Biodiesel Research Paper

Biodiesel Research Paper Free Online Research Papers Abstract Based on findings by Oliveira et al (2007) and Kondamudi et al (2008 ), this paper aims to outline the socio-economic and environmental benefits of producing biofuels from the waste products of the coffee industry. On average, a fifth of all coffee grown in Latin America is defective, (Oliveira et al 2007) and cannot be sold on international markets where very high standards of quality are required. Using this defective coffee for fuel instead of for the production of low quality beverages would be beneficial to the small scale producers of coffee, as the defective beans may command a much higher price if sold to the biodiesel industry. Additionally, the main hindrance to biofuel production is the cost of crop production. By making use of the wasted by-product of the existing industry, both the economical, and environmental costs of biodiesel production could be reduced. Nicaraguan Coffee Nicaragua currently produces around 950000 bags of coffee for exportation per year, depending on the harvest, (Wallengren, 2008 ) and coffee exportation accounts for over a third of the country’s economy. However, due to extremely low prices for coffee on the world markets in the past two decades, there is increasing pressure for Nicaraguan, and other Latin American farmers to produce exceedingly high quality coffee. Green (unroasted) coffee beans are graded for quality using a scale devised by the Speciality Coffee Association of America (SCAA); any coffee achieving more than 60 points on this scale can be exported, and achieves the Fair Trade price of $1.26 per pound. Coffees with 80 points or more are classed as ‘Speciality’, and command a higher price – in Nicaragua this is around $1.80 per pound. World class coffees are graded at 90 points and above, and in 2006, Nicaragua produced one of the five highest graded coffees in the world, according to the i ndependent Coffee Review journal. (Davids, 2006) This emphasis on quality is not always reflected in coffee consumption, however. Less than 18% of the world coffee market comprises of Speciality coffees, the majority is low grade, low quality produce sold for much lower prices (Ponte 2002). In Nicaragua, the higher quality coffee is all exported, leaving the low grade beans for domestic consumption. The same is also true of other producing countries, such as Brazil and Colombia. (Oliveira et al 2007, Mance 2009). Selling coffee on national markets also severely restricts the prices these coffee crops can command, to the point where the price falls below the cost of production, leaving the coffee farmers in a very precarious position. Coffee quality is affected by a number of factors, some of which can be controlled by the skills of the farmer and by the methods of processing. Other factors cannot be controlled, however, such as climate conditions and physical geography. According to a guide to coffee cupping (sampling and grading) produced by catadores (cuppers) at Santa Emilia Estate in Matagalpa, Nicaragua, â€Å"desde el campo, vienen la calidad’ (Santa Emilia, 2006) or ‘from the country, comes the quality.’ Growing high quality coffee requires a humid, temperate climate with night temperatures not falling below 20 °C year round. It also requires high altitudes of at least 700m above sea level, relatively high rainfall during the growing season and a hot dry climate after harvest season in order to dry out and process the beans properly. Speciality coffees are also restricted to the coffea arabica variety, which has a better flavour but is much more susceptible to adverse climate conditi ons, disease and pests. In practical terms, this means that high quality coffees are very difficult to grow, particularly when international demands for organic produce mean that chemical fertilisers and pesticides cannot be used. Without the necessary climate and geography, it is impossible to produce high quality organic coffees. Further still, no coffee crop can ever be 100% high quality; there are always going to be defects, no matter how conscientious and skilled the farmer may be. Within Nicaragua, the market for coffee, both soluble (instant) and freshly ground, is strong. Nicaraguans as a nation drink a great deal of the beverage – â€Å"like it is water† – (Arghiris and Leonardi 2008:57). However, due to economic conditions, the prices for domestic coffee are low. Farmers do not receive a good price for their crop on the domestic market, and similarly, consumers do not pay much for their jars of nationally produced instant coffee. The vast majority of Nicaraguans drink very low quality coffee, and often never taste the award winning produce grown