Sports Direct Financial Performance Analysis - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2476 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Case study Level High school Did you like this example? Introduction Sports Direct Plc is a profitable and successful with an immense potential for growth as indicated by the Price Earning ratio of 27.73 times (Appendix 1). The purpose of this essay is to analyse the financial performance of Sports Direct Plc based on the calculation of the profitability, liquidity, efficiency, solvency and investor ratios. Thereafter, the essay will compare the financial performance and position of Sports Direct Plc with that of JD Sports Fashion Plc. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Sports Direct Financial Performance Analysis" essay for you Create order Subsequently, the essay will provide a recommendation to the investors regarding the investment in Sports Directs shares. Finally, the essay will conclude by assessing the limitations of the financial analysis carried out based on the accounting ratios. Analysis of the financial performance of Sports Direct Plc and Comparison to a competitor JD Sports Fashion Plc Sports Direct Plcs revenue has grown by 23.8% from GBP 2,706m in 2013 to GBP 2,185.6m in 2014 (Sports Direct Plc, 2014). This success is underpinned by Sports Directs core strategy of expanding their product base (Sports Direct Plc, 2014). Sports Direct has not resorted to price cutting strategies in order to achieve this growth. This is evident by the improvement in its gross margin from 40.94% in 2013 to 42.68% in 2014 (Appendix 1). The product mix of Sports Direct is improving with its premium category products gaining greater acceptance in the market (Sport Direct Plc, 2014). Operating and net margins have witnessed a modest fall because the new stores that have opened to support the growing premium lifestyle divisions are performing slightly below the capacity (Sports Direct Plc, 2014). Sports Direct Plc has significantly outperformed JD Sports Fashion Plc in terms of the overall profitability despite of JD Sports Fashion Plc having a better gross margin (Appendix 1 and App endix 2). The sales channel mix of the two businesses is the key driver of the overall profitability. Although online sales grew for both the businesses, the growth in online sales was higher for Sports Direct Plc compared to JD Sports Fashion Plc contributing to the improved operating profit and net profit margin for Sports Direct Plc. Online sales typically attract lower overheads compared to the retail sales and can significantly contribute to improving profitability of a company (ICAEW, 2012). Current ratio and liquidity ratio are identified as key indicators of liquidity in a business (Robertson, 2007). The current ratio of Sports Direct Plc has fallen from 1.64 in 2013 to 1.06 in 2014 (Appendix 1). The fall in the current ratio for Sports Direct Plc is not reassuring and the absence of cash is worrying. Furthermore, weak quick ratio of 0.35 is indicative of weak liquidity position and could be indicative of inability of Sports Direct Plc to meet its short-term liabilities i n the future. JD Sports Fashion Plc has a better current and quick ratio compared to that of Sports Direct Plc. One of the important factors contributing to a poor liquidity position in Sports Direct Plc is the consumption of cash to facilitate expansion through opening new stores (Sports Direct Plc, 2014). Furthermore, higher inventory turnover days of 133 days for Sports Direct Plc compared to inventory turnover days of 105 for JD Sports Fashion Plc has also contributed to lower liquidity in Sports Direct Plc compared to the liquidity in JD Sports Fashion Plc (Appendix 1 and Appendix 2). The purpose of calculating gearing ratios is to analyse the financing structure of the business (ICAEW, 2012). Gearing ratios reflect the level of risk attached to the company and the sensitivity of earnings and dividends to changes in profitability level (Grewal, 2014). The statements of financial position of the two businesses are significantly affected by their different capital structures. JD Sports Fashion Plc is more geared compared to Sports Direct Plc. Lower gearing compared to competitors for Sports Direct Plc can enhance its ability to raise more debt to fund future expansion. Sports Direct Plc inclination towards leasing assets and reliance on overdraft facilities contributes to its relatively low level of gearing. This may allow Sports Direct plc to have flexibility in operations and reduce its risk. Furthermore, the value of non-current assets in Sports Direct plc accounts is higher than the value of non-current assets in JD Sports Fashion Plc accounts (Sports Direct Plc, 2014: JD Sports Fashion Plc, 2015). This is indicative of its ability to raise capital through debt market to fund the future expansion. The purpose of calculating interest cover ratio is to assess the ability of a company to meet its interest obligations out of profits (Goyal and Goyal, 2012). Although the interest cover ratio for Sports Direct Plc has fallen from 22 times to 13 times an d is lower than the interest cover ratio of JD Sports Fashion Plc, it is still reflective of a healthy interest cover ratio and is indicative of Sport Direct Plcs ability to meet the interest obligations out of its profits. The purpose of calculating efficiency ratios is to analyse the managements effectiveness in running the business efficiently (Grewal, 2007). Efficiency ratios reflect managements ability to reduce the working capital requirement for a given level of activity (ICAEW, 2012a). Receivables collection days of 16 days highlight low level of credit sales, which is consistent with the retail nature of the business and enables Sports Direct Plc to manage its working capital efficiently. The increase in payables payment period from 48 days in 2013 to 56 days in 2014 further contributes to efficient working capital management (Appendix 1). This reflects Sports Direct Plcs ability to negotiate better payment terms with its suppliers. Furthermore, this is also indicative o f efficient management, as the gap of twenty-seven days in the payables payment period between the two companies in the prior year has been narrowed down to a gap of two days. The inventory turnover days are 133 days and 105 days for Sports Direct Plc and JD Sports Fashion Plc respectively (Appendix 1 and Appendix 2). Furthermore, the inventory turnover days has increased by seven days from 2013 for Sports Direct Plc (Appendix 1). This is reflective of increased inventory holding cost for Sports Direct Plc. Rapid innovation of new products contributes to making previous product lines obsolete (ICAEW, 2013). This can impact the future margins because of the net realisable value for these products may drop significantly below its production cost (ICAEW, 2013). Management needs to invest more time in clearing up stock and improving the inventory turnover days because it can contribute to increasing the working capital requirement in the future. The purpose of calculating investor ra tios is to enable investors to assess the level of future returns and growth (ICAEW, 2012). Earning per share reflects the level of profit allocated to each outstanding share. Price earning ratio is one of the most commonly used ratios by the investors and reflect their level of confidence in a business (ICAEW, 2012). Increase in price earning ratio from 17.51 times in 2013 to 24.19 in 2014 reflects investors expectations of significant future earning growth and their willingness to pay a large multiple of historic earnings (Appendix 1). Price earning ratio of Sports Direct Plc is 24.19 times compared to price earning ratio of 14.33 times for JD Sports Fashion Plc. Lower price earning ratio is indicative of lower growth expectations by the investors (ICAEW, 2012). Advice to the investors regarding the purchase of Sports Direct Plc shares Investors principal concern in respect of the investment in the shares of a company is to be able to earn a good rate of return. Sports Direct Plc is fundamentally a profitable business. Furthermore, a price-earning ratio of 24.19 is reflective of the investors faith in the growth potential of the company (Appendix 1). However, the sales growth in the third quarter of 2015 is short of the comparable growth in the third quarter of 