The Poverty Problem Essay Example for Free

The Poverty Problem Essay In almost every part of the world, the plague that poverty is can be seen. Even in the most prosperous countries and cities, there are gray areas that reek of poverty. However, poverty is not unsolvable. Pogge (2005, p. 2) highlights one aspect of solving global poverty which involves the prosperous countries. To Pogge, the rationalization of economists that poverty is caused by local factors is what is wrong. It is wrong to think that helping poverty-stricken countries is charity and that withholding help does not make them morally irresponsible. In another aspect, poverty is not just the absence of a stable and good income; it is the absence of opportunities that would allow one to live a tolerable life. Many people live in the absence of sufficient food, shelter, education and health care. These are the basic needs of humans yet they are being deprived of this. They are also often exposed or are vulnerable to ill health, economic dislocation, natural disasters, and ill treatment by the state. There is a huge difference between the situation in rich and in poor countries. In rich countries, 1 of 100 children does not reach its fifth birthday while in poor countries one in five children die before reaching 5, often because of hunger or disease. There is also a huge different in terms of nourishment. In rich countries, less than 5 percent of children are malnourished but in poor countries, more than 50 percent are malnourished (Nwaobi, 3). One of the most poverty-stricken places on the planet may be Africa as its economic performance fall short of all other countries. Most Africans live by $0. 65 a day and this number is even growing at an exponential rate. Poverty in Africa could even become â€Å"dynastic’ such that there is no improvement in the situations. The children of the poor remain just as poor. Africa also suffers from inequality in terms of income, assets, control over public resources, access to services, and pervasive insecurity. This only aggravates the situation in Africa. Nigeria may be a rich country but the people there still suffer from poverty. Politics in Nigeria also resulted in a worsening income distribution—the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer (Nwaobi, 3-4). Children are especially affected in times of poverty. Since children are still dependents on their parents or guardians, they can only enter or avoid poverty by the level of their family’s financial capacity and economic capabilities. Children cannot do anything about their economic condition until they become adults and are able to fend for themselves. While different governments have a variety of programs to ease children’s suffering because of poverty, it can only do so much. Even in the presence of such programs, children still suffer (Gunn Duncan, 1997, 55-56). The well-being of a child is measured in a variety of categories, namely (1) physical health, (2) cognitive ability, (3) school achievements, (4) emotional and behavioral outcomes, and (5) teenage out-of-wedlock childbearing. Children born from poverty often are underweight which makes them vulnerable to sickness if not born with a sickness. They also often suffer from stunted growth and lead poisoning. Poor children are also 1. 3 times as likely to have learning disabilities and development delays. Since these children suffer financially and cannot afford schooling, they only suffer the more. In the absence of education and experience, these children have a lesser chance of getting out of poverty as they grow old. Additionally, poor children have also been found to be more vulnerable to emotional and behavioral problems. Also, several studies have highlighted that a limited family income have led teenage girls to have non-marital childbirths (Gunn Duncan, 1997, 57-64). While the United States can be considered as one of the richest nations, it has its own share of poverty-related problems. In solving poverty in the United States, several assumptions were initially proposed. Capitalism is not the solution to poverty and even as capitalism can create jobs, there is no assurance that all these jobs will provide an income greater than the minimum wage. However, even as capitalism is not the absolute solution, the poverty problem should be solved using a capitalist approach and not with a socialist approach. Even in good economic times, the US does not have enough jobs to support its populace and there is a need for subsidies, social services and collecting adequate taxes. The government also needs to deal with people who are poor not because they cannot work but because they are lazy. Solving poverty does not demand a single solution. It needs a complex solution since there are different levels of poverty. Additionally, the government needs more taxes to help solve poverty and this means higher taxes from people far above the poverty line. It may seem unfair but it is a legitimate solution. Lastly, since solving poverty will solve other social problems, investing on poverty-alleviation is a good way to go and should always be the first problem to address (How Can We Solve, pp. 61-63). While it has been noted that poverty is present even in the most prosperous nations, it is not insurmountable, though it may require much effort to combat. Poverty is the source of all social problems so solving poverty should always be the first step that the government should take. Poverty has a lot of negative implications especially with children since they still do not have an economic liability. No one step can solve poverty since this is a complex problem, what should be done is create a number of assumptions depending on the depth of the poverty problem and come up with solutions based on these assumptions. ? References Pogge, T. (2005). World Poverty and Human Rights. Ethics and International Affairs 19 (1). Nwaobi, G. Solving the Poverty Crisis in Nigeria: An Applied General Equilibrium Approach. Quantitative Economic Research Bureau. Department of Economics: University of Abuja. Gunn, J. Duncan G. (2007). The Effects of Poverty on Children. Children and Poverty, 7 (2). How Can We Solve The Problem of Poverty. Available from: Pine Forge http://www. pineforge. com/upm-data/13691_Chapter4. pdf

The Unsustainable To Sustainable Development Environmental Sciences Essay

The Unsustainable To Sustainable Development Environmental Sciences Essay From Unsustainable to Sustainable development; Urban problems related to energy; Water conservation, rainwater harvesting, watershed management, Resettlement and rehabilitation of people; its problems and concerns. Case Studies; Environmental ethics: Issues and possible solutions; Climate change, global warming, acid rain, ozone layer depletion, nuclear accidents and holocaust. Case Studies; Wasteland reclamation; Consumerism and waste products; Environment Protection Act; Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act; Water (Prevention and control of Pollution) Act; Wildlife Protection Act; Forest Conservation Act; Issues involved in enforcement of environmental legislation; Public awareness. 6.1 Unsustainable to Sustainable development Sustainable development is not a new concept. It means living in harmony with the nature in full recognition of the needs of all other species. It is no just the survival of the fittest, we must help even the weakest of the species to survive because each species has a role to play that is ultimately beneficial to the earth and all its human population. Our forefathers preached us the need to coexist with the environment in a balanced manner. The needs of the people in different parts of the world may be different, but our dependence on the Nature is similar. The most important thing to remember is that we have only one earth and if we destroy it by our actions, our children will not have a place to live. The first comprehensive definition of sustainable development was given by the Brundtland Commission in 1987: Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. [Brundtland, G (ed) (1987). Our Common Future: The World Commission on Environment and Development, Oxford: Oxford University Press]. Any development activity can be sustainable, if it is .. a dynamic process which enables all people to realize their potential, and to improve their quality of life, in ways which simultaneously protect and enhance the Earths life support systems. (Forum for the Future, Annual Report 2000). In short, if we care for the comfort of the present generation only and do not think of the needs of the future generations, and we damage the environment by various development activities, these activities will be termed as unsustainable. In taking every action, small or big, the possible damages to the environment must be given full consideration and the action must not leave behind a degraded environment. Technically, sustainable development is defined as a path of development in which no permanent and irreparable damage is done to the environment and the resources are kept intact for the future generations. The earth has everything for each generation, but it depends on the proper use. The present generation can survive very well on the resources available, but they must also leave behind enough resources for the future generations. It is necessary that a sustainable development path do not have any negative factor that is responsible for causing adverse impacts on the environmen t. A sustainable development programme is friendly to the ecosystem in all respects and has the capacity to absorb abrupt changes of the present and the future. Sustainable development has also a strong element of socio-political development. Thus, sustainable development programme must have equal concern for all sections of the society with a balanced economic development and environmental protection. The programme should have a log-term view of future consequences of any action taken today. In short, sustainable development has become the cornerstone of development planning today and has also become a principal tool of negotiation in international aid packages to the countries. The sustainable development can be broadly classified into three different kinds, viz., environmental sustainability (no permanent damage to the environment), economic sustainability (economy remains stable with equitable sharing of resources) and sociopolitical sustainability (maintaining social harmony and political stability). Historical milestones The Brundtland Commission, formally the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), known by the name of its Chair Gro Harlem Brundtland, was convened by the United Nations in 1983. The commission was