Legalization Of Marijuan A Controversial Issue Essay

Zhewei Yang Ms. Nutter Health 2016/11/11 Legalization of Marijuana A controversial issue relating to the legalization of Marijuana has been brought to the attention of the public. Many Americans support the legalization of marijuana for numerous reasons, such as it is a useful aid to alleviate medical ailments and it has a low risk of abuse; nevertheless, others people do not believe that the marijuana should be legalized. When the practical reasoning is involved, however, I believed that the positive impacts of remaining marijuana illegal outweigh the negative aspects of illegalization of marijuana. To support my opinion against the legalization of the marijuana, I have organized my paper into. In the first section, I provide an account However, I need to provide an historical context about marijuana HISTORICAL CONTEXT In 1545, marijuana was brought by the Spanish the New World. In 1611, the English introduced marijuana in Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the America.1 Then marijuana became a major commercial crop and was grown as a source of fiber. Some historians analyze that marijuana emerged because of Prohibition, a constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages in the nation.2 Marijuana replaced the alcohol to achieve the recreational use because it was not a social threat. Marijuana clubs were built in every major city in United States. According to the research, until 1930s, the U.S. Federal

Ministry Needs For Pastors And Evangelists - 870 Words

Ministry needs in India Transportation needs for pastors and evangelists: Many pastors in rural and forest areas take the word of God to surrounding villages and unreached tribal groups by walking many miles a day. Any other mode of transportation would help reach more people in a shorter time. †¢ Each cycle costs - $100 †¢ Each reconditioned motor bike costs - $650 Incomplete Church buildings: Many Pastors do not have church buildings. Believers gather in small huts or under trees. It is very difficult to meet and worship regularly during rainy season and summer. A small one room shed would go a long way and enable the church to meet regularly and reach out to the surrounding areas with the message of the gospel. Pastor Joseph, Makkapeta Krishna District is a wonderful man of God. He started a church with the help of church believers. He and his family put all their efforts to complete the church but they themselves are in financial difficulties. His wife’s health is not good. They are unable to pay rent in house they are currently living in and are being forced to vacate. This poor pastor family is requesting financial support to complete the church roof and additional room for his family. Support needed to complete construction - $1000. Help AIDS infected families Every month selected AIDS families come together to get food packets. The cost of food for a family is $20 per month. A family can receive food for an entire year for $240. 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Social status Essay Example For Students

Social status Essay Throughout an inspector calls, many types of power are explored, ranging from physical to persuasive. Each character shows a different form of power, which helps define their personality.  In my opinion, Mr Birling has no power other than his reputation, which he hides behind. He shows fear at the first sign of disruption, for example, when he fired Eva Smith, he made no effort to compromise or seek explanation but instead removed her immediately. Neither does he show any signs of power when the inspector questions him; he attempts to avoid an interview by bribery and use of social status. Mr Birling seems to be a character that is confident in an environment where he is not questioned or opposed, but is easily exposed when placed in a position, which threatens his reputation. He attempts to cover weakness by using strong words and bold assumptions, which reveal the small man hiding behind a wall of false impressiveness. Sheila also uses the power of reputation to get what she wants; she has very little self-discipline and uses her status to get her way. She has the power to make others feel guilty rather than accept her own responsibility. Throughout the play she tries to make others involvement seem worse to cover her own. She claims to feel extremely guilty about having Eva dismissed from her job a second time but this could be an act so both her family and the reader feel less inclined to blame her. Sheilas power is the ability to avoid responsibility, make herself seem more vulnerable and inflict guilt upon others. The inspector holds most power, using intimidation to extract information from others yet not giving anything away himself. He has the ability to make the Birlings say things that he can use to his advantage. For example, when Mrs Birling lays all blame upon the father of Eva Smiths unborn child, the inspector does not inform her that it was infact Eric, instead he allows her to dig a deeper hole. He also has the power of respect, although the Birlings dislike him, they do answer his questions and know that he has the power to expose them and their secret to the public and destroy their reputation. Mrs Birling used her own power as a high-ranking member of the voluntary group, to manipulate her colleagues into agreeing with her decision to turn Eva away. She also uses intimidation to a certain extent. She is intelligent and not easily caught out until the inspector corners her.  Eric used physical power to force Eva into a relationship she clearly did not want. Eric-like his sister- has very little self-discipline and is unable to control his actions. He does not use his name or social status to gain power; instead, he used wealth and gave Eva money. He appears to give her money to support her but it seems he may also be doing it so he feels he has power over her and she is in his debt. Eva Smith herself had a large amount of power in the form of influence. She has changed the relationships within the Birling family and has had an impact on each member individually. She managed to expose a completely different side to the well thought of family with seemingly innocent children.  This play showed many forms of power, hidden within each family member and the other characters. The play demonstrates what we all know about human beings, that first impressions are not always accurate and some people are more powerful than we first think.

The Key to Understanding Political Development

Introduction The phrase ‘political development’ lacks a universal form of definition due to its versatility in terms of the elements that it encompasses.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Key to Understanding Political Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In essence, political development comprises institutional changes in a society’s system of governance, society’s attitude towards such changes, and the political culture of a country or state. Other elements that aid in the definition of the term include social and cultural adaptability to change, economic progress, policy development, state sovereignty, and constitutional order. The key to understanding all the individual elements lies in comparative analyses of a specific political entity or a comparison among several entities with significant similarities or differences. This paper conducts such analyses by taking into acc ount various states for case studies, viz., England, Rwanda, and Russia. This analysis views political development as an independent component, and thus, it explores the possibility of its connection to other components such as economic development and social culture. This paper also highlights the influence of political development in terms of advancements or lack thereof.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Assessment through state sovereignty and changes in political culture When describing countries or nations, sovereignty refers to the state of being a separate entity independent of all others in terms of laws, methods of governance, and the source of power for the ruling institutions (Biersteker Weber 1996). Several theories describe the formation of states and reasons for sovereignty, with the most prominent being the social contract theory. The theory states that a count ry derives its independence from the people through their choice of leadership and following form of government. In essence, the will of the people is sovereign (Kreijen 2002). Although the theory’s central aspect is the presence of a social contract between the ruling individuals or institutions and their subjects, different scholars have developed variations of the theory to highlight certain elements. According to Thomas Hobbes, in a state or nature, the only rule that governs human interaction is self-preservation (Krasner 2001). As such, the strong overlook the needs of the weak and lack of order makes life short and brutish. Hobbes explains that in order for everyone to survive, people formed societies where they agreed to surrender their power to an individual or a group of individuals who exercise it for the good of everyone. In Hobbes’ version of the theory, when people surrender their power to their leader of choice, the leader has the right to utilise it in whatever manner in the achievement of society’s development (Boucher Kelly 1994). Hobbes adds that such power is irrevocable. This theory describes the concept of absolutism, whereby a leader reigns supreme over the subjects, thus exercising unquestionable authority.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Key to Understanding Political Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Hierarchical systems of governance embody this theory best, with a good example being England in the early years of the twelfth century after the death of King Henry I all through to the twentieth century during the reign of King Edward VII. During this period, kings and queens wielded absolute power over every aspect of the society, including the economy and even religion. King Edward VII denounced the Roman Catholic Church’s supervisory power by declaring himself the absolute ruler in all matters, including religious aspec ts. The wellbeing of the rulers came first, which sometimes coincided with the will of the people. For instance, for a king to appear powerful to leaders in neighbouring countries, s/he had to secure economic prosperity for his or her country, thus coinciding with the need of the people to have a strong economy. However, to some extent, such form of leadership was necessary given the nation’s turbulent history, especially during the Anarchy period between 1135 and 1154. Certain aspects of the England’s system of governance have changed since then, thus forming part of its political development. The main notable change in the England’s form of government is its characteristic devolution of power and inclusion of other institutions to form part of the government. Currently, the government of England has three branches, namely the executive, legislature, and the judiciary.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Unlike in the early twentieth century where the monarch had all the powers, each of the branches possesses a share of the government’s collective power of governance. Although the Queen still possesses the most significant share of the power, the Prime Minister runs most government affairs in the government for the executive branch on behalf of the Queen. The Prime Minister assumes the responsibility of appointing cabinet ministers and making policies with the aid of the cabinet of which he is the chair. The legislature comprises two houses, viz. the House of Lords and the House of Commons, and this aspect ensures objectivity in policy development and guarantees representation of the people’s needs during the policy-making process. The judiciary, â€Å"as the third arm of the government, is independent of both the executive and the legislature† (Blaug Schwarzmantle 2001, p.83). The importance of such independence is to ensure that the judiciary provides checks and balances over the executive and the legislature. The fact that England’s laws are unwritten emphasises the need for such judicial independence, which ensures that the other arms of the government avoid the misuse of power to the detriment of the people. A comparative analysis between England and the international political scene displays the advancements that England has made as a nation through the years, especially in relation to its consideration of the people’s will during the policy-making process. Judicial independence ensures that courts have the ability to express the will of the people through the protection of political, social, and cultural traditions that they hold dear. For instance, although divorce is legal in both England and Wales, the courts ensure the protection of the institution of marriage as one of the moral values that the people treasure by providing a process that requires a married couple to work on the marriage before resorting to divorc e. The courts usually grant divorces in cases of an irretrievable breakdown in marriages and provide an option for judicial separation. John Locke presents another version of the social contract theory with significant differences to Hobbes’. In Locke’s version, human beings are inherently social and moral in their state of nature. However, some people choose to make decisions that adversely affect others, especially in relation to property ownership, thus creating the need for an institution that equally protects every person’s interest. Locke explains that people relinquish a portion of their power to govern their dealings with other individuals to a leader or institution of the people’s choice, but they keep a significant portion to themselves (Boucher Kelly 1994). The leader or institution holds such power in trust of the people and applies it for their best interest while the people retain the option to choose another leader in case of misappropriat ion. This version of the theory matches a democratic system, to which most countries prescribe. A democratic system is a form of government that allows its citizens to participate in the law-making process by electing leaders of their choice as their representatives in government. One of the most dominant elements in a democratic state is the provision for a multiparty system. Apart from providing citizens with a variety of leaders with different visions for leadership to choose from, multiparty systems provide individuals with an idea for development with the opportunity to realise their goals for the good of society (Blaug Schwarzmantle 2001). The concept bares international acceptance as most of its elements support development in society, politically, socially, and economically, not to mention fostering international relations. In the furtherance of democracy, countries have the option to choose countries to associate with depending on a country’s national goals and the balance between the merits and demerits of such association. Developing countries in Africa and Asia form some of the best examples of political development involving democratic systems. Numerous countries in Africa have developed politically from dictatorships to democracies with significant gains, both socially and economically. A case study of Uganda best explains this dynamic. In the period between 1971 and 1979, Uganda was under the presidency of Idi Amin, as a dictator who declared himself president for life until his deposition. The declaration-limited choice of leadership for Uganda’s people at the time, as there could only be one leader with the law on his side to support it. One of the main disadvantages of a dictatorship is that it provides the dictator with a leeway to do whatever he or she deems fit without regard to the welfare of the people or consequences of his or her actions from the international community (Gandhi 2008). Idi Amin, for instance, committed hu man rights violations that made him infamous in the international community, thus resulting in negative feedback economically to the detriment of the Ugandan citizens. No institutions existed to provide checks and balances for the president’s exercise of power, which created room for its misappropriation, hence leading to the oppression of the people (Hansen Twaddle 1998). Although the president understood the needs of his people in all aspects, his corrupt nature made sure that he concentrated on his own needs, including amassing wealth and ignoring the plight of the people. A change in the political system in Uganda is one of the indicators of the presence and level of political development in the country. Under a democratically elected president, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Uganda’s exercise of democracy has facilitated its economic and social growth, thus creating a different perspective of it in the international scene. Devolution of power through the creation of gov ernment institutions such as the judiciary and the legislature has ensured balance in the exercise of power by creating limitations that prevent its misuse. Also, the multiparty system provides people with a chance to choose leaders that best represent their interests in the government (Hansen Twaddle 1998). Unlike the western countries, most African countries are ethnically diverse. Therefore, a democratic system ensures the representation of every individual’s unique needs in the government during the policy-making process by the legislature. By providing people with a chance to choose their representatives from various ethnic backgrounds, a democratic system creates an avenue for the unification of people through the formations of laws that serve everyone equally through fair distribution of resources. Changes in attitude Change in attitude on political ideology is part of the definition of political development. Mostly, international attitudes towards various political a spects form the integral basis of political attitudes in individual nations regarding the same (Markell 2003). For instance, the international community regards the issue of human rights observation as an indicator of political development. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Freedoms is one of the primary documents in the application for human rights regulation. The rules set out in the international statute act as guides for countries when setting out their national laws on human rights regulation. The statute sets out â€Å"some of the most basic human rights, including the right to life, health, and education† (Harris et al. 2010, p.77). Although it is not mandatory for any country to apply such international rules, the attitude around it is that countries that fail to do so indicate a lack in the political arena, which may cause certain sanctions that usually affect economic progress. For instance, the international community frowned upon North Korea’s p olicies on human rights issues during the reign of President Kim Jong Il. Although the North Korean government at the time provided free healthcare and education, the quality of both amenities was poor, thus leading to a high mortality rate in the country. In addition, the government greatly restricted its citizens’ freedom of movement and association, hence resulting in limited political development and subsequently denying its citizens a chance to experience other cultures or share ideas due to the fear of emancipation (Demick 2009). Such restrictive ideology resulted in limited trade opportunities for the country internationally. Another country that forms an excellent example of how the international community applies political attitude as a test and indicator of political development is Saudi Arabia. Islam forms the main foundation of Saudi Arabia’s laws, which has been the case for many years. However, during the reign of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, betwee n 1966 and 2004, the leadership’s attitude towards acceptance of other religions changed resulting in a more tolerant nation that accepts the practice of Christianity as long as it does not interfere with the nation’s fundamental Islamic cultural practices. Incorporation of this attitude into law has enabled expatriates to works harmoniously with the local Muslim community resulting in a thriving nation. The international attitude regarding freedom of religions forms a huge part of influence leading to such a decision, even though the necessity to attract workforce from outside the country’s borders was the main reason for the decision. The international effect of the decision was mainly the expansion of Saudi Arabia’s market and improvement of its foreign relations with other countries that may not necessarily share Islamic foundations (House 2012). Therefore, although the decision to include acceptance of other religions into the country was an indicati on of attitude change, it also indicated political development of the country. Process of analysis During an analysis to establish the status of a nation’s political development, it is vital to consider cultural backgrounds and political histories. These aspects result in a difference in choices in policy-making that culminates either in progressive or retrogressive political development. For instance, England and Saudi Arabia exhibit significant differences culturally, economically, and politically, which may inform the choice of policies that govern the two states (Heywood 2012). Leadership succession Leadership succession involves passing power from one leader or government institution to another. As a component of political development, transition of leadership should be effective and systematic without creating power vacuums that may lead to civil warfare. In any politically developed nation, terms of leadership are clear and they form part of the country’s consti tutional laws. Such terms include the period of leadership, circumstances that may result in shorter or longer terms of office, and measures that take care of situations whereby a leader’s term in office ends abruptly. An excellent example of how lack of proper policies may cause political instability is the period of civil warfare in England between the years 1135 and 1154 following the death of King Henry I (Scott 2000). Power struggle engulfed the region, which resulted in a war that lasted years due to the lack of a legitimate heir to the crown. Conclusion Although the term political development lacks a universal definition, various elements constitute its main characteristics. Some of the main elements include state sovereignty, reliable succession procedures, political culture, and attitude towards policies. Several methods exist for the establishment of the presence or absence of political development, including an analysis of a country’s political history and a comparative analysis between different political ideologies internationally. However, in conducting such analysis, it is essential to consider that different states subscribe to different rules, and thus one may need to consider aspects such as culture, as is the case with Saudi Arabia and the East African country of Uganda. A government’s policy-making mechanism forms the determining factor in deciding the impact such policies have on its people and its relation with other nations in the international community. Most people-based policies have the effect of fostering political development by creating a ripple effect on the social and economic development of the nation. Reference List Biersteker, T Weber, C 1996, State Sovereignty as Social Construct, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Blaug, R Schwarzmantle, J 2001, Democracy: A Reader, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh. Boucher, D Kelly, P 1994, The Social Contract from Hobbes to Rawls, Routledge, New York. Demi ck, B 2009, Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea, Granta Publications, London. Gandhi, J 2008, Political Institutions Under Dictatorship, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Hansen, H Twaddle, M 1998, Developing Uganda (Eastern African Studies), Ohio University Press, Athens. Harris, D, Moeckli, D, Shah, S Suvakumaran, S 2010, International Human Rights Law, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Heywood, A 2012, Political Ideologies: An Introduction, Palgrave, Basingstoke. House, E 2012, On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religion, Fault Lines and Future, Knopf Publishing, New York. Krasner, D 2001, Problematic Sovereignty, Columbia University Press, New York. Kreijen, G 2002, State, Sovereignty, and International Governance, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Markell, P 2003, Bound by Recognition, Princeton, New Jersey. Scott, J 2000, England’s Troubles: Seventeenth Century English Political Instability in European Context, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. This essay on The Key to Understanding Political Development was written and submitted by user Hulkl1ng to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

