Benchmark progress towards sustainability Article

Benchmark progress towards sustainability - Article Example This can be simply put as the effects of the product to the external environment in its entire lifecycle. The third strategy is clean technology also referred to as cleantech. This involves use of renewable energy like solar, wind and biofuels to avoid over utilization of non renewable natural resources. The fourth and final strategy is existence authenticity. This is about the existence and the strategic plan and vision of the company and its effect on social and environmental problems (Hart, 1997). Sustainability has been built since the shift from coal to oil and from gas to electricity light. Hoffman feels that business in the key to elimination of greenhouse gases. This is through building a reputation for clean companies all over the world, also by anticipation of climatic change regulations and human resource management, reduction of operational costs and also being influential in information on sustainability. Chevron Corporation is one of the biggest energy companies in the world based in California. It operates in over a hundred and eighty countries. Chevron formerly known as SoCal is the second largest oil company in the United States and eleventh in the world. It is based in America and it’s a multinational corporation with its headquarters in San Ramon California. It is involved with gas, oil and geothermal exploration, refining, marketing and generation of power. The company has over 11000 wells of natural gas in the United States. The company manufactures lubricants, petrochemicals, additives and fuels which it also sells in the downstream. It contributes billions of dollars to the US economy (Chesser, 2010). In 2008, Chevron was ranked top among companies in California for sustainability reporting after scoring an A+. This shows that the company has put more efforts in sustainability after a series of scandals and lawsuits

A Quantitative Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Quantitative Analysis - Essay Example In addition, it also markets products meant for kids, and even other athletic and recreational uses, such as baseball, cricket, lacrosse, outdoor activities, tennis, volleyball, walking, and wrestling. To add on, it sells sports clothing and accessories. Lastly, it sells a series of performance equipment, including bags, socks, sports balls, eyewear, timepieces, digital devices, bats, gloves and other protective equipment (Miller, 1992). The sources of market for the company include various strategic stores for the already mentioned activities. However, there exist other retail accounts through the enterprise owned retail stores and Websites of the Internet, who are very direct to consumers (Ramaswamy, 2008). It is comparatively important to mention that the Nike company was formed in 1964 and that the headquarter in Beaverton, Oregon. This report gives the most recent quantitative analysis and goes further to explain the various financial analysis that puts the company ahead in terms of its performance. The investigation has shown that financial results for its fiscal 2015 quarter two ended on November 30, 2014. The quarter results demonstrate that the company is on the growing side and that the power of the portfolio is what unlocks the growth (Parker, 2015). Net working capital involves the discrepancy between the current assets and current liabilities. Examples of current assets are cash and inventories. This can be in the resources this company has not forgetting accounts receivable not yet seen in money form. It is always used to determine the net worth. However, the calculation also involves the current liabilities the company has. It is not the case of Nike Company that has more assets compared to liabilities. In totality as an analyst, in order to make networking capital run smoothly the management structure should be well established so as to know when to lend or buy for the Company success. Based on the financial records below, it clearly depicts

Franklin Denalo Roosevelt’s new deal program Essay Example for Free

Franklin Denalo Roosevelt’s new deal program Essay The prosperity and harmony which was prevailing in the United States of America during the 1920s came to an abrupt halt with the stock market crash in 1929. This was pursued by the Great depression. The great depression rendered people unemployed and endangered their jobs, investments, assets, farms, houses and other belongings. During 1930’s America suffered from the greatest economic depression of the history. It was unique in its sternness and the consequences. It shook the establishment of the western capitalism and prevailed through the 1930s. When the depression was at its peak one worker in four daily lost his job. On October 24, 1929 a day came known as â€Å"black Thursday†. On this fateful day the stock market crashed and so did the economy. Unemployment increased on a rapid pace and millions of Americans became jobless and were out of money. The nation surrendered to one of the fiercest events of the history. Franklin Roosevelt was the governor of New York at that time and was well aware of the situation and the need to take some major steps about it. He won the elections and assumed presidency. And soon after taking charge he spoke about the New Deal. Which he said could be a new and better start towards the improvement of America’s economy. He claimed that the New Deal program would solve all the problems and would successfully guide America during those dark times and would put a stop to the great Depression prevailing at that time. The new deal was considered a ray of hope during those dark and difficult times. Although the economic set back continued through the 1930s, the new deal lessened its impact to a great extent. ‘The new deal’ was a program launched by the US president Franklin Roosevelt from 1933 to 1939 of liberation, revival and restructuring. The new deal program’s main objective was to solve the ever rising economic problems of the United States of America during the great depression. The new deal aimed at motivating industrial recovery, help the people affected by the great depression, and take steps to avoid future economic crisis. Low employment rate, increasing unemployment, and the actuality that 20% of the schools going children were underweight and ill asked for desperate and prompt action. Franklin Roosevelt said Firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itselfnameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror. (1) This statement might have seemed quite ridiculous at that time. But there is a lot more to this saying of Roosevelt. He meant that as long as the whole nation would remain paralyzed by fear and not take any steps to help themselves, their condition won’t be improved. The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, demands bold persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it freely and try another. But above all else, try something! † (2) By this Roosevelt wanted to forge the message of action into his nation’s mind. He wanted to tell everyone that until and unless people wont work at improving their own condition and won’t make efforts for their own development they would never succeed. Many Americans looked up to Roosevelt and had great faith and confidence in him. They believed that Roosevelt could guide them during those times of despair and could help them in curbing the misery and pain they were in. Mr. Greifer, a spring valley, New York farmer wrote a letter to Roosevelt; which shows how highly some people thought about him.

