Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Analyse the structure of the UK supermarket sector Assignment

Break down the structure of the UK store segment - Assignment Example As per the UK Retail Food Sector Market Brief, grocery stores compensated for around 6400 stores with an expected estimation of 98 billion pounds in 2008 (Sainsburys And Waitrose UK Supermarkets Porters 5 Forces Competitive Advantage, 2009). The UK staple market has expanded to 133.3 billion pound in 2007, which represents a 4 percent expansion from that of 2006 (Nicholson, 2008, p. 3-4). The significant general stores that involve the heft of the piece of the overall industry (just about 75 percent) are Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda (claimed by American retailer Wal-Mart) and Morrison’s. These are generally known as the â€Å"Big Four†. The other retail chains incorporate Marks and Spencer (UK’s greatest apparel advertiser), Waitrose, Somerfield, Budgens, Netto Iceland, Aldi, and Lidl. Tesco is the biggest non-food showcase chain in the UK which incorporates outlets like Extra, Homeplus, Metro and others. Every one of these retailers centers around some specific market segment. Tesco for example, denotes the center market offering economy just as costly items. Contrasted with Tesco, Sainsbury’s focuses on a little up-showcase while, Asda, a Wal-Mart chain and Morrison’s center a litt le down-advertise. Indeed, even Somerfield work at a similar level as Asda and the others in particular, Budgens, Iceland, Aldi, Netto and Lidl are all cost centered retailers. Waitrose, a John Lewis Partnership, is anyway the most up-showcase retailer among all. Markdown retailing has become a developing division of the basic food item retailing in UK and Tesco advertisement Asda challenge a solid rivalry in this field. Among them, the top position is involved by Tesco, with a piece of the overall industry of 31.4 percent which is very in front of the other retail chains. Second to Tesco is Asda with a piece of the pie of 17.1 percent followed by Sainsbury’s possessing the third position. It covers 15.7 percent of the complete market. Morrison’s rank last among the four with a piece of the pie of 11.2 percent (Nicholson, 2008, p. 6-7). The market structure showed by the

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Talk about the Experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait. Answer: Presentation Considering the term social security I have gained from my course of study that social wellbeing is tied in with tolerating another culture. The decision of populace for my intelligent composing is the Torres Trait Islander and the native individuals. Social security isn't just about treating the individuals well and in a socially deferential way but at the same time is about strengthening for associating effectively by having confidence in them (Gair et al., 2015). It is the social security that assists with expanding and change the talk and wellbeing imbalances experienced by the different populace. I have comprehended that there are a few key standards to comprehend the social security. One of the standard variables is that impact the social wellbeing is the efficient, authentic and the social settings on the wellbeing status of the aboriginals. Force imbalances for the native individuals have for quite some time been built up by power, paternalism, authority, one-sided medicinal services arrangements. In this course I have comprehended about the substance of social convictions and qualities. It is to be recognized that solid feeling of social history and the customs, causes an individual to construct a solid feeling of social personality. In this course I have discovered that social character gives a feeling of confidence and offers help to the general prosperity of the individual. I have a place from Middle East and remain in Australia as a universal understudy. It ought to be referenced that religion is firmly incorporated in the way of life of the Middle East, yet in Australia I was never deflected from rehearsing my religion and my way of life (Hole et al., 2013). No sort of limitations was forced on me with respect to the foods and the customary convictions. However, I have attempted to soak up myself in the Australian Culture. However, I have not seen this acknowledgment of culture among the Torres Trait Islander individuals. As much I have dedicated myself in the learning of the aboriginals, I have comprehended that the separation that had happened with the native populace. The legislature has consistently attempted to acclimatize the aboriginals in the westernized model by degrading their way of life. The native kids had to send in schools run by places of worship, where they were rebuffed for utilizing native dialects or for watching native culture. I accept that there has been a breaking of the human rights, where each person is permitted allowed to make the most of their privileges confidence and respect. While mirroring my emotions on the social security my first inquiry to myself was how clear is the idea of social wellbeing? I have comprehended that social security is a huge fluctuation and changes how every collector of the consideration see them, or how the medicinal services experts comprehend that they are conveying a socially protected consideration. Social wellbeing has for quite some time been scrutinized as it came up short on a solid structure. The principal question that rung a bell is the reason a social wellbeing is so significant for the aboriginals and the Torrait Strait Islander individuals? The reality sheets show that aboriginals have for quite some time been encountering a lopsided weight of social disservice and sickness when contrasted with the non aboriginals. It has additionally been discovered that this gathering of individuals experiences significant levels of segregation and bigotry. I have perceived the way of life of aboriginals as a wellspring of solidarity, joy, strength, personality and certainty consistently have great effect on the wellbeing of the aboriginals. My learning experience was acceptable as I could comprehend why social security is the significant factor while giving consideration to the native individuals. Already, I had a foreordained idea about the aboriginals like whatever other worldwide understudies, which has changed significantly after my presentation to information. Already I had a misguided judgment about aboriginals. My conviction was raised from the readings of various articles like Cameron et al. (2014) who have expressed that native individuals are powerless to viciousness, alcohols and substance misuse and are found as the defenseless populace identified with introverted exercises. Comprehension of another culture has helped me to build up an acknowledgment towards any culture, which I feel is the guiding principle nursing and maternity care practice. My finding out about the native culture has caused me to understand the significance of otherworldliness and family. This sort of a learning experience is important a s in my nursing vocation I need to experience a few patients originating from an expanded social foundation. I have to comprehend that native individuals are bound to stop medical clinic care because of the components like postponed care, or long standing line, inappropriate and deferred referrals. They are bound to depend upon their customary idea of treatment other than relying upon the westernized idea of treatment. In my course I have learned about the historical backdrop of the aboriginals, that they have involved Australia for in any event 60,000 years (Sherwood, 2013). From the course of study, I have discovered that the colonization history of the aboriginals have been conveyed forward from ages to ages and have been seen as answerable for the wellbeing status of the native individuals. The aboriginals were expelled from their territory, the native kids were coercively expelled from their folks, and they were not permitted to go outside after 6.00 PM around evening time (Sherwood, 2013). The indigenous Australians were banished from the essential rights since they were indigenous (Gair et al., 2015). The literary works have likewise clarified that a socially protected consideration nursing have achieved better results in maternal and antenatal consideration. Social wellbeing have found to helpful in managing crazy issue. As per Nielsen et al., (2014) better wellbeing results have been found in communitarian care by the native medical attendants and customary healers. I have experienced a few medicinal services information and have discovered that aboriginals have been confronting differences as far as social insurance, training and business. Being socially mindful is the initial move towards social security. The social affectability is simply the subsequent stage that helps in the self investigation of the individual perspectives (Brown et al., 2016). It is the social security that focuses on the essential human rights, pride, regard, self-governance, wellbeing and strengthening (Brown et al., 2016). I have seen how the wellbeing disparities are really impacted by the social idea of the human services regimens. As indicated by Gerlach, (2012) social security advances manner by which the medical attendants help in bringing the postcolonial perspectives in clinical practice and research. My learning has engaged me with the information that social wellbeing improves the helpful connection between the medical attendant and the patient. The use of a socially protected consideration urges the medical caretakers to evaluate the differentials and their belongings in their own nursing vocation (Sherwood, 2013). Social safe consid eration is an absolute necessity while managing the native ladies. Ladies may think that its hard to examine about the birthing data or other gynecological mediations with a medical attendant of inverse sex. Consequently gander coordinate is incredibly helpful while thinking about socially safe consideration. End I have comprehended that so as to improve the wellbeing status result in the aboriginals the arrangement of the wellbeing administration should be progressively responsive towards the social contrasts and the impact of the cognizant and oblivious bigotry. In spite of the fact that I have increased considerable information about social safe consideration, I have understood that I need progressively broad perusing so as to comprehend the native culture. I am very much aware of the way that aboriginals are all the more family arranged, near the nature and still have confidence in the possibility of authority. I am quick to see more on the human services convictions of the aboriginals with the end goal that I can contribute more to their consideration. Activity plan As an enlisted nurture, I would have the option to encourage a social security in my nursing care, which should be possible by utilizing language mediators, as language can be a hindrance and henceforth translator can be utilized to encourage viable correspondence. A sound relationship and a non threatening condition can be made for the patients. Correspondence ought to be finished by utilizing straightforward short dialects and basic open finished inquiries as these helps the patients originating from differentiated social foundation to conquer dread and dithering. Sexual orientation coordinating ought to be guaranteed for ladies from various social or strict foundation. My verbal and non verbal method of correspondence, for example, outward appearance and eye to eye connection, since eye to eye connection can be considered as a demonstration of lack of regard towards the old individuals of the network. One ought to have an acknowledgment towards their way of life for setting up a c ommunity oriented treatment plan. References Earthy colored, A. E., Middleton, P. F., Fereday, J. A., Pincombe, J. I. (2016). Social wellbeing and maternity care for Aboriginal womenA phenomenological study.Women and Birth,29(2), 196-202. Cameron, B. L., Plazas, M. D. P. C., Salas, A. S., Bearskin, R. L. B., Hungler, K. (2014). Understanding disparities in access to social insurance administrations for Aboriginal individuals: a call for nursing action.Advances in Nursing Science,37(3), E1-E16. Gair, S., Miles, D., Savage, D., Zuchowski, I. (2015). Prejudice exposed: The encounters of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander understudies in social work field placements.Australian Social Work,68(1), 32-48. Opening, R. D., Evans, M., Berg, L. D., Bottorff, J. L., Dingwall, C., Alexis, C., ... Smith, M. L. (2015). Perceivability and voice: Aboriginal individuals experience socially protected and risky wellbeing care.Qualitative wellbeing research,25(12), 1662-1674. Nielsen, A. M., Alice Stuart, L., Gorman, D. (2014). Standing up to the social test of the whiteness of nursing: Aboriginal enlisted medical attendants perspectives.Contemporary nurse,48(2),