My Positive and Negative Traits Essay Example

My Positive and Negative Traits Essay To start with, one of my positive traits is being God-fearing. What I mean on this is that at all times I keep in mind that every action I do must be according to His will. Whether I do simple chores at home, or different works at school, I always make it to the point that I do all of these things with sincerity and honesty as God wants us to do. Another positive trait of mine is being family-oriented. Yes, I consider this as a positive one for I see my family as my source of motivation as I continue my path to be a successful person someday. Up to the present time, I am giving my all to finish my studies. I am now in my final year in college and hopefully sooner or later I’ll be able to get a decent job and yield my family the fruits of their hard work in providing me a better future. Then, I am a team player. One instance that can emphasize this is the time when we’re having our group project. We’re composed of different people, each with contrasting personalit ies compared to mine. What I did is I composed myself and focused on our goal, which is to finish the project. I also adapt myself and blend in to my group mates for us to have a good connection to one another. I am also a trustworthy friend. I’m the type of person that you can tell secrets to and never worry that I’ll share it to others. I have friends that I treat as my own, my best friends since high school. Until today the bond is still strong despite having our own schedules. We’re still connected, and whenever one of us has problems, the others are more than willing to lend a hand. Finally, having strong dedication and commitment to a specific goal is included in my positive traits. When I set my mind on something that I want to accomplish, I’ll do everything that I can in order to do so. For my negative traits, first thing is that sometimes I have a bad temper. This usually happens when I already had a bad day at school and then eventually I’ll be scolded We will write a custom essay sample on My Positive and Negative Traits specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on My Positive and Negative Traits specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on My Positive and Negative Traits specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

buy custom Global Wine War essay

buy custom Global Wine War essay The issues affecting the wine industry included the resource differences between wine producing countries of the Old World in comparison to the New World wine producers such as the US and Australia. Previously established sales volumes were affected by inefficiencies in distribution and marketing, as well as changes in wine tastes and preferences. The value chain of wine in the old world consisted of small-scale producers of grapes who sold to vintners. The vintners produced and sold the wine in bulk to merchant negociants that were in charge of blending and mass distribution. Such a long value chain drove the price of wine to unusually high levels, thus reducing its marketability. In order to prevent the problem, the governments and wine producers in these countries should merge their capacity for producing grapes and processing their wine. It could be achieved by formation of cooperatives for harvesting grapes and producing wine in order to reduce the losses resulting from the many intermediaries involved in the trade. Such producer cooperatives would be able to develop economies of scale in their production, thus providing the wine in the market at lower prices than individual producers do. It would enable wineries to reconcile growing grapes with the production of wine. It would also encourage producers to improve the quality of their grapes by reducing of quantity or using high quality seeds for their vines. It would also increase the ability of the producers to handle exports through reduction in packaging and other costs such as transportation (Foster Spencer, 2002). Reduction of Government Regulation Another strategy that would enable the wine producers to capture the mass market is the reduction of regulation in the market. Government regulations on aspects such as assignment of vintage quality level were meant to ensure the quality of wine. These measures also increased the entry barriers in the market. The variation in wine segments in the market resulted in highly differentiated categories of products with little movement across the segments. This made it difficult for the wine makers to progress in their production from one category to another. Despite the rigidity of these measures and the uniqueness developed for the different wines from different parts, the measures did not ensure quality, and thus it would be beneficial for the market if the regulations were made less stringent. The reduction in regulations for the wine producers would enable the different producers to access the market with their products. It would also reduce the barriers to entry in the market, thus enabling the production of wine at lower production costs. It would enable the wine producers to experiment with new processes and grape growing techniques. Allowing the wine producers to use specialized methods and equipment such as irrigation would boost the production of grapes. It enables the production of large quantities in order to enjoy economies of scale. It also reduces the cost of production and losses resulting from spoilage or poor weather conditions. These factors would enable the production of wine in a more conducive environment, thus increasing productivity and lowering the overall costs to the producers. Reduction of regulations would also allow the application of processes and techniques of viniculture such as night harvesting and strategic pruning. It would also reduce the variations in vintage quality as the producers could be able to guarantee relatively steady quality in their grapes. Branding and Marketing The increase in consumers with unsophisticated tastes and the reduction of experienced connoisseurs forced wine producers to shift their focus. The traditional wine producers should respond to this trend by producing wines that are attractive to consumers unaccustomed to wine. It would enable them to market to the larger segments that do not have much experience with wine. Mass appeal of wine in the market would enable producers to increase their market penetration and acceptace, thus improving sales. It would also be beneficial in reducing the negative effects of reduced market for specialty wines. Growth in the new markets such as Argentina, China, Japan, and Taiwan provided new market opportunities for wine producing countries. The new opportunities in these markets, however, would be of great benefit to those wineries that produce wines with a mass appeal. Many wine importing countries have also increased their consumption (Vrontis, Thrassou, Czinkota, 2011). Thus, wine producer s should target them in their production in order to ensure their growth. The wine producers should focus on the competition emanating from other drinks such as beer and liquor. The threat posed by these competitors is significant, and the wine producers and marketers should come up with strategies that address the norms and perceptions of consumers. It would be essential in convincing consumers of other beverages to consume more wine. Marketing strategies should address to the shifts in the market demand. Marketing for the wine should be differentiated depending on the target countries in order to ensure that the strategies respond to the culture, trends and demographics of the country. It would increase the effectiveness of the marketing strategies and enable the wine producers to improve their sales. Proper identification of wine varieties in ways that are easy for consumers to identify and relate is also necessary in increasing the efficiency of marketing. Despite the changes in tastes and preferences, the demand for premium wine has been on the rise a nd the wine producers should consider this fact in their marketing strategies. The consumption of premium wines has been on the rise, and, thus, the market should respond by producing more wine and marketing it with an emphasis on quality differentiation. Selling quality, as opposed to price competitiveness, would be an essential strategy in ensuring the survival of the wine producers because of the cyclical nature of the wine market. The marketers should move their strategies in relation to changes in trends in the market (Draskovic et al., 2011). Issues such as health benefits, laws on drinking, and the differences in preferences for white and red wines should also be considered in the production and marketing decisions. The preferences of consumers in relation to grape varieties also need to be considered in the marketing strategies implemented by wine marketers. Branding strategies are essential in enabling the marketing of different products. Producers in old wine producing countries should have a branding strategy that enables them to reach the target markets. Because of the large number of producers for wines such as Bordeaux, few of them could support adequate brand strategies in order to market their products. The success of government-supported classifications for branding was limited because of low consumer confidence resulting from the little brand awareness. The complexity of government brand strategies resulted in the low level of consumer confidence, as well as a reduction of consumer confidence in the standards as assurances of quality. Therefore, individual wine makers should brand their wine adequately in order to create consumer confidence and improve their prospects (Draskovic et al, 2011). Government classification schemes are intricate and require knowledge about reputation, vintage, and regions, which was previously hard t o find. Advantages and Disadvantages of the Strategies Formation of Cooperatives Advantages of cooperative formation. The strategy of different producers cooperating in order to pool their production would be beneficial in enabling wine producers to reduce their operating costs. It would also reduce the loss of value for producers in the value chain. It is due to the fact that these producers will have the capacity to process their wine without the use of intermediaries. Control over quality would also be increased because of the involvement of the wine producer in all aspects of the production and distribution chain. Collection of grapes for processing by a large cooperative would result in economies of scale in the operational processes. It would also increase the bargaining power of the producers in the market, thus enabling them to get better pay for their work (Foster Spencer, 2002). It would also increase the efficiency of the wine producers in exporting their produce. Disadvantages of Cooperatives Formation. The main disadvantage of forming cooperatives for grape farmers would be the reduction of autonomy of the individual producers. it would result in the mass production of wine, thus removing the aspect of wine character or uniqueness based on origin of vines. It might reduce the variability in vintages from different vineyards, thus reducing the variety available to consumers. It would also result in standardization of wines produced, thus removing the uniqueness of different wines because of the use of similar varieties of grape seeds in the vineyards. Reduction of Government Regulation Advantage of government regulation reduction. Reducing government regulation in the market would benefit the industry by removing entry barriers. Reducing government regulation would also enable wine producers to use innovative methods of producing wine or growing grapes in order to improve vineyard productivity. Wine producers in the Old World countries would also be able to use innovative methods of producing wine, managing vineyards and other equipment in order to ensure the quality of wine. These measures would result in high quality grapes and wine, as well as reduction in the variability of vintages. Such strategy would ensure that supply is always high, and the standard of wine produced can be guaranteed. Disadvantages of government regulation reduction. One of the disadvantages of reducing government regulation is the reduction of variability in vintages. It, according to the critics, would result in reduction in the varieties of wine and, thus, its spontaneity. Other methods used for increasing the productivity of grapes and vineyards would also result in reduced differentiation across the different types of wines. It is because of usage of similar technology and processes in the production of wine across the different countries. It would result in few noticeable differences in wine produced in the Old World wine producing countries and the New World wine producing countries. Mass Marketing and Branding Strategies Advantages of mass marketing and branding strategies. The use of modern branding and marketing strategies by wine producers would result in increased revenues for the wine producers and their ability to reach the markets. Producing what consumers want would result in the company being able to survive in the market despite the cycles in consumer preferences and demands. Focusing on competition in the market would also be beneficial to the wine industry by convincing consumers to purchase wine. Proper identification and branding of wines also increases consumer confidence because of the control provided by the producers in relation to the quality of wine. As well, it enables the producers to guarantee the quality of their wine, thus improving sales and market share (Vrontis, Thrassou, Czinkota, 2011). Implementing marketing strategies in line with trends in the market would be beneficial in enabling the Old World wine producers to survive in the market. Disadvantages of mass marketing and branding strategies. Mass marketing of wine and its branding have the potential to produce the effect of losing some niche markets. High-end premium wines are preferred because of their rarity and difficulty of locating. Branding and mass marketing would increase their availability, thus reducing their luxury value. Mass marketing and use of grape variety in branding may result in reducing the significance of the region of origin in the naming of wine (Foster Spencer, 2002). Consequently, it may reduce the value of the wine, especially in the domestic markets. Buy custom Global Wine War essay