Is Pop Art Celebration Or Critique Film Studies Essay

Is Pop Art Celebration Or Critique Film Studies Essay Pop-art was an art movement that emerged in America and Britain in the mid 50s and culminated between 1960 and 1965. Pop art was a result of a post war era and a sudden influx of mass production and popular culture. Pop art included images from popular culture such as consumer goods, magazines and advertisements as opposed to more serious elitist culture art like abstract expressionism. It was used as a bridge between contemporary life and art, often using found images/objects and a tendency toward using mechanical rendering/production techniques. In Britain:- Independent group In 1952, a collection of artists in London by the name of the Independent Group began to meet regularly to discuss topics such as the found object, science and technology and mass cultures place in fine art. Members in the group were,  Eduardo Paolozzi,  Richard Hamilton, architects  Alison  and  Peter Smithson, and critics Lawrence Alloway and Reyner Banham. In the early 1950s Britain was still escaping the austerity of the post-war years, and the British citizens were dubious about American popular culture. Although the group was suspicious of the American commercial character, they were still enthusiastic and excited about the fruitful world popular culture seemed to promise for the future. The material, mainly in images they discussed at length were of that found in Western movies, comic books, science fiction, automobile design, billboards, and rock and roll music. Richard Hamilton Richard Hamilton was a big name in pop art in Britain, with his famous collage just what is it that makes todays homes so different, so appealing which was produced for ThisIsTomorrows catalogue. Richard was part of the Independent Group that had sensed post war culture would be democratically inclusive and accessible and argued that art should follow suit. The independent group also aimed toward removing the academia behind modern art such as high art like Rothkos light red over black and toward a more figurative, unambiguous language of art portrayed in the transparent language of advertising and iconography. This new art didnt need particularly skilled or difficult process to be produced and tried to link the realms of art and everyday life. The interchange-ability between advertising and art allowed Richard to show viewers that modern art repeatedly celebrated physical pleasure and inspiration was often gathered from previous movements. Hamilton stated that this New art, should be: Popular, transient, expendable, low cost, mass produced, young, witty, sexy, gimmicky, glamorous and big business! this subsequently laid down the path for the movement Just What is it That Makes Todays Homes so Different, So Appealing? In this piece Richard Hamilton used popular images and symbols as a gateway or library to explore the interior of a house of that time and to comment on the swift and important change in the way of everyday life.  Just what is it that makes todays homes so different, so appealing?  Is so iconic because it was created during an era in which all people internationally and worldwide became leisure shoppers, watchers of television, drivers of cars, and disposable buyers. At the same time, the boundaries between old world civilizations and of international politics were disintegrated by capitalism; a few countries made the choice to adopt the trimmings of that economic system without inviting its basic values of competition, efficiency, legitimacy of profit, which all ultimately make the consumerist structure work and mature properly. The travesty of Westernized ideas of an effective business conduct is interpreted in this collage by the excess of items obtained through conspicuous consumption. They are shown as symbols of leisure. And the observer is reminded of how quickly that people forget about the consequences of irresponsible spending, since the buy, buy, buy lifestyle continues at a continuingly faster rate, even after the nations of the world were warped as a result of the economic disasters in 1929. This is evident in the technological advancements that have permeated into this skewed interior, with a television playing an advertisement of a lady talking on the telephone, the vague cube-like recording device on the floor, the fanciness and glamour related to the theatre past the lounges window, and the ornament of a Ford hood bejewelled on the lampshade. Apart from the subject matter related to financial history, Hamilton also recognises the presence of Communism portrayed as a crescent of a planet which also acts as the houses ceiling. This segment of the globe is inconspicuously there, looming over and haunting the American homeowners with the vague signifier of all that was unfamiliar during the 1950s: communism. The reference to planets and space begins to attract attention to the informal Space Race between Russia and America, an important rivalry that would supposedly declare the more proficient country to be the symbolic leader of the world. Modernity, material comfort, and desirability present in Hamiltons labour were icons that undoubtedly have broadened the potential of Pop Art by promising an ideal kingdom of the imminent buyers paradise, while conveying a doubtful and ironic tone articulating the mode of sheer parody. This piece is therefore not only a creative playing field aesthetically, but also a milestone in the history of the art world and in the context of social critique. Eduardo Paolozzi Dr. Pepper Eduardo Paolozzi was like Richard Hamilton a member of the Independent Group, who brought a lart Brut perspective to things, which means he brought an outsiders perspective, supposedly because of his connections to dada and surrealism. This piece is made up of images from American magazines that he had obtained from American people in Paris. It is hard to understand why Paolozzi mustve been sucked into the exotic society portrayed in American magazines having been in poverty himself due to the Second World War. In dr pepper there are happy and healthy people surrounded by an abundance of food and automobiles, this all portraying a Wealthy life, with happiness being the key here. Paolozzi wasnt just attracted to the material value or message of consumerism or happiness. Paolozzi genuinely believed these images from advertisements to be artistically wealthy and an icon of the modern world. Paolozzi had once said in his opinion of American Popular images where the event of selling tinned pears was transformed into multi-coloured dreams, where sensuality and virility combined to form, in our view, an art form more subtle and fulfilling than the orthodox choice of either the Tate Gallery or the Royal Academy (Eduardo Paolozzi, Retrospective statements in Robbins, p.192). This new outlook was soon to be embraced on an international scale as this work is actually a predecessor to Pop Art and wasnt actually part of the movement. Paolozzi