Anglia Local News Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Anglia Local News Assignment - Essay Example (Gillan2010) Also unlike the traditional host, it is the provider who manages the service implying that the consumer only has to have a computer and internet to access the service. Another feature of cloud is that it can be private or public. A public cloud is offered (sold) to anyone via the internet whereas a private cloud refers to a proprietary network that is only provides to a limited group of individuals. Whether one goes for the private or public cloud, the goal is to render scalable computing services. Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) refers to a model whereby cloud providers deliver and control Information technology resources such as storage, computation and network capacity. (Blokdijk & Menken 2009) By this, cloud providers own, manage, render as well as distribute Information technology resources more effectively and conveniently to their subscribers. Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) This refers to a set of software and development tools provided by a cloud vendor as a hosted infrastructure. Through this developers can be able to create applications running on the provider’s platform via the internet. (Blokdijk & Menken 2009) Platform-as-a-Service providers may use AP1s, web portals as well as gateways that are installed in a client’s computer. Examples of PaaS are GoogleApps and Force.com. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) This refers to a model in which the vendor provides the hardware and software infrastructure as well as the software product that interacts with the user through a front-end portal. The range of services provided by SaaS is very broad. Examples of this include We-based Mail, database processing as well as inventory control. (Blokdijk & Menken 2009) Because the applications and the data resides with the host provides it enables the services to be accessible from anywhere. Benefits of cloud services By adopting cloud computing, some of the benefits an organization would accrue as would inc lude the following: First, cloud computing saves time. This is because by an organization relying on using installed software’s to meet their needs they stand the chance of spending more time procuring, mastering and managing their programs. (Velte & Robert 2009) However a business saves time upon adopting cloud since some cloud vendors offer software as a service, hence an organization is spared the inconvenience of managing their programs. Secondly a business stands fewer chances of glitches upon cloud adoption. This is because services offered through cloud require few versions. Therefore there is less upgrades needed and it becomes easy to implement considering the fact it is the cloud providers who implement this. (Velte & Robert 2009) Also considering the fact that most businesses incur problems in integrating software with other similar applications which makes it hard to share data, cloud enables user to integrate applications such as management systems, emails and of fice applications reducing cases of productivity glitches. It has also been known that cloud promotes conservation of the environment. This is considering the fact that personal computers only utilize 10 to 20 percent of the capacity; this implies there is a large percentage in energy waste. Therefore by pooling resources in cloud based systems there is energy savings on the life extended by personal computers. Another great advantage of the cloud is increased access

Effects of the financial crisis on various UK industries

Effects of the financial crisis on various UK industries Economic Report The above graph shows the FTSE 100 index in the 5 years to the 14th October 2010.   The index value at any particular time is based on the share prices of the top one hundred by value with each organisation being weighted in proportion to its total market value (Pike, Neale, p.38 2009).   Despite this index only being a small percentage of the total companies in the United Kingdom it generally reflects the performance of much of the market. Prior to the financial crisis of 2008 leading to the crash in the markets-shown in the first quarter of 2009-investment in government debt was regarded as relatively risk free.   It is a sign of the fragile economy situation globally that investors no longer view such investments as a sure thing (Oakley, 2010).   This credit crisis has prompted investors to proceed with caution and despite initial positive trends the principles which underpinned investments in the past have been shattered resulting in large scale political reforms throughout much of the Western World (Future of investing, FT).   The suggestion of an unsteady recovery is reinforced by a recent article in the Economist which states that,   Big asset busts are usually followed by years of weakness as the over-borrowed repair their balance-sheets.   Experience suggests that several years of slow growth lie ahead.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Oct. 7th 2010 It goes on to state that the reactive measures will be the biggest synchronised fiscal tightening on record.   Governments worldwide have had their hand forced in to budget cuts and other measures to sustain growth out of the crisis.   Whilst this statement points to and assures uncertainty should be highlighted that growth albeit at a slow pace is thought to be likely. The current economic situation, specifically in the United Kingdom, is underlined by the massive growth in unemployment.   Gilmore comments that the number of workless households has increased to 3.9 million over the last two years an increase of 389,000 (2010, p 39).   Furthermore, high profile cutbacks remain prevalent with Boots and Hewlett-Packard announcing combined cuts of 2,200 workers in the UK alone (Clark, 2010; Felsted 2010).   Whilst over the past two years there has been an overall escalation in unemployment there are some signs of improvement.   The three months to July 2010 witnessed the number out of employment fall to 2.47 million (Gilmore, 2010). It can be said that the current times are very uncertain and on that account the correct investment strategy will be vaguer than ever before.   For that reason, the general investment strategy which will be employed is buy and hold.   Not all investments will be made in this manner, however, for the most part this logic will be applied.   