African Elephant Facts

African Elephant Facts The African elephant (Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis) is the largest land animal on the planet. Found in sub-Saharan Africa, this majestic herbivore is known for its remarkable physical adaptations as well as its intelligence. Fast Facts: African Elephants Scientific Name: Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotisCommon Names:  African elephant: savannah elephant or bush elephant and forest elephantBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 8–13 feet tall, length of 19–24 feetWeight: 6,000–13,000 poundsLifespan: 60–70 yearsDiet:  HerbivoreHabitat: Sub-Saharan AfricaPopulation: 415,000Conservation Status: Vulnerable Description There are two subspecies of African elephant: savanna or bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) and forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis). African bush elephants are lighter gray, larger, and their tusks curve outwards; the forest elephant is darker gray in color and has tusks that are straighter and point downward. Forest elephants make up about one-third to one-quarter of the total elephant population in Africa. Elephants have a number of adaptations that help them to survive. Flapping their large ears enables them to cool down in hot weather, and their large size deters predators. The elephants long trunk reaches food sources located in otherwise inaccessible places, and the trunks are also used in communication and vocalization. Their tusks, which are upper incisors that continue to grow throughout their lifetimes, can be used to strip vegetation and dig to obtain food. Habitat and Range African elephants are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, where they typically live in plains, woodlands, and forests. They tend not to be territorial, and they roam large ranges through several habitats and across international borders. They are found in dense forests, open and closed savannas, grasslands, and in the deserts of Namibia and Mali. They range between the northern tropics to the southern temperate zones in Africa and are found at the oceans beaches and on mountain slopes and elevations everywhere in between. Elephants are habitat modifiers or ecological engineers that physically alter their environments affecting the resources and changing the ecosystems. They push over, debark, break branches and stems, and uproot trees, which causes changes in tree height, canopy cover, and species composition. Studies have shown that the changes generated by the elephants are actually quite beneficial to the ecosystem, creating an increase in total biomass (up to seven times the original), an increase in nitrogen in the content of new leaves, as well as an increase in habitat complexity and food availability. The net effect is a multilayered canopy and a continuum of leaf biomass supporting their own and other species.   Edwin Godinho / EyeEm  /  Getty Images Diet Both subspecies of African elephants are herbivores, and most of their diet (65 percent to 70 percent) consists of leaves and bark. They will also eat a wide variety of plants, including grass and fruit: Elephants are bulk feeders and require an enormous amount of food to survive, consuming an estimated 220–440 pounds of forage  daily. Access to a permanent source of water is critical- most elephants drink frequently, and they need to obtain water at least once every two days. Elephant mortality is quite high in drought-affected regions. Behavior Female African elephants form matriarchal groupings. The dominant female is the matriarch and the head of the grouping, and the rest of the group consists primarily of the females offspring. Elephants use low-frequency rumbling sounds to communicate within their groupings. In contrast, male African elephants are mostly solitary and nomadic. They temporarily associate with different matriarchal groups as they seek mating partners. Males assess each others physical prowess by play-fighting with one another. Male elephants behavior is linked to their musth period, which typically takes place during winter. During musth, male elephants secrete an oily substance called temporin from their temporal glands. Their testosterone levels are as much as six times higher than normal during this period. Elephants in musth can become aggressive and violent. The exact evolutionary cause for musth is not definitively known, though research suggests that it may be linked to the assertion and reorganization of dominance. Reproduction and Offspring Elephants are polyandrous and polygamous; mating happens year round, whenever females are in estrus. They give birth to one or rarely two live young about once every three years. Gestation periods are approximately 22 months long. Newborns weigh between 200 and 250 pounds each. They are weaned after 4 months although they may continue to take milk from the mothers as part of their diet for up to three years. Young elephants are tended by the mother and other females in the matriarchal grouping. They become fully independent at the age of eight. Female elephants reach sexual maturity at about 11 years of age; males at 20. The lifespan of an African elephant is typically between 60 and 70 years.   