2014 (Ficenec, 2015). The slowdown in the growth rate and no dividend offered on the shares may make it an expensive buy in the short term. Furthermore, investment in Sports Direct may be prone to the cyclical risk as the clothing industry is directly linked with the macro economic cycles (ICAEW, 2012a). Nonetheless, slower growth in the current year is impressive given the macro economic environment in the United Kingdoms and Englands early exit from the world cup (Guardian, 2014). Furthermore, the company has invested heavily in the expansion of its prod uct base and its margins have improved despite of competitive environment and challenging macro economic environment (Sports Direct Plc, 2014). This investment in constant innovation has the potential to translate into benefits for the investors in the long term. Favourable capital structure of Sports Direct Plc as highlighted by the gearing ratios calculated in the appendix one also makes it an attractive investment. Based on the considerations above, the essay acknowledges that there are risks associated with the investment in the shares of Sports Direct Plc, nonetheless future returns from the investment is expected to outweigh the risks. Thus, the essay recommends investors to purchase the shares of Sports Direct Plc. Weaknesses of Ratio Analysis Although there are a lot of advantages of ratio analysis, it is not without weaknesses (Goyal and Goyal, 2012). One of the key weaknesses of ratio analysis is that the calculation of the ratios is contingent on the figures contained within the financial statements of a company. Thus, the results of the ratio analysis would be distorted if the underlying numbers in the financial statements are inaccurate (Grewal, 2014). Furthermore, seasonality in a business could limit the usefulness of ratio analysis (ICAEW, 2012). To illustrate this better, consider a toy retailer with a 31 December year-end. Majority of its sales is likely to be made in the last quarter of the year leading up to the Christmas. As a result, the inventory levels at the year-end might be at its lowest point throughout the year. Thus, calculating the relationship between inventory and cost of sales at the year-end to analyse managements efficiency in managing inventory levels would be misleading (ICAEW, 2012). Financial statements of different companies are affected by different estimates and assumptions made by the management (Whittington, 2007). Furthermore, accounting standards also may permit different companies within the same industry to apply different accounting policies (Whittington, 2007). This may impair the comparability of accounting ratios of different companies and limit its usefulness. Ratio analysis is historic in nature, while users of the financial statements are more concerned about the future (Gracia, 2007). It is common for businesses to have both good and bad ratios, which makes it difficult for the users of the financial statements to assess if its a good or a bad company (Grewal, 2014). Lastly, non-existence of ideal level of ratio makes it difficult for user of the financial statements to assess whether a particular trend is good or bad (Grewal, 2014). For example, a company with high current ratio may be interpreted as a good sign, however it could also b e indicative of lack of growth potential for a company as a result of which it is holding large reserves of cash (Grewal, 2014). Conclusion Sports Direct Plc has witnessed a significant growth over the past two years and has been profitable. However, declining profit margins in the past two years should be a key concern for the management of Sports Direct Plc. Nonetheless, despite the fall in the profit margin of Sports Direct Plc, it still outperforms the profit margins of its competitor JD Sports Fashion Plc. The management of Sports Direct Plc should strive to strike a balance between achieving growth and improving the profit margins of the business. Inefficient inventory management should be another key concern for the management of Sports Direct Plc. The inventory turnover period of 133 days seems to be high for a business in the fashion industry and could be indicative of aged obsolete inventory. The management should take immediate steps to clear up old stock to improve the working capital management. Lastly, the essay recommends the investors to purchase the shares of Sports Direct Plc because high PE ra tio, sales growth and expansion into new products are likely to translate into attractive returns for the shareholders in the future. References Ficenec, J., 2015, Questor share tip: Sell Sport Direct as growth slows, Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/markets/questor/11424054/Questor-share-tip-Sell-Sport-Direct-as-growth-slows.html Gracia, L., 2007, Introduction to Financial Accounting, Harlow: Pearson. Grewal, T., 2014, Analysis of Financial Statements, New Delhi: Sultan Chand. Goyal, V., and Goyal, R., 2012, Corporate Accounting, 3rd edn. New Delhi: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. Guardian, 2014, Who should take the blame for Englands early World Cup exit? https://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jun/24/blame-england-world-cup-exit ICAEW, 2013, Financial Accounting and Reporting Study Manual, Exeter: Polestar Wheatons. ICAEW, 2012, Financial Reporting Study Manual, 6th edn. Exeter: Polestar Wheatons. ICAEW, 2012a, Financial Accounting Study Manual, 6th edn. Exeter: Polestar Wheatons. JD Sports Fashion Plc, 2015, Share Price. https://www.jdplc.com/investor-relations/share-price.aspx JD Sports Fashion Plc, 2015, 2015 Annual Report. https://www.jdplc.com/investor-relations/reports.aspx Robertson, J., 2007, Financial Ratio Analysis, 3rd edn. Lancaster: John Robertson. Sports Direct, 2015, Share Price Chart. https://www.sportsdirectplc.com/investor-relations/share-information/share-price-chart.aspx Sports Direct Plc, 2014, Annual Report 2014. https://www.sportsdirectplc.com/~/media/Files/S/Sports-Direct/annual-report/Annual%20Report%202014.pdf Whittington, G., 2007, Profitability, Accounting Theory and Methodology, New York: Routledge Appendix 1 Sports Direct Plc S.no. Ratio Year End 27th April 2014 Year End 28th April 2013 1 Gross Profit Margin 42.68% 40.94% 2 Operating Profit Margin 9.21% 9.75% 3 Net Profit Margin 6.64% 6.94% 4 Current Ratio 1.06 1.64 5 Quick Ratio 0.35 0.60 6 Interest Cover Ratio 13.06 times 22.39 times 7 Financial Gearing 8.15% 41.52% 8 Equity Gearing 25.93% 23.89% 9 Earning per share 32.1p 26.9p 10 Price Earning Ratio 24.19 times 17.51 times 11 Receivables Collection 16.6 days 16.1 days 12 Payables Payment Period 56.35 days 48.06 days 13 Inventory Turnover Period 133.07 days 126.39 days (Source: Sports Direct Plc, 2014) Note: The formulas used to calculate the ratios above are included in Appendix 3. Share prices used for calculating price earning ratios are 776.50 pence and 471.1 pence for the year-end 27th April 2014 and 28th April 2013 respectively (Sports Direct, 2015). Appendix 2 JD Sports Fashion Plc S.no. Ratio Year End 31st Jan 2015 Year End 1st Feb 2014 1 Gross Profit Margin 48.6% 48.7% 2 Operating Profit Margin 6.1% 6.4% 3 Net Profit Margin 3.5% 3.4% 4 Current Ratio 1.22 1.15 5 Quick Ratio 0.54 0.50 6 Interest Cover Ratio 33.24 times 48.46 times 7 Financial Gearing 19.9% 18.05% 8 Equity Gearing 27.2% 16.6% 9 Earning per share 35.17p 29.08p 10 Price Earning Ratio 14.33 times 13.88 times 11 Receivables Collection Period 12.9 days 20 days 12 Payables Payment Period 58.1 days 75.1 days 13 Inventory Turnover Period 104.9 days 108.8 days (Source: JD Sports Fashion Plc, 2015) Note: The formulas used to calculate the ratios above are included in Appendix 3. Share prices used for calculating price earning ratios are 503.00 pence and 403.50 pence for the year-end 31st Jan 2015 and 1st Feb 2014 respectively (JD Sports Fashion Plc, 2015). Appendix 3 Formulas S.no. Ratio Formula 1 Gross Profit Margin Gross Profits/Revenue * 100 2 Operating Profit Margin Profit from Operations/Revenue*100 3 Net Profit Margin Net Profit/Revenue * 100 4 Current Ratio Current Assets/Current Liabilities 5 Quick Ratio (Current Assets Inventory)/Current Liabilities 6 Interest Cover Ratio (Profit before interest Payable + Investment Income)/Interest Payable 7 Financial Gearing Long term liabilities/capital employed * 100 8 Equity Gearing Net Debt/Equity * 100 9 Earning per share (Net Profit Dividend on preference stock)/ No. Of shares 10 Price Earning Ratio Market Value of Share/ Earning per share 11 Receivables Collection Period Trade Receivables/Revenue*365 12 Payables Payment Period Trade Payables/cost of sales*365 13 Inventory Turnover Period Inventory/Cost of Sales * 365 (Source: ICAEW, 2012) Note: Capital Employed = Equity + Net Debt, where net debt = interest bearing debt (non-current and current) minus cash and cash equivalents