locally. Presently, there are efforts to amend this trend. Cecocafen, an organic and FairTrade certified coffee cooperative based in the Nicaraguan department of Matagalpa, have launched a brand of ground coffee called â€Å"Cafà © El Sabor Nica† or Nicaraguan flavour coffee. It is a blend designed by expert cuppers at Cecocafen’s ‘Solcafe’ processing plant. sually, this coffee is roasted on the premises at Solcafe (most coffee is exported in its unroasted green state.) It is marketed as typifying the flavours of Nicaraguan coffee, akin to the concept of ‘terroir’ in the wine industry. Most interestingly, the slogan on the packaging claims the coffee is â€Å"export quality†. This brand is designed to encourage more Nicaraguans to drink, and appreciate their own coffee, and create a market less reliant on the fluctuations of international coffee prices. This initiative is an exception rather than the norm in Nicaragua however. The issue still remains that over 20% of Nicaragua ´s annual coffee crop cannot be exported due to its low quality. This coffee still requires the same resources, expenses, labour and time to grow, and so the farmers and producers still need a return on their investment in the crop somehow. It is often the case that this return does not come from selling the defective coffee on national markets. The Need for Biofuels Another major difficulty facing coffee farmers in Nicaragua is transportation costs. Over 60% of Nicaraguan coffee is grown on tiny farms with less than two hectares of coffee crop. These farms are necessarily located in remote areas often high up in the northern mountains. Most roads to these places are in very poor condition, and require heavy-duty 4WD vehicles to navigate them. (Aleman, 2008 ). Coffee quality is also severely affected by its freshness – ideally de-pulped and washed coffee beans should arrive at the dry processing mill within a few days of being harvested. (Katzeff 2001). Powerful vehicles and farm machinery, and especially the fuel to drive them is an expense few coffee farmers can afford, and at times, the quality of their coffee is reduced due to the beans over-fermenting, rotting or going stale as a result of delays in transportation. Improving the country’s road structure is of paramount importance, but so is allowing farmers more access to affor dable, reliable transport. In Brazil and other parts of Latin America, some crops are already being grown specifically for use in biofuels, such as soybean crops or sugar for ethanol fuels. Due to Nicaragua’s small size, mountain ranges, protected cloud rainforests and huge lake, the country is not ideally suited to conventional large scale crop and pasture cultivation, and so as yet, does not produce crops for biofuels. Neither does it import biodiesel for national use, and rising costs of oil and petrol across the world mean that running a vehicle is very expensive in Nicaragua. However, this could be about to change. Scientists at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in Brazil have found that it is possible to extract oil from coffee beans, which can then be processed into biodiesel using the same methods as extracting other vegetable oils. Coffee beans, both arabica and robusta varieties have quite a high oil content, which accounts for a good proportion of the distinctive aroma when roasted. Coffee oils can be seen as the ‘crema’ on the top of an espresso. With efficient processing, 10-15% of the coffee bean’s mass can be extracted as oil, which is equal to the yield from soybean and rapeseed crops. Extraction can be done either through cold-pressing the beans, or more efficiently, through solvent extraction. By-products of this process, solid matter and saponified substances like glycerine can still be composted and used as fertilizer, as is usually what happens to wasted and unusuable coffee beans. Alternatively, the glycerine co uld be burned to provide additional power and heating. Coffee oil has been found to be very well suited to use in biodiesel, because the oil is naturally very high in antioxidants.