created to address growing concern about the accelerating deterioration of the human environment and natural resources and the consequences of that deterioration for economic and social development. In establishing the commission, the UN General Assembly recognized that environmental problems were global in nature and determined that it was in the common interest of all nations to establish policies for sustainable development. The Commission was asked to focus mainly on the following: To propose long-term environmental strategies for achieving sustainable development to the year 2000 and beyond; To recommend ways in which concern for the environment may be translated into greater co-operation among developing countries and between countries at different stages of economic and social development and lead to the achievement of common and mutually supportive objectives which take account of the interrelationships between people, resources, environment and development; To consider ways and means by which the international community can deal more effectively with environmental concerns, in the light of the other recommendations in its report; To help to define shared perceptions of long-term environmental issues and of the appropriate efforts needed to deal successfully with the problems of protecting and enhancing the environment, and a long-term agenda for action during the coming decades. The need to protect and enhance the human environment within a common framework and principles led to the Brundtland Report and subsequently, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), more commonly known as the Earth Summit, took place in Rio de Janeiro, in 1992. This conference was designed to help governments to rethink economic development and find ways to stop pollution and the destruction of natural resources. The conference documents included: Rio Declaration on Environment and Development United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity Statement of Forest Principles Agenda 21 Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development At the Earth Summit in 1992, an agenda on worldwide sustainable development was formulated. This agenda, known as the Agenda 21, is a blueprint on how to make development socially, economically and environmentally sustainable into the next century. It addresses economic and development issues and the conservation and management of the worlds resources. The implementation of Agenda 21 has been made the responsibility of Governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), industry and also the general public. Agenda 21 provides a global framework for tackling global environmental problems like climate change, ozone depletion, biodiversity loss, desertification and deforestation. The Earth Summit was followed by a conference in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002 where the stakeholders from international institutions and corporations to national, regional and local governments have accepted that the principle of sustainable development will be at the core of all policy making. A few of the areas highlighted by the Agenda 21 are: (i) Combating Poverty. Poverty and environmental degradation are directly related to one another and it is imperative on the part of the governments that they should focus on poverty alleviation in order to protect the environment. The national programmes should aim at sustainable use of resources and should enable the poor to earn a living without destroying the environment. It is envisaged that the people should have a say in the development process and that local groups should be involved in the planning and execution of anti-poverty programmes. In this way, the people will become a party to sustainable development and environmental protection. (ii) Changing Consumption Patterns. Agenda 21 calls for a change in the existing patterns of production and consumption so that the damages to the environment may be minimized. For this purpose, the industrialized countries have been asked to play a leading role. National programmes should give more emphasis to more efficient production processes so that emissions and waste generation are brought down to minimum. All processes of production and consumption should conform to the principle of sustainable development i.e. no harm to the environment. The Governments should discourage all production processes which are not environment-friendly and should levy taxes on goods that are produced through such processes. The use of eco-labels on appliances should be encouraged and efforts should be made to raise public awareness on energy efficiency and recycling of wastes. (iii) Population and Human Health. The rapidly increasing population has created much pressure on natural resources, employment, social and health services. Sustainable development is not possible if the population is not appropriately controlled. Agenda 21 calls for the governments to adopt measures that take into account the links between population dynamics and sustainability, and identify carrying capacities. Poor health is often a result of poverty, especially in developing countries. Agenda 21 recommends that every national health programme should provide for the development of basic health care facilities with emphasis on training of doctors, nurses and other personnel, strengthen immunization programmes to control communicable diseases, and provide specific healthcare measures for the most vulnerable groups, including infants, women and indigenous peoples. (iv) Human Settlements. Migration towards the urban centers has been continuously increasing and the towns and cities are overcrowded with people. Slums have expanded and basic facilities such as supply of clean drinking water, sanitation and sewerage facilities, healthy living conditions, etc., are becoming scarce. Traffic congestion, poor air quality, waste dumping and unhygienic conditions have multiplied in most cities. Agenda 21 calls for appropriate urban renewal projects and transportation strategies, the provision of access to land, and credit and low cost building materials for the poor. Migration to big cities can be reduced only by improving living conditions and employment opportunities in rural areas and Agenda 21 lays stress on the development of the rural areas. (v) Atmospheric Protection. The atmosphere can be protected by reducing emissions to it. For this purpose, Agenda 21 calls for action in the energy production sector, transport and industry, through the promotion and development of energy efficient programmes, regional energy plans, public-awareness campaigns of environmentally sound energy systems, and research into more fuel-efficient transport systems. (vi) Ecosystems. Ecosystem conservation and protection is considered as a major item in sustainable development. For this purpose, Agenda 21 calls for governments, business houses and NGOs to introduce programmes of afforestation, reforestation, and sustainable land use and water resource management. The education programmes should be reoriented towards environmentally sustainable resource management. (vii) Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development. While agriculture should yield enough food for the rising population, the farming practices should not lead to land erosion, desertification and deforestation. Current methods of farming, particularly in developing countries, should be carefully examined and unhealthy practices should be discontinued. Agenda 21 urges the development of long-term land conservation and rehabilitation programmes, by encouraging people to invest for the future through land ownership. (viii) Conservation of Biological Diversity and Management of Biotechnology. Habitat destruction, over-harvesting, pollution and introduction of foreign species are recognized as the main factors behind loss of biodiversity. Agenda 21 calls for governments to undertake national biodiversity assessment programmes and formulate strategies to conserve the existing biological diversity without further damage. (ix) Protecting and Managing the Oceans and Fresh Water. Agenda 21 calls for nations to develop policies, which address unsustainable fishing practices, the creation of marine protection zones, and the surveillance and enforcement of fisheries regulations. The agenda further requires that the National water management practices are integrated into economic and social policies. Agenda 21 sets 2025 as the realistic target date for ensuring universal water supplies, and to develop low-cost services, which can be built and maintained at the community level. (x) Managing Wastes. Agenda 21 calls for an international strategy to manage the production and disposal of wastes, including hazardous waste, solid waste and sewage, and radioactive waste. Governments should encourage and assist industry in achieving cleaner production technologies, and promote changes in lifestyles, production and consumption, through recycling and fund public education initiatives. Countries, which generate nuclear waste, should adopt an integrated approach to the safe management, transportation, storage and disposal of radioactive wastes. (xi) Implementing Sustainable Development. All nations will have to make political, social and economic commitments to ensure that the Agenda 21 can be properly implemented and that necessary resources are available for the same. The Agenda asks international funding organizations such as the International Development Association and the Global Environment Facility to help developing countries in meeting additional expenses in implementing all measures required for sustainable development. Developed countries should help promote the transfer of technology to developing countries. It is necessary to monitor the implementation of Agenda 21. Laws should be enacted to secure a balance between the needs for development and environmental protection. The main objectives should include: international standards in environmental protection taking into account the different situations and abilities of individual countries; review of all environmental laws making them more effective; and measures to avoid or settle international disputes. Meeting the aims and objectives of Agenda 21 within the time frame established by the 1992 Earth Summit will pose great social, economic and technological difficulties, both for developing and developed nations. The development that has been witnessed during the 20th century has brought unprecedented changes to biodiversity, the atmosphere and global climate. These are to be reversed. The new challenge for todays society is to ensure that future development and the use of the Earths resources is managed in a sustainable way, and in every action, the quality of life is preserved for generations of the 21st century and beyond. For sustainable development, human population growth has to be controlled. Otherwise, no invention and development in science and technology will be able to prevent irreversible degradation of the natural environment and to alleviate continued poverty in large parts of the world. The natural and social sciences will be crucial in developing new options for limiting population growth, protecting the natural environment, and improving the quality of human life. These should be the perspectives in all short and long term planning for all governments so that the challenges of the present and the future can be adequately addressed. 