Health and Wellness in the Workplace Essay Example for Free

Health and Wellness in the Workplace Essay Thesis Statement: Health and Wellness programs in a workplace can benefit employees by helping them manage their physical and emotional health, reduce stress and provide a reward system program in the workplace. I. Introduction. II. Provide Nutrition Programs A. Manage employees physical emotional health 1. Provide different seminars to manage different health issues. 2. Create a program that fits your employees concerns in the work environment. III. Promotes employee’s perfect attendance A. Prevent employee’s absenteeism 1. By providing random wellness check 2. Reward employees for perfect attendance in the wellness programs IV. Reduce Stress in Workplace A. Provide breaks to help employees reduce stress 1. Start a group during 15 minutes break to walk 2. Provide a massage therapist once every two weeks to give 15 minutes massages to relief stress. 3. Give a stress management seminar for nutrition and excerising. V. Reward System in the workplace to accomplish Goals A. Provide a reward program to lose weight and stay healthily 1. A support system for employees by offering extra days off for doing the programs. 2. Create a bonus program for employees for reaching health goals. VI. Conclusion. Resources By: Alden, Sharyn, Regroup, Recharge, Credit Union Magazine, Jul 2007, Vol. 73 Issue 7, p 30-35, 6p; Abstract By: Bulk Tran Sporter, Tax credits proposed for employee wellness, Nov. 2007, Vol. 70, Issue 5, p12-12, 1/2p; Abstract By: Shepherd, Leah Carlson, More time to smell the

Pizza Hut Market Analysis

Pizza Hut Market Analysis SWOT Analysis of Pizza Hut (S)trengths 1. Pizza Hut is a welcomed fast food brand in the UK. In a survey, Pizza Huts ranked No.4 in the Most loved list of eating out in UK (Marketing Online 2008). 2. Pizza Hut already uses the online ordering service successfully. Among the Unique audience ranking of Pizza Brand Site, Pizza Hut took the No.1, 515,000, which exceeded Dominos 365,000 (Luan, 2009) (W)eaknesses 1. Fault management decision. Pizza Huts rebranding of some of its outlets as Pasta Hut has generated consumer discussion, but it is a stunt that is unlikely to produce long-term growth for the brand'(Schrezenmaier 2008). (O)pportunities 1. Nutritional food. Restaurant chain Pizza Hut has confirmed that it will become one of the first foodservice operators in the UK to offer nutritional information on its menus as part of new voluntary initiative.'(Market Watch: Global Round-up online 2009). 2. ATM activity. Pizza Hut is launching an advertising campaign using cash machines to promote the launch of its fixed-price Happy Hour menu (Marketing Online 2009). (T)hreats 1. Dominos Price. Dominos has always priced its pizzas at a premium compared with those of Pizza Huts delivery service and independent rivals (Marketing online 2008). 2. Fat Concern. Pizza Hut listed its Mediterranean Deluxe cheesy bites pizza contends 4.392 calories. It keeps you going far about two days-daily intake should be 2,500 for men and 2.000 for women (Director online 2009). Pizza Huts Current Communication Mix 1) Sales promotion One of Pizza Huts more recent sales promotions is its Happy Hour menu. The Happy Hour menu provides consumers the choice not only pizza, but also pasta, salad and plus garlic bread and a drink. Pizza Hut promoted this menu at a  £4 fixed price. Pizza Hut premiered this promotion using an ATM advertising campaign. The purpose of this campaign is to hopefully increase visits by customers to Pizza and was cleverly timed to premier around pay-day for most of the working public. 2) Sponsorship Pizza Hut possesses a wide sponsorship in different and variety areas from past until now. For instance, the notable sponsorship of Pizza Hut is as a part of PepsiCos. There has also been partnerships with Formula one, Euro 96 and was a sponsor of the Newcastle Vipers ice hockey team from 2007/08 EIHL season. Nowadays, Pizza Hut is proud to sponsor National Family Week. This is the biggest official celebration of families and Pizza Hut is a gold sponsor of such an exciting new initiative backed by the largest coalition of family in the UK. (The Greenwich Gazette, 2009) Therefore due to the association with such reputable brands, sponsorship is a very useful method of marketing for Pizza Hut and has helped communicate the image of Pizza Hut to its target audience. 3) E-marketing The internet communication of Pizza Hut plays an important role for customers. Pizza Hut also has used social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to create E-marketing. Facebook users can join a Pizza Hut group and receive information of any promotions. This new form of marketing is Pizza Hut adapting to new technology and understanding there are a lucrative options for marketing this way. The target audience that use social networking sites most profoundly Generation X and this creates a parallel to a large proportion of Pizza Huts target audience. 