English2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

English2 - Essay Example As the title suggests, the article is about five new technologies in the auto industry that are geared towards easing the burden of driving in modern times; these technologies are meant to make driving easier, especially for the safety conscious drivers. The article lists a number of technologies that are slowly revolutionizing the auto industry, and soon, are going to be the market driving forces for the entire auto industry. The main idea/thesis of this article is that, to attract the safety conscious drivers, some carmakers are revolutionizing the auto industry through the introduction of innovative and highly exotic technologies. The main goal of this article is to highlight some of the major technologies that are rapidly emerging in the auto industry, and the market trends that arise thereafter accordingly; the safety conscious drivers are being attracted to the new designs, and as tastes and preferences change, the said technology inevitably becomes cheaper. The article is highly objective and informative given that it not only comes from an authoritative source, but it also goes ahead to provide reputable examples and statistical evidence that backs the arguments it makes. In this respect, the points are strongly argued out to a logically satisfactory level, without bias of any sort or inaccuracies as the information can be verified as well. The writer of the article adopts a levelheaded tone that is strikingly informative as well as declarative; this is highly effective because it lends credence to the article by making it authoritative to the readers. The points are logically sequenced to allow for a regular flow of thought and cohesion in the arguments, an attempt by the writer at being communicative both effectively and efficiently. The target audience for this article is comprised of the safety conscious drivers and carmakers in the

Expanding Target to China Essay Example for Free

Expanding Target to China Essay China is, without a doubt, the fastest growing economy in the world today. Companies from around the world have wanted to tap into Chinas market to cash in on the tremendous success that it continues to experience. There had been many restrictions for foreign companies who tried to do business in China, limiting the number of foreign companies, and allowing only the big players to come into China. Even then, these big players from around the globe faced more restrictions and rules once they entered China. But things have changed since China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001; a new milestone for this country, as well as for other economies. Since then, restrictions for foreign investors and businesses to enter Chinas market had begun to ease up. By December 11th, 2004, China must remove remaining restrictions on the retail sector in order to comply with the WTO rules. This means it will be much easier for foreign retailers to enter the market, and for current foreign retailers in China to expand (1). Many retailers from all over the world will seize this golden opportunity, and Target should do so too. Target, a Minnesota based national retail company, has come a long way from being Daytons department store back in 1961 to being one of the biggest players in United States retail market, as we know it today. Over the last ten years, Target has experienced a continuous incline in growth year after year. Sales reached over $48 billion this past year, a 10 percent increase from the year prior (2). Just like its revenue, the number of stores across the United States has been on the rise. Currently there are 1313 Target stores operating in 47 states, including 136 SuperTarget stores in 20 states (3). Not surprisingly, Target ranks number four in Triversitys Top 100 Retailers in the United States behind Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Kroger (4). Globally, Target is ranked number 7 in the top 100 retailers worldwide (5). With this kind of statistics, Target has the potential and the resources to begin expanding into the international market, such as China. Comparing to Metro AG, a German retailer, which ranks a couple spots ahead of Target on the worldwide list, is not that much ahead of Target in terms of sales. And yet, Metro AG is one of the largest foreign retailers in China, along with  Wal-Mart and Carrefour (6). Not only should Target continue to expand domestically, but it should also start looking to expand in other markets around the world as well, such as China. This will allow Target to become a multinational company and begin creating a global recognition for itself in the retail sector. Now of course Target cannot dive right into the China Market and expect everything to just work out. Like any other company entering a foreign market, there are challenges and factors that Target must consider and evaluate before doing business in China. In this report, different reasons why Target should enter Chinas retail market and the benefits it offers to the company will be presented. Chinas economic status, political status, and economic status, along with options of entry and other factors that will affect Targets business, will be discussed. Chinas Economic Status China is currently the worlds most potential market for consumer goods. Its average annual GDP growth rate of nearly 10 percent for the last 10 years is the strongest among other major economies around the world (7). This is mainly due to the increase in manufacturing investment from foreign companies over the years because China is full of resources and cheap labor. Many products we see today are labeled Made in China since China has essentially developed into a manufacturing centre for the worlds consumer goods production (8). With a population of 1.3 billion people and having more consumers than Europe and the United States put together, it is obvious that China is by far one of the most attractive markets to invest in for foreign companies that are in the retail and consumer sector (8). When combining the strong, continuous growth of the economy with a population of this magnitude, the results are more money in consumers pockets, meaning more money to spend on goods. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the retail sales of consumer goods in China quadrupled with a span of 10 years (7). With this kind of statistics, it will be Targets best interest to pursuit an expansion into Chinas retail market. Chinas economy and consumer market will continue to grow. The more people there are in a  market, the more money will be spent. Everyone will always need food and daily accessories regardless of how much money they have, and those that have more money to spend will spend that extra money on other goods. So by setting up operations there, Target will have a chance to go along with the ride and reap the promising rewards that Chinas consumer market offers, which is what other foreign retailers are looking for. Chinas Political Status One of the major milestones for China, which made a global impact, is its accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001. This is the main reason why the forecast of Chinas growing economy remains strong. Since then, Chinas has begun to ease up restrictions on imports and exports, and also for foreign businesses entering Chinas market, most significantly the retail sector. By December 11, 2004, all restrictions on foreign retailing in China will be lifted, including restrictions on foreign ownership, number of branches, and geographic locations for where to set up stores (9). Currently, there are limited foreign investments in Chinas retail sector. In 2000, the Retail and Wholesale sector only accounts for 2 percent of the total foreign direct investment in China (7). Today, this percentage is not much higher than it was in 2000. This is because prior to Chinas accession to the WTO, there were many restrictions and regulations for foreign companies entering China. Some of the main restrictions were the annual sales volume requirement, assets requirement, and the minimum registered capital requirement. Before, in order to enter Chinas retail sector, a foreign company must have annual sales volume of at least US $2 billion, assets of at least US $200 million, and minimum registered capital of at least RMB 50 million, or about US $6.1 million. Also, they were only allowed to enter the market with approval, and in a form of a joint venture with local partners with no more than 49 percent ownership (10). This limited Chinas retail market to only the big international players such as Wal-Mart, Carrefour, Metro AG, etc, who all have already established a presence in China. But after China starts to comply with WTO rules next month; dramatic changes will take place in Chinas retail sector. Once all the restrictions for foreign retail companies are lifted by China, the number of foreign retailers entering China will increase sharply, both small and medium retailers. All a company will need is a good reputation and a minimum registered capital requirement of US $36,000. Other than a joint venture, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise will become an option (10). Also, the foreign players that are currently in the market will be able expand more rapidly under the new rules. This is another reason why Target should enter Chinas retail market, and soon. The percentage that the retail sector represents in the total direct foreign investment is still low, meaning there is a lot of room to grow. The sooner Target steps in, the more market share will be available for Target to gain. If Target delays its entry, other foreign retailers from all over the world will start to swarm in and the big players that are currently in the market will expand quickly; therefore making it more difficult for Target to create a significant presence. If Target decides not to enter this goldmine, then an incredible opportunity will be missed. WFOE or Joint Venture There are two options for Target to start business in China, establishing a wholly foreign-owned enterprise (WFOE) or a joint venture with a local Chinese company. There are advantages and disadvantages for both options, and it will be important to understand each. Joint ventures were the only way to enter China for any foreign company due to the restrictions set by China prior to joining the WTO. With joint ventures, foreign companies were able enter Chinas market easier. It really helps to have a local partner that is already familiar with the market and know the laws of doing business in China. Also, with a joint venture, it is much less capital intensive since the local partner will be contributing to the business. The downside of a joint venture is that it is difficult to find the right partner, and it requires a lot time because a good relationship must be formed before any negotiations take place. In China, a good relationship is the key to doing business. Some major causes of joint  venture failures have been overestimation of the partners capabilities, differing expectations, and different management styles (11). These are some of the reasons that limit a foreign companys desire to expand. WFOE, an option that will be open to foreign retail companies doing or planning to do business in China after next month, would probably be the direction that most foreign retailers will choose. It should be Targets choice as well when entering China. But before a WFOE can be set up, an application must be submitted to MOFCOMs (Ministry of Commerce) provincial-level counterparts. The applications will then be forwarded to MOFOCOM for approval. The approval process takes about three to four months, but approval is only granted if the proposed business will help the development of Chinas economy (12). Target will have no problem getting approved because it will help create more jobs in China, bring in more sophisticated technology to run its stores and operations, and