The buy and hold approach can be justified by looking at the market trend since the FTSE 100 began in 1984: It can be seen that after a dip such as in 1987 and in 2000 that the market tends to recover so despite the fragile economic situation a recovery, albeit a slow one as mentioned previously, can be envisaged. Sector Reviews Sector: Power The power sector is one of the main constituents of the FTSE 100. Utilities and Oil Gas alone make up 14 of the 104 constituents which complete the index, together counting for nearly a quarter of the net market capitalisation for all the industries included. It can therefore be deduced that any reasonable change in the power sector as a whole has a great influence on the performance of the top one hundred FTSE listed companies (FTSE Fact Sheet, 2010). For consideration, the sector has been split in to three main sub-sectors: mining, water utilities and oil gas. All three sub-sectors witnessed their three year minimum around 2009 and have recovered strongly since with one exception to be covered in more detail: oil gas. Mining The recovery can be expected to continue in the mining sector as commodity prices continue to rise. One of the major mined commodities, gold, has seen prices soar in recent times increasing nearly six fold since 2001 (Post1, 2010) to its current levels of $1361.20 per ounce. The market expects this price will continue to rise amid speculation that the United States government will commence quantitative easing once more (Murchie, 2010). Barrick Gold and Anglo Gold Ashanti have recently raised equity to eliminate bad hedges and does not expect to return to hedging at any price (Yahoo! Finance, 2010). Thus, both organisations expect the price of gold to continue to rise therefore gold companies with proven reserves are likely to increase in value. This theory is reinforced by a Goldman Sachs analyst, writes Alistair Dawber, who predicts that Gold will hit $1,650 within a year (Independent, 2010). Water and Utilities Water and Utilities in the United Kingdom show a strong recovery after the first quarter of 2009 also receiving boosts from an exceptionally cold winter. Profits of ScottishPower rose 7.9% last year due to the bitterly cold winter and Britains biggest supplier of gas and electricity witnessed profits soar 46% to  £554 million (Macallister, 2010). The Met office commented that it had been the coldest winter in thirty years (2010). Long term forecasts predict that this winter will be colder than average with more precipitation than would be the norm. Should this hold true then share prices will increase on the back of higher demand for gas and electricity which eludes to the sector share prices to trend upwards. Oil and Gas The first graphic representation shows the FTSE 350 index for Oil and Gas producers. A sustained recovery from the low in late 2009 was seen until Q2 of 2010 which observed a sharp decline. This deterioration is largely due to the Deepwater Horizon disaster and its effects are clear. BP (formerly British Petroleum) are the second largest company in the FTSE 100 index (FTSE Fact Sheet, 2010) so any change in share price will have a large influence on both the sector and the whole economy. The second graph shows the correlation between the BP share price and the FTSE 350 Oil and Gas. The cost to BP, who are regarded as being ultimately responsible for the disaster, amounts to a pre-tax charge of $32,192 million. This amount relates to all costs sustained in relation to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and the commitment to cover any future costs which BP feel they can estimate reliably (BP, 2010). As the cost of the disaster has already been absorbed by the company and the markets, assumi ng there is no further outfall, it can be expected that the market will continue to trend upwards and back towards its previous average. On this basis, the sector can be considered as a relatively safe investment. There is potential for very large returns within this sector however they arise with considerable risk. Those with a higher risk appetite may seek to invest in the companies partaking in the oil exploration taking place in the Falkland Islands. Investment Due to the positive nature of all three sectors in this uncertain economic period it has been decided that all three sub-sectors outlined will provide investment opportunities. This facilitates potential for excellent gains but at the same time it utilises one of the main strategies for managing risk, diversification (Jaeger, 2002, p.235). Sector: Transport and Leisure Transport and leisure is a broad ranging sector including companies such as Babcock International Group who specialise in a wide range of areas including defence to organisations such as First Group who are a leading transport operator in the UK and North America (First Group). As it is such a broad sector transport and travel and leisure will be combined due to the similar nature of the two sub-sectors. Food Beverages has been discounted for ethical reasons. Aerospace and Defence As much of this sub-sectors revenue comes from government spending, Aerospace Defence at first appeared to be a wise choice for investment although on closer inspection this was proved not to be the case.   This sector was eventually discounted largely due to the expected cuts in government spending in the United Kingdom and abroad which will have an influence on companies which rely on this spending to maintain profitability and current share price levels.   For example, Babcock International Groups revenues are 80% U.K based (Hoyos, 2010) which in the current climate is too much exposure to a single market.   The FTSE 350 index Aerospace and Defence shows the volatility across the sector throughout 2010. Automobiles and Parts Outside of the main organisations in this sector there is only comparatively small amount of information available outside of the major companies. Where the majors are concerned, a case could be constructed for investment however these are outweighed by the potential risks. In recent times there has been many disrupting events which have an effect on the volatility of share prices within the sub-sector. Three major car manufacturers, including one trading in the UK-Toyota, have announced large scale recalls. Toyota was forced to recall 10.9 million cars in the US and Canada (Simon, 2010) whilst both BMW and Dailmler AG have recalled a combined 698,800 vehicles. (Sky News, 2010)(WSJ, 2010). As well as the turbulent recalls demand for new cars in the UK has fallen and it is not expected that they will return to peak levels. Between 2007 and 2009 the amount of new cars purchased fell from 2.4 million to 1.9 million-of which 285,000 were purchased at a heavily discounted level under the Governments scrappage scheme (Sky News, 2010). The article goes on to state that sales figures are not expected to increase above 2 million for the next three years which would allude to a levelling of share prices at current levels. Food and Beverage The low which the FTSE 350 Food and Beverage experienced in March 2009 coincided with the bottom of the FTSE100, however, the dip was not as severe and the immediate recovery was swift and strong.   Whilst these are promising signs there has been a stagnation.   