Patrick Robert - Corbis  /Getty Images Misconceptions Elephants are beloved creatures, but they arent always fully understood by humans. Misconception: Elephants drink water through their trunks. Truth: While elephants use their trunks in the drinking process, they dont drink through it. Instead, they use the trunk to scoop water into their mouths.Misconception: Elephants are afraid of mice. Truth: While elephants may be startled by the darting movement of mice, they have not been proven to have a specific fear of mice.Misconception: Elephants mourn their dead. Truth: Elephants demonstrate an interest in the remains of their dead, and their interactions with those remains often seem ritualistic and emotional. However, scientists have not yet determined the precise cause of this mourning process, nor have they determined the degree to which elephants understand death. Threats The main threats to the continued existence of elephants on our planet are poaching, habitat loss, and climate change. In addition to overall population loss, poaching removes a majority of bulls over the age of 30 and females over the age of 40. Animal researchers believe that the loss of older females is particularly acute, as it impacts the social networks of elephant herds. Older females are the repositories of ecological knowledge who teach calves where and how to find food and water. Although there is evidence that their social networks are restructured after the loss of the older females, orphaned calves tend to leave from their natal core groups and die alone. Poaching has decreased with the institution of international laws prohibiting them, but it does continue to be a threat to these animals. Conservation Status The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies African elephants as vulnerable, while the ECOS Environmental Conservation Online System classifies them as threatened. According to the Great Elephant Census of 2016, there are approximately 350,000 African savanna elephants located in 30 countries. Between 2011 and 2013, more than 100,000 elephants were killed, mostly by poachers seeking their tusks for ivory. The African Wildlife Foundation estimates there are 415,000 African elephants in 37 countries, including both savanna and forest subspecies, and that 8 percent are killed by poachers annually. Sunshine Seeds/Getty Images Sources Blanc, J. Loxodonta africana. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T12392A3339343, 2008.Elephant. African Wildlife Foundation.  Foley, Charles A. H., and Lisa J. Faust. Rapid Population Growth in an Elephant Loxodonta Africana Population Recovering from Poaching in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. Oryx 44.2 (2010): 205–12. Print.Goldenberg, Shifra Z., and George Wittemyer. Orphaning and Natal Group Dispersal Are Associated with Social Costs in Female Elephants. Animal Behaviour 143 (2018): 1–8. Print.Kohi, Edward M., et al. African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana) Amplify Browse Heterogeneity in African Savanna. Biotropica 43.6 (2011): 711–21. Print.McComb, Karen, et al. Matriarchs as Repositories of Social Knowledge in African Elephants. Science 292.5516 (2001): 491–94. Print.Tchamba, Martin N., et al. Plant Biomass Density as an Indicator of Food Supply for Elephants (Loxodonta Africana) in Waza National Park, Cameroon. Tropical Conservation Scie nce 7.4 (2014): 747–64. Print. The Status of African elephants. World Wildlife Magazine, Winter 2018.Wato, Yussuf A., et al. Prolonged Drought Results in Starvation of African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana). Biological Conservation 203 (2016): 89–96. Print.Wittemyer, G., and W. M. Getz. Hierarchical Dominance Structure and Social Organization in African Elephants, Loxodonta Africana. Animal Behaviour 73.4 (2007): 671–81. Print.

Making Discipline Decisions for Principals

Making Discipline Decisions for Principals A major facet of a school principal’s job is to make discipline decisions. A principal should not be dealing with every discipline issue in the school, but should instead be focused on dealing with the bigger problems. Most teachers should deal with smaller issues on their own. Handling discipline issues can be time-consuming. The bigger issues almost always take some investigation and research. Sometimes students are cooperative and sometimes they are not. There will be issues that are straight forward and easy, and there will be those that take several hours to handle. It is essential that you are always vigilant and thorough when collecting evidence. It is also crucial to understand that each discipline decision is unique and that many factors come into play. It is important that you take into account factors such as the grade level of the student, severity of the issue, history of the student, and how you have handled similar situations in the past. The following is a sample blueprint of how these issues could be handled. It is only intended to serve as a guide and to provoke thought and discussion. Each of the following problems is typically considered to be a serious offense, so the consequences should be pretty tough. The scenarios given are post-investigation giving you what was proved to have actually happened. Bullying Introduction: Bullying is probably the most dealt with discipline issue at a school. It is also one of the most looked at school problems in the national media due to the increase in teen suicides that have been traced back to bullying problems. Bullying can have a life long effect on victims. There are four basic types of bullying including physical, verbal, social, and cyber bullying. Scenario: A 5th-grade girl has reported that a boy in her class has been verbally bullying her for the past week. He has continuously called her fat, ugly, and other derogatory terms. He also mocks her in class when she asks questions, coughs, etc. The boy has admitted to this and says he did so because the girl annoyed him. Consequences: Start by contacting the boy’s parents and asking them to come in for a meeting. Next, require the boy to go through some bullying prevention training with the school counselor. Finally, suspend the boy for three days. Continuous Disrespect/Failure to Comply Introduction: This will likely be an issue that a teacher has tried to handle by themselves, but haven’t had success with what they’ve tried. The student hasn’t