Making It Personal

Making It Personal Forging links with individuals who have an idea for a story but lack the writing skills to complete the task can be a lucrative income stream for writers. Personal writing support and advice is immensely satisfying and offers regular, immediate payments. I’ve written for several clients who lacked the writing skills to complete important, highly personal writing projects. One was a hilarious woman who would have provided great scope for a fiction writer as the basis for a character in a chic lit novel. She’d been married twice and had stories of romance, mystery and intrigue that made my hair curl. As well as helping with paragraphing, sequencing of her story and considerable editing, I also advised her about laws to protect individuals from slander, and suggested she should be careful making unfounded and serious allegations about former partners, no matter how true they may have been! She paid me $45 per hour for around 20 hours work in total. Another client wanted help to edit his already complete life story. We worked through several chapters at a leisurely pace, both enjoying the relaxed process of editing and discussing his story. He was happy to pay me $50 per hour for editing, consulting and formatting and layout advice. One day the phone rang. It was his son, telling me his father had been diagnosed with cancer and had only weeks to live. The race was on to get the story finished and fast! There was suddenly no time for planning and conferencing – the book had to be finished and printed now. After several late night editing sessions, the book was done and delivered. He read through his life story book on the last day he was able to sit up alone, and enjoyed seeing his project completed. A deadline has never been quite so critical and a project has never felt quite so important as that one. One client wanted help to adapt her African children’s stories for an English speaking audience. She paid me $50 per hour to suggest changes to her stories so they were readable for a young audience and appropriate for the age group. This called on my skills as a writer and also my experience as a teacher. I was able to suggest how to make the stories marketable for an educational audience as well as a general fiction one, and so increase her chances of publication. Personal writing support for private clients is a three-step process. You need to advertise or seek out clients who want to engage your services. This could be through a small ad in a magazine such as ‘The Genealogist’ (Australian) or Family Tree magazine (USA) or in your local or regional paper. Offer a workshop in your local area about writing a life story and spin some free advertorial in the local paper from this. Workshops on life writing are also good sources for finding potential clients. Next, meet with potential clients to discuss their needs and work out a writing plan. Explain your payment requirements, such as an hourly rate or flat fee for a project. Be clear that you will not be the author of the work but you will provide writing advice and consultation. Explain copyright and plagiarism rules and the importance of thinking carefully about anything they publish in a formal sense. Take care when meeting new clients and always consider your personal safety. Lastly, complete the project with regular updates on progress. Establish an easy invoicing arrangement that suits you both, such as direct payments into your bank account or through Paypal or similar.

Funny Quotes From Famous People

Funny Quotes From Famous People It is amazing how some people know when and how to be funny. Perhaps it is their sparkling wit, casual demeanor, or caustic remarks that made them famously funny. Or perhaps, its the subjects they chose to comment upon. If you can find something meaningful to say about basic human emotions and foibles- vanity, self-importance, love, attraction, commercialism, and even lust- in a biting but funny way, your words are likely to stir emotions in your listeners or readers and be remembered. So it is with the quotes from the famous people on this list. The quotes represented below are an eclectic mix of comedians, authors, playwrights, and even a well-known existential philosopher. Life and Success Charles Schulz My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet Im happy. I cant figure it out. What am I doing right? J. P. Getty â€Å"My formula for success is rise early, work late, and strike oil.† Reba McEntire To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone. James A. Garfield Man cannot live by bread alone; he must have peanut butter. Lies and Self-Deprecation Thomas Sowell It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance. Oscar Wilde I am so clever that sometimes I dont understand a single word of what I am saying. Mel Brooks I have always been a huge admirer of my own work. Im one of the funniest and most entertaining writers I know. S.E. Hinton I lie to myself all the time. But I never believe me. Abraham Lincoln No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar. Mark Twain Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please. Insults Groucho Marx I never forget a face, but in your case, Ill be glad to make an exception. W. C. Fields I once spent a year in Philadelphia, I think it was on a Sunday. George Bernard Shaw He who can does- he who cannot, teaches. Love and Attraction Jay Leno [Putting his arms around British personality and food journalist Nigella Lawson] My wife is going to kill me. But you look like my wife, so thats OK! Jerry Seinfeld Where lipstick is concerned, the important thing is not color, but to accept Gods final word on where your lips end. George Bernard Shaw Dancing is a perpendicular expression of a horizontal desire. Ambrose Bierce Love: A temporary insanity curable by marriage. Sen. Ted Kennedy Shes a wonderful, wonderful person, and were looking to a happy and wonderful night- ah, life. Insanity Cary Grant Insanity runs in my family. It practically gallops. Oscar Levant Roses are red, violets are blue, Im schizophrenic, and so am I. Aging, Happiness, and Health Luis Bunuel Age is something that doesnt matter unless you are a cheese. George Burns Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city. Mark Twain The only way to keep your health is to eat what you dont want, drink what you dont like, and do what youd rather not. Money Pablo Picasso Id like to live like a poor man- only with lots of money. Politics Mark Twain Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself. Sen. Bob Dole Our intent will not be to create gridlock. Oh, except maybe from time to time. Television Groucho Marx I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book. Miscellaneous Jim Carrey Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes. Henny Youngman If youre going to do something tonight that youll be sorry for tomorrow morning, sleep late. Steve Martin A day without sunshine is like, you know, night. Josh Billings Every man has his follies- and often they are the most interesting thing he has got. Anthony Burgess Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone. W. H. Auden We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I dont know.