In Q2 and Q3 of 2010 the index has   fallen from its high of 541.81 in mid April to a its current level of 528.69 (Yahoo finance, 18th October).   In the same period the FTSE 100 after suffering from an initial drop recovered strongly and is now showing a positive growth curve in the short term.   It can be concluded that the performance of the sector as a whole is not matching that of other sectors which are performing well. An example of a poor performer in this sector would be Punch Taverns which is one of the largest pub companies in the United Kingdom (Punch Taverns, 2010). Shares in Punch Taverns are down over 15% in the last 52 weeks (Interactive Investor Trading, 2010). Travel Leisure A graph of the FTSE 350 index over the previous 5 years is shown. It can be seen that from its peak in 2007 there has been a huge loss in market capitalisation across the travel and leisure sector however this was met with a strong recovery from mid 2009 onwards and this trend looks to continue. The upwards movement of this index is underpinned by growth in many of the major companies in the sector such as British Airways, Ryanair Holdings and Easyjet. This shows growing investor confidence in one of the most troubled industries of the past 10 years. Investment It is this confidence and steady sustained growth within sub-sector four that makes the Travel and Leisure sub-sector the advised choice for investment however the other sectors will provide some potential for investment should an appropriate company be identified. Retailers UK retail sector employees around 3 million people. It is the 3rd largest in the world after USA and Japan. On a whole the retail sector generates around 8% of the UK GDP. 1 in 10 of the people in employment currently works in the retail sector. Shops account for more than a third of consumer spending; due to this the retail sector is very important to how the economy on a whole performs. Usually if there is a drop in retail, the GDP of the economy would be affected greatly as well. The year 2007 marked the beginning of the credit crisis which resulted in the UK facing an economic downturn. This affected many companies, including Woolworths. Woolworths before the credit crisis was one of the major companies in the retail sector. Due to the crisis, which lasted from 2007-2009, Woolworths went into administration on the 26th November 2008. During late 2009 market the end of the period of the recession, which allowed the retail sector to improve its growth, as shown in the graph below. Investment The retail sector is ideal because of its high growth before the credit crisis, this sector is now quickly recovering and should be expected to be at a high growth as before the credit crisis. There should be high growth especially during the Christmas period. The House leisure Personal Goods sector would be an inappropriate option in my opinion because it involves lots of manual and material costs. This sector will also gain lower growth unlike the retail sector, which should have higher growth. Telecommunications The telecommunication sector offers a wide variety of jobs and is an important sector for the economy. The UK is one of the leading locations for telecommunication in Europe. In recent times, the competition between telecommunication companies has sharply risen since the early 1990s. This is due to the rapidly increasing use of phone lines, internet and mobiles etc. This sector also was affected with the credit crisis during late 2007 as shown below on diagram. One of the largest companies in the telecommunications sector BT faced their third-quarter profits had been reduced to 81 per cent. This was due to the poor performance from the BTs IT network division. BT had also had to write off a lot of its contracts which resulted in a loss of  £336 million. But it should be considered that this was due to the credit crisis, now that the crisis is finished, most companies should start to develop more growth in the telecommunication sector. Investment Telecommunications is constantly developing through mobile devices, video calling and other services. Todays technology has an impact on the telecommunication sector, such as Apple, that supplies innovative telecommunication service through its Iphone. There telecommunication service offers many new services, which suggest this sector would be ideal for strong growth The Tech Hardware sector involves lots of constant research that includes innovation and development, which could involve lots of costs in this sector. The Electronic Electronic Equipment sector involves large costs of investment because of the development and material costs involved, you must take into consideration of the current competiveness in the market today. This sector makes up for 4 per cent of the Europeans municipal waste, which is growing three times faster than any other waste management system, as discussed by Waste online website. It would not be recommended to invest in the Media sector because of the competiveness in this market. Current organisations in the media sector are losing out from customers, due to the vastly availability of free media available online. Pharmaceuticals Biotechnology Sector: Chemicals General The pharmaceuticals and biotechnology sector is a massive industry, there are many companies involved with the field. The value of the global pharmaceutical market is expected to grow 5-7 percent in 2011, to $880 billion, compared with a 4-5 percent pace this year, according to IMS Health. The sector divides itself into two sub-sectors. Pharmaceutical companies: Develop and manufacture prescription and over-the-counter drugs (aspirin, cold remedies, birth control pills), as well as vaccines. Biotechnology companies: Create new biological substances for use in drugs and diagnosing tools through research and development. The sector is mainly occupied by small, extremely specialised, research firms. As these companies dont have a normal income flow, but rely more upon new discoveries to help fund future research any breakthroughs or licensing arrangements. As this can lead to large revenues which may help fund even further research. On the other hand due to the small size of the businesses any delays in acquiring funding may cause cash flow problems. Along with this trading can be very irregular as new discoveries can cause share prices to rocket. There has been a trend in the pharmaceutical industry whereby small biotechnology companies are carrying out the premature work on new discoveries, before selling their work to the industry leaders, which is quite similar to an outsourcing model. The end result allows the product to be sold in large quantities to a global market. The industry has seen very drastic changes over the past few quarters, since performance was affected by factors such as generic competition. The next 5 years suggest a major change between the introduction of