4) Branding In 2008 Pizza Hut rebranded its UK business to Pasta Hut. The expenditure of this rebranding cost  £100M (Marketing Week, 2008) as it refurbished many restaurants and also created new outlets. The change of the brands name could be seen as a trial exercise to promote and test the markets acceptability of the new name. It has been noted however that most of people still prefer the previous name Pizza Hut and found the rebranding of Pasta Hut stale and uninteresting. Objectives Objective 1: To introduce a healthy alternative within the pizza market. A motivational conflict arises for many people when thinking of going to Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut is seen by many people as a fast food restaurant and fast food restaurants are associated with unhealthy food and therefore obesity. This consciousness has become more apparent especially after such documentaries as Super Size Me in which Morgan Spurlock carries out a task in which for a whole 30 days he cant eat or drink anything that isnt on McDonalds menu (IMDB, 2009) This is why Pizza Hut needs to be more aware of looking after its customers health and to give a healthier option for the more diet conscious customers. Therefore the proposal is a selection of pizzas in which you get one of your five a day, these pizzas will also use low fat and low salt. There will also be an option to have wholemeal pizza base to help increase customers fibre content. Pizza Hut has already reduced their salt content in there pizzas; in some cases by as much as 30% (InfoFrancise, 2009), in the last 3 months and since 2007 removed hydrogenated vegetable oils from all its food items, but it is viewed that there is limited awareness of this option for consumers. Objective 2: To ensure that Pizza hut has a healthy alternative in their main product to react to competitors healthy versions. Although Pizza Hut has options of salad and healthy pastas, to compete with competitors there must be a healthy and interesting alternative for more health conscious people. This can be seen in fast food alternatives such as Subway in which there are 12 low fat options all under 6 grams of fat. Dominos, a main competitor of Pizza Hut have an option of reduced fat cheese in which it states 100% great taste, 33% less fat. Therefore to compete effectively with competitors such as Dominos, Pizza Hut needs to produce a campaign that offers a healthy range and then communicate this to their customers. One of the main customer bases are parents either looking for more sophisticated and healthier options for themselves when taking their children to Pizza Hut or for the health conscious parents who are worried about their children eating fast food, this campaign needs to party be aimed at them. Objective 3: To create a new image of Pizza Hut as a restaurant chain that cares and wants to keep its customers healthy. The image of Pizza Hut such as many other fast food restaurants to much of the public is associated with food that has high contents of fat and salt. As the rate of adult obesity is 23%, almost twice the level in France (The Daily Mail, 2009) and also by far the worst rate in Europe, much focus by the government has been put on campaigns to bring attention to this worrying statistic and assist the public with information on how to keep healthy. Therefore Pizza Hut has decided to bring out a new campaign and also through this, a new image of a restaurant that understands the growing issue of obesity and wants to provide and encourage its customers to choose healthy options when visiting Pizza Hut. Hopefully also this campaign should encourage a new customer base of customers due to becoming more health conscious have not visited Pizza Hut as frequently. It is also aimed to encourage existing customers to visit more frequently by relinquishing the guilt of eating food with a high calorific count. Marketing Strategy Pull strategy The healthy eating campaign is directed at end user customers in order to generate increased level of awareness, change and/or reinforce attitudes, reduce risk, encourage involvement and ultimately provoke a motivation within the target group. The campaign hopes to create a motivation for the consumer to therefore stimulate action within the target audience. The consumer expects the offer to be available to them when they decide to enquire, experiment or make a repeat purchase (Fill, 2009). The pull strategy requires the brand to allocate a large proportion of funds to advertising, this is especially so when using mass media and sales promotion. Pizza Hut aims at attaining the objectives of the pull strategy by using television and internet advertising. These advertising forms are seen as very credible examples of mass media as they have the ability for mass penetration which in turn reduces the unit cost of the advertising. This above-the-line communication is accentuated by the use of sales promotions which is a below-the-line communication. Sales promotion which is another aspect of the pull strategy, its aimed at creating a demand for the product in the consumers psyche, this creation of a want/need increases the likelihood of a purchase. The Marketing Communications Mix To ensure that our message manages to reach as much of the target audience as possible we have chosen to use the following communication approach. This approach uses a combination of advertising using two media forms, the internet and television. In accordance with the advertising, sales promotions and public relations will be carried out to hopefully guarantee the success of the campaign. Television The creation of television provided a new opportunity for widespread effective advertising. When viewing advertisements the public assesses what the advert conveys and how it conveys this message. This causes the public to evaluate aspects such as presentation, creative appeal as well as of course the message. Therefore due to impact that this powerful audio-visual tool can have on the audience, it is imperative that much consideration is given to the impression that is portrayed. One major benefit of television advertising is that it has a very high level of penetration. Statistics have shown that in the United Kingdom on average the public watches television for 28 hours per person per week (Nationmaster, 2009). This therefore provides a lucrative possibility for many corporations. Due to the audio-visual possibilities that television advertising provides it gives the advertisers an opportunity to utilize the creative potential and fully portray the message desired which consequently helps