6.2 Urban problems related to energy use With massive urbanization occurring on a global scale, the state of the environment and human health in the cities of the world has become a prime concern. It is estimated that by the year 2025, over five thousand million people will be living in the cities. In the developing countries of the world, already more than 200 cities have populations of one million or more. Living in cities has many positive benefits, such as increased job opportunities and better access to essential services and facilities. However, many environmental, health and development problems have reached near-crisis dimensions in cities all over the world. Urban growth has exposed populations to serious environmental hazards and has outstripped the capacity of municipal and local governments to provide even basic amenities (water, sanitation, power) and essential health services. Millions of people in the urban areas of developing countries are living under life- and health-threatening conditions. Cities have a s ignificant impact on the broader hinterland and global environment and the fate of cities will have a major influence on the fate of nations and of the planet. Poverty and health Despite the unprecedented creation of wealth worldwide in the past two decades, the number of people living in absolute poverty is growing steadily. Poverty remains the number one killer, with the poor bearing a disproportionate share of the global burden of ill health. The poor live in unsafe and overcrowded housing, often in semi-urban and urban slums, with practically no access to safe water or to sewerage. These people are also exposed to pollution, traffic and industrial and other risks at home, at work or in their communities, much more than the wealthy people living in the same cities. They have insufficient food that too of poor quality from the point of nutrition. Even in rich countries, the poor suffer worse health than do the better off. Children are particularly affected in the poorest regions of the world, one in five children dies before his or her first birthday, mostly from environment-related diseases such as acute respiratory infections, diarrhea and malaria. Not only are children more heavily and frequently exposed to threats to their health in the environment, but also they are more vulnerable to the ill effects on health. For example, in the USA and parts of Europe, lead poisoning illustrates the unequal burden of risk borne by poor inner-city children, who are more heavily exposed to sources of lead in and around the home and are also more affected by the toxicity of lead. Energy consumption Compared to the rural areas, people in towns and cities consume large amount of energy. For example, the old type of Indian houses were made of wood, mud and unburnt bricks which required very little temperature adjustments and consequently very little energy was required for heating and cooling. The present buildings in towns and cities are mostly made of concrete, cement, steel, aluminium, marble, well-burnt bricks and glass. These materials are energy intensive and the houses made with them require a lot of power to keep them comfortable during the winter and the summer and also for lighting and decoration. The process of manufacture of these materials also consumes enormous amount of energy in different forms. At earlier times, people used fuel wood or charcoal in kitchens for making food and also in the living rooms for heating. This did not create any environmental problem such as that of smoke because the houses had separate kitchens at a distance from the main living quarters and the houses were tall having provision of chimneys. This is no longer possible in todays housing blocks where the living quarters are not separated from the kitchens; the RCC structure does not allow having tall roofs and also chimneys. Therefore the fuel type has to be changed as otherwise there will be serious smoke and associated health problems. Kerosene replaced firewood and charcoal as the favourite fuel for the urban homes. Later kerosene gave way to natural gas and electricity during the 1970s. The dependence on firewood has continued in the rural areas particularly for people living in the far-flung areas of the foothills and the forests. Newer tools of comfort came to be used in the urban centers. The use of electric fans during the summer has become a common practice but the effluent has gone for air-conditioning in their houses. As the houses have become almost like glass towers and since glass is a very bad conductor of heat, this has created problem of large temperature difference between outside and inside of a house requiring much energy to be spent on air-conditioning. Additional energy need has become necessary for running the lifts and operating a large number of other gadgets of modern life The other major urban energy need is for transport. The towns and cities are roaming with buses, trucks, cars, two- and three-wheelers all of which depend on fossil fuels, namely petrol and diesel. The number of vehicles has increased at a very fast rate during the last few years despite the higher price of fuel. Small, narrow and improperly maintained roads and overcrowding have further aggravated the problem. Traffic congestion has become a serious problem in all urban areas. Slower moving vehicles burn more fuel and thereby the energy efficiency is further reduced. This has also given rise to problems of carbon monoxide pollution, smog and other environmental problems affecting peoples health particularly through various respiratory diseases. Time has come to design an efficient public transport system, which will lead to substantial energy saving, minimize congestion and reduce pollution problems. 6.3 Water conservation, rainwater harvesting, and watershed management All living organisms need water, plants use it in photosynthesis, humans and other animals drink it, and aquatic plants and animals live in it. Water also plays an important part in many natural and human processes and is a critical component of countless physical and chemical reactions. It also supports many economic activities. The amount of water in the world has remained constant. In fact, water hasnt changed in amount or nature for millions of years. It just keeps cycling and recycling from atmosphere to earth and back again. Freshwater is a precious resource as it makes up less than 3% of the earths total water resources. Because freshwater is so limited and plays such a key role in world health, economies, and environmental stability, it must be conserved and used in a sustainable manner. The efficient use of water implies doing more with less. Efficiencies can be gained in all sectors, including agriculture, municipal, domestic, and industry. Central to a successful water conservation program are an understanding of The water resource itself (baseline data and monitoring) How, when, and why water is used (water audits and metering) The full cost of providing water of suitable quality and disposing of wastewater Alternative water-efficient technologies, processes, and practices Attitudes and values related to water and the environment. Public education and awareness are necessary in implementing water conservation. However, they may need to be supplemented by appropriate legislation and regulations and economic incentives and disincentives, including consumption-based pricing. Demand for more water has been very common. This demand can be reduced by careful planning. This involves the following measures: More-efficient irrigation systems Drought-resistant cultivars and crop rotations More-efficient livestock watering systems Water metering and charging for water Use of effluent and wastewater for irrigation Household water conservation. The water resources have to be carefully managed through the following steps: Dividing water resources into various divisions for effective supply Laying a network of supply pipelines Building reservoirs for storing water Increasing water availability through groundwater extraction Treatment of wastewaters and making arrangement for their reuse Reducing losses through seepage and evaporation. Managing Excess Water. Sometimes, more water is available than the actual need. In such cases, the management of the excess water can be achieved by taking it to deficient areas through drainage: Many agricultural areas are low lying or located in flood plains and require drainage to be profitable. Good drainage improves plant growth and crop productivity, helps to reduce soil salinity and erosion, and allows farmers a wider selection of crops and a longer growing season, all of which help to reduce the costs of production. There are two types of artificial drainage system: surface and subsurface. Surface systems may contribute to declining water quality in watercourses by releasing drainage water containing sediments, nutrients, and chemicals. Subsurface systems release substances that leach through the soil, such as nitrate, pesticides, and bacteria. Drainage systems can also alter the environment by draining wetlands, removing riparian zones, increasing runoff, and changing a regions hydrology. Proper design and maintenance of drainage systems may alleviate some of these effects, but lost riparian and wetland systems are usually difficult and expensive to replace. On-farm drainage systems are not able to handle large volumes of stormwater received from developed uplands. Properly designed regional drainage systems may be needed to protect lowland agricultural areas. Even so, damage from major floods cannot always be prevented. Maintaining Reliable Water Supplies A sufficient supply of good quality water is needed for agricultural activities such as irrigation and livestock watering, as well as for domestic, municipal, industrial, recreational, and other uses. Water needs to be conserved for the lean periods such as drought. Droughts are very common