skimmers to collect the fat and grease on the surface of the water in a small tank. However this can also be done in the Primary treatment stage in the same manner. 2) Primary treatment (prepared by Tan HY, 0903497) Primary wastewater treatment is the second step in the wastewater treatment process ahead of the preliminary treatment of a headworks, involves the physical separation of suspended solids from the wastewater flow using primary clarifiers. The objective of primary treatment is the removal of settle able organic and inorganic solids by sedimentation, and the removal of materials that will float (scum) by skimming. Approximately 25 to 50% of the incoming biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), 50 to 70% of the total suspended solids (SS), and 65% of the oil and grease are removed during primary treatment. Some organic nitrogen, organic phosphorus, and heavy metals associated with solids are also removed during primary sedimentation but colloidal and dissolved constituents are not affected. The effluent from primary sedimentation units is referred to as primary effluent. On the other hand, primary treatment is the minimum level of reapplication treatment required for wastewater irrigation. It may be considered sufficient treatment if the wastewater is used to irrigate crops that are not consumed by humans or to irrigate orchards, vineyards, and some processed food crops. However, to prevent potential nuisance conditions in storage or flow-equalizing reservoirs, some form of secondary treatment is normally required  in  these countries, even in the case of non-food crop irrigation. It may be possible to use at least a portion of primary effluent for irrigation if off-line storage is provided. Primary sedimentation tanks or clarifiers may be round or rectangular basins, typically 3 to 5 m deep, with hydraulic retention time between 2 and 3 hours. Settled solids (primary sludge) are normally removed from the bottom of tanks by sludge rakes that scrape the sludge to a central well from which it is pumped to sludge processing units. Scum is swept across the tank surface by water jets or mechanical means from which it is also pumped to sludge processing units. 2) Secondly treatment (prepared by Harintharan S, 1101379) The secondary treatment in this sewage treatment is one of the most important part in this process. This process is basically designed to remove the waste product from the sewage. This system is also classified as fixed-film  or suspended-growth  systems. The secondary treatment contain a few processes, the 1st process is activated sludge. This activated sludge is majority from the plants which encompass the variety of mechanisms and processes that use dissolve oxygen  to promote the growth of biological flock that substantially removes organic material. This process basically change the ammonia  to  nitrite  and  nitrate  and ultimately to  nitrogen  gas. The 2nd process is this treatment is the Surface-aerated basins also known as Lagoons. This process basically removes the BOD from the sewage water. In an aerated basin system, the aerators provide two functions: they transfer air into the basins required by the biological oxidation reactions, and they provide t he mixing required for dispersing the air and for contacting the reactants (that is, oxygen, wastewater and microbes).However, they do not provide as good mixing as is normally achieved in activated sludge systems and therefore aerated basins do not achieve the same performance level as activated sludge units. The biological oxidation in the Surface-aerated basins is sensitive to the temperature and the rate of reaction increase with the temperature. The suitable temperature for this process is in between  0  °C and 40  °C. Besides that the constructed wetland is one of the process also. This process is a process which cleans the drainage of animals and used to recycle the waste water. The constructed wetland are known to be highly productive systems as they copy natural wetlands, called the Kidneys of the earth for their fundamental recycling capacity of the hydrological cycle in the biosphere and they provide a high degree of biological improvement but depending on design. T he next process is the filter beds which is knows as oxidizing beds are used where the settled sewage liquor is spread onto the surface of a bed made up of  coke, then liquor is typically distributed through perforated spray arms, then distributed liquor trickles through the bed and is collected in drains at the base, and the  biological films of bacteria, protozoa and fungi to reduce the organic content. The next process is the Biological aerated filters are a combine filtration with biological carbon reduction,  nitrification  or denitrification. Its a dual processer in purpose of to support highly active biomass that is attached to it and to filter suspended solids. Carbon reduction and ammonia conversion occurs in aerobic mode and sometime achieved in a single reactor while nitrate conversion occurs in  anoxic  mode. This process is operated either in up flow or down flow configuration depending on design specified by manufacturer. In addition the Rotating biological contactors are the next process in this secondary treatment. This is actually a secondary mechanical treatment system which is capable  of withstanding surges in organic load. The rotating disks support the growth of bacteria and micro-organisms present in the sewage, which break down and stabilise organic pollutants. Oxygen is obtained from the atmosphere as the disks rotate. As the micro-organisms grow, they build up on the media until they are sloughed off due to shear forces provided by the rotating discs in the sewage.   Effluent from the system is then passed through final clarifiers where the micro-organisms in suspension settle as sludge. The sludge is withdrawn from the clarifier for further treatment. After that the membrane bioreactor combine activated sludge treatment with a membrane liquid-solid separation process. The component on this system uses low pressure for microfiltration or ultra-filtration membranes and eliminates the need for clarification and tertiary filtration.   