(Oliveira et al 2005). This means that the resulting oil is very stable and does not decompose very quickly. Relatively low levels of saponified matter in the oil also means that it remains viscous and does not congeal easily. (Oliviera et al, 2007) Most importantly, Oliveira et al (2005) discovered that defective beans actually yield more oil than healthy beans. Beans become defective or of low quality when they are over-ripe, sour or mouldy, or if they get wet after harvesting. All these factors allow the beans to mature for longer, increasing the oil content. In most countries in Central America, coffea arabica is grown predominantly, with some farmers growing coffea canephora (robusta) as a form of failsafe against failure of the main, but less resilient arabica crop. Mazzafera et al (1998 ) show that arabica coffee beans contain 2-5% more oil than robusta, depending on the specific variety. Practicalities of Biodiesel Production As mentioned earlier, coffee beans can be cold-pressed to extract the oil, which is a simpler but less efficient method; or it can be extracted using solvents (please see Oliveira et al 2007 for more details of this process.) – which is more expensive and reliant on access to the appropriate chemicals, but produces a purer, higher quality oil. A further issue with biodiesel production is the time taken, and monetary cost of the resources required to convert vegetable oils to biodiesel via a process known as transesterification. This involves processing the coffee oil with an alcohol (usually methanol) and a catalyst (typically sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide). During the reaction, the triglyceride molecule contained within the oil is broken down by the catalyst (forming the glycerine by-product) and replaced by the alcohol molecule provided by the methanol. Further processing is necessary to remove the soaps, glycerine and unreacted methanol; this results in a fuel with around the same viscosity as regular mineral diesel fuel, and which can be used as a direct, ‘drop-in’ replacement fuel for the diesel engine, including agricultural and power generating diesel engines. If, for example, biodiesel processing co-operative plants were to be set up in Nicaragua, it would provide coffee farmers with the oppo rtunity to sell their low quality, waste beans to an alternative market for fuel instead of for national consumption. With world coffee prices continuing to drop and more emphasis placed on cheaper, environmentally friendly fuels, it is possible that the lower quality coffee could fetch a better price being sold as fuel rather than for beverages, if processing facilities became available, making more efficient use of a potentially wasted product. In the current situation in Nicaragua however, biodiesel production facilities simply do not exist, and the majority of coffee farmers may find it very difficult to find the expertise to make this possible. But this does not necessarily mean that coffee oil cannot be used directly as a fuel. It is also possible to run most diesel vehicles, particularly farm machinery, using straight vegetable oil, or SVO, without converting it to biodiesel. Instead, the engine itself is modified with a two-tank system, starting up on regular diesel fuel (or biodiesel) until warm, and then switching to coffee oil, then shutting down on diesel fuel. Moreover, there are certain types of diesel engines, notably the indirect injection type (for example the XUD9 engine), fitted with a non-electronic Bosch injection pump, which have proven themselves capable of safely using vegetable oil directly as a fuel, with no modifications. Finally, and perhaps importantly, there is a lack of knowledge. For a lot of people, the idea of running a diesel engine on vegetable oil is simply a wholly unknown concept. [CT1] In conversation with the Catador at Solcafe, Julio Obregon, about waste coffee beans, he was unaware that oil from these beans could be used. Vegetable oil was in fact one of the original fuels for Rudolph Diesel’s engines. He intended his engine to be run on a wide variety of different fuels (including coal dust!), and at the World Expo in Paris in 1900, he demonstrated his engine to the French, running it on peanut oil. It was a political decision, designed to show them a powerful, cheaper, highly efficient engine, not dependent on the inefficient and expensive steam engines that were around at the time, and most importantly, running on a fuel that the farmers in the French colonies could make themselves from some of their crops they set aside. However, the oil companies were quick to capitalize on this new engine, and began offering very cheap ‘mineral diesel fuel’, which was at the time a by-product of the petroleum refining process. The world soon forgot about vegetable oil as fuel, and diesel engine design became centered around the diesel fuel supplied by the oil companies. (Bdpedia 2006b) Conclusions: the Benefits of Coffee Oil Although coffee oil extraction and biodiesel production are reliant on expensive chemicals and equipment not readily accessible in Nicaragua[CT1] , the potential benefits of coffee oil use should not be ignored. Low quality, waste coffee is an unavoidable part of coffee farming. When prices for this coffee are so low as to be below the cost of production, as is often the case particularly in Nicaragua’s domestic