but difficult to predict. They occur most often in dry regions, but other regions may also have shorter, less serious periods of drought. Drought threatens both crop and livestock production. With the potential threat of global warming and increasing trends in population, urbanization, and consumptive use, the impacts of drought can become more serious. The development of storage reservoirs is essential for maintaining adequate year-round supplies, particularly during the dry season. Groundwater is an important source of water and although the groundwater level goes down during the dry season, sufficient water can be extracted for meeting different needs. Sustainable use of groundwater resources depends on withdrawing water at rates that do not exceed recharge rates. Deep aquifers recharged only by water filtering through overlying materials are particularly at risk of over-withdrawals. Measures have been taken throughout the world for reuse of wastewater at least for irrigation and other non-drinking uses. An adequate supply of good-quality water available round the year is essential for all human activities. Concerns continue to mount regarding the availability of water as demands and competition for water grow in all sectors of society. Management of water supplies must consider all competing uses of water, including those associated with agriculture, industry, municipalities, recreation, and aquatic ecosystems. Drought Drought is a prolonged period of abnormally dry weather that depletes water resources. Because most human activities and ecosystems are dependent on reliable and adequate water resources, the impacts of drought are far reaching. Drought affects our lives by Putting stress on water and food supplies Degrading the environment through poorer water quality and more forest fires, soil erosion, and insect infestations Affecting the economy by reducing the capacity for agricultural production, power generation, transportation, and manufacturing, Causing soil moisture deficit in farmland soils and thereby threatening both crop and livestock production resulting in severe financial losses to farmers. Global warming scenarios predict that unless the warming is controlled, the frequency and severity of drought will increase and the occurrence will be unpredictable with respect to time and location. Three basic types of drought may occur separately or simultaneously: Meteorological drought occurs when precipitation is significantly below normal over a long period. Agricultural drought occurs when low soil moisture and scarce water supplies stunt crop growth, reduce crop yields, and endanger livestock. Hydrological drought occurs when a lengthy meteorological drought causes a sharp drop in the levels of groundwater, rivers, and lakes. The timing of a drought may determine its effects. For example, summer drought usually causes more problems because it coincides with the time of highest water demand. It is to be noted that drought is the result of several factors such as Below normal precipitation Extended hot dry air Already low soil moisture. Because of this complexity, a large range of climatic and hydrological variables are needed to monitor and detect drought, including temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, stream flows, and water supply conditions. The serious impacts of drought call for an integrated effort from the physical, biological, and social sciences to develop effective responses. Surface water management Surface water management requires effective measures to control the extremes of floods and droughts, while maintaining a reliable water supply to meet the basic needs of human life and the demands of economic development. Because of the high degree of variability of precipitation, water storage is a must to provide a year-round supply of water. The storage in the form of reservoirs, dams, dugouts, and natural lakes has been a common practice. A significant challenge to water managers is locating surface water supplies relative to that of water users. Water users (domestic, municipal, agricultural, and industrial) usually require a number of resources and services and are not always located near the water sources. Providing a reliable supply of water to users often requires distribution networks consisting of canals and pipelines. Wetlands Wetlands are areas saturated with water for long enough to significantly alter soil and vegetation and promote aquatic processes. The five main types of wetlands-bogs, fens, swamps, marshes, and shallow water-are characterized by A seasonal or permanent covering of shallow water A water table at or near the surface for most of the growing season Saturated organic soils, or peat, the productivity of which depends on the nutrient status and the pH of the site Water-loving plants, such as cattails, rushes, reeds, sedges, dogwood, willows, and cedars. Wetlands provide a number of environmental benefits, i.e. they provide habitat for wildlife, improve water quality by serving as biological filters and mechanical settling and filtering ponds, which help to remove impurities from the water, recharge groundwater, augment low flow in watercourses, serve as a buffer against drought, reduce the risk and damage of flooding by storing large volumes of water during heavy rainfall, rapid thaws, or runoff events, and stabilize shorelines. The other important services rendered by wetlan

Evil Reaps Darkness in Shakespeares Macbeth Essay examples -- Macbeth

Evil Reaps Darkness in Macbeth       "By their deeds you shall know them" is a Biblical passage which seems to state a lesson reiterated in Shakespeare's Macbeth. We intend to examine closely the dark future which the Macbeths deserved because of their sinful conduct.    A.C. Bradley in Shakespearean Tragedy comments on the darkness within the play:    The vision of the dagger, the murder of Duncan, the murder of Banquo, the sleep-walking of Lady Macbeth, all come in night scenes. The Witches dance in the thick air of a storm or, 'black and midnight hags', receive Macbeth in a cavern. The blackness of night is to the hero a thing of fear, even of horror; and that which he feels becomes the spirit of the play. The faint glimmerings of the western sky at twilight are here menacing: it is the hour when the traveller hastens to reach safety in his inn, and when Banquo rides homeward t meet his assassins; the hour when 'light thickens', when 'night's black agents to their prey do rouse', when the wolf begins to howl, and the owl to scream, and withered murder steals forth to his work. (307)    In his book, On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy, H. S. Wilson identifies the darkness in the play with evil, hell, devils:    Mr. Kenneth Muir, in his introduction to the play - which does not, by the way, interpret it simply from this point of view - aptly describes the cumulative effect of the imagery: "The contrast between light and darkness [suggested by the imagery] is part of a general antithesis between good and evil, devils and angels, evil and grace, hell and heaven . . . (67-68)    In "Macbeth as the Imitation of an Action" Francis Fergusson states the place of darkness in the action of the pla... ...are: The Tragedies. A Collectiion of Critical Essays. Alfred Harbage, ed. Englewwod Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964.    Knights, L.C. "Macbeth." Shakespeare: The Tragedies. A Collectiion of Critical Essays. Alfred Harbage, ed. Englewwod Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964.    Lamb, Charles. On the Tragedies of Shakespeare. N.p.: n.p.. 1811. Rpt in Shakespearean Tragedy. Bratchell, D. F. New York, NY: Routledge, 1990.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. http://chemicool.com/Shakespeare/macbeth/full.html, no lin.    Warren, Roger. Shakespeare Survey 30.   N.p.: n.p., 1977. Pp. 177-78. Rpt. in Shakespeare in the Theatre: An Anthology of Criticism. Stanley Wells, ed. England: Oxford University Press, 2000.    Wilson, H. S. On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957.

The Broken Heart of Sylvia Plath Essay -- Biography Biographies Essays

The Broken Heart of Sylvia Plath "Dying is an art, like everything else. I do it exceptionally well." Sylvia Plath has long been recognized as a poetic icon. After committing suicide in her thirties, many of her previously unrecognized works gained notoriety and praise. Throughout her life, she struggled to be accepted into the literary world. After writing many poems, short stories and "The Bell Jar," she remained unsatisfied with the success and momentum she gained with each, and took her own life. It is through her words we see a woman that used her writing as a means of expression, many times expressing grief, sadness and anger. Plath began writing a series of poems shortly before her death that provide is with an opportunity to see the internal conflicts she felt. Many of these poems focus on death and suffering. Plath uses death imagery in poems found in Ariel to represent her need to escape reality and therefore dissociate herself from emotional and physical existence. I will show how Plath's life experiences and more importantly, her reactions to them, have contri buted to her depressive, death-obsessed state. I will also provide examples from several of her poems demonstrating Plath's use of death imagery and analyze why it is used in the way that it is. Lastly, I will show how many of her poems from Ariel demonstrate Plath's self-loathing, and her need to feel a sense of success-even if that success comes from an accomplished suicide. Although Sylvia Plath had many opportunities throughout her life, and accomplished what many only dream of, we see how the few tragedies she did endure, affected her. At age eight her father died from complications related to diabetes. Plath had been very c... ...g and gruesome at times, but each tells a story-a story of a woman, her life, her struggles, her successes and her failures. All of them allow us to step into the broken mind and heart of Sylvia Plath. Works Cited Broe, Mary Lynn. Protean Poetics: The Poetry of Sylvia Plath. Columbia: U of Missouri P, 1980. Bundtzen, Lynda. Plath's Incarnations: Women and the Creative Process. Ann Arbor: U of Michigan P, 1983. Holbrook, David. Sylvia Plath: Poetry and Existence. London: Athlone P, 1976. Phillips, Robert. "The Dark Funnel: A Reading of Sylvia Plath." in Butscher, Edward, ed. Plath, Sylvia. The Collected Poems. Ed. Ted Hughes. New York: Harper and Row, 1981. Rose, Jacqueline. The Haunting of Sylvia Plath. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1992. Rosenblatt, Jon. Sylvia Plath: The Poetry of Initiation. Chapel Hill: U of North Carolina P, 1979.