Essay on Christianity And Buddhism Compared - 1486 Words

Buddhist and Christian Prayer: A Comparison in Practice and Purpose At first glance the traditions of Christianity and Buddhism appear very different from each other. One centers around a God that was at one time physically manifest on earth in the human form of his son Jesus Christ, the other primarily worships a historical figure that gained divine status through enlightenment. This assessment is broad at best, especially in the case of Buddhism where the Theravada and Mahayana traditions differ significantly. Christianity also has division within itself, the most prominent being between the Roman Catholic and Protestant systems. There are however, despite obvious differences, some very interesting similarities between Buddhism and†¦show more content†¦For instance, both traditions make use of beads during the performance of prayer. Pure Land Buddhism uses a string of beads that are fingered while invoking the name of the celestial Amitabha, or Amida Buddha. A ritual that is very close to the Roman Catholic practice of counting prayers and praying with a rosary. Pure Land Buddhism thus displays a strong resemblance to devotional Christianity, with a God-figure (Omitofo), a mediator (Guanyin), and a prayerful devotion resembling the rosary (Amore and Ching 273). The mediator for Chinese Pure Land prayer is Guanyin, a feminized version of the boddhisatva Avalokitesvara. Guanyin is very similar to the virgin Mary of Roman Catholicism, and as such is sometimes called the virgin Mary of east Asia (Amore and Ching 247) as the bodhisattva she acts as the assistant to the celestial Buddha; Amitabha (Omitofo in Chinese) who is seen as the giver of grace and salvation much the same as God is seen as the giver of grace and salvation and Mary as the mediator or assistant in Roman Catholicism (Amore and Ching 273). These observations display a definite similarity in prayer techniques between the traditions in question. Both traditions make use of beads as a means for counting the prayers recited, also the fact that the prayers ar e directed to the female assistants of the supreme deities could mean that the followers thought a female mediator to be more compassionate to the needs of the worshipper. ChristianShow MoreRelatedHow Is Buddhism Different From Christianity?1683 Words   |  7 PagesHow is Buddhism different from Christianity? There are several different types of religion throughout the world. Many of us take on the religion of the house hold in which we grew up. Lots of time we maintain that religion through our adult lives and even pass it on to our kids without researching or even attending any other religious service or event. For most people, once a denomination is chosen they believe it to be the only religion that is true and all others are fake or untrue. 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Susana and the Elders Free Essays

Susanna and the Elders On my trip to the Norton Simon Museum, a painting labeled Susanna and the Elders, Flemish women Jan Massys, really stood out to me. The specifications of this oil on canvas work of art are 42 x 77-1/2 in. (106. We will write a custom essay sample on Susana and the Elders or any similar topic only for you Order Now 7 x 196. 9 cm). The painting was made in 1564, during the Renaissance, and portrays an example of the religious tension of that time and reflects the era after the start of the Reformation. My first thought when gazing upon Susanna and the Elders bad things are about to happen; there is two old men hiding behind a planter box and appear to be conspiring an evil plot. These men are dressed in red, which in this case, it must represent last that they are feeling toward Susanna. The focal point is Susanna looking as though she is getting ready for bed or perhaps to take a bath. Also, she is dressed in very nice cloths so appears to be of noble stature. I should also not that she is conntroposto in her posture and the way her cloths fall on to her body. To the right, there is two women that look as if they are trying to lure her to safety, away from the creepy men behind her. Perhaps they are her loyal servants. This all appears to be taking place in a fancy garden which gives me the idea that she vulnerable in that she is secluded. The men must have planned ahead to sneak up on her out here rather than around other people furthering my suspicion of their cruel intentions. One last thing I noticed was the little statue in the bottom right corner; however, I can’t make much sense of it. I know it means something, but I just don’t get it. If you follow the lines of the stone benches they lead you to a point just beneath Susanna’s head which suggest the use of perspective. The use of lines is evident again when looking at the fine detail in the trees that surround this scene. On, a side note, the tree that the old man is holding on to appears to be minerature in size, as if her is this evil giant. Perhaps this is meant to symbolize their dominance and her vulnerability. Massys placed the buildings in the background so they are proportional to the balanced figures in the foreground. Also, it looks as if there is use on linear perspective, especially in the stone walls; they look at if they are wrapped around Susanna keeping her safe from these bad men. The light source is coming from the top right of the painting and appears that it is shining directly on to Susana, almost making her this heavenly entity. I think this is a symbol that God will keep her safe from these men. It is a soft light that that allows the colors Massys chose to stand out and add to the chiaroscuro. Though the Chiroscuro is light, Massys makes decent use of it. Susana is lit up signifying that she is pure and innocent and the creepy guys behind the tree are in the shadows giving off the idea that they are evil with malicious intent. The deep blood red that the two guys are wearing is symbolic of their lust for Susanna. Red, I believe, sex or passion whether it be good or bad. The gold that Susanna is wearing gives her some authority in the painting and also an angle like presence as gold represents the heavens. The colors seem very realistic and must closely portray what this actual place must have looks like. Everything in the painting looks as if it is overlapping and this adds to the drama. Also, the figures seem to be very strategically placed in the setting. There is Susana in the center, the to evil old men on the left and the maidens on the right giving the scene much balance. It looks as though he may have started from the back of the painting and moved forwads as the object got closer. He probably started with the building in the back and then moved his way up to the human figures. Even though the figures are put fairly close together there is obvious depth. If there wasn’t any perspective in the painting I don’t think it would have depth and would come out rather flat and dull. The perception of depth in this work of are seems to be very important in composing the message. The use of color might add some dimension but without depth they would still seem flat and dull. There are many things that suggest motion in this picture. Susanna’s hand is stretched out giving the impression that she is reaching out to them. The maids are pointing at theselves and also where they are going looking as if they are asking Susanna to follow them. They also look rather worried for her safety. The maids are leaning forward while both of their right legs are extended behind them preparing for their next step making a very strong implication that they are walking rather quick. I don’t know if this is just me, but it looks as if the clouds fading into the distance faster than normal perhaps to represent the passing of time and they are golden suggesting the presence of God. I think that the way Massys has the two lurking men staring at Susanna and the two maids looking at her from the opposite direction make all the characters one. Also their heads all lay on the same plane adding to the composition. The two benches that are on either side of Susanna lead the eye back into the painting so you experience the whole scene. It’s almost as if they are a Ying and Yang; the men want her to do bad things to them and her maids want to protect her and her good name. The creepy looks on these guys’ face give me the impression that they will blackmail the women in to getting what they want from her. Also, unfortunately, they also appear to be powerful men and most likely have the means of doing so rather easily. The look as if perhaps they are part of the clergy somehow, and this ties back to the representation of the corruption going on in this time. Perhaps Massys was Protestant and was trying to convey her view of the Catholic order. Also their heads all lay on the same plane adding to the composition. The two benches that are on either side of Susanna lead the eye back into the painting so you experience the whole scene. How to cite Susana and the Elders, Essay examples