market, coffee farmers need a viable alternative for their crops. Setting aside a proportion of their crop for fuel could be very economically beneficial. Transport and processing costs of the low quality coffee would not be necessary, thus saving the farmer time and effort as well. Using straight coffee oil in existing vehicles and farm machinery, as well as in electricity generators, is not only a more environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels, it would also be a considerably cheaper option for farmers struggling with rising fuel costs, while at the same time boosting their capacity for self-sufficiency, and decreasing their reliance on imported fuel. On a national scale, using low quality coffee for oil rather than for domestic consumption would in turn, force national coffee companies to improve the quality of their produce, as less low quality coffee would be available. This would then encourage Nicaraguans to drink better quality coffee in much the same way as Cecocafen’s El Sabor Nica brand intends to do. On an international level, the benefits of biofuel use for the environment are well documented. (see, for example, energyportal.eu 2006, or Bdpedia 2006a) Carbon emissions from biodiesel engines are a lot lower than from conventional engines, and use of straight vegetable oil reduces these emissions even further. At present, biofuel production is hampered by the cost of growing crops for fuel at the expense of growing them for food, particularly when staple food prices are rising all over the world. By using coffee oil, the biodiesel can be created from what is essentially a by-product of the existing coffee industry thus making better use of an otherwise wasted resource, and not impacting on the â€Å"food or fuel?† debates that have recently been taking place in the media and with environmental groups. (energyportal.eu 2006) Finally, world coffee prices have decreased so dramatically in recent years, partially as a result of over-supply. (Ponte 2002). By using a proportion of the annual crops for fuel, this potentially restricts the amount of coffee available on the beverage markets, as well as improving the quality of it. Moreover, restricting the supply by diverting it to an alternative market could potentially boost the international prices of coffee, by adding scarcity value. Coffee biofuel is still a long way from commercial production, and the feasibility of this will require more research in the future. However, the concept, method, resources and even the market for this already exist, and the benefits of coffee oil biodiesel certainly warrant considerable attention. References Arghiris, R., and Leonardi, R., 2008 Nicaragua Footprint:Bath Bdpedia, 2006a Advantages of Biofuels and Biodiesel, The Biodiesel WWW Encyclopedia bdpedia.com/re/be/adv/adv.html Bdpedia, 2006b Biodiesel History, The Biodiesel WWW Encyclopedia bdpedia.com/biodiesel/history/history.html Davids, K., 2006 Nicaragua Cup Of Excellence, coffeereview.com energyportal.eu, 2006 The Advance of Biofuels – a boon for the climate? Http://www.energyportal.eu Katzeff, P., 2001 The Coffee Cupper’s Manifesto, CafeNica: California Kondamundi, N., Mohapatra, S. K., and Misra, M., 2008 Spent Coffee Grounds as a Versatile Source of Green Energy, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry Vol 56, No. 24, pp11757-11760 Mance, H., 2009 Colombians find redemption in coffee http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7820075.stm Mazzafera, P., Soave, D., Teixeira, M. A. Z., and Guerreiro Filho, O., 1998 Oil Content of Some Green Coffee Species Bragantia, Vol 57, No.1 Instituto Agronomica de Campinas Oliveira, L. S., Franca, A. S., Mendonà §a, J. C. F., Barros-Junior, M. C., 2005 Proximate composition and fatty acids profile of green and roasted defective coffee beans LWT Vol. 39, pp 235-239 Oliveira, L.S., Franca, A.S., Camargos, R.R.S., Ferraz, V.P., 2007 Coffee Oil as a potential feedstock for biodiesel production Bioresource Technology Vol. 99 pp3244-3250 Ponte, S., 2002 The Latte Revolution? Regulation, Markets and Consumption in the Global Coffee Chain World Development, Vol. 30, No. 7 pp1099-1122 Santa Emilia, 2006 Manual de Catacion Santa Emilia Estate: Nicaragua Wallengren, M., 2008 Nicaraguan Coffee Harvest Down 41% on Previous Year, Dow Jones Newswires aboutcoffee.net/labels/coffeemarket.html With thanks to Julio Absalon Obregon at Cecocafen, Matagalpa, Nicaragua for information on Cafà ¨ El Sabor Nica The Waste of the World is funded by the ESRC Research Papers on Biodiesel Research PaperDefinition of Export QuotasTwilight of the UAWRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfPETSTEL analysis of IndiaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesGenetic EngineeringIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalResearch Process Part One