the brand to achieve its aspired goals. For the television advertisement, a brand such as Pizza Hut should produce adverts that are creative and entertaining but also ensures that the core message is clearly communicated. The advertisement must be appealing to keep the attention of the audience to hopefully limit the effect that surrounding noise and distractions may have. There is a tendency of many consumers to directly link the credibility of a brand with the credibility of the medium, and television advertising is perceived as a highly credible source to most audiences. Therefore the credibility of the Pizza Hut campaign has high chances of being enhanced if it associated with TV adverts. The television advertisement for the new campaign needs to be positively engaging on the emotional and psychological grounds. Our basic aim is to implement the pull strategy to create a demand for this new product category via the mass media. The target audience for the pizza hut campaign is the health conscious segment, but health consciousness is reflected in varied shades for different individuals, and this consideration is depicted in the television advertisement. The advertisement shows an ordinary British family consisting of a mother, a father and two teenagers; a son and a daughter. They are discussing what to have for dinner at the dining table. One option that is discussed is pizza, and it shows the four different perspectives of having pizza for dinner. The mothers standpoint is that pizza wouldnt be suitable as it is unhealthy and lacks proper nutrients for the family, while the daughters perspective is that she would have motivational conflicts due to the high calorie count and the diet she has been carrying out, the son also may have a similar negative perspective due an extensive work-out schedule that he has been keeping to and doesnt want to ruin and that father may be worried about blood pressure and cho lesterol that are common with his age and therefore the consensus is not to order a pizza even though everyone would enjoy the experience. A pizza base appears magically on their table and tops itself up with all the healthy ingredients like vegetables/grilled lean whit meat/low fat cheese etc, which adds to the health quotient of a pizza. The advert now describes the complete new range of healthy Pizzas from Pizza Hut. This advertisement aims to appeal to its audiences through an emotional stance. Understanding a mothers basic instinct to ensure the family keeps healthy, understanding many teenagers insecurities as well as understanding the worries about health for the majority of the aging population. The psychological perspective of this advert would be that people are enjoying a pizza without experiencing cognitive dissonance. The advert would have a strong visual appeal to create the sense that it would be delicious and full of flavour, this would be carried out with visually appealing colours of the topping as well as the surrounding background of the advert. The slogan used for this advert is Pizzas Just Got Healthier. This is a clear, strong slogan and it also communicates the core idea of the whole advertising campaign in lucid, simple language which is easily retained by consumers. The slogan also is able to depict an image of the brand which cares about its customers health through an product innovation. The sales promotion that is integrated into the campaign will be shown at the end of the advert with a change in the tonal quality of the speaker, this is aimed at getting the audience to pay attention at the moment when the majority of the information is relayed. Refer to Appendix A for story board. The last but not the least the advert would be following the Association Guideline within C4S Golden Guidelines; the television advertisement will be aired throughout a entertainment/comedy section, throughout the time period of 6pm to 8 pm. This time period would be a high reach period as it after school and work when more members of the family are at home. It would be most viable to relate the advert to the shared territory and common targeting aspect of the Association Guidelines. Internet Advertising The internet is described by many as a one of the most important inventions of the century. It has been a part of a major revolution in technological development worldwide. With the advent of web based advertising in 1994, it has become an extremely convenient method for many brands to reach to the greater masses at a relatively lower cost in comparison to traditional media. The current generation is highly dependent on the internet, and therefore advertising online in the form of banner ads, button ads, pop ups are the smart and viable options for many reputed brands. Potter (1994) estimates that web based marketing results in ten times the units sold at one tenth of the advertising budget, and thats one of the most important reasons to opt for an online advert. An added bonus also is that consumers have the option of watching the advert as many times as they wish and so are able to obtain all the information that the advert provides. The new Pizza Hut campaign focuses mainly on giving healthier alternatives when visiting Pizza Hut, mainly in the forms Healthy Pizzas. This should be highlighted clearly to the audience as this should create an interest that may cause possible customers to acquire more information about the campaign. Another rationale for using web based advertising is the higher chance of an instantaneous purchase, as long as there is a option of purchasing the product or service. This impulse purchase effect will occur especially with food producers such as Pizza Hut, as it satisfies a physiological need in Maslows hierarchy of needs. To hopefully ensure a purchase it would be advisable for Pizza Hut to have