International Crime Witness Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Crime Witness - Assignment Example The country follows a bicameral system in terms of political domain. The responsibilities of the central government and state are segregated apparently. The federal government controls the legal functions of the entire nations through legal policies and numerous regulations (Tatsachen, 2014). Germany is the largest among of the economies in the European Union (EU). A constant increase in GDP has been witnessed by the country in the recent past. It is considered as a global hub of business sector with special inclusion of the automobile sector. A considerable percentage of the employment is provided by the SMEs (Tatsachen, 2014). Regulations for the criminal act in Germany are deemed to be quite certain. However, with the passage of time, certain amendments have been brought in the legal structure, which has further provided systematic rules for contemplating the witnesses in crime scenes. As per Subsection 6 of the Criminal Code, a witness is seen as a contributor towards the preventer of any particular offence or crime. The regulation depicts that the primary responsibility of any witness is to stop crime voluntarily in the first place. The Criminal Code of Germany also depicts that crime witness needs to voluntarily depict his/her knowledge about the crime to the concerned authorities as early as possible so that proper measures can be taken. However, this particular aspect of the law is only limited towards witness of the criminal offence and not for any other legal scenario. Article 5 of the Principal Witness Act is also an important decree that specifically determines the process followed to deal with t he criminal witness. As per this particular code of the German criminal law, a witness should not intend to misguide the case with their information or else they might be liable to get imprisonment of 1 year (Hilger, n.d.). Criminal suspects in the US are liable to enjoy certain individual rights. As per the fifth amendment of the federal law of the US, all criminal defendants will have the right to get free trial along with certain rights relevant to search and seizure.     Ã‚  

Research Paper on Programming Roles Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

On Programming Roles - Research Paper Example However in order to successfully achieve the roles of software, both the programming and the non programming skills are required to be balanced together. In such organizations, agile decisions work more suitably. The working environments being healthy, the software developers tend to perform and achieve better (Alberto, 2009). The present study focuses on the programming skills that are associated with the software development teams discussing about the different roles in such teams. Also, the study would reflect on some historical discussion on how software development teams and roles have changed over time and how programming roles might be expected to change over the next ten years. Software Development Team Roles: Software being flexible, often irrational, as well as incomplete, the need for agile software development teams has been considered, that is based on the basic changes required in the roles and teams. This enables development of teams that are agile and hence know how t o remain agile in order to understand and manage the changes (Wells, 2009). There are different elements that constitute such agile software development teams. These include practices, values, roles, techniques, and tools. The specifications of the roles vary depending on the different software development teams (Dubinsky & Hazzan, n.d.). Software development is conducted in different ways at different organizations, and in all home office all over the globe. The practice that an organization or an individual employ to build up software might work for their definite surroundings and state of affairs, however it may be unsuccessful in another set of conditions (Breaking Down Software Development Roles, 2006, p.1). The common roles that exist within software development teams and their respective responsibilities are hereby discussed. The different roles of a software development team are Subject Matter Experts (SME), Functional Analysts (FA), Solutions Architect (SA), Development Lea d (DL), Developer (Dev), Quality Assurance (QA), Deployment (Deploy), Trainer, Project Manager (PM), and Development Manager (DM) (Breaking Down Software Development Roles, 2006, pp.1-2). Critical Skills of the Different Roles in Software Development Teams: Role of SME: These people are responsible for providing all the necessary information that requires for building up. SMEs are primarily required for the articulation of the different organizational needs (Breaking Down Software Development Roles, 2006, pp.3-4). Thus the direct role or skill of programming cannot be associated with this function. Role of FA: The role of a functional analyst is to capture, combine and communicate information from the SMEs to the rest of the team of software development. Although they may not require the same skills as that of the development team, yet at times they are found to be more skilled with regard to basic processing of word, spreadsheet, and general office tools that support their jobs (Br eaking Down Software Development Roles, 2006, pp.5-6). Thus this function too does not associate the skill of programming directly even though certain knowledge may be applicable. Role of SA: The programming skills may be associated with this function since the role of solution architect involves conversion of the team requirements into an architecture and design that can be used as the outline for the

Core Competencies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Core Competencies - Assignment Example This is accompanied by other roles such as promotion of health and ensuring that people are protected from diseases and infections as best as they can through offering of advice during treatment such as advice on sexually transmitted diseases and infections and on reducing obesity among others. Nurse practitioners also carry out counselling with the patients and the relatives and friends of a patient. This may be in preparation of the outcome of results of treatment and especially if the news are devastating. The most common cases are when breaking death news to the relatives and friends or news about terminal diseases. In all of these, a nurse practitioner has to build relationship in order to communicate effectively with the patient. The communication requires cultural competence as patients are culturally diversified and have various cultural beliefs and systems that need to be recognized beforehand and respected. Lastly, a nurse practitioner is supposed to prepare a plan of care for a patient and utilize it using evidence-based practice. The plan of care has to also be explained to both the patient and the relatives for decision making and implementation as well as evaluation (Department of Health and Human Services HRSA, 2002). A nurse administrator is in charge of the administration duties in a health care facility. The administration duties are similar to those of any other manager the only difference being that a nurse administrator is also a nurse and hence understands the medical field better. The most important of the role is the knowledge of the health care environment. This includes knowledge of the health care policies present, the delivery models that can be used, the risks that are anticipated and how to manage them as well as patient safety and case management. The nurse administrator should also exhibit communication and relationship building as one of the roles. This incorporates building and maintaining a working

The International Tourist Destination Tourism Essay

The International Tourist Destination Tourism Essay Tourism can be traced back to centuries but because the elements of the product and conditions of the market place have changed so enormously in the last few decades there has been a corresponding requirement for a change in the business methods. This has led to the use of tourism marketing. Tourism industry over the last few years has had an accelerated growth. Destinations come in all shapes and sizes and can be found in variety of geographical settings such as in urban, rural and coastal environment. Destinations can be a collection of countries or a district state, county or coastline. They can often be viewed in both a supply or demand context. Destinations are subject to artificial divides that ignore the needs of the consumer and the expectations of the tourist.The supply sided definition of destination is a well-defined geographical area which is understood by its visitor as a unique entity with a political and legislative framework for tourism marketing and planning. (Buhalis, 2000) whereas the demand sided definition is a place towards which people travel and where they choose to stay for a while in order to experience certain features or characteristics. (Buhalis, 2000) This paper presents a theoretical framework of disaster management in a destination with the marketing strategies in tourism. The first part of the essay would discuss on general views on destinations, marketing strategies and disasters. The second part concentrates on marketing strategies of Kerala as a destination and how marketing strategies can be used to mitigate negative impacts of disasters in a destination. Introduction All destinations have similar characteristics. The success of a tourist destination depends on the quality of the basic essentials they offer to tourists namely attractions, amenities and accessibility (Holloway and Taylor 2006).Each and every organization has to operate within a market environment. This environment is made up of different levels of influence that will affect the opportunities and the marketing decisions that need to be made. The conditions affecting competition and rivalry in company markets, the values of stakeholder groups, the political, social, economic, social and technological changes of the wider environment. For a destination to be successful and stay ahead in the industry, the officials and stakeholders must develop and implement new strategies. As per Johnsons and Scholes (1993) strategy is the direction and scope of an organization over the long term; ideally which matches its resources to its changing environment and in different markets, customers or clients so as to meet the stakeholders expectations. Different travel companies have similar marketing strategies for a destination. Any company in-order to form a marketing strategy has to first understand the particular destinations strengths, weakness, opportunities available and threats. When talking about managing and marketing a tourist destination it is very important to keep in mind the 15 Cs framework namely; Complexity, Control, Change, Crisis, Communication, Complacency, Customers, Culture, Competition, Commodification, Creativity, Channels, Cyberspace, Consolidation, Collaboration (Fyall et all). Marketing Mix To make a successful marketing strategy one has to understand the 4 Ps of marketing mix namely product, price, promotion and place. Kotler and Armstrong (2005) indicate that marketing mix is one of the key concepts in modern marketing theory. They defined marketing mix as the step of controllable, tactical marketing tools that the firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market. Firstly we would have a look at the 4 Ps of marketing mix. Product The effectiveness of planning the marketing mix depends as much on the ability to select the right target market as on the skill in devising a product offer. It is really difficult to talk about a product (destination) as one complete entity hence to understand a product in a better way McCarthy (1978) divided it into four different levels namely the core product, the facilitating product, supporting product and the augmented product. Along with it comes, services offered and the quality of the product which differs according to the product and customer/guests expectation. It is very important for an organisation to decide on the range of products to be offered to a particular target market. Brand name also plays a major role in the marketing of a product, a customer/guest travelling to a place may differ in terms of preference, necessities. Apart from the customers point of view for a destination for which customers are willing to pay high amounts it is very important to maintain th e standards of services and fulfil customers basic necessities. People often purchase a familiar brand as they are comfortable with familiar things. There are assumptions made by customers that a familiar brand would be reliable and of reasonable quality. An unknown brand often has limited chances. (Aaker, 1991: 19) Price The pricing policy selected for a product (destination) is often directly related to the performance of its future demand. Pricing decisions is often considered the hardest part of the marketing mix strategy. Promotion It is a very important activity that tourists organisations or tourists board perform in order to influence potential customers. It is also important to influence trade contacts such as retail agents, suppliers and opinion formers such as journalists and travel critics. Advertising plays a major role in terms of promotion as it helps is changing attitudes and builds an image in the customers mind. Sales promotion is another method which adds value to the product. Another method of promotion is personal selling where in a direct contact with the customer is established. However there is a growing use of sponsorship and direct marketing which many organisations are using. Place/Distribution Tourism is an intangible product hence no transfer of ownership takes place only services are rented or consumed. A distribution system is the mix of channels used to gain access, or means by which a tourism service is made available to the potential consumers of the product. There has been a constant growth in the central reservation system and the global distribution system which has shrunk the world and has got the customer closer to the product. However later on Booms and Bitner (1981) argued that the marketing mix of four Ps is not comprehensive enough for the tourism and hospitality industry, so they addedthree more clauses which are people, physical evidence and process. Tourism as an industry is not only affected by disasters but also is a cause for disasters which in turn affect the tourists flow. Impacts of Tourism Economic Impact of Tourism Tourism has been traditionally viewed as a great force in promoting understanding among nations and within the national boundaries facilitating emotional integration. However, its economic importance is less commonly understood. It is only in the recent years, in particular the latter half of the 20th century that tourism has been accepted as an important catalyst for economic development. It is in terms of its contribution to employment generation, foreign exchange earnings, income generation and output growth that tourism has significant impact on the economy. [ Indira Gandhi National Open University] (IGNOU 2002) Environmental Impact of Tourism Different kinds of tourism activities affect the natural and built environment. There is a complex interaction between tourism and the environment. Many studies have shown that tourism has an immense impact on the physical environment, and that little has been done to remedy or control the assault on the ecology. This is especially distressing in view of the fact that a major part of tourism depends on nature: mountains, beaches, deserts, forests, wildlife, water bodies and the like. [ Indira Gandhi National Open University] (IGNOU 2002) Socio-cultural Impact of Tourism Among the most debated issues pertaining to tourism are those related to the effects that tourists and the industry have on societies and cultures of local communities. A general argument is that tourism contributes to international understanding and harmony. On the contrary, it has severely affected indigenous customs and ways of life in certain cases. Tourists are seldom well prepared for an international encounter which is vastly different from their own. Their knowledge, in most cases, is cursory, that is glamorised images from glossy travel brochures, movies and similar material. [ Indira Gandhi National Open University] (IGNOU 2002) Disaster Disaster is a calamitous event which often leads to great damages which can be physical (affecting the nature and life) or can affect the business environment. (Oxford dictionary). Disasters are of two types namely Natural and Man-made disasters. Tourism has frequently been subjected to natural disasters such as hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes for example Hurricane Katrina on the north central Gulf Coast of the USA in 2005, the tsunami in 2004 off the coast of Indonesia and earthquakes in Taiwan in 1999 and San Francisco in 1989. The immediate effect leads to destruction of the tourist infrastructure and fall in customer demands. In addition to direct effect, destinations may suffer long term damage by perceptions in travel-risk. The earths climate has drastically changed in recent times and is predicted to change in the future. Directly and indirectly tourism is influencing the climate by about 80% (Gossling et al., 2005). Tourism is not only susceptible to natural disasters it is also affected by man-made disasters, such as outbreak of war, political unrest, terrorism for example political unrest in Libya, Terrorism attacks in Mumbai, India in 2007. Tourists generally perceive acts of terrorism to be higher risk than natural disasters when travelling. The perception of travel related risks have has changed during recent times as a result of change in the magnitude and frequency of the attacks. Kerala a major tourist destination in India Kerala, Gods own country is one of the favourite destinations for tourists in the world. It is situated on the south-western part of India with a coastline of 580km. It is famous for eco-tourism initiatives and growing at a rate of 13.31%. In the year 2008, 23.57% of total tourists were from United Kingdom, France and Germany. USA accounted for 8.72% of total tourists visiting Kerala in the year 2008. Kerala became 50 must see places in the lifetime to visit (National Geographic Travel, 2004) and also awarded in super brand award for 101 strongest brands in India by super brands India in the Year 2007. Tourism has emerged as the major revenue generating business to government of Kerala which has contributed almost 8% of the total employment directly and indirectly. The most important turning point in the state of Kerala was the private-public partnership to promote tourism in Kerala. Marketing of Kerala as a destination Backwater is the major tourist attraction of Kerala, however enjoying beaches with Ayurvedha is also one of the major attractions for tourists today. The government of Kerala is now trying to brand the medical tourism initiative which is turning out to be a great success as loads of people from many different countries are travelling to Kerala for better health care. There is also an emphasis on traditional art forms like Kathakali, Theyyam, etc which are pulling interests of travellers interested in arts. Kerala tourism is focussed more towards mass media advertisements and PR activities which help in attracting many tourists. Kerala also in terms of pricing is considered in a few of the cheap places for tourists in India. Hence it is very clear that the 4 Ps of marketing mix Place, Product, Price, Promotions. Kerala as a destination is influenced by natural and man-made disasters both. It has been observed that over the past three decades the predominant style of tourism in the region has been based almost exclusively on the attraction of the climate and of beaches. International visitors simply like visiting the beach and visit the back waters, the government has had an economic commitment to make to satisfying international demand by providing a coastal tourism product (UNECLAC, 2003). However the coastal range is prone to direct and immediate risk as when we look back from the year 2000 there has been a lot of natural disasters such as Hurricanes, storms, Tsunami, Floods, etc. Similarly when we look at the man-made disasters the Indian Sub continent is very prone to it from the Kargil war in 1999 to different terrorism attacks in Parliament building (New delhi) in 2001 and the Taj Hotel bombing (Mumbai) in 2008 or be it the global recession. All these affect the tourist flow in a particular destination. Strengths and Weakness There are a few weakness and many strengths of the above mentioned marketing strategy done by the government of Kerala. Firstly we would discuss weaknesses of the strategy followed by the strengths. Weaknesses There is an inadequate infrastructure to match the expectations of the tourist who travel to Kerala which means limited number of hotels, restaurants and limited space. The government has tough airline policies such as keeping in mind Kerala does not have an international airport as one of the major generator of tourist revenue. There is no proper waste management system which can become cause for many natural disasters. There is a shortage of funds available for growth of tourism which can often lead to exploitation of tourists and can lead to many other man-made disasters which is very common in Goa now-a-days. Strengths One good thing about the government of Kerala is that they are smooth operators of law and order which helps in confronting any man-made disaster to happen. The people of Kerala are involved by the government in the tourism industry which leads to broader thinking and leads to development of knowledge of disaster management in the people. The quality of life also improves of the local people, it is also noted that Kerala is the only society in the world which has 100% literacy rate. The current marketing strategy promotes Kerala as a destination and has made such an image even if there is a miss happening in the country, tourists would still flow in considering Keralas law and order being so rigid. In case of any natural disaster it is very obvious that it is a destination that can recover in one single days time. Even during the Tsunami, Kerala recovered itself very easily whereas other destinations adjoining Kerala took time to recover from the shock. Conclusion Kerala tourism is one of the super brand in the world of tourism. But the government is currently focussing on mass media tools although it is being properly put together but the government should focus more on direct marketing as the major revenue generator is the domestic market. Direct marketing can be considered to be more effective for brand building and very cost efficient as compared to mass media promotions. Word of mouth is being considered one of the most important tool of marketing now-a-days. Apart from these strategies the government also can conduct events based campaigns keeping in mind the various festivals in the state itself like Pongal, famous boat race. Furthermore it can also be recommended that encouraging local people to participate in decision-making process, training the guides and the local people, appreciate people of different profession and allocate special areas for the peaceful co-existence, maintaining the control on the prices of goods and quality of services. The government should take extra steps and encourage private investors to invest and promote tourism in a destination which would in turn lead to improvements in the infrastructure of the destination which is one of the most important thing for a destination in order to attract more tourists.