Mail Delivery Could be Even Slower Than USPS Admits

Mail Delivery Could be Even Slower Than USPS Admits Due to its unreliable tracking system, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) may be delivering your mail even more slowly than it has claimed, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Background After increasing its own long-time 2-day delivery standard for First-Class mail to 3-days in January, 2015, the cash-starved USPS proceeded to close or consolidate 82 mail processing plants nationwide over the objections of all 50 U.S. Senators. [ See: Why for Mail Delivery ‘Slow’ is the New ‘Normal’ ] The effects of those actions revealed themselves in August 2015, when a federal inspector general notified the USPS that the number of First-Class letters being delivered at least a day late had increased by 48% in the first 6 months of 2015 alone. Mail May be Even Slower, GAO Finds But lowered standards or not, the GAO’s investigators reported that the Postal Service’s system for tracking and reporting delivery time is too incomplete and unreliable to determine how late the mail really is being delivered. According to GAO auditors, the reports created by the USPS’s mail delivery tracking system â€Å"do not include sufficient analysis to hold USPS accountable for meeting its statutory mission to provide service in all areas of the nation.† In fact, the GAO found that the USPS’ system tracks the delivery times of only 55% of First-Class mail, Standard-Class mail, periodicals, and packages. Delivery times of mail without tracking barcodes are not reported. â€Å"Incomplete measurement poses the risk that measures of on-time performance are not representative, since performance may differ for mail included in the measurement, from mail that is not,† stated the GAO. â€Å"Complete performance information enables effective management, oversight, and accountability.† In other words, the USPS doesn’t know exactly how slow its mail delivery service has become. Spreading the Blame The GAO also placed some blame on the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), the presidentially appointed body responsible for overseeing Postal Service operations. Specifically the GAO criticized the PRC for failing to determine why the USPS’s delivery time tracking data are not complete and dependable. â€Å"While PRCs annual reports have provided data on the amount of mail included in measurement, they have not fully assessed why this measurement was incomplete or whether USPS actions will make it so,† GAO investigators wrote. While the PRC has the power to direct the USPS to improve its delivery time tracking system, it has so far failed to do so, noted the GAO. Meanwhile, in Rural America The GAO also pointed out that the USPS is not required to – and so does not – track or report delivery time data for mail sent to rural addresses. While several members of Congress have pressured the USPS to study and report on its rural delivery performance, postal officials have stated that doing so would be too costly. However, as the GAO pointed out, the USPS has never provided Congress with cost estimates to prove it. â€Å"Such cost information would be useful for Congress to assess whether developing this information would be appropriate,† wrote the GAO. In 2011, the PRC criticized the USPS for failing to adequately consider the impact of its still on-hold plan to end Saturday mail delivery on rural America. â€Å"As my colleagues and I have heard †¦ [mail] service across the country, particularly in rural communities, is suffering,† said U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Delaware) chairman of the Senate committee that oversees the USPS in a statement on the GAO report. â€Å"To fix these service problems, we need to figure out their root causes,† Carper continued. â€Å"Unfortunately, the [GAO] found the delivery performance results that the Postal Service and Postal Regulatory Commission provide do not give Congress or postal customers an accurate assessment of service.† What the GAO Recommended The GAO suggested that Congress â€Å"direct† the USPS to provide reliable estimates of its costs to report on mail delivery performance in rural areas. The GAO also called on the USPS and PRC to improve the â€Å"completeness, analysis, and transparency† of its mail delivery performance reports. While the USPS generally agreed with the GAO’s recommendations, it also noted that it â€Å"strongly disagrees with the conclusion that our current service performance measurement is not accurate.† So, like your mail, don’t expect the results to be delivered anytime soon.