The elevated biomass concentration in the system process allows for very effective removal of both soluble and particulate biodegradable materials at higher loading rates. The final process in this secondary treatment is the secondary sedimentation where the process is to settle out the biological flock or filter material through a secondary clarifier and to produce sewage water containing low levels of organic material and suspended matter. 4) Tertiary treatment (prepared by Raiminder S, 0904743) The main purpose of the tertiary treatment is to ensure that the treated water which is to be released on to the environment is biologically accepted by all other fresh water organisms such as weeds and algae. This part of the treatment includes processes like physical water treatment, lagooning, and excessive nutrient removal processes.to ensure that the discharged water is raised in effluent quality before proceeding to the final stages. In physical water treatment, much of the residual suspended matters are removed using only physical processes such as sedimentation  method and the infamous filtration method. In the sedimentation  method, the water is place in a certain tank to allow all the remaining heaver objects to sink down to the bottom of the container. After few hours went most of the dense object are separated from the water, the cleared effluent or waste stream is removed. Sedimentation is one of the most common methods, quite often used at the beginning and the end of many water treating processes. Another physical method that is commonly used in the sewage water treatment system is the filtration method. In filtration, the water is allowed to pass through filters to separate the contaminating solids from the water. Sand filter is a common filter used in this process. In a number of wastewater treatment methods, semi-solid contaminants like grease and oil are allowed to float on the surface of the wat er, and then they are physically removed. Besides the in lagooning where lagoon is a stationary system having a continuous flow: several ponds working in parallel in which the inlet flow and the outlet flow are equals form lagoon plants. The lagooning technique is a natural and very efficient technique that consists in the accumulation of wastewater in ponds or basins, known as biological or stabilization ponds, where a series of biological, biochemical and physical processes take place. In these ponds or lagoons, certain types of the microorganism are actually supported as these biological agents help in treating the water further by removing the fine particulates. These types of biological ponds are usually classified as anaerobic ponds or oxidation ponds depending on the shape, depth, organic rate, level of treatment of that particular lagoon itself. The excessive nutrient removal is the most viral step in the last stages of the water treatment before the water is released to the environment. When the previously treated water comes to this area of the system, the nutrients level mainly nitrogen and phosphorus in the water is checked. Where when found in excess, the excessive nutrient removal step is carried out. This is because if the unchecked water supply is to be released into the natural water system (river, pond, etc.) it will cause a sudden increase in the native microorganism population of that certain water system. Some of the native microorganisms which are commonly found in ponds today are usually weeds, algae, and cyanobacteria. Therefore, after the sudden rapid grown in the population of these microorganisms, the number of algae for example, becomes unsustainable which causes most of them to die and eventually decay. The following decay process would substantially increase the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in that p articular pond, which would cause the other fresh water living organism such as fishes to die as well. Firstly, the nitrogen removal process is carried out. There are various methods of removing nitrogen, each with advantages and disadvantages. However, the biological treatment method is used most commonly. With this method, organic nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen is converted into nitrous and nitrate nitrogen in an aerobic environment, and is dispersed into the atmosphere as anaerobic nitrogen gas. Therefore the gas is removed from the water and released to the atmosphere. And as there is no secondary pollution, this can be called an effective method. In the removal of phosphorus is usually carried out using a method called enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR). The first process in EBPR is the mainstream biological treatment process. Where the utilizing of aerobic and solids separation zones and the provision of return activated sludge are carried out. The next is a first side stream process for anoxic/anaerobic selection of desirable BPR organisms such as the polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs). Finally, a second side stream process serves to ferment organic material in some of the return activated sludge to produce food utilized in the first side stream selection process. The system permits the three processes to be separated from each other by creating two side streams, allowing all three processes to be controlled separately and optimized in satisfying their own specific goals. Besides this biological method, the removal of phosphorus can also be done via chemical precipitation, usually with salts of iron, alu minum, or lime. Chemical precipitation is usually more reliable, easier to operate, and requires smaller equipment footprint than biological removal. But the main back draws of this chemical method is that it may form excessive sludge production as hydroxides precipitates and the chemical used in this method might be considered expensive. 