Managing a Retailers Finances

The merchandise budget The merchandise budget is a clear plan of the sales anticipated by a retailer over a given period in the future. The merchandise budget influences the amount of commodities to be purchased by the retailing company. It also highlights the possible reductions and markups that the company might have to embrace.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing a Retailer’s Finances specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The merchandising budget should be prepared after considering the anticipated sales, the stock on hand, and the required gross margins for the company to attain higher profits. The language of the budget should be clear, and the budget must be based on a specific timeline. For instance, most retail firms create a six-month merchandising budget. The variables contained in a merchandise budget include the planned sales, planned BOM and EOM inventories, and the retail reductions. The budg et must also contain the purchases at retail and cost, as well as the planned gross margins of the buyer. Retail accounting statements There are three retail accounting statements. These include the income statement, balance sheet, and the statement of cash flow. The income statement highlights the profit or loss made by the company over a given period. The balance sheet is a financial statement that highlights the company’s liabilities, assets, and shareholder’s equity at a given time. The assets must balance with the liabilities and the equity held by the shareholders. The cash flow statement breaks down the effects of different financial activities on the cash available for the retail company. Inventory valuation Inventory valuation entails calculating all the costs involved in the process of placing the items in the inventory in place. There are two methods of accounting inventory systems, and these include the cost method and the retail method. Inventory valuation also includes inventory pricing systems, which may follow the first-in-first-out (FIFO) procedure or the last-in-first-out (LIFO) strategy.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Merchandise buying and handling Steps in Merchandise buying and handling The first step is identifying the most viable sources of supply. This involves identifying the best manufacturers. The second step involves contacting the suppliers. The third step entails conducting an evaluation of the prospective suppliers. This process results in the identification of the best supplier. The fourth step entails negotiations on prices and services associated with delivery. The last step is the purchasing process, which entails making payments and receiving the merchandise on the part of the retailer (Dunne, Lusch Carver, 2013). Dollar-merchandise planning Dollar merchandise planning influences the allocation of ca sh in the company because it determines the best way to balance the stock and sales. The plan highlights the desirable rate of spending for the company (Dunne, Lusch Carver, 2013). Dollar-merchandise control The retailer must control the dollar plan by limiting the commitments on merchandise that would exceed the dollar amount that the buyer can safely spend. Dollar-merchandise control ensures that the retailer sticks to the merchandise budget prepared at the beginning of a given period of business (Dunne, Lusch Carver, 2013). Inventory planning Inventory planning is a vital process in retailing because it involves the alignment of the quantity, timing, sales, and production capacity of the inventory. This process facilitates effective control of the profit margins of the company and the cash flow system (Dunne, Lusch Carver, 2013). Selection of merchandise source The selection of a merchandise source determines the cost of the inventory, and the profit margins for the retailer. It is important to select a merchandise source based on affordability and reliability of the source (Dunne, Lusch Carver, 2013). Retailers can acquire their merchandise from different manufacturers; hence, there must be a comprehensive system to manage the supply chain.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing a Retailer’s Finances specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Vendor negotiations Vendor negotiations entail discussions on the price of the merchandise and delivery information between the retailer and the potential suppliers. This process facilitates a ground for bargaining between the involved suppliers and the retailer. Item creation and location Item creation involves the development of a unique tag on the items in the inventory that can be used to identify the items. Retailers must create items and feed the data to the inventory database for reference. The items should also indicate their specific l ocation in the stores for easy access during the process of taking the inventory. Replenishment and in-store handling If the retailer is selling perishable goods with short expiry dates, it is important to prevent the LIFO effect on the consumers by limiting the number of batches of the products displayed on the shelves. This ensures that the retailer achieves the FIFO strategy in selling and reduces losses caused by the expiration of products on the shelves. This process also helps in handling the storage constraints in the store (Broekmeulen Bakx, 2010). Merchandise-line reviews This process involves the evaluation of the identified opportunities and challenges associated with the merchandise in the past. It also involves the formulation of solutions to the problems associated with the merchandise by looking at the solution derived in the past (What are the Key Elements of a Merchandise Planning System? 2015). Markdowns Markdowns are the levels of price reduction that the retaile r is forced to apply to the merchandise to respond to various constraints in the market. These constraints could be the availability of cheaper alternative products or bad assortment planning of the merchandise (Sayner, 2011). Retail Pricing Pricing objectives and policies Pricing objectives and policies influence the pricing of the products in a retail company. The pricing objective should be aligned with the strategic financial objectives of the retail company. The elasticity of consumer prices should be considered while setting the price objectives and policies (Varley, 2006).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Target return objective This is an investment tool that is used to determine the rate of financial returns that a retailer is looking to achieve from the merchandise. Profit Maximization Profit maximization is a technique used by retail companies to influence the attainment of the greatest profit on investments. It entails the manipulation of the prices of the products in the inventory to attain the highest profit margins (Varley, 2006). Skimming Skimming is a pricing strategy used by companies whereby they place the highest possible price for a commodity. As soon as the first client purchases the commodity at the set price, the company lowers the price to attract other customers (Varley, 2006). Pricing Strategies Pricing strategies are crucial in profit maximization because they determine the position of the products in a competitive retail industry. Companies must develop pricing strategies that foster the attainment of the greatest profit margins (Varley, 2006). Pricing below the market Pricing below the market is a strategy that entails offering products at prices that are below the standard market prices with the objective of enhancing the competitive power of the associated product. Pricing at market levels Pricing at market levels entails the development of a pricing strategy that matches set by other retailers in the industry. This pricing method is common for companies operating in a perfectly competitive market. Pricing above the market Pricing above the market entails developing a pricing strategy that places higher than normal prices of the products offered by a retailer. This technique is associated with the maximization of profits. Using Markups Markups are strategic tools used to raise the price of commodities when the demand increases. Markups entail adding specified rates for different commodities sold by a retailer. Markdown Management Markdown management entails the development of a control system to determine the minimum level of profit mar gins that the retail company is willing to obtain. Markdown management is essential in the development of pricing objective and policies because it entails the reduction of the prices of different products offered by a retailing company (Varley, 2006). Advertising and Promotion Advertising and promotion are indispensable