new products and patent loses. One of the main reasons why the global pharmaceutical market growth, will be limited to 5-8% through 2014 is because over the next five years. Products that generate sales upwards of $142 billion will eventually face competition from generic products. Also upcoming products are not likely to reach the same amount of sales, as products lose their patent protection. Fig 1. The above graph shows the FTSE-350 of the Pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector over a period of 4 years. You can see the affects of the credit crisis in the first quarter of 2008, after this there is a slight increase in the market however the market crashes in the first quarter of 2009. Overall the sector produced total revenues of $615.1billion in 2008. One of the most profitable sectors of the market in 2008 was cardiovascular which was worth 19.8% of the markets total value. That is equivalent to $121.7 billion. Forecasts suggest that the growth of the market is set to shrink with a likely CAGR of 3.6% fro, 2008-2013. This should cause the value of the market to increase to $734 by the end of 2013. Top ten companies top 10 pharma bio.jpg Emerging Markets Other recent trends include focusing on emerging markets such as the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China). This is due to sales in emerging markets that have been growing at faster rate than sales in the established markets (IMS, 2010). Within the next five years these emerging markets will generate as much revenue as the traditional markets such as the U.S. market (largest pharmaceutical market) along with Europe and Japan. Source: IMS health Construction Materials Sector: Industrials materials This sector includes companies that are involved with discovering, developing and processing raw materials and mining/refining of metals, chemicals and forestry. Due to this sector supplying materials for construction, it heavily relies on a strong economy. This sector can also be very unpredictable as it is vulnerable to supply and demand due to prices of raw materials such as gold. In general construction activity declined rapidly by 10.5% in 2009. Estimates backed by fragile private sector housing, industrial and commercial property activity suggest a further fall of 1.6% in 2010. The most profitable in the sector over the past year was infrastructure and public non-housing (such as schools) which increased by 10% and 25% Recent data shows slight signs of recovery in the private sector, particularly in new housing. This is backed up by survey evidence which shows a slight increase in housing activity in the final quarter of 2009 construction2.jpg In 2010, private sector housing activity is expected to show further signs of a gradual recovery, but recent signs of increased investor confidence in commercial property may not translate into stronger activity until 2011. This is shown in the graph below. contruction 1.jpg Review Public housing: Weak activity in the private sector has caused output in this sector to have fallen in 2009. However due to the governments drive to help increase affordable housing there are signs of increase in the second half of 2009. Public housing is expected to rise around 6-7% within the next two years. Private housing: Output for private housing was forecasted to drop by nearly 30% last year. Forecasts suggest the recovery period will be gradual. Housing indicators also show recovery in house prices and mortgage approvals. Output in this sector is set to rise to 1% this year pushing it to 10% in 2011 Infrastructure and public non-housing: This sector is continuously growing over the past year this has been due to a number of high- profile projects such as road and rail projects across the UK, the schools building programme and the 2012 Olympics Private commercial and industrial: Over 25% of output has plunged since last year in this sector according to forecasts. Even though there has been interest to investors in this specific sector. Output will likely increase again in 2010, as the commercial sector underperformed industrial, before it returns to normal growth. Repair maintenance: As the current economic situation is slowly recovering, maintenance and private repair are expected to stabilise and eventually grow in 2011. However its different story for public repair and maintenance as its easier to push back spending on this area than make a cut in new high- profile investments Chemicals General including:- Support Services Tobacco Industrials Materials including:- Industrial Transportation Industrial General Industrial Engineering Sector: Chemicals General Sub Sector 1: Chemicals The chemical industry is very crucial to UK manufacturing as it provides the essential compounds for the manufacturing processes and the also the large number of jobs it creates. The industry is equivalent to 1.5%GDP. UKs manufacturing industry total sales of  £62.62bn over the period of 2005 to 2009. However when the economy fell into recession one of the key sectors to be hit by this was manufacturing which the chemical industry is a key supplier of. This sector is highly competitive which has lead to a great deal of mergers and acquisitions. Majority of the major companies in the UK industry are global players which are focused on core ` activities which involve specialised synthesis or final formulation of products. Before the economic recession growth was steady and would have increased over a period of time, however due to the sluggish growth of the UK economy and also globally. Growth will stay reasonably restrained in 2011-2012. Along with the dire state of the governments finance which will eventually lead to tax rises and spending cuts. Therefore this subsector will not be a profitable investment. However export markets in emerging economies are more likely to successful. Sub Sector 2: Health Care Equipment Services The Healthcare industry is broken down into smaller groups such as medical devices, laboratory equipment, system and technology and associated services such as management, training and education. The majority of companies that operate in the UK are foreign-owned mostly American. This sector exports up to  £4bn worth of products and services annually into the global market. Overall this sector is growing extremely fast as there are so many countries working to improve their health care services and facilities. The main reason to the UKs growing presence in the global market is down to the positive relationship between the government, the industry, NHS and private sectors. Along with the well developed health care infrastructure. One of the main themes of the healthcare industry has become cost reduction this is due to the difficult economic times. It is very crucial that the organisations look for new ways to help decrease costs. Therefore this sub sector will not be a profitable investment.

