Managing for Sustainability

Managing for Sustainability Introduction This assignment is a critical reflection essay whose aim is to demonstrate a critical understanding of stakeholder engagement and to develop an informed interest concerning a complex sustainability issue through an experiential stakeholder engagement activity.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Managing for Sustainability specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The essay is based on the production of Coal Seam Gas (CSG) in the State of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia and how stakeholder dialogue activity might be a useful tool in pursuing CSR in the CSG industry. The stakeholders include industry employees, farmers and land owners, miners (Eastern Star Gas, Santos, and Dart Energy), NSW government, environment-green and NSW local community. The essay starts by exploring the concept of corporate social responsibility based on the recent literature from various sources, then goes on to explain how the various stakeholders may team up, through dialogue to purse and enhance a sustainable corporate social responsibility. The discussion draws heavily from the stakeholder dialogue, and represents the point of view of the community members. Corporate Social Responsibility This concept is generally used to refer to the relationship between businesses and their environment. All businesses operate in social, political, economic, and natural environments. The concept therefore takes into account how businesses interact with these environments, either positively or negatively. The topic of corporate social responsibility can be broken down into four main components namely the ethical, economic, philanthropic and legal components (Aras and Crowther, 2010). The ethical component of corporate social responsibility comprises the requirements or expectations of any business by the society. Such requirements or expectations include things like doing what is just, fair and right, using the law as the basis of organizational behaviour, avoidance of questionable practices and doing business in a manner which is above the minimal requirements (McWilliams, Siegel and Wright, 2006. pp. 1–18).Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This component is one of the most crucial aspects of CSR because it influences the philosophy of corporates which determines the extent to which they engage themselves in activities which do not generate profits for them. The ethical climate in corporations constitutes adherence to principles of ethical behaviour and conduct, both within and outside the corporations. It also constitutes how corporations relate to their internal and external environments. The ethical climate therefore touches on things like working environment, safety of the employees, care and conservation of the environment and practices which promote the i nterests of the consumers like adhering to the rules of manufacturing of products and putting the correct ingredients of products during packaging as well as disclosing full details of the costs of any project implemented within a community setting (Harrison, 2007. pp.371-384). For many corporations, the ethical component of corporate social responsibility appears to be more deterministic than it is a matter of choice, that is, the ethical conduct of corporates touches on decisions which the corporates must make on how to relate with their employees, clients and the general business environment. The nature of these decisions only allows for the executives to make them (Beets, 2004.pp.193-219). What this means is that the corporate executives make decisions in a unilateral manner, without factoring in the views, interests or concerns of all relevant stakeholders. When this happens, the corporate executives conduct themselves in a biased manner, where they prioritize profits at the ex pense of safety of people (both employees and the general population) and the environment, a concept referred to as utilitarianism. In corporate ethics, utilitarianism is about considering several courses of action, considering the costs involved and choosing the course of action which produces maximum good for the maximum number of people, irrespective of the negative effects of the maximisation of the good, in this case, profits (Britannica Educational Publishing, 2011). In some cases, this utilitarian cum capitalistic line of thinking is extended to the employees, by requiring them to abide by the utilitarian philosophy or quit, a concept referred to as deontology.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Managing for Sustainability specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The deontological principles require employees to perform their duties as per the given instructions, leaving no room for them to give their opinion regarding the consequences of their actions as they perform their duties. According to the utilitarian corporate chiefs, if employees do otherwise, it not only amounts to unethical conduct but also to gross misconduct, which may warrant suspension without pay (Britannica Educational Publishing, 2011). The other perspective to corporate ethics is the decision making model, which begins with clarification of the issues on which ethical decisions are to be made. After doing the clarification, what follows is the evaluation of the clarified decisions, which paves the way for arriving at a precise decision on the most appropriate course of action. The decision is then implemented with modifications coming after the implementation (Marshall, 2007). This model is more or less similar to the normative approach (utilitarianism and deontology) to ethics in that during the implementation stage, the guiding principle is mainly the maximisation of profits and minimisation of the costs. This is done mainly with a view of ensuring that the corporations realize their objectives with the use of the minimum resources possible. The decision making model, same as the normative approach exclusively involves the corporate leaders with the employees playing insignificant or no role in the same. According to Lock the Gates Alliance, Many of the corporations which deal with CSG in NSW have been operating under the influence of the normative ethics, which comprises utilitarianism and deontological approaches to corporate ethics. For instance, the production of CSG generates a lot of water as a by-product. This water is very toxic both to the human and aquatic life.