factors in the management of retail operations. Advertising and promotion help retail companies to increase their market share by enhancing the awareness of the presence of their respective brands in the market (Belch Belch, 2011). Types of promotions Advertising Advertising in the retail industry is a viable strategy to communicate to potential clients and to create awareness of the existence of different products. Advertising helps companies to maintain and increase their market share. Advertising should be conducted in a persuasive manner to appeal to the target market (Belch Belch, 2011). Sales promotion Sales promotion is a strategy applied to increase the ra te of sales in a retail company. There are different methods of sales promotions, and their main aim is to entice consumers to increase the demand for a specific commodity (Belch Belch, 2011). Publicity Publicity involves the development of awareness of the existence of products. Publicity is a marketing strategy that increases the sales of specific products in a company, and it is widely used by retailers to introduce new products to the consumers. Personal selling Personal selling entails the use of a salesperson to sell products to potential customers. Personal selling is an effective strategy in marketing because it creates awareness of the existence of new products, and it also provides a platform for the retailer to persuade the target customers to purchase products. There are many strategies used in retail selling, but they follow specific steps. These steps include approaching the customer, determining the problem to solve for the customer, and presenting the merchandise to solve the problem. Making the sale and developing a relationship to open grounds for future sales are also important steps in the process (Belch Belch, 2011). Customer Service Customer service is a concept that encompasses all the services that a retailer provides to the customers in the retail store and other business platforms. Customer loyalty to companies is a function of the quality of services that the company offers. Customer services are normally provided to the consumers before they make a purchase, during the purchasing process and after the purchase is made. This provides a comprehensive coverage of services to keep the customer happy and satisfied. Customer care is a tool for adding value to the products offered by a retailer. Harnessing market share in a competitive market is difficult; hence, most retailers add value to their products by improving the quality of their customer services. This quality is facilitated by investing in training and development programs for the employees, and providing some extra free services to the customers. This may include free delivery of products (Belch Belch, 2011). Retail Selling Retail selling is the essence of doing business in the retail industry. It entails the development of a relationship with the customer and persuading the customer to assume a purchasing behavior that is beneficial to the company. Retail selling focuses on selling merchandise at the most profitable prices and quantity. Retail selling is associated with the sale of small quantities of merchandise to individual customers. The trick is to maintain a loyal market share that can help in the attainment of the objective of the company. Most retailers increase their selling rates by reducing the prices of their merchandise, and providing services that add value to the merchandise. The quality of the merchandise also plays a major role in retaining market share (Belch Belch, 2011). Store layout and design The layout and design of a retail st ore determine the number of sales and the type of products that consumers purchase. A good retailer must develop a store layout that facilitates the arrangement of products in different related categories. The layout should also aim at maximizing the available space. The merchandise should fit on the shelves available; hence space management is a crucial requirement. The design of the store determines the accessibility of the merchandise on display (Belch Belch, 2011). One of the best strategies used by retailers is the placement of enticing and new products near the entry of the store to attract customers. The design of the store should ensure that all the merchandise is clearly displayed. References Belch, G., Belch, M. (2011). Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective. New York: McGraw-Hill Education. Broekmeulen, R. A. C. M., Bakx, C. H. M. (2010). In-store replenishment procedures for perishable inventory in a retail environment with handl ing costs and storage constraints. Web. Dunne, P., Lusch, R., Carver, J. (2013). Retailing. Boston: Cengage Learning. Sayner, R. (2011). Markups Markdowns. Web. Varley, R. (2006). Retail Product Management: Buying and Merchandising. London: Psychology Press. What are the Key Elements of a Merchandise Planning System? (2015). Web. 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BMW Luxury Cars

BMW Luxury Cars The core customer value for BMW luxury cars are prestige and hi-tech performance in their endeavors. Having full understanding of the specific needs of their target group, BMW has largely considered the psychographic factors of its customers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on BMW Luxury Cars specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As it has been revealed, BMW targets active individuals who have achieved success at their early age, desiring prestigious and super-performing luxury cars like themselves. Notably, the customers of BMW are technology oriented and very active in their life-time, as they pursue success in their ventures. In this regard, the brand seeks to establish strong relationship with its customers by providing them with the driving experience they desire in their life-time. As it has been revealed, the luxury cars having the BMW brand name are in three series including MBW 3, MBW 5 and MBW 7. These three series of the MBW brand are the ultimate core aspects for maintenance of customer loyalty to the BMW luxury cars. More specifically, the MBW 3 series provides its users with extra-ordinary performance as it is made to facilitate self actualization among the customer target base. Precisely, BMW 3 series seeks to establish trust and loyalty with its customers by offering splendid personalized experiences with the product. After the users of BMW 3 advance into more experience with BMW luxury cars, they move further to acquire BMW 5, which is more expensive, but maintaining the outstanding performance of BMW luxury cars . On the other hand, BMW 7 series is meant for the already established customer base for BMW luxury cars as it propels higher the user-oriented experience with the BMW products through its advanced features to facilitate prestige and higher performance than 3 series. It is important to note that, 7 series is much more expensive that 3 series since it is mainly meant for compan y’s loyal customers who have had prior experience with the former series. Following the currently competitive global markets, the development of products to achieve competitive advantage forms a real of success among brands marketers. Since the customers’ needs of BMW products are based outstanding performance, more innovations of the existing products need to be done to come up with more superior luxury cars capable of competing with potential competitors like Mercedes Benz among others. More so, powerful advertisements based on psychographic factors of the customers’ needs to be made. For instance, creation of short films showing the uniqueness of BMW products on the context of other competitors may be quite appealing. Since visual advertisements are more accurate and highly effective, the films will be able to attract target customers’ attention largely. As a result, success and efficiency in marketing BMW products will be realized.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Further, a variety of channels in marketing the BMW luxury cars would be more appropriate to reach wider customers base. Since the target customers for BMW are always busy and very active, the use of precise and direct advertisements over the internet would be quite effective so that the customers don’t waste time interpreting information of the advertisement. It can also be recommended that, the product promotion uses the internet to collect information about the needs of their customers with respect to the specific aspects of the luxury cars which need to be improved. By having enough data about the accurate needs of the target customers, it would be easier for the company to modify the cars to intersect with the specific needs of the customers.