From Riches to Humility free essay sample

My mother always said to, â€Å"live in the now with the Great Spirit guiding us to the right path.† Even though I do follow this advice, it is nice to think of the past and go â€Å"Wow.† I have grown-up from being a total brat into a better person. The divorce between my parents made me see things in perspective of what was more important in life and what was not. This story is my story. â€Å"Mummy, why are we moving?† I asked my mother as we were in the small travel plane, flying over the deep blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean away from my home in the Caribbean. She responded with, â€Å"We are moving to Weddington, North Carolina for the several reasons which I can not explain right now, but one reason is to get away from the hurricanes that come through the island every year.† In my heart, I knew it was something else, I knew it was the recent fighting between my parents that we were moving away from my father and my home. We will write a custom essay sample on From Riches to Humility or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page â€Å"Will we ever come back home?† I asked in desperation, while my older brother was in the back watching the ocean underneath the plane pass by. She replied with a no. It almost broke my heart to know that I would never go back to the home on the zenith of the mountain and to never come back to the deep clear ocean water that surrounded the island of St. Thomas. But the worst blow was the fact that Dad would not be living with us when we move into our new home, he will only visit. This to me at three and a half years old was the beginning of the end to my life, as I knew it. The plane landed and we were on the way to our new home. In the car, I was dreading to see the house, but I was also very excited. It was going to be our new paradise; it was going to be a place where I was going to finally start school, and it was going to be a new life for my mother, my brother and me. As we drove nearer to the house there were more trees and a fewer number of tall buildings. We were in the countryside. This place was like a forest compared to the island. The trees grow to the size of the Empire State building. We were not in the tropics, anymore. The house finally entered through my eyesight and it was huge. The house was made out of rich red bricks, there were six windows in the front god knows how many others were on the house and on the roof were two dormers. The shutters were all dark blue close to black and the front door was the exact same color. I ran towards the house with utter excitement. Back home on the island our house was small compared to this monster of a house. It was a wish come true. My mother ran behind me with a key in her hands and quickly opened the door. My brother ran in front of me and shouted, â€Å"I call for the biggest room.† I ran after him. I wanted the best room in the house. In the end, my brother got the big room while I got the smaller one, but I was happy, for I had the best view. The view was of the front yard that had a few trees and plenty of bushes that were in bloom with beautiful pink and blue flowers. After picking my room, I went to explore the mansion. To the right of my bedroom was the stairwell, my brother’s room and my mother’s room. To the left was a little hallway that lead to the playroom and to another set of stairs. This was a grand house. Downstairs there was a big kitchen with an island and connected to it were two living rooms. After the living rooms was the dinning room. It had a glass chandelier in the middle and when I turned on the light it sparkled like diamonds in the night sky. What incredible riches we have in this world I thought, and I want it all. The next day, we went shopping for furniture, since we could not bring any with us. The surprise was that Dad came from the island to help us out with the buying and choosing of the furniture. I was so happy to see him and I could tell he was happy to see us too. Once we got to the furniture store I wanted to have everything that the store had and more. I almost ran the store dry with all of my wants, and my parents obliged in buying everything that I especially wanted. One of the items that I had to have was a set of furniture that had hand-painted flowers and was made of pine. Time passed and I continued my rampage for more material possessions. The belief was if I got whatever I wanted it meant my mother and father loved me, and if I did not get whatever I wanted then I believed that they did not love me. This to me was a game of love and I always won. The game filled the playroom with more toys than I could handle and too many stuffed animals congesting my room. As I got more stuff the fighting continued. Every time my father came to visit, there was always an argument and my father started to have random violent outbursts towards all of us. No one was safe from the outbursts. I began to notice that the more he drank, the more irritable he was towards us. He would make it up to me by bringing presents over from the island or from his travels with his work as a goldsmith. But this game was about to end when the â€Å"D† word came into the picture. I knew it existed, but I did not think it would happen to us. Divorce. The fighting got to its breaking point. My mother filed for the divorce. My dad did not like it at all, and he stopped giving my mother money for the house and for our survival. To be vengeful he canceled all of our health insurances, credit cards, and with that destroying my mother’s creditability as a consumer. Instead of being a housewife like she always was, she got a job and started to work hard for us to survive in this cruel world. We started to sell everything we had to keep a roof over our heads. I was the last one to do any such thing because I was stubborn and determined to keep my collection, but in the end I realized that this was real. I would rather have a place to eat and sleep than to be homeless. After a few months, we sold the house and bought a much smaller house taking what was little we had left after the many yard sales. In the first few items that I sold, I felt despair coming over me, but after awhile I began to be enlightened. It is not about the giving of gifts obsessively that tell people that you love them; it is the time you spend with the person through the good times and the bad times. My mother in the past years has been doing just that. Instead of giving me things that I wanted, she gave me her love, and in return I have her my love, and the same was for my older brother. Even in the hard times that he put us through I still love my father. For if it were not for him, I would still be that spoiled brat and would never have learned what love really was. Also, I would never known what things I needed to be grateful for, like my health, my family, my friends, my home, the food that I eat, the bed I sleep in, and our wealth. I am in high school and I want the world to know that material possessions are not important in life, and if you are able to afford all these material possessions be humb le and grateful. Everything may disappear into thin air like mine did. This is my story and this is only the beginning.