Thursday, August 20, 2020

School English Language Support Threatened

School English Language Support Threatened The OE Blog In a further blow to the education system, the government is considering changing the rules on the budget for extra English support given to pupils in state schools. At present a sixth of all state school pupils in English do not speak English as their first language, yet the government is considering limiting the amount of time for which they are entitled to extra help to support their language learning at school. The proposals, like so many other blows to the school system under the new funding regime, are not clear -cut, and have not yet been approved. The funding for the language support scheme would not be withdrawn, but rather it would be time-limited, with proposals to allow each pupil only 3-5 years support being considered. Yet it is clear that whilst this may be adequate for some pupils, others, particularly those from completely non-English backgrounds, desperately need more help to take on a completely new language. Furthermore, it is surely short-sighted of the government to believe that cutting back on funding for these students would be of financial benefit, as it will surely have a hugely detrimental impact on the contribution they are able to make to the economy later on. In April this year, the funding for the scheme was already merged to form part of the school budget as a whole, rather than being ‘ring-fenced’ to be used specifically for language support. Just like the recent withdrawal of specific funding for one-to-one tuition with needy pupils, absorbing the funding into the general school budget is a way for the government to claim the resource has not been cut. But the sad truth is that with enormous education cuts and budgets being slashed, school heads are forced to divert all funds into the most desperately needed areas, meaning that these resources will effectively be lost. Like so many of the recent government changes to the education budget, whilst these cuts are not overtly directed at pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, the distribution of pupils from minority backgrounds is such that it will inevitably have by far the highest impact on the poorest students. Just at a time when tuition fees are rocketing to £9000, when vital schemes like Aim Higher are losing their funding, and when the Education Maintenance Allowance has been slashed, to deny pupils the support they need to gain a solid grasp of the English language could be the final nail in the coffin for many students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Review of Two Emerging Technologies Essay - 3910 Words