Explain how human skin color reflects adaptations to varying amounts Essay

Explain how human skin color reflects adaptations to varying amounts of sunlight - Essay Example Rather, it is something that should be appreciated because it only shows how the human body naturally adjusts to the environment. It is believed that Africans and other races with similar skin color have darker coloration because of more melanin that the body produces as an effect of the warmth of the sun. Melanin is the pigment that determines skin color. When a person stays under the sun, more melanin is produced and therefore creates a darker skin color. That is why, when a white person tans or stays under the sun, there would be a darkening of the skin. The same happens in darker-skinned people but the effect is not as obvious as the one on white people. On the contrary, dark-skinned people who stay longer in colder places tend to have fairer skin than other people of the same race who live in warmer places. Since they are not often exposed to the sun, there is no need for more melanin so they tend to have lighter skin color

Live Music Event Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Live Music Event - Essay Example A survey was conducted to determine the target audience and also the most appropriate music category. The youths and women form the bulk of live music audient at 50% and 77.3% respectively. The event organizers used four promotional approaches; Facebook, posters, flyers and promotional videos. The financial objective was achieved, because the event achieved a profit of $142. The 229 Venue was established in 1965 at the International Students House. The facility was refurbished in 2007, and presently it has superior music equipment and systems. They key players during the event were; the audience, performers, and the event organizers. The event was guided by legal considerations, because all the parties adhered to the conditions set by the booking form. The promotional and organizational activities were successfully conducted based on a time schedule, from January 2, 1015 to February 12, 2015. The event was generally successful. The report discusses an urban even. The event was conducted at the 229 venue, located along the Great Portland Street in London. The music event took place on February 13, 2015, between 8pm and 11pm. The theme and title for the event were referred to as "Fresh out of Urban." The theme was very effective in illustrating the urban environment that influenced the acts (Lebrecht 2009). The event also resonated adequately with the London youths, who were the key target audience for the show. The events management team conducted a research survey, with the aim of identifying the entertainment market needs. The survey provided adequate information, which was successfully utilized during the event and artist management. The urban music genre was found to be very attractive to the mostly youthful population in London. Eight acts expressed interest to perform during the â€Å"Fresh out of Urban† event. However, only six managed to perform. The music acts that performed are; Pedro, Nata lie May, Tosin and Temi, JDX, Cazz Bang, Sizel

Case Study Oil Pollution In Malaysia

Case Study Oil Pollution In Malaysia Nowadays maritime operations have been seriously affected by the environmental issues. The environmental issues have become the challenges for shipping. Marine companies, ship owners, port operators, shipyard, bunker, dealers are now giving the concern to the maritime cleanliness. Marine environmental issues include the matters such as oil pollution, prevention to control of funnel emissions and from the dumping of rubbish to use of antifouling. The impacts of shipping and ports on the marine environment have brought an interest to the community. Even though shipping industry always seen as environmental friendly, however, they still contribute to pollution. Shipping industry is seen as environmental friendly because the impact of pollution brought by shipping is much lesser than the road and also air. In the year 1990, 12% of marine pollutants estimated were caused by the marine transport. The impacts that brought by shipping and port activities are through operational and also accidents. These impacts may lead to wide range of marine habitats. So, legislation regarding environmental and also shipping activities is set to increase in the next ten years to minimize the risk that brought by port activities. In our paper, we will outline: Cases that regard marine environmental issue Consequences of shipping on the environment Laws and regulations and also maritime organizations in minimizing the marine environment problem 2.0 Case Study: OIL POLLUTION IN MALAYSIA The marine pollution has now become a crucial issue that drawn the concerns of many countries. This issue was seen as it will generate a great negative effect towards living creatures on the earth. There are many sources that contributed to marine pollution, which mostly are the land-based sources and vessel-based. So, to proceed into deeper understanding on marine pollution, our focus would be on the vessel-based or sea transportation as one of the causes to the marine pollution. To talk about the sea transportation, it eventually referring to marine transport and the activities at ports. Cargo and oil ports usually are not the major cause to the pollution. However, it only occurred when there are the shipping accidents, oil spills and so on. Especially to the busiest traffic route, accidents tend to happen frequently. It cannot be blame that the water shipping is now increasing due to more and more open trade in international level. When there is the open trade, more trade activities between nations occur, therefore in order to deliver those goods, people prefer to choose water transport, as it is less expensive than other kind of transportation. Hence, more vessels are operating to fulfill those requests. As the consequences, more vessels indicate the increasing of the possibilities of the accidents may occur and more pollution. For instance, the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea is the major commercial shipping route between the India Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The Straits of Malacca is exposed to a serious vessel-based marine pollution due to heavy volume of shipping passing through it. From the annual report of Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, it stated that in 2010, there are more than 75000 vessels passed through the Straits. Thus, those vessels that passed through are believed to discharge the pollutants that make significant to marine pollution such as oil and grease into the water from the activities of tank cleaning, bilging, deballasting and bunkering. Table 1.0 on below presents that the number of vessels that stop by the major ports along the Straits of Malacca from 2000 to 2002. From the statistics, Penang and Port Klang were the busiest ports compared to others. Table 1.0 Number of Vessels by Major Ports in the Straits of Malacca (2001-2002) PORT 2000 2001 2002 PENANG 