The introduction to macroeconomics, bubbles, and investment behaviour Essay

The introduction to macroeconomics, bubbles, and investment behaviour in Part Three of the module, Bubbles and the economy - Essay Example Therefore, the accounting identity can also be explained as: As shown in the above graph, the savings (s) in a closed economy is always given exogenously. The investment in the market (I) is a function of rate of interest (r). The cost of borrowing money in an economy becomes high when the lending rate of interest is elevated. Hence, investments made in the market are adversely related to the lending rate of interest. At equilibrium rate of interest (re), national savings and investment remains equal to each other (S=I) (Baddeley, 2005). When the aggregate savings in an economy rise up to 30% of GDP, the investments can be expected to increase (to match savings) only if the lending rate of interest (r) falls below the previous equilibrium rate (re). (ii) The supply side policies are implemented in an economy for increasing productivity of its real national output, during a state of recession. These policies help an economy to grow sustainably, without the persistence of inflation (Bernanke, Gertler and Gilchrist, 1996). However, economic growth cannot be successfully achieved solely with the essence of supply side policies. The supply side approach is rendered successful with presence of adequate aggregate demand in the economy. If the housing confidence slumps and the economy suffers from recession, then the individuals desire to save more and spend less. As a result, if the monetary authorities of a country lower interest rate and stimulate investments, then aggregate production related activities will rise, but the output produced will not be sold adequately due to lack of consumers’ demand (Mankiw and Taylor, 2006). (iii) The problems associated with a supply side approach can be resolved with the help of expansionary fiscal policies. These policies will enable the government authorities to stimulate the level of aggregate demand. Such initiatives can be undertaken by the fiscal authorities by way

Hulu Alliances Essay Example for Free

Hulu Alliances Essay 1.Describe the alliance partners. Characterize the market type as slow, fast, or standard cycle. The market type is a fast cycle market characterized by firms participating in number of networks for the purpose of production and distribution. Competitive advantages aren’t sustainable in fast cycle markets. Firms competing in fast cycle markets recognize the importance of speed, to get the product or service out there first. 2. Characterize the type of strategic alliance Hulu has become. Hulu has become a dynamic alliance. The same type as most firms in the information technology industry. Another example is the movie industry, an industry in which firms participate in a number of networks for the purpose of producing and distributing movies. In dynamic alliance networks, partners typically explore new ideas and possibilities with the potential to lead to product innovations, and entries to new markets. 3. In what type of market is Hulu competing? Hulu is competing in the streaming media market. It has a tough competitor which is Netflix. Unfortunately for Hulu, Netflix has been around a lot longer and has had plenty of time to build its partner base. The other problem for Hulu is its parent companies do not take Hulu seriously. Instead of giving programming to Hulu the networks lease the programs to Hulu’s competitor Netflix. 4. Why did this alliance form? List some competitive pressures that made this alliance a necessity for its partners. 5. What does the future hold for this alliance?