increase manufacturing production in China since a good portion of the products that will be in Target stores will be made in China. The disadvantage of setting up a WFOE is that it is much more capital intensive. Foreign companies do not have anyone to share the investment costs with in the country. China only allows money coming from outside of the country when foreign companies want to set up a WFOE (12). However, the advantages that WFOE offers outweigh the disadvantages. A WFOE can enjoy the exclusive management control and operational controls with less interference from the Chinese government (13). A foreign company can bring in sophisticated technology without having to worry about losing its intellectual property or figure out how many shares the technology is worth in a joint venture (14). Because of all this, a WFOE can expand into other areas more freely. Although WFOE would be a capital intensive option for Target, it will pay off in the long run. Having complete control over its management and operations, less governmental interference, and less limitations to expand will be beneficial for Target. Chinas Social Status There are some other things that it must take into account before Target jumps into Chinas retail market, one of which is the social landscape of China. Just like in the United States, knowing where the customers are and where to set up stores are important strategies. The more wealthy cities are concentrated in Chinas east and south-east coastal provinces. The top ten most prosperous provinces in China are: Shanghai, Guangdong, Beijing, Zhejiang, Tianjin, Liaoning, Fujian, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Chongqing. These areas are obviously where foreign investors want to go because of higher per capita income and consumer spending in those areas. Consumer activities in some major inland cities are slowly on the rise, but are still fairly undeveloped compared to the east (7). But it may be a good idea to start investing in those areas and capture those markets while competition level is still low. Target should obviously start with investing in a couple of the more prosperous areas, such as Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, or Zhejiang. These four provinces have the highest per capita income and household consumption, which means there are more money spent by consumers (8). Besides this, Target should start investing in the major inland cities that are beginning to develop, such as Wuhan, Chengdu, Changsha, and Sichuan. Almost half of Chinas population lives in the central and northwest provinces (7). Take advantage of the new rules that will lift restrictions on locations and the number of stores, and enjoy the benefit of being able to expand easier by being a wholly foreign-owned enterprise. The developing areas should be Targets concentration. It may be a little more risky, and sales may be lower at first, but it will be beneficial in the long run. The biggest competitors, both domestic and foreign, are mostly located in the prosperous areas (8). It will be more difficult to establish a solid foothold in Chinas retail market if Target starts off trying to compete with big foreign players such as Wal-Mart and Carrefour, or big domestic players such as Lianhua and Hualian, all of which are much more familiar with the market. So it will be a good idea for Target to tap into the less developed major  inland cities and create a niche market while competition is still very low in those areas. This can help them develop a presence in China, and become one of the major foreign players in Chinas retail market. U.S. Commercial Service After understand all the details described previously throughout the report, Target still needs some help entering Chinas retail market. Target is very successful in the United States, but China is a totally different market. There are different consumers, different languages, and different laws. Target needs to find someone that is familiar with the languages (Chinese and English), the Chinese retail market, and all the rules that foreign business must comply with. It would be the best if Target has some managers that fit these criterions within the corporation because then those people can be assigned to assist in Targets plan to enter China. They will be familiar with Chinas market and rules, as well as Targets objectives and operations. But if there are no qualified candidates within Target, then this is where the U.S. Commercial Service comes in play to help. The U.S. Commercial Service offers customized solutions to help US companies enter and expand in the China Market. They have six offices in China: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong. There are several services that a US company can purchase, one of which is the Gold Key Service (GKS). This service identifies and arranges appointments with the people that the company will need to meet in order to break into the China market successfully. The U.S. Commercial Service will tailor the service to the companys needs. They can assess the competition, and/or find lawyers, consultants, government officials, agents and distributors, etc (15). This is a great service that Target should use if they do not have people to use internally. Going into a foreign market, especially China, without being knowledgeable in the countrys laws and regulations, competition, consumers, and business environment is very risky. Any company that does this is essentially setting up for failure in the new market. This is why Target  needs to find experts that know how to do business in China. By being able to access competition, access the business environment, and working with a consultant or lawyer that knows the business laws in China will definitely help Target develop a safe and successful entry into Chinas retail market. To order the Gold Key Service from the U.S. Commercial Service, all Target have to do is contact the nearest U.S. Commercial Service assistance center, call 1-800-USA-Trade, or