fixed their behavior and in some cases has gotten worse. The teacher is essentially asking the principal to step in and mediate the issue. Scenario: An 8th-grade student argues about everything with a teacher. The teacher has talked to the student, given the student detention, and contacted the parents for being disrespectful. This behavior has not improved. In fact, it has gotten to the point that the teacher is starting to see it affect other students’ behavior. Consequences: Set up a parent meeting and include the teacher. Attempt to get to the root of where the conflict lies. Give the student three days In School Placement (ISP). Continuous Failure to Complete Work Introduction: Many students across all grade levels do not complete work or do not turn it in at all. Students who continuously get away with this may have large academic gaps that after time almost becomes impossible to close. By the time a teacher asks for help on this from the principal, it is likely that it has become a serious issue. Scenario: A 6th-grade student has turned in eight incomplete assignments and hasn’t turned in another five assignments at all over the past three weeks. The teacher has contacted the student’s parents, and they have been cooperative. The teacher has also given the student detention each time they have had a missing or incomplete assignment. Consequences: Set up a parent meeting and include the teacher. Create an intervention program to hold the student more accountable. For example, require the student to attend a Saturday School if they have a combination of five missing or incomplete assignments. Finally, place the student in ISP until they have caught up on all work. This assures that they will have a fresh start when they return to class. Fighting Introduction: Fighting is dangerous and often leads to injury. The older the students involved in the fight are, the more dangerous the fight becomes. Fighting is an issue you want to create a strong policy with strong consequences to discourage such behavior. Fighting typically doesn’t resolve anything and will likely happen again if it isn’t dealt with appropriately. Scenario: Two eleventh grade male students got into a major fight during lunch over a female student. Both students had lacerations to their face and one student may have a broken nose. One of the students involved has been involved with another fight previously in the year. Consequences: Contact both students’ parents. Contact the local police asking them to cite both students for public disturbance and possibly assault and/or battery charges. Suspend the student who has had multiple issues with fighting for ten days and suspend the other student for five days. Possession of Alcohol or Drugs Introduction: This is one of the issues which schools have zero tolerance for. This is also one of the areas where the police will have to be involved in and will likely take lead in the investigation. Scenario: A student initially reported that a 9th-grade student is offering to sell other students some â€Å"weed†. The student reported that the student is showing other students the drug and is keeping it in a bag inside their sock. The student is searched, and the drug is found. The student informs you that they stole the drugs from their parents and then sold some to another student that morning. The student that bought the drugs is searched and nothing is found. However, when his locker is searched you find the drug wrapped up in a bag and tucked in his backpack. Consequences: Both students’ parents are contacted. Contact the local police, advise them of the situation, and turn the drugs over to them. Always make sure that parents are there when police talk to students or that they have given permission to the police for them to talk to them. State laws may vary as to what you are required to do in this situation. A possible consequence would be to suspend both students for the remainder of the semester. Possession of a Weapon Introduction: This is another issue which schools have zero tolerance for. Police undoubtedly would be involved in this issue. This issue will bring the harshest consequences for any student violating this policy. In the wake of recent history, many states have laws in place that drive how these situations are dealt with. Scenario: A 3rd-grade student took his Dad’s pistol and brought it to school because he wanted to show his friends. Luckily it was not loaded, and the clip was not brought. Consequences: Contact the student’s parents. Contact the local police, advise them of the situation, and turn the gun over to them. State laws may vary as to what you are required to do in this situation. A possible consequence would be to suspend the student for the remainder of the school year. Even though the student had no ill intent with the weapon, the fact remains that it is still a gun and must be dealt with severe consequences in accordance with law. Profanity/Obscene Material Introduction: Students of all ages mirror what they see and hear. This often drives the use of profanity at school. Older students especially use inappropriate words often to impress their friends. This situation can quickly get out of control and lead to larger issues. Obscene materials such as having pornography can also be detrimental for obvious reasons. Scenario: A 10th-grade student telling another student an obscene joke that contains the â€Å"F† word is overheard by a teacher in the hallway. This student has never been in trouble before. Consequences: Profanity issues can warrant a wide range of consequences. Context and history will likely dictate the decision you make. In this case, the student has never been in trouble before, and he was using the word in the context of a joke. A few days of detention would be appropriate for handling this situation.