5) Disinfection (prepared by Lim CS, 1001012) The main purpose of disinfection in the wastewater treatment is to provide a degree of protection from contact with infectants and pathogen organisms which will cause waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery and hepatitis. Disinfection is also used to reduce the load of microorganisms in the wastewater to be discharged to the environment. Primary, secondary and even tertiary treatments do not fully remove the incoming waste load and microorganisms in the water stream and as a result, many microorganisms still remain in the wastewater. Therefore, various methods of disinfection are introduced such as chemical methods, physical methods and biological methods. The effectiveness of disinfection depends on different factors including the quality of wastewater being treated, disinfectant dosage, type of disinfection being used and others. For instant, cloudy wastewater will not be treated efficiently due to less contact time between ultraviolet light and microorganisms. These microorganisms are shielding by those solid matters in wastewater stream and it reduces the contact time. Generally, long contact times, high concentration of disinfectant and optimum temperature and pH value will increase the effectiveness of disinfection. Chlorination is one of the chemical methods which is commonly used for disinfection in the wastewater treatment. It is widely used through the world due to its low cost and long-term history of effectiveness. Chlorine can be applied in two general ways, liquid and gas. Chlorine in gaseous form is generally added to the wastewater stream rather than liquid form which is also known as hypochlorite because the former costs lesser than the latter. When chlorine dissolves in pure water, hypochlorous acid is formed followed by hypochlorites which are known as free residual chlorines Chlorine is an extremely active oxidizing agent which will react with many other substances in the water stream. For instant, it reacts rapidly with such compounds as hydrogen sulfide, ferrous iron and manganese which found in industrial wastewater. However, if all of the chlorine is consumed in these reactions, no disinfection will result. Hence, to accomplish disinfection, sufficient chlorine is added into wastewater stream to satisfy the chlorine demand and produce residual chlorine which will destroy bacteria. There are few factors which will affect the effectiveness of chlorination. Among the factors are pH, temperature, turbidity, control system and many others. However, chlorination brings some disadvantage to environment. Chlorination of residual organic material can generate chlorinated-organic compound which may be harmful to the environment. Those residual chlorines are toxic to aquatic species; therefore, dechlorination is needed, adding to complexity and cost of treatment. However, chlorination becomes less favoured as disinfectant due to rising cost and it had found to be toxic to aquatic species. As a result, ozone and ultraviolet begin to be used as disinfectant. Ultraviolet (UV) light is more environmental friendly to be used as no chemicals are used and leave no toxic residual. Ultraviolet radiation and damages the genetic material of microorganisms, destroying their ability to reproduce. Before pass through the UV disinfection unit, the wastewater must pass through an advanced pretreatment component. Wastewater flows in the stream parallel to the UV light in a thin film in order to increase the contact time. To increase the effectiveness of the UV light, the UV radiation must come in direct with pathogen organisms and other microbial in the wastewater stream. The effectiveness of a UV disinfection system is affected by few factors including characteristics of the wastewater, the contact time, intensity of UV radiation and many others. Turbidity, flow rate of water stream and suspended solids are also play an important roles in UV disinfection. These factors must be kept at low levels to ensure proper treatment. Disinfection of wastewater, primarily by chlorination, has played an important role in the reduction of waterborne disease. However, there are more new disinfection processes are being developed in order to maximize the effectiveness of disinfection. Role of engineer in this industry The Chemical Engineering is the profession that combines chemistry and engineering concepts that help to solve problems related to world hunger, pollution of our environment, creating new materials, or meeting demands for energy. Chemical engineers develop low cost processes for useful chemical products, which make it possible for both poor nations and the United States to manufacture important fertilizers. The roles of a chemical engineer in waste water treatment have to minimize the waste across the plant or reduction of waste loading to the treatment plant. Other than that, chemical engineer need to state whether its systems for the treatment and reuse of wastewater, process water treatment for industry, high-purity water for sensitive medical or scientific applications, or systems to supply clean drinking water to people and their families. Besides that, as a chemical engineer also responsible for providing expertise in their respective discipline as it applies to the hazard analysis of the process being studied. Therefore, we also in charge for attending the initial hazard analysis kick-off meeting. On the other hand, we are also required to be available to the team as required with the understanding that the team leader will give adequate advance notice when their expertise is required. Lastly we are necessary to provide documents of any existing safeguards and procedures. Skills/ knowledge required Many types of skills and knowledge are required for chemical engineer in waste water treatment. They required intensive knowledge in wastewater treatment technologies, so that they will more easy to solve the problems when they face the difficulty. On the other hand, they also need expertise in equipment design, influent water treatment, effluent monitoring, and wastewater recycling. In addition, proficiency in computer, programming, modeling and data analysis, for example AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, FOTRAN, Origin, Maple, Polymath, and other software are also the knowledge needed for chemical engineer. Moreover, strong technical writing, presentation, and project management skills are also useful skill for chemical engineer in order to present the researches after they have completed. Besides the skills at above the hazard and operability study (HAZOP) technique also needed for a chemical engineer working in industry. The HAZOP technique is most popular in most industry because that is technique which is structured and systematic examination of a planned or existing process or operation in order to identify and evaluate problems that may represent risks to personnel or equipment, or prevent efficient operation. Otherwise, HAZOP as well a qualitative technique based on guide-words and is carried out by a multi-disciplinary team (HAZOP team) during a set of meetings.