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More After the extraction of the CSG in form of methane, most of these corporations just transport the water by road using tankers which are not properly sealed thus leading to spillage. Once this water lands on the ground, it not only interferes with the respiratory systems of people who are near, but it also leads to permanent destruction of soil fertility (Cleary, 2011.pp.115-120). It is not that the corporates do not have the capacity and capability to dispose the water in a proper manner but what is there is that the corporate chiefs channel the funds intended for such purposes back to the business as capital, which is used to purchase more equipment, pay for labour or compensation of the displaced landowners. This is purely a utilitarian way of operation, whose sole interest is the maximisation of profits. The Lock the Gate Alliance reports indicate that the employees of most of the corporations which deal with the exploration and exploitation of CSG in NSW are not a happy lot. Thi s is because the corporates sometimes force them to work for long hours without adequate safety equipment like gloves or masks, which puts their health at stake especially due to the inhaling of the toxic fumes of the CSG. These employees are not supposed to report safety concerns, say for example the linkage of the toxic water produced after the extraction of CSG. Those who dare reporting are threatened with termination of their contracts. This is what is referred to as deontological principle of corporate ethics, which oblige employees to focus on rules and directives in their job irrespective of the effects of the rules and regulations to themselves and to the environment (Cleary, 2011.pp.115-120). The economic component of CSR comprises taking care of the interests of the shareholders, investors and customers, profit making and maximization, the minimization of the costs in undertaking the business and the formulation and implementation of strategic policies which propel busines s forward (Clarkson, 1995). Most of the corporates which deal with CSG extraction in NSW do not take care of the interests of the stakeholders, especially rural communities and farmers. According to an article written by Bronwyn Herbert of the ABC news, there is a growing discontentment by the rural farmers with the manner in which the miners, especially those interested in CSG conduct themselves. These farmers, through the NSW farmers association are now calling for the government to enact a legislation to give them veto powers to land access (Herbert, 2011).The only thing which the corporates can be given credit for is the development of policies which propel their business forward in total disregard of the interests of the stakeholders. The legal component comprises the respect and compliance of the business to laws such as environmental laws, consumer laws, laws which protect the employees, as well as the respect of contractual and warrants agreements between a business and its clients or employees (Aras and Crowther, 2010). Most of the corporations which deal with CSG extraction in NSW are not in compliant with the rules and regulations of human and environmental safety. What they do is that they sometimes collude with some law enforcing agents and get away with their gross misconduct as far as adherence to environmental rules and regulations is concerned. Finally the philanthropic component entails basically giving back to the society by the business. Businesses may do this in a variety of ways like establishing or supporting programs which directly benefit the society like health, education, and cohesion programs as well as programs which boost harmonious living of people of diverse backgrounds (Blowfield, 2005. pp. 515–524). Most of the corporates dealing with extraction of CSG are rarely involved in any acts of philanthropy. They merely use the media to make the impression that they are seriously committed in giving back to the community, but t here has never been a proper audit of what tangible activities they have undertaken on purely philanthropic grounds. In fact, majority of them treat the compensation given to the land owners as philanthropic acts, arguing that the compensations are far beyond the actual amounts which they should give. This is hypocrisy of the highest order. How stakeholder dialogue activity might be a useful tool in pursuing CSR in the CSG industry in NSW In NSW, the CSG industry is a very crucial as well as a sensitive one to the various stakeholders. It is important to mention that these various stakeholders have different interest, views and perspectives regarding the generation of petroleum using CSG. On the part of the mining companies led by Eastern Star Gas, Santos, and Dart Energy among others, their priority