The Propaganda of Commodities Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Propaganda of Commodities - Assignment Example The modern manufacturing processes for mass production of commodities and the necessity to create ever-increasing demands need to function tandem. The article throws light on the necessity to create a solid demand for the avalanche of new products that engulf the market and prepare the mind of the consumer to accept them, whether his requirement for such goods is genuine or not. As a consumer, I take this article as a warning to keep check on my expenditure. I have seen many advertisements that appeal to my emotions and a want is created, which is not there before the contents of the advertisements begin to cast influence. Lasch provides the specific warning to the gullible consumer and he writes, â€Å"The American economy having reached the point where its technology was capable of satisfying basic material needs, now relied on the creation of new consumer demands—on convincing people to buy goods for which they are unaware of any need until the â€Å"need† is forcibly brought to their attention by the mass media.†(431) So I make it a point to ask a question to myself whenever I visit the super markets, whether I need this product? Whether it will contribute to the happiness and welfare of my family? The famous author Bernard Shaw is asked once, why he visits the market regularly but never buys anything. He replies that his purpose is to verify how many new products have arrived that he doesn’t

Using 3D photogrammetry to monitor a simplex tensegrity structure's Assignment

Using 3D photogrammetry to monitor a simplex tensegrity structure's deformation - Assignment Example The example dwells on a mesh reflector. The mesh reflector is extensively used for apertures space aerial systems that are large due to their light weight and are packed easily and compactly. The reflector’s radio frequency exterior comprises of a mesh with reflective faces. It is bound from interlaced thin wires that are electrically conductive. This wires are made from molybdenum that are gold plated having diameters of 0.03mm. The mesh is extended over a net of cable that is made of composite filaments that are stiff and unidirectional, glued to a structure. The reflective exterior comprises of elements that due to their flexibility can be folded with ease. The accuracy mostly lies on the cable net’s shape. There are two major conceptual designs that can be spotted. The first design is based on partition of parabolic exterior in gores that get support from radial cables or radial ribs glued to an external ring. The second design is takes into consideration a separation of surfaces in facets that are flat formed by cable net tensioned using forces that are applied at each junction node. The concept has been borrowed from Miura who developed the concept of tension truss. Many large antennas that use this concept of tension truss have been launched and tested for instance Astromesh reflector and space radio telescope. The same concept has also been studied by a man called Tibert. He used the concept in designing an antenna that was based on tensegrity structure (Tibert 2002). Tension that is fairly uniform and isotropic in a reflective mesh makes sure that there is a good conductivity of electricity and RF reflectivity. The tension of the mesh should be adequate to withhold lateral accelerations that are greater than the ones having experience in orbit with no harsh distortion of the surface of the reflector. Tensions of mesh from 5N/m have been frequently used. Higher tension often

Ethical Public Speaking Paper Essay Example for Free

Ethical Public Speaking Paper Essay The Speaker was Emma Watson introducing the campaign called He for She. The campaign is about political, economic, and social gender equality and not just for females, but for males as well. To often the word femanism has an underlying meaning to people as â€Å"man hating†. Emma Watson came to speak about just that and other issues that often go by unseen. The issues of the glass ceiling, equal wages for same work between genders, women involvement in poilicies and laws that will effect all womens lives, and socially having equal respect. There is no country in our world that have completely achieved gender equality that should be viewed as human rights. There has been significant improvement in many countries but many women today still do not have the opportunity to have secondary schooling. Men should be just as much involved in gender equality because there are also issues that they have to deal with. The role as a father is being valued less and less in society, and young men do not ask for help for fear they will be less of a man. Men and women should feel free to be sentative and strong. As Emma Watson said, â€Å"Gender should be on one spectrum and not two sets of opposing ideals†. Ms. Watson upheld most of the responsibilities for ethical public speaking. The topic of gender equality promotes positive values and she did not shy away or back down from what hse believed in. Multiple times in the speech she talked about in her research she has found many startling facts and presented them well. When her language was not inclusive, it was to show the conflict and differences between genders. The time in total for the speech was about 13 minutes long and was respectful to her listeners. Some things that were not fufilled was sometimes with the statistics she used whole numbers instead of percentages and did not credit her sources for any of her information. Some of the responsibilities that a listener would have to this speech would be clappinging at certain points. When the listeners clapped it communicated their agreement to Emma Watson, and she in turn, paused and waited for them to finish. While Ms. Watson was speaking, she invited all people to join her in the movement He for She and as a listener, we can choose to either join her movement or not. Emma Watson’s speech was an excellent example of an ethical speech discussing a controversial topic.

History Of Whaling :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When seventeenth-century settlers brought their knowledge of the ancient European whaling industry to the shores of New England, they were not the first to hunt the great beasts. Native Americans who lived along the coasts of the continent used carcasses of dead whales that washed up on shore for food, oil, and they used the bone for making canoes to pursue whales that swam into shallow coastal waters. As the Mayflower sailed into Plymouth harbor in 1620, many whales swam near the ship, one factor that kept the settlers on the harsh coast. Experienced fishermen in the ship's crew recognized the potential of a whaling industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first organized whaling in the American colonies began on Long Island (New York) in 1640, and there were whale-fisheries active in New England and New Jersey by the end of the century. Using traditional techniques brought from Europe, the colonial whalers, launched small boats from beaches, captured and towed whales to shore, cut up their blubber and bone, and then extracted the oil by boiling the blubber in large cast iron kettles called trypots.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the number of whales near shore inevitably declined, the colonists, chased whales in single masted-ships, and towed whaleboats for the hunt. They stored whale blubber in casks, which they brought home to be boiled into oil. Soon, many hunted whales by day; slept on shore at night.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the market for whale products increased, whale men undertook longer journeys. During the first years of deep sea whaling, it was the custom to cruise eastward in spring as far as the Azores. Then south along the Guinea coast of Africa, east to the coast of Brazil and then returned to home to take on supplies. They then headed north to the Davis Straits, between Greenland and North America, for the summer. As whales became more scarce on these hunting grounds American whalers began to fan out into the major oceans of the world, by building vessels that were large enough to, make voyages lasting several years. These ships were able to carry four or five whaleboats and were able to extract oil by boiling blubber on deck.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1774, at least 350 vessels sailed from ports in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York. Shore whaling, carried out on ocean shores, but was not possible from New Bedford's deep harbor. Residents engaged in deep sea whaling at least as early as 1746.