Evaluation of the leadership and management style of Jeff Bezos Coursework

Evaluation of the leadership and management style of Jeff Bezos - Coursework Example From a logical perspective, it can be stated that appropriate development of business processes in the present marketing scenario requires the implementation of change management and change leadership under different situations. For instance, a leader will have to bring in continuous levels of transformation within its leadership style for maintaining the motivational levels of the followers. In a similar manner, the management administering the overall functionality of the workforce will also have to implement varied types of employee motivational techniques through which they can attain their desired goals within a specific timeframe (Kuzic & et. al., 2002). Considering these aspects, the discussion will mainly focus towards evaluating the leadership style and the managerial skills implemented by Jeff Bezos that supported in developing the overall performance of Amazon in the present competitive retail-marketing scenario. The discussion will also encompass the implementation of suitable leadership theories and change management concepts in order to make the understanding levels associated with the same in an effective manner. Through this discussion, a possible attempt will also be made towards evaluating the characteristics possess by Jeff Bezos that until date have paved successful path for this ecommerce business organisation. Jeff Bezos, a technology enthusiast, presently holds the position of CEO of the world’s second biggest e-commerce retailer named Amazon. As known, the brand has been previously involved in conducting online retail business of books and magazines. However, due to the increasing level of business market competition and higher inflow of new market entrants, Jeff Bezos made deliberate efforts in shifting the focus of his e-commerce business process from just being concentrated on retailing books top other retail goods such as

Research into the Marketing Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research into the Marketing Environment - Essay Example Therefore, the marketing mix designed cannot be uniform. To cater to the needs of different customers, companies have to rely on market segmentation. The markets may be segmented on the basis of demographic, geographic, psychographic, and behaviouristic. The markets can be segmented based on other factors as well such as geography. Let us look into PepsiCo as a particular company and it is affected. In this study, PESTEL analysis will be used to understand the effect of macro environment on PepsiCo and then suggest ways by which it can achieve smart objectives. PepsiCo is a multinational food and beverage corporation with its headquarters in the United States. Best on net revenue it is second largest food and Beverage Company in the world. Its revenue based on the 2013 data was 66,415.00 million USD and Gross profit levels were 35,340.00 million USD (PepsiCo Inc., 2014). Starting from its incorporation in Delaware in 1919 PepsiCo now has its presence in almost all countries starting from USA to New Zealand. PepsiCo has performed so well goes on to show that company has effectively and efficiently catered to the needs of various customers in various environments. It has understood the customer’s mentality correctly and has developed products that cater to their taste buds. For example, to be successful in Chinese market the company started manufacturing potato chips that are cucumber flavoured and which is not available in other countries. They got the idea of this flavour from a common Chinese dish named as â€Å"pai huanggua† (shredded cucumber) and surprisingly it is one of its best selling potato chips products in china (Ho, 2013). They have developed marketing strategy including use of celebrities with whom the customers can relate to for brand endorsement. For example, in their campaign for European market they have used David Beckham, for their campaign in India they have used celebrities such as Shah Rukh Khan and Sachin Tendulkar who have mass

The History and Future of the Olympics Essay -- Exploratory Essays Res

The History and Future of the Olympics It is the year 2004, and everyone who is anyone in the world of athletics is headed to Athens, Greece. To some people Athens is just an ancient city where the myths of Hercules and Zeus were originated, but this year, it's not just an ancient city, it's a reunion of where sports began. Even thought they won't be played in the nude it will still be considered a reunion. That's right; the Olympics are headed back to their hometown of Athens, or at least it's close enough. However, looking back on the years, both modern and ancient, there has been quite a change in our Olympic events. The ancient Olympic event was all about glory, athleticism and total representation of one's own country. It seems to me that the Olympics have lost some of its touch when it comes to athleticism (cryptoworld.com). In addition, whatever happened to the idea of Amateur Athleticism? There was even a federation called International Amateur Athletics Federation formed, and it was stated that in order to participate in the Olympics, one must not be paid. Now, in modern terms, all they must do is take a break from being paid in their professional season to participate. The motto of the ancient Olympics