7,263 7,460 7,328 PORT KLANG 12,804 1,303 13,175 SUNGAI UDANG 955 1,066 987 PORT DICKSON 1,185 1,152 908 MALACCA 1,356 1,090 1,137 TG. BRUAS 461 462 423 TOTAL 24,024 24,533 23,958 (Source retrieved from Marine Department, Malaysia) Besides that, the oil pollution at the Malaysian coastal waters also may come from the vessel operation, tanker accidents, and oil exploration and so on. (Law, Ravinthar Yeong, 1990). Since the arising of the number of vessels on the sea, it could not be help with the shipping accidents may come out as the heavy maritime traffic. During the period between 1975 and 1987, the shipping accidents that occurred in Malaysian water were more than ten cases. From those accidents, the calculation of the crude oil that spilled and released into marine environment was about 23,000 tons. In which, that amount of oil pollution was equivalent to an average of 150 ships per day that crossing the Straits of Malacca (Finn et al. 1979). Table 2.0 Type of vessels that involved in accident in Malaysia (2008 to 2011) TYPE OF VESSEL / YEAR 2008 2009 2010 2011 TANKER 9 19 14 17 BULK CARRIER 1 5 5 2 CONTAINER 3 6 10 5 OFFSHORE SUPPORT VESSEL 1 3 7 14 CARGO 10 13 10 9 OTHER 17 27 13 15 (Source retrieved from Marine Department, Malaysia) Table 2.0 shows that the type of vessels that involved in accident from 2008 to 2011. From the statistics, it indicated the pollution that caused by the vessels at the same time. As well as the activity that related to handling of crude oil and refined oil at the terminals and the port will also contribution to oil pollution, because in some circumstances, sometimes during the process of transferring the oil from an oil tanker to oil terminal will eventually cause the oil leaking and go into the sea. For example, the oil handling activities and heavy maritime tanker vessels that goes through the Straits of Malacca that cause the drop of quality of coastal waters at the Port Dickson (Law, Ravinthar Yeong, 1990). TABLE 3.0 Oil Spill Incidents in Malaysia Waters Year (1976-1997) Year Name of Ship Location Cause Type and Quantity of Oil Spill 1977 ASIAN The Straits of Malacca Collision Fuel oil 60 tons 1978 ESSO MERSIA The South China Sea Collision Fuel oil 505 tons 1979 FORTUNE The South China Sea Collision Crude oil 10000 tons 1980 LIMA The Straits of Singapore Collision Crude oil 700 tons 1981 MT OCEAN TRASURE The Straits of Malacca Human Error Fuel oil 1050 tons 1984 BAYAN PLATFORM The South China Sea Human Error Crude oil 700 tons 1986 BRIGHT DUKE/MV PANTAS The Straits of Malacca Collision 1987 MV STOLT ADV The Straits of Singapore Grounding Crude oil 2000 tons 1987 ELHANI PLATFORM The Straits of Singapore Grounding Crude oil 2329 tons 1988 GOLAR LIE The Straits of Singapore Grounding 1992 NAGASAKI SPIRIT Near Medan, Indonesia Collision Crude oil 13000 tons 1997 EVOIKOS/ORADIN GLOBAL The Straits of Singapore Collision Fuel oil 25000 tons 1997 AN TAI The Straits of Malacca Material Fatigue Fuel oil 237 tons (Source retrieved from Marine Department, Malaysia) From the data, it shown the numerous of oil spill incidents happened in around Malaysia Waters. It indicated the seriousness of the marine pollution issue at the same time. Especially the crude oil is very difficult to clean up, and it may last for years in sediments. As the consequences of oil pollution, it develops huge impact to surroundings not only to marine ecosystem but also to all-kind living ecosystem either directly or indirectly as they are chain together and interdependent to each other. Therefore, in order to tackle down the oil pollution issue, there are many enactments that related to water transport were drafted by Malaysian government as an effort to reduce the issues. As the example, Merchant Shipping (Oil Pollution) Act 1994, this act was introduced to impose punishment and civil liability in the form of payment compensation to any vessel that caused pollution damage within the area of Malaysia. For such, the owner of the ship will liable and subject to fines. At the same time, Malaysian government and other victims able to claimed compensation against the owner for the damage that caused. The oil pollution damages are include of the property damage, the clean-up cost at the sea and on-shore, as well as the economic loss such as marine culture industries and tourism sectors. In the international level, MARPOL 73/78 is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ship. It was drafted to reduce the marine pollution, including dumping, oil and others. Its objective is to preserve the marine ecosystem through the complete elimination of oil pollution and other harmful substances and yet to minimize the accidental discharge of those pollutants. Hence, in this treaty, states that signed are bound to the obligation on preserving the marine ecosystem. In a part of conclusion, the water transportation is considered to be related to environmental issue. Though it may be in minor interrelated but I believed it should be taken in great concern as the problems that created may develop great impacts to all. So, I think the awareness should be took place before a worst situation it can be developed into that could be out of control. Case study: Sea Garbage In this modern century, every things is going in the rapid rate, every country is try to develop become a modern and developed, wish to change from the developing country to developed country, this for sure that the technology keep on upgrade to achieve it. When the positive things happen, at the same time have the negative things happen, because of the technology keep on upgrading, on the same time the waste is keep on increasing too. The world is changing time by time, previously the world is not the world of today. This is also happening on the Sea. The sea of today is so polluted; here I would like to explain to some case about the sea and what is going on in the real situation. First and foremost, I would like to says that the sea pollution is when the chemicals, particles, industrial, agricultural and residential waste, noise or the spread of invasive organisms get in to the ocean, is may cause to become potential harmful or harmful effects it happen the sea pollution. Later on I will discuss about how the ship release those rubbish in to the sea and how it affect the sea. Thos garbage will affect the whole ecosystem. We will show out a table about how many years needed for the garbage to digest. Garbage from ships can be just as deadly to marine life as oil or chemicals. This will affect the whole worlds not just the sea as well as our human being. Here I would like to talk about more how the sea gets polluted. The greatest danger comes from plastic, as we know that plastic needed some couple of year only can disappear and which can float for years. Fish and marine mammals or the animal stay inside the sea can in some cases mistake plastics for food and t hey can also become trapped in plastic ropes, nets, bags and other item even such some innocuous items as the plastic rings used to hold cans of beer and drinks together. From the common sense and logical