TABLE OF CONTENT 1. INTRODUCTION 2. EMERGING TECHNOLOGY 1: BROADBAND DISTRIBUTION OVER POWER LINE 1. THE BROADBAND OVER POWER LINE TECHNOLOGY 2. IMPACT AND BENEFITS OF BPL ON THE SOCIETY 1. Ready Made Infrastructure 2. Evolution of Consumer Electronics Internet Communications: 3. Evolution of Consumer Electronics Internet Communications: 4. Other Societal impacts: 5. POWER UTILITY APPLICATION 3. Broadband over Power Line: The Challenges 1. Boundary Creation, Security and Overall Reliability of BPL Technology 2. Imminent Large and Unmanageable Network. 3. Radio Frequency Interferences 4. Organizational Challenges 5. Economic†¦show more content†¦Report from 2010 statistics report reveals that â€Å"over thirty million UK adults have broadband/internet access on daily basis. This is a significant improvement over 2006 estimates which recorded over sixteen million UK adults accessing the internet on daily basis†. (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=8). Other varieties of technologies employed by Broadband/Internet Service Providers (BISPs) to extend services to the consumers are Direct Subscriber Line (DSL), Hybrid Fiber-cable (HFC), radio networked fixed wireless communications and satellites antennas. 2.1 The Broadband over Power Line Technology The technology is based on the phenomenon and ideal transmission of electricity at a lower frequency than broadband signals; hence both electricity and broadband data can be channelled on the same power cable network without either interfering with each other. This offers an idea of economical and cheap way of distributing broadband over existing electric power infrastructure translating into competitive price with other forms of broadband distribution. There is also an attractive appeal of letting consumer plug low cost modems into any standard power outlet and connected to the internet real time. The current robust Power lines infrastructure makes it an attractive medium for broadband delivery because its extensive network reaches more homes than coaxial cables as well as DSL this will foster rapid growth toShow MoreRelatedReview on Harvard Business Review Have You Restructured for Global Success?1109 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction The following text is a review on the Harvard Business Review Have you restructured for global success? By Kumar, N. and P. Puranam, published in 2011. The article focuses on the importance of structural changes that occur or have to be implemented, when multinational companies enter emerging markets, such as China and India, in order to operate successfully and exploit these markets to their full potential. The authors name several examples of what challenges companies faced andRead MoreChina, India, and Multinational Enterprises Essay1092 Words   |  5 PagesRelevance According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Economic Outlook, advanced economies with deficits will need to compensate for decreases in domestic demand with increases in international exports. Emerging markets such as China and India will compensate by shifting from international markets to their own domestic markets. The IMF has also projected that China will overtake the US economy by 2015 and India is expected to be equal in size to the US economy by 2020 (InternationalRead MoreThe Impact Of Digital Media On The Cinema Industry1284 Words   |  6 Pagesdramatic transformations. Consumers are now provided with a wide range of ways to access their products. Traditional practices of enjoying movies, especially going to the cinema, are said to be diminished by the use of digital media. From this, there are two contradictory points of view about the future of cinema. Some observers concern that digital developments are posing a significant threat to conventiona l theatrical system. Meanwhile, others maintain that this is an indispensable process, that traditionalRead MoreBusiness Law876 Words   |  4 PagesAssignment Consider issues raised by the article involving the complexity of litigation and the make-up of juries.   What is the nature of some of the complex lawsuits at issue today?  Do you believe that our current jury system is sufficient to handle emerging complex issues?   Traditionally, and even now, the intent of having a jury hear cases is to have a case be heard by a collection of piers. This collection is carefully selected to be neutral and unbiased. The selection should not take into considerationRead MoreInformation And Handling Of Customer Conversations1607 Words   |  7 PagesIn the emerging experience economy, the proper management and handling of customer conversations are suddenly one of the most important functions a company has. However, with limited scope for organic growth in the western countries such as the US and Europe, many companies and investors changed their eyes towards the emerging markets (Shaw, 2012). According to Euro monitor International Report, the top five fastest-growing major economies in 2015 will be all emerging market economies in the AsiaRead MoreThe Differences Between Emerging and Developing Markets According to Oecd and Imf Definitions1129 Words   |  5 Pagesbetween emerging and developing markets accor ding to OECD and IMF definitions,the I’m going to talk about relationships between unemployment,GDP and industrial production.Then I’m going to look at the effects on emerging and developing markets and try to find an answer the effects is significant or not. There are significant 2 market types in the world that over the years debates about differences,advantages,disadvantages are held on.Before we look at the differences between emerging marketsRead MoreOutline Of A Interview Project949 Words   |  4 PagesCIO Interview Project Recent advancements in technology offer the organizations of today and the future boundless opportunities for improvements in service delivery. Although experts agree that the alignment of technology and the overall business strategy is both necessary and imperative, no clear path to optimum alignment exists. Christopher Nuckles, a IT Director I interviewed demonstrated full awareness of this fact. he and the company’s CIO, Matt Carey, and the executive IT leaders and displayedRead MoreNokia Corporation : Competitive Advantage And Strategic Target1488 Words   |  6 PagesFinland in 1965 as a paper of bank mills of its rapid. Nokia has involved in many sectors over time; however, Nokia has been the world largest manufacturer of mobile phones by participating in wireless telecommunication technologies. Business Environment can be classified into two categories called external, uncontrollable environment, and internal, controllable environment. Customers, suppliers and competit ors are outside factors that affect Nokia. Employees, internal factors, are substantial forRead MoreHybrid Renewable Energy Systems Techno Economic Analysis Essay889 Words   |  4 Pagessystems, combining various kinds of technologies, have shown relatively high ï ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Ã¯ ¿ ¼Received 2 February 2015 Received in revised form 8 June 2015 Accepted 18 September 2015 Available online 11 November 2015 Keywords: Hybrid renewable energy systems Techno-economic analysis Wind turbine Photovoltaic Fuel cell Contents capabilities to solve reliability problems and have reduced cost challenges. The use of hybrid electricity gen- eration/storage technologies as off-grid stand-alone systems is reasonableRead MoreInformation Security Plan Survey Essay1627 Words   |  7 Pagesinformation security program supports the organization’s goals and objectives), breadth and coverage of the information security program (people, processes, technologies), any known or previously uncovered program deficiencies or implementation issues, and any stated costs and benefits of the program. Choose one of the organizations listed in  Table 1, review the pertinent documents, and then prepare a three- to five-page narrative summarizing your analysis of the organization’s information security program

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Experience of Swimming Free Essays