is "Citius, Altius, Fortius", which in terms that we understand, "Faster, Higher, Stronger". Where are these three words are interpreted in table tennis, archery, equestrian, race walking, curling, synchronized swimming, synchronized diving (Contoni). These "games" just are not exciting and have nothing to do with the motto "Citius, Altius, Fortius". So, what does make an Olympic sport a spo rt? The answer is a majority of vote or enough complaints about discrimination against a sport that the International Olympi... ...cs." Physics Web. September 2000. http://physicsweb.org/article/world/13/9/8. Kahn, Jonathon. "Why Too Many Olympic Sports Are Neither." July 12, 2000. March 26, 2004. slate.msn.com/id/86069. Mallette, V. "Technology and the Olympics." Sport Information. http://www.ausport.gov.au/info/factsheets/tech.html. Michaelis, Vicki and Yu, Vincent. "IOC panel wants to drop basesball, add golf." USA Today. April 7,2004 http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2002-08-28-golf_x.htm People's Daily Online. People Daily. Monday, October 20, 2003. March 26, 2004. http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200310/20/eng20031020_126437.shtml. Technology and the Olympics. "Sport Information." 1996. March 15, 2004. http://www.ausport.gov.au/info/factsheets/tech.html "The Olympic Games." Winged Sandals. March 15, 2004. <http://www.abc.net.au/arts/wingedsandals/history2.htm>

China’s Trade Disputes

China's Trade Disputes Disputes over protection of Intellectual Property Complainant: United States Respondent: China Before China Joined the GATE (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) in 1986, it was a planned economy. What that does mean? It means that the government was in charge of the production, investment and prices. In other words, the government was in charge of running the economy. By that time, China almost had no international commerce but only with socialist countries such as the former USSR and Yugoslavia.It was not until 1992, that China began to lower its tariffs. As a result of that, China began to grow steadily and in 2001 China Joined the WTFO (World Trade Organization). According to Professor David W. Conklin and Danville Caddied (China's Trade Disputes, Richard Vive School of Business, The University of Western Ontario, 2009) China had a 42. 9% tariff rate in 1992; 16. 6% in 2001 and since then it has been around 9. 8%. These figures show how China the decreas ed its tariff rates since 1992 to the present.According to the WTFO (World Trade Organization), the average Chinese tariff rate in 2011 was 9. 6%. 1 China Joining the WATT had its own percussions; on one hand, it was a new market with a rapidly growing population, which was attractive for many international investors. On the other hand, China's export increased extremely fast, this rapid growth affected many industries in advanced economies. What is the reason behind this outcome? There were several issues regarding China's commerce policies that caused a stream of trade disputes between China and other economies.In spite of having the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), many Chinese producers were accused of racy and counterfeiting. The purpose of the Trips was to provide protection in the wide area of intellectual property. However, that was not the case in China; even though, the Chinese government based its Intellectual Property Rights on U. S. And EX. countries, they were not applying those policies effectively.Counterfeiting and piracy in China were estimated to be around 15% to of all the products made in the local market. These type of illegal activities composed 8% of China's GAP. 5 The main issue regarding Intellectual Property is the fact that for most developing countries, he easiest way to achieve competitiveness is through counterfeiting successful products and by copying business practices. Why is this a major problem? The answer is simple; these developing economies have as their competitive advantage: low wage rates.If they copy a product and produce it with those low salaries, they are able to sell it with a price lower than the original one. There is no doubt that these type of products are going to steal market share from the companies that originally produced them affecting not only those companies but also the economies that purport them. The main purpose of International laws that protect Intellectual Property is not only to secure fair business but also to keep Jobs in the domestic market not to offshore all those Jobs to other foreign countries.We know that weak PR polices and lesser penalties are factors that allow the spread of counterfeiting and piracy within an economy. Furthermore, a deficient legal system can be a cause of this too. However, according to John Lehman, this issue might be caused by a different factor: he said that Intellectual Property was not part of the â€Å"Traditional† Chinese legal code. He concludes that the main problem about Intellectual property in China is not caused by a deficient legal system nor economy but from intellectual and cultural factors. After the creation of the WIPE (World Intellectual Property Organization) in 1970, the WTFO functioned as a forum for the negotiation of international policies on major issues. However, violations concerning PR (Intellectual Property Rights) proved to be extremely difficult to handle. Especially with te chnological products that