think that, all this rubbish make by our beloved human being. How dirty the sea is show how the human treat the sea, and it is clear that a good deal of the garbage washed up on beaches comes from people on shore. During holiday makers who leave their rubbish on the beach, fishermen who simply throw unwanted refuse over the side, or from towns and cities that dump rubbish into rivers or the sea is also the way how they polluted the sea. But in some areas most of the rubbish found comes from passing ships which find it convenient to throw rubbish overboard rather than dispose of it in ports. For the old tradition and the older century, many people believed that the oceans could absorb anything that was thrown into them, but this is not true, this attitude has changed along with greater awareness of the environment. Many items can be degraded by the seas, but term and condition apply, the things can absorb by sea and the process can take months or years, as the following table shows: Time taken for objects to dissolve at sea Paper bus ticket 2-4 weeks Cotton cloth 1-5 months Rope 3-14 months Woolen cloth 1 year Painted wood 13 years Tin can 100 years Aluminum can 200-500 years Plastic bottle 450 years Source: Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association (HELMEPA) The MARPOL Convention sought to eliminate and reduce the amount of garbage being dumped into the sea from ships. The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) is the International Maritime Organizations major technical body concerned with the prevention and control of pollution from ships. It is aided in its work by a number of subcommittees. The Department participates in the work of the Committee and a number of the subcommittees. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) leads Australias work in MEPC. The most important convention regulating and preventing pollution of the marine environment by ships is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). The technical requirements of this Convention are included in six separate Annexes: -Annex I Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil -Annex II Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk -Annex III Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Harmful Substances Carried by Sea in Packaged Form -Annex IV Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships -Annex V Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships -Annex VI Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships. In the Annex I Prevention of pollution by oil, the Annex II Control of pollution by noxious liquid substances, the Annex IV Prevention of pollution by sewage from ships and the Annex V Prevention of pollution by garbage from ships, MARPOL defines certain sea areas as special areas in which, for technical reasons relating to their oceanographically and ecological condition and to their sea traffic, the adoption of special mandatory methods for the prevention of sea pollution is required. Under the Convention, these special areas are provided with a higher level of protection than other areas of the sea. Adoption, entry into force date of taking effect of Special Areas Special Areas Adopted # Date of Entry into Force In Effect From Annex V: Garbage Mediterranean Sea 2 Nov 1973 31 Dec 1988 1 May 2009 Baltic Sea 2 Nov 1973 31 Dec 1988 1 Oct 1989 Black Sea 2 Nov 1973 31 Dec 1988 * Red Sea 2 Nov 1973 31 Dec 1988 * Gulfs area 2 Nov 1973 31 Dec 1988 1 Aug 2008 North Sea 17 Oct 1989 18 Feb 1991 18 Feb 1991 Antarctic area (south of latitude 60 degrees south) 16 Nov 1990 17 Mar 1992 17 Mar 1992 Wider Caribbean region including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea 4 Jul 1991 4 Apr 1993 1 May 2011 Annex VI Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships establishes certain sulphur oxide (SOx) Emission Control Areas with more stringent controls on sulphur emissions. Under Annex V of the Convention, garbage includes all kinds of food, domestic and operational waste, excluding fresh fish, generated during the normal operation of the vessel and liable to be disposed of continuously or periodically. Annex V totally prohibits of the disposal of plastics anywhere into the sea, and severely restricts discharges of other garbage from ships into coastal waters and Special Areas. The Annex also obliges Governments to ensure the provision of reception facilities at ports and terminals for the reception of garbage. The special areas established under Annex V are: the Mediterranean Sea the Baltic Sea Area the Black Sea area the Red Sea Area the Gulfs area the North Sea the Wider Caribbean Region and Antarctic Area These are areas which have particular problems because of heavy maritime traffic or low water exchange caused by the land-locked nature of the sea concerned. The Garbage Record Book must be kept for a period of two years after the date of the last entry. This regulation does not in itself impose stricter requirements but it makes it easier to check that the regulations on garbage are being adhered to as it means ship personnel must keep track of the garbage and what happens to it. It may also prove an advantage to a ship when local officials are checking the origin of dumped garbage if ship personnel can adequately account for all their garbage, they are unlikely to be wrongly penalised for dumping garbage when they have not done so. All ships of 400 gross tonnage and above and every ship certified to carry 15 persons or more will have to carry a Garbage Management Plan, to include written procedures for collecting , storing, processing and disposing of garbage, including the use of equipment on board. The Garbage Management Plan should designate the person responsible for carrying out the plan and should be in the working language of the crew. The Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter 1972 (the London Convention) was one of the first global conventions to protect the marine environment from human activities and has been in force since 1975. Its objective is to promote the effective control of all sources of marine pollution and to take all practicable steps to prevent pollution of the sea by dumping of wastes. Currently, 86 States are Parties to this Convention. In 1996, the London Protocol was adopted to modernize the Convention and, eventually, replace it. The London Protocol entered into force in March 2006 and currently has 38 Parties. Under the Protocol all dumping is prohibited, but Parties may issue permits to allow the dumping of the following specified materials, subject to certain conditions: dredged material; sewage sludge; fish wastes; vessels and platforms; inert, inorganic geological material (e.g., mining wastes); organic material of natural origin; bulky items primarily comprising iron, steel and concrete; and Carbon dioxide streams from carbon dioxide capture processes for sequestration (CCS). 