email their FCS Beijing Office at [emailprotected] (15). Other Factors In the Chinese culture, the colors red and gold are favorable colors. They represent happiness, good luck, and good fortune. During festive holidays, such as Chinese New Year, red is seen every where. All businesses, as well as households, would put up red lanterns and decorations. This may be beneficial to Target since red is Targets color. By having red in the stores in China, it may attract more consumers because people may associate the Target stores with the same meanings that they associate with the colors, especially during festive holidays. Aside from culture, Target should look into other things, such as education in China. Education is very important to Chinas future development if it is to be sustainable, but it is not an easy task. The government has been focusing on the countrys economic development, and has neglected to improve the education system and health. However, the governments new goal is to raise education spending to about 4 percent of GPD, with help from the private sector (8). In the United States, Target currently have a Community Giving Program where Target gives back over $2 million a week to neighborhoods, programs, and schools across the country (16). If Target sets up a similar program in China, it may help build its reputation in the China market. By helping the community receive better education, improving living conditions, and improving living standards will help Target gain favoritism from both consumers and the government, which can only help Targets goal for success in the market. Conclusion China offers a golden opportunity for foreign retailers, such as Target. Target should take advantage of Chinas accession to the WTO and seize the opportunity by entering Chinas retail market. There are many factors that Target must review and consider before entering China. Main factors like Chinas economic status, political status, and social status. As well as evaluating options of entry (WFOE vs. JV), understanding the culture, assessing both foreign and domestic competitions, and become knowledgeable in business rules and regulations in the country. Target will be very successful in establishing a foothold in Chinas retail market and become a major foreign retailer in the country as long as all aspects are carefully reviewed, planned, and understood. Targets presence and success has been well established in the United States, and now it is time to expand to the next big thing China. End Notes (1) http://www.chinabusinessreview.com/public/0401/01.html (2) http://quicktake.morningstar.com/Stock/Income10.asp?Country=USASymbol= TGTstocktab=finance (3) http://www.targetcorp.com/targetcorp_group/investor-relations/investor- relations.jhtml (4) http://www.stores.org/pdf/04TOP100chart2.pdf (5) http://retailindustry.about.com/library/bl/03q2/bl_rf100603.htm (6) http://www.bjreview.com.cn/200414/Business-200414(C).htm (7) http://www.pwchk.com/home/webmedia/1024303622085/RetailMarket_ China.pdf (8) http://www.pwcglobal.com/gx/eng/about/ind/retail/wef%20jan04_external.pdf3 (9) http://en-1.ce.cn/subject/RetailinginChina/RegulationPolicy/200409/29/ t20040929_1882374.shtml (10) http://www.osec.ch/~0xc1878d1b_0x0001b994/Investments/foreign_investment_ restrictions_in_trade_and_retail_lifted/en/china_fipdf (11) http://www.sinomedia.net/eurobiz/v200404/story0404.html (12) http://www.isinolaw.com/jsp/fie/fie/FIE_wfoe1.jsp?LangID=0 (13) http://english.sohu.com/2004/07/04/81/article220848132.shtml (14) http://www.businessweek.com/adsections/country/asia/ (15) http://www.buyusa.gov/china/en/gks.html (16) http://target.com/target_group/community_giving/index.jhtml

Canadarm :: essays research papers

Canadarm Although Canada has been involved with the space race since the beginning, nothing has made our national pride glow like watching the space shuttles and seeing the big letters CANADA written across the Canadarm. The Canadarm was fist launched into space on November 13, 1981 as part of Columbia. During that mission, the Canadarm successfully flexed its muscles and secured its position in the future of space travel. It was developed by Spar Aerospace with the National Research Council and modelled after the human arm. Otherwise known as a Remote Manipulator System, it could lift 30 tonnes in space while being monitored and operated from the indoor shuttle flight deck. The Canadarm is about to introduce its new and improved sibling. Back in 1987, when documents were signed between countries to work towards a permanently manned Space Station, Canada agreed to provide a Mobile Servicing System (MSS). The MSS will be an integral part of the Space Station from the beginning, it will be used in the assembly, maintenance and servicing of the Station. In return, Canadians will be able to have full use of the Station and will assist with its management. Canadian Astronaut Julie Payette will be operating the new arm on its first mission and explains how in the following excerpt from a NASA Preflight Interview: "This arm flies like an airplane, it's a six-dimension arm where you can rotate the tip of the arm, so you can translate that tip along the cargo bay of the shuttle and up the stack of the International Space Station. It is an absolute joy to fly. Right after the space walk is complete is when I am timelined in the flight to go on the controls of the Canadarm, as we call it in Canada, or the remote manipulator system. I will use the camera, which is mounted at the end of the tip of the arm, to survey all the targets that are placed on the Space Station, the space vision target. I survey them to see if they're in good shape, any problems with them, if they've been scratched, and if there are bubbles in the material. The reason why the people from the space vision system program require that very thorough survey of every single target on the Space Station is that each target will be used on the next flight to manipulate and dock pieces of equipment together.