The Experience of Swimming What is Swimming? Swimming is a sport or activity of moving one’s body through water. I will be writing about my experiences of swimming, good and bad. Personally, I love swimming because I love being in the water. We will write a custom essay sample on The Experience of Swimming or any similar topic only for you Order Now I started swimming when I was 6 years old. And at first I thought that swimming was a scary thing to do, but it was a fun experience. First, I’m going to tell you about my bad experience about swimming. When I was about 4 years old; and it was the time that I didn’t know how to swim. So a kid who was being a jerk pushed me into a pool. When falling into the pool, the water pushed me down from all sides. Like splashing around for no reason; though it looked like I’m having trouble. In the water, pushing up, down, left and right as nothing made any sense to me. The more I struggled, the more I get disoriented as I pushed myself up with my arms and legs. As I couldn’t find leverage, I was slowing going under into the deep blue. My lungs burned for more air as my ears shocks and numbs. As how it felt that I tried to keep the air in me, it burst out of my mouth as bubbles reaching up the surface of the pool. My face was looking up; gasping for air. Not knowing what would happen next, everything around me just turned black. Complete utter darkness with no sound at all. But then again, there was a light coming towards to me. It wants me to come back. Through my unconscious state, I went there and woke up: coughing out water from the concrete floor. As I opened my eyes, it was blurry and I could hear again. Hearing my parents’ cry and also the other kid’s parents shouting at him. For what he did wrong, he was also crying. As for the person who had saved me from the pool of darkness, was my cousin. She just got back home from school and noticed that I was at the pool. So she just quickly ran to the pool, threw her backpack and took off her shoes to dive in and get me out quickly. Thanks to her, I was brought back alive but fear of swimming took place in my mind. Scared and frightened I was. Next, I’m going to tell you about my good experience about swimming. To overcome my fear from swimming, I had to go back into that pool where I was drowned. When entering the pool, it feels as if ice is circulating around the body. Then later on, I feel warm all of a sudden. It felt weird. In the pool, I am about two and a half feet above the water; I stare at it, and it stares right back at me. When the wind started to blow, it feels cool and chill around my wet body. As I was still in the water, there was a scent of chlorine. From the height of the pool, the black tile that runs down the center of every lane appears to me as a runway. In just a few seconds I will be moving down that runway, trying to take off above the water. My eyes will be focused on that tile, to make sure I am in the center of my lane. I can see the water grinning and laughing at me now; I am standing on the block with my knees almost to the point of shaking. Right now, it is so calm and smooth, beckoning me to dive in. But in just a few seconds, I gave into diving underwater. It was awesome to the point that it felt a wave pushing through you. It was a good experience I had for swimming. Though I had horrible experience swimming when I was young, over the years I’ve learned to conquer and overcome the fear of swimming, as I grew older. All in all, swimming was a fun experience in the end. And as what I’ve become now, I still love swimming. How to cite The Experience of Swimming, Essay examples

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Comparison Between The Business Models Of Starbucks And Tim Hortons

Question: Discuss about the Comparison Between The Business Models Of Starbucks And Tim Hortons. Answer: The essay consists of a comparison between the business models of Starbucks and Tim Hortons, the leading coffee industries of Canada. The comparison has been done on many fields like the marketing strategy of both the companies, the acceptability of both the companies, the promotional strategies of both the companies. Both Starbucks and Tim Hortons are good in different spheres. Both the companies specialize in the food and coffee service industry. While comparing both the companies firstly in the field of distribution, it can be said that Starbucks has undoubtedly more and much wide range of distributors and they lay their focus more on the distribution of fresh food. On the other hand Tim Horton concentrates more on their beverages as well as foods like bread, dry foods and pastries. This is the first and foremost difference between them. Their distribution is different and the ways they are distributed are different (Voigt, Buliga Michl, 2017). The second difference is the license and the partnerships. In this context it can be mentioned that Starbucks uses a lot of licenses and partnerships whereas Tim Hortons relies much on the third party distributors and warehouses. Starbucks is better in this field. This is the reason they are globally spread and they have stores in many parts of the world. The third difference is that both the companies have different marketing strategies. They do the marketing in a different way. Starbucks prefers the technological applications such as for the iphone where a customer can use their mobile phone in order to make their purchases and it is also connected to the loyalty card that there in Starbucks. Apart from this the company uses the social media forum like facebook and online shopping to market their products. This enables the customers to have authentic conversation with the brand. Tim Hortons does not do their marketing so strongly in the social media. This is where the marketing strategy of both the companies differs (Pastoll et al., 2014). The other difference between the two is their place of distribution. Tim Hortons concentrates their distribution more in the eastern Canada. On the other hand Starbucks majorly focuses on the urban areas. In most parts of Canada Tim Hortons occupied a major position but in the global world Starbucks has occupied a good position and it is more famous in the entire world (Richelieu Korai, 2014). The pricing strategy of both the companies is different. Tim Horton can be afforded by the people of all the classes (Richelieu Korai, 2014). It is said that it can be afforded by everyone, from hockey moms to the workers who works in the construction sites. Everybody would be comfortable in ordering in Tim Horton. Starbucks can be labeled under high-rated coffee shops. The price is not convenient for all. They are not kept in convenient store. By analyzing all the executive business models of both the companies this can be mentioned that both the companies have excelled but the business model of Starbucks is more organized and advanced. This is the reason even getting launched after few years of Tim Starbucks made more name in the entire world and made the brand more popular. References Gassmann, O., Frankenberger, K., Csik, M. (2016). Innovation Strategy: From new Products to Business Model Innovation. InBusiness Innovation: Das St. Galler Modell(pp. 81-104). Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden. Pastoll, C., Rochwerg, T., Vlaar, B., Compeau, D. (2014). Starbucks canada: the mobile payments decision. Richelieu, A., Korai, B. (2014). The consumption experience of Tim Hortons coffee fans.Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal,17(3), 192-208. Voigt, K. I., Buliga, O., Michl, K. (2017). Globalizing Coffee Culture: The Case of Starbucks. InBusiness Model Pioneers(pp. 41-53). Springer, Cham.

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Frances and Americas Health Care Systems Comparison