3.0 Consequences of Shipping to the Environment The environmental effects of shipping including greenhouse gas emission and oil pollution. Carbon dioxide emissions from shipping currently estimate at 4 to 5 percent of the global total, and estimated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to increases up to 72 percent by 2020 if no action is taken. There is little argument about the truth that shipping is the most carbon-efficient mode of transportation. According to recent report of an IMO expert working group, international maritime shipping accounts for 2.7% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. Shipment also produces smaller amount of exhaust gas emissions which include nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, particulates, carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide for each ton transportation of one kilometer than air or road transport. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Ship_pumping_ballast_water.jpg Ballast water discharges by ships can have a negative impact on the marine environment. Cruise ships, large tankers, and bulk cargo carriers use a huge amount of ballast water which often taking in the coastal waters in one area after ships discharge waste water or unload cargo, and discharged at the next port of call wherever more cargo is loaded. Ballast water discharge typically contains a variety of biological materials, including plants, animals, viruses, and bacteria where it includes non-native, nuisance, invasive, exotic species that can cause extensive ecological and economic damage to aquatic ecosystems. Noise pollution caused by shipping has increased in recent history. The noises produced by ships can travel for a long distances. Marine species that may rely on sound for their communication, orientation, and feeding can be harmed by this sound pollution. The Convention of the Conservation of Migratory Species had identified ocean noise as a possible treating marine life. Oil spills usually associated with ship pollution but less frequent than the pollution those results from daily operations which oil spills have devastating effects. At the same time, it being toxic to marine life which polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are the components in crude oil. It is very difficult to clean up and last for many years in the sediment and marine environment. Marine species regularly exposed to PAHs can exhibit developmental problems, susceptibility to disease and abnormal reproductive cycles. One of the more widely known spills was the Exxon Valdez incident in Alaska. The ship ran aground and dumped a huge amount of oil into the ocean in March 1989. Grey water is waste water from the sinks, galleys, laundry, showers and cleaning activities on board a ship. It can contain a variety of pollutant substances, including focal coli forms, detergents, oil and grease, organic compounds, metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, nutrients, food waste, medical and dental waste. Untreated grey water from cruise ships can contain pollutants at uneven strengths and it can contain levels of focal coli form bacteria several times greater than which typically found in untreated domestic waste water. Grey water has potential to cause unpleasant environmental effects because of concentrations of nutrients and other oxygen-demanding materials particularly. Grey water is typically the greatest source of liquid waste generated by cruise ships which is 90 to 95 percent of the total. Solid waste generated on a ship includes glass, paper, aluminium, cardboard, steel cans, and plastics. It can be either hazardous or non-hazardous in nature. Solid waste which enters the ocean may become marine debris which can pose a threat to marine organisms, humans, coastal communities and industries that utilize marine waters. Cruise ships usually manage solid waste by combination of source reduction, waste minimisation and recycling. However, there are 75 percent of solid waste is incinerated on board and the ash typically is discharged at sea although some is for disposal or recycling. Marine mammals, sea turtles, fish and birds can be hurt or killed from entanglement with plastics and other solid waste that may be released from cruise ships. Typically, each cruise ship passenger produces at least two pounds of non-hazardous solid waste each day. With large cruise ships carrying several thousand of passengers, the amount of waste generated in a day can be huge. For a large cru ise ship, about 8 tons of solid wastes are generated during a one-week cruise. Next is the impact of the ships. Marine mammals such as whales and manatees face the risks to be struck by ships which will cause injury and death to them. For example, if a ship is travelling at a speed of only 15 knots, there is 79 percent chance of a collision being lethal to a whale. The greatest danger to the North Atlantic right whale is injury sustained from the strikes of the ship. From 1970 to 1999, 35.5 percent of recorded deaths were attributed to collisions. During 2004 to 2006, the number been increased to 2.6 deaths from the collisions has become an extinction threat nowadays. During the shipment, leakages of oil from the ship engine and machinery spaces or from engine maintenance activities and then mixes with water in the bilge, at which the lowest part of the hull of the ship. Oil, gasoline, and also by-products from the biological breakdown of petroleum can harm fish and all the wildlife. As a result, it poses threats to human health if ingested. Oil which even in small concentrations can killed fish or having various sub-lethal chronic effects. Bilge water may also contain solid wastes and pollutants that have high amounts of oxygen-demanding material, oil and other chemicals. A typical large cruise ship will produce an average of 8 metric tons of oily bilge water for each 24 hours of operation. To maintain ship stability and remove potentially hazardous conditions from oil vapours in these areas, the bilge spaces need to be flushed and pumped dry at regular intervals. But before a bilge can be cleared out and the water discharged, the oil that has be en accumulated has to be extracted from the bilge water after the extracted oil can be reused, incinerated or offloaded in port. If a separator, which is normally used to extract the oil, is faulty or deliberately bypassed, this will cause untreated oily bilge water to be discharged directly into the ocean, as consequence it will damage marine life. Exhaust emissions from ships are measured as a significant source of air pollution with 18% to 30% of all nitrogen oxide and 9% of sulphur oxide pollution. By the year of 2010, up to 40% of air pollution over land was come from the ships. The sulphur containing in the air creates acid rain which will damages crops and buildings. When inhaled the sulphur, it is known to cause respiratory problems and even increase the risk of having heart attack. The fuel used in oil tankers and container ships contain high amount of sulphurs and is cheaper to buy compared to the fuel used for domestic land use. A ship eliminates around 50 times more sulphur than a lorry per metric tonne of cargo carried. Air pollution from cruise ships is produced by diesel engines that burn high sulphur