Quality Teaching

Abstract Educational institutes in New South Wales have embarked on a quest to make gradual improvements since the adoption of the Quality Teaching model. While this progress has been markedly slow because of the many changes required for each institute to achieve effective results, it has been consistent.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Quality Teaching specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Even so, schools and other institutions of learning need to increase the pace of change on a district level so as validate the continued use of the model. This can only be achieved if the district education body reassesses key features of Quality teaching model in all schools. Background Analysis Education is a fundamental requirement for the development and ultimate advancement of the community and educators and policy makers are constantly looking for educational structure and practices that will increase the effectiveness of th e education system. The New South Wales (NSW) Department of Education and Training (2003) asserts that a core directive of the Department of Education and Training is to make sure that state and nation wide policies on education are successfully implemented. The Quality Teaching model is one of such policies that the Department of Education and Training is mandated to adapt throughout its jurisdiction. This policy has led to academic progress and improvements in student performance across NSW since it was formally endorsed. However, these level of improvement has been lower than it was projected to be. These low success rates might be attributed to the previous attitude of encouraging teachers and school administrates to implement their own version of principles and guidelines of the Quality Teaching model. A number of noticeable reasons are to blame for the slow development and improvement of the pedagogy proposed through the Quality Teaching model. Anderson and Helms (2001) assert that the three defining principles of the model; intellectual quality, quality learning environment and significance, faced some form of opposition in their implementation within the district. The biggest hindrance faced in the implementation has been budgetary constraints in most schools. Inequitable financing of educational institutes as the District and National levels have led to unequal distribution of resources across school districts. Without equity, it is impossible for most institutes to set aside the financial resources required to implement this new model.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Federal and State government aspires to provide equitable financing to each educational institute. However, this noble goal is seldom met and the reality is that some institutes receive modest finances while others have a surplus. King (2002) observes that this has a direct influence o n the ability of the institute to provide quality education to the students. The last decade has witnessed significant changes in the education field with computers and modern learning equipments becoming central to the learning efforts of students. The District bodies have been unable to conclusively supply institutes with this expensive modern equipment therefore deposing the district bodies from their traditional role as major financier to educational institutions. Charity organization, corporate sponsors, and philanthropists have taken up the role of major financier. Martinez (2004) points out that this private funding has led to intense competition and disunity as teachers from different schools fight to obtain sufficient financing from these new benefactors. This occurrence has mitigated the effectiveness of the Quality Teaching model as finances play an integral role in the success of the model. Failure to adopt a successful teaching model has led to lowered performances in p ublic schools. This has led to dissatisfaction among many parents who have turned to private schools in the hope that these privately funded institutes will provide better quality education. Gore and Ladwig (2006) suggest that the presumption that private schools are better equipped to provide quality education is misguided surplus finances do not equate to better delivery on all the elements of Authentic Pedagogy and the Quality Teaching Model. As such, availability of adequate financial resources does not necessary translate to quality teaching. The attitude of all the relevant parties in the educational system significantly influences the success of the teaching model.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Quality Teaching specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These relevant parties include teachers, students, school administrators and regional and national education bodies. Teachers are regarded as the most significant actors since they are relied on to impart knowledge to the students. Their role is therefore critical to the success or failure of any quality teaching process since they are the ones who implement the Quality Teaching model. Teachers do not hold a uniform attitude regarding the model and their outlook is influenced by factors such as cultural ideologies and social predispositions (Martinez, 2004). Teachers generally enjoy a modest social economic status and this inclines them to believe that certain goals and intentions are beyond one’s natural capability. Lee and Smith (2001) observe that teachers find it hard to make the constant changes in educational practices necessitated by current social circumstances. While such changes would greatly enhance the quality of teaching and positively influence student performance, the changes require significant financing and maintenance. The financial requirements of the changes are unattainable even for the wealthiest nations. Changes are proposed regularly and this this makes many students and teachers loss interest in the many incomplete efforts proposed all the time (Groundwater-Smith Hunter, 2000). Teachers also feel an extra burden since they are forced to fulfil responsibilities that are alien to their training. The Regulatory Commission for Authentic Pedagogy under the Quality Teaching model Steps need to be taken to deal with the shortcomings of the current implementation of the Quality Teaching Model in NSW. One method which might assist is the establishment of a regulatory body by the Department of Education and Training. Such a body would be responsible for formulating a sustainable system that addresses the issues that plague the current Quality Teaching implementation. The body would liaison between the Department and School administrations to identify teacher and student issues that need to be addressed. The body would provide students with an avenue to air their views or grievances concerning the ir education. Anderson and Helms (2001) suggests that such an avenue would be beneficial for students who prefer to air their views concerning the education process to an independent third party. Agents in the regulatory body would also play a supervisory role thus ensuring that all parties fulfil their mandated roles and responsibilities.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The financial requirements of the proposed regulatory body would be significant. Government and State authorities would need to provide these finances. It would therefore be desirable for the body to fulfil its goals within a reasonable period of time to save the government from high maintenance expenses. NSW has 760,000 students and 2200 public schools making it the State with the highest student and public schools population in Australia (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2003). An average of 350 students would be served in each institute if the number of students was evenly spread out across the available schools. If each teacher was is responsible for a maximum of 30 students, less than 20 teachers would be required for each institution. Combined with administrative and non-administrative staff, the number of non-student population would be between 30 and 40 adults. Regulatory agents would be tasked with supervising and interviewing this non-student population in schools . From this, they would be able to deduce their effect on the overall academic achievement of students. It is to be expected that the non-student staff will be greater or less than the estimates provided since students are not equally distributed across public schools in NSW. In addition to this, Lee and Smith (2001) assert that education institutions for special needs students require the different pedagogical principles to regular institutes. At the same time, regular institutions applying self-contained or inclusive classrooms to cater for special needs students require the same, if not more, attention in the delivery of Quality Teaching goals. The commission will therefore be made up of agents who will invigilate progress in predefined sectors of NSW. Feedback is essential in any monitoring efforts and as such, the regulatory division will have a feedback department. The feedback will be obtained from teachers, administrators and students. All additional policies or amendments t o policies concerning Quality Teaching will be instigated from the division making it a centre for changes and the chief source of resources concerning Quality Teaching for schoolteachers. King (2002) suggests that consistent monitoring is necessary for any significant gains to be achieved. With this considerations, each agent will have to regularly assess all institutions within his/her jurisdiction and interview all the relevant parties in order to access if the Quality Teaching model is being implemented effectively. While attention will be given to all the relevant parties, focus will predominantly be on the students since they are the people who the model hopes to impact. Regular interviews will therefore be conducted with students and a focus group established to help gauge the students’ attitudes towards schoolwork, teachers, administration and non-teaching staff. The agent will also interview teaching and non-teaching staff who interact with the students. By interview ing teachers, the agent will gauge their attitude towards the Quality Teaching model. Groundwater-Smith and Hunter (2000) observe that the interviews will also help in giving a better understanding of what each teacher perceives quality teaching to mean under this model. From the findings of the interviews, teachers who are under-informed will be required to attend Quality Teaching seminars in order to inform them on what constitutes quality teaching under this framework. Administration heads will be consulted before recommending mandatory seminars to ensure that their authority is not undermined. An important question will be