use to have very short product cycles. Overall, with all the genealogical advances, it was really hard to create an accurate legislation to address all of these new type of problems.There is a thin line between counterfeiting and using the product as a base to improve it, issues like that were a headache for the WTFO. On April 2007, the United States demanded a consultation with China relating to the protection of PR in China. The matters that were discussed during this series of consultations were: the lack of an efficient criminal procedure and set of penalties for commercial piracy, the prohibition to let counterfeited products to be released onto foreign markets and the boundaries in which a copyright piracy consists in of an unauthorized copying. The panel concluded that, to the extent that the Copyright Law and the Customs measures as such are inconsistent with the TRIPS Agreement, they nullify or impair benefits accruing to the United States under th at Agreement, and recommended that China bring the Copyright Law and the Customs measures into conformity with its obligations under the TRIPS Agreement†. 8 On April 2010, China and U. S. Informed the Dispute Settlement Body (ADS) that the agreed procedures were effectively in progress. Opinion: The protection of PR is one of the most important things for developed countries.I agree that counterfeiting and piracy should be severely punished. However, in this case I found an interesting opinion: â€Å"Why should these countries honor the property ownership of other when their own manufacturers could create Jobs and nurture domestic prosperity through piracy and counterfeiting? † This is obviously the other side of the coin it involves a social issue. But I think that copying (not counterfeiting not piracy) can be useful sometimes. I remember reading that after WI, Japan sent several of this workers to work in U. S. In order to get the American know-how.What they did was not counterfeiting because they didn't copy the products but they used the models as their base in order to improve it. That's an interesting idea, especially for developing economies. Recently I watched a documentary about the race between China and India. The main difference between both economies was that India was using innovation in order to grow; on the other hand, China was relying more on copying products than innovating. The same documentary showed that in the present counterfeiting laws are stronger in China but it is still an issue. China’s Trade Disputes China's Trade Disputes Disputes over protection of Intellectual Property Complainant: United States Respondent: China Before China Joined the GAIT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) in 1986, it was a planned economy. What that does mean? It means that the government was in charge of the production, investment and prices. In other words, the government was in charge of running the economy. By that time, China almost had no international commerce but only with socialist countries such as the former USSR and Yugoslavia.It was not until 1992, that China began to lower its tariffs. As a result of that, China began to grow steadily and in 2001 China Joined the WTFO (World Trade Organization). According to Professor David W. Conklin and Danville Caddied (China's Trade Disputes, Richard Vive School of Business, The University of Western Ontario, 2009) China had a 42. 9% tariff rate in 1992; 16. 6% in 2001 and since then it has been around 9. 8%. These figures show how China the decreas ed its tariff rates since 1992 to the present.According to the WTFO (World Trade Organization), the average Chinese tariff rate in 2011 was 9. 6%. 1 China Joining the WATT had its own percussions; on one hand, it was a new market with a rapidly growing population, which was attractive for many international investors. On the other hand, China's export increased extremely fast, this rapid growth affected many industries in advanced economies. What is the reason behind this outcome? There were several issues regarding China's commerce policies that caused a stream of trade disputes between China and other economies.In spite of having the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), many Chinese producers were accused of racy and counterfeiting. The purpose of the Trips was to provide protection in the wide area of intellectual property. However, that was not the case in China; even though, the Chinese government based its Intellectual Property Rights on U. S. And EX. countries, they were not applying those policies effectively.Counterfeiting and piracy in China were estimated to be around 15% to of all the products made in the local market. These type of illegal activities composed 8% of China's GAP. 5 The main issue regarding Intellectual Property is the fact that for most developing countries, he easiest way to achieve competitiveness is through counterfeiting successful products and by copying business practices. Why is this a major problem? The answer is simple; these developing economies have as their competitive advantage: low wage rates.If they copy a product and produce it with those low salaries, they are able to sell it with a price lower than the original one. There is no doubt that these type of products are going to steal market share from the companies that originally produced them affecting not only those companies but also the economies that purport them. The main