is maximisation of profits irrespective of the side effects of their business to the people and the environment (Daniel, David and Chris, 2010, pp. 299-312). On the part of the governme nt, its priorities may be the protection of the citizens, but it’s equally interested in the generation of revenue from the CSG industry. The land owners and the communities in general have their priorities being the protection of their health, land security and compensation issues (Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association, 2009). Due to these varied interests, the conceptualization of CSR is different among these stakeholders. This calls for a dialogue among all of them, so as for them to reach a compromise position. This dialogue generated CSR should be a product of give and take, in which the stakeholders must be willing to compromise some of their passionate priorities for the sake of those of the other stakeholders (Fraser and Barrett, 2010). For instance, the mining companies must be ready to fully abide by the NSW Petroleum (Onshore) Act 1991, which requires that all mining companies must disclose the full details of the nature of the mining projects and their impacts on the environment. According to the Lock the Gate Alliance, some of the companies have been reported to be applying guerrilla tactics to win the confidence of land owners and local communities in acquisition of land for exploration and exploitation of CSG (Wildcat Publishing Inc, 2009). In the dialogue, the government on its part should push for full enforcement of rules which govern the exploration and exploitation of products like CSG. It should come up with new pieces of legislation to hold the companies fully responsible for the effects of CSG on the environment and their mitigation. The government should also engage researchers to evaluate the production of CSG and come up with recommendations on whether it is economical for the State of New South Wales or not (Martin, 1986). The local communities must be informed about the mining of CSG and how it affects them. They should seek information from experts regarding the compensation issues as well as how the pr ojects may impact on their lives in terms of pollution, displacement and exposure to chronic illnesses (Standard and Poors Corporation, 1988). All these propositions can however best happen in a dialogue setting, in which all stakeholders would air their passionate concerns, which should then be analysed and harmonised to inform the corporate social responsibility for the CSG producing companies. Results from the dialogue would ensure that all the stakeholders reach a consensus on the way forward (Durie, Williams and Mcmullan, 2001). The results would also ensure that the CSR agreement arrived at is a sustainable one because it would be a result of a wide consultation of all relevant stakeholders, as opposed to the current situation, whereby CSR is defined from the perspective of the companies which produce CSG, with little or no adherence to the rules and regulations governing the health of people and environmental safety (Standard and Poors Corporation, 1988). Reference List Aras, G Crowther, D. (2010). A handbook of corporate governance and social responsibility corporate social responsibility series. Farnham GU9 7PT: Gower Publishing, Ltd. Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association.(2009).The APPEA journal, Volume 40, Issue 1. California: Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association. Beets, S.D.(2004). Critical Events in the Ethics of U.S. Corporation History.Journal of Business Ethics Volume 102, Number 2, pp.193-219. Blowfield, M. (2005). Corporate Social Responsibility: reinventing the meaning of development?. International Affairs. Volume 81, Issue 3, pp. 515–524, May 2005. Britannica Educational Publishing. (2011).Thinkers and Theories in Ethics. New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group. Clarkson. M.B.E. (1995). A stakeholder frame work for analysing and evaluating corporate social responsibility. The Academy of Management Review Vol. 20, No. 1, Jan., 1995. Cleary, P. (2011).Too Much Luck: The Mining Boom and Au stralias Future. Chicago, IL: Black Inc.pp.115-120. Daniel M.F., David, B., and Chris , M.J.(2010). Managing the cumulative impacts of coal mining on regional communities and environments in Australia. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal,Volume 28, Number 4, December 2010 , pp. 299-312. Durie, R.A., Williams, D.J., and Mcmullan, P.A.(2001).Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies. Collingwood VIC 3066: Csiro Publishing. Fraser, A., and Barrett, B.(2010). ‘LNG wells threaten Murray’. Available from  https://www.aph.gov.au/ Harrison, E. (2007). Estate Planning under the Bush tax cuts. National Tax Journal, 60(3), pp.371-384. Herbert, B. (Monday, September 12, 2011). NSW farmers call for power to veto coal seam gas explorers. PM ABC News. Martin, H.(1986).Australasian coal mining practice Issue 12 of Monograph series Australasian coal mining practice. Golden, CO: Australasian Institut e of Mining and Metallurgy. Marshall, J. (2007). An Ethical Decision-Making Model. The Ethics Scoreboard, ProEthics, Ltd. McWilliams, A., Siegel, D.S., and Wright, P.M.(2006). Corporate Social Responsibility. Strategic Implications Journal of Management Studies Volume 43, Issue 1, pp. 1–18, January 2006. Standard and Poors Corporation.(1988).Standard and Poors register of corporations, directors and executives, Volume 1, Part 1. Jamestown, ND: Standard Poors Corp. Wildcat Publishing Inc.(2009).The Oil Gas Year Australia 2009. Beverly Hills, CA: wildcat publishing.