Frances and Americas Health Care Systems Comparison Introduction The America spends around 15% of its GDP on the costs of health care, and this percentage exceeds the OECDs spending being 8.8% almost twice and the French costs, which constitute 11.2% of its GDP, in 40%. France health care spending is 11% of the national output, matched up to 15% used in America in health issues, such as infant mortality (Skinner Garber, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on France’s and America’s Health Care Systems Comparison specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Health care system in the United States has received a criticism due to the absence of universal medical coverage in contrast to the universal health coverage in France. Since French insurance coverage is basically obligatory, medical expenses are more largely allocated to the whole population. Even though laws in America permit particular kinds of health care offered to the uninsured patients, they inc rease health expenses for the insured; and these greater health care expenses are borne by the people looking for health care instead of society in general. Exclusive of the situation of greatly communicable diseases, the treatment, which offers a huge social advantage, is debatable in regard to an extra earning or income. This paper discusses and compares France and the U.S. health care systems. Health Care System in the United States Health care system in the United States has brought about more polarizing discussion. Some critics state that the U.S. provides the best health care structure in the world due to directly accessible health care technology and high-tech facilities that have been the point of reference in medical care. Others criticize the system of health care in America as being ineffective and uneven due to the point that it spends more money on medical care than any other country, and there are still a lot of uncovered people, managerial waste, and unreliable qualit y. Health care providers are mainly owned and controlled by the private operators, and health coverage offered by the government in the public health care system ensures around 62% of the total, and provision is provided by programs, such as Veterans Health Administration, TRICARE, and Medicare (Himmelstein Woolhandler, 2004). Most people under the age of 65 are covered by their employers; some purchase coverage on their own, while others are uncovered.Advertising Looking for critical writing on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the United States, 49.8 million people, 16.2 percent of the population, were uncovered in 2010, which showed an increase from 16 percent in 2009. In line with WHO, the U.S. allocates more on health care per capita, being $7,145; moreover, it raised the figure on health care as ratio of its GDP became 15.1 percent that was greater than of any other country surveyed in 2009. America was ranked the fourth highest level of public medical care expenditure per capita of $3, 430, following other nations with higher level of health care spending per capital, which were Monaco, Norway, and Luxembourg. In 2009, research in five states reported that health care debt made up to 46.2 percent of entire individual bankruptcies. In 2010, 62.2 percent of filers for bankruptcies declared an increased health care spending. Since then, medical expenses and the number of uncovered and underinsured became greater than before. Government Implication In 2010, President Obama passed a law, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which supported phased implementation over four years of an inclusive arrangement of authorized health coverage with reforms intended to remove different undesirable activities of the insurance providers. These activities address the areas, such as yearly and life coverage gaps, premium loadings, and necessary screening. It also establishes a least ratio of direct health care expenditure to premium income, and price competition strengthened by the formation of three standard insurance coverage stages, to allow open assessment by end users, and online health coverage services that enable consumers to assess prices and other service plans. Health care system offers subsidy to allow the low income earners to purchase insurance and conserve private health facilities and private insurance. The law enacted by President Obama includes provision related to the health care that is to be executed over seven years, and extending Medicaid eligibility for the public translating to 135 percent of the FDL (Federal Poverty Level), offering incentives to firms to allow medical benefits, forbidding refusal of coverage and denial of claims derived from the present situations. This law also creates health care insurance exchanges and supports subsidization of coverage premiums for the public, representing 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level in order for their highest spending for yearly premiums to descend from 2% to 10% of earnings (Skinner Garber, 2008). It also disallows the insurers from instituting annual insurance or coverage caps and focuses more on the establishment of medical research. Commencing in 2014, the law will disallow insurers to refuse insurance to sick candidates, or demand certain conditions, for instance, advanced payments or premiums. The 2010 Acts entail coverage providers to cover more expenses, requiring that not less than 80% of premiums should be used in health care or ‘quality upgrading’ and complete medical coverage for immunizations and screenings through disallowing annual and lifetime caps that provide uneven distribution. Pros and Cons Medical researches in the United States, which are carried out in some institutions, such as Cleveland Clinic, the Mayo Clinic, and Harvard Medical School, are among the best in the world, and well-known due to the developments they do in medicine, mainly, because of the latest free-market structure.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on France’s and America’s Health Care Systems Comparison specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For the people with employment and great benefits, or those who can pay for it, various American insurance programs are ranked among the best programs in the globe. Another benefit of the latest American medical care program is that taxpayers are not responsible for the cost related to giving health care insurance to all the people (Skinner Garber, 2008). Medical care expenses in the United States are more than in any country all over the globe, and its system where every person should be covered just serves to raise these expenses at the cost of the taxpayers. Most people assert that tax contributions would carry funds away from national security and education to finance newly established medical care sys tem. The noticeable drawback of the health care system in the United States is that though the taxpayers have used more of their income in the American health care, most researches report that Americans have not become healthier than people in other countries that spend less on health care than the US. There is huge amount of money used in American health care, and the government pays out more of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on medical system than any other nation. In 2008, the United States allocated almost 15% of its total GDP on health care (Skinner Garber, 2008). Another noticeable drawback of the health care system is that most people are either underinsured or uninsured, and the United States Census Bureau reported that in 2003, 65% of people were insured by health insurance controlled by the government while 15% of the population were uninsured. Health Care System in France The French government offers some series of varied and all-inclusive health care programs. For ove r 95% of the people, health care is either completely free or fully compensated (Snchez-Serrano, 2011, p. 30). The people also have the privilege to select among health care facilities, irrespective of their earning levels. Additionally, the waiting lists for surgeries, just like in the United States, are not found in France health care system. Medical care coverage in France is a section of the Social Security structure which is financed by income of the employees (60% of the accounts), imposed taxes from tobacco and alcohol, and payment provided by the revenue related to earning that composes capital revenues and retirement pensions.Advertising Looking for critical writing on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Apparently, it seems that medical insurances repay health care facilities more in the United States than in France. However, above 80% of French citizens have supplemental medical coverage, usually offered by their employers. Government Implications In the mid 2001, a law was enacted by the government enabling the health care system to offer more support to people in need in their every day tasks. In March 2002, the government also enacted a policy creating reimbursement for every accident related to health issue, regardless whether it is their own fault or not. These new policies were added to the previous confirmed policies, such as reimbursement rights in instances of illness prevention or pregnancy, health costs for employees and students, organized screening of particular disorder, and family planning. The ‘2012 Hospital Plan’ allocated with  £10 million is to allow the implementation of fresh investments with some major concerns, such as the reinforcing compleme ntarities among health care providers situated in certain area, the improvement of security system, and the automation of health care system (Snchez-Serrano, 2011, p. 30). In 2002, a law passed by the government addressed the rights of the patients on pain relief, in line with reimbursement for severe medical accidents, patient consent, availability of communication to the patient, and dignity of the patient. Pros and Cons People benefit from the ability to choose personal medical providers or doctors, and patients with long-term disorders or illnesses are allocated with more funds or 100 percent medical insurance coverage. The less income earners are provided with universal healthcare that is funded by taxes. Moreover, the medical expenses for the people suffering from the long-term illness are fully compensated, and they can confer with different practitioners or select university, private, public, general, or private health care providers. Health care systems have a loose edition of universal health care, denoting that the government made a controlled system that enabled medical care facilities and insurance providers to insure everybody (Snchez-Serrano, 2011, p. 30). Health care system in France also allows more funds to be used in medical costs due to the structure where the patients need to consult the doctor first, which adds more expenses. Comparison of Health Care Systems France health care spending of 11 percent of the national output is lower as compared to 15% used in America in health issues, such as infant mortality. Health care systems of both France and the U.S. allow patients to have different selections when looking for medical care or providers (Budrys, 2011, p. 135). In France, patients commonly get interventions directly from a professional or consultant, while in the United States, the expansion of HMO signifies that most patients should receive the consent of a ‘primary care physician’ before looking for specific interventio ns. The U.S. system can be annoying to patients, but also preserve the spending directed to health care costs when the primary care physician considers it unimportant. Like France, America provides both the public and the private insurers, and the issue that especially concerns the system of the United States is the control of the private component over the public one. In France, being jobless signifies reduced tax funds going into Assurance Maladie’s treasury, but in the U.S., it means that a person may lose his or her coverage (Budrys, 2011, p. 135). In France, regulation also limits the medical coverage providers from appropriately pooling policies and reforms by risk group, which increases medical coverage premiums in general. Medical systems normally take advantage of reduced regulation and an inclination towards a medical arrangement where insurance assumes to a function of offering for dependent and upsetting health care emergencies among groups for which the possibili ty for these incidences is roughly the same. In the U.S. health care system, reforming the way in which practitioners and other providers are salaried is an essential aspect in providing system transition, especially, in the common payment system, and generates incentives to offer extra services, instead of improved and high-value approaches to care for conditions. Conclusion Health care systems in France and America undergo more expenses caused by the application of medical coverage for regular medical care where the key receiver does not receive the full cost of the health care. It appears that the U.S. spends more funds in health care system than any other country in the world, including France. Different measures and reforms are needed in both systems to provide satisfying services and regulate amount of the funds allocated to these systems. References Budrys, G. (2011). Our Unsystematic Health Care System. Plymouth: Rowman Littlefield. Himmelstein, D., Woolhandler, S. (2004). Administrative waste in the U.S. International Journal of Health Services, 34(1): 79–86. Snchez-Serrano, I. (2011). The World’s Health Care Crisis. Paris: Elsevier. Skinner, J., Garber, A. (2008). Is American Health Care Uniquely Inefficient? Journal of Economic Perspectives, 22(4): 34-56.