purpose of International laws that protect Intellectual Property is not only to secure fair business but also to keep Jobs in the domestic market not to offshore all those Jobs to other foreign countries.We know that weak PR polices and lesser penalties are factors that allow the spread of counterfeiting and piracy within an economy. Furthermore, a deficient legal system can be a cause of this too. However, according to John Lehman, this issue might be caused by a different factor: he said that Intellectual Property was not part of the â€Å"Traditional† Chinese legal code. He concludes that the main problem about Intellectual property in China is not caused by a deficient legal system nor economy but from intellectual and cultural factors. After the creation of the WIPE (World Intellectual Property Organization) in 1970, the WTFO functioned as a forum for the negotiation of international policies on major issues. However, violations concerning PR (Intellectual Property Rights) proved to be extremely difficult to handle. Especially with te chnological products that use to have very short product cycles. Overall, with all the genealogical advances, it was really hard to create an accurate legislation to address all of these new type of problems.There is a thin line between counterfeiting and using the product as a base to improve it, issues like that were a headache for the WTFO. On April 2007, the United States demanded a consultation with China relating to the protection of PR in China. The matters that were discussed during this series of consultations were: the lack of an efficient criminal procedure and set of penalties for commercial piracy, the prohibition to let counterfeited products to be released onto foreign markets and the boundaries in which a copyright piracy consists in of an unauthorized copying. The panel concluded that, to the extent that the Copyright Law and the Customs measures as such are inconsistent with the TRIPS Agreement, they nullify or impair benefits accruing to the United States under th at Agreement, and recommended that China bring the Copyright Law and the Customs measures into conformity with its obligations under the TRIPS Agreement†. 8 On April 2010, China and U. S. Informed the Dispute Settlement Body (IDS) that the agreed procedures were effectively in progress. Opinion: The protection of PR is one of the most important things for developed countries.I agree that counterfeiting and piracy should be severely punished. However, in this case I found an interesting opinion: â€Å"Why should these countries honor the property ownership of other when their own manufacturers could create Jobs and nurture domestic prosperity through piracy and counterfeiting? † This is obviously the other side of the coin it involves a social issue. But I think that copying (not counterfeiting not piracy) can be useful sometimes. I remember reading that after WI, Japan sent several of this workers to work in U. S. In order to get the American know-how.What they did was not counterfeiting because they didn't copy the products but they used the models as their base in order to improve it. That's an interesting idea, especially for developing economies. Recently I watched a documentary about the race between China and India. The main difference between both economies was that India was using innovation in order to grow; on the other hand, China was relying more on copying products than innovating. The same documentary showed that in the present counterfeiting laws are stronger in China but it is still an issue.

Terrorism And The Terrorist Threat Essay - 1567 Words

the US into a protracted war, and some experts linked the war to the creation of a vacuum through which more terrorist groups have arisen. But even a decade after the war on terror, there remained several agencies believing that â€Å"terrorist networks could be taken down by removal of their ‘masterminds’†, and that â€Å"smart weapons and pilotless drowns could achieve without counterproductive political effects.† (Townshend) And to further compound the issues within counterterrorism, views regarding Islamist terrorism appear to be divided even among the experts. Bruce Hoffman and Marc Sageman, two of America’s leading theorists on terrorism and counterterrorism, held opposite views on how to deal with the Islamist terrorist threat, which erupted into a significant debate between the two in 2008. While Hoffman stressed that Al Qaeda is alive, resurgent and more dangerous than ever, Sageman argues that the threat no longer comes externally from organizations like Al Qaeda but rather from homegrown terrorists. Officials from the White House and the CIA had acknowledged the importance of the debate in their examination of the terrorist threat. While the view held by the former would require the maintenance of vigilance overseas with considerable resources being funneled to the C.I.A, the State Department, the military and the terror-financing sleuths, the latter would allow money to be saved by merely directing it to the local police and the F.B.I. Fatwas and Religious TerrorismShow MoreRelatedA New Paradigm Of Terrorism1537 Words   |  7 PagesSince the 9/11 terrorist attacks many have sought to argue that a ‘New’ paradigm of terrorism exists and therefore that the nature of modern terrorist threats has changed. However, terrorism itself has never been clearly outlined, and as such both Copeland and