Human Nature Explored in Robert Louis Stevensons Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hy

Human Nature Explored in Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Stevenson gives the impression that human nature is a constant battle between good and evil. His upbringing as a Calvinist has had a big impact on how he sees human nature and how it is portrayed in the book .It is a very complex view of human nature, as Stevenson doesn’t see anybody as particularly evil or good, more which impulses of human nature are overwhelming the body. Human nature in the book has many contradictory points in the novel. For instance, Dr.Jekyll is the most contradictory character in the novel, because of Mr.Hyde being in the equation. Dr.Jekyll is the kind and good side of the two. Mr.Hyde is the nasty and evil side of the two. He shows contradictions in other characters too, like Mr.Enfield ...

New Technologies Essay

Public relations is the management function which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an individual or an organisation with the public interest, and plans and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance. Public relations is the management function that identifies, establishes, and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organisation and the various publics on whom its success or failure depends. Cutlip Scott et al. Effective Public Relations, Prentice Hall 2000 Public Relations is about reputation – the result of what you do, what you say and what others say about you. Public relations practice is the discipline which looks after reputation – with the aim of earning understanding and support, and influencing opinion and behaviour. It is planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between organisations and its publics. Harrison Shirley, Public Relations – An introduction, Thomson Learning 2000 Public relations practice is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics. Jenkins Frank, Public Relations Techniques, Butterworth Heinemann 2nd edition Public relations consists of all forms of planned communication, outwards and inwards, between an organisation and its publics for the purpose of achieving specific objectives concerning mutual understanding. Jenkins Frank, Public Relations, Pitman 5th edition Comparison of the characteristics of advertising and public relationsUse of media Purchase media space Normally relies on or time gaining media coverage Degree of control over Relatively tight control Relatively little if any the message over the content and control over content and timing of the message timing of the message Message credibility Normally low credibility Normally relatively high credibility Types of target audience Relatively narrow target Often aimed at a audience usually market relatively broad range related of publics/audiences Focus of the activity Relatively short-term Situation oriented Expected time horizons Market/sales oriented Both short and long term for planning and results objectives and impact. objectives and impact. Forms of evaluation Established measurement Relatively limited number Techniques for coverage of evaluation techniques and cost efficiency used, often confined to measures of media coverage Mode of payment for Agencies receive payment Agencies paid on the agency services in the form of commission basis of fees for from the media based on consultant’s time or by the space or time booked annual retainer for the client Black Sam, Public Relation: revision workbook, HTL publications 1992 pg8 Comparison of propaganda and public relations Sender Varying degrees of source Clear identification of the Identification sender Purpose To build a movement or To achieve consent or a following develop dialogue Message One sided, varying degrees May moderate between of accuracy arguments accuracy important Media Similar media may be used in both cases Receiver Similar audiences may be targeted in both cases Black Sam, Public Relation: revision workbook, HTL publications 1992 pg9 â€Å"New Technologies are drastically changing the whole business of Public Relations† Mobile phones, video recorders, DVD players PCs etc, technology that began as business-to-business has steadily developed for use in the home, in the business market, technology is primarily a productivity tool, but in the home it is much more leisure or entertainment, competing for attention against TV or the cinema. Technology is the technical means people use to improve their surroundings. It is also knowledge of using tools and machines to do tasks efficiently. We use technology to control the world in which we live. Technology is people using knowledge, tools, and systems to make their lives easier and better. People use technology to improve their ability to do work. Through technology, people communicate better. Technology allows them to make more and better products. Our buildings are better with the use of technology. We travel in more comfort and speed because of technology. Yes, technology is everywhere and can make life better.www. ask. com According to most of the articles in the reference list, and the interview with Dan Pinch (consultant at PR agency Weber Shandwick), the biggest impact for the world of public relations in the last five years is most certainly the internet. It has overcome time-zone problems in communicating with clients in the United States as well as the Eastern European countries, and it has so much to offer in speed, quality and communication. Along with various interactive software packages (appendix (ii)) that make it easier for consultants to do their job efficiently and swifter than before. Understanding the unique properties of the internet: *it provides a unique medium in which communities and groups can form, reform, transform and dissolve. *It is relatively inexpensive, *users can be anonymous or have different online personality and act differently as a result, *it recognises no geographic boundaries, *once a message is out, the sender loses control, and *there are already many more internet than non-internet channels for communication. â€Å"It is clear that the internet has and is continuing to change the communication model or paradigm. It is changing the very nature of the relationship between an organisation and its publics in terms of process, content, location, speed and power. † The Public Relations e-Commission www. icas. co. uk e-PR @ ICAS, internet information The internet has created new tools and changed objectives; an altered geography of web sites, newsgroups, usenets, chat rooms, and mailing lists, and a revised lexicon with terms like rogue web sites, metatabs, text-crawlers, reciprocal linking, hyper-text-perts, and search engine placement; the names can make the internet sound very complex, however it is a useful communication tool. With information travelling at the velocity of light, communicators discover fresh ways to deliver and monitor news that keeps them two steps ahead of the media and the competition. Do you want to know if your client or company will be front-page news before the scoop is even in print? No problem! With the emergence of new methods of monitoring media, you can be notified before the news hits the stands or makes the airwaves; today public relations practitioners are receiving ‘real-time’ news-breaks. Public relations consultants can distribute information or look at reports of media placements in literally seconds than wait a week or two. Which system to use depends on the user’s needs, budget and equipment available for collecting or broadcasting data; the more exclusive and appropriate the information sent or received, the more expensive it is. Service companies are constantly coming up with new programs and applications to help public relations practitioners reach the media. Clipping services have upgraded their offerings with daily fax delivery and on-line media monitoring to match the client’s clip profile. Source: Public Relations Society of America, Technology transforms media relations work. Public Relations Journal, Nov 1993 v49 n11 p34(1) News distribution companies allow PR agencies to get vital information to the press on a large scale in a short time. Traditionally an agency would have to do their press release, put them in envelopes, and mail them out to all journalists. With news distribution companies like Pr Newswire, Pimms, Expedite all you do is e-mail them the release with a list of contacts and they will e-mail, fax, or post the information out. Pr Newswire also has capabilities of putting information onto a newswire service which can be accessed by large broadcast and press agencies. Contact Management Software are programmes supplied by companies like Media Disk and PR Newswire, they are large databases containing numerous names of journalists, together with respective publications; the systems should be continuously updated to keep data current. These systems allow users to build mailing lists for effective targeting and distribution of messages. Technology has changed many aspects (from speed of receiving documents via e-mail, to message boards and chat rooms where rumours can be heard of first etc. ) in the world of Public Relations. However, the areas in which it has not changed much is the talking to journalists, PR consultants still have to use the phone a great deal and face-to-face communication will always remain an important way of conducting business; clearly shown with the latest British Airways advertisement, with the strap line ‘It’s better to be there’. The advertisement shows that the use of technology is all well and good however making the effort to go and see the client is even better! (appendix (v)). According to Dan Pinch ‘Human contact of the actual daily job will always stay the same, Public Relations is all about human contact; that will never go away’. â€Å"Public relations whether it is offline is and always will be about human