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Sports Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Sports Psychology - Essay Example The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in every break of the game, every minute, every second. On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us to pieces for that inch. We CLAW with our finger nails for that inch. Cause we know when we add up all those inches thats going to make the fucking difference between WINNING and LOSING between LIVING and DYING,† the character of Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday. Motivational speeches are necessary as any sports psychologist will tell you. Mental preparation allows athletes tap that extra strength that usually comes out when at the height of enthusiasm. That’s why you hear about people lifting cars to save someone or jumping at heights not even Michael Jordan could have one for a game winning shot. Sport psychology professionals use all devices to help an athlete get motivated such as imagery and, like Al Pacino, deliver a speech as if humanity’s existence depends on it. Psychologists Robert M. Yerkes and John D. Dodson developed a hypothetical law that relates arousal with performance in 1908, based on biopsychology and neuroscience research. This is called the Inverted-U hypothesis. The theory says that as the arousal of an athlete increases, so does the performance. It will continue to increase until it reaches its peak. After that, if the arousal continues, the performance deteriorates. This hypothesis explains how the person’s arousal can affect its performance. It tells that a person’s performance can be maximized on a certain level of arousal. But the relationship between the level of performance and the level of arousal comes with the condition; both too low and too high level of arousal can produce low level or poor performance, while a moderate level of arousal can produce a high positive level of performance. This theory is illustrated on a diagram with two lines representing the arousal and the performance

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Treats design as art Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Treats design as art - Assignment Example She emphasizes that in the contemporary times, designs need to be evolved to incorporate the important issues and compulsions of the times. The recessive economy, environment and sustainability of resources are vital issues where the designing of objects could make a significant impact. She says that designers are creative and have the ability to effectively use any material to make a difference to the world. She has accurately summed up the role of designers as the ‘biggest synthesizer in the world who (excels) in synthesizing the human needs’. Indeed, there design, sometimes may not be understood but the wider ramifications of those designs on the contemporary issues give them the necessary impetus to continue with their work. She concludes her talk by exhorting the designers to let go of their creativity in a way where they can visualize at different scales. She declares that design is not only aesthetic but it also serves the humanity through innovative input that facilitates to meet the challenges of the time. (272