Carbon Trading

Carbon Trading: Future Money Making Venture for India Sarika Gupta Assistant Professor, P. M. B. Gujrati Commerce Collage, Indore Abstract Carbon Trading are generated by enterprises in the developing world that shift to cleaner technologies and thereby consumption, consequently reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. For each tone of carbon dioxide (the major GHG) emission avoided, the entity can get a carbon emission certificate which they can sell either immediately or through a futures market, just like any other commodity.The certificates are sold to entities in rich countries, like power utilities, which have targets to achieve and find it cheaper to buy ‘offsetting' certificates rather than do a clean-up in their own backyard. This trade is carried out under a mandated international convention on climate change to help rich countries reduce their emissions. Carbon dioxide, the most important greenhouse gas produced by combustion of fuels, has become a cause of global pa nic as its concentration in the Earth's atmosphere has been rising alarmingly.This devil, however, is now turning into a product that helps people, countries, consultants, traders, corporations and even farmers earn billions of rupees. This was an unimaginable trading opportunity not more than a decade ago. Introduction Carbon Trading are a part of international emission trading norms. They give incentives to companies or countries which emit less carbon. The total annual emissions are capped and the market allocates a monetary value to any shortfall through trading. Businesses can exchange, buy or sell Carbon Credit in international markets at the prevailing market price.India and China are likely to emerge as the biggest sellers and Europe is going to be the biggest buyers of Carbon Credit. India is one of the countries that have ‘credits' for emitting less carbon. India and China have surplus credit to offer to countries that have a deficit. India has generated some 30 mill ion Carbon Credits and has roughly another 140 million to push into the world market. Waste disposal units, plantation companies, chemical plants and municipal corporations can sell the Carbon Credits and make money.Carbon, like any other commodity, has begun to be traded on India’s Multi Commodity Exchange for last 3-4 years. MCX has become first exchange in Asia to trade Carbon Credits. Carbon Trading certify the removal of greenhouse gas from the air or the prevention of greenhouse gas emissions. Each carbon credit is associated with a single tone of carbon dioxide. There are many different kinds of Carbon Trading. How does Carbon Credit save the planet? As nations have progressed we have been emitting carbon, or gases which result in warming of the globe.Some decades ago a debate started on how to reduce the emission of harmful gases that contributes to the greenhouse effect that causes global warming. So, countries came together and signed an agreement named the Kyoto Pr otocol. The Kyoto Protocol has created a mechanism under which countries that have been emitting more carbon and other gases (greenhouse gases include ozone, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and even water vapor) have voluntarily decided that they will bring down the level of carbon they are emitting to the levels of early 1990s.Developed countries, mostly European, had said that they will bring down the level in the period from 2008 to 2012. In 2008, these developed countries have decided on different norms to bring down the level of emission fixed for their companies and factories. A company has two ways to reduce emissions. (a) One, it can reduce the GHG (greenhouse gases) by adopting new technology or improving upon the existing technology to attain the new norms for emission of gases. (b) Or it can tie up with developing nations and help them set up new technology that is eco-friendly, thereby helping developing country or its companies ‘earn' credits.India, China a nd some other Asian countries have the advantage because they are developing countries. Any company, factories or farm owner in India can get linked to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and know the ‘standard' level of carbon emission allowed for its outfit or activity. The extent to which I am emitting less carbon (as per standard fixed by UNFCCC) I get credited in a developing country. This is called carbon credit. These credits are bought over by the companies of developed countries mostly Europeans because the United States has not signed the Kyoto Protocol.How does it work in real life? Assume that British Petroleum is running a plant in the United Kingdom. Say, that it is emitting more gases than the accepted norms of the UNFCCC. It can tie up with its own subsidiary in, say, India or China under the Clean Development Mechanism. It can buy the ‘carbon credit' by making Indian or Chinese plant more eco-savvy with the help of technology transfer. It can tie up with any other company like Indian Oil, or anybody else, in the open market. In December 2008, an audit will be done of their efforts to reduce gases and their actual level of emission.China and India are ensuring that new technologies for energy savings are adopted so that they become entitled for more Carbon Trading. They are selling their credits to their counterparts in Europe. This is how a market for carbon credit is created. Every year European companies are required to meet certain norms, beginning 2008. By 2012, they will achieve the required standard of carbon emission. So, in the coming five years there will be a lot of carbon credit deals. Where do Carbon Trading fit in the planet saving action plan? 1. Recognize that everything we do has associated greenhouse gas emissions 2.Reduce your emissions. 3. Offset with fully certified Carbon Trading today (because the planet can't wait) Certification: the difference between carbon offsets and Carbon Trading There are many retailers offering uncertified carbon offsets. Purchasers should avoid carbon offsets that don't come with a certification as they provide no guarantees that you are getting what you are paying for. All certifications are not equal There are many different kinds of certification available globally. Before you buy, make sure that the certification comes from a trusted third party source.For larger orders Carbon Planet can source any kind of certified carbon credit you seek. However, we do recommend our standard premium stock of NGACs. Find out more about our procurement policies we enforce when sourcing Carbon Trading for you to buy. Carbon Planet currently offers 2 different kinds of certified Carbon Credit as standard stock: 1. Forestry Sequestration NGACs from Forests NSW 2. Carbon Saving NGACs from Showerhead and Light bulb replacement. Forestry Sequestration NGACs The New South Wales Greenhouse Abatement Certificate (NGAC) certification process is comprehensive.It incl udes Kyoto Protocol measures, but goes beyond these. In summary the NGAC certification process ensures the following: * That each NGAC represents one tone of carbon dioxide stored for at least 100 years. * That the trees have been planted since 1990. * That the trees weren't planted on old growth forest cleared land (the land must have been clear prior to 1990). * That should the tree from which your carbon credit came come to any harm within 100 years of your purchase e. g. fire, disease, logging; that carbon credit will be replaced immediately from another source. From NSW Government â€Å"When can a forest manager create NGACs† NSW Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme Fact Sheet Published: October 2004). Forests NSW's carbon pool is audited annually to ensure that every carbon credit issued corresponds to one tonne of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere for 100 years. Carbon Saving NGACs Carbon Planet's current stock of Carbon Saving NGACs is generated from shower head a nd light bulb replacement. This is called Demand Side Abatement. The