an option of Order Now and a link to the website. Public Relations Harris (1998) indicates the purpose of marketing PR is to gain awareness, stimulate sales, facilitate communication, and build relationships between consumers and companies and brands. This opportunity is an interesting prospect for Pizza Hut and alongside advertising may enable the campaign to reach more of the target audience. Pizza Hut can use its public relations agency to promote its products, services as well as its corporate identity. This is especially useful as the campaign is aiming for an image change, public relations will help communicate this change to many different groups of stakeholders. Corporate public relations is responsible for establishing understanding and trust with individuals who have a potential or actual interest in the organisation, (Kitchen, 1997). According to Gruning (1992), corporate PR is the management of communication between an organisation and its publics. These may include health organisations, local businesses, local education authorities and potential customers along with many more groups. Pizza Hut can use and associate the high credibility attached to this form of communication. (Fill et al, 2005) to create credibility and maintain the credibility of the brand. In order for Pizza Hut to be effective when carrying out its public relations, it will introduce newsletters informing the previously mentioned groups of what they are trying to do in its new health campaign. Pizza Hut could also evaluate the effectiveness of its public relations by offering readers the chance to comment on the company and any articles through the feedback form at the back of the newsletter. Pizza Hut has decided to put together an article with a major newspaper publisher about obesity levels and the new Pizza Hut healthy campaign. Public relations are often important at more of a corporate level and without this option Pizza Hut would struggle to be seen as a major food outlet. This can be seen as a form of publicity. Pizza Hut should also conduct a certain amount of public relations to its internal stakeholders such as staff and external stakeholders. Internally the employee magazine should be used and these cues should develop images and perceptions (Fill, 2005) in the mind of the stakeholders, internally as well as externally. Therefore the ability for public relations to reach a medium size audience and also portray a credible image indicates that Pizza Hut should be using PR as one of its communication tools. It must not be ignored however that public relations is more effective when integrated with other communication tools. By combining such tools as advertising with public relations it is possible to gain full national coverage something that would not necessarily be possible with other communication tools. Sales Promotions The institute of sales promotion (2004) defines sales promotion as a planned and implemented activity that both enhances product or service appeal and changes customer behaviour positively in return for an additional benefit for purchase or participation. (Yeshin, 2006) According to Yeshin (2006) sales promotion can function on three levels by communicating, catching the customers attention at the point of purchase'(Yeshin, 2006) as well as providing extra information that may influence the purchase decision. Sales promotions can also provide an incentive by offering some form of direct inducement, either immediate or delayed, which changed the perceptual base of the purchasing decision. (Yeshin, 2006) Sales promotions can also advance the purchasing decision and invite the consumer to engage in an immediate transaction. (Yeshin, 2006) Therefore there is a strong rationale for using sales promotions in the new Pizza Hut campaign. The ability to create a product trial and sampling is necessary aspect for the success of the campaign. Once attracting customers to try the new healthier pizza range, this hopefully will encourage repeat purchases and create a loyalty to the brand. Through this loyalty there will hopefully be an increase in frequency of purchase as well as different usage. The sales promotions that Pizza Hut are planning on integrating into the campaign are such as a grouping with Innocent Smoothies. Innocent Smoothies is a good association with this campaign as it is a well known smoothie brand which is related heavily with being healthy and prides itself on only using 100% natural, healthy renewable ingredients. (Innocent Drinks, 2009) have also already had success with the health conscious target audience already and so will create added value in the mind of this audience. The promotion that Pizza Hut is running is a Meal Deal in which a choice of healthy pizzas accompanied with either an innocent smoothie or a side salad. This Meal Deal will be set at  £4.99. Through these promotions there will hopefully be an increase in market share due to brand switching. A pull strategy will occur in which consumer decides to choose Pizza Hut over competing brands. Unlike some other tools of marketing communication, which work over a longer term, sales promotion produces rapid results and return on investment is often substantial. However it will be used along side with other marketing communication tools for this campaign so as to bring about an integrated marketing communication approach. Scheduling and Implementation All the creatives for the campaign will be carried out via an agency used by Pizza Hut on previous successful campaigns. As commented on the agencies website regarding the results of one of their campaigns. The following year Pizza Hut UK reported their best-ever financial results and achieved the goals in their five-year plan a year early (Cchange, 2009) Media Planning essentially means the process of establishing