The Move of Super Saver to the UK Food Retail Market :: Business Management Triangle Test Essays

The Move of Super Saver to the UK Food Retail Market A new low cost overseas retailer, ‘Super Savers’ is wishing to move into the UK Food Retail market. One of the ranges they wish to stock is blackcurrant squash. The company has two potential suppliers, Ribeena and Tesco, and wishes to select one brand for the range of outlets. The product manager would like to know: 1. If there is a significant difference between the two brands 2. What are the differences in terms of the sensory profile 3. Which attributes of the products most affect consumer acceptance 4. Which product consumers prefer TASK: As sensory analysts we are required to design and execute appropriate tests to elicit this information and present our findings in the form of full report to the product manager. 1.ABSTRACT ---------- In this report, a new low cost overseas retailer, ‘Super Savers’ is wishing to move into the UK Retail Market. One of the ranges they wish to stock is blackcurrant squash. The company has two potential suppliers, Ribeena and Tesco, and wishes to select one brand for the range of outlets. Four tests had been chosen to undertake, which were the Triangle test, the Just-Right test, the Descriptive Analysis test (taste, colour, smell, and texture) and the 9-point hedonic test. For the achievement of the above four tests, twenty panellists were selected. The results obtained from this evaluation showed in general that there was a significant difference between Ribeena and Tesco blackcurrant squashes. The only case that the null hypothesis was rejected, that is there was not any difference between the two products, was in the attribute of smell tested in the sensory profile. The methodology for each test took a sequence of experimental design, null-hypothesis and test selection. In addition environmental conditions, sample presentation and panel selection where considered and the collection, analysis and interpretation of data derived the most suitable product. 2. INTRODUCTION: â€Å"Sensory evaluation is a scientific discipline used to evoke, measure, analyse and interpret reactions to those characteristics of foods and materials as they are perceived by the senses of sight, smell, taste touch and hearing† (Institute of Food Technology, USA, 1981). As sensory analysts, we were asked to give a sensory evaluation of the two products - Ribeena and Tesco blackcurrant squashes – to the ‘Super Savers’ overseas retailer. â€Å"For sensory analysis to be successful, it is necessary for someone to take the responsibility to ensure the tests are carried out in the correct and appropriate manner. This is the role of the sensory analyst or the panel leader† (Lyon, Francombe, Hasdell, Lawson, 1992, p.47). 3. AIMS OF THE PROJECT  · To find out if there is a significant difference between the two

Key issues facing my organization over the next five years

Amwal was formed in 1998 as a financial planning firm for the women of Qatar under the patronage of HE Shiekha Mozah, the wife of the Emir of Qatar.   As a result of Amwal’s success and reputation it was transformed into a fully licensed investment bank in 2005.Amwal, like most of the investment banks and asset management firms in the region, has benefitted from the unprecedented economic growth, high oil prices, and surplus wealth. The GCC countries are expected to grow over seven percent in the next five years. Qatar is one of the top GCC countries in economic performance.   As such, Qatar’s economy is expected to grow 13% in 2008 as a result of sustained oil prices and the country’s ambitious gas industrialization initiatives.Following Russia and Iran, Qatar has the world’s third largest gas reserves. In terms of energy, these reserves are expected to last for more than 200 years. This growth is not temporary in nature and is expected to continue ov er the long run. During former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan’s recent visit o Jeddah, he was quoted saying that the oil boom would â€Å"go on forever†.All of these factors have resulted in a mushroom effect on the growth of different kinds of financial institutions in the region.   Existing banks are expanding rapidly, new banks are being set up, and many international players from US, Europe, and Asia are setting up shop in this region. In the last two years nearly 280 financial intuitions have surfaced in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).In the current market scenario, I believe that Amwal will face the following challenged as it strives to become a world class investment bank:  Carving its own identity and differentiating from its regional peersAmwal has a very strong shareholder base that includes prominent local and regional organizations.   For this reason Amwal’s identity sometimes is overshadowed by affiliation with one of i ts shareholders in the multiple   transactions that Amwal actually facilitates.   As a new investment bank Amwal leveraged its shareholder base to its benefit.   However as we grow it is imperative that we carve out our own identity that will build a strong brand recognition in the region. This is important because it will help Amwal to differentiate itself from its regional competitors, who often operate on similar grounds and similar strengths.   This will occur over the mid   to long range period as Amwal builds on successful deals, takes steps to increase social responsibility, and invests in its employee resources.Competing with global names such as Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley and Goldman SachsDue to economic growth and initiatives to develop the capital markets, GCC countries have been successful in attracting global names such as Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Barclays etc. This presents a unique challenge for a local bank like Amwal to remain compe titive due to its relative inexperience as compared to the multinational investment banks. GCC countries have embarked on a major capital expenditure initiative, developing their infrastructure and other major projects. Qatar alone will spend over $100 billion(U.S.) over the next five years.   This will help to position Amwal as a local expert with global capabilities.Hiring and retaining key staffDue to the spur in new market entrants, banks are competing for the best human resources and often find themselves short of a healthy bench-strength. This has been mainly due to the high turnover, shortage of seasoned professionals, and a general preference to employ western educated professionals with regional experience. This problem is more prevalent for local banks with limited resources.These local banks are rely heavily on key staff such as the senior manages of investment banking and asset management. Amwal is not immune to this problem and has recently developed a policy of retai ning good employees and encouraging its staff to develop further expertise by sending them for training and allowing time off from work for academic studies.   Amwal will face a key challenge of retaining staff and hiring more professionals due to circumstances beyond its control including regional factors such as increased competition and the higher cost of living.Need for a better corporate governanceAnother challenge is creating the right balance of power and accountability between the board of directors, senior management, shareholders,   and internal operating departments.   Amwal has grown tremendously over the last few years and is now planning for its own Initial Public Offering (IPO) early next year to support its current growth and future goals. During the initial years of operation, Amwal’s management style was very centralized with authorities and powers limited to a few key individuals. While this is very common among most local and regional institutions li ke Amwal, this structure usually leads to a financial and strategic gap upon the exit of these key individuals.Amwal has come a long way since its transformation into an investment bank and have developed business policy principles, guidelines, internal and external regulations and monitoring mechanisms. However, as we continue to grow, expand our global reach, and prepare for the IPO, I believe these measures would need to be constantly reviewed and enhanced as they are critical for conducting proper corporate accountability and enhancing business prosperity. Another prevailing impediment is the lack of proactiveness of the local governing bodies that need to substantially enhance the regulatory framework, develop stricter industry guidelines, and encourage transparency.   As an industry leader, Amwal is in a unique position to have a positive effect on the creation of the regulatory industry in the region.ConclusionThese observations are not only unique to Amwal.   Since we ar e in a constantly changing environment it is critical that local and regional institutions identify these challenges and develop a strategic plan to respond to them.   I believe that Amwal is well placed and uniquely positioned for this challenge with its sound business model and comprehensive long range strategic plan.

Ticks, Suborder Ixodida

Ticks, Suborder Ixodida The parasitic arachnids we call ticks all belong to the suborder Ixodida. The name Ixodida derives from the Greek word ixÃ… dÄ“s, meaning sticky. All feed on blood, and many are vectors of diseases. Description: Most adult ticks are quite small, the largest reaching about 3mm in length at maturity. But when engorged with blood, an adult tick can easily expand to 10 times its normal size. As adults and nymphs, ticks have four pairs of legs, like all arachnids. Tick larvae have only three pairs of legs. The tick life cycle has four stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. The female lays her eggs where the emerging larva is likely to encounter a host for its first blood meal. Once fed, it molts into the nymph stage. The nymph also requires a blood meal, and may go through several instars before reaching adulthood. The adult must feed on blood a final time before producing eggs. Most ticks have a three-host life cycle, with each stage (larva, nymph, and adult) finding and feeding on a different host animal. Some ticks, however, remain on a single host animal for their entire life cycle, feeding repeatedly, and others require two hosts. Classification: Kingdom – Animalia Phylum – ArthropodaClass – ArachnidaOrder – AcariGroup - ParasitiformesSuborder - Ixodida Habitat and Distribution: Worldwide, there are nearly 900 species of ticks known and described. The vast majority (about 700) of these are hard ticks in the family Ixodidae. Approximately 90 species occur in the continental U.S. and Canada. Major Families in the Order: Ixodidae – hard ticks Argasidae – soft ticks Genera and Species of Interest: Both the blacklegged or deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) and the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) can transmit the bacterium that causes Lyme disease.Proteins in the saliva of the Rocky Mountain wood tick, Dermacentor andersoni, can cause paralysis in its hosts, which include cattle, horses, dogs, sheep, and humans. Boophilus ticks are parasites of large hoofed mammals, and complete their life cycle on a single host. Amblyomma nuttali holds the record for the largest clutch of eggs produced by a single tick – over 22,000! Sources: Borror and DeLongs Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th edition, by Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. Johnson.Synopsis Of The Described Arachnida Of The World, Texas AM University Entomology Dept. Accessed online December 31, 2013.The Encyclopedia of Entomology, 2nd edition, edited by John L. Capinera.The Distribution of Ticks, Centers for Disease Control. Accessed online December 31, 2013.Order Ixodida – Ticks, Bugguide.net. Accessed online December 31, 2013.Tick Biology, the Tick App, Texas AM University Entomology Dept. Accessed online December 31, 2013.