The Birthmark Essay -- Literary Analysis, Nathaniel Hawthorne

A man is never satiated; he is constantly striving for perfection, imprudent about eventuality. Such is the case in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Birthmark." An escape from reality, Romanticism's superiority over Rationalism, a fascination for God's revelation make Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Birthmark" Romantic literature. When the quest for human feat opposes divine setup, it has no chance of prospering. In fact, trying to flee from reality and intervening nature recurrently leads to upsetting consequences. In this short narrative, it is salient to discern "that the birthmark is just that: a birthmark, that is, something physical; and a birthmark, that is, something not acquired but inherent, one of Georgiana's givens, in fact, equivalent to" the exquisite personage (Fetterley 2). Furthermore, Aylmer's revulsion for the birthmark is importunate. In other words, it can be said that he is unable to accept the fact that nature cannot be changed or altered. A literary critic proposes that, "[Aylmer] reads [the birthmark] as a sign of the inevitable imperfection of all things in nature and sees in it a challenge to man's ability to transcend nature" (Fetterley 1). In addition, Aylmer is so haughty of his knowledge that he remains unwavering in doing what he should never have done and says, "Unless all my science have deceived me, it cannot fail" (Hawthorne 12). His "past experiences, his dreams, every evidence tells him that this experiment will be fatal for Georgiana, yet he proceeds" (Eckstein 1). Nevertheless, his nightmares about the pygmy birthmark constrain him to emancipate himself from any kind of rules leading him to perform the fatal experiment of eliminating something that is inherent and indigenous. Beside... ...ect all along. Surely, the aim of scientific knowledge is to try to make the world a better and convenient place to live, not to learn to play with God's revelation. The birthmark consecutively symbolizes nature, exquisiteness and demise. Likewise, nature places numerous flaws and shortcomings on us to symbolize that no person can reach perfection. What is the lesson behind this moral allegory? The world's destiny, howsoever tragic it is, is not only under the direct control of God but also nature. Man has absolutely nothing to do with destiny. Hawthorne wants us to comprehend that happiness should be more inclined toward spirituality and affection than worldly gains. Nathaniel Hawthorne beautifully proposes, "Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you."