Social Work Theories for Neglected Children

Social Work Theories for Neglected Children Critically evaluate the contributions of theory, research, legislation and policy to social work practice in relation to one aspect of practice in one of the following: Children and Families. In this essay I am going to critically evaluate the contributions of theory, research, legislation and policy to social work practice in relation to looked after children who experience neglect. Erickson and Egeland (2002) argue that there are five types of neglect; emotional, medical, physical, mental health and educational neglect and these can all impact negatively on a child. I have chosen to concentrate on middle aged children around the ages of five to ten years of age who have experienced neglect because neglect is one of the most identified forms of child abuse and can have serious effects on children of this age (Mennon et al, 2010). According to the DfES (2014) 62% of looked after children are looked after because of abuse or neglect. Therefore it is important to evaluate how theory, research, legislation and policy can contribute to social workers understanding of neglect and how social workers can support children in overcoming these effects. I appreciate that children wh o become looked after due to neglect often experience other forms of abuse and these can have further negative effects on children (Mennon et al, 2010), however because this essay aims to be prescriptive rather than exhaustive I have chosen to concentrate on middle aged children who experience neglect. Research has made a significant contribution to social work practice in relation to looked after children who experience neglect. The majority of research concentrating on children who experience neglect (Mennon et al, 2010; Trickett and McBride Chang, 1995; Hildyard and Wolfe, 2002) has tended to show that the risk factors associated with neglect can significantly hinder children’s growth and development. Children who are neglected tend to live in poverty, with a lack of parental care, parents may be misusing substances, parents may have mental health problems, one parent may be experiencing domestic violence, and poor prenatal and postnatal care can all lead to a child being neglected by their parents (Pelton, 1994). Research has shown that children who are neglected tended to have the lowest academic grades (Eckenrode, Laird and Dorris). Studies have found that children of school age who were neglected showed social and behavioural problems, they were socially withdrawn, un popular with other children and socially isolated (Erickson and Egeland, 2002 and Trickett and McBride Chang, 1995). Hildyard and Wolfe (2002) found that children who were severely neglected impacted detrimentally on children’s emotional well-being. Therefore, the factors associated with neglect can impact negatively on a child’s normal development and have adverse effects, which is why it is vital for social workers to understand the impact of neglect on children so they can target the most effective interventions to help children overcome the effects. However, it could be argued that there is a lack of research that specifically relates to children who are looked after and experience neglect. Many children who are neglected who are involved with child protection services will have interventions targeted at them in order to prevent neglect from continuing and children do not always become looked after. For example, a child who is being neglected because their parents have substance misuse problems may not end up being taken in to care because the parents seek help for their problems. Or a parent who is being abused may move away from the abusive partner which enhances their ability to parent the child. Much of the research tends to concentrate on how social workers in child protection services can help families where children are experiencing neglect. Arguably therefore there is a lack of research which specifically looks at how the two compounding issues of neglect and being looked after impacts on children. Despite this, the research exploring the effects of neglect on children help social workers understand the impact of neglect on children who are looked after and how this hinders their development which they can then consider when undertaking assessments. This can then help social workers decide what intervention is needed to promote a child’s health and well-being. Attachment theory for instance is invaluable in understanding why looked after children experience some of the adverse effects that they do (Trickett and McBride Chang, 1995). Howe argues that attachment theory is â€Å"very useful to child welfare and adoption workers† (1995: 136) because it can explain children’s behaviour which can help social workers target the most effective interventions (Howe, 2005). Attachment theory, developed by John Bowlby, argued that children need â€Å"secure attachments to their mother in order for them to be stable individuals in later life† (Dunk-west, 2013: 42 ). Attachment theory suggests that children who grow up without a secure caregiver have difficulty forming stable social relationships in later life. The lack of a warm and secure relationship with a caregiver during early childhood can lead to a child experiencing adverse effects, such as delinquent behaviour and depression (Howe, 1995). Therefore children who have been neglected are likely to have insecure attachments because of the lack of care and nurturance they received growing up (Hildyard and Wolfe, 2002). Attachment theory can therefore contribute significantly to social work practice because it helps social workers in their assessments to understand the child’s needs. It also helps social workers understand the need to place looked after children who have experienced neglect in stable placements so they can develop secure attachments to their new caregivers (Howe, 2005; Cocker and Allain, 2008). This can support the emotional and social development of children and is central in building resilience (Crawford and Walker, 2007). To ensure placements are stable and secure attachments can develop; social workers must carry out good quality assessments and develop robust care plans (Cocker and Allain, 2008). Social workers