with regards to who makes up the regulatory agency staff. King (2002) proposes that pedagogy experts from universities and seasoned policymakers on educational matters are the best candidates. Such professionals will be best placed to design and redesign the application of Quality Teaching in public schools in order to increase the rate of effective implementa tion through seamless adaptation and assimilation. The current move towards Quality Teaching in NSW is grounded in studies done by veterans such as Newmann and Griffiths (King, 2002). These seasoned academic researchers would be the most qualified to run the regulatory commission and handle any difficulties that may arise in the implementation process of the Quality Teaching Model. Uniform adoption of the new policies would be desirable and as such, meetings between the commission’s heads and regulatory agents would be necessary. Such meetings would ensure that all public institutes in NSW integrate Quality Learning in their institutes at the same pace regardless of factors such as school population or socio-economic realities of each institute (Anderson Helms, 2001). As has been noted, some teachers would require additional training in order to properly adopt the Quality Teaching principles in their classrooms. The commission’s heads will be in-charge of these mandat ory re-education seminars. Martinez (2004) reveals that there is a great possibility that most of the teachers who will require re-education will be career teachers who have been in the job for long. Such senior teachers with experience of over ten years will have developed personalized teaching techniques and most likely have reputations amongst their peers and the students. Proposed changes that such teachers consider unproductive or flawed will be ignored. Gore and Ladwig (2006) see the rationale behind such action and concur that experience offers insight into areas within Quality Teaching that require more analysis and evaluation. Even so, experience is not synonymous with perfection and even the most experienced person can learn better ways of doing things. The commissioners will therefore have to face the challenge of convincing these veteran teachers that the Quality Teaching model is a pedagogical framework that will bring about teacher satisfaction and improve the learning experience for the students. The commissioners will use regular regional meetings as avenues for obtaining feedback from teachers. Such feedback will include suggestions on how the three tenets of Quality Teaching can be better adapted. Such meetings will ensure that the role of enforcement is passed on to the teachers. Without such an approach, the regulatory commission would have to force the framework upon teachers and this would lead to resistance and even resentment. In these approach, the primary role of the commissioners and regulatory agents will be to obtain support for the framework from teachers. Groundwater-Smith (1999) forecasts that ingraining the pedagogical framework into all teachers will lead to teachers implementing it autonomously therefore leading to the desirable outcome, which is rendering the work of the commission obsolete. The administrative hierarchy will have the regulatory agents at the bottom and the regulation commission and schools’ senior adm inistrators at the top. The agents will conduct the actual regulation and report to the commissioners and school heads. The agents would also involve the school administration to help coordinate in activities that affect the particular school. Even so, the agents would have autonomy during evaluations to ensure that an independent and impartial report is obtained. The school’s administration would be isolated from evaluation efforts in order for valid claims to be made by teachers and students. The administration will have representation during focus group interviews or individual interviews with students and staff. However, the representatives role will be strictly that of an observer. Analysis of the Potential Impact on the Quality Teaching framework The agent’s attention shall mostly be directed towards the student body, teaching and non-teaching staff. These groups individually influence the three tenets of Quality Teaching in a profound manner. The Student bodyâ⠂¬â„¢s acceptance of the model will occur if they are able to find relevance in the subject matter. Effective learning will only able to occur if the teacher is able to identify areas of interest for the students and focus on them. The agent will be tasked with identifying where the interests of the different students lies notwithstanding the differences in culture and socio-economic status that the students might have. This will not be an impossible task since there is a fusion in some of the basic interests of students in NSW state due to the co-existence of different cultures and social classes in the same environment (Groundwater-Smith Hunter, 2000). An in-depth understanding of student interests and desires would assist in increasing the efficiency of the teaching methods employed by making the lesson more engaging for the students. For a teacher to perform his role effectively, he needs to be well informed since the students should ideally view him as the primary purveyor of information. While it was easy for the teacher to be the primary source of information in the past, this is no longer the case since information technology systems have made an infinite amount of knowledge and data available to the students. Technology savvy students are able to challenge tutors with complicated information obtained from the internet. Teachers are at times unable to keep up with the student’s pace for information desire. The first tenet of the Quality Teaching Model is intellectual quality and it insists on the teacher possessing a large knowledge base in order to remain significant and intellectually respected by their students (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2003). Inability to maintain intellectual quality will diminish the effectiveness of the teacher. The non-teaching staff plays an integral role in the education institute. Their role in maintaining a healthy and adequate learning environment is constantly undervalued despite it being very imp ortant since teachers and school administrations can only provide a classroom-learning environment but they cannot effectively control the external environment that the non-teaching staff takes care of. While regulations for the control of substance use exist, they are very inadequate (Corwin et al., 1975). The non-teaching staff takes care of the environment therefore providing a conducive atmosphere for students and teachers alike. Greater sensitivity to the role that non-teachings staff play in enhancing the learning environment is required since they are necessary elements in the school environment. References Anderson, R. D., Helms, J. V. (2001). The Ideal of Standards and the Reality of Schools: Needed Research. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38 (1), 3-16. Corwin, R., Heffernan, P., Johnston, R., Remy, M., Roberts, J., Tyler, D. (1975). Environmental Impact Assessment. San Francisco: Freeman, Cooper Company. Gore, J. M., Ladwig, J. G. (2006). Professional Develop ment for Pedagogical Impact. Paper presented at the Australian Association for Research in Education Annual Conference, Perth. Groundwater-Smith, S. (1999). Students as Researchers and the ‘Why’ Question. Paper presented to the British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, Brighton. Groundwater-Smith, S., Hunter, J. (2000). Whole School Inquiry: Evidence-based Practice. Journal of In-Service Education, 26 (3), 583-600. King, M.B. (2002). Professional Development to Promote School-wide Inquiry. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18(1), 243-257. Lee, V.E., Smith, J.B. (2001). Restructuring High School for Equity and Excellence. New York: Teachers College Press. Martinez, K. (2004). Mentoring New Teachers: Promise and Problems in times of Teacher Shortage. Australian Journal of Education, 48 (1), 95-108. NSW Department of Education and Training. (2003). Quality Teaching in NSW public schools: A classroom practice guide. Sydney: NSW Department of Education and Training, Professional Support and Curriculum Directorate This essay on Quality Teaching was written and submitted by user Isai Hardin 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. 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Critically evaluate two approaches to solving the problems of environmental pollution. Essay Example

Critically evaluate two approaches to solving the problems of environmental pollution. Essay Example Critically evaluate two approaches to solving the problems of environmental pollution. Essay Critically evaluate two approaches to solving the problems of environmental pollution. Essay Critically measure two attacks to work outing the jobs of environmental pollution. In the twentieth century rapid economic development has resulted in environmental jobs. Hence, environmental pollution has been a cause for concern for the past few decennaries. The nursery consequence caused by the release of C dioxide for illustration has become a chief focal point in the universe. Newspaper headlines, academic stuff and protests by assorted environmental militants have forced each one to be cognizant of their duty towards to environment. There has been an increasing divergency in the positions between ecologists and economic experts whereby the ecologists have a really pessimistic position of the environment in the hereafter, where they believe that the resources are consuming at really fast rate ; on the other manus the economic experts have an optimistic position. Supported by statistical grounds the economic point of position for the hereafter suggests that poorness degrees are cut downing, the natural resources will last for another 150 old ages The undermentioned paper will analyze the effects of pollution and the steps that have been taken to battle it. The sign language of the UN clime alteration model pact indicates that environmental protection is being taken earnestly and that people around the universe have reached a decision about the demand to command the fumes of nursery gases, such as C dioxide, ensuing in betterments in the environment and recognizing sustainable development. Amongst the assorted definitions provided for pollution, one of the defines pollution as, â€Å"†¦the release of harmful environmental contaminations, or the substances so release.