Christmas Tree or Floral Preservative Recipe

Christmas Tree or Floral Preservative Recipe Christmas tree preservatives (aka Christmas tree food) and cut flower preservatives contain the same ingredients: a food source for the plant, an acidifier (making hard water more acidic which helps the plant take in water and food), and a disinfectant to prevent mold, fungi, and algae from growing. This is an easy process that takes mere minutes. Christmas Tree Preservative Ingredients 1 gallon water2 cups light corn syrup4 teaspoons chlorine bleach4 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar (optional) How To Make Christmas Tree Food Mix the ingredients together and keep the solution in the base for the Christmas tree or vase for cut flowers. Both trees and flowers will last longer in cooler areas away from direct sunlight.Make sure the tree or flower always has water. Regularly refill the vase or the base where the tree sits. In addition, you may wish to spritz the tree or flowers periodically with water from a spray bottle.You can store the solution for four to five  days at room temperature in a closed container, or two weeks refrigerated. Tips Do not drink! If you plan on making enough tree or cut flower preservative to store, label your container and keep it out of reach of children and pets.Bleach and vinegar produce toxic vapors when mixed. If you add vinegar or lemon juice, add it to the water rather than mix it directly with the bleach. Its okay to use bleach without the lemon juice or vinegar if this worries you.If you dont have corn syrup, you can substitute 4 teaspoons of sugar, dissolved in the water. Some people add a penny to a sugar solution so that the copper can act as a fungicide and acidifier.Another common option is to substitute a can of acidic soft drink, like Sprite or 7-Up, instead of the corn syrup and lemon juice. Just add a can of (non-diet) soft drink to a gallon of water, with a splash of bleach.For flowers, youll probably want to cut the recipe to 1 quart water, 1/2 c. corn syrup, 1 tsp. bleach, 1 tsp. lemon juice.

Probation and Parole Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Probation and Parole - Research Paper Example Community corrections programs offer front and back end alternatives for correctional systems. In reference to front end, alternatives probation has offered a means of limiting further crowding in prisons and jails. On the other hand, parole systems have consistently acted as back end measures that offer release valves on prison populations. The issue of rehabilitative measures for criminal offenders has often elicited much debate in countries such as the United States. To this end, there are several rehabilitation programs that have shown positive results. These, include, Moral Reconation Therapy, probation and parole. Moral Reconation Therapy Moral Reconation Therapy entails a continuous treatment plan that aims at decreasing recidivism among adult and juvenile offenders while at the same time adjusting moral reasoning. To this end, the approach is majorly a cognitive behavior mechanism that combines parameters from various psychological paradigms. These subsequently address positi ve behavior, social, ego and moral growth. Implementation of MRT involves individual and group counseling by use of prescribed homework assignments and structured group exercises. Moreover, there is a workbook that is based on 16 objective units that emphasize on seven basic treatment parameters. These are attitudes, reinforcement of positive habits and behavior; confrontation of beliefs; assessment of current relationships; enhancement of self concept; positive identity formation; development of frustration tolerance and decrease in hedonism; as well as development of higher moral reasoning stages. Probation The application of probation and parole in rehabilitating offenders is guided partly by the philosophies of positivism and classicalism (Carter & Wilkins, 1976). On one hand, positivists imply that offenders are compelled into the choice of committing crime against their own volition and consequently the behavior or conditions that triggered the action need to be rectified. Con versely, classicalists contend that offenders are in control over the choice of their actions and consequently to deter future criminal activities, such offenders need to be punished. To this end, probation is defined as a sanction imposed by court whereby a convicted offender is released back into the community subject to a conditional suspended sentence. Moreover, the probationer is in most situations a non-violent or first time offender who stands the best chance of rehabilitation within the outside community. The suitability and effectiveness