Unified Combatant Command (COCOM) essays

Unified Combatant Command (COCOM) essays 1.A Unified Combatant Command (COCOM) is a joint military command of America, which has forces from at least 2 services, and its organization can be on a regional or functional basis. Of the nine Combatant commands, six have regional duties while four have functional responsibilities, with the latest addition being the regional command AFRICOM for Africa (which was earlier under three combatant commands). The regional combatant commander is a four star general/admiral, who reports to the secretary of defense. The regional commanders exercise direct control over the combat forces. These regional commanders play a very important role in furthering the foreign policy objectives of the US government. Taking the example of the establishment of AFRICOM, the rising strategic importance, and increasing US stake in Africa led it to establish this regional command, and the regional combatant commander, among other responsibilities, is charged with strengthening the ability of the respective go vernments in Africa, and to bring stability to them, which would put on hold the aggressive recruitment of terrorists in this region.1 This illustrates how a regional combatant commander can influence the most important US foreign policy objective. In addition to that, it is also meant to counter China's increasing influence in the region, which again represents a foreign policy objective for the US. Another way this purpose is served by combatant commanders as their respective commands contribute to the enduring US presence around the globe, and laying the groundwork for the establishment of military coalitions and interoperability between states.2 Another important aspect that the commanders have to consider is the expansion of relations with allies through joint military exercises and co-operation. E.g. US Pacific Command took part in over 1700 exercises and other engagement activities with foreign military forces in 2006.3 Various measures are under con...

Problem and solution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Problem and solution - Essay Example With the advent of mechanized way of life, man has begun to rely on machines and physical activity has declined significantly. In addition to that, the urge to make money and succeed has increased the time in value manifolds. Man has to rush to keep everything going smooth and there is hardly any time left for such activities as cooking or exercise. In such circumstances, junk food seem the most appropriate option to go for since it provides with taste and luxury and above all saves time otherwise consumed in cooking and dish-washing. Besides, junk food has become a necessary part of a luxurious life-style so people specially youngsters fancy junk food. Not only this, the general life-style of the modern age has increased human interaction with technology. Children used to devote sufficient time to outdoor games that helped build their physique and keep them smart in the past. Nowadays, there is so much to explore in the computer world, that children can not manage to find time for o utdoor activities. Also, importance of the use of computer can not be underestimated since it is essential in order to remain at par with the changing trends of the modern world. People keep sitting in front of a screen net-surfing for hours and hours and ultimately, put on weight. Long story short, modern life-style has minimized physical exertion for many and that is the fundamental reason of the wide-spread obesity among people of all age. All of these factors have specially caused youngsters to put on weight. Obesity is a growing concern particularly among the youth. This is because junk food is the most fundamental cause of obesity and is the most popular among the youngsters. However, obesity can be developed at any age starting from early childhood to old-age. Men and women are equally susceptible to obesity and both genders can be affected by obesity in their own ways. Women are particularly afraid of

Racial Disproportionality in the United States Prison System Research Paper

Racial Disproportionality in the United States Prison System - Research Paper Example Information gathered by the Political Research Associates (2005) reveal that the criminal justice system is generally racist. Even as most people in the US feel that we have already overcome our racist history, these practices are still very much apparent in our society today. This is apparent in the fact that, out of the 2.1 million adult men and women in our prisons, about 70% of these are blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and other racial minorities. These people of color are being imprisoned at a rate which is very much disproportionate, and they are not given access to the rehabilitation options which are often given to their white counterparts; they are also more prone to abuse and harassment by various government agencies (Political Research Associates, 2005). Although rates of crime commission are higher among people of color, they are also being disproportionately targeted in terms of unfair treatment within the criminal justice system. Only about 12.7% of the US population is made up of Black-Americans, however, 2003 surveys reveal that they comprise 48.2% of the adult population in federal, state, and local prisons (Prison Activist Resource Center, 2003). In relation to drug abuse, the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse declare that 72% drug users are whites, and only 15% are blacks; and yet, a greater percentage of blacks are imprisoned for drug offences (in Human Rights Watch, 2000). The Latin population makes up only about 11% of the US population, and about 10% of overall drug users in the US; however, 18.6% of the US prison population is made up of these Latinos, and 22.5% of them have been convicted for drug-related crimes (Political Research Associates, 2005). In relation to the death penalty convicts, a significant percentage (42.5%) are African-Americans, and these numbers represent more than three times the percentage for African Americans in the entire US population (Political Research Associates, 2005). Surveys carried out in 2003 also revealed that whites were imprisoned at a rate of 376 for every 100,000 individuals. This is in stark contrast to the statistics for people of color, with Indians imprisoned at a rate o f 709 for every 100,000, Latinos at 997 per 100,000 of their population, and for the African-Americans, at a rate of 2526 for every 100,000 (Political Research Associates, 2005). African-American males already have a 32% probability of serving time at any point in their lives; Hispanics are at a 17% probability; and for whites, they have a significantly lower probability of spending any time in jail at 6% (Political Research Associates, 2005). In reviewing this disproportionate trend in the American prison systems, it is necessary to evaluate the practices in the criminal justice system which has caused this racial disproportion in the American prisons. First of all, among adult drivers, blacks have an 11.2% probability of being pulled over as compared to

2page and a long essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

2page and a long - Essay Example This saw many tensions and it were at this time where activist were trying to preach against discrimination. Black Americans were moving to other towns to look for jobs and employment. It was at this stage that slavery was made illegal and amenities were scarce for the black Americans. The most common jobs for the blacks was cotton picking, and they were no school ready to accept the blacks as they were still viewed as slaves who had nothing good to offer it as this point that the white settlers would sign a pact not to sell any land to the blacks though the court had already abolished the discrimination law. It is at this time that landowners who were mostly the white would underpay and would also beat the black Americans and even kill them if they were found to have broken the law. Rampant cases of black Americans by their employers were not seen as a strange thing, and it is at this of this that activists and human rights were very active. Discrimination among the blacks brought about rebellion and theft and shackles neighborhood came up. This was after the whites refused to sell the land the blacks would go on to live in their zones. The whites viewed the blacks a parasites and illiterates who would not survive on their own. Rural to urban migration became rampant, and this was caused by the need to look for better opportunities agrarian revolution had taken place and blacks were tired of the cotton picking jobs that were could not match their expenses. Its importance to the American history is the steps they went through all those fighting and discrimination has made America stronger as a country the fighting of racism the sprouting of estates viewed as a no for the whites proved that hatred and racism was real. It shows the way why America should foster love and fight racism as this would strengthen them and not divide them. Institutions are also built to promote love and also sportsmanship. It is evident

American novel Essay Example for Free

American novel Essay Inspiration is something that some people have difficulty finding, whether to write the great American novel or simply to get out of bed in the morning. Creative inspiration is much more delicate a subject, as when one does not feel the desire to create, the product most often suffers greatly. However, for me, creative inspiration comes from almost everywhere I look, as long as I manage to see beauty before me, and luckily, the world is a beautiful place. Beauty is truly everywhere; it can be in a sunset, a work of art, or in a masterpiece of architecture. There is manmade beauty and natural beauty, and both have unique appeals that inspire to humans in many different ways, including creatively. Along with the millions of writers, painters, and poets that came before me, I find creative inspiration in noticing the beauty of things, no matter how common or rare. I can also find beauty amidst things that are ugly, if anything gaining an increased appreciation for the beautiful moments of peace and lightness. No matter how much I suffer or observe suffering, it is easy for me to remember that life is indeed beautiful, and this often inspires me to continue creating beauty of my own. Human physical beauty is also something that inspires me creatively. It is impossible to deny that certain men and women are not beautiful, for a perfect face and body attracts many people from all around; however like the old adage that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, everyone else may not universally agree upon the external and physical beauty of these people. Some people make think blonds are beautiful, while others prefer brunettes; some people may like blue eyes, while others only find brown beautiful. This shows the subjective nature of beauty, which begs the question as to whether this beauty is significant at all or merely a matter of taste. However, like the beauty of Helen of Troy, legendary and often referenced in all arts, beautiful people inspire me to create. But, while physical beauty can inspire me to create, it is most often the beauty I find within people and myself that most inspires me. I believe the greatest and most inspiration beauty in life comes from within; and this kind of beauty can be achieved by everyone without pills, painful operations, or costly beauty treatments. I have learned not to put too much stock in the media’s representation of beauty, because I feel it robs from the more significant beauty that can be achieved in society when people think of each other and treat each other with equal respect and consideration. I do my best to live by the golden rule, and find situations the most beautiful when others do the same. I feel that many of the popular conceptions of beauty are based on half-truths and blatant deceptions, encouraging people to hide their flaws rather than love themselves. For me, honesty is beautiful and inspirational, and I try always to be honest, and subsequently inspired. Life is beautiful enough without having to worry about perfecting physical attributes, and the truth is that aesthetic beauty is not nearly as lasting or inspirational as emotional, spiritual, and mental beauty. These are the kinds of beauty to which I aspire and have successfully managed to cultivate in my efforts to harness creative inspiration. While beauty may truly be in the eye of the beholder, I feel confident in my own beauty because I treat everything in life as it is: beautiful. From this view, it is easy for me to find creative inspiration in just about everything I see, hear, and feel. I find joy and inspiration in everything, and I try to make everyone share in the beauty that I possess and inspiration I find, hoping that they can also create his or her own. I try to be truthful in all regards, and try never to feel insecure that my beliefs in my own beauty are false. I refuse to adopt the media’s perception of beauty, and prefer to find my own conceptions in what I see is true beauty: generosity, compassion, and joy. All I have to do is sit back for a moment, reflect on the wonders of existence, and I will inevitably be convinced of the beauty of life, and subsequently inspired to create some of my own. For me, this is the truth, and like the words of John Keats, â€Å"Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all/ Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know† (Keats, 1901). For me, beauty is truth, and truth is inspiring. REFERENCES Keats, J. (1901/1999). Ode to a Grecian Urn. The Oxford Book of English Verse. Ed. Quiller- Couch, Arthur Thomas, Sir. Bartleby. com. 31 Jul 2008. www. bartleby. com/ 101/625.

Essay --

The book â€Å"Caring for Yourself While Caring for Your Aging Parents† written by Clare Berman discusses all of the key issues involved in caring for an elderly parent. Berman discusses these issues by drawing from her personal experience and interviews with caregivers. Berman also provides advice and information on: Caregivers, stress among siblings, long distance caregiving, finances and nursing home care (Berman, 2005). This paper will evaluate the way in which the author handled the subject of caring for your aging parents as well as yourself, and how the book contributed to my understanding of the issues discussed. This paper will do so by reviewing a plot summary, character analyses and theme analyses. Plot Summary - Berman’s book serves as a guide for individuals who are involved in caring for aging parents, (and for those who see caretaking in their future). The book centers on the emotional stresses and needs of caregivers, while at the same time addressing all the practical issues they are likely to confront. Berman does this by drawing on her own experiences, the experiences of many other adult children, and interviews with specialists in geriatrics; Berman also discusses the wide range of emotions that can accompany caregiving (Berman, 2005). Character Analysis – The character I choose to examine is Clare Berman herself because she offers herself in her book as an example we all can pull from when we are faced with caring for our older adult parents. Berman is seen as the protagonist in the book due to her battle with caring for her aging mother and mother in law with Alzheimer’s. Berman’s core quest is to care for her aging mother and mother in law, while caring for herself. This quest is so important to Berman because w... ...ult children. The guilt that as a caregiver they were not doing enough and how as a caregiver you may feel guilt was a constant throughout the book. In terms of the characters I noticed a sprinkling of themes which connected all of them. The type of characters were hardworking, honest, loving caregivers who were seeking a happy medium between caring for themselves, their families and their older adult loved ones. All of the characters wanted to have a separate life as well as creating a good and healthy life for the older adult they are caring for. I believed the author’s intent is in creating such characters were to help us as the reader to connect to them and their struggles. It also seemed as though Berman wanted to demonstrate that all caregivers go through the same struggles and feelings of inadequacy about what they are doing through the context of the book.