†[ 1 ] The fact must be noted that the substances themselves are non harmful, but when they are converted into smog due to solar energy ( sunlight ) that they have a harmful consequence on the environment and cause wellness jeopardies. Pollution is the consequence of ( negative ) human activity. There are two chief sorts of pollution – local and planetary pollution. Earlier pollution at the local degree was considered to be the lone job. Local pollution took the signifier of firing coal bring forthing fume and being risky for wellness. The attack to undertake pollution in the developed universe was to develop consciousness at the school degree. However, when some signifiers of pollution has a planetary consequence it is termed as planetary pollution. Besides whether something is pollution or non depends on the context it is being used. For case C dioxide emanations are referred to as pollution due to the harm they cause to the ambiance ensuing in climatic alterations. Other illustrat ions of pollution beginnings include atomic workss and oil oilers let go ofing toxic waste into the environment. Traditional signifiers of pollution include noise, air and H2O pollution. [ 2 ] Prior to analyzing the attacks to work outing the job it is indispensable to understand the harmful effects of pollution. On assorted foreparts it has been argued that environmental pollution consequences in serious wellness jeopardies like increased hazard of malignant neoplastic disease, skin harm, interrupting the ecological balance and upsetting the climatic equilibrium. Nowadays everything ramping from drouths, inundations, and temblors to the gradual displacement in climatic alterations, for case, colder states anticipating abnormally high temperatures during summers, is being associated with pollution. Theorists have argued that there is small grounds to propose whether the alteration in clime will be a good thing or a bad thing. It is the perceptual experience that people have or that has been created by media that everyone believes that climatic alterations will non be contributing for economic growing. Tacking the job of pollution has become a major concern for everyone. In economic theory ; markets coordinate the picks of people with respect to natural resource usage ; nevertheless ; environmental determinations are made outside the market and without cognition of the to the full priced goods and services. Gwartney et. Al ( 2000 ) place the absence of clearly defined and firmly enforced belongings rights and the ensuing deficiency of markets and decision-makers answerability as the nucleus issues of pollution and other outwardness jobs. They believe that authoritiess need to inquire themselves whether economic growing is harmful for the environment. Economic growing by and large leads to environmental betterments because people with higher incomes are willing to pay more for environmental quality. Gwartney et. Al ( 2000 ) argue that the demand to take between economic growing and environmental quality may look obvious when economic activities affect the quality of the air or H2O. Governments in the developed states are under force per unit area from conservationist to protect the rights of those able to turn out that they have been harmed by pollution. Surveies conducted by Donald Cursey finds that US and in other industrial states citizen’s support for steps to better environmental quality is extremely sensitive to income alterations. [ 3 ] Thus in economic footings, willingness to pay for dearly-won environmental steps is extremely elastic with regard to income. Income growing helps to increase the demand for environmental quality, while technological progresss help to take down the cost of cut downing both resource usage and pollution. Yet incomes above the poorness degree and an apprehension of the engineering are non plenty to protect the environment. The job posed by pollution can be explained by utilizing the theory of market failure, which occurs when resources are non expeditiously allocated. This theory highlights the jobs faced by concerns ( manufacturers ) who feel that the cost of disposing waste is excessively high and that net incomes will be higher if costs are kept to a lower limit and disposing of waste through a least cost method is extremely efficient. Therefore harmonizing to the theory of market failures, the true cost to the society is much higher than the private cost of the manufacturer. Solving THE CRISIS In the UK, the Environment Agency is responsible for the protection and betterment of the air, land and H2O. The study that hey published suggested the overall incidents of serious pollution were 20 % lower than in 2001. The cardinal industries responsible for the pollution of H2O, land and air are agribusiness, waste direction, the H2O industry and the chemical industry. But repeat wrongdoers included companies such as BP UK, Tesco, Tiles-R-Us, TotalFinaElf, Anglian Water, Thames Water, BT, Yoplait and Stationary Box. [ 4 ] It is a flooring disclosure to see the names of companies like Tesco and Tiles-R-Us in the list of pollution wrongdoers. Therefore when companies which deal with harmless merchandises like nutrient can besides terrible harm to the environment, H2O companies and agrarian activities would be doing so much more injury. One manner to battle the job of halting companies and concerns from fouling the environment has been to impose mulcts. Harmonizing to the study published, the mean all right per company was raised by over one 3rd to ?8,744. Fines of more than ?20,000 rose by about 42 % compared to 2001 but the Environment Agency believes that the size of the mulcts are non sufficient to carry companies to alter their behavior. Amongst the assorted illustrations cited, one of them indicated how a company manager dumped dirt incorporating arsenic, quicksilver and nitrile, which has serious wellness deductions as it can do circulatory jobs, skin harm and increased hazard of malignant neoplastic disease. The sentence given to the manager was that he was jailed merely for one twelvemonth. Sing that his act could hold resulted in many human lives enduring from terrible wellness jobs and the punishment of merely one twelvemonth of gaol sentence does non look to be just. It would non be right to fault the companies and concerns for non following with the ordinances. Businesss tend to reason that the systems and support construction is non in topographic point for them to dispose waste safely. In the absence of a proper substructure to make so, it would be incorrect to set the incrimination merely on one party. Another factor that discourages concerns from safely disposing waste is the cost factor involved. It has proved to be really expensive for concerns to dispose waste. This is particularly the instance in agriculture, where borders are tight. Regulation Government ordinance is an alternate method of seeking to protect and continue the quality of the environment. Regulation nevertheless does non ever lead to ideal results, and it can be tremendously expensive. Regulation is non ever based o market systems, so it is capable to all the jobs associated with deficiency of information and deficiency of inducements that have plagued the socialist states. For case, in the instance of planetary heating, emanations from C dioxide from efficient combustion of all fuels instance no injury where they are emitted. No one’s rights are being violated by the invasion of harmful pollutant, yet these emanations are constructing up in the ambiance. Therefore this may necessitate that in the future ordinances must take this into history. Some scientists and environmental groups argue that the menace of planetary heating is serious and that despite high costs, the states of the universe must enforce strong ordinances rapidly. Many states have initiated air pollution control programmes in recent old ages. In England control was started by the establishment of smokeless zones and by controls based on the coloring material of the emitted fume and great motion has doubtless resulted. In Ontario, a more extremist attack was adopted, by set uping an discoverer of fouling beginnings and forbiding the puting up of new industrial concerns without an in agreement system of emanation control, and besides by mensurating the ‘air pollution index Various unfavorable judgments have been offered in footings of how pollution control steps are designed and implemented. It has been argued that frequently the Some theoreticians believe that cut downing degrees of environmental pollution is non merely the duty for companies, but besides a societal duty of each and every occupant ; it can merely be possible if the persons besides portion the cost that is borne by manufacturers, by paying higher monetary values for the services and goods. The principle offered is that in return for higher monetary values, non merely is the single being offered better merchandises but besides a cleansing agent environment. It can be argued that even though it seems rational ; to bear down consumers higher monetary values for a safer environment, but it must be noted that companies gets subsidies, revenue enhancement benefits and many other signifiers of the authorities support which helps them to get by with the increased investing in engineering to bring forth environment friendly merchandises, nevertheless, single consumers are non paid higher rewards and wages to purchase environmentally friendly environme nt. The thought is to keep those people responsible who pollute the environment and do enforce some signifier of fiscal punishment. Some do believe that the solution by concentrating on doing the monetary value signal work more efficaciously, by taxing the manufacturer and supplying him with some signifier of fiscal inducement to put in would ensue in would be an extension of belongings rights and are all possible methods to battle the job of pollution. Other possible methods that have been suggested are to publish tradable licenses. The thought is that licenses would let manufacturers to foul up to a certain degree. The licenses will besides assist in increasingly cut downing the overall degree of pollution. Property Rights In the UK, attempts are being made to widen the belongings rights. The implicit in thought of belongings rights is that if person is found to be doing harm to person else’s belongings, legal action can be taken against the person. In the environmental sense, Environment Agency has been set up who has ownership over the environment so to talk. In the US, Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) is one of the many administrations that have been set up to accomplish the above mentioned purpose. Property rights give legal standing to those who are threatened by pollution. Owners of land and other resources in a market economic system have the right to action anyone. Significant part to environmental quality is made through the normal operation of belongings rights and a market system. However, it is sometimes