Safety Measures In Ships

Titanic making was completed around 1907. The enormous ship captured attention globally due to its complexity. From the remains that were found on the wreck ground it was observed that the ship had Artistic completely nurtured, three-dimensional features and objects, witnesses say that the Titanic was more than describable, in fact the right phrase applicable would be, beyond words and pictures. Unfortunately, the Titanic met with a fatal disaster in 1912. Titanic’s story has been narrated and re-narrated. Although it sank and got destroyed, the Titanic remains a great historical source of legendary and curiosity (Young 1912). To start the comparisons between safety measures in place then at the ones put in today it sounds appropriate to ask our selves, why does it take for a disaster to happen, to change policies, strategies or laws and regulations in regard to safety precautions. Since that accident, ship owners and authorities have pushed for further measures to be installed in all major cargo and passenger ships ( Paine ,1919). To begin with, let us scrutinize safety measures in the Titanic by looking at the materials that had been used in its construction. From the wrecks, it is seen that the Titanic was made of steel plates that had been joined by iron rivets. A comprehensive survey indicated that the pieces of steel plating of this ship seemed to have metallurgy lose of elasticity which highly facilitated Titanic’s brittleness in water, due to this reaction; the Titanic was left vulnerable to total indention and rupture (Winzy. com 2008). Further analysis found out that the steel had higher phosphorus and sulfur contents. Higher amounts of the latter are said to result to fractures and likelihood of cracks respectively. Research also noted that the steel lacked in manganese and this in turn might have caused the ship’s to loose on ductility (Eye witness to History. com, 1912). This might have been one area that the manufactures of the Titanic failed. Although innovation and technology had not developed as such, it is likely or rather apparent that these firm could have used better quality material had they known. The content of these constituent minerals in the main steel have been checked. Only high quality steel with less of these chemical content is used only now as a safety precaution. Another most likely defect or amiss in Titanic’s making could be the riveting concept applied (Lawrence 1929). Investigations say that they were more fragile than expected. Slag residues found in them again could have led to the ship’s breakdown at that rate. In new ship building industries today only the best quality of rivet material is used. The number of rivets holding the steel plates together probably might have been smaller which in turn made the fracturing of the legendary Titanic even faster. Although, the building process might have seen small mishaps and setbacks, I believe more could have been done if proper studies and research had been done. Reports later on alleged that the ship building company had shortages in skilled and highly competent riveters. Mostly the riveting was carried out by hand, another aspect that might have jeopardized Titanic’s safety (Titanic Facts, 2008). However, the scene today has completely changed and everything is now mechanized: from the initial processes to the finished product. Today’s rivets are steel made which is contrast to earlier iron ones. Evidently, steel is stronger than iron which convinces of a compact and strong structure. Next point to be considered is the electronically of the Titanic as an effort towards ensuring safety, the radar in particular. Although investigations indicate that the radar was not too small, for the Titanic’s size, it design had less to be proud of or even to be associated with. In relation to Titanic’s size there were other bigger radars in comparatively average sized ships. Scrutinizing this citation, the radars capability to view far distance was lower. This could be given as the reason why the captain and his crew members might have seen the iceberg that caused Titanic her life. With advancement in technology, the extent to which radar power has gone is indeed tremendous. Their ability and scale of efficiency is even further boosted by satellite installations in today’s ships. Recently made radars can view ship obstacle from a very long distance and with satellite signals facilitating warning in good time. Moreover, in Titanic’s manufacture, the builders might have minimally concentrated on or given little thinking about how the ship, of eight hundred and fifty two feet in length could make a turning incase of an emergency or particularly to avoid collision. Perhaps in addition, the most deadly occurrence to Titanic’s design might have been her screw engine arrangement which was in a triple configuration. Also constituent were reciprocating engines run by steam which in turn drove the propellers. A turbine ran her middle propeller. Problem seen was that the reciprocating engines were reversible while the turbine was not. It is also apparent that, when Titanic’s First Officer, ordered for a reverse to the engines so as to avoid hitting or colliding with the iceberg, he handicapped or better said sabotaged the ship’s turning ability( Cynthia, 1996). This resulted to a halt simply because; the centre turbine could not reverse