the exact media vehicles to be used for advertising. (Entrepreneur, 2009) After having defined our specific target group which is the Health Conscious customers, and using a pull strategy, the media planning would automatically be done for the mass media, and TV and web based advertising have been chosen based on their wider reach at a relatively lower cost. The media planning has been done keeping in mind the following aspects:- Reach. Shown as a percentage, reach is the number of individuals (or homes) the product is aimed to be exposed to through specific media scheduled over a given period of time. (Entrepreneur, 2009) Frequency. Using specific media, on average how many times an audience be exposed to the advertising message? It takes an average of three or more exposures to an advertising message before consumers take action. (Entrepreneur, 2009) Cost per point. Whats the cost of buying one rating point for the target audience; which equals one percent of target audience, its a method used in comparing broadcast media. Impact. Does the medium used create opportunities when appealing to the senses, such as sight and hearing, in its design and production? Selectivity. To what extent can the message be limited to the people who are known to be the most realistic prospects. The distribution in this case is direct B2C as the pull strategy is used extensively which aims at minimizing the distribution channels. Both the TV and web adverts will be aired January to August, and this timescale is chosen to synergize the idea of healthy pizzas with people trying to be on a diet and lose weight during the summer when the public is more inclined to exposing themselves to d summer sun, and a fit body is an added advantage to that. Resources Budgeting The below table indicates the budget used during the previous years and hence the marketing campaigns will be based around these figures. Leading pizza restaurants and takeaway chains have increased their spend over the past few years. (Mintel, 2009). Therefore as this will be Pizza Huts biggest campaign of 2010 a sizable budget will be assigned. This will be set at between 15-20% of their annual marketing spend assigned to this new healthy pizza campaign. The campaigns will be targeted from January to August. The reasoning behind this is as the New Year is a time when people are beginning to make resolutions about their diet. The lead up to the holiday season summer should also be heavily targeted as many people will want to get in shape for their holidays and gain the perfect body. PR The PR agency will be held by Pizza Hut on a retainer basis of  £2,000 a month. The benefit for Pizza Hut is that most agencies will sacrifice some time recovery for the sake of certainty, so the client will always get better value through paying a regular fixed amount. (B2bm, 2009) TV TV adverts cost have been calculated on the following basis. In general TV adverts are bought on a cost per thousand viewer basis, most channels offer discounts on ITVs standard price of  £5.69* per thousand viewers. (TV Advertising, 2009) Since the advertisements will be carried out during peak evening and afternoon times when the family are together a higher rating will be achieved as a result a high budget has been set for this. As commented by where on the earth group the average budget for producing a 30 second commercial in the UK is around  £140,000 (Ehereontheearthgroup, 2009). Hence this is the budget set for the creative of the TV advert. On-Line Advertising. The banner advertising budget will be based on the fact that a banner ad on Yahoo! would cost you anywhere between $2,000 to $5,000 per month. (Benchmark communications, 2009). In pounds that is roughly 1,500- 3500 a month. As other companies such as MSN will be used a sizable budget will be used every month. Pop up ads will be budgeted in a similar manner to this. The micro site development costs will be based up the design of the site and hosting by an agency including having SEO developed within the site. Sales promotions The main cost associated with these will be creative and done by the agency with the main cost be associated with printing of the sales promotion materials such as leaflets and inserts into the menus. As this is to be done nationwide the costs are expectedly high. Evaluation and Control Evaluation is important for two reasons. Firstly, as marketing becomes more important to management, performance of these campaigns increasingly affect remuneration. (Les Binet, 2005) Secondly, what you measure influences what you do. If you evaluate things correctly, then you are able to increase profits by ensuring marketing funds are spent sensibly. If you evaluate things inaccurately there is a risk you marketing priorities will be distorted and funds assigned incorrectly. (Les Binet, 2005) This campaign will be evaluated using the measuring techniques below: Recall and recognition:-In order to check the awareness level the target audience have about the advert the recall test will be used to check how many times viewers spontaneously remember the advert and how well they are able to recognised it when taken away and brought back Sales- The level of sales generated during this campaign will be compared to previous sales, this will help when evaluating the impact of the sales promotion and advertising on the target audience. Web site tracking: There will also be a comparison of traffic on the website before and after the campaign. Online advertising: The click through rate that is the percentage of viewers who click on a banner advert would also be tracked. References De Avila, J. (2008). Home Family Shopping Around / Healthier Pizzas. Wall Street Journal. D.2. Potter,E. (1994). Commercialization of the World Wide Web. Well Topic in the Internet Conference on Well. Fill, C (2005). Marketing strategies and concepts engagements, strategies and practice. 