must then frequently assess children in their new placements and assess the quality o f their new attachments with their new caregivers, continually updating the care plan to ensure they are supporting the child’s social and emotional development (Cocker and Allain, 2008). However, Dunk-West (2013) argues that whilst attachment theory is important, it is vital to assess children within their social contexts. The inequalities looked after children face can be more effectively explained by using an ecological approach. Walter (2007) argued in his study that a combination of risks and multiple stressors can lead to adverse effects for looked after children and therefore a holistic approach such as the ecological model can help social workers to do that. Using Brofenbrenner’s (1979) theory for example, within the micro system a social worker could assess that a looked after child who has been neglected is highly likely to have had very little parental support and there may have been family conflict and this could have been because of characteristics within the exo system of a child’s life. Their exo system is likely to have been characterized by poverty and living in a deprived neighbourhood. For example, parents may argue because of the stre ss of living in poverty or engage in excessive drinking or drug taking to try and cope with the stress of living in poverty which then affects their ability to parent effectively and provide children with adequate support or supervision. Furthermore, within the macro system looked after children are aware that society perceives them as a group of children that are deemed as at risk (Walter, 2007). For example, in Care and Prejudice (2009) an Ofsted study that interviewed three hundred children in care found that half the children in their study felt that the public held negative stereotypes about them, such as being delinquent and troublemakers. Looked after children felt heavily discriminated against and felt that this impacted on their ability to do well academically, build friendships and gain employment (Care and Prejudice, 2009). Therefore, it could be argued using an ecological approach that looked after children who experience neglect have poorer outcomes than other children because of the multiple social and environmental factors that impact on parents capacity to parent effectively (McAuley and Davis, 2009). It could be argued that attachment theory is matriarchal in nature. For example, Bowlby’s work in particular which was developed in the 1950s is arguably sexist because the primary caregiver is assumed to be the mother (Beckett, 2006). Yet more recent work on attachment theory has reframed attachment as not meaning attachment to the mother. In modern society as more women have entered the labour market, children are increasingly taken care of by multiple figures; this can include the father, childminders or grandparents (Dunk West, 2013; Nicolsen et al, 2006). Children tend to attach and bond to multiple key figures, male and female (Beckett, 2006). Despite this, research does tend to demonstrate how fathers are marginalized by social workers in children services and are poorly engaged. This can be particularly detrimental for children who are looked after because social workers potentially lose a valuable asset for children (Brigid and Taylor, 2000). Brigid and Taylor (2000) also argued that legislation and policy does not contribute effectively enough to guide social workers in how to challenge traditional gender assumptions, nor does legislation give clear guidance for engaging fathers. For instance, it was only from 2003 that fathers who were not married to the mother of their child acquired parental responsibility automatically even if he was on the birth certificate. Prior to this change in legislation a father could only acquire parental responsibility by a written agreement with the mother or by applying to court (Cocker and Allain, 2008). Therefore, it could be argued that the earlier work of attachment theory has heavi ly influenced social workers in children’s services. The importance of the attachment to the mother has been persistent and as a result social workers have often marginalized fathers (Brigid and Taylor, 2000). Attachment theory has therefore arguably contributed negatively to looked after children because social workers are still heavily influenced by its matriarchal nature. Legislation however underpins how social workers should support looked after children and therefore makes a huge contribution to looked after children who experience neglect, in particular the Children’s Act 1989 and Children’s Act 2004. Under section 22 of the Children Act 1989 there is a duty on the local authority ‘to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare’ (Branye and Carr, 2013: 291) it looks after. The Children’s Act 2004 added an additional duty on local authorities to promote the child’s educational achievements. When a child is subject to a care order or interim care order, social workers become the looked after child’s â€Å"corporate parent† and share parental responsibility with the birth parents. Therefore the local authority becomes responsible for a child’s care and achieving positive outcomes (Cocker and Allain, 2008). For example, ‘Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 states that parents hav e a duty to ensure their children are suitably educated’ (Cocker and Allain, 2008: 138), social workers as a corporate parent therefore share this duty with the birth parents (Cocker and Allain, 2008). As a result of this legislation looked after children are given a designated teacher who ensures they have a personal education plan which sets out developmental and educational needs and identifies targets (Cocker and Allain, 2008). Personal education plan meetings are then held twice a year to assess the child’s educational progress. Research has shown that looked after children tend to achieve lower grades at school than their peers and has therefore arguably heavily influenced legislation. In addition, local authorities have a duty to monitor children’s developmental progress and so children receive medicals once a year. This is all part of safeguarding and promoting the child’s welfare. CAMHS involvement may also be necessary if