Life & experienced

My life has experienced its fair share if twists and turns. If there is one thing that I have learnt from life, it is preparing to expect the unexpected. I always try to keep an open mind towards situations and it helps me to stay unruffled during adversity.I maintain a positive outlook towards life even during hardships, which helps me focus on things that need to be done in the present rather than worrying about the past. It has also helped face failure with optimism and given me confidence that anything is possible if adequate time and effort are put in.I enjoy reading books and feel that it is extremely enlightening and entertaining at the same time. I feel that good books can talk to people and change lives. I have read quite a few good books that have greatly influenced me and made who I am today.I enjoy playing outdoor sports and feel that it a great way to exert pent-up energy and refresh the mind. A good game has the power to take the mind off negative thoughts. I believe it helps to lead a healthy lifestyle since it acts as adequate exercise to the body and soul. It is also an excellent way to learn sportsmanship and make new friends.I feel college education is absolutely essential to gather knowledge, which would otherwise take years of experience. However, I do understand there is no substitute for real world experience. But, I just feel that a college degree would give a head start towards launching a successful career.I also hope that college life would expose me a world of new possibilities and people that would made life more interesting. I have been quite a disciplined and dedicated student in school, which is reflected by grades and clean record. I also stick to strong moral values, as a result of my healthy upbringing and good friends.I am looking forward to learning new things from professors and academic experts, enabling me to be a more enlightened person. I like making new friends by mingling with my fellow students and getting to know th eir experiences and thoughts on life.I feel that college is the best place to make human connections that last for a lifetime, since we reach a mature state of mind and are also free from the greed that haunts the professional world. I am good in coordinating charity events and can help out in organizing any event. I am very open to learning and quite good in grasping things quickly. I believe that I can I contribute to your student community in more ways than one by being an honest, unbiased, helpful person.I seek joy by helping other people, especially the ones that desperately need help. It makes my heart ache to see people in our very own country suffer without food and a proper place to stay. I am willing to do whatever it takes to revive this situation.However, I feel that I have to first empower myself with the necessary tools to accomplish this noble cause. I believe that I have to start with higher education which is the one of the key steps. Dedication and persistence in h ealthy doses measure are also equally important to reach this goal.I am very patient person and would like help out elderly people are abandoned by their kids. I feel that everyone deserves someone to care for them and listen to them. I wish to visit elderly rest homes and interact with senior citizens. I wish get their perspective on current affairs and help them in little ways that matter.I wish to spend time with time with them on a regular basis and offer such elderly homes my free services. If I could help out a few elderly people, it would make me feel extremely proud and contented.I gone through many trails and tribulations in my life so far and all of them have only made me a stronger person. Even when I failed in my tests, I never gave up hope and have always been ready to face tough situations. I feel this quality of mine helps me to keep moving forward in life. I would have to mention my math teacher who helped me a lot to come out of failure and taste success.I will alwa ys be grateful to her and I made decision to be helpful to other people. I have also helped a lot of my friends during personal crisis and family emergencies. I try not pass judgments and am very open-minded.This has helped me gain the trust of my friends and prompted them to share their personal problems with me. It has also made me gain insight into human pain and uncover ways to deal with it. This has helped to understand that that every wound will heal with time.I see myself as a very active and sociable person. I have a penchant for doing social work and fighting for good causes. I would like to participate in events that deal with cleansing the environment and taking a new fresh look at humanitarian issues.I believe it is my duty as a human being to exhibit empathy and devote time to improve the world that I live. Nothing in the world would be give me more pride and joy than knowing that I have made a difference in another person’s life.

Food Globalization in China Essay

In most Chinese traditional families, family members would sit around the dining table and dine together. Everyone would talk about the day and bond as a family. Usually, it would be the mother who would buy groceries after work and return home to cook for the family. Sometimes, the father, the children or even the grandparents would help out in the kitchen. The mother of the family would always consider the nutrition, thus for every dish, it would be well-prepared, making sure that every family member would not have any health problems, such as getting sick or malnutrition. This was what a Chinese traditional family would be like in the past where fast food restaurants and â€Å"instant† food were scarce. Today’s Chinese family has altered tremendously. Purchasing meals at fast food restaurants is such an easy task compared to the loads of work and preparation for cooking at home. As a result, a mother has lost her chance to increase her energy expenditure that she would have spent on traveling to the grocery store, choosing and purchasing items, and returning home to cook. In addition, the bonding time for the family has decreased due to lack of interactions such as cooking and dining together. Instead, a mother has found other ways to provide food for the family. She would often go straight to a nearby fast food chain, make a take-away order or purchase instant French fries or noodles from a nearby supermarket. Likewise, compared to the traditional way of Chinese dinners, where families sit around a table of different dishes, fast food menus are mostly set for individuals, the amount of time that a family spends together is again decreased, and this unhealthy diet may slowly lead to unpredicted illnesses. In a matter of time, whether you are sitting in a restaurant or walking along the shopping districts of Shanghai, you look around and you could see humongous people with waist like pillars, arms that looks like thighs and thighs that rub against each other when they walk, one hand holding a cup of Pepsi and the other feeding themselves with McDonald’s cheese burger. There will be no more people with wrinkles and white hair. The life expectancy has dropped to fifty. This is not an illusion but an anticipated look of the future: The Fat China. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, globalization is the development of an increasingly integrated global economy, which is marked by the increase in cross-border flows of goods, services, money, people, information and culture. It brings the world together by spreading different ideas, making foreign products easier to access, speeding up the pace of life, and increasing the understanding around us. Most countries welcome the rush of globalization, which symbolizes advancements. However, the negative consequences on Chinese culture are deniable and are not worth the consequences. Food globalization is spreading through the world’s diverse cultures in the form of fast food restaurants, high-caloric beverages, supermarkets supplying instant food and high-caloric imported products, and culture changes that affect family bonding time. These changes have resulted in unhealthy diets, a decrease of energy expenditure, and illnesses such as obesity. Food globalization is causing a negative effect in China. Since the 1980s, China’s openness has led to the growth of foreign fast food chains in China. Coca-cola, Starbucks, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Hà ¤agen-Daz, Dunkin’ Donuts, Baskin-Robbins, Pepsi, DQ, Pizzahut, Papa John’s and Mcdonald’s can be found almost everywhere in China (Popkin). According to Wen Dale, a member of the International Forum on Globalization, McDonald’s alone has opened up to at least 235 restaurants in China, excluding 158 Mcdonald’s franchises in Hong Kong. Every time when I go by McDonald’s in China, I can see the long lines of people, waiting for their turn to purchase the high-caloric food. When I visited Hangzhou (a city next to Shanghai) at the age of six, I already saw many KFCs around Hangzhou. Today’s Hangzhou is way different compared to twelve years ago, it is more modernized, and at the same time, it is crowded with fast food restaurants. In the shopping district of Hangzhou, there are not only Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton but also McDonald’s, Pizzahut, Hà ¤agen-Dazs, Dunkin’ Donuts, Baskin-Robbins, Papa John’s, Starbucks and many other fast food chains. Globalization brought westernization, prosperity into China as well as fast food chains. According to A.Michelle Mendez, a nutritional epidemiologist who received her master’s in epidemiology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, supermarkets, for example, have â€Å"accounted for 48 percent of the urban food markets in China, an increase beyond the 30 percent level in 1999†. With this increase of urban food markets in China, the traditional markets that provide fresh and unprocessed products has started to decline, leading to a higher consumption of processed food. Furthermore, these urban food markets are not only found in large cities but also in poorer areas. (Mendez) The growing presence of Carrefour and Metro that imports foreign products brought giant stores that offer a wide variety of high caloric snacks and soft drinks, increasing the availability of unhealthy products. For example, the direct imports of French fries from the United States has increased tenfold between 1995 and 1999 (Mendez). Food globalization that increased the number of foreign investments produces negative changes to the Chinese Cultures (Dale). Globalization has brought large foreign supermarket firms and fast food chains into China. All of these has resulted in lifestyle changes which include a shift from natural-homemade food and beverages consumed to processed ones, a higher consumption of foreign food, a driving dietary change, an increase intake of caloric sweeteners, a reduced food preparation time and an increase in intake of pre-cooked foods. These led to an increase in obesity rate in China. For foreign food chains to produce large amount of ingredients and products and ship them all the way across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, unhealthy chemicals are often added during production. The contemporary world is characterized by â€Å"an intense, continuous, comprehensive interplay between the indigenous and the imported†. (Jackson) This is demonstrated through the importing and exporting of fast food ingredients. According to John Andrew, a citizen journalist, these chemicals are sometimes known as â€Å"food additives† and not all food additives used are foods. Instead, they are â€Å"chemical that are generally recognized as safe† (Andrew). Almost all of these additives are nowhere to be found in a local supermarket, instead, some are found in â€Å"inedible products like tox antifreeze, silicone caulk, soap, sunscreen and play sand† (Andrew). As reported by Riddhi Shah, a writer for the website Salon, Sally Davies, a New York photographer started a â€Å"part-art, part-food† science experiment. Davies documented a McDonald’s Happy Meal every few days until it spoiled. Even at day 137, â€Å"the meal still looks pretty great† (Shah). After reading this experiment, how would people still feel safe and happy consuming these â€Å"Happy Meals†? Consuming foods with chemicals or food additives may damage long-term health. Globalization brought changes that I have personally encountered. In 2007, the number of foreign franchises in China could be counted with ten fingers. There were only a few Starbucks and McDonald’s opened their first outlet near the downtown Wulin Square, the shopping district in Hangzhou. However, after only three years, the number of Starbucks has quadrupled. Today, there are at least eight Starbucks in Hangzhou compared to the only one less than five years ago. Because Starbucks is present everywhere, it is easy for individuals to grab a cup of Caramel Frappuccino (which is about 430 calories) whenever passing by. This availability has brought about a rush of coffee addicts in China as well as weight gains. Likewise, the newly opened Starbucks near Hangzhou International School where I attended high school attracts many students and faculty daily. This situation also happens to the McDonald’s near the school. The increase in availability has caused a tremendous increase in junk food consumption among the staff and students. It is easy for students and faculty to grab a coffee, or a muffin before or after school. In most countries, especially the United States, Asians are often stereotyped as skinny. However, this perception will have to be altered in the coming decade. In the past, malnutrition has been the main health problem in China. According to James. A Levine, a professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, more than 60 million people have become obese in China (Levine). The data presents 23 percent of Chinese population is overweight. 