hard to specify set up and protect belongings rights. In the instance of local pollution the belongings rights attack can cover efficaciously with the job, Most pollutants capable of doing serious harm are of this kind. However, if the effects of an emitted substance are both serious and widespread over a big population, or if the substance has many beginnings, so authorities ordinance may be more efficient. Policymakers and analysts sing environmental ordinances should recognize that environmental quality is an economic good. Like nutrient, vesture, and shelter, it is something that people are willing to pay for, though non in limitless sums. In add-on policy shapers should recognize that the nexus between environmental quality and economic prosperity is of import. Environmental ordinances can exercise a powerful influence. Policymakers should non bury that enforceable belongings rights were for many old ages the chief signifier of modulating environmental pollution and leting presbyopic persons and groups to exert their visions of preserved natural countries. Over all belongings rights continue to play a positive function in the saving of a quality environment. Evaluation Property rights provide inducement to the proprietor to portion resource entree, which resource monetary values provide users with the inducement to conserve. In add-on ownership ensures that the things under their ownership are good taken attention of. Furthermore, belongings rights provide long-run inducements for maximizing the value of resource. Thus for illustration, if eroding reduces a land’s hereafter productiveness, is value in present twenty-four hours footings would fall and would finally ensue in the diminution of the owner’s wealth. Advocates in favor of belongings rights argue that belongings rights are defined, defensible and tradable. They are considered highly of import for the smooth operation of markets. Therefore when belongings rights are present and protected, resource markets encourage handiness and they besides promote resource preservation. Arguments which are non in favor of authorities ordinance are that there is no strong grounds to propose w hether alterations in the earth’s cloud would make to heighten the warming effects of C dioxide or to countervail them. It is a general consensus of the scientists that the atmospheric theoretical accounts used to foretell planetary heating does non accurately integrate the effects of atmospheric H2O vaporization. Second, it has been questioned that for the past many decennaries added C dioxide has been associated with heating, but does this association mean that C dioxide caused warming. Further, it is besides being questioned if warming does happen would the sea degree rise or autumn. It is a known fact that warmer air carries more wet, and the added precipitation would construct up snow and the thickness of the ice on the polar caps would increase. It has been argued that pollution controls ( ordinance ) has inauspicious economic effects as it diverts the resources from other growing activities. Some have argued that ordinance can hold really inefficient ways of exerting control. Thirdly pollution control can hold a negative impact on investing. If the production of certain goods is made more expensive, it leads to a rise in the monetary values of these goods and therefore reduces the sum of each demanded. Second as these controls are levied on new beginnings, directors are likely to maintain old works in usage instead than replace it with new and more efficient installation. Protecting our environment does non hold to set an terminal to economic advancement. Free markets in licenses to foul, like free markets for other resources, can guarantee that pollution is controlled at the lowest cost possible. In drumhead it can be said that whether, the pick is made to utilize belongings rights or ordinances are used, they come with their set of advantages and disadvantages. Second, while the pick of belongings rights is making a sense of ownership and the chances of persons being more protective of something that they own is an interesting theory to star with. However, without ordinances being imposed from the authorities it would non be really effectual. Mechanisms would hold to be set in topographic point whereby the information is available to first of all assess the extent of harm and the costs involved. If the economic experts work on this based on the theoretical underpinning they would non hold entree to full information in footings of environmental harm while if the conservationists tend to work on the extent of harm they wouldn’t have complete information in footings of production costs etc. Thus what is required is a system where belongings rights are supported with ordi nance to undertake the job of pollution. Fine degrees need to be increased to do the cause of salvaging the environment more meaningful. Decision Pollution is a cause for concern for states around the universe. The intent is to command depletion of natural resources and guaranting that society becomes cognizant of its duty towards the environment. Amongst many steps offered to battle the pollution crisis authorities ordinance and set uping belongings rights are the two chief attacks discussed. From the predating paragraphs it can be seen that each of the two attacks have their ain sets of virtues and demerits. While some have argued that authorities ordinance is the right manner frontward, nevertheless, it must be noted that this system is non without its drawback of holding unequal information. On the other manus, set uping belongings rights has given more power to the bureaus like EPA and EA to enforce mulcts and fiscal punishments on those who are responsible for doing pollution. While the system has been considered to be better than enforcing ordinance, nevertheless it has been argued that the mulcts imposed are non large plenty to be seen as a ‘penalty’ . Furthermore, when higher costs are transferred from concerns to consumers in the signifier of bear downing higher monetary values, the system is farther questioned. Despite the statements offered, it is a applaudable attempt by authoritiess and conservationists in extenuating the effects of environmental pollution. A measure in the right enunciation is most of import than non doing any attempt at all. Thus both the attacks must be followed together and new systems should be developed to guarantee that the consequences are achieved sooner than subsequently. Bibliography Barrow, C.J. ,Environmental Management: Principles and Practice,( 1999 ) , Routledge, an imprint of Taylor and Francis Books Ltd. Elliott, J.A. ,An Introduction to Sustainable Development,( 1999 ) , Routledge, An Imprint of Taylor and Francis Books Ltd. Gwartney, James D. , Stroup, Richard L. , and Sobel, Russell S. ,Economicss Private and Public Choice,( 2000 ) , Ninth Edition, The Dryden Press. Goodstein, E.S. ,Economicss and Environment,( 2004 ) , John Wiley and Sons Ltd. Diaries and Articles Buckley, T.J. , Schwab, M. , and Payne-Sturges, D.C. ,Closing the Research Loop: A Hazard based attack to for Communicating Results of Air Pollution Exposure Studies,( 2004 ) , Environmental Health Perspectives Vol 112 ( 1 ) January 2004 Cursey, Donald,The Demand for Environmental Quality,Paper presented in January 1993 at the American Economic Association in California. Hutchinson, T.C. , and Meema, K.M. ,Effectss of Atmospheric Pollutants on Forests, Wetlands, and Agricultural Ecosystems,Ecological Sciences Vol. 16 Internet Beginnings www.economist.com

How Individual Beliefs About Illness Affect Health and Treatment Essay

How Individual Beliefs About Illness Affect Health and Treatment - Essay Example Psychology is used to study the mental processes and behavior of individuals, and differs from subjects such as biology, sociology, anthropology, economics, political science, and neuroscience in many ways. Mainly - and perhaps most importantly - it differs in that it is primarily concerned with not only the biological or neural processes, but more so with the interaction of mental processes and behavior and the overall processes of a system. Psychology can be framed in terms of two particular theories: phenomenological and information processing. An understanding of the brain and its functions are also included in the psychological theory and practice, and the idea of psychology is connected with a vast amount of subjects in the general society of today. Health psychology is similar to basic psychology in many ways, but the differences are more crucial; it is the use of psychological principles to promote health and prevent illness. Health psychology seriously considers the biological, cognitive, behavioral, emotional, social, psychosomatic and environmental factors and how they relate to health and illness. The objective of this form of psychology is to determine the connections between psychological factors and how they relate to a person's health. There are specific behaviors which may lead a person to illness, ... The objective of this form of psychology is to determine the connections between psychological factors and how they relate to a person's health. There are specific behaviors which may lead a person to illness, and the primary purpose of health psychology is to determine these causations and to attempt to understand why a person would behave in this way. "There are many examples of this. Smoking, diet, and regular exercise all contribute to the formation of disease. Individuals with thrill seeking personalities are more likely to drive fast, making them more likely to injure themselves in car accidents." ("Wikipedia", 2006). How can Individual Beliefs About Illness Affect Health and Treatment In the health and treatment of a person, there are many factors which are undeniably involved. The psychology of a person and the matter in which it affects their well being is a crucial factor in this discussion, and must be properly understood and addressed. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was originally developed by Godfrey Hochbaum, Stephen Kegels and Irwin Rosenstock, and its initial purpose was to be "a systematic methodusedto explain and predict preventive health behavior." (McCormack Brown, 1999). In rather relative terms, the HBM focused on the relationship of health behaviors, practices and the utilization of health services. It was a rather intricate tool at the time it was created, but as of then has been revised to include general health motivation for the purpose of distinguishing illness and sick-role behavior from health behavior. In other words, the HBM studies the being of a person's motivation to undertake a health behavior and all the categories which this includes: individual perceptions, modifying behaviors, and