relationships! † The Public Relations e-Commission www. icas. co. uk e-PR @ ICAS, internet information To keep with the times it would be obvious to assume that many of the PR firms are or should be using a combination of easy data access and delivery technology to maintain their client base. Clipping services, news wires and informational databases have upgraded their offerings to supply their clientele with information releases. The functions of Public Relations can now be helped along with today’s technology, the creation of publicity for products and services can be done in numerous ways, from the internet to placement in films. Opinion forming on a particular issue can be dealt with by posting an article on the internet and getting feedback from the public. The ability to download photographs from the internet can help media relations. The use of television, cinema, radio, and internet can help with business sponsorship; getting more coverage in a variety of ways. PR on the Internet also includes a new set of assumptions, with response speeds measured in seconds, not hours, and a â€Å"through the looking glass† distortion that can make a single person on an Internet newsgroup more potent than the entire public relations department of a major corporation. â€Å"Nobody is small on the Web,† says Alan Wallace, a principal at Santa Monica-based Inter Active Agency, a brash, two-year-old firm dedicated to the proposition that PR agencies not already on the Internet are already out of business. Source: Richard Rapaport, PR finds a cool new tool. Forbes, Oct 6, 1997 v160 n7 pS100(6) The internet has clearly made the workload easier to handle for PR firms, however there is also a negative aspect about this tool; there are scarier implications that surround the world of internet, such as the reality, that corporate status can be savaged as dissatisfied customers and shareholders exchange comments on the World Wide Web. It can all occur without the companies’ knowledge, if they are not monitoring, and contributing to the forum, message boards and chat rooms it can end up as a damaging mix of rumours and misrepresentation, and severe consequences can follow, as Quigley Cold-Eeze discovered (appendix (iii)). When a company faces a crisis, there has never been a more powerful or potentially more destructive tool than the internet, according to Text 100 managing director Katie Kemp: â€Å"Once it gets on the net, you lose control of it. † Source: Haymarket Publishing Ltd, PR makes its way to IT boardrooms, Marketing, May 27, 1999 p59(2) PR agencies that have the technical expertise can set up monitoring services. Edelman Technology, the high-tech sector of Edelman Public Relations Worldwide, assists the complex needs of technology corporations large and small. Staffed by IT specialists in key global markets, Edelman is among the leading industry players in the area of high-tech PR. Edelman has a system called I-Wire which monitors the internet, checking on 55,000 user groups and bulletin boards. It means that if there’s trouble, the team responsible can take action. â€Å"As technologies converge and the pace of development slows, competition for press coverage will intensify,† says Lewis. â€Å"Agencies with little knowledge of journalism and poor technical expertise will be exposed. Weak stories will fail, and so will weak agencies. â€Å"

Market Research of Eveready Torches

CHAPTER 1 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ? To know the customer perception towards Eveready flashlights with respective to the china made rechargeable torches. ? To find out the factors that tends to put an impact on Eveready LED torches. ? To find out what are the parameters customers/consumers look into before purchasing flashlight/torches. ? To know price sensitivity. CHAPTER 2 INTRODUCTION A ‘flash light’ usually called a ‘Torch’ is a hand-held electric powered light source. It caters the lighting needs of consumers. In the case of emergencies when light goes out, you are going to your way to phone; all you need is a flashlight or torch to illuminate your way. You may still need to fix things when the sun goes down, if you are building something or working on your car, flash lights can help you see what you are doing. When you go for a dental check up you might see the dentist using torch. Whether you are going to take a walk or on your way out of the door at night you need a torch to help you see the way, as well as stay safe. About flashlight: A flashlight (usually called a Torch outside North America) is a hand-held electric-powered light source. Usually the light source is a small incandescent bulb or light-emitting diode (LED). Typical flashlight designs consist of the light source mounted in a parabolic or other shaped reflector and the power source is electric batteries and an electric power switch. While most flashlights are hand-held, there are head or helmet-mounted flashlights designed for miners and campers and battery-powered lights for bicycles. The term flashlight is used mainly in the United States and Canada. In other English-speaking countries, the most common term is torch or electric torch. On January 10, 1899, American Electrical Novelty and Manufacturing Company obtained U. S. Patent No. 617,592(filed 12 march 1898) from David Misell, its English inventor. This â€Å"electric device† designed by Misell was powered by â€Å"D† batteries laid front to back in a paper tube with the light bulb and a rough brass reflector at the end. The company donated some of these devices to the New York City police, who responded favourably to them. These early flashlights ran on zinc-carbon batteries, which could not provide a steady electric current and require periodic ‘rest’ to continue functioning. Because these early flashlights also used energy-inefficient carbon-filament bulbs, â€Å"resting† occurred at short intervals. Consequently, they could be used only in brief flashes, hence the popular name flashlight. Power sources for light: The most common power source for flashlights is the battery. Many types of batteries are suitable for use in flashlights, such as button cells, alkaline batteries, lithium batteries and rechargeable NiMH, NiCd batteries and lithium ion batteries. The choice of batteries will depend on the light source used, and will usually play a determining role in the size and shape of the flashlight. Some flashlights are solar powered, using the energy generated from a solar cell to charge an on board battery for later use. [pic] COMPANY PROFILE [pic] 2. 1 COMPANY PROFILE: Ask any Indian consumer to name a battery and the first brand that comes to mind is Eveready. Not just among batteries, Eveready is a powerful brand across categories. Eveready has a portfolio comprising dry cell batteries (carbon zinc batteries, rechargeable batteries and alkaline batteries), flashlights (Torches), CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps), and mosquito repellent and packet tea. Eveready’s strength is the result of a continuous and well-orchestrated brand development strategy that maximizes the value from each consumer touch-point. [pic] â€Å"Give me red† is the iconic urban face of Eveready. The advertising by-line of the popular red series of batteries, it is today symbolic the empowered urban lifestyle that the brand reflects. The original, path-breaking campaign won as many as 11 advertising awards. The current television commercial on Eveready ultima, which has explored and demonstrated the technique of light painting(through the TVC) has been very well received and is a one of its kind commercial in the entire batteries segment. The unmatched consumer confidence is also reflected through the various accolades that the company has got over the years. In a country where around 40% households don't have access to enough electricity and require basic sources of light to sustain themselves, Eveready provides portable lighting solutions to more than 60 million households. Highlights: ? In the confederation of Indian industry(CII)’s ‘Brand of the year’ 2005 shortlist, Eveready made the top ten finalists list, along with brands like Nokia, HP, Titan, Dabur and five other Hindustan Lever Brands. ? As per AC Nielsen, Eveready stood 7th among all FMCG companies in terms of growth in the year 2004-2005. The economic times’ Brand equity survey of Brands by sales, april2004, put Eveready at no. 22 across brands in all categories. ? As per vertebrands’ survey, on a 10-point scale, Eveready scored 8 on popularity and 7. 7 on contemporariness. Of all consumers surveyed, 41% called it â€Å"The Only Brand for Me†. Eveready industries India, ltd (EIIL) previously known as Union carbide India, limited is the flagship company of the B. M. khaitan group. The brand Eveready has been present in India since 1905. EIIL is the world’s third largest producer of carbon zinc batteries, selling more than a billion units a year. EIIL is India’s largest selling brand of dry cell batteries and flashlights (torches), with dominant market shares of about 46% and 85% respectively. HISTORY: EIIL started its operation in India in 1905. The first dry cell batteries were imported from the USA and sold in the major cities of the country. These batteries were primarily used in imported torches. In 1939, the company set up its first battery plant in Kolkata. This was followed by another battery manufacturing plant in Chennai in the year 1952. A torch manufacturing plant was set up at Lucknow in 1958. Today it is one of the largest torch manufacturing plants in south East Asia. The plant manufactures the full range of brass, aluminium and plastic torches. In 2005, EIIL celebrated its 100 anniversary in India. MILESTONES: 1905: national carbon starts its Indian operations with sale of batteries imported from USA. 1934: Eveready Company incorporated as a private company on 12 November. 1939: Camperdown works- first modern battery plant established at Cossipore in Kolkata. 