NGAC certification ensures, with a high level of confidence, that at least one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent has been saved per carbon credit.Thus by purchasing a monthly subscription of NGAC Carbon Trading, you can continuously erase your CO2 footprints. Procedure of trading in carbon: (i) What is Clean Development Mechanism? Under the CDM you can cut the deal for carbon credit. Under the UNFCCC, charter any company from the developed world can tie up with a company in the developing country that is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol. These companies in developing countries must adopt newer technologies, emitting lesser gases, and save energy.Only a portion of the total earnings of Carbon Trading of the company can be transferred to the company of the developed countries under CDM. There is a fixed quota on buying of credit by companies in Europe. (ii) How does MCX trade Carbon Credits? This entire process was not understood well by many. Those who knew about the possibility of earning profits, adopted new technologies, saved credits and sold it to improve their bottom line. Many companies did not apply to get credit even though they had new technologies. Some companies used management consultancies to make their plan greener to emit less (Green House Gas) GHG.These management consultancies then scouted for buyers to sell Carbon Trading. It was a bilateral deal. However, the price to sell Carbon Trading at was not available on a public platform. The price range people were getting used to was about Euro 15 or maybe less per tone of carbon. Today, one tone of carbon credit fetches around Euro 22. It is traded on the European Climate Exchange. Therefore, you emit one tone less and you get Euro 22. â€Å"Emit less and increase/add to your profit† MCX is the futures exchange of India. People here are getting price signals for the carbon for the delivery in next five years.The exchange is only for Indians and Indian companies. Every year, in the month of December, the contract expires and at that time people who have bought or sold carbon get or take delivery. They can fulfill the deal prior to December too, but most people wait until December because that is the time to meet the norms in Europe. The MCX decides to trade Carbon Credit because they are into futures trading. Let people decide, if they want to hold on to their accumulated Carbon Credit or sell them now. If the buyer thinks that the current price is low for him, he can wait before selling his credits.The Indian government has not fixed any norms nor has it made it compulsory to reduce carbon emissions to a certain level. So, people who are ready to buy from Indians are actually financial investors. They think that if the Europeans are unable to meet their target of reducing the emission levels by 2009 or 2010 or 2012, then the demand for the carbon will increase and then they can make more money. So the investors are willing to buy now to sell later. There was a huge requirement of Carbon Trading in Europe before 2012. There are parameters set and detailed audit is done before you get the entitlement to sell the credit.In India, already 300 to 400 companies have Carbon Trading after meeting UNFCCC norms. Only those Indian companies that meet the UNFCCC norms and take up new technologies will be entitled to sell Carbon Trading. Till MCX came along, these companies were not getting best-suited price. Some were getting Euro 15 and some were getting Euro 18 through bilateral agreements. When the contract expires in December, it is expected that prices will be firm up then. On MCX we already have power, energy and metal companies who are trading. These companies are high-energy consuming companies. They need better technology to emit less carbon.These Carbon Trading are with the large manufacturing companies who are adopting UNFCCC norms. Retail investors can come in the market and buy the contract if they think the market of carbon is going to firm up. Like any other asset they can buy these too. It is kept in the form of an electronic certificate. The registry and the ownership travel from the original owner to the next buyer. In the short-term, large investors are likely to come and later banks are also expected to get into the market too. This business is a function of money, and someone will have to hold on to these big transactions to sell at the appropriate time.Price Determination Like in the case of any other asset, its price is determined by a function of demand and supply. Now, norms are known and on that basis European companies will meet the target between December 2008 and 2012. People are wondering how much credit will be available in market at that time. As December gets closer, it is possible that some government might tinker with these norms a little if the targets could not be met. If these norms are changed, prices can go through a correcti on. But, as of now, there is a very transparent mechanism in which the norms for the next five years have been fixed.Governments have become signatories to the Kyoto Protocol and they have set the norms to reduce the level of carbon emission. Already companies are on the way to meet their targets. It is a safe market because it is a matter of having more information on the extent of demand and supply of carbon credit market. Analyzing Indian Scenario India being a developing country has no emission targets to be followed. However, she can enter into CDM projects. As mentioned earlier, industries like cement, steel, power, textile, fertilizer etc. emit green houses gases as an outcome of burning fossil fuels. Companies investing in Windmill,Bio-gas, Bio-diesel, and Co-generation are the ones that will generate Carbon Credit for selling to developed nations. Polluting industries, which are trying to reduce emissions and in turn earn Carbon Credit and make money include steel, power ge neration, cement, fertilizers, waste disposal units, plantation companies, sugar companies, chemical plants and municipal corporations. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) A must mention project is The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC): It has become the first rail project in the world to earn Carbon Credit because of using regenerative braking system in its rolling stock.DMRC has earned the Carbon Credit by using regenerative braking system in its trains that reduces 30% electricity consumption. Whenever a train applies regenerative braking system, the released kinetic energy starts a machine known as converter-inverter that acts as an electricity generator, which supplies electrical energy back to the Over Head Electricity (OHE) lines. This regenerated electrical energy that is supplied back to the OHE that is used by other accelerating trains in the same service line. DMRC can now claim 400,000 CERs for a 10-year crediting period beginning December 2007 when the project was reg istered by the UNFCCC.This translates to Rs 1. 