The Compass of Pleasure by David J. Linden | Review

The Compass of Pleasure by David J. Linden | Review The Compass of Pleasure Omobolanle Ajose Humans have a complicated relationship to pleasure which we spend a considerable amount of time pursuing. Certain forms of pleasure such as rituals involving prayer, music, dance, and meditation are accorded special status. Intrinsic pleasures that can be initiated or increased by artificial activators like cocaine, heroin, or modest doses of nicotine or alcohol, are located in our brains transmitting a pleasure buzz from a wide variety of ex ­periences. I chose the book, The Compass of Pleasure because neuroscientist David J. Linden the author, explored the dark side of pleasure. He explained how the human brain can turn pleasures into addictions and habits so overpowering and pervasive that people will sacrifice almost anything just to get a fix. This kind of behavior makes us wonder why anyone would ruin their health, neglect their family, and spend themselves into poverty all in pursuit of an addiction. Linden says it all comes down to a single neuro-chemical dopamine. The terms I learned while reading this book includes: Stoic, meaning ability to endure pain or hardship without showing feelings or complaints. Painasymbolia, also called pain dissociation which is a condition in which pain is experienced without unpleasantness.Ventral tegmental area (VTA), which is a collection of neurons situated at the center of themidbrain that sends dopamine releasing axons to other regions of the brain such as the amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex, dorsal striatum and hippocampus. Neuroleptics, meaning dopamine receptor antagonists. Linden (2011), describes most experiences in our lives that we find as transcendent, whether illicit vices, socially sanctioned ritual or social practices as meditative prayer to activate an anatomically and biochemically defined pleasure circuit in the brain. He used past research studies as references. Two postdoctoral fellows at McGill University conducted experiments that involved implanting electrodes in the brains of rats to activate their pleasure circuits. The electrodes were placed in positions that stimulated the medial forebrain bundle, the axons that excite the dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA). The electrode locations that produced the strongest pleasure were those that most effectively activated the dopamine neurons of the VTA. Another experimental design from the book focused on the stimulation of the brain of a homosexual psychiatric patient using surgically implanted electrodes. Before the patients brain stimulation, he was made to view a film that featured sexual intercourse between a male and a female. He was sexually indifferent and angry about being made to view the film. After the pleasure circuit self- stimulation, he agreed to view the film again during which he became sexually aroused, had an erection and masturbated to orgasm. After he was discharged from the hospital, he had a sexual relationship with a woman for several months. During this period, his homosexual activity was reduced but did not stop completely. In humans, rats, and other mammals, the reward circuit is interwoven with brain centers involved in decision making, planning, emotion and memory storage. When we find an experience pleasurable, it sets in motion several processes such as liking the experience and we associate both external and internal cues with the experience. These associations allow us to predict how we should behave to repeat or assign a value to pleasurable experience so that in future we can determine how much effort we are willing to expand and the risk we are willing to take to get them. Linden (2011) defined addiction as persistent, compulsive drug use in the face of increasingly negative life consequences. He explained that the scientific definition of addiction is actually rooted in the brainsinabilityto experience pleasure and that the dark side of pleasure is addiction. Addiction is associated with long-lasting changes in the biochemical, electrical, and morphological functions of connections within the medial forebrain plea ­sure circuit. These changes underlie many of the dark sides of addiction, including progressive tolerance, craving, withdrawal and relapse. Therefore, pleasure, addic ­tion and memory are closely related, and directly interconnected. Psychoactive drugs can be used in different social contexts; as medicine, religious sacrament, pure recreation, or to define oneself as part of a subgroup. Across cultures and over thousands of years of human history, people have consistently found ways to alter the function of their brains. Psychoactive drugs like cocaine, alcohol, and opiates strongly activate dopamine action in VTA target regions. Pleasure is central to some but not all psychoactive drugs. Certain foods and certain drugs can activate the pleasure circuits. While obesity results from food addiction, food addiction shares many properties and biological substrates with drug addiction, including a strong heritable component and triggering by stress. Orgasm is another pleasure buzz that may be weaker than cocaine but stronger than food. ( Cite page here) It is a multifaceted experience with dissociable sensory and affective, emotional, and rewarding components. It is fiery, transcendent and unique. Orgasm strongly activates the dopamine-using medial forebrain pleasure circuit. Drugs that modulate dopamine signaling in the brain can regulate libido and orgasm. Epileptic seizures or brain stimulation with electrodes can produce orgasms that are devoid of pleasure or emotional feeling. Gambling addiction is associated with reduced activation of the medial forebrain pleasure circuit. Genetic variants that suppress dopamine signaling, particularly in the medial forebrain, are associated with high rate of gambling addiction. For people who carry these gene variants, their muted dopamine systems lead to blunted pleasure circuits, which in turn affects their pleasure-seeking activities. Intensive exercise can bring about short term euphoria, reduction of anxiety, and increases in pain threshold. Long term painful stimulus is associated with increased dopamine. Interestingly, charitable giving produces an activation of the pleasure circuit. The interaction of pleasure and associative learning in the medial forebrain pleasure circuit yields both beneficial and detrimental rewards. The ability of experience to produce long-term changes in the pleasure circuit enables arbitrary rewards and abstract ideas to be felt as pleasurable, a phenomenon that ultimately underlies much of human behavior and culture. This same process is responsible for transforming pleasure into addiction. Reading the compass of pleasure gives an insight on the function of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain and how the dopamine systems in the brain play an important role in pleasure seeking and addictive behaviors. I also learned that dopamine is responsible for most of our immoral behaviors and secret cravings. It is responsible for love, lust, adultery, motivation, attention, and addiction. The denial of pleasure can yield spiritual growth. In practice, one can see beyond a persons behavior, personal history, and environment to understand what goes on in the brain when uncontrollable habits such as addiction present themselves. Understanding the interaction between the pleasure circuits and dopamine in the brain help us as health care professionals to understand that addicts are not weak, defective human beings lacking in willpower but are rather people with brains that are chemically deficient. According to Lundy-Ekman (2013, p.239), Parkinsons disease is the death of dopamine producing cells in the sustantia nigra. Occupational therapy improves mobility and functional status in people with Parkinsons disease. Intense resistance training produces greater muscle hypertrophy and functional gains than are produced by standard exercise. According to Linden (2011, p. 127), there are variations in genes turning down the functions of dopamine signaling within the pleasure circuit. These variations in genes let people seek pleasure through different activities. These activities may be meaningful to a client while others may be addictions they may want to stop. Understanding the biology of pleasure circuits may help clinician’s such as occupational therapist better understand what an individual deems meaningful or pleasurable. Knowledge of forms of pleasure such as rituals, routines , music, dance and even meditations that are of meaningful to a client obtained during an occupational profile, helps therapist in planning interventions for clients. On the other hand, the therapist can also help create therapeutic interventions to help with addictions. Linden (2011, p.150), further explained that exercises has an anti-depressive effect, shows long term improvement in mental functions and slows cognitive decline that accompanies normal aging. Occupational therapists work with a variety of population and this piece of information makes it interesting to know that range of motion exercises and other forms of exercises provided during therapy may be able to improve mental functions and slow cognitive decline in normal aging. Dopamine and serotonin are important neurotransmitters in the brain that influence many behaviors and movement patterns such as walking and coordination. Dopamine levels are associated with many neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, psychosis and even attention deficits hyperactive disorders. Too much or too little dopamine can interfere with cognition, behavior, or motor skills. In practice, occupational therapists work with clients with various neurological conditions by evaluating and analyzing the client, the environment and their meaningful occupational performance. Having insight into a clients deficits and its effect on occupational performance is important to therapist because it helps the therapist to be able to plan and provide therapeutic interventions aimed at improving cognition, coordination, mobility and functional status in clients. References Lundy-Ekman, L. (2013). Neuroscience: Fundamentals for Rehabilitation. St. Louis, Mo: Saunders/ Elsevier Inc. Linden, D. J. (2011). The Compass of Pleasure: How our Brains make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, learning, and Gambling Feel so Good. New York, NY: Penguin Group Inc. Sturkenboom, I., Thijssen, M., Gons-van, J. E., Jansen, I. (2011). Guidelines for Occupational Therapy in Parkinsons Disease. Retrieved July 14, 2014, from National Parkinson Foundation: http://www.parkinson.org/NationalParkinsonFoundation/files/a5/a5c7ef92-a101-4485-96b2-7d81b31a42c9.pdf