1941: union batteries merges with Eveready Company and the name is changed to national carbon company. 951: renamed as union carbide India ltd, a subsidiary of worldwide multinational, union carbide corporation. 1958: company set its torch manufacturing plant in Lucknow, one of the largest in south Asia. 1996: Mc Leod Russel(India) ltd, merged with EIIL, bulk tea business brought into EIIL fold. 2000: Bishnauth Tea Company merged with Eveready industries India ltd. 2005: brand Eveready is a hundred years old. 2009: EIIL acquires controlling stake in Uniross SA of France, which is a leading rechargeable battery manufacturer. Eveready is India’s largest marketer of dry cell batteries selling about 1. billion units annually. It is also the largest marketer of torches selling more than 20 million pieces per annum. VISION STATEMENT: For over a century, our corporation has been a partner to consumers with our expertise in portable power and light. Today, we endeavour to be the perfect Companion to consumers by providing value-for-money brands with Tangible Differentiation in quality every day; we seek Consumer Proximity to ensure the enjoyment of better living. Our core competence will be based on these three core values for the total synergy and future profitable growth of our corporation. Company’s philosophy on corporate governance: The company believes that good corporate governance consists of a combination of business practices which result in enhancement of the value of the company to the shareholders and simultaneously enable the company to fulfil its obligations to other stakeholders such as customers, vendors, employees, and financiers and to the society in general. The company further believes that such practices are founded upon the core values of transparency, empowerment, accountability, independent monitoring and environmental consciousness. The company makes its best endeavours to uphold and nurture these core values in all aspects of its operations. 2. 1. A. MANUFACTURING: Eveready has its manufacturing units spread all across the country in order to maximize logistical efficiency and reduce time-to-market. The Company’s state-of-the-art manufacturing units are located in Kolkata, Noida, Uttaranchal, Chennai, Lucknow and Maddur. The company has high-speed manufacturing units, both for batteries and flashlights, with in-house facilities for metal flashlights along with a fully automated injection-moulding set-up for plastic flashlights. Eveready also has a full-fledged machine design group at Chennai with capabilities of making special-purpose machines for both captive consumption and customer-specific requirements. The manufacturing units of Eveready are ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 certified. Eveready has a sophisticated R& D laboratory for design and testing of batteries. The laboratory is NABL accredited. The company also has its own flashlight design and development unit with the latest computer aided design facility. 2. 1. B. DISTRIBUTION: Eveready has a wide distribution network all over the country with 15 branches, 40 godowns and 4,000 distributors. Our products are available at grocery, general provision, music, electrical, hardware, stationery, gift /novelty stores, at the chemists’ shops and at photo studios and printing centres. So much so, that many of our products are even available at the paan and cigarette shops. According to AC Nielsen, Eveready batteries are available in 3. 3 million outlets out of a total universe of 7. 3 million FMCG outlets. The distribution structure extends coverage out to 5000-population villages. The company employs a strong sales force so that they can operate the extensive sales network successfully. As Eveready walks ahead in second century of existence, we have the following objectives – †¢ To consolidate our benchmark supplier position in all traditional outlets for batteries and flashlights. †¢ Employ a systematic and scientific approach towards increasing our reach and quality of reach. †¢ To leverage our sales & distribution competencies into identified newer channels †¢ To service the outlets with a diversified range of products. This includes batteries, flashlights, home lights, packet tea, mosquito repellents, CFLs and bulbs. To constantly explore new selling arrangements in identified markets to improve effectiveness of servicing. 2. 1. C. CORPORATE FACT SHEET: SBU's †¢ Batteries(including Rechargeable Batteries) †¢ Flashlights †¢ Packet Tea & Insect repellent †¢ Lighting Products †¢ New Products & Business Development †¢ Powercell Division Workforce: As on 31. 12. 08 (including Powercell) 2627 R&D facility Kolkat a, West Bengal Annual Sales: 92,530. 74 (Rs Lakhs) Manufacturing Locations and Sales offices: [pic] 2. 1. D. PRODUCTS: Eveready products are available under the mother brand name Eveready (batteries and lighting solutions) and also extended brand names like EVEREADY ULTIMA(Alkaline Batteries) ? EVEREADY RECHARGE(Rechargeable Batteries) ? EVEREADY JEEVAN-SATHI(Brass Torches) ? EVEREADY DigiLED(LED Flash Lights), ? EVEREADY CFL(Compact fluorescent lamps), ? EVEREADY POWERON (homecare products) and ? EVEREADY PREMIUM GOLD/JAGOO/TEZ (packaged tea) etc. Eveready offers a basket of FMCG products that find place in every household- Batteries: [pic] It is certainly not an overstatement that battery and Eveready have been synonymous with each other in India since time immemorial. After all, this is the only battery that has been with the people- in their good and bad times, in light as well as in darkness- through generations, for over a century. Eveready has diversified the portfolio to suit everyone’s needs. Eveready offers a wide range of batteries to fulfil the diverse portable energy requirements of progressive India. It has also come out with the Eveready blue batteries, which are long-lasting value-for-money solutions for your low-drain devices like TV/DVD remote controls, table/wall clocks and portable FM radio players. Zinc carbon batteries: Eveready is one of the world’s largest producers of zinc carbon batteries, selling more than 1 billion batteries every year. The Indian market for dry cell batteries is estimated at 2. 2 billion pieces by volume and rs. 14 billion by value, and Eveready is the undisputed market leader with more than half of the share of the market. The zinc carbon batteries are ideal for: flashlights, remote controls, toys, penlights, cameras, clocks, medical equipments, FM radios/MP4 players, etc. Alkaline Batteries: [pic]Eveready ultima alkaline battery is the ultimate energy solution to the power-hungry electronic gadgets of modern times. It is undoubtedly a new benchmark of quality & performance in the category of alkaline batteries. The promise of performance comes with an affordable price tag, making it truly an ultimate choice. Eveready ultima alkaline batteries are best suited for power-hungry new age gadgets like- digital cameras, remote-controlled toys, MP3 players, high-end portable audio-recording systems, etc. Rechargeable Batteries: [pic]There is a surfeit of power-hungry electronic gadgets in the market today. With every passing day, the list of such gadgets only gets longer. As an answer to the changing portable energy needs, Eveready has come up with Eveready recharge, world class range of rechargeable batteries. Since today’s high-tech devices demand more powerful batteries, Eveready rechargeable batteries are designed to deliver optimal performance. They are ready whenever you are. The higher end batteries come with an intelligent charger. The intelligent charger range includes chargers of various capacities. Lighting Solutions Eveready offers a wide variety of lighting solutions to suit the requirements of people in both urban and rural areas. Looking ahead, Eveready sees its business growing in the following fields: ? Mass consumption items like incandescent lamps, colour decoration lamps, etc. ? Energy saving alternatives, like T5 lamps, electronic ballasts, luminaries for fluorescent/compact fluorescent lamps with electronic controls. ? New-age technologies like LEDs & products around LEDs. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) In 2007, Eveready forayed into the lighting business with the launch of a range of compact fluorescent lamps (CFL). Halogen lamps: The lamps are so designed that they produce more light per units of energy, thus saving energy, and last longer. Halogen lamps are used in a variety of applications. Eveready has on offer halogen lamps that suit every possible requirement for outdoor lighting and video-shooting purposes. General lighting service /incandescent lamps (GLS): Eveready offers a vast range of incandescent bulbs in different sizes, voltages and colours. Alternate lighting solutions: [pic] [pic] Eveready digiLED lanterns- with its digiled technology, unlike a kerosene lamp or candle, the Eveready lantern gives bright, continuous and unflickering light from long lasting LEDs. All this at the same running cost per hour, as that of a kerosene lamp or candle. It illuminates a wide area and is ideal for activities like studying, cooking and other in-house work†¦ making it a true light for our home! Types of digiLED Lanterns: [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] Packet tea: India wakes up with tea every morning. It is the drink that enlivens, energises and rejuvenates the mind and the body. It is the drink that binds people across cultures. This is why Eveready has lined up a wide range of tea blends to match the needs of a diverse tea-drinking nation and the different â€Å"tea cultures† that are an integral part of the country’s socio-cultural fabric. Eveready today has offerings- Eveready tez, Eveready premium gold, Eveready jaago and eveready classic. Brands which satisfy the diverse moods of the tea drinkers. FLASHLIGHTS: [pic] Eveready has been the pioneer in the field of portable lighting for many a decades. Eveready with a huge