2 crore per year for 10 years. India has the highest number of CDM projects registered and supplies the second highest number of Certified Emission Reduction units. Hence, India is already a strong supplier of Carbon Credit and can improve it. BENEFITS FOR INDIA By, switching to Clean Development Mechanism Projects, India has a lot to gain from Carbon Trading: a) It will gain in terms of advanced technological improvements and related foreign investments. b) It will contribute to the underlying theme of green house gas reduction by adopting alternative sources of energy. ) Indian companies can make profits by selling the CERs to the developed countries to meet their emission targets. TRADING OF CERS: †¢ As a welcome scenario, India now has two Commodity exchanges trading in Carbon Credit. This means that Indian Companies can now get a better trading platform and price for CERs generated. †¢ Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), Indi a’s largest commodity exchange, has launched futures trading in Carbon Credit. The initiative makes it Asia's first-ever commodity exchange and among the select few along with the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCE) and the European Climate Exchange to offer trades in Carbon Credit.The Indian exchange also expects its tie-up with CCX which will enable Indian firms to get better prices for their Carbon Trading and better integrate the Indian market with the global markets to foster best practices in emissions trading. †¢ On 11th April 2008, National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) also has started futures contract in Carbon Trading for delivery in December 2008. †¢ MCX is the futures exchange. People here are getting price signals for the carbon for the delivery in next five years. The exchange is only for Indians and Indian companies.Every year, in the month of December, the contract expires and at that time people who have bought or sold carbon will have to g ive or take delivery. They can fulfill the deal prior to December too, but most people will wait until December because that is the time to meet the norms in Europe. If the Indian buyer thinks that the current price is low he will wait before selling his credits. The Indian government has not fixed any norms nor has it made it compulsory to reduce carbon emissions to a certain level. So, people who are coming to buy from Indians are actually financial investors.They are thinking that if the Europeans are unable to meet their target of reducing the emission levels by 2009, 2010 or 2012, then the demand for the carbon will increase and then they may make more money. So investors are willing to buy now to sell later. There is a huge requirement of Carbon Trading in Europe before 2012. Only those Indian companies that meet the UNFCCC norms and take up new technologies will be entitled to sell Carbon Trading. There are parameters set and detailed audit is done before you get the entitlem ent to sell the credit. Financing support in India: †¢ Carbon Trading projects requires huge capital investment.Realizing the importance of Carbon Trading in India, The World Bank has entered into an agreement with Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC), wherein IDFC will handle carbon finance operations in the country for various carbon finance facilities. †¢ The agreement initially earmarks a $10-million aid in World Bank-managed carbon finance to IDFC-financed projects that meet all the required eligibility and due diligence standards. †¢ IDBI has set up a dedicated Carbon Credit desk, which provides all the services in the area of Clean Development Mechanism/Carbon Credit (CDM). In order to achieve this objective, IDBI has entered into formal arrangements with multi-lateral agencies and buyers of Carbon Trading like IFC, Washington, KfW, Germany and Sumitomo Corporation, Japan and reputed domestic technical experts like MITCON. †¢ HDFC Bank has sig ned an agreement with Cantor CO2E India Pvt. Ltd and MITCON Consultancy Services Limited (MITCON) for providing carbon credit services. As part of the agreement, HDFC Bank will work with the two companies on awareness building, identifying and registering Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and facilitating the buy or sell of Carbon Credit in the global market.International moves to promote energy self-sufficiency and cut carbon emissions will create a unique opportunity for innovative start-ups to emerge as key infrastructure players over the next few years. The transition to a low-carbon economy will spark a period of historic flux within the business community, characterized by fast-emerging companies and heightened mergers and acquisition activity across the clean tech sector.The global trade in Carbon Credits has taken off fairly well with the turnover going up from $11 billion in 2005 to $118 billion in 2008. Carbon markets investments planned have exceeded all expectations. But the resistance to the idea seems to be gathering steam with many in the developed countries pointing out procedural deficiencies and arguing that Carbon Credits will confer unfair advantages on companies in developing countries like China and India, the major sellers of carbon credit.But despite growing opposition, the concept of Carbon Credits continues to soar steadily, boosting the number of emission-reducing projects in the pipeline from 490 in end-2005 to 4,782 in November 2009, and pushing up the total Carbon Credit supply from 704 million CERs to 2,820 million CERs during the period. One reason the concept of Carbon Credits has gained popularity is its ability to create a political alliance of forces on opposing sides like Left-wing environmentalists and free market proponents.While the former believe that the polluters have no significant incentives for self-regulation and have to be curbed through government intervention, the latter believe that such command and control in tervention would wreak havoc and that the market would eventually offer an optimal solution. Carbon trading regulations helped break the impasse by providing a clear target that the environmentalists could embrace, while at the same time favoring the market mechanism over governmental regulation as advocated by the Right.An added advantage of the Carbon Credits is that it optimizes investments in emission-reduction projects by encouraging projects in countries where the cost of reducing emissions is the least, which generally goes in favor of developing countries. Countries like India have favored carbon trade, as it offers a win-win situation for both entrepreneurs and the broader society. While innovative companies that help reduce emissions are provided with Carbon Credits, which they can encase to boost viability or earn profits, the gains to society accrue in the form of a smaller destabilizing impact on the environment.Opportunities for carbon-efficient companies in India IFC and Standard ; Poor’s have launched the world’s first carbon-efficient index for emerging markets that aims to mobilize more than $1 billion for carbon-efficient companies over the next three years. The innovative S;P/IFC Carbon Efficient Index will encourage carbon-based competition among emerging-market companies, give carbon-efficient companies access to long-term investors, and should help reduce carbon emissions in developing countries. The index was developed by S;P using carbon data provided by environmental data provider Trucost.IFC provided financial support to the S;P/Trucost consortium to accelerate the carbon research on emerging-market companies, and it provided technical support to help validate and refine the methodology. The rollout of smart grid and renewable energy technologies will also usher in transformative alliances between automakers, utilities, battery makers, communications providers and renewable energy firms as they each seek to play a role in the development of integrated low-carbon infrastructure projects.Companies that identify their roles and capitalise on these new alliances earliest will establish sizable leads in nascent clean technology markets. New forms of public-private partnerships will be necessary in creating a ubiquitous, national smart grid, but these new models of collaboration must be closely managed to ensure technologies are rolled out quickly and effectively. Underpinning these clean technology transformations is increased support from the investment community Referances * Mathews, John A. 2008) â€Å"How Carbon Credits could drive the emergence of renewable energies†http://ideas. repec. org/a/eee/enepol/v36y2008i10p3633-3639. html * www. rediff. com/money/2008/feb/05inter. * www. carbontrading. com/c/ * ions Trading; Joint Implementation; Clean Development Mechanindex. php%3Fa†¦ – Cached – Similar * Carbon Tredits India. Emissism (CDM) †¦ India has generated approxim ately 30 Million Carbon Credits and approximately www. globaladvisors * Carbon Credits; by Garg A . in Chartered Secretary November , 2009. * National solid waste of India . News letter, February 2007.