Bhopal Gas Tragedy

Bhopal as a Case Study – Union Carbide Corp. INVESTIGATION OF LARGE-MAGNITUDE INCIDENTS: BHOPAL AS A CASE STUDY Ashok S. Kalelkar Arthur D. Little, Inc. Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA Presented At The Institution of Chemical Engineers Conference On Preventing Major Chemical Accidents London, England May 1988 ABSTRACT The investigation of large-magnitude incidents is fraught with difficulties and the process of establishing the primary cause of an incident often requires an understanding of human nature in addition to the necessary technical and engineering skills.The salient non-technical features that are common to the investigation of large-magnitude events are discussed in general. The investigation of the Bhopal disaster is discussed as a specific case study in light of these salient features. The results of the overall investigation are discussed and it is demonstrated that the commonly-held view that water-washing of a certain header caused the disaster is physically impo ssible. Evidence is presented which indicates that direct water entry into the methyl isocyanate storage tank was the likely initiating cause of the Bhopal disaster.I. INTRODUCTION In the aftermath of a major accident or incident in the chemical industry, it is common practice to ascertain the cause of the event through an investigation. If the magnitude of the incident is very large in terms of its impact on people, property, or the environment, it is not uncommon to assemble several teams of investigators to seek the cause of the incident independently. In the United States, a large-magnitude event may be investigated by the company that owns the facility, the insurance group that rovides the liability coverage, federal investigators (e. g. , OSHA, EPA), and state and local regulatory agencies. When several investigations are being conducted concurrently, in spite of the differing interests that are represented by each investigating team, cooperation and fact-sharing generally occ urs among the investigating teams. This cooperative spirit was evident to some extent, for example, in the investigation of the LPG disaster in 1984 in Mexico City l. Page 1 of 16 Bhopal as a Case Study – Union Carbide Corp.Given the significant amount of damage that is typically associated with a large-magnitude event, coverage by the news media is both extensive and exhaustive, especially if a number of fatalities have occurred. The news media represent yet another group of separate investigators and tend to focus on the human interest aspects of the tragedy. In addition, often with little hard information available, they actively speculate on the cause of the event in an attempt to â€Å"scoop† the story; that is, to be the first to report the cause to the world at large.In recent years, the news media with their surfeit of investigative reporters have become a predictable presence at the site of an incident. Although no two major disasters are the same, our involve ment in the investigation of more than a dozen events of significant magnitude has led us to believe that there are certain salient features that are common to most investigations. They include: 1. Media Pressure – In the immediate aftermath of a large-magnitude incident, both nontechnical and technically trained reporters converge on the site, looking for quick â€Å"answers† to the question of what caused the event.Most reporters are responsible, restrained, and unbiased in their reporting. However, a fringe group usually appears on-site that is more interested in developing causation theories, which seem to have great public appeal, regardless of their veracity. In the case of the disaster at Bhopal in 1984, the cause celebre was the â€Å"missing slip-blind† during a water-washing operation. An assertion was made that failure to insert a slip-blind prior to water-washing of some filters ultimately led to water entering the MIC tank and starting a reaction. T his assertion proved to be false, as will be demonstrated later in this paper.The difficulty with these incorrect causation theories is that, because the public and the media have a short attention span, the theories can become the conventionally accepted versions of what occurred. When a technical investigation discloses the actual cause much later, there may be less coverage, because the event is â€Å"old news† by then. 2. Psychological Issues – It has also been our experience that those people associated with a large-magnitude incident seem to evince an internal need to put some psychological distance between themselves and the incident.For example, there are those who feel — in hindsight — that even though they were not responsible for the event, they could have done more to reduce the magnitude of the event. And there are those who just wish it had not occurred on â€Å"their watch†. There are also occasions when persons on duty distort and o mit major facts to establish a reduced responsibility for the event. There is substantial evidence that such distortions and omissions occurred in Bhopal. 3. Eyewitness Accounts – When eyewitnesses are questioned about a major accident or incident, they tend to reveal only those facts that they personally consider important and pertinent.Thus, a good investigator must draw people out, using a line of questioning which elicits all pertinent facts. We have found that an eyewitness is most likely to be forthcoming and helpful if he or she is questioned immediately after the event. Once a story is told, whether accurate or inaccurate, it tends to harden. Further, where a deliberate distortion occurs, with the passage of time, the persons involved tend to coordinate their stories better. This puts a substantial premium on talking to persons involved quickly.In the Bhopal situation, the Union Carbide investigation team was blocked from doing this by the Indian Government for over a year. As a result, Union Carbide was unable to uncover the ultimate cause of the event until 1986. 4. Contradictory Accounts – When faced with contradictory statements from various Page 2 of 16 Bhopal as a Case Study – Union Carbide Corp. witnesses, an investigator has to weigh various accounts and then judge which account is likely to be correct, discarding the false account.This may require gaining an understanding of the probable motives of those persons who, knowingly or unknowingly, provided the incorrect accounts. It is also often possible to assess the accounts against known or technically established facts, to determine their accuracy. We encountered numerous cases of directly contradictory accounts of various situations that transpired during the Bhopal incident from those who were present during the event. 5. Time Perception – Although witnesses in a traumatic incident often recall the sequence of events with remarkable clarity, their perceptions of t ime during the actual incident sometimes differ.Therefore, when establishing the true chronology, witnesses' time perception must be evaluated against objective evidence. In the case of the Bhopal investigation, piecing together the correct chronology required that perceptions of time among different witnesses be accounted for in a consistent manner. The above list of features is by no means complete. However, it does identify some significant issues that are manifest in incident investigations, and which should be considered by investigators of large-magnitude incidents. The very presence of these issues makes an incident investigation more than a purely technical exercise.In many ways, one can liken the investigation to attempting to correctly piece together a complex jigsaw puzzle, with the added challenge of having several pieces that are hidden, others yet to be discovered, and several extraneous pieces that do not belong in the completed puzzle at all and have to be discarded. To add to the investigator's difficulties, the â€Å"puzzle† has to result in a clear picture, even though assembled in a background of human tragedy and suffering, media attention, and a general aura of suspicion and hostility towards the plant and company investigation teams.The above factors are those which we have identified in our investigation of large-magnitude incidents, and many of these factors played a role in the investigation of the Bhopal incident. The following sections will give a brief background of the investigation, elaborate upon some of the factors which were encountered and resolved during the investigation, and present some of the evidence and the conclusions of the investigation. II. BHOPAL INVESTIGATION BACKGROUND To the best of our knowledge, two separate major detailed technical investigations of the Bhopal event were authorized.One investigation 2, sponsored by the Government of India (GOI), was conducted by a staff of scientists and engineers fro m the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and it included other experts as well. A second investigation3, sponsored by the Union Carbide Corporation (UCC)*, was conducted by scientists and engineers from UCC, Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL), outside experts, and attorneys. The two investigations went forward entirely independent of one another. (The Indian Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also conducted its own investigation. )In addition to these major investigations, dozens of opinions, purportedly based on investigations of the incident, were offered by various newspapers, magazines, television and radio commentators, authors, organizations, consultants, and politicians. Such accounts generally proved Page 3 of 16 Bhopal as a Case Study – Union Carbide Corp. to be quite flawed and incomplete. Union Carbide investigators were at the site of the incident at Bhopal within days of the event to provide assistance and to conduct an investigation, but fo und that the plant had been sealed and placed under the control of the CBI.The cause of the incident was not then apparent. The methyl isocyanate (MIC) production unit had been shut down six weeks prior to the incident and the storage tank (Tank 610) had been isolated at that time; all that was known was that the pressure had risen in Tank 610 during the third shift on a Sunday night, December 2-3, 1984, and that MIC had been released into the atmosphere. It was unknown whether the release had been triggered by the entry of a contaminant, water, or some other agent.The search for the cause of the incident at that point was, however, a secondary consideration; a second tank (Tank 611) containing some 20 tons of MIC remained, and the first order of business was to assist in its safe disposal. It was determined that the safest route would be to process the MIC and SEVIN carbaryl pesticide, which was then done promptly. The processing of this tank of MIC was conducted jointly by UCIL an d the CSIR, with the assistance of UCC's technical team, in an activity labeled Operation Faith by the Indian Government.Following the safe disposal of the remaining MIC in December of 1984, the UCC investigation team attempted to begin its investigation. However, the legal skirmishes had commenced in both the United States and India and the CBI essentially maintained complete control over the records of the MIC unit. Although the investigation team was permitted to see copies of records in the period immediately following the event, it was allowed to do so only by specifically requesting a copy of a particular record or document. *The author of this paper and the organization he represents were a part of this investigation team.Thus, if the team was unaware that a particular document existed, the document would never come to its attention, even though it might have a significant bearing on the outcome of the investigation. Moreover, the CBI prohibited interviews with the plant's em ployees. The team submitted to the CBI a list of 193 plant employees whom it wanted to interview, but permission was refused. The CBI would only authorize discussions with the Plant Manager and the MIC Production Superintendent, neither of whom was on duty the night of the incident.In fact, the CBI was conducting a criminal investigation into the incident, and it contended that attempts by Union Carbide's investigating team to formally interview the workers would constitute â€Å"tampering with evidence† in the criminal investigation. The problem of access to information was further magnified by this threat of criminal prosecution by the Indian government, Union Carbide's Chairman, Warren Anderson, who went to Bhopal to offer assistance and relief immediately after the incident, was placed under arrest upon his arrival in the city, and seven UCIL officers and employees were also arrested.This posture, in addition to physically preventing an investigation by Union Carbide, cre ated an atmosphere of fear of criminal sanctions among the plant workers. Such an atmosphere, together with the sheer magnitude of the disaster, made witnesses even more defensive and uncommunicative than is usually the case in such investigations. Further, the CBI conducted its criminal investigation into the incident using aggressive tactics. We believe this treatment played a major role in the development of a â€Å"cover-up† by plant employees.As noted earlier, there is a reflexive tendency among plant workers everywhere to Page 4 of 16 Bhopal as a Case Study – Union Carbide Corp. attempt to divorce themselves from the events surrounding any incident and to distort or omit facts to serve their own purposes. This is especially so where the investigation is criminal in nature. In addition, once an eye-witness has taken a defensive position under aggressive questioning by police making a criminal investigation, it becomes, as a practical matter, nearly impossible for the witness to later change that position to state the actual facts.The team was permitted access to samples of the tank residue, and, after several months of extensive analysis of the residue of Tank 610, including more than 500 experiments, the UCC investigation team issued its report in March 1985 3. The team concluded that the incident was caused when 1,000 to 2,000 pounds of water entered the tank. After subsequent experimentation and more extensive sampling much later, the amount of water was determined to be even greater.This large quantity of water reacted with the MIC in the tank, causing its temperature to rise to over 100 °C, leading to a vigorous exothermic trimerization of MIC, resulting in rapid rises in temperature and pressure, and ultimately causing the major release. The incident occurred, despite the fact that the system had been designed and operated to keep out even small amounts of water, and the fact that no water had ever entered the tanks during the five y ears the plant had been in operation. Moreover, it was clear upon subsequent sampling and analysis that no water had entered either of the other two MIC storage tanks.Because the MIC production facility had been shut down for over a month prior to the incident, and for a variety of other reasons that will be discussed, the investigation team concluded that direct entry of the water — that is, by a direct connection to the tank rather than through the plant's piping system — was likely. However, because the team had not been permitted to interview the plant employees and did not have full access to the records, it was unable to develop this theory further at that time. The CSIR publicly issued its report 2 in December of 1985, approximately one year after the incident.The CSIR report also concluded that the event was caused by the entry of a large quantity of water into Tank 610. The CBI has not, to date, issued a public report of the findings of its own investigation. LITIGATION For more than a year, the CBI continued to prohibit interviews with the plant's employees. In the interim, a new aspect to the investigation developed. The Indian Government filed a civil suit against Union Carbide Corporation in the United States, asserting that the Government was the sole representative of the Bhopal victims.Thus, the Government acted as the plaintiff in a civil case with an interest in proving Union Carbide Corporation to be liable, yet, in its institutional role, it continued to exercise complete control of access to the sources of proof, restricting Union Carbide's ability to learn the truth, and fostering a version of the facts which supported its own litigation interest. The Government's position as a party to the civil suit ultimately provided certain benefits to Union Carbide's investigation. In December 1985, a U. S. agistrate 4 ordered the Indian Government to turn over copies of certain of the plant's records that had been seized, and these th en became available for analysis by Union Carbide for the first time. Moreover, while it was before the U. S. court seeking information from Union Carbide, the Indian Government could not, as a practical matter, continue to restrict access to plant employees, which enabled Union Carbide to finally begin interviews. Despite having been denied access to the evidence for more than a year and despite being viewed with a great deal of hostility and suspicion, Union Carbide investigators Page 5 of 16Bhopal as a Case Study – Union Carbide Corp. conducted a thorough review of the incident which included detailed interviews with virtually all of the relevant plant employees. INTERVIEWS Union Carbide employees and representatives began to interview the plant's employees in January 1986. Many people spoke openly and willingly. However, the team anticipated that there would be problems in interviewing the plant's employees, and the team therefore was assisted by a person familiar with mo st of the employees. This proved advantageous because the team found that many would speak to him, even if they were unwilling to speak to the entire team.It also proved beneficial in assessing the credibility of each individual. Language also loomed