of probation is driven by its flexibility in allowing judicial authorities a high extent of discretion when imposing sentences. Consequently, it allows the tailoring of sentences to suit different offenders. Furthermore, its effectiveness is driven by the availability of a supervision that checks on the progress of rehabilitation. The supervision role is provided by probation officers who offer support and guidance to the offender aimed at making him or her law abiding citizen. To this end, probation offers a second chance of reformation to the offender. Evidently, there are several version of probation designed for different types of offenders. This is driven by the need to jails and prisons. These include intensive supervised probation which entails close monitoring of convicts and applies stringent conditions on the release clause. Others include split sentencing

Discuss the factors that can invalidate a contract Essay

Discuss the factors that can invalidate a contract - Essay Example The requirement for proof of contact elements becomes essential in litigating instances when a party breaches the contract. The legal process following contract breach ultimately results in remedy for damages incurred upon the wronged party. The action of contract breach ultimately results in invalidation of contractual elements. Numerous factors contribute towards the invalidation of contracts agreed upon by different parties, voluntarily (Koffman and MacDonald, 75-9). Factors contributing to invalidation of contracts There are different legal ways through which contracts could be set aside. These include a contract being declared void, and it never coming into existence. A contract could also become voidable when one party declares the contract as ineffective form their own individual determination. The contract could also become unenforceable or ineffective. Unenforceability refers to situations where neither party could get remedy form courts upon breach, and ineffectiveness refe rs to court decision terminating contracts between different parties. These elements could be contributed by the factors discussed below. Misrepresentation This refers to situations where some parties make false statements and presents false information which makes other parties agree into the contract terms. Misrepresentation results in remedies of rescission or damages depending on the occurrence of misrepresentation. Misrepresentation can occur through words or conduct of one party implying falsehood, though not all elements of speech and conduct constitute misrepresentation within the setting of contract law (Gordon v Selico, 5). Misrepresentation can take place under three different conditions which include: Stating a fact falsely Directing the false statement to a party of the contract The statement inducing suing party into agreeing contract terms following the statement. Misrepresentation, therefore, occurs when a party appears to falsely induce another party into a contract by providing false or partial information, resulting in another party agreeing into the contract. The wronged party, therefore, lacks sufficient information and agrees without proof of the involved facts. Opinions held by parties, however, do not constitute misrepresentation as these remain opinions and not factual information regarding contract terms. There are different types of misrepresentation based on their occurrence; Fraudulent misrepresentation: This misrepresentation could be characterised by parties making representation intended to deceive others, and knowing the representation being as false. Fraudulent misrepresentation could constitute litigation under tort law within different legal frameworks. Negligent misrepresentation at common law: This misrepresentation occurs when parties make representations without reasonable information regarding the truth of information. This misrepresentation seeks to provide a remedy for situations where collateral contract or fraud can not be proved. This commonly occurs where individual claim to possess special skills for performing various tasks, but fail to delivery as implied. Negligent misrepresentation under statute law: This commonly refers to misrepresentation stated under various legal statutes and litigation occurs according to the statute provisions. The parties involved must prove the presence of falsehood within the statement provident by the representing

The Dandelion :: essays research papers fc