4th ed. Pearsons Education Ltd. p36 793. Gruning, J (1992). Excellence in Public Relations and Communications Management. New Jearsy: Lawrence Erlbaum. P18 307 Hackley, C (2005). Advertising and promotion communicating brands. Sage Publications. p25 209. Harris, T (1998). Value Added Public Relations. Chicargo: Business Book. p 14 199. Kitchen, P (1997). Relations Principles and Practice. London: Thomson Business. p22 178. B2BM (2009). Agency remuneration revisited. Available: http://www.b2bm.biz/features/?groupId=13225articleId=24367. Last accessed on 4th December 2009. Benchmark communications. (2009). Available: http://www.bmcommunications.com/int_ad.htm. Last accessed 4th December 2009. CChange. (2005). How We Help. Available: http://www.cchange.co.uk/. Last accessed 1st December 2009. Director. (2009). 10 THINGS we discovered last month. Available: http://0-search.ebscohost.com.wam.leeds.ac.uk/login.aspx?direct=truedb=buhAN=39349129site=bsi-live). Last accessed 30 November 2009 Entrepreneur. (2009). Media Planning. Available: http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/term/82454.html. Last accessed 1st December 2009. Greenwich Gazzette. (2009). Pizza Hut is proud to sponsor National Family Week the biggest offcial celebration of families. Available: http://thegreenwichgazette.blogspot.com/2009/05/pizza-hut-is-proud-to-sponsor-national.html. Last accessed 2th December 2009. IMDb. (2004). Plot Summary for Super Size Me. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390521/plotsummary. Last accessed 5th December 2009. Info Franchise. (2008). New healthy menus at Pizza Huts. Available: http://www.infofranchise.co.uk/detail.cfm?IdNotizia=11136IdSezione=3strKey=en. Last accessed 4th December 2009. Innocent. (2009). Keeping things natural. Available: http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/us/ethics/keeping_natural/. Last accessed 29th November 2009. Jack, L. (2008). Pizza Hut rebrands to Pasta Hut . Available: http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/in-depth-analysis/pizza-hut-rebrands-to-pasta-hut/2062734.article. Last accessed 4th December 2009. Luan, G. (2009). Pizza Hut claims boom in sales over Christmas places it top of online food chain. New Media Age. Available: http://0-search.ebscohost.com.wam.leeds.ac.uk/login.aspx?direct=truedb=buhAN=36560617site=bsi-live Last accessed 2nd December 2009. Martin, D. (2009). Britain sickest country in Europe with worst rates of obesity and teenage pregnancy. Available: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1129964/Britain-sickest-country-Europe-worst-rates-obesity-teenage-pregnancy.html. Last accessed 27th November 2009. Marketing. (2008). Dominos breaks menu price vow. Marketing. Available: http://0-search.ebscohost.com.wam.leeds.ac.uk/login.aspx?direct=truedb=buhAN=32135052site=bsi-live . Last accessed 30th November 2009. Marketing. (2008). Eating out. Marketing. Available: http://0-search.ebscohost.com.wam.leeds.ac.uk/login.aspx?direct=truedb=buhAN=32135123site=bsi-live. Last Accessed 2nd December 2009. Marketing. (2009). Pizza Hut in ATM activity. Marketing. Available: http://0-search.ebscohost.com.wam.leeds.ac.uk/login.aspx?direct=truedb=buhAN=36441379site=bsi-live). Last accessed 2nd December 2009. Market Watch. (2009). Pizza Hut: nutrition on the menu Food. Market Watch: Global Round-up. Available: http://0search.ebscohost.com.wam.leeds.ac.uk/login.aspx?direct=truedb=buhAN=36888427site=bsi-live. Last accessed 2nd December 2009. Mintel. (2009). Pizza-UK 2009. Available: ht

How To Achieve The American Dream

How To Achieve The American Dream How does one achieve the American Dream? The answer undoubtedly depends upon ones definition of the Dream. John Winthrop envisioned a religious paradise in a City upon a Hill. Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed of racial equality. Barack Obama holds the belief of reclaiming the American Dream. All men dreamed for what they perceived as perfection. Yet the question remains, how does one achieve this success? How is the Dream realized? Americans have traditionally devoted their efforts to thrift and hard work. During the Colonial Period, Benjamin Franklin showed an example that Early to Bed, and early to rise, makes a Man healthy, wealthy, and wise. Americans of the Early Republic dreamed the country to be democratic and powerful on world stage. Abraham Lincoln insisted that the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. During Westward Movement and the Civil War, many Americans experienced profound hardship and they overcame adversity through industry, perseverance, self-reliance, and self-discipline. The popular rags to riches legend became a landmark of American society; anyone could succeed and achieve wealth if they worked hard. There is no denying that the shift away from the traditional American work ethic corresponded directly with the rise of industry. Work values changed dramatically when America became an industrial society. Many Americans no longer regard hard work as the only means to success. They want to cut corners in pursuit of wealth, fame and success. The results of their efforts can be imagined, no one can change his fate without hard work. They have to face the cruel reality that the dream turn out to be illusion. Chapter One Definition of the American Dream What is the American Dream? It has been a classical question asked not only by foreigners, but more often by Americans themselves. Many historians and sociologists tend to hold different opinions. At the same time, an ordinary American citizen cant define it accurately due to its complexity. That is to say, everyone has his own understanding of the definition of the American Dream. Taking