12 percent adults and 8 percent children have obesity (Levine). The more serious problem is that Levine has predicted by 2020, the obesity population in China will exceed that of the United States. The Chinese population is one of the largest in the world and if as predicted by Levine, the Chinese obesity rate rises, the whole world will be affected by this change. Misra points out â€Å"that the obesity and the metabolic syndrome are immediate cursors of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease†, thus as China’s obesity rate increases, the well being of the Chinese population is evidently threatened. The increase in obesity rate will lead to maladaptive consequences such as an increase in other illnesses, and these studies provide a strong correlation with the growing of foreign fast food chains. Consequently, the increase of foreign fast food chains has affected everyone living in China. Easy accessibility to these restaurants and supermarkets reduces Chinese’s physical activity and labor intensity in both the urban and rural areas (Jackson). This increase number of foreign supermarkets has also resulted in a rise in the average intake of vegetable oil from â€Å"14.8 grams per person in 1989 to 35.1 grams per person in 2004, adding an extra 183 kcal to the population’s daily diet† (Popkin) (see table 1). In table 1, the availability for consumption of total calories has been going upslope since the 1961 and has no inclination of slowing down. Thus, these changes result in an increase in Chinese adults’ consumption on high-fat which rose from 33 percent to 60.8 percent in urban areas and 13.5 percent to 29.3 percent in rural areas (Mendez). Table 1 Regional Trends in Availability for Consumption of Total Calories, 1961-2000†¨Source: Misra, Anoop and Lokesh Khurana. â€Å"Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome in Developing Countries†. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2008. Web. 8 November 2011. By switching from Chinese traditional diet to a Western diet, Chinese are consuming goods that are much higher in calories. In a Chinese traditional family, a dinner often included a few dishes of vegetables, a few dishes of meat (normally less than the number of vegetable dishes), a soup, and lastly a bowl of rice for each family member. One or two of the family members freshly cooked all of the food. This kind of traditional dinner included all components of a healthy meal for a well-balanced diet. For centuries, the only beverages Chinese consumed were tea, water, and breast milk after birth. â€Å"Because water has no calories, the human body did not evolve to reduce food intake to compensate for beverage consumption†, thus, adding sugar into new beverages will increase the caloric intake of an individual. (Popkin) Table 2 displays the short history of caloric beverage for humans. From breast milk, water consumption, the human as evolved to consume soda, coffee, juice, liquor and other beverages that contain sugar. Thereby, when people consume any beverage other than water, their total calorie consumption increase (Popkin). Table 2 Remarkably Short History for Caloric Beverages: Might the Absence of Compensation Relate to This Historical Revolution? Source: Popkin, Barry M. â€Å"The World is Fat.† The World is Fat (2008): n. pag. Web. 8 December 2011. The increase in availability of foreign food restaurants has led to a significant decrease of home-prepared food according to Popkin, an â€Å"obvious shift in home-prepared food and home-based meals to ready-to eat meals, often consumed away from home. With this consumption, Chinese are spending less time with their family members and more time outside of their homes. Even though families may eat out at a fast food restaurant together, as the food is served â€Å"fast†,, the social time that an individual spend with his family is still decreased. It is true that food globalization has presented positive effects on Chinese culture, such as the bringing a diverse of cuisines into China, satisfying the Chinese’s curiosity, the increase in their pace of life and the step of taking Chinese a leap forward into the understanding of the outside world. However, the negative consequences, such as the increase in health risks, and the diminishment of traditional culture that come together with food globalization are inevitable and are worth much more of the attention. These negative consequences may not seem worthwhile at this moment but when they do become serious problems, it will be too late to ameliorate. The question that is left for everyone to ponder is that do a higher standard of living, a higher pace of life worth the sacrifice? Work Cited Dale, Wen. â€Å"The Fast Food Invasion†. China Copes with Globalization: (2005): n. pag. Web 14 November 2011. Jackson, Peter. â€Å"Local Consumption Cultures in a Globalizing World†. Royal Geographical Society (2004): n. pag. Web. 13 November 2011.Levine, James A. â€Å"Obesity in China: Causes and Solutions†. Chinese Medical Journal (2007): n. pag. Web. 13 November 2011. Mendez, A. Michelle and M. Popkin. â€Å"Globalization, Urbanization and Nutritional Change In the Developing World†. Globalization of Food Systems in Developing Countries: Impact on Food Security and Nutrition (2004): n. pag. Web. 13 November2011. Popkin, Barry M. â€Å"The World is Fat.† The World is Fat (2008): n. pag. Web. 13 November 2011.Watson, L. James. â€Å"China’s Big Mac Attack†. Foreign Affairs (2000): n. pag. Web. 12 November 2011. Wong, Seanon. â€Å"What’s In A Dumpling†. University of Chicago (2006): n. pag. Web. 13 November 2011 Wu, Yangfeng. â€Å"Overweight and obesity in China†. BMJ (2006): n. pag. Web. 13 November 2011. Tan, Cheryn. â€Å"Curry – Origins and History†. Suite101, 2009. Web. 13 November 2011. Shah, Riddhi. â€Å"The Secret to the Immortality of McDonald’s Food†. Salon, 2010. Web. 13 November 2011. Andrew, John. â€Å"Surprise Ingredients in Fast Food†. Natural New, 2010. Web. 13 November 2011. Misra, Anoop and Lokesh Khurana. â€Å"Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome in Developing Countries†. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2008. Web. 13 November 2011.