The Dandelion, of the genus Taraxacum and the class Magnoliopsida is a close relative of the Sunflower. The name, Dandelion comes from the French phrase for  ¡Ã‚ ¥Teeth of Lion ¡Ã‚ ¦, dent de lion, due to the likeness of the shape of the plant ¡Ã‚ ¦s leaves and a lion ¡Ã‚ ¦s canine teeth, whilst its generic name, Taraxacum Officinale was influenced by the plant ¡Ã‚ ¦s many medical properties. Taraxacum meaning  ¡Ã‚ ¥disorder-remedy ¡Ã‚ ¦ and Officinale, stating that the plant has medicinal attributes. Other popular names for this plant include swine snout, priest ¡Ã‚ ¦s crown and pissabed. Framed by shiny, hairless, jagged leaves, the bare, hollow, magenta-tinted stems (that hold up the flower heads) carry bright yellow caps of countless tiny tie-shaped golden petals, which after fertilization, mature into white fluffy balls containing seeds. The leaves that rise from the tap root are naturally positioned for rain to slide straight into it, thus keeping itself well fed. This  ¡Ã‚ §common meadow herb ¡Ã‚ ¨ originated from Greece and was introduced to  ¡Ã‚ §all parts of the north temperate zones ¡Ã‚ ¨ . Now they are so abundant that they crowd and strangle fields almost all over the world, and have made a name for itself as the  ¡Ã‚ §King of Weeds ¡Ã‚ ¨. The Dandelion, surprisingly, has a large number of uses, both nutritional and medicinal. Back in the olden days and even now, the entire plant was utilized. Wine was extracted from the flowers; the leaves were used as vegetables, while the stems and roots were mainly used as medicine. Nowadays in Western medicine, this herb is hardly mentioned but usage of it for culinary purposes is still blooming, especially in European countries such as France. Nutrition-wise, the Dandelion caters to both the animal kingdom and humans. They provide pollen and nectar for bees throughout spring and even until late autumn, when the bees ¡Ã‚ ¦ usual sources of honey stop blooming. This lessens the time in which the bees ¡Ã‚ ¦ require artificial food, thus benefiting beekeepers. Dandelions ¡Ã‚ ¦ do not only attract bees, but research has confirmed that over 93 types of insects rely on its nectar, whilst animals, such as small birds, pigs, goats and rabbits devour it avariciously. The leaves can be torn to bits and used as filling of sandwiches; they are also used to create Herb beer that, compared to normal beer, is much cheaper and less likely to make a person drunk. The wine strengthens and invigorates, being a tonic, improving blood circulation. The taproot, after being dried, chopped, roasted and grounded into fine powder has been discovered to be an  ¡Ã‚ §almost indistinguishable ¡Ã‚ ¨1 substitute for real coffee.

Isaac Asimov Essay

Isaac Asimov, the pre-eminent popular-science writer of the day and for more than 40 years one of the best and best-known writers of science fiction, died yesterday at New York University Hospital. He was 72 years old and lived in Manhattan. He died of heart and kidney failure, said his brother, Stanley. Mr. Asimov was amazingly prolific, writing nearly 500 books on a wide range of subjects, from works for preschoolers to college textbooks. He was perhaps best known for his science fiction and was a pioneer in elevating the genre from pulp-magazine adventure to a more intellectual level that dealt with sociology, history, mathematics and science. But he also wrote mysteries, as well as critically acclaimed books about the Bible, physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, limericks, humor, Shakespeare, Gilbert and Sullivan, ancient and modern history, and many other subjects. Mr. Asimov’s first book, â€Å"Pebble in the Sky† (Ballantine), a science-fiction novel, was published in 1950. His first 100 books took him 237 months, or almost 20 years, until October 1969, to write. His second 100, a milestone he reached in March 1979, took 113 months, or about 9 1/2 years — a rate of more than 10 books a year. His third 100 took only 69 months, until December 1984, or less than 6 years. â€Å"Writing is more fun than ever,† he said in a 1984 interview. â€Å"The longer I write, the easier it gets.† He once explained how he came to write â€Å"Asimov’s Guide to Shakespeare† (Crown). It began, he said, with a book called â€Å"Words of Science.† † ‘Science’ led to ‘Words on the Map,’ † he remarked, â€Å"which took me to ‘The Greeks,’ which led me to ‘The Roman Republic,’ ‘The Roman Empire,’ ‘The Egyptians,’ ‘The Near East,’ ‘The Dark Ages,’ ‘The Shaping of England’ and then ‘Words From History.’ It was an easy jump to ‘Words in Genesis,’ which brought on ‘Words From the Exodus.’ That led me to ‘Asimov’s Guide to the Old Testament,’ and then ‘The New Testament.’ So what was left except Shakespeare?