Human and Utilitarianism Essay

Let me begin by defining Utilitarianism: utilitarianism is the belief of doing what is right for the greater number of people. It is a theory used to determine the usefulness of the happiest outcome and how it will affect everyone else. Now, this sounds like a amazing theory, what would be better than making yourself and others happy? I found myself at first agreeing with this theory up until I really looked into it. At first I found myself thinking that not everything is about being happy; some may have to suffer for the happiness of others. For example, there were two boats one contains three criminals on death row being transported to prison and the other boat contains ten happy, loving families simply enjoying a vacation. Both ships have bombs that will go off in a matter of seconds, blowing up both ships and killing everyone. However, there is a solution. I for some odd reason have a device that sets off a bomb on ONE SHIP and deactivates the other. Now the morally right thing to do would be what? What is moral and right? Taking lives? Or saving them? I do not believe in ‘playing God’ or taking lives. I would simply ignore the Utilitarianism way of thinking and walk away. I would let nature take its course. If God has arranged this to happen, then it is meant to happen. Who am I to walk in and ‘play God’ ? I have to say I agree with Hospers when he says â€Å"A hundred men might gain great pleasure from beating up or killing just one Insignificant human being; but other men’s lives are not theirs to dispose of. † (Hospers) A Utilitarian would approach this situation by asking himself/herself, what will bring happiness? What will do good for greater numbers of people? Why should the prisoners get to live? There are only three prisoners, and have done nothing good but cause harm to society. What have these families done? The Utilitarian will start to analyze each detail of the situation. They first see that there are only three prisoners as opposed to ten large families. Hence, there are less people on the prisoners boat. Then he/she will see that the prisoners have already been sentenced to death, all being on death row. However, the main point will be that these are three bad men. Doing bad things, and causing pain and sorrow to others. Why should ten happy families be punished for their wrong doings? The Utilitarian would settle for simply deactivating the bomb on the prisoners boat. Believing that killing them will bring greater good and happiness to all. My argument to this is a human life is a human life; what if one of those men are actually innocent and were convicted for a crime he didn’t commit? What if the other criminal was to be released in the morning and go home to a family of eight children and a loving wife? Truth is we don’t know. Utilitarianism fails to acknowledge that a life is a life- we are not suppose to be playing God. We don’t decide who lives and who dies, even if it is for the greater good. We should just let nature run its course. Utilitarianism is a theory of always choosing pleasure over pain for the greater good of all. I believe that I have kept a closed mind towards Utilitarianism. The prisoners are already on death row, which means they are going to die for the evil they have set loose on our world. Why should I sacrifice the lives of innocent families, for a couple of men that have caused unhappiness to all? I want to reach happiness, as does everyone else in the world. I mean does the world function over what the greater good for all is? Is that why we have soldiers in Iraq sacrificing their lives for the greater good of America? Maybe I have just overlooked all the positive outcomes of Utilitarianism. I find myself agreeing with a lot of what it has to say. I want happiness, I want innocent lives to be saved, and I want to strive for the greater good of all. I find it interesting how easy it is to fall into the comfort of Utilitarianism. It goes along with my morals and values and yet I still feel a sort of guilt. If I were to deactivate the bomb on the ship with the families and let the prisoners die, I would still be taking a human life. In my religion (Catholicism), a life is a life. We must forgive sinners and those who have sinned against us. But if these prisoners are on death row†¦were they already destined to die? Would that already be in God’s plan? Was it God who sacrificed his only son for all of us sinners? I feel in a way that makes God himself a follower of utilitarianism. He set the example of offering his only son for our sins, to open the gates of heaven for everyone. Yet one of the Ten Commandments is â€Å"Thou shall not kill. † Is that not hypocritical? As I keep analyzing this situation I realize that God is God. He decides who lives and who dies, not us. I feel that it’s hard to stick to my morals when hearing the theory of Utilitarianism. Allowing someone to die at my hand for the greater good, for happiness of others. That just sounds selfish to me, kind of like the holocaust. Did all those innocent Jews endure experimentation and torture for the greater good of all? I mean, if it weren’t for these grotesque experiments we wouldn’t know the maximum altitude that crews in damaged planes can parachute safely to the ground or find the cure/treatment for hypothermia. The Jews were used as guinea pigs for the greater good of everyone else. Is that not Utilitarianism? So many people could have died of hypothermia if that experiment was never conducted. But how many innocent lives were lost to reach this conclusion? Is there a limit to how much sacrifice should be made for the greater good? There should be. This is where I cannot connect with Utilitarianism, the fact that some sort of evil has to be done to help others. I see hypocrisy in this theory; it wants happiness but wants to rule out evil. People are evil, mean and rude. No one can be happy all the time; no one can bring eternal happiness. This takes me back to my original example, who would I save? The prisoners on death row or the innocent families? The Utilitarian’s seem to have a more interesting argument. Its funny how by writing this paper, my views changed. I look at the situation differently now. I do not feel as biased and conservative as before. My ideas have changed to a more liberal understanding sense. Why release these evil me back into the world? We have enough chaos and evil. These are just three men who chose their paths and now have to pay for it. They were sentenced to death for a reason, I will not be held responsible for the innocence of happy families, children, parents, aunts and uncles. They are not in prison because they have not done anything wrong. They simply stepped onto a ship, whose fate I now hold in my hands. I have made my choice; I will deactivate the bomb on the families boat and let the prisoners face death.