Monday, January 27, 2020

The Culture And Practices In Islam Theology

The Culture And Practices In Islam Theology The origins of Islam are from Saudi Arabia, it is a religious tradition that is monotheistic. The literal meaning of the word Islam is submission to God Julie Williams, 2008 This complete code of life is based on the divine revelations preached by Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) it addresses all aspects of life: spiritual, social, moral, intellectual, political, economical etc. Its teachings show us how to surrender to Allahs will in every area of life, Who is the supreme creator and sustainer of this world. The sacred scripture of Islam is the Quran, which is the compilation of all the divine revelations sent to Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) and were taught by him. The underlying principle which is the foundation of Islam is that there is only one God, Allah. He has no equal or any partner. Five Pillars of Islam are its unifying characteristic; they are the primary aspect of religion. These five pillars include Tauhid, which is the first and most important; it is faith in one true God, Allah. The second is Salah or Namaz, which is the ritual prayer Muslims are required to perform five times a day. Fasting is the third pillar of Islam where Muslims fast for a whole month. Zakat, the charity compulsory on certain wealth is the fourth pillar, the fifth pillar is Hajj, which is a pilgrimage a Muslim with enough wealth is required to take at least once in his lifetime. Apart from the five pillars of Islam, there are also six articles of faith. These include: Belief in One God Belief in all the prophets Belief in the four original Holy scriptures Belief in the angels Belief in the Hereafter and day of judgement Belief in Divine verdict Muslims are usually distinguished by their devotion to the obligation of praying fives times to Allah in a day. Another defining characteristic of Islam is pre-eminence of the sacred places, which are Makah, Medina and Jerusalem. A ritual of Muslims is to gather in a congregation at mosque to pray and worship Allah, also study the divine scripture, Quran. The distinction as to who is better in the Muslim community is based on solely the individual Muslims devotion to serving in the path of Allah. The universal aspect of Islam caused it to expand almost instantly after it evolved in Arabian Peninsula, in the present world it has spread across Africa, Europe, Asia and rest of the world. Although most of the Muslims are born into faith but Islam always welcomes the coverts too (Julie Williams, 2008). Even though Islam originated from Arab region, the Muslims are not necessarily Arab; it is a universal religion which is for everyone across the globe. There are Muslims from almost every n ationality in the world, now the Arabs are only 20% of the Muslim population across the world. The influence of Arab culture on Islam has had effects on those who belonged to other cultures but adopted Islam too. This has created a cultural bond due to similarities that they share among their societies, although these different societies do still have characteristics that clearly distinguish them. The culture of Islam inherited an Arab culture that was originated in desert, which although is simple yet not in any way unsophisticated. It has a verbal tradition founded on the broadcast of culture by means of narrative as well as poetry. Although, the largest impact on Islamic civilization is that of the written scripture, the whole civilization is based on the teachings written down and compiled in form of Holy Quran and taught by the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h). A ts of animate beings. The focus of Islamic art is on Allahs omnipresence, which cannot be illustrate ts of animate beings. The focus of Islamic art is on Allahs omnipresence, which cannot be illustrated in any imagery. The calligraphy in Arabic is a famous art form to beautifully write Quranic verses. The Islamic art with its artistry as well as grandeur has not failed to inspire awe over the centuries.d in any imagery. The calligraphy in Arabic is a famous art form to beautifully write Quranic verses. The Islamic art with its artistry as well as grandeur has not failed to inspire awe over the centuries.n important part of the Islamic culture is its signature art and architecture (Larry A. Samovar, Richard E. Porter, Edwin R. McDaniel, 2009) which is marked by floral decorative patterns and abstract art. The fundamental aspect of Islamic art is that it is devoid of illustrations of living beings, especially humans according to the teachings of Islam, since it is forbidden in religi on to paint or draw portraits of animate beings. The focus of Islamic art is on Allahs omnipresence, which cannot be illustrated in any imagery. The calligraphy in Arabic is a famous art form to beautifully write Quranic verses. The Islamic art with its artistry as well as grandeur has not failed to inspire awe over the centuries. Critically outlines how the history and practices of Islam shape the lives of Muslims today in a short paragraph Most of the practices which are prevailing in Muslim world of today are not mentioned in The Quran. Although, the saying of Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) and his conduct of every day life provide the Muslims of today the basis for traditions and the practices of today in form of Sunnah. The Sunnah and Hadith of holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) provides a guiding path for all the Muslims of today from every day rituals like eating with the right hand, growing beard for men and hijab to cover the head for women, greeting another Muslim with salaam etc to major issues like marriage and legal problems. In the troubled world of today however, it is crucial to be able to differentiate as to what is true to Islamic nature and what only a part of culture. Many of the customs that prevail in todays Muslim world have no roots in either Quran or Sunnah. Compare Islamic culture with other cultures Islam is one of the three Divine religions, other two being Judaism and Christianity which preceded Islam but were annulled when Allah sent the message of Islam through Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h), which was to be the last and universal religion for the entire mankind. The preceding cultures have various similarities but major differences in comparison to Islam. Lets take Judaism for instance, there are many differences among these two religions yet they all originate from one basic difference. Although they both believe in One God, they have difference in the belief of Prophet, Islam is based on the teachings that Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) came with and believes him to be the Last Prophet. Where as Jews believe only in the prophet hood of Moses. According to Islamic belief any who denies that Holy Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) was the last prophet would be doomed to an eternity in hell. There are other contrasting beliefs in both the religions too, for example Jews believe prophet Ismail to be an idolater where as Muslims respect him as prophet of Allah. Christianity and Islam have a lot of similarities. Both of them hold the belief in Prophets, Divine scriptures, day of judgement/resurrection, importance of religion. Many of the teachings in their scriptures are similar too, although the Original transcript of Bible has now been tampered with. Regardless of these similarities there are a lot of crucial differences too. Their Understanding of Allah is very different, in Islam God is one and only with no equals where as in Christianity they deem Jesus to be the son of God. In Christian culture, the belief of divine revelation is that God himself appeared to preach and provide redemption. Islam on the other hand looks upon revelation as a form of guidance. Aside from difference of islam with these two major religion cultures, since islam has spread across the world, its true culture has taken various changes depending on the region it exists in, for example in subcontinent, Malaysia and Indonesia. The influence of hindu culture is dominant on muslim practices too, since the people that converted to islam and formed muslim communities there were originally hindus. Practices like lighting candles on the last seven Ramadan nights has been adopted from a Hindu festival, so are many of the customs involved in marriage that require bride and groom to sit centre stage and get appraised and blessed by the crowd. These practices are contrasting to what is truly Islamic and have no origins in islam whatsoever.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Faith Ringold :: essays research papers

Who was Faith Ringold ? Born in New York , Faith Ringold was an African American artist who started school in 2nd grade . While she was at home , her mother taught her the basic skills . She knew how to read before she went to school . In her early childhood she use to be sick every so often , she could not attend school regularly ; however, her mother use to bring her drawing books and pencils . Therefore , she spent most of her time drawing . So, as she grew older and began to go to school , one day her teacher asked her to draw a mountain. Because she was born and raised in New York, she had never seen a mountain before; therefore, she could not draw the mountain properly . The professor told her " you cannot be an artist, " and she said to the professor " yes I could and I will be artist . " She had great internal locus of control and self-confidence . She believed she could do it and she did it . Her mother was a fashion designer . She was very close to her mother, and her father was a great role model for her . He also use to draw , in other words he inspired faith to become an artist . Faith Ringold was a bright artist . She benefited a scholarship in college . While in college she had the opportunity to ship her works at an inexpensive price to sell outside the country. 1960 she learned what African art was as a black artist . She also learned to mix her European training with the African art . She learned about African designs , and African American art . Faith Ringold wrote her stories and painted them on her works . She painted the tradition of African art and design she drew her family 's every day life . Faith Ringold was an artist who justify her culture and her existence with the black art . She expressed who she was through her art .