National and International Contexts Essays - Foreign Relations, Law

National and International Contexts Essays - Foreign Relations, Law National and International Contexts Childhood treated as a social construction raises concerns on the condition of children (elective notes) like early exposure to adult hood, vulnerability to exploitation be it in various forms; and the several demarcations of childhood as determined by policy. For example minimum age of admission to primary education, employment, further education. Therborn (1996) describes situations of collective action to promote change. An example cited is UNICEF. It was established in the after math of world war II as a temporary measure to provide emergency-humanitarian relief. It soon took over permanency to work for children particulars in education as a measure that will ensure elimination of child labour and exploitation. The WHO came up with several programmes to develop children's well being and health. Another observations development of a rights perspective and law for children was through a Child Rights Convention. Collective action lies at heart of policy that aims to promote and safeguard welfare of children. A rights perspective has the advantage of going beyond nation state politics to an international law with a norms and standards approach that treats political environment of children in a more meaningful manner. Knuttson (1997) argues that any development approach which is directed at influencing community change should involve children as active agents of change and "Emancipation". The impact and role of feminism through impact on family care and work affects children and their rights. The state of the World's Children 2007 Report states "Gender Equality and the well being of Children go hand in hand. When women are empowered to live full and productive lives children prosper UNICEF'S experience also shows the opposite. When women are denied equal opportunity within a society children suffer (Ann M Veneman, Executive Director United Nations children Fund, State of World in children 2007- UNICEF 2007.) The International programme on Elimination of Child Labour, (IPEC) is the International Labour Organistion (ILO) response to provide direct assistance to countries to tackle child labour and give teeth to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child made effective in 1989. Today (IPEC) has 30 funders and 86 programme countries.The ILO in it's report "The end of child labour; within reach" released in 2006 says, in 2004 there were 218 million children trapped in child labour of whom 126 million were in hazardous work. However the number of child labourers globally fell by 11% over the last four years, while that of children in hazardous work decreased by 26%. IPEC the campaign instrument against child labour conducted by ILO commenced in 1992 and has made several break throughs in advocacy; tackling the worst forms of child labour; developing a learning culture and mainstreaming child labour within the Decent Work agenda. ILO is also aware of future challenges. Child labour elimination may be mainstreamed into key development and Human Rights frame works like Millennium Development Goals and poverty reduction strategies. (www.ilo.org/declaration) Child labor first emerged as a major public policy issue with the impact of the industrial revolution. Industrialized Countries offered several packages of intervention to overcome presence of child labour like advocacy campaigns; public inquiries; minimum age legislation; education provision for working children. These have been expanded, in modern times and many developing counties have emulated these initiatives. The Elimination of child labour is linked with provision of compulsory, free and accessible education. Without educational opportunities it is likely that children will enter the labour market and take on dangerous and exploitative jobs. The Dakar Forum of 185 countries resolved to provide all children of primary age free schooling of quality by year 2015 and eliminate gender disparities by year 2005. Much remains to be achieved. Although concept of Education for All has not taken off the ground at an international scale, efforts are made with community groups, parents, employers, and government officials to remove children from work voluntarily and enroll them in school. An example is efforts of an NGO(MV foundation) made in India in state of Andrah Pradesh. It enabled 150,000 to be enrolled and retained in schools and more than 4,000 bonded labourers released and of 500 villages under project 168 made free of child labour. These results were achieved through awareness raising and demand for education of children; support for teachers through special training; support parents to provide alternatives to labour of child withdrawn; provide clearing schools to prepare children for formal education. (source: Child Labour a Global concern, www.schoolisthebestplacetowork.org) Some ILO actions against child labour. One of main aims set for ILO at its foundation in 1991 was abolition of child labour . ILO standards were embodied in concept of minimum age for

Anything that relate to Macroeconomic Research Proposal