many factors concerned into consideration, a conclusion can be achieved that the American Dream can be interpreted from two categories. Firstly, the maximum American Dream. It refers to the national dream that contains the desire for freedom, equality and democracy and to be a powerful country on world stage. On the other hand, the minimum dream. It belongs to the common people. For most of them, the American Dream turns out to be closely related to their daily life. It can be regarded as these specific goals, such as receiving higher education, living a happy life with good salary, keeping a good h ealth, and having a superior social status. In order to understand the abundant definitions of the American Dream, we have to comprehend the origin and development of the American Dream. It is the American people and history that shape the meaning of the American Dream. Since the birth of the United States in 1776, the definition of the American Dream has changed over the course of history. The origin of the American Dream can be traced back to the period of colonization. The American Dream is a national ethos in terms of the promise of prosperity and success. The ethos indicates the ability that everyone can gain his fortune and make progress through his participation and hard-work. With regard to the American Dream, this includes the possibility for ones children to grow up and receive a good education and career without artificial barriers. Its the opportunity to make individual choices without the prior restrictions that limit people with respect to their class, religion, race or ethnicity. Historian James Truslow Adams firstly put forward the phrase American Dream in his 1931 book Epic of America: The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, also too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position. He also wrote: The American Dream, which has lured tens of millions of all nations to our shores in the past century, has not been a dream of material plenty, though that has doubtlessly counted heavily. It has been a dream of being able to grow to fullest development as a man and woman, unhampered by the barriers which had slowly been erected in the older civilizations, unrepressed by social orders which had developed for the benefit of classes rather than for the simple human being of any and every class. Martin Luther King Jr. in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail stated that the civil rights movement was in the quest for the black peoples American dream: We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands. . . . when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters they were in reality standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judeo-Christian heritage, thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The president Barack Obama delivered his victory speech after he won the presidential campaign: If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. Chapter Two Origin of the American Dream 2.1 A New Land In 1492, Columbus finished his voyage with the support from the King of Spain. He believed that by sailing west from Europe, he could reach Asia. He never succeeded, but instead he landed on the islands in the Caribbean Sea and discovered the New World. This great geographic discovery of the New World opened the door to European settlers. In 1497, an Italian sailor, John Cabot who was financed by the English King, arrived in todays Canada. Soon the English King claimed that the whole of the territory of North American belonged to England. In order to enforce this claim, the Englishmen began to establish permanent settlements in North America. The early 17th century was the beginning of a great tide of emigrates from Europe to North America. Spanning more than three hundred years, this movement grew from a trickle of a few hundred English colonists to a flood of millions of newcomers. Impelled by powerful and diverse motivations, many European emigrates left their homelands for the New Land. Most of them tried to escape economic and political oppression, to seek the freedom to practice their religion, or to find opportunities denied them at home. 2.2 Europe in the 16th and 17th century During the Middle Ages, Europe was under the single spiritual authority of the Roman Catholic Church. The feudal system prevailed during this period of time. The peasants were tied to the soil and had to suffer the economic and political oppression. Merchants and craftsmen were handicapped by the social disorders. By the 16th century, some new and powerful social forces began to emerge which led to great changes in Europe and the development of America. First of all, its the development of capitalism. Take the historical event Enclosure Movement for instance. The Commercial Revolution had created a burgeoning textile industry, which demanded an increasing supply of wool to keep the looms running. Landlords enclosed farmlands and evicted the peasants for the purpose of sheep cultivation. Colonial expansion turned to be an outlet for these displaced peasant population. The second major force that brought about the modern development of Europe was the Renaissance, which was marked by a changing outlook on life. The Renaissance spoke highly of the nature of humanity. The God-centered world was challenged by the wide spread of science and technology. People began to be more confident in themselves and showed more interest in the world. The third influential force was the Religious Reformation, a religious reform movement that started from Germany, then spread over the continent of Europe. In 1517, Martin Luther argued that the Pope and church had no right to take advantage of the people for the remission of sins. He protested against the Catholic Church because of the power of abuse