the child has additional therapeutic needs (Cocker and Allain, 2008). The Children’s Act 2004 made it mandatory for different agencies to work collaboratively and share responsibility for vulnerable children and this includes looked after children so social workers have a duty to work with a range of professionals in order to promote the well being of children. Legislation is therefore central to working with looked after children as it mandates how social workers should support looked after children. Despite parental responsibility being shared, the local authority can overrule birth parents but social workers must work in partnership with parents or anybody else with parental responsibility and consult them when making any decisions regarding the child’s welfare (Cocker and Allain, 2008). However, partnership working with parents in practice can be extremely difficult for social workers when parents do not agree with their decisions regarding the child. For example, a number of studies have highlighted how challenging it is for social workers to work in partnership with parents and take their wishes into account when a decision is made to permanently remove a child (Clifford and Burke, 2004; Charlton et al, 1998). Working in partnership with parents therefore becomes extremely challenging for social workers as they try to take the parent’s wishes in to account but also trying to act in the best interests of the child and gather evidence to explain why the child sho uld not return home. Furthermore, Wigley et al’s (2006) study found that social workers often faced challenges when trying to collaborate with schools, as they either did not implement personal education plans or they did not communicate effectively with social workers which made it difficult to work in partnership with educational professionals. In addition, social workers under Section 22 of the Children’s Act 1989 must also consult the child about their wishes before any decision is made and this is a key principle of the Children’s Act 1989. However, a number of studies have found that children felt they were not listened to by social workers. They often felt powerless and had very little say about their placements (Morgan, 2006; Wigley et al, 2006). It is vital for children to feel listened to so they can develop a sense of self-efficacy (Schofield and Beek, 2006) which Rutter (1985) suggests is a key factor in building resilience. It could be argued however that in many cases the child could not understand why they were being moved to a different placement and did not understand that social workers were trying to act in their best interests. Therefore, legislation although good in principle, is arguably not always effectively put in to social work practice in relation to looked after children. Care Matters: Time for change (DfES, 2007) is a major policy framework for looked after children and is similar to legislation because it stresses the importance of improving the educational, health and emotional needs of children (Cocker and Allain, 2008). In particular, Care Matters suggests that educational attainment needs to be improved, looked after children should be prioritised in school admissions, health outcomes for looked after children should be improved, and placements need to be more local and stable and this can be delivered through high quality assessment and care planning (DfES, 2007). In addition, Care Matters suggests that children should be helped to engage in leisure activities and hobbies, which can help children to build their self-esteem and build support networks and friendships. Rutter (1985) suggested that a sense of self-esteem and confidence is vitally important to help children build resilience. Jaffee et al (2007) defines resilience as â€Å"achieving normal development in the face of considerable adversity†. Therefore, policy has made a vital contribution to social work practice in relation to looked after children. However, with local authorities facing a fourth year of cuts to funding and with increasing numbers of children going in to care (McNicoll and Stothart, 2014) it could be argued that it is causing increasing pressure for social workers to implement policy effectively in to practice. In particular, some local authorities arehaving to make cuts to foster placements making it increasingly difficult for social workers to find high quality placements for children who have high level and complex needs (McNicoll and Stothart, 2014). This makes it extremely challenging for social workers to find placements that are local and stable for children. To conclude, it is evident that theory, research, legislation and policy have all made a major contribution to social work practice in relation to looked after children who experience neglect. Research has heavily influenced legislation and policy, which in turn underpins social work practice in relation to looked after children. In addition, attachment theory has helped social workers to understand why looked after children may behave in the way they do and the ecological approach helps social workers to understand why looked after children experience inequalities and tend to have poorer outcomes than children in the rest of the population. These theories help social workers when carrying out their assessments and finding the most effective interventions to support looked after children who have experienced neglect. However, it is evident that policy and legislation cannot always easily be applied effectively in to practice because of the challenges of working in partnership with bi rth families who may oppose the child’s permanency plan and children who may not understand that the social worker is acting in their best interests. In addition, attachment theory is arguably quite matriarchal in nature and this has influenced social workers and has resulted in fathers being marginalised. Furthermore, social workers may not have the time or resources to provide the most appropriate support to looked after children and this is a weakness of the ecological approach and policy. Despite this, it is evident that theory, research, legislation and policy have all made a significant contribution to social work practice in relation to looked after children who have experienced neglect.