Anything that relate to Macroeconomic - Research Proposal Example It is observed that illegal Mexican immigrants are less likely to become US citizens. Mexico’s close proximity to the US and noticeable difference in the living standards or life quality between the two countries are the major reasons amplifying the rate of Mexican migration flow to the US. For many Mexican immigrants, just finding a job is the main goal of their migration to US. Statistical data indicate that the rate of illegal migration from communities all throughout Mexico to the US significantly increased during the 1980s. Undoubtedly, illegal immigration has notable effects on the US social system also. This paper will analyze whether or not the illegal Mexican immigration would benefit the US economy. History of Illegal Mexican Immigration The history of illegal Mexican immigration can be dated back to the mid-19th century. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo led to the end of Mexican-American War in 1848 and this treaty reduced the size of Mexico by 45% because Mexico was forced to surrender the land known today as California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah to the United States. Following the war, Americans had to recruit many workers to build a railroad and to enhance other infrastructure development activities. For this, Americans brought roughly 55,000 migrant workers to former Mexican territories during the period 1850-1880. American leaders were happy to welcome Mexican immigrants because those immigrant workers were willing to work under harsh conditions even though they were paid substandard wages. The immigration flow to the US particularly increased from 1910 with the Mexican revolution. During this period, nearly 50,000 Mexican people migrated to the US every year in order to find a job. American leaders welcomed Mexican immigrants with open arms until they realized that the employment difficulties caused was the result of the increased Mexican immigration. In response to the public protests, the US government forcibly deported almost 2 million Mexican immigrants, including native-born Americans, to Mexico in 1929. During the time of the World War II, United States was badly in need of labors and hence the country again encouraged Mexican immigration. Based on the Bracero Program mutually agreed by US and Mexican officials, Mexican workers again migrated to the US until 1964. Since then the US government and corporations has been indirectly encouraging Mexican immigration flow so as to meet their labor needs at cheap costs. As many authors point out, there is an unspoken agreement between illegal Mexican immigrants, the US government, and corporations. Statistics of Illegal Mexican Immigrants According to the American Community Survey, 11,478,000 foreign born Mexican immigrants were residing in the US as of 2009 (as cited in border relations, n. d.). Mexican immigrants constituted 29.8% of all immigrant populations in US in the same year. As Valdes (2012) reported in CNN July 13, report published by the Pew Hispanic Cente r indicates that over 58% of the identified illegal immigrants in the US are Mexicans. Surveys also report that Mexican illegal immigrants mainly reside in states including California, Texas, Florida, and New York. It is observed that the Illegal Mexican population tends to concentrate in a different set of occupations as compared to other illegal population. However, nearly 1.4 million Mexicans including documented and undocumented immigrants moved

The financial performance of Marks and Spencer Assignment - 1

The financial performance of Marks and Spencer - Assignment Example etail outlets also sell mid to high priced apparel, food, and household items under the companys private label brands, including Autograph, Classic, per una, and Portfolio. The British retail icon operates in about 330 M&S department stores and some 340 Simply Food shops throughout the UK. Beyond Britain, it spreads across over 325 locations, mostly franchises, in about 40 countries, including China, India, Indonesia, and South Korea (Google Finance n.d.). The company recorded revenues of  £9,536.6 million ($15,272.9 million) during the financial year ended April 2010 (FY2010), an increase of 5.2% over 2009 (JP Morgan 2011). Past financial performance of the firm or an organization is an important indicator for predict or estimate the future of the company. Investors and shareholders measure and value this financial performance (amongst other factors) as a means to assess the expected returns on their investments (Alvarado 2011). Calculation of a number of financial ratios for the firm’s financial statements is considered a fairly safe way to evaluate the firm’s past performance, its evolution and key financial issues. The analyses are very valuable for firm’s management as well in order to identify opportunities to improve performance at the department, unit, division or organizational level. In some cases, ratio analyses can predict future bankruptcy (Loth 2011). Reading and understanding financial ratios is also the quickest method to assess the company’s operating performance. In order to understand the company well from financial statements, we need to conduct analyses at three levels: (1) Profitability analyses to see if the company is profitable or not, whether the company is a growing company or a stagnant one. (2) Financial Health analyses from ratios that indicate whether the company is sound or not and what is its presence state of solvency. (3) Finally, company specificities will be explored in terms of key growth drivers and competitive