How to graduate to business - Emphasis

How to graduate to business How to graduate to business Youve spent the past three or four years writing essays and reports, and now youre in your first professional job and ready to start writing for business. But does your degree have you covered? Well, yes and no, writes Cathy Relf. The good news is that because youve developed good analytical and organisational skills, youll be well versed in sorting your ideas into separate sections or chapters, and supporting your arguments with facts, figures and evidence. The bad news is that the style and structure of academic writing varies hugely from the style and structure youll need to adopt for professional business writing. Whereas academic writing tends to be wordy, expansive and, well, a little dull, business writing needs to be lively, straight to the point and immediately engaging. Follow these three steps to shake off the academic shackles and bring out your business voice. 1. Engage your reader immediately The biggest difference between writing for university and writing for work is that, at work, no ones obliged to be interested. Interested though they surely were, your lecturers were paid to read your essays. However verbose the style or tenuous the argument, they had to pay attention to every sentence on every page, right through to the bitter end. In the professional world, no one will do that unless you hook them in at the start and keep them interested. You have to earn and then retain your readers attention at every step. Luckily, theres a radical yet simple change you can make that will instantly improve your ability to engage the reader. At university, you probably laid out all your evidence and information first, and followed them with a conclusion at the end. In business, you generally need to get to the point right at the start youre not discussing the topic, youre offering your expert opinion and backing it up with hard evidence. Heres a simple, four-point formula for grabbing your readers attention and getting straight down to business. a) Outline the context Establish the common ground between you and your reader, in no more than a line or two. b) Describe the trigger Explain why you are writing this now. What is it that has changed or must change? Again, keep this to just a line, two at the maximum. c) Ask a question Raise an action-orientated question, such as How do we prevent this?, How do we prepare for this? or How do we reduce the cost of this? d) Give the answer Answer the question with your recommendation or key finding, giving a complete solution in no more than 25 words. Now you have their attention. Use the rest of your document to explain how and why you have arrived at this recommendation. 2. Take your brain for a pint Remember all those student nights you spent trying to make your words of wisdom heard above the combined noise of a bad DJ, 30 drunken friends and the call of tequila? They werent wasted. The rest of your document should comprise organised sections or chapters that back up the recommendation you made in step 1. Before you start writing each section, imagine you had 30 seconds to tell it to a friend in a noisy pub. Itll help you do the following three things naturally: a) Use everyday words and as few as possible The more directly your reader can understand you, the better. So cross out ameliorate, expeditious, and promulgate and replace them with improve, fast and issue. And do you really need to say in order to, rather than to? Could you cut down in the field of to in? Is eliminate altogether really more effective than just eliminate? Go through your draft and remove any words that arent pulling their weight. The clearer your writing is, the clearer your message. b) Be active, not passive As a general rule, use active verbs, rather than passive. It keeps your writing lively, direct, personal and accountable. Just put the doer at the start of the sentence. So instead of writing it is hoped that the project will be completed in December, write we hope to complete the project in December. c) Prefer verbs to nouns Verbs are more direct than nouns. So when youre editing your work, cut out nominalisations such as achieve cost reductions and undertake the implementation of and replace them with reduce costs and implement or, simply, do. 3. Focus on your formatting Good formatting can make such a difference to the clarity of your document. There are few things as off-putting as pages of block text. Well-formatted text is kinder on the eye, easier to navigate and more memorable. a) Keep it short and simple Dont try to cram too much into your sentences. Break them down so that each sentence deals with just one idea, and link your ideas logically. Its fine to start a sentence with and or but if it helps clarify your message. Similarly, its not unusual to see suffocatingly long paragraphs in academic writing. But in business writing, youll need to be more succinct. Vary the length of your paragraphs, but try not to go beyond five sentences in each. And if you have a particularly important sentence, dont be shy of giving it a paragraph all to itself. b) Use engaging headings and sub-headings Use regular, clear headings and sub-headings to break up the text. Avoid label-style headings, and instead use explicit ones that sum up the section. This helps the reader find sections most appropriate to them, and also makes it easy for them to refer back to relevant sections later. c) Put a bullet in it When youre writing a list of points that can speak for themselves, use bullets or numbers. They will stand out much better than if you cram them all into a paragraph of text, and its easier on the readers eye. d) Would a graph work better? When writing about data, figures and processes, ask yourself whether a graph, pie chart or diagram could communicate the same information more effectively. Keep this checklist handy when youre writing your documents, and soon it will begin to become habit. And if youd like practical training in applying these techniques (and many more), why not get us in to train your team, or book a place on one of our High-impact business writing courses in London?