as the ship was cruising at full speed. In fact, the lock hampered the ship’s tendency to maneuver. This century has seen a lot of developments put into ensuring that the engines perform at maximum potential at all times. Ships of the moment have propellers that move in all directions. Titanic’s failure seems to have sent a lesson that fortunately appears to have been well learned. That fatal tragedy served as an eye opener (Robertson, 1991). Further more facing the fact that the middle propeller had been placed in front of the rudder, its effectiveness seems to have been cut down. Compared to Canard or Lusitanian rudder design, Titanic’s was just a fraction of their size. This could have hampered its functioning. Those could have been the technical aspect of safety that lacked. Looking at the physical safety precautions, the magnitude of the disaster might have increased due to the outgrown or rather rotted lifebelts that did not work. Today safety belts are changed regularly and checked to ensure that they are functioning properly. The life boats also had little to help even though they presented a safety assurance. To dissatisfaction, these too did not function successfully (Blackwell, 1912). It was evident that they carried fewer people than they were supposed to. As a result, many people out of fear, panicked and disorder took centre stage. Saving became even harder due to commotion and distress. The fire equipment was faulty and unmanaged and the crew in control acted lazily. The obvious reason of course that badly impacted on the Titanic was that they had never encountered a fire drill before. Critics though feel that the owners of the ship and their policies caused the worst to happen (Mow bray, 1912). They particularly think that these owners were interested only in making profits at the expense of safety and even the priceless human life. Passengers more often were asked to sign warranties that indicate they were at own risk. So, this forced a large number of them aboard to even jump out of the wrecking ship. It was dangerous trying it but worth than just waiting for the unexpected. From the safety equipments to the team, there was a shortage and redundancy to reaction immediately the Titanic’s hull hit the iceberg. The nature of compartments made it impossible for passengers to quickly access the exit. Overconfidence is another aspect that negatively affected their safety reaction. There was belief that nothing could even destroy the Titanic (Lord, 1956). In the happening of the accident, it seems that safety courses had not been established and reading of signs not upgraded or even widely known among the water means users. A lot ought to have been done; the California ship nearby, could have helped but they rather turned off their wireless since they did not know the meaning of the lamp signal. Comparing with water transport today, the industry has grown very much in deed. Sinking and wrecking of the Titanic is a factor that led to a follow up of what the maritime body has achieved. It is now eminent that practices, sea traditions and culture, and design of ship building have been considered to correct the fault done earlier. Among the changes established initiated include; the International Ice Patrol to check out and clear existing and forming icebergs, new rules and regulations on lifeboats and safety belts and the twenty four hour surveillance on passenger ships. Today, the stability of ships afloat has improved, the longer it can float in the wake of an accidence the easier it gets for successful rescue and evacuation. Ship operators just put roll-on-roll-off ferries. In addition vessels must be compliant to regulations under voyage issues. Shipping companies have gone even further to catering for personal safety in ships today. With other safety fears emerging like hijacking and terrorism, security to ensure safety has been beefed up-thousands of people in America sail onboard everyday, the ships could be targeted by terror groups. In bids to ensure that this does not happen, the United States in conjunction with United Nations have imposed very strict and straight forward maritime regulations, policies and laws(George ,2008). This are meant to protect the passengers onboard. United States has created the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) and the International Ship and Facility Security code (ISPS) which are part of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) which is in turn a constituent of United Nation (US coastguard, 2008). The International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) indicates that the regulations on security laws require ships, governments and port facilities to access or acquire formal screening measures, security plans, waterside rescue equipment and effective communication in existence between the ports and the ships. The measures are meant to ensure safety of passengers from terrorist attacks in the middle of the sea or at the port. Other measures categorically focus on mechanical and reaction to fire problems. Rabaska, 2008) The IMO has taken the mandatory to step in and consult in terms of ship design, operation and construction. The Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) which was initiated after the destruction of the Titanic in 1914 has today been updated over time. The resultant is drastic changes in ship building and