Parental Involvement in Childrens Education Essay examples -- Parenta

Benjamin Franklin once said, â€Å"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.† In order for a student to truly succeed, there must be some type of involvement. Parental involvement is a certain asset that most successful students all share. In contrast, some parents sometimes blame teachers for their child’s low learning potential. This is false, since learning starts at home. A child needs to be taught morals, values and book knowledge in order to succeed in life. After all, the average school day is only six hours a day, and the child is at home for far more than that. Parental involvement in significant because teachers and staff are not the only people a child can depend on for a good education or even becoming a better person. I chose this topic because I am a parent of three kids, and I also think it is important to parents and future parents and anyone who are raising kids. Most of the all, early parental involvement in child ’s education has demonstrated higher chances of academic success by overpowering differences in upbringing that include: race, culture, economic status, educational levels, age, marital status, and gender. Culture impacts parental involvement because this varies from family to family and some cultures have different ideas of what is significant. For example, in some cultures believe children don’t need parental involvement because if they get more support from their parent; they can’t be independent and they can’t learn the value of being self-dependent. The aspect of culture is highly significant when it comes to a child’s education (Cheung, C. M. (2011)) conducted study regarding parental involvement was done on learning skills in the US and China. Since the s... ...ingapore. Journal Of Educational Psychology, 106(1), 301-314. doi:10.1037/a0033821 http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezlib.gatewaycc.edu:2048/ehost/detail?vid=6&sid=e01bfa0b-6904-4c06-812b-e734179e4d63%40sessionmgr4001&hid=4111&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=pdh&AN=2013-29638-001 TOREN, N. (2013). MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND ITS LINKS TO YOUNG ADOLESCENT SELF-EVALUATION AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. Psychology In The Schools, 50(6), 634-649. http://ezlib.gatewaycc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pbh&AN=85747131&site=ehost-live Vellymalay,( 2012) Parental Involvement at Home: Analyzing the Influence of Parents' Socioeconomic Status By Vellymalay, Suresh Kumar N. | Studies in Sociology of Science, March 1, 2012 http://www.questia.com/read/1G1-284552837/parental-involvement-at-home-analyzing-the-influence

Integrating Texts and Graphics into Your Writing :: Writing Education Essays

Integrating Texts and Graphics into Your Writing My advice for students about integrating texts and graphics would be to figure out how to combine them most appropriately for what you want to convey, whether it be an informational article or a creative story. In most cases, especially in technical writing, the main purpose of graphics is to explain something faster or organize the information better. Last spring in technical writing, we focused a lot on how to use our graphics in our final proposal to add to the written information, not take away from it. We used charts for comparison of statistics and diagrams to show how something is assembled. Something else to keep in mind is that graphics do not just mean photos. Graphics are everything from a plain border around a page to a colorful subheading or even a callout box to draw special attention to a quote. These things can make a document more aesthetically appealing and keep the reader’s attention. When a reader sees a full page of text and nothing else, it can be quite o verwhelming if there is nothing to break up the information. Subheadings are a great way to divide sections of text for easy reading. I don’t think a picture should be put into a document for no reason as that would take away from what the writer wants to say. If the picture is not related to anything but is just there to be cute, then don’t use it at all. For instance, I would not put a flowery border around this document right now because that would be completely irrelevant, although quite lovely I’m sure. Having said that, understand that technical writing is different from creative writing. If you are writing a poem or story and pictures could really add something significant to it, then it is wonderful to use appropriate graphics to do that. As McCloud states in â€Å"Show and Tell,† â€Å"the different ways in which words and pictures can combine is virtually unlimited.† It is good to be creative, but also remember the purpose of your graphics and the flow and readability of your pages. If it is too crowded or busy, the reader may give up trying to figure out what you want to focus on. McCloud lays out at least a dozen ways that pictures can accompany words to more completely present an idea or story.

Environment Analysis for Tata Motors Limited Essay

An analysis of the opportunities and threats posed by the environment results in the identification of the key focus areas for the expansion and growth of the company and also makes the company aware of the potential threats that can go against its growth plans. Opportunities * Globalization and access to innovative technologies: The current scenario of globalization provides access to newer markets and innovative technologies. Many countries provide a fruitful environment for wider market access and expansion of the target customer segment. Joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions are effective routes to enter new market and have access to specialized technologies and manufacturing processes that are core competencies of certain countries. For example, Germany is known for its advanced engineering technology. Tata Motors acquired Land Rover and Jaguar brands which provided the company the opportunity to market cars in the luxury segment. Tata Motors also acquired Daewoo Motor’s commercial vehicle business which expanded Tata Motors’ car market and access to technology * Emerging markets and expansion abroad: Developing countries that have low income earning families i.e. people having low purchasing power can be targeted for selling the cheaper and robust commercial vehicles. This will boost the exports for low cost commercial vehicles. Nano, the poor man’s car has a huge market in the lower income group to cater to, it also gives competition to the motorbike segment where buyers can be attracted to buy a low cost car as compared to a bike * Emerging demand for environment friendly vehicles: There is an increased demand for the environment friendly commercial vehicle alternatives. It increases the existing market segment and provides growth opportunities in this niche segment Threats * High level of competition: There is increased competition for the luxury market in India from foreign companies that have begun to enter the Indian market such as Honda, Toyota, Ford and Mercedes-Benz * Sustainability and environmentalism: Though sustainable and eco-friendly vehicles are high in demand, the increasing price competition among the existing players can prove detrimental for the relatively costlier eco-friendly vehicles. The situation will get further worsened in case environmental regulations are tightened by the government * Down turn of the world economy: As seen in the past few years, financial downturn in the world markets can have negative impact on the demand for the commercial vehicles both in the luxury and the price-sensitive segment. In case a foreign country faces pressure to survive the financial turmoil, the amount of money spent by the residents of that country will decrease leading to a fall in the demand for the commercial vehicles * Increased material costs: Rising prices of materials such as steel and aluminium can increase the cost of production of the vehicles in India. Rising petrol and diesel prices will further increase the cost of the commercial vehicle which will negatively impact the demand for the product Therefore, the Indian commercial vehicle industry is a highly competitive industry that provides immense growth and expansion opportunities but have potential threats that can negatively affect the future growth plans of the Indian commercial vehicle manufacturing companies.