was trying to respond to dada-ism and surrealism although his work is almost ingenious in seeing the future of art. In America:- It seemed that the American dream was no longer defined by political freedom, but instead was measured by the number of commodities a citizen could acquire. America was consuming popular magazines, cinema and television, pop music and rock n roll, automobiles and domestic appliances in steadily increasing numbers. They were encouraged to spend by a vast advertising sector that deliberately interpreted consumption as a measure of ones financial success and psychological wellbeing. American Pop Art was a very unified, more organised movement than the British. There were more obvious common characteristics such as the contemporary imagery, the obscurity of surface, and bold, strong colours. As opposed to the British also, American artists had a tendency to be more ambiguous and less like the transparent communication through British pop art. Many of the American artists suggested with humour that art was like any other consumer product that could be marketed. Andy Warhol Andy Warhol is probably the most famous pop artist and one of the most well-known artists in the west, with his work being placed on t-shirts and mugs and any other sort of merchandise. Known best for his Campbell soup cans, marylin Monroe prints and velvet underground album cover, in all of these pieces hes used bold bright colours, quite a common character within American pop art. Most of, if not all of his Pop Art work was screen printed, this semi mechanized way of producing works further pronounced the new era mass production, Andy Warhol was so fond of this whole idea that he dubbed his studio the Factory. Campbells Soup Cans Warhol had a more creative and positive view on ordinary culture than most and felt that abstract expressionists had gone out of their way to discern the wonder of modernity. The Campbell Soup Cans as well as his other series were the ideal opportunity to express this view on modern culture. However, Warhols blank manner laboured to be empty of emotional content and unable to be commented on on a social level. In fact the work was designed to be with the least amount of emotion or individual expression. According to Marcel Duchamp if you take a Campbells Soup can and repeat it fifty times, you are not interested in the retinal image. The depictions of the multiple cans are almost an abstraction in themselves with attention focused on the panorama rather than the individual cans and their details.it could be said that the symbolic identity of the multiple can depictions (freedom of choice, mass production etc.) became more important than the individual symbols. Warhol had a big interest in in factory like production in his early days of pop art which was mistaken by fine artists in general as their value system disagreed with mechanization. To further resonate the message of consumerism and mass production behind his art along with the silk screen printing, naming his studio the factory and creating series, he also took on a pop persona as he and his work became more noticed by the media.He began to adopt the image of a teenager of the time, engaging himself in pop culture like rock shows, so much so that he produced an album cover for the velvet underground and had famous friends hangout in his factory. I shop therefore I am Barbara Kruger I shop therefore I am is a print of a hand holding a red card with white lettering, by photographer Barbara Kruger.   It is a bold statement about Western culture and consumerism and is great in how implicates viewers by giving no clear notion of who is speaking, so it could be personal to her, personal from someone else, or relative to everyone, sucking the viewer in and making them think about the art on a more personal level. The message behind the piece is saying that we dont just shop for the things we need.   We shop to obtain an identity, persona and certain status and we do this so that we feel that we fit in and belong to a certain group in society. Conclusion Pop Art was evidently considerably different between America and Britain with the rest of Europe not quite producing fully fledged pop art works or taking the movement so seriously. Britain was quite clearly optimistic for the future of consumerism although it had undertones of concern and fear of the unknown as you would expect. In my opinion, the reason why the two natures were different is that America had evolved from the war economy before Britain so the advertisements being filtered through to Britain seemed alien and astounding, hence the large numbers of cut-outs being the primary base of pop art in Britain. America then acknowledged the movement and kept quite an intellectual spin on it all, with ambiguity present and narratives, part of what the British independent group was against, trying to keep the art open and objective rather than subjective and could be called the peoples art an art for everyone that requires no preliminary knowledge or particular understanding. The American pop art was a mixed movement with Andy Warhol producing the Campbell soup cans as a statement of mass production and consumerism but also as a statement that there is freedom and opportunity to choose what you want, almost as an echo of individuality which was very welcome and fantasized about. Although this is one of the more noticeable works of American pop art this should not be seen to represent all of American work, Barbara Krugers work is of a different style again. Krugers work was mainly made up of found black and white photographs with bold white lettering on a red background. Each of her works had a bold statement on the photograph, encouraging the viewer to think more about it, the statement, usually an ambiguous one would be based on society and topical. I shop therefore I am doesnt say who its referring to and has a message behind it rather than being obvious and clear of its nature. This evidence amongst many other American works further perpetuates my opin ion that American work is more ambiguous and therefore more intellectual rather than pure aesthetic information. Therefore my answer to the question is pop art a celebration or critique of consumer culture is that in the beginnings consumerism was heavily welcomed and a great relief celebrated by many, but still with some sceptical artists stating that consuming was becoming a reliance and for obvious reasons people worry when they have to rely on things. Pop art in Britain was much more hedonistic, optimistic and transparent, probably as a notion of hope to cling on to as they emerged out from austerity. Pop art in America could be more pessimistic at times and narrated with hidden messages having to be prized from the works, but as with Britain I think the idea was still celebratory although there was a little more critique from America than Britain, this would only be expected though as America being much larger would have more of a variation in opinion.