variety of products is the largest manufacturer and marketer of torches in south Asia. Well known for its quality, range, colour options and value for money models. Eveready caters to all the lighting needs of both- the urban and rural consumers. DigiLED Torches: Eveready recently introduced a whole new category of torches with digiLED technology. These torches use highly power efficient LEDs in place of the incandescent bulbs. The long life LEDs, the superior quality lens & the Eveready expertise put together give the consumers an excellent torch with a focused bright white beam of light. pic] [pic] The torches are available in a Variety of shapes & sizes, with a splash of bright vibrant colours. Mainly for its quality of power efficiency, as batteries lasts longer, these torches have become an instant hit with the value conscious consumers across India. UltraLED torches: [pic] Torches with powerful beams which reach amazing distances, stronger light with enhanc ed efficiency, coupled with superior advantages of the original digiLED torches. The range offers the user wide choice in shapes, sizes & new metallic colours. Brass torches: [pic] True to its name, the Jeevan Sathi brass torchlight has been a trustworthy, constant companion for the discerning Indians through generations. It is reliable, durable and repairable, making it a must-have evening companion especially in the villages. It is one of the most trusted brands in rural India across all product categories. Aluminium & plastic torches: [pic] Eveready has always gone for innovation to bring out new models which suit the diverse requirements of all its customers. These torches have strong durable bodies, slide switches for easy handling and come in a wide range of models and colours. Rechargeable torches: Eveready also provides rechargeable torches to its customers. These have an in-built battery and a plug, for easy recharge. These torches are true value-for-money and are targeted at the urban and semi-urban households. Models like Commander, HiLite, Mobile, RedFlash, Rangoli & CityLite†¦ are brands in their own capacity†¦ bought by thousands of people every month. CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Methodology is a systematic way of solving a problem; it includes the research methods for solving a problem. Type of research: Descriptive & Empirical Research Data source: Primary and secondary data Data collection method: Interview and survey Data collection tools: Questionnaires and informal interview Sample Universe: Nadia district (Areas- kastodanga, maniktalapada, kalitala, nimtala, Simurali- narapatipada, shantipur, ranaghat, krishnanagar). Sample size: 250 Sample Design: The target population of the study consists of various respondents of various places (mostly done in rural areas and small town targeting low class group people and middle class). This is because to know that if price is the only factor of impact of china made torches. Sample size: After due consultation with the company, also keeping in mind the requirements of the company for the research, the sample size that was found to be appropriate for the study was 250(each place 25-35 respondents). Sampling Technique: Stratified sampling technique – a stratified sample is obtained by independently selecting a separate simple random sample from each population stratum. A population can be divided into different groups based on class, income. The survey was conducted by visiting different places(shops, market, respondent’s home, etc). Statistical tools:Simple percentage analysis and Ranking method is the main statistical tool used for study. 3. 1. SCOPE OF THE STUDY ? The result of this research would help the company to market their products. ? The result will help in improving sales. ? The study will help the company to make aware the consumers about the product. 3. 2. LIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH The following limitations can be pointed out from the research that I conducted in relation to the problems that were given to me by Eveready industries India ltd. Sample size was not sufficient to know the absolute figures. †¢ The research got confined to the Nadia district (towns and rural areas). 4. DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION The respondents who were covered under this study can be categorized on the basis of certain important criteria like age, annual income (class), tendency towards white LED light and awareness about new Eveready LED torches in the market. Table-4. 1 Annual Income Level: |Annual Income Level |No. Of Respondent |Percentage | |Below 1 Lakh |134 |53. 6 | |1-3 Lakh |105 |42 | |Above 3 Lakh |11 |4. 4 | |Total |250 |100 | | | | | | | | | | | | |Eveready LED |31 |12. % | |Eveready incandescent modified |3 |1. 2% | |China made Torch |211 |84. 4% | |Others |5 |2% | [pic] Interpretation: Among the 250 respondents i. e. he consumers, it can be seen that the consumers of china made torches are the highest i. e. 84. 4%. Eveready LED torches have 12. 4% consumers. 1. 2% of respondents are there who have an attachment with Eveready and thinks there torch is best for them they have modified incandescent Eveready brass torch into white light (because consumers like white led light). 2% of the respondents are the users of other torches. Table: 4. 3 Eveready LED torch users – Distribution according to income: Below 1 Lakh |1-3 lakh |Above 3 lakh | |3 users |17 users |11 users | Interpretation: It can be inferred that among 31 consumers that use Eveready LED torch, there are 3 users fr om the low income group i. e. below 1 lakh. 17 customers are from 1-3 lakh group and 11 users are from above 3 lakh group. Table-4. 4 AWARENESS about Eveready LED Torches: |Awareness |No. Of Respondents |Percentage | |Yes |65 |26% | |No |185 |74% | |Total |250 |100 | [pic] Interpretation: Now coming to the point of awareness among the people about the Eveready’s new product i. . Eveready LED Torches, the response was very disappointing. Among 250 respondents only 65 people i. e. 26% are aware about Eveready LED flashlight. Table-4. 5 Consumers those are aware but do not like to have due to high price (not affordable): Out of 65 people who are aware, the people who would not like to purchase are 40. |1-3 lakhs |Below 5 lakhs | |35 people |5 people | Interpretation: It can be seen that out of 65 people who are aware, 35 people of low class would not like to purchase due to its high price, it is not affordable. CHAPTER 5 RESULTS: The findings that can be drawn from the survey- ? 100% positive answer regarding Eveready torches durability, reliability and longevity shows company’s high image. ? 100% consumers like the white LED light torches. ? It was found that most of the low class people are not able to purchase Eveready LED torches because they cannot afford due to its high price. As Eveready LED torches are new entrants in the market, most of the people are unaware about the Eveready LED torches. IMPACT OF CHINA MADE TORCHES ON EVEREADY LED FLASHLIGHTS: 1. Shifting of incandescent torches market to LED Torches market. ? Eveready incandescent bulb torches were used and appreciated by the consumers before China made rechargeable torches with LEDs instead of incandescent bulb came into the market. After china made torches e ntered the market, people liked the white light of LEDs and the low price. As, no Eveready LED torches were available that time (before 5-6 years), the customers/consumers were forced to purchase china made LED rechargeable torches. So, there was a shift towards LEDs torches (china made torches). 2. Shifting of normal torches i. e. torches without rechargeable factor, to rechargeable torches. ? China made torches came into the market with the facility of recharging the batteries at that time when Eveready have had no rechargeable torches. People /consumers thought it more economical than Eveready normal torches and tend towards it. NOTE: but it is not true, the fact is that the Eveready torches are more economical because the batteries that are used in it as a power source runs for 4 months in a single time). So, demand inclined towards rechargeable torches. 3. It’s been 2 years Eveready has launched LED flashlights/torches with high quality light. But there is a particular segment i. e. low class people have a tendency to buy china made torches due to its low price (although they were using Eveready incandescent torches before ). customer’s perception has changed . . Considering all the facts, the most important part that has been affected (impact of china made torches) is sales. Although Eveready is doing well but the market that has been captured by china made torches (mostly the low class people who purchase china made low price torches), Eveready is missing to target that part. NOTE: As there are many customers/consumers who are using Eveready LED torches (Eveready is meeting its sale targets) this shows that the impact of china made torches that has been on Eveready torches is diminishing. People are shifting from china made torches due to their lack in reliability, longevity, durability and many factors. They lack in adding value to the customers. CHAPTER 6 RECOMENDATIONS: ? Eveready is extensively using its marketing strategies to reach customers; advertisements are being done but while surveying, the segment of customers that are not aware of the product to reach them we have to make them aware through extensive advertising. There are hoardings placed in the market but they are only seen over the distributors or big retailers. There must be more hoardings, bill boards showcasing Eveready led torches. ? Eveready should launch a new led torch with low price particularly focusing the low class (low income group) people. Advertising should be focusing these people. ? Extensive advertising on radio. REFERENCES: ? WEBSITES: www. evereadyindustries. com www. wikipidea. org ? Business Research Methods – Donald R Cooper, Pamela Schindler