Saturday, January 11, 2020

A Feminist Approach to Toni Morisson’s Beloved Essay

When hearing about Toni Morrison’s novel, â€Å"Beloved†, one may imagine it as being another story about a slave’s life. And this is not wrong. â€Å"Beloved† does tell the tales of many slaves. It tells of whippings, rape, hard work and escape. But, while drawing this image of the historical aspect of enslavement and black culture, Morrison also tells the personal story of a very strong female slave. Morrison’s novel focuses mainly on the female characters – Sethe, Baby Suggs, Denver, Beloved – and their relationships. If feminism may be defined as a major movement in western thinking in western thinking since the 1960s, which puts particular emphasis upon the importance of women’s experience, then â€Å"Beloved† can be regarded through a feminist perspective. Even though â€Å"Beloved† tells the story of many slaves, because of its focus on the proactive and independent women in the novel, it also makes a feminist statement. Morrison has a particular way of writing the female body into the discourse of slavery, motherhood, human rights and morality. She presents the exploitation of the female body in both a sensory and psychological way. There are many examples in the novel that illustrate this aspect. In the case of Sethe, one of the major characters, we can observe both ways of exploitation of the human body. The stealing of her milk during the rape she suffered writes her experience as a woman slave who has no right to her body and also her experience as a slave mother with no defense, who is used to the violation of her own body, but cannot bear the forcible extraction of her milk meant for the child in her womb. The psychological trauma left behind this experience is felt by the mother who is symbolically separated from her child. The earliest need that a child has is mother’s milk. Sethe is traumatized by the experience of having her milk stolen because it means she cannot form the symbolic bond between herself and her daughter. Sethe’s body shows nothing but suffering if one takes into consideration the chokecherry tree scar on her back caused by the cruel whipping she suffered in the same night of the rape and her attempt to escape. She also felt pain when she gave birth to Denver, thing which can be judged by the bleeding feet about which Amy sais â€Å"it hurts for something new to grow†. The only time when Sethe uses her body for her own pleasure was when she has sex with Paul D. Another example of the female body being written into discourse is illustrated through Beloved, a mysterious character thought to be the daughter Sethe murdered when the girl was only two years old. Beloved’s skin is like a baby’s skin, she sleeps a lot and her faculties of speech and movement are not well developed. Physically Beloved is the embodiment of the discourse of motherhood for a slave, of the evil. Her body is a sacrifice that saves the other children’s lives from the meanness of the schoolmaster through her death. From Sethe she feeds on the attention and the maternal guilt that has been poisoning her life. Finally the physical disappearance of her body and her death is the absolving exorcism that removes the last vestiges of torment left over from the slave days. The character of Beloved is the epitome of the past and present entwined in a consciousness. She is still a baby in terms of behavior but the body is like that of the woman she would have become if she wasn’t killed. Her supernatural manifestations are the result of the unresolved conflicts in the mother-child bond between Sethe and Beloved and its very existence is because of the non linearity of her consciousness. I see Beloved’s murdering of her child a desperate gesture of a mother who wants to protect her children from salvery. The community sees Sethe’s murder an unforgivable one. Slavery created a situation where a mother is separated from her child, leaving devastating consequences behind: a whole life suffering from a bad guilt and also a psychic trauma. Motherhood feeling is universally deep and when mothers are unable to provide maternal care for their children, or when their children are taken away from her then they feel a lost sense of self. Similarly, when a child is separated from his mother, he also looses the family identity. Sethe was never able to see her mother’s true face because her smile was distorted from having spent too much time with the â€Å"bit†, so she was not able to connect with her own mother and therefore does not know how to connect with her own children even if she longs to. Concerning the language of the novel, the way of writing, one can observe a feminine way of writing, the semiotic language that Julia Kristeva mentioned sometime. There can be observed a freeplay of language, a fluidity of words free of any control unlike the fixity and linearity of male discourse. There is a passage in the third part of the novel that best illustrates this way of writing, the fluid and poetic nature of the narrative in one of the dialogues between Beloved and Sethe. There can be observed a long flowing verse in which the mother and daughter identify eachother, establishing the long lost maternal bond and acknowledging the events that took place between them: â€Å"Why did you leave me who am you/ I will never leave you again/ I drank your blood/ I brought your milk/ You forgot to smile/ I loved you/ You hurt me/ You came back to me/ You left me†. There are no punctuation marks and one sentence runs into another, each sentence is loaded with intense feelings showing accusation, guilt, assurance, love, like a rushing river that carries all the emotions in its fierce fluidity. The depth of a maternal emotional experience is rendered throughout this novel. The other female characters, Denver and Baby Suggs had the chance to see the beauty of freedom. Baby Suggs’s freedom was bought by the sacrifice of her son Halle, while Denver is far from the tormented life in slavery thanks to her mother’s protection and estrangement from the black community.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Mountain Biomes Life At High Elevation

Mountains are a constantly changing environment, in which plant and animal life varies with changes in elevation. Climb up a mountain and you may notice that the temperatures get colder, tree species change or disappear altogether, and the plants and animal species are different than those found on lower ground. Want to learn more about the worlds mountains and the plants and animals that live there? Read on. What makes a mountain? Inside the Earth, there are masses called tectonic plates that glide over the planets mantle. When those plates crash into one another, the push the Earths crust higher and higher into the atmosphere, forming mountains.   Mountain climates While all mountain ranges are different, one thing they do have in common is temperatures that are cooler than the surrounding area thanks to higher elevation. As air rises into the Earths atmosphere, it cools down. This affects not only the temperature but also the precipitation. Winds are another factor that make mountain biomes different from the areas around them. By nature of their topography, mountains stand in the path of winds. Winds can bring with them precipitation and erratic weather changes. That means that the climate on the windward side of a mountain (facing the wind,) will likely be different from that of the leeward side (sheltered from the wind.) The windward side of a mountain will be cooler and have more precipitation, while the leeward side will be drier and warmer.   Of course, this too will vary depending upon the location of the mountain. The Ahaggar Mountains in Algerias Sahara Desert will not have much precipitation no matter which side of the mountain you are looking at. Mountains and microclimates   Another interesting characteristic of mountain biomes is the microclimates produced by the topography. Steep slopes and sunny cliffs may be home to one set of plants and animals while just a few feet away, a shallow but shaded area is home to a completely different array of flora and fauna. These microclimates may vary depending upon the steepness of the slope, the access to the sun, and the amount of precipitation that falls in a localized area. Mountain Plants and Animals The plants and animals found in mountainous areas will vary depending upon the location of the biome. But heres a general overview: Temperate zone mountains Mountains in the temperate zone, such as the Rocky Mountains in Colorado generally have four distinct seasons. They usually have conifer trees on their lower slopes that fade into alpine vegetation (such as lupins and daisies,) above the tree line. Fauna include deer, bears, wolves,  mountain lions, squirrels, rabbits, and a wide variety of birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians.  Ã‚   Tropical mountains Tropical areas are known for their species diversity and this holds true for the mountains found there. Trees grow tall and at elevations higher than in other climate zones. In addition to evergreen trees, tropical mountains may be populated by grasses, heathers, and shrubs. Thousands of animals make their homes in tropical mountain areas. From the gorillas of Central Africa to the jaguars of South America, tropical mountains host huge numbers of animals. Desert mountains The harsh climate of a desert landscape - lack of rain, high winds, and little to no soil, makes it difficult for any plant to take root. But some, such as cacti and certain ferns, are able to carve out a home there. And animals such as big horned sheep, bobcats, and coyotes are well adapted to live in these harsh conditions. Threats to Mountain Biomes As is happening in most ecosystems, the plants and animals found in mountain regions are changing thanks to the warmer temperatures and changing precipitation brought on by climate change. Mountain biomes are also threatened by deforestation, wildfires, hunting, poaching, and urban sprawl.   Possible the biggest threat facing many mountainous regions today is that brought on by fracking - or hydraulic fracturing. This process of recovering gas and oil from shale rock can devastate mountain areas, destroying fragile ecosystems and possible polluting groundwater via by-product runoff.