Christmas vs Thanksgiving Essay

Christmas is one of the most incredible times of the year; snow on the ground, a warm fire in the living room, and twinkly lights around every turn. When I was young, I loved Christmas. Toys and treats had me in a daze for almost a week straight. I was a typical kid, and my focus during any holiday was, â€Å"What do I get? Who brought me presents? †. I never realized the true meaning of why we have holidays, other than presents, until I was seventeen years old. As I’ve started to see my family less and my co-workers more, I understand that the true meaning of holidays in general, is to spend time with our loved ones. Taking my new found wisdom into account, my opinion of the â€Å"best holiday of the year† has changed from Christmas to Thanksgiving. My views, including favorite holiday, have changed because my focus on what’s important has matured. Christmas is a kid’s favorite holidays for really only one reason: presents. We live in a society where materialistic things outweigh almost anything else. We would do almost anything to get the new iPhone, and we have an annual â€Å"buy as much as you can† day, also known as Black Friday. Christmas, unfortunately, has gone away from its religious origins and has been turned into the most expensive holiday of the year. Although I am sitting here trashing Christmas, I do still enjoy the snow and the decorations; who doesn’t? Snow sets the stage for Santa, and decorations make it all the merrier. Twinkling lights accompany almost every roof and dance in the cold winter gusts. The weather and feel of Christmas couldn’t be more perfect for the holiday; cold keeps us in the house and makes the fire feel all the more wonderful, while sugary treats and presents make our tummies and shelves feel good. Unfortunately for Christmas, my love for the day has diminished. I have grown up to see how selfish our society is during this time of year and now different we treat the holiday than it is actually supposed to be. Christmas is a day to celebrate the birth of Jesus, not to celebrate about the new camera we just got. Christmas was a wonderful holiday for me when I was younger; I’m sad to have grown up and seen how selfish we really are during this â€Å"giving† time of year. Turkeys and football and family, oh my! Thanksgiving has won my vote for â€Å"favorite holiday†. A genuinely preserved time of year that hasn’t taken on (as much of) the commercial business as Christmas has. Thanksgiving was originally celebrated to give thanks and to remember the Pilgrims that arrived to this country, right? That’s what I’ve been taught in school, so let’s hope that’s correct. Looking at the meaning of Thanksgiving in 2013, it looks to have kept the same purpose. A typical Thanksgiving day for my family starts with a light breakfast– if any– a hefty Thanksgiving day linner (lunch and dinner), and then a nap on the couch while watching the big football game. During Thanksgiving dinner, my family talks about what we’re thankful for, and, since we’re all history geeks, we talk about how hard the Pilgrims had it back then. Almost every family gets together with as many relatives as they can corral in, and simply enjoys being together. Many families play a game of backyard football, cook dinner, and enjoy TV shows together. On thanksgiving, unless Grandma and Grandpa surprise you, no presents are given or received. The focus is not taken away from the meaning of the holiday by annoying songs about kissing under the mistletoe or wanting teeth for Christmas, nor is it taken away by excessive gift giving. No longer am I obsessed with Malibu Barbie or the Justin Bieber Christmas CD, I have overcome the materialistic plague that haunts our society. I enjoy the down time with my grandparents, I cherish the time I have with my siblings outside playing in the leaves, and I appreciate the humbling day to bring me back to reality and to tell my irrational teenage mind that I actually have an incredibly good life. You will probably never hear someone say â€Å"Thanksgiving is overrated† because it is not. Thanksgiving is one of those Holidays that creep up on people towards the end of November because it isn’t as publicized as Christmas. People love Thanksgiving because it’s that holiday where it’s okay to be in comfy clothes, it’s okay to eat a ton and pass out on the couch, and it’s encouraged to be with family. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because my view on what’s important has changed drastically; I now believe that family is more important than the iPhone 5s. Holidays are to be enjoyed by everyone, and should not be taken for granted. Many things change from the time we are seven to the time we are seventeen; hopefully one of the most dramatic changes are the things that we value. Yes, Christmas and Barbie had my heart at one point in my life, and I would have considered anyone a foe who spoke out against my beloved presents; however, it’s nice to see that I now am mature enough to say that all I want for Christmas is for my family to be together. Going off to college in less than a year, I no longer take family time for granted, and I don’t think I ever will again. We live in such a material world and it makes me sad to see Christmas, a truly beautiful holiday, turned into a greedy and expensive time of year. Until my views mature more, Thanksgiving will be my favorite holiday.