as a potential problem, although ultimately it did not prove to be troublesome. Although all operators spoke English, many were more comfortable speaking Hindi. Several members of the team were fluent in Hindi and, by translating each question and answer, the interviews progressed smoothly. However, the team did encounter some problems in locating the involved employees and persuading them to talk about a traumatic incident that had occurred a year and a half earlier.The Bhopal plant had been shut down since the incident, and the employees, by and large, had sought other employment. Many of the former operators and other employees had departed Bhopal without leaving any forwarding addresses, and it took weeks of questioning former landl ords and neighbors to determine their whereabouts. Several had relocated as far away as Nepal and remote areas of India. This required lengthy journeys — in one case, only to find the wrong individual with the same name. Careful advance preparation was therefore necessary.Many of the former MIC operators were later employed by the State Government as plant safety inspectors. Some of those who had been most directly involved refused to talk to the team and eluded many attempts. Because politeness is an Indian trait, in fact, some would make appointments for interviews, but then disappear just prior to the appointment. Once found, however, the customary politeness proved to be an advantage, and the investigators learned it was wise to nurse the obligatory cup of tea for hours to prolong the interview in order to obtain bits and pieces of new information.Although the Indian Government has continued to refuse access to the original plant records, copies of some of them were produ ced in the civil suit, and the investigators were able to analyze them and use their content in the interviews. The investigators conducted well over 70 interviews over the course of a year and a half. The significant aspects and findings of this investigation are presented in what follows. To better understand the findings, however, a basic understanding of the plant's layout and operation is necessary. III.BHOPAL PLANT LAYOUT AND OPERATION The plant layout is shown in Figure 1. Methyl isocyanate (MIC) was produced at the Bhopal Page 6 of 16 Bhopal as a Case Study – Union Carbide Corp. plant by reacting monomethylamine and phosgene in the plant's MIC production unit. The refined MIC was then transferred to a separate MIC storage area (see Figure 2) where it was stored in two horizontal, mounded, 15,000-gallon, stainless-steel tanks. A third storage tank was kept empty for emergencies and for off-specification material awaiting reprocessing.The MIC was used to make SEVIN carb aryl and several other carbamate pesticides. The MIC was processed into SEVIN carbaryl pesticide in the SEVIN unit. The MIC was transferred in one-ton batches to a charge pot in the SEVIN unit using nitrogen pressure. A nitrogen pressure of at least 14 psig in the MIC storage tank was necessary to move the material from the storage area to the SEVIN unit charge pot at a reasonable rate. From there, each batch would be reacted with alpha-naphthol to make SEVIN carbaryl.On the night of December 2-3, 1984, the 41 metric tons of MIC in one of the storage tanks (Tank 610) underwent a chemical reaction which was initiated by the introduction of water to the tank. The reaction caused the release of MIC through the relief-valve system. This, in turn, resulted in the Bhopal tragedy. The exact means by which water entered Tank 610 that night was the subject of the investigation described in this paper. The team first considered and analyzed the purported cause of the incident which had been p ublicly reported by the media.This was the socalled â€Å"water-washing theory. † This story is discussed next. IV. THE ORIGIN OF THE WATER-WASHING THEORY As discussed in Section I, the media generally play a significant role in establishing public perception of the cause of large-magnitude incidents, often drawing conclusions before the facts can be established. In the days immediately after the incident, the story that emerged from the plant workers, as reported by the press (much of which ultimately provided to be fallacious), was as follows: Shortly before the end of the second shift, at 10:20 p. . , the pressure in Tank 610 was reported to be at 2 psig. The shift change occurred at 10:45 p. m. , and everything was normal until 11:30 p. m. , at which time a small leak was reported downwind and in the area of the MIC production unit. The MIC supervisor said that he would deal with the leak after tea, which began at 12:15 a. m. The tea lasted until 12:40 a. m. at which time all was normal. At that point, the control room operator observed the pressure rise suddenly in Tank 610, and within minutes the indicator was off the gauge's scale. At 12:45 a. . , the safety valve on the tank opened, and gas came out of the stack of the vent gas scrubber. The operators ran to the tank and found it rumbling, and the concrete over the tank was cracking. The fire squad sprayed the stack to knock down the gas, and the reaction subsided an hour or so later. The workers claimed to have no idea as to why the pressure rose in the first instance. According to this account, the incident occurred suddenly and inexplicably. There was, however, intense media pressure to quickly identify the cause of the incident.As noted above, some journalists tend to try to uncover a cause that is easy to understand and easy to explain; they also show a tendency to find and publicize an explanation that will have popular appeal. In the case of Bhopal, this caused the media to seize upon rep orts of an improper waterwashing of a pipeline in the MIC production structure — a report that first began to circulate only days after the incident. According to this story, an MIC operator was told to wash a section of a subheader of the relief valve vent header (â€Å"RVVH†) in the MIC manufacturing unit. Because he Page 7 of 16Bhopal as a Case Study – Union Carbide Corp. failed to insert a slip-blind, as called for by plant standard operating procedures, the water supposedly backed up into the header and eventually found its way into the process vent header (â€Å"PVH†) through a tubing connection near the tanks. It then was supposed to have flowed into the MIC storage tank, located more than 400 feet by pipeline from the initial point of entry. This was, to a layman, an apparently plausible, easily understood explanation of the water source, which did not require any detailed knowledge of the plant process or layout.It also was a theory that had popu lar appeal because it focused on a simple, minor human inadvertence which caused a great tragedy — a â€Å"for-want-of-a-horseshoe-nail-the-kingdom-was-lost† explanation. It was readily accepted by those eager to believe the incident had been caused by improper operating practices at a purportedly shoddy chemical plant in a Third World country. The waterwashing theory was also publicly embraced by the Indian Government. Although the water-washing theory has superficial appeal, those engineers most familiar with the plant — its valving, piping, and layout — found the theory highly implausible.When Union Carbide finally gained access to the plant, talked to witnesses, and considered all the evidence, it concluded that the theory could not withstand even minimal scientific scrutiny. And, although the Indian Government holds in its possession records and test results that completely discredit this theory, it continues to embrace it nonetheless. Several indepe ndent pieces of evidence demonstrate that water-washing of lines in the filter area could not possibly have been the cause of water entry into Tank 610. This evidence is discussed next. V.EVIDENCE REFUTING THE WATER-WASHING THEORY The details of the pertinent parts of the plant vent systems, shown in Figure 3, will be helpful in understanding the material presented in this section. The water-washing theory assumes that water from an operation designed to wash a sub-header near four process filters (Point â€Å"A† of Figure 3) went through the relief valve vent header (RVVH), then through a connection to the process vent header (PVH) and then into Tank 610 (Point â€Å"B†). At least three independent, objective pieces of evidence establish that this could not have happened. . BLEEDER VALVE HYDRAULICS The water was introduced using a hose with a 1/2-inch inlet. Even assuming all intermediate header-system valves to have been wide open, for water to have reached the top o f the PVH riser near Tank 610 (Point â€Å"B† of Figure 3), it would have had to be under sufficient pressure near the point of introduction (Point â€Å"A† of Figure 3) to enable it to climb 10. 4 feet. Associated with the filters near the washing operation, however, there are four 1/ 2-inch bleeder valves in parallel (see Items 18 of Figure 4).Of these, one was reportedly mechanically plugged, but the other three were reported by five eye-witnesses to be wide open and draining freely. With the 1/2-inch hose connection to the washing operation limiting the flow to about 10-15 gallons/minute, the three open bleeder valves would limit the water back-pressure above them to no more than about 0. 7 foot of hydraulic head, clearly not enough to raise the water by 10. 4 feet. Page 8 of 16 Bhopal as a Case Study – Union Carbide Corp. 2. CLOSED INTERMEDIATE VALVEIn the above paragraph, we assumed for the sake of argument that all intermediate valves in the header system s between the water connection and Tank 610 were open. It should be noted that if any one of these valves was closed (and leak-tight), the waterwashing theory must fail. One such valve is the valve close to the water-washing operation, connecting it to the RVVH (see Item 19 on Figure 4). A plant mastercard (a detailed record of steps taken during maintenance) shows it to have been shut since November 29, 1984.The mastercard also reflects that the valve was physically tagged closed; after the incident, the tag was found to be still present on the valve. Furthermore, with the authorization of the Indian Government, the integrity of this valve was tested in a July 1985 simulation of the waterwashing operation; in this one-hour test, no water leaked past this valve into the RVVH. There is no way that water from the water-washing operation could have reached Tank 610 without first passing through this valve, which is documented to have been closed and leak-tight. 3.DRY HEADER PIPING For water to have penetrated to Tank 610 from the water-washing area, it would have had to fill the 6-inch diameter connecting pipe, then a 65-foot length of 8-inch RVVH (with more than a dozen branches running off this line), and then some 340 feet of 4-inch RVVH. It would then have had to fill a 120-foot length of 2-inch PVH and a last 220-foot section of 2-inch PVH with the vertical legs at each end of this section. Calculations show that some 4,500 pounds of water would have been needed to fill all this piping, before any could get to Tank 610.Thus, if the water-washing operation were the source of the water, large quantities of water would have filled the associated piping. As the incident later progressed and gases were ejected from Tank 610, the gases would have cleared the water from the main RVVH flow path out of the vent gas scrubber. On the other hand, all of the branch downlegs, as well as the 220-foot section of the PVH with the downlegs on either end of it, would have rema ined full of water, as the connection between the PVH and the vent gas scrubber had been previously blinded off to allow replacement of some sections of PVH.And, even though the vented gases were hot, the water in these sections could not have boiled or evaporated away, because these sections were dozens of feet away from the piping in which hot gases were flowing. When the branch vent lines on the ground floor of the production unit and the branch vent lines connected to Tank 611 and to the spare tank were drained, only normal, small amounts of water (or no water al all) were found. On February 8, 1985, the Superintendent of Police, CBI, ordered (see Figure 5A) that a hole be drilled in the lowest point of this 220-foot length of the PVH, to determine how much water was contained therein.The authorization acknowledges that this section of pipe had no bleeders or flanged joints. For the water-washing theory to have been true, there should have been hundreds of pounds of water still in this section of pipe, and so some empty 55-gallon drums were made available to collect whatever amounts of liquid would issue from the drilled hole. When the hole was drilled, however, the pipe was found to be bone-dry. The line was Page 9 of 16 Bhopal as a Case Study – Union Carbide Corp. immediately purged with nitrogen to force any liquid out, but not a drop was obtained (see Figure 5B).Thus, the water-washing theory is clearly untenable. The bleeder valves in the waterwashing area would have had to be closed (but three were witnessed to have been open), the intermediate header valves would have had to be open (but at least one is documented to have been closed and leak-tight), and there would have had to be hundreds of pounds of water in the 220-foot section of the PVH drilled after the incident was over (but not even a single drop was found). VI. SIGNIFICANT ASPECTS OF THE UCC INVESTIGATIONAs indicated in Section V, it was clear to those investigating the event that i t had not been caused in the manner that had gained popular acceptance — inadvertent failure to place a slipblind during water-washing of lines near the process filters. The UCC team also thoroughly considered other possible routes of water entry and became convinced that this incident had been initiated by the entry of water to the tank by means of a direct connection. Evidence of a direct-connection entry was gathered only gradually, however, in large measure because of some of the psychological factors and motivations discussed earlier.PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS Perhaps because of the enormity of the event, many people, even those only peripherally involved, tended to remember in detail and with great clarity the sequence of events of that night. Nevertheless, people experienced the event in different ways, thus yielding, for example, varying estimates of the duration of the actual release. The tendency of plant workers to omit facts or distort evidence was also clearly evident after the Bhopal incident, making the collection of evidence a time-consuming process.In investigating any incident in which facts seem to have been omitted or distorted, it is necessary to examine the motives of those involved. The story that had been initially told by the workers was a preferable one from their perspective, because it exonerated everyone, except perhaps the supervisor. According to this version, the reaction happened instantaneously; there was no time to take preventive or remedial measures, and there was no known cause. Without a cause, no blame could be established.Because critical facts were being deliberately omitted and distorted, the investigation team had to continually review and reanalyze each new piece of evidence and to assess its consistency and veracity with hard evidence and known facts. Ultimately, several firm pieces of evidence came to light — evidence that simply did not fit the story told initially by the workers, and that eventually led to the conclusion that a direct water connection had been found by the workers, but had been covered up. Page 10 of 16 Bhopal as a Case Study – Union Carbide Corp.LAST TRANSFER OF MIC TO THE SEVIN UNIT The plant records show the following sequence of events. Although in the weeks prior to the incident the MIC manufacturing unit had been shut down, the SEVIN unit was operating, using the MIC that had been stored in the tanks. The operators were transferring MIC from Tank 611 to a one-ton charge pot for subsequent conversion to SEVIN. Plant procedure was to exhaust the contents of one MIC storage tank before using the MIC in the second tank, and 21 tons remained in Tank 611.Thus, although they experienced some difficulty in pressurizing Tank 610, which had been at atmospheric pressure for the previous six weeks, there was more than enough MIC in Tank 611 to meet the SEVIN production requirement and there was no need to use the MIC in Tank 610. During the early period after the incident, when the Union Carbide investigation team was about to assist in safely disposing of the MIC remaining in Tank 611, the MIC in the SEVIN charge pot and the transfer line between the tank and the charge pot was sampled.The MIC was found to be greenish, with a higher-than-normal chloroform content (consistent with that of the MIC stored in Tank 610 prior to the incident), and with evidence of the presence of non-volatile reaction products of a water-MIC reaction. These samples caused a substantial amount of concern because it was then feared that there might also be a major problem with the MIC in Tank 611 as well. Precautions were taken to sample the MIC in Tank 611 and extensive analyses of the contents of Tank 611 were conducted.The MIC in Tank 611, however, proved to be onspecification and clear, with normal levels of chloroform, and no non-volatile reaction products. The investigation team, therefore, concluded that the last transfer to the SEVIN charge pot must have c ome from Tank 610, before its contents had severely reacted, rather than from Tank 611. This piece of evidence was surprising because everyone had assumed that all transfers had come from Tank 611 during the period prior to the event. This assumption had been made because the last transfer, as logged by the SEVIN unit operators, occurred from Tank 611 at 23:30, or 11:30 p. . , just prior to the incident. In addition, prior to the time the pressure had begun to rise in Tank 610, there had been insufficient pressure to make a transfer from Tank 610. No operators had reported a transfer that night from Tank 610, although several stated a transfer from Tank 611 had occurred. The team was well aware of the tendency of operators, after an incident of such magnitude, to distance themselves and minimize their involvement, and therefore it continued to explore the possibility that a transfer had been made from Tank 610.Some of the copies of records released to Union Carbide in December 1985 were copies of the MIC inventory records, including those for the night of the incident. One log, which had been previously unavailable to Union Carbide's investigation team in December 1984, showed a final transfer of MIC from Tank 611 between 10:15 and 10:30 p. m. , the evening of the incident. Although, initially, the log did not appear out of the ordinary, several unusual factors were noticed upon closer examination (see next-to-last entry in Figure 6): 1) The transfer was logged as having started at 10:15 p. . on the second shift but between two operators who did not arrive until the third shift began at 10:45 p. m. later that night. It was logged in the handwriting of one of those third shift operations. 