technological aspects of the latter. ( Cox ,2003) SOLAS is concerned with matters in regard to ship water tightness, communicational links, navigation capability, fire prevention, l ife-saving techniques and transport of people, cargo and dangerous goods. Ship crews are now trained on how to respond incase of an emergency. Apart from numerous regular serviced lifeboats, life-jackets are also in plenty to assist persons incase they are forced to swim. (US coastguard 2008)Most recommendable efforts though have seen ship personal safety pushed to further scrutiny of personal health. Due to rising cases of noro-virus, ships have actively played their role on carried out sanitation programs. Despite its efforts, the ship personnel is not always competent in effort towards controlling codes of behavior and so, it has emphasized to its passengers on trying to concentrate on their personal hygiene. Another thing that ships have done is the installation of security cameras. These surveillance gadgets monitor all ship compartments and if any passenger is found violating given rules they are penalized. Even after all these measures have been put in place and guarantees convinced on safety, the growing rise in sexual assaults and disappearing of passengers has become worrying. In fact, complains have seen The International Cruise Victims Organization (ICVO) experience hardships in trying to curb the menace (Silverstein, 2006). The organ though alleges that ship firms are not accountable and regulated. It says that they are not committed to protecting their passengers. Lastly, activism and lobby groups have pushed for reforms that concern insurance and compensation. They feel that all passengers onboard any vessel should be on the ship’s policy and are entitled to compensation incase of a disaster.

Civil Rights Essay

Although the 1960’s are usually considered the decade of greatest achievement for black civil rights, the 1940’s and 1950’s were periods of equally important gains. Asses the Validity of this statement. Equality was always a touchy subject following the civil war. Following the war, the north did not put emphasis on equality for all men. It took almost a century longer for complete equality to be achieved. Clearly these changes did not come around quickly, and it took a large group effort to bring about change. The ending results of the fight for Civil Rights that came in the 1960’s are of equal or even lesser importance to the events that enacted the change during the 1940’s and 1950’s. The 1960’s were a time of great results of the effort to establish civil rights for African Americans. In the earl sixties, movements such as the Freedom Riders were still in full effect, but the government was beginning to sway to the black side. President Kennedy brings the Civil Rights Bill to congress in 1963. It is put down by the southern democrats. As a result, Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement organize a massive political march in Washington. One of the high points of this march is Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech on the steps of the Lincoln memorial. The efforts come to fruition with the passing of the Civil Rights Bill of 1964, and Voting Rights Bill of 1965. But the Efforts made in the sixties are mere fractions of the total amount of drive from the previous decades. Civil Rights was an important issue that came up after, and during, WWII. Many Blacks wanted to serve their country in the army, but couldn’t due to military segregation. President Truman brought the Civil Rights issue to light when he established his Committee on Civil Rights. Shortly after the committee was established, the President passed a series of executive orders removing segregation in the military and in the government workforce. This was the first effort taken by the government concerning equal rights for the African Americans. These Efforts promptly continued at the turn of the decade. The Civil Rights movement really began to sink in leading up to it’s peak in  the late fifties. In 1950, a major court ruling changed the face of racial segregation involving schools. The Supreme Court case Brown v Board of Education was a shock to the US population that had Blacks all over seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Segregation in schools was ruled a violation of the fourteenth amendment by the court. This ruling was put to the test in 1952 when nine black students attempted to enroll in a public high school. Crowds gathered in order to stop the students. Then, President Eisenhower sent in a group of troop to escort the students to school; showing that the federal government would support the court ruling. More and more Blacks decided to take a stand. In Montgomery, Alabama, Civil Rights activists staged a bus boycott. These events turned more and more people towards the cause. As time went on, activists grew more organized. The events of the 1950’s set up the success that came in the 1960’s The 1940’s and 1940’s were just as important as the 1960’s for the Civil Rights movement because, major events during this era created a sense of unity that allowed for organization in the sixties. It is important not to overlook the necessary preludes to the march on Washington. Although results are finally felt in the sixties, it could never have happened without the bravery of the previous twenty-so years.