† His usual routine was to awake at 6 A.M., sit down at the typewriter by 7:30 and work until 10 P.M. In â€Å"In Memory Yet Green,† the first volume of his autobiography, published in 1979, he explained how he became a compulsive writer. His Russian-born father owned a succession of candy stores in Brooklyn that were open from 6 A.M. to 1 A.M. seven days a week. Young Isaac got up at 6 o’clock every morning to deliver papers and rushed home from school to help out in the store every afternoon. If he was even a few minutes late, his father yelled at him for being a folyack, Yiddish for sluggard. Even more than 50 years later, he wrote: â€Å"It is a point of pride with me that though I have an alarm cloc k, I never set it, but get up at 6 A.M. anyway. I am still showing my father I’m not a folyack.† He Learns to Read, Then Teaches Sister Isaac Asimov was born Jan. 2, 1920, in the Soviet Union, near Smolensk, the son of Judah and Anna Rachel Berman Asimov. He was brought to the United States in 1923 and was naturalized in 1928. He taught himself to read before he was 5 years old, using the signs on his Brooklyn street. A couple of years later, with a little help from his father, he taught himself to read Yiddish. When he was 7, he taught his younger sister to read. He skipped several grades and received a high-school diploma when he was 15. After discovering science fiction on the magazine rack in his father’s store — and overcoming his father’s objections to fanciful subject matter — he tried writing science fiction himself and sold his first story when he was 18. The story, â€Å"Marooned Off Vesta,† ran in the October 1938 issue of Amazing Stories. Three years later, in 1941, he sold a story called â€Å"Nightfall† to Astounding Science Fiction, then the top magazine in the field. It was edited by John W. Campbell Jr., whose ability to find talented writers was largely responsible for what is considered the Golden Age of science fiction in the 1930’s and 40’s. Almost 30 years after â€Å"Nightfall† was published, the Science Fiction Writers of America voted it the best science-fiction short story ever written. Astounding Science paid a cent a word, Mr. Asimov once recalled. â€Å"So for a 12,000-word story I expected $120. I got a check for $150 and thought Mr. Campbell had made a mistake.† But when Mr. Asimov called to tell him, â€Å"he said the story had seemed so good to him he gave me a bonus of one-quarter cent a word.† Mr. Asimov graduated from Columbia University in 1939 with a bachelor of science degree, and earned an M.A. in 1941 and a Ph.D. in chemistry there in 1948. The next year, he accepted an offer from Boston University’s School of Medicine to teach biochemistry. â€Å"I didn’t feel impelled to tell them that I’d never had any biochemistry,† he recalled in a 1969 interview. â€Å"By 1951 I was writing a textbook on biochemistry, and I finally realized the only thing I really wanted to be was a writer.† He was made an associate professor of biochemistry in 1955 and a professor in 1979, although he stopped teaching in 1958 and only occasionally went back to the university to lecture. A Science Fiction Of Verve and Clarity Mr. Asimov’s science-fiction novels and stories won many awards: five Hugos, given by the fans, and three Nebula Awards, given by his fellow writers. His â€Å"Foundation Trilogy† (all published by Doubleday) — which takes place in a future galactic empire and consists of â€Å"Foundation† (1951), â€Å"Foundation and Empire† (1952) and â€Å"Second Founda tion† (1953) — was given a Hugo in 1966 as Best All-Time Science-Fiction Series. Among his nonfiction works, â€Å"Asimov’s New Guide to Science† is considered one of the best books about science for the layman. Reviewing â€Å"Foundation’s Edge† (Doubleday), a sequel to the trilogy and the first of Mr. Asimov’s books to make the New York Times best-seller list, the critic Gerald Jonas said in The New York Times Book Review in 1982: â€Å"He writes much better than he did 33 years ago — yet he has lost none of the verve he brought to this series when he and the galaxy were much younger. What more could one ask?† â€Å"Foundation’s Edge† won a Hugo in 1983 as the best science-fiction novel of the year. In recent years, Mr. Asimov wrote â€Å"Foundation and Earth† (1986) and â€Å"Prelude to Foundation† (1988). A final novel, â€Å"Forward the Foundation,† is to be published by Bantam Books later this year. Mr. Asimov himself made no great claims for his work. â€Å"I make no effor t to write poetically or in a high literary style,† he said in 1984. â€Å"I try only to write clearly and I have the very good fortune to think clearly so that the writing comes out as I think, in satisfactory shape.† â€Å"I never read Hemingway or Fitzgerald or Joyce or Kafka,† he once wrote. â€Å"To this day I am a stranger to 20th-century fiction and poetry, and I have no doubt that it shows in my writing.