content fuel oil which also known as bunker oil, which producing sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and particularly addition to carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbons. Diesel exhaust has been classified by E PA as human carcinogen. EPA recognizes that these emissions from marine diesel engines contribute to ozone and carbon monoxide nonattainment and adverse health effects associated with ambient concentrations of particulate matter and visibility, haze, acid deposition, and eutrophication and nitrification of water. It is important for the industry to continuously work to reduce its environmental impact as the increases of size and global nature of the shipping industry and there is evidence that the industry has made significant progress. The fuel efficiency of container ships of 4500 TEU capacity has improved 35 percent between the year of 1985 and 2008. Comparison between a modern 12,000 TEU ship built in the year of 2007 and 1500 TEU container built in the year of 1976 has shows the carbon efficiency on per-mile cargo volume basis has been improved 75 percent in 30 years times. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Harbor_seals_on_Douglas_breakwater.JPG/220px-Harbor_seals_on_Douglas_breakwater.JPG 4.0 International response toward maritime environment issue (laws and regulations, maritime organization) Under the globalization, economic relationships around the world have grown much closer. Shipping is the most international high growth logistic industry of the worlds industries, serving 89.6 per cent of global trade by carrying huge quantities of cargo in the ocean. However, shipping has bring along many negative impacts to environment includes ballast water, greenhouse gas emissions, oil pollution and others. Actions have to be taken in order to overcome and tackle the problems. First and foremost, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) which is a specializes agency of the United Nations with 169 Member States and with around 300 international staff and three Associate Members play the important role in order to response and solving the maritime environmental issues. IMO provide a forum for cooperation among Governments in the field of governmental regulations and practices relating to all kinds of shipping engaged in international trade, facilitating the adoption of comprehensive multilateral treaties for a wide range of technical measures and in particular, the adoption of the highest standard to enhance safety, security, efficiency in shipping and prevention marine pollution from ships. For issue of oil pollution, the large volume of oil transported, combined with heavy shipping traffic and poor navigation conditions, make a high risk for oil spills from shipping accidents. For example, about 20% of the accidents in the Malacca Straits involved oil tankers. Most of these tanker accidents were due to collisions and groundings and many resulted in severe oil pollution in the Straits. Toward this issue, IMO seeks to promote technical cooperation to this end by cooperating fully with other organizations within the United Nations family and relevant international, regional and non-governmental organizations to ensure a coordinated approach to the problem and to avoid wasteful duplication of efforts. As the basic philosophy hold by IMO there always if a regional agreement or treaty is to remain viable is must be provided with a minimum of institutional support. In the field of marine pollution prevention and response, for example oil pollution in Malacca Straits and Singa pore, IMO has over the years played a significant catalytic role in helping the littoral states bordering the Straits and other ASEAN countries to develop their infrastructure and human resources potential to deal with marine pollution incidents. The efforts included the development of the ASEAN Oil Spill Response Action Plan and the development of the OSPAR Programme. Since shipping become an important activity in global trade, the steel hulled vessels to ship design als

Eighty-Eight Years’

Eighty-eight years' refer to the period between Vermont's annulment of subjection in 1777 and endorsement of the thirteenth Amendment in 1865. In reality, the book extends over the whole history of Atlantic subjection. Starting with a concise examination of the extension of European domains in the 1500s and the formation of the Atlantic ranch complex in the mid-1600s, the book centers around the century extending from the Imperial Crisis and the American Revolution in the 1770s to Reconstruction in the 1870s. It likewise as often as possible pushes forward to the late cancellation of subjection in Brazil, Puerto Rico, and Cuba in the 1880s. In like manner, while the subtitle references the ‘long passing of servitude in the United States', the work centers around the northern and southern United States, yet goes broadly amongst London and Paris, Cartage and Copenhagen, Puerto Rico and Brazil, Cuba and Columbia. Regarding its ordered and geographic degree, Eighty-Eight Years' adversaries are few and recognized Rael, sorts out his contention around a progression of ideas that are presented and characterized in a protracted presentation that reimburses numerous readings. Obtaining from world-frameworks hypothesis, Rael depends vigorously on ideas of metro pole, center, and fringe. Following Philip Curtin, Rael classifies European states in the Americas as obvious realms, abuse provinces, and pilgrim colonies.(3) Finally, Rael recognizes three sorts of cancellation that won in the Americas. Progressive cancelations occurred in the northern United States, Haiti, and the republics of the previous Spanish-American Empire, emerging from autonomy developments, wars for freedom, and transformations. Metropolitan cancellations characterized annulment in the Caribbean (with the essential special case of Haiti), and included the metro pole forcing nullification on the fringe. At last, in the southern United States, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Brazil, late nullification took after from a mix of progressive developments and outer weight. The curiosity and estimation of Eighty-Eight Years lies less in these ideas but rather more in the recounting the story. As much as anything, Eighty-Eight Years gives a past filled with the since a long time ago, challenged battle for cancellation in the more extensive Americas. It centers around nullification's trap with pilgrim autonomy developments, Enlightenment and progressive belief systems, and the philosophies of property, subjection, and flexibility that rose out of the royal mercantilism and after that mechanical frameworks of private enterprise that overwhelmed the Atlantic World. It looks at demonstrate free blacks made Black Nationalist philosophies, and how unique monetary frameworks favored bondage or cancellation in various ways. It incorporates vital attacks into how cancellation happened in different spots – through autonomy, war, insurgency, philosophy, rough protection, and the relative significance of subjection in different