My Reading History :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If one were to look at my varied reading habits, they would be struck by the diversity and over all unusualness of my mind’s library. I hardly remember the plot of the first book I read, but it was called Lonesome Dove. It wasn’t the actual first book I read, but I don’t really count the McGregor Readers from kindergarten. I read it in first grade because of my Grandmother’s fascination in the T.V. mini-series that was playing during the time. I wanted to be able to talk to her about it so I went to the public library that weekend and picked up a copy. Well, I actually didn’t pick it up, it was too heavy. It took me over two and a half months to read, but with the help of a dictionary and my grandma, I finally read it from cover to cover. I can’t really say that I understood it, because I don’t recall what it was about. But I do remember that it was quite an ordeal. Since then I have read many books. I enjoy fiction the best, especially those that are based on society, but have a small twist that leads to an interesting story. Some of the stories that I remember best from that early time in my life are Tales from Wayside Elementary School, Hatchet, The Godfather, and The Giver. I think that Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen, is the only book that I’ve read more than once. I liked the situation that Brian was put into, lost in the wilderness, with nothing more to fend for himself with than his mind and a trusty hatchet. The adversity he faces and his undying drive are what fascinated me most. Since that time my reading habits have grown into a different style. I have usually only read what was assigned to me during the school year because that was all I had time to do, but I have always strived to put forth extra effort. For example: last year for English 3 AP we had to read an excerpt from Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography. Although that we only had to read a small bit, I checked the enti re book from the college library and read it all. Although the way that Franklin rambled on and on about his â€Å"Franklin Planner† was somewhat boring, the way he describe his life was pure poetry.