Fanons Three Stages Related To The Indigenous People Of Chiapas :: essays research papers

Fanon's Three Stages Related to the Indigenous People of Chiapas The passage Shadows of Tender Fury by Subcommander Marcos of the Zapatista Army explains that the people of Chiapas are currently facing a period of revolution. The Zapatista army (consisting of Chiapian campesinos) has risen to combat the intolerant system of oppression by the Mexican government and has attempted to create a better lifestyle for the campesinos of Chiapas. Frantz Fanon's three stages to national culture; assimilation, self discovery, and revolution, relate to the struggle of the campesinos of Chiapas. In the last 500 years, the indigenous people of Chiapas have faced all three of Fanan's stages during their struggle for the development of a national culture. Five-hundred years ago when the first Europeans came in contact with the Mayan Indians, the first stage of Fanon's theory, assimilation, began formalizing. Throughout history the colonizers of Mexico were more technologically advanced than the natives. The Europeans had guns, cannons and massive ships. Not only did these possessions enable them to have greater brute force, but it took the white man to the level of the gods in the eyes of the natives. The colonizers could easily take advantage of this reverence. Fanon states "The effect consciously sought by colonialism was to drive into the natives' heads the idea that if the settlers were to leave, they would at once fall back into barbarism, degradation, and bestiality."(Fanon 211) The colonizers, believing the natives were savages that needed enlightenment, forced European culture upon them. The Europeans believed that to assimilate the natives to European culture was to help them progress. Therefore, to return to the old ways would have been regressing. When the natives objected to the forced assimilation, the colonizers smothered the rebellious efforts with stronger, more lethal weapons. Fanon compares the colonizer to a mother who restrains her "perverse" child so that he will not commit suicide.(Fanon 211) The analogy implies that the colonized must be protected (by the colonizer) from self-destruction. In the minds of the European colonizers, this idea of protection justified forcing assimulation onto the natives. Although the native campesinos (the poor people of Chiapas) haven't fully assimulated, they have adopted particular aspects of European and present day Mexican culture. The campesinos have learned the Spanish language and joined the catholic religion. An example of Fanon's first phase is when the colonizer tries to calm the angry, poor and exploited colonized people by promising social reform.(Fanon 207) These reforms promise things such as employment, welfare and education. According to Fanon, the government rarely follows through with pledged social reform. They find it easier to simply