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Enemy Of State - Movie Review Example The movie was completely produced in The United States with major filming locations as Los Angeles, California, Washington DC, Baltimore, Maryland. The basic plan sketch of this movie is that a lawyer turns out to be a goal by a fraudulent politician and his NSA gangsters when the lawyer by coincidence obtains core verification to a grave politically provoked murder transgression. The only man on earth who can be of assistance to the lawyer is an ex-government official turned observation specialist. Jerry Bruckheimmer whose name is frequently related with noisy and mindless action spectacles created Enemy Of The State. Therefore, it was tempting to brand the thrilling movie as just one more Hollywood "high perception" film that underestimate grave subject, in this story the everlasting quandary stuck between public safety and private autonomy. At earliest glimpse, it seems that this film may perhaps be abridged nothing over the series of run after and clashes. Nevertheless, Director Tony Scott, who regularly is apt to focus of those views at the expenditure of the whole thing as well, was perceptibly involved to the likelihood to demonstrate probable of contemporary observational expertise in a novel method.

Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Managment - Essay Example The paper ends with drawing on general and specific lessons out of the case study for management today. The Issue mainly in concern is the importance of political instability in management decision making. Popular uprising Before starting this paper let’s have a look at the word popular uprising. Popular Uprising as defined by the free dictionary has got two meanings: Widely appealed 1. Revolt against a state authority or constituted government or its laws; a rebellion. 2. Act or any instance of rising or of rising up. While the reverso.net dictionary defines it as Popular: An act widely accepted or appealed Uprising: A revolt or a rebellion Introduction to popular uprisings in Middle East Between the late 2010 and the early 2011 a wave of many spontaneous revolts in Tunisia along with Egypt led to the downfall of local regimes. The foreign exporters and the investors in these countries are being affected by the ongoing events, including industrial action, supply chain disrupt ions, looting, and increased counterparty risk. Furthermore, the success of initial protests ignited new tensions across the Middle East and the North Africa (MENA), threatening the very stability of Bahrain, Iran, Jordan, Algeria, Libya and Yemen. Uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt The catalyst for uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia revolts was the suicide of, Mohamed Bouazizi, in the Tunisian town in December 2010; he set himself on fire to revolt against a decision by local authorities to seize his wares. Within few weeks’ demonstrations spread in whole country, as many Tunisians took to the street for protest against political repression and living conditions. Unrest in Egypt Overthrown President Hosni Mubarak’s regime in February led to an unprecedented uprising that was unable to stop. The aims of the revolt were to topple Ben Ali and replace his authoritarian reign with a multi-party democracy. General effects on economy and businesses The wave of recent uprisings that is sweeping across the Middle East along with the North Africa is set to have a major impact on the risks of doing businesses in such country. As political instability keeps on rising in these regions, companies around the world would need to prepare for thereafter knock on effects on the supply chains and business costs occurring across most sectors. This would in the short term cause political instability and economic breakdown in the affected countries which is likely to impact the supply chains around the world; and the textile companies in Europe and consumer goods producers from China and other Asian economies are the ones most vulnerable to these shocks. The careful monitoring of such political and economic trends, the alternative sourcing and the stockpiling are the strategies that can reduce the impacts of these disruptions. The longer term effects would include heightened political risk that could lead to deteriorating economic conditions and tighter access to credit, rais ing the payment risks for the companies that are dealing with MENA (other emerging markets). Adequate political and export risk insurance cover and safe trade terms, such as the documentary credit, will be essentials to mitigating counterparty risk. In the wake of the recent crisis in the MENA region, the lenders and insurance companies are likely to upwardly re price the risk premium that is attached to dealing with such