How to Answer Behavioral Interview Questions

How to Answer Behavioral Interview Questions Behavioral interview questions (questions about how you’ve reacted to things in the past, or would react to hypothetical situations) are really popular with job interviewers. They can push job candidates out of their comfort zone, and give a glimpse of what the person is really like underneath the polished interview suit. They can also identify potential dealbreakers. That’s what makes it so dangerous for job seekers, who may only be prepared to talk about what’s on their resume and the job description. Once you learn the patterns and the â€Å"whys† behind these questions, you can prep for interviews in a meaningful way. Here are five strategies for dealing with behavioral interview questions.DON’T panic.Even if you get a curve ball you weren’t expecting (what do you mean, â€Å"what kind of cat would I be?), don’t show fear. (Interviewers and dogs can both smell fear.) If you need a second to gather your thoughts, do that, and then calmly answer the question to the best of your ability.DO come up with a general list of professional examples and anecdotes you can turn to.Focus on things like problem solving (what did you do at a challenging time) and teamwork, because many behavioral questions hinge on how you would react if things went wrong, or how you would interact with your colleagues. Also have in your pocket a story about a time that things went wrong, and how you resolved it/learned from it for next time. And definitely come up with (true) stories about times you showed leadership or negotiated a challenging time with team members.DON’T stay negative, even if the question is asking you to talk about a negative event.This would be questions like, â€Å"is there anything you’ve failed at doing in your career?† or â€Å"tell me about your weaknesses.† Those are textbook Interview Traps 101. It’s not a confessional, and you’re not obligated to tell them about every weakness you have. Instead, turn to that list of examples you haveDO tell a story.Short answers don’t help you here, because what the interviewer is looking for is process and context information. You want to be articulate and seem candid. Practice in the mirror ahead of the interview, but don’t memorize speeches so that it doesn’t feel like you’re giving canned answers.DON’T be afraid to talk about your challenges.No candidate (or employee) is perfect, and everyone has faced highly challenging times at some point in their careers. The important thing is that when you do mention challenges, emphasize how you worked through them, and how that has made you a stronger professional.The best way to prep for behavioral interview questions is to practice, practice, practice. If you have a friend or family member around who’s willing to ask sample questions and listen to your spiel, great! Even if you don’t, you can practice by yourself in th e mirror to make sure everything flows conversationally. As with anything else, a little advance thought goes a long way, and can make you seem like the suave A+ candidate you are when you walk into the interview, no matter what questions come your way.

Effect of Unions on Workers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Effect of Unions on Workers - Essay Example For example, in the United States such unions as Teachers, professional athletes (NBA and NFL unions) and United Auto Workers are successful. The successful union must ensure the members welfare is to their best of interest. The union achieve this through increased collective bargaining and speaking with one voice. The unions, therefore, provide better wages and salaries, better working conditions and other benefits. The Unions within particular professional are most likely to be successful. From example, teachers and professional athletes in US have remained successful. This is because, there can be quickly banded together as they share teething problems. In addition, the union membership is vast and hence they remain a force to reckon as the government must proactively consider before squashing them. The policies and tactics that make union successful is through active contribution to the union by members. Also, ensuring that the members adhere to the laws governing the union is central to the success of members. The unions can also use strikes and boycotts to convey their grievances to become stronger. Further, the union leadership is also key to the success of the union. The political environment is necessary to unions. The government would always try to squash the activities. Therefore, those political environments such as political party’s campaigns may make promises to union members for support (Markowitz, 2000). When such parties ascend to power, they may fulfil the promises made to union members. On the other hand, when they fail, such members may find