2) The logged time of the transfer was out of sequence with the remaining entries. 3) The operator who logged it normally used the 24-hour clock convention in recording transfers. The investigators studied these records, and finally determined that the transfer had been origin ally logged at â€Å"0:15† to â€Å":30†, or 12:15 to 12:30 a. m. and had been altered later that morning Page 11 of 16 Bhopal as a Case Study – Union Carbide Corp. in an attempt to cover up the events and to move the time of the transfer back to a period of time in which the MIC operators could not be blamed. The team thus concluded that the logs showed there had been a transfer from Tank 610 at 12:15 a. m. to 12:30 a. m. — 15 minutes before the major release occurred. In addition to its proximity to the release, the transfer also occurred during the time of the tea break, which was highly irregular.Water is known to be heavier than MIC, and the transfer line comes up from the bottom of the tank. With the discovery of this log, together with the results of the charge pot analysis, the UCC team concluded that there had been an attempt by the MIC operators to remove water from the tank just prior to the time the safety valve lifted, after the pressure had increased sufficiently in the tank to move the material out. This completely refuted the story that the workers had originally told regarding the instantaneous reaction.Moreover, it showed that the operators knew water had entered Tank 610. The transfer of one ton of material would have been wholly and obviously ineffective to relieve pressure in the 45-ton tank; the only reason for a transfer at that time was to get water known to be in the tank out of the tank. This conclusion was further supported by the logs recorded that night in the SEVIN unit. These were made in duplicate, and one copy showed the time of an MIC transfer as 23:30, whereas on the other copy, found in the accounting records, the time of the transfer was missing.We believe that the SEVIN supervisor may have filled in the time of the transfer after the incident to make it appear that the transfer had not occurred close to the time of the major release, but was unable to do so on all copies because the second copy had already been sent (as required by plant procedure) to the plant's accounting office. When the investigating team interviewed the SEVIN supervisor, he at first would not admit that he had gone into the SEVIN unit that morning at all, but he later admitted that he had entered there briefly to complete his logs.The morning after the incident he reportedly discussed the possibility of reacting the MIC in the charge pot into SEVIN, perhaps in an attempt to destroy any evidence of a charge from Tank 610. CONTRADICTIONS Meanwhile, as the interviews with the operators and supervisors directly involved progressed, it became apparent that there were massive contradictions in their stories. For example, operators and employees from other units and another plant downwind of the MIC unit, together with some MIC operators, reported sensing small MIC leaks well before the major release occurred, and they notified their shift supervisors.However, those Bhopal plant supervisors denied hearing an y reports about earlier leaks. In addition, the supervisors were unable to plausibly account for their activities during the 45-minute period prior to the release. They placed themselves with people and in locations for reasons that were entirely different from those that had been given by those individuals they were supposedly with. Ultimately, the reasons for this became clear: witnesses from other units reported that these supervisors and the plant superintendent were taking a break in the plant's main canteen when they received word of the incident.Because previously they had been instructed not to take their breaks together, they masked their actions by claiming to know nothing until just prior to the major release. Page 12 of 16 Bhopal as a Case Study – Union Carbide Corp. The operators in the MIC unit also gave widely contradictory accounts. For example, some stated that the alarm signaling the major release went off only several minutes after tea began at 12:15 a. m. , whereas others stated that the tea period in the control room was entirely normal, and they had not noticed anything to be amiss until just a few minutes prior to the major release.The control room operator initially told the media that he noticed the pressure in Tank 610 was 10 psig when the shift began; however, he later stated that the pressure remained at 2 psig until after tea. Because some of the witnesses directly involved in the incident were initially unavailable for interviews, and because others were rendering obviously contradictory accounts, reports given by the more peripheral figures during the incident became highly important.For these individuals, primarily operators from other units or those who were not present at the time of the incident, there was no motive to distort or omit facts, and their accounts were thus deemed more reliable. Ultimately, it became clear that the MIC operators knew at least 30 to 45 minutes before the release that something was seriously wrong, and that several had acted in an attempt to forestall the problem. One of the more reliable accounts came from a witness who had no motive or reason to distort or omit the facts. He was the â€Å"tea boy†, who served tea in the MIC control room just prior to the major release.With some difficulty, he was located in Nepal, in the Himalayas, and brought to Delhi. Despite the MIC operators' claim of a normal tea period, the tea boy reported that when he entered the unit at about 12:15 a. m. , the atmosphere was tense and quiet. Although he attempted to serve tea, the operators refused it. After detailed questioning of scores of operators, it became apparent that those directly involved were unable to give consistent accounts because they were attempting to give very specific details of events that never occurred.Therefore, the investigation team made an intensive effort to find logs that might have been initially overlooked and that might shed some light on the cause or course of the incident. Two of the significant findings were: 1) While reviewing the daily notes of the MIC unit for the period prior to the incidents, a sketch was found on the reverse side of one page, the first page available for writing. This sketch showed a hose connection to an instrument on a tank, and it appears to have been made to explain how the water entered the tank. ) This effort to search the records brought to light even further evidence of attempts to cover up the story. For example, the time of the occurrence had been altered in log after log to reflect the incident occurring at a different time than had been initially recorded. This was true of the foam-tender log, the assistant security officer's log, the utilities log, and the stores register. Further, in some logs, the pages relevant to the period in question had been either completely, or partially, ripped out. It appeared clear: there had been a systematic effort to alter and destroy logs.In many cases, the t eam found that the witnesses, especially the peripheral ones, were not aware of which facts were pertinent, and they revealed only those they considered important. Thus, it was necessary to talk at length to witnesses about all the facts and circumstances involved to draw out relevant facts. For example, during a series of routine interviews with a variety of former plant employees held in the winter of 1986, an instrument supervisor, who was not on duty that night, offered a telling observation.Casually, he mentioned that when he arrived at the scene early on the morning following the incident, upon checking the instruments on the tank, as he had been instructed to do, he noticed that the local pressure indicator on Tank 610 was missing. This fact was of crucial importance because the instrument is on the tank manhead, and was one of the few places to Page 13 of 16 Bhopal as a Case Study – Union Carbide Corp. which a water hose could be connected (see Item 10 of Figure 7). T he witness was wholly unaware of the significance of his statement.Upon further questioning, the team learned that the indicator was not only missing, but a plug had not been inserted in its place, as would have been the case if it had been removed in the course of plant maintenance. Plant logs showed that the local pressure indicator had been present as of Friday, November 30, 1984, two days prior to the incident. The same instrument supervisor stated that he also found a hose lying beside the tank manhead that morning, and that water was running out of it.Other witnesses questioned later also recalled that the local pressure indicator on Tank 610 was found to be missing after the incident. After his statements subsequently became public in the litigation between the Indian Government and Union Carbide, the CBI subjected the instrument supervisor to six days of interrogation and intimidation during which they attempted, without success, to force him to change his testimony 5. Addit ional significant evidence of direct entry of water came from other peripheral witnesses.Within hours of the incident, reports of a direct water connection to the tank began to circulate among the plant employees. These were reported to the Indian Government by plant management but they could not be pursued at that time because the CBI had prohibited interviews of plant employees. As it became evident that a massive cover-up had occurred among the more directly involved witnesses, these reports became more credible. The investigators, therefore, traced the origins of this report and spoke to an off-duty employee of another unit, who had reached the plant at approximately 2:00 a. . the morning of the incident. He stated that he had been told by a close friend of one of the MIC operators that water had entered through a tube that had been connected to the tank. This was discovered by the other MIC operators, who then tried to open and close valves to prevent the release. Although the MIC operators used technical terms to describe the connection that the interviewee did not understand, he was able to draw the exact location of the connection, which proved to be the location of the local pressure indicator on Tank 610.Another peripheral witness whose testimony proved to be of significance was an operator from a different unit who was on duty that night. He stated that, shortly after the release had subsided early that morning, at approximately 3:00 a. m. , the workers from other units were discussing the incident in the plant. Two MIC operators told them that water had entered the tank through a pressure gauge. VII. THE DIRECT-ENTRY CHRONOLOGY The results of this investigation show, with virtual certainty, that the Bhopal incident was caused by the entry of water to the tank through a hose that had been connected directly to the tank.It is equally clear that those most directly involved attempted to obfuscate these events. Nevertheless, the pieces of the puzzle ar e now firmly in place, and based upon technical and objective evidence, the following sequence of events occurred. At 10:20 p. m. on the night of the incident, the pressure in Tank 610 was at 2 psig. This is significant because no water could have entered prior to that point; otherwise a reaction would have begun, and the resulting pressure rise would have been noticed. At 10:45 p. m. , the shift change occurred.The unit was shut down and it takes at least a half hour for the shift change to be Page 14 of 16 Bhopal as a Case Study – Union Carbide Corp. accomplished. During this period, on a cold winter night, the MIC storage area would be completely deserted. We believe that it was at this point — during the shift change — that a disgruntled operator entered the storage area and hooked up one of the readily available rubber water hoses to Tank 610, with the intention of contaminating and spoiling the tank's contents. It was well known among the plant's operators that water and MIC should not be mixed.He unscrewed the local pressure indicator, which can be easily accomplished by hand, and connected the hose to the tank. The entire operation could be completed within five minutes. Minor incidents of process sabotage by employees had occurred previously at the Bhopal plant, and, indeed, occur from time to time in industrial plants all over the world. The water and MIC reaction initiated the formation of carbon dioxide which, together with MIC vapors, was carried through the header system and out of the stack of the vent gas scrubber by about 11:30 to 11:45 p. m.Because the â€Å"common valve† (Item 16 of Figure 7) was in a closed position before the incident and the tank held a strong vacuum when it cooled down after the incident, it is clear that the valve was temporarily opened to permit the entry of water. This also permitted the vapors initially generated to flow (via the PVH) out through the RVVH. It was these vapors that were sen sed by workers in the area downwind as the earlier minor MIC leaks. The leak was also sensed by several MIC operators who were sitting downwind of the leak at the time. They reported the leak to the MIC supervisor and began to search for it in the MIC structure.At about midnight, they found what they believed to be the source, viz. , a section of open piping located on the second level of the structure near the vent gas scrubber. They fixed a fire hose so that it would spray in that direction and returned to the MIC control room believing that they had successfully contained the MIC leak. Meanwhile, the supervisors went to the plant's main canteen on break. Shortly after midnight, several MIC operators saw the pressure rise on the gauges in the control room and realized that there was a problem with Tank 610.They ran to the tank and discovered the water hose connection to the tank. They discussed the alternatives and called the supervisors back from the canteen. They decided upon tr ansferring about one ton of the tank's contents to the SEVIN unit as the best method of getting the water out. The major release then occurred. The MIC supervisor called the MIC production manager at home within fifteen minutes of the major release and told him that water had gotten into an MIC tank. (It later took UCC's and GOI's investigating teams, working separately, months to determine scientifically that water entry had been responsible. Not knowing if the attempted transfer had exacerbated the incident, or whether they could have otherwise prevented it, or whether they would be blamed for not having notified plant management earlier, those involved decided upon a cover-up. They altered logs that morning and thereafter to disguise their involvement. As is not uncommon in many such incidents, the reflexive tendency to cover up simply took over. VIII. CONCLUSION By their nature, large-magnitude incidents present unique problems for investigators.In the case of the Bhopal inciden t, these problems were compounded by the constraints placed on the Union Carbide investigation team by the Indian Government and, most significantly, by the Page 15 of 16 Bhopal as a Case Study – Union Carbide Corp. prohibition of interviews of plant employees for over a year. Had those constraints not been imposed, the actual cause of the incident would have been determined within several months. Because the investigation was blocked, a popular explanation arose in the media as to the cause of the tragedy.A thorough investigation, which included scores of in-depth witness interviews, a review of thousands of plant logs, tests of valving and piping, hundreds of scientific experiments, and examinations of the plant and its equipment, was ultimately conducted over a year later. That investigation has established that the incident was not caused in the manner popularly reported, but rather was the result of a direct water connection to the tank. IX. REFERENCES 1. Pietersen, J. M . , â€Å"Analysis of the LPG Incident in San Juan Ixtahuapec, Mexico City, 19 November 1984†³, TNO Report 85-0222, 1985. 2. Report on Scientific Studies on the Release Factors Related to Bhopal Toxic Gas Leakage†, Indian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, December 1985. 3. â€Å"Bhopal Methyl Isocyanate Investigation Team Report†, Union Carbide Corporation, Danbury, Connecticut, U. S. A. , March 1985. 4. In re: Union Carbide Corporation Gas Plant Disaster at Bhopal, India in December 1984. MDL Docket No. 626, U. S. District Court, Southern District of New York, Ordered November 8, 1985. 5. Interlocutory Application No. 19, Filed in Court of District Judge, Bhopal, in Regular Suit No. 1113 of 1986, Date, February 4, 1986. Page 16 of 16