realms. It additionally contains vital examinations of how a few slaveholders gave in rapidly and effortlessly to nullification developments, while othe rs hung on for any longer time frames. The book starts with a broad acquaintance that integrates and includes with an age of work on European extension, realm, and subjugation from its sources in the 1500s through its last cancelation in the late 1800s. It's a part that stands alone from whatever remains of the work, and it can be perused beneficially both when a peruser travels through the content's center sections. The presentation clarifies the connection between the rise of free enterprise, state bolster for vendor ventures, and estate bondage, while dissecting the different associations that fixing different settlements to rising European states. By 1775, European states had built up flourishing provinces in the Americas that utilized racialized slave work and a ranch framework to deliver money trims inside a particular arrangement of trans-Atlantic private enterprise. However inside 50 years, the British, Spanish, and French domains in the Americas had fundamentally changed, and slaveholders wherever ended up on edge. Inside an additional 60 years, property bondage would be annulled altogether from the Americas. It required a century to fabricate those realms, slave social orders, and a flourishing trans-Atlantic exchange slaves and slave-delivered wares. It would require one more century to destroy that framework. The rest of the book centers around that disassembling, and certain subjects and focuses are unmistakable in Rael's investigation. In 1775, bondage was universal, and acknowledged and expected by the vast majority in the Atlantic world, including slaves themselves. By 1825, servitude was generally observed as curious, ‘as an exception of humanized society, a maybe essential yet plainly merciless shrewdness, or an infringement of the regular request. What changed throughout that 50 years? The change from vendor, money edit private enterprise to modern free enterprise released a progression of autonomy developments and wars that started with the American Revolution. In Rael's telling, the American Revolution matters since it catalyzed once diffused illumination standards into intense and all inclusive progressive belief systems. The French Revolution and a progression of freedom developments spread these general and progressive philosophies broadly. Progressive belief systems and about constant arrangement of majestic wars and wars for freedom demonstrated instrumental in affecting liberations over the different social orders with slaves in the Americas. War, freedom, upset, and progressing financial changes additionally made a totally new ideological administration that put slaveholders wherever on edge. As Rael contends, transformation and cancelation, property and slaveholding, freedom and servitude, are altogether philosophies and ideas with chronicles. The primary segment of the book is dedicated to following how these ideas and philosophies rose out of the one of a kind arrangement of vendor private enterprise and subjugation that rose in the late 1600s, and the progressive emergency that struck this framework in starting in the 1770s. Expanding on Edmund Morgan's exemplary definition, Rael sets that thoughts of freedom developed out of the bedlam of commercial dominion, bondage, and private enterprise in the mid-1700s. To legitimize protection and afterward defiance to the King and Parliament, the pilgrims changed freedom from the ownership of freeborn Britons and the result of Britain's novel established government into an all inclusive right gave by common law. The royal emergency, freedom, war, and upheaval catalyzed once diffused Enlightenment standards into a strong progressive belief system. It additionally made a parallel development of bondage and flexibility, and prompted the universalization of freedom. As Rael noticed, ‘a similar Atlantic world that had made the merciless and profoundly free enterprise types of bondage that existed all through the vast majority of the New World additionally made the ideological preconditions for the entire cancelation of servitude. In any case, Rael is no determinist, and he rejects Whiggish and ‘disease of freedom' elucidations of servitude's downfall. As Rael additionally takes note of, ‘the powers that made New World subjection in the end made the likelihood of New World Slavery's end' (p. 47). Rael guides perusers through the possibilities that slaves, free blacks, and the backers of nullification went up against as they looked for cancelation in the numerous slave social orders and social orders with slaves in the Americas. Servitude's destruction in the United States would be quite a while in coming. Setting bondage and nullification in the United States in a more extensive Atlantic setting clarifies why. Rael's investigation of annulment in the more extensive Atlantic emphasizes a vital point that is oftentimes neglected in the academic writing on cancelation in the United States. Over the Americas, subjugation survived autonomy and transformation where it was most critical; where the grower class practiced a lot of political power; and where the grower class practiced political control over focuses of back and capital. Slaveholders capitulated to abolitionism where it was less essential; in domains where the grower class needed political power; and in places where the grower class needed favored connections to focuses of fund and private enterprise.

Life of a Chinese Farmer Essay

If I were a Chinese farmer in 2006 I would be continuing my livelihood that I have done all of my life even when I was a child helping my family. I later got married and I now have 6 children ranging in age from 4 to 18. We all live in a village called Xinzhuang (Village of Xin) in China. This is a farming village that is about 1481.3 miles outside of Shanguani, China that is the closest well known city. My typical day starts out at 7:15 AM when I get up and eat breakfast with my family and then I go out into the garden and pick the vegetables that are ready and we use these vegetables for our dinner that evening. Then I have time to do some other things around the house including laundry and household repairs that need to be completed. Our normal meals consist of rice and vegetables unless I have the money to purchase some meat from one of the small shops in the village. For entertainment we normally visit with others in the village, sing songs, and occasionally we are able to access the internet, and watch television. The biggest concerns that I have for my family is are we going to have enough food and is our farm going to be taken over and built on so that we don’t have enough room to grow our vegetables. I also worry about my family and their health because we do not have a doctor in our village. We must travel to Shanguani for any healthcare issues that arise with our family. REFERENCES www.chinatoday.com/entertain/entertain.htm www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-11/19/content393991.htm