† No Typist or Agent, And No Airplanes He wrote his first drafts on his typewriter, and short articles and final drafts on a word processor, and he rewrote everything only once. â€Å"It’s not out of conceit,† he said. â€Å"But I have lots of stuff I’m committed to write and if I linger lovingly I won’t be able to write at all.† Not everything, however, fell into place easily. He once did a children’s book in a day, but the Shakespeare book took two years. The book he considered his favorite, â€Å"Murder at the A.B.A.† (1976), a mystery novel in which he himself was a character, took seven weeks; â€Å"The Gods Themselves† (1972), a science-fiction novel that won both the Hugo and the Nebula awards, took seven months. â€Å"I do all my own typing, my own research, answer my own mail,† Mr. Asimov once said. â€Å"I don’t even have a literary agent. This way there are no arguments, no instructions, no misunderstandings. I work every day. Sunday is my best day: no mail, no telephones. Writing is my only interest. Even speaking is an interruption.† Although he wrote about space travel through countless universes and light years, Mr. Asimov himself refused to fly. â€Å"Isaac says that he loves to fly into space and span the galaxies,† the editor Ben Bova once remarked. â€Å"But only in his imagination.† Among Mr. Asimov’s other well-known science-fiction works were â€Å"I, Robot† (1950), in which he invented his famous Three Laws of Robotics, which govern the relation of robots to their human masters: robots may not injure a human or, by inaction, allow a human to be harmed; robots must obey humans’ orders unless doing so conflicts with the fir st law; robots must protect their own existence unless doing so conflicts with the first two laws. Robot and galactic-empire themes eventually expanded and intertwined in 14 novels. Secret of Success: It’s All in the Genes He also wrote many nonfiction works and magazine articles on a wide range of subjects and was the editorial director of a magazine named after him — Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine — for which he wrote the editorials in each issue. He received the James T. Grady Award of the American Chemical Society in 1965 and the American Association for the Advancement of Science-Westinghouse Science Writing Award in 1967. Recently Mr. Asimov said he had had a prostate operation and was cutting back on his writing. He suspended his monthly column in Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine, to which he had contributed some 400 columns and articles over 33 years. Writing 10 or more books a year was standard procedure for Mr. Asimov, and he continued his busy pace after a heart attack in 1977 and triple bypass surgery in 1983. â€Å"I have been fortunate to be born with a restless and efficient brain, with a capacity for clear thought and an ability to put that thought into words,† he once remarked. â€Å"None of this is to my credit. I am the beneficiary of a lucky break in the genetic sweepstakes.† Mr. Asimov once told an interviewer about sadly contemplating death and the end of conscious thought. But, he said, he cheered himself with the thought that â€Å"I don’t have to worry about that, because there isn’t an idea I’ve ever had that I haven’t put down on paper.†

The Aviation Industry Of China - 2873 Words

AVIA3101 Individual Assignment Si Yat PONG (z3440479) Option 1 General The aviation industry of China began for around half a century. As a developing country, the economy of China has a massive increase, but the strictly controlled airspace and complicated regulation limited the growth of China Aviation. Recently, new measures such as more efficient airspace approval process, have improved the situation and giving hope that the market will rise. In fact, the market has rapidly increased. As the China government giving ways to develop the aviation industry, more and more have negotiated increased capacity with China, Australia is one of them. In the past 10 years, the demand of travelling between Australia and China keep increasing at a high rate, especially after 2009 (fig 1) [International Airline Activity—Time Series. 2015]. Due to the rise in demand, major airlines such as Qantas China Eastern and China Southern have a massive expansion in terms of no. of flights and route network. With annual passengers of around 850k, China has become a key source market for Australia. Airports are also trying to attract Chinese travelers. For example, in Sydney airport every Chinese New Year, Terminal 1 would celebrate with Chinese-Themed declaration, launching simplified Chinese site and deployed Chinese-speaking Ambassadors to assist Chinese customers in Terminal 1. China aviation industry is absolutely one of the largest and fastest growing economies. 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