and corruption. Another man, John Calvin started his reform movement after Martin Luther. Calvinism soon prevailed in England and attracted many followers. In England, King Henry à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ disagreed with the Roman Catholic Church on many political issues. On the other hand, he wanted to end his marriage with the Queen but without the permission from the Pope. At last, King Henry à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and established the Church of England, and he became the head of the Church of England himself. These religion reforms all challenged the authority of the Pope and the Catholic Church which controlled peoples religious beliefs and interfered in political affairs of the nations. During the religious upheavals of the 16th century, a group of people who discontent in the Church of England and worked towards religious, moral and social reforms. They were called the Puritans. The puritans were deeply influenced by Calvinism and thought that the Church of England had become a product of political struggles and attempted to purify the Church. Such puritan beliefs were against the Church of England and undermined royal authority, so they were cruelly persecuted. Some of them were threw into prison and even executed for their religious beliefs. In order to escape persecution from Church and the King, many of the puritans came to North America. 2.3 The Early Settlement The first British permanent settlement was founded in 1607 at Jamestown, Virginia. This was organized by the London Company with a charter which King James à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚  granted. According to the Jamestown founder John Smith, he held the opinion that Heaven and Earth never agreed better to frame a place for mans habitation The second English settlement was established in Massachusetts Bay. It was founded by the puritans who separated themselves from the Church of England. In 1620, a small group of puritans took the ship Mayflower and left for North America. When they reached their destination, they drafted an agreement which was called the Mayflower Compact and was signed by all the men on board. The Mayflower Compact played a significant role in history. It was regarded as the first attempt of American democratic experience to set up a civil government for the public. More importantly, the far-reaching political principles set by the Compact laid down the foundations of the democratic government. The puritans hoped to build a city upon hill-an ideal community where they would live in strict with their religious beliefs and set an example for all of Christendom. The puritans had left rich cultural legacies to future Americans. The American values such as individualism, hard work, respect of education own very much to the puritan beliefs. 2.4 The American Revolution Through the 18th century, the maturing British North American colonies inevitably forged a distinct identity. By the early 1760s, the 13 colonies in North America had developed a similar American pattern in politics, economy and cultural life. At the same time, the population grew vastly and they had long years of self-government to deal with their own issues. In September 1774, the First Continental Congress, a meeting of colonial leaders who opposed British oppression in the colonies met in Philadelphia. These leaders urged Americans to disobey and boycott British ruling. At the same time, they began to organize militias to defend themselves. On April 19, 1775, the first shot was fired when 700 British soldiers went to capture a colonial arms depot in Lexington. Thus the American war of Independence began. 2.4.1 Common Sense In January 1776, Thomas Paine, a radical political theorist who had come to America from England in 1774 published a pamphlet Common Sense. Paine had already sensed the rise of tension and the spirit of rebellion. In the pamphlet, Paine attacked the hereditary monarchy, criticized the men who ruled as Kings, and called for the people to discard the loyalty to the King and the British Empire. He presented two choices -continued submission to a tyrannical King and an evil government, or liberty and happiness as a self-sufficient, independent republic. Common Sense soon came to be a best-seller, which greatly inspired the peoples awareness of independence. 2.4.2 Declaration of Independence In July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence which was drafted by Thomas Jefferson adopted by the Congress. The Declaration officially proclaimed the independence of 13 North America colonies: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. The Declaration not only announced the birth of a new nation, but also put forward with the idea of human freedom and democracy. The Declaration was deeply influenced by the Enlightenment political philosophy, especially from the English political philosopher John Locke. John Locke came up with the social-contract theory of government. Only a government based on popular consent could secure natural rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Thomas Jefferson linked Lockes principles directly to the situation in the colonies. Thus, to fight for American independence was to fight on behalf of ones own natural rights. The War of Independence came to end in 1781 with the victory of North America. The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783 and the sovereignty of 13 colonies was acknowledged by British government. The new United States stretched west to the Mississippi River, north to Canada, and south to Florida. 2.5 Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin was one of the founding fathers of the United States. He was born in a poor family that had little money to send him to school. He didnt graduate with