Duyvesteyn argue current threats to be a continuation of older trends of traditional terrorism. More so terrorism is subjective and therefore current threats depends upon who the target is and who is reporting the attack. On the other handRead MoreDomestic Terrorism And The Security Of The Us1040 Words   |  5 PagesToday, domestic terrorism is one of the major threats to the national security of the US. Since 9/11, the US intelligence services and law enforcement agencies viewed international terrorism as the major threat to the public security of the US but the threat of domestic terrorism has been underestimate d. At any rate, American law enforcement agencies conduct active campaigns to prevent international terrorism but domestic terrorism become a serious threat to the national security of the US. In suchRead MoreTerrorism : Terrorism And Terrorism1586 Words   |  7 Pagesglobal threats around us. World is not like heaven. We need to face many problems in our life. We have some global risk also. This year has been a notably rough year. Some of the worst threats make our people more worried. Many researchers and writers are writing about the biggest threats of the world. Several reports are also made to understand the recent global threats. In order to write something about the recent global threats, one word comes to our mind that is terrorism. TerrorismRead MoreHow Terrorism Law Enforcement Prepares For Terrorism814 Words   |  4 Pageshandling suspected terrorist and potential targets for attacks. Nationwide agencies have been created to better serve local law enforcement agencies investigate potential terroristic threats, and alleviate any unsolved questions of what is required to better protect the security of the U.S. Due to terrorist attacks that have occurred across the world and in the U.S., law enforcement agencies and citizens now have the proper resources to help prevent future terrorist attacks. How Terrorism Law EnforcementRead MoreThe United States Face Challenges And Threats1361 Words   |  6 PagesUnited States face many challenges and threats. The 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review identifies six challenges that pose the most strategically significant risk to the United States over the next five years. These challenges include the terrorist threat, cyber threats, biological concerns, nuclear terrorism, transnational criminal organizations, and natural hazards (Department of Homeland Security, 2014). Of these six challenges, the terrorism threat seems to create the biggest fear and concernRead MoreTerrorism : Terrorism And Terrorism851 Words   |  4 PagesTerrorist attacks are major threats that could occur in any nation. Terrorism is one of those things that can happen at any time. It will strike in small, medium and large cities. Although we will never be able to remove all risk from terrorism, we can definitely reduce the risk through hazard mitigation and disaster preparedness (GBRA, 2011). To better understand terrorism we need to know what it is. Terrorism can be defined as the use of force or violence against persons or property in violationRead MoreEvidence Of The Changing Roles Of Women In Women And Women984 Words   |  4 Pagesof female involvement within terrorist organisations along with increasing numbers of female Islamic terrorists (Bakkers de Leede, 2015; Lavina, 2015). Terrorist organisations traditionally maintained gendered specific roles and women predominantly provided a support type role (Bakker de Leede, 2015). This was in the form of bearing children or recruiters (Bloom, 2011). This has been evolving with instances of women actively engaging in violent Islamic terrorism (Bloom, 2011). High-profile casesRead MoreCyber Terrorism1716 Words   |  7 PagesAmerica was the victim of a cyber terrorism attack; although no definitive evidence is available to substantiate that claim.   Cyber terror attacks pose a threat against the national security of the United States. In order to fully comprehend the threat that cyber terrorism poses, it is essential to understand the background, the effects, the reality of the threat and the future of cyber terrorism. This assessment examines the reality of the cyber terrorism threat, and also questions its validity.   Read MoreInternational Terrorism And The Security Of The United Kingdom1665 Words   |  7 Pagesinternational terrorism represents the greatest threat to the security of the United Kingdom. It will begin by defining, within the context of this essay, what is meant by the concepts of national security, terrorism and international terrorism, and how international terrorism threatens our nation through both direct and indirect means. Throughout, it will identify a snapshot of the current gamut of security threats to the United Kingdom and analyse, through these threats, how international terrorism posesRead More Challenges for US Counter-terrorism Efforts Essay1231 Words   |  5 PagesChallenges for US Counter-terrorism Efforts    As a direct consequence of September 11, a number of substantial challenges lie ahead in the area of counter-terrorism..  Ã‚   The most prominent of these is the changing nature of the terrorism phenomenon.   In past years, when terrorism was largely the product of direct state sponsorship, policymakers were able to diminish prospects for the United States becoming a target using a combination of diplomatic and military instruments to deter potential