Analyzing Ethical Behavior Essay

In the course of this report, it will show the comparison of the ethical aspect of two well-known corporate giants, Enron and Bernie Madoff. The first subject Bernard Lawrence â€Å"Bernie† Madoff, Broker, Investment guru, Financier. Once herald as a financial king, he in his reign overnight turned white collar criminal, which led to a quick and easy demise. Second, Enron Corporation, known for energy and commodities, services, and well known for being a major player in the electricity and natural gas, and communication, pulp and paper company, crumbled to its knees into bankruptcy in the early 2000s. The question is, at the height of both these two companies, what went wrong. Where was the ethical breakdown? The who, what when and the why will be the focus of this report. Bernie Madoff, former chair of NASDAQ, started his parent company on Wall Street Bernie L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, 1960 it was as the top of its game-bypassing firms who were specialist in the field of finance. Hijacked by Madoff’s firm with their signature OTC†¦Over the Counter orders with brokers. The company employed family and close friends that comprised of his brother Peter, Managing Director, his niece (peter’s daughter) Shana Madoff, compliance officer and attorney, and his two son’s Mark and Andrew. It was told by Madoff’s sons that their father made damaging statements, and confessed to them that the business was a lie, that it was a Ponzi scheme from the beginning, which led Federal agents to arrest Madoff, and all those involved. Madoff told authorities that the scheme began in 1990, but according to the FBI, it was started early as the 1970s. It has been reported that Madoff’s trial of deceit led his scheme to accumulate as much as $65 billion, with a reported estimate loss to investor of $18 billion. â€Å"Reports of ethical violations by upper level managers continue to multiply despite increasing attention being given to ethics by firms and business schools. Much of the analysis of these violations focus on either these manager’s lack of operation principles or their willingness to abandon principles in the face of competitive pressures† (Ludwig, 1993). Enron Corporation is the second in this detailed report of the fall of power. Traded on the NYSE: ENE, and based in Huston, Texas was an energy, commodities, and services company. For six consecutive years, Enron was named by Fortune Magazine as â€Å"America’s Pioneering Business†, with claimed revenues of $101 billion in the year 2000. What do most companies base their ethics upon; Enron’s code was one of Respect, Integrity, Communication and Excellence, described as treating others as they would be treated. Apparently they did not abide by that one in particular because as we go through this report, it will soon show the where the breakdown began. Integrity, working along with customers through honesty, Communication, obligated to interconnect with one another, Excellence, Not accepting anything less than the best in all that we do. These are just a few statements from Enron’s code of Ethics handbook. Given this code along with the assurance to professional ethics, it causes one to ponder these questions. How could a company dramatically collapse with reported revenues of $101 billion? With an increase the first, three quarters in 2001, falling into major bankruptcy in December of that same year. Could it be that the answer to these questions is a failure of the top leadership, a corporate culture caused the demise in its ethical beliefs along with the complicity of investors and the financial institutions? Enron’s corporate culture is described as having an appearance of arrogance that caused the public to trust that they could handle the risk without stumbling upon any danger to the company and to investors. This type of thought would make one not to sleep at night, but the implicit message from Enron was make the numbers, if you are caught stealing or cheating, ask for another chance, you may get one. You can see that Enron did not do anything to promote integrity nor respect; it was undermined by the company’s emphasis on reorganization, presentation, reparation and its considerations. To conclude, the answer as to why CEO’s have bilked their companies and investors out of billions of dollars and brought a collapse of hundreds of corporate giants, it is because unethical and criminal behavior is the morals by which they do what they have done are doing, even as this report is being written. An epidemic could explode and if nothing is done about it†¦then the American system of High Finance and Big Business will crumble to a screeching Holt and affect this country’s economy†¦. God forbid. â€Å"Destructive leaders can cause hardship not only to immediate followers, but to the broader population. For example when a large company struggles financially, it is not only employees, but customers, suppliers, and shareholders that are negatively affected. The cognitive processes employed by the leader play a large role in how he or she gathers information, interprets it, and makes decisions toward a course of action (L. Eubanks, 2010).

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.