Patas Monkeys and Company :: essays research papers fc

Patas and Company   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A hip, hop, hibbety-hop, another quick jump, and the small yet very scared (LaRoe 84) monkey had gone from one tree to the next. With a fuzzy white stomach, small, pointy ears, and a â€Å"red hat† on top of his head, this was a renowned Patas monkey that lived in Kenya’s wild grasslands. The small monkey, with his big eyes wide open, searched around the neighbhoring trees for some nuts. He stretched his neck out as much as he could to look at every nook and cranny of the trees nearby, until he finally spotted a big juicy red nut (Woodland Zoo 1). His small snout immediately turned into a sort of grin, which the Patas are actually able to do. The little monkey (Clouting 138-139) suddenly got a running start from the branch and jumped like a bolt of lightning and hit the next tree. His quickness, jumping from tree to tree was amazing, with his small body and his long gummy like arms and legs (Woodland Zoo 2). After a couple of quick jumps and hops, he had arrived at the tree to be, the one with the big red juicy nut. He quickly grabbed it and jumped. Holding the nut in one hand, the little monkey hit the ground and took off running. The sunlight in the Kenya grassland had started to dim, and the little monkey knew he had to get home before it turned dark and all the bigger and scary animals came out to get their own food. As the little monkey was running, he noticed something in the clear distance. It was big, yellow, and had an uncountable number of black spots on it. Knowing that he would probably mean lunch for this yellow menace, he little monkey slowed down to a walk. The sun was seen less and less by the minute and it was halfway dark already. He had to think of a way around because the yellow menace did not look like it would be moving anywhere anytime soon, or anytime soon enough for the little monkey to get home before it got dark. The grass bushes of the Kenya grassland were very tall, and it was hard for him to see, but the made a run for it anyway. Jumping and running as quick as his little feet could carry him, the little Patas monkey tried to run around the danger ahead.

Ensuring People Support for Education and Training Programs Essay

A collaborative effort is a key to success in the field of continuing education.   That is to maintain partnership with the learners, the supervisors and, the managers.   To ensure support from each participant it is important that there is connectivity before, during, and after the training program.   After all, learning is effective when it is applied as well as teaching is assimilated when it is explained. In Cafarella’s book, the five primary purpose of education was explicitly stated that is; â€Å"to encourage growth, to assist with practical problems, to prepare people for current and future opportunities, to assist with change for desired results, and to examine community or social issues (Schultz, 2002).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Educators are tasked to elaborate from the beginning the reason of the training program and if it is presented to learners as useful and not mandatory support from the learner is ensured even from the start of the program.   Key people or the supervisors can be invited in the planning process so that they can tell the planner or the educator actual experiences on how the knowledge will be applied.   Also it is best to include the supervisors in giving decisions on when is the training program be scheduled so that critical schedule in their operations will not be hampered.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During trainings learners should get involved in the discussion by inviting them to give examples and with those actual situations mentioned by the participants, trainers should help the learner to reflect on the subject and how it could be applied.   Supervisors at the same time can be asked to mentor or assist in the on-going program.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Training program does not end at the venue but probing whether the learning process is blocked after instruction was given ensures effectiveness of the course.   Learners should be encouraged to help one another and evaluate the learning process.   Supervisors should be asked on the feedback if the course has been effective by checking if what is learned was applied in each participants actual work situation.   To ensure continuous support and partnership, endings should be addressed whether it is positive or negative (Caffarella, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Managers are tasked to implement goals and objectives; they are the one who manage change.   To ensure their support from beginning to end, they should be asked to provide consultations before and after.   They should be convinced that the program is helping their organization to grow. References Schultz, J. D. (2002). Book Review: Planning Programs for Adult Learners, 2nd Edition by Rosemary A. Caffarella [Electronic Version]. Retrieved 12 February 2008 from http://www.exchangesjournal.org/reviews/review_1107.html. Caffarella, R.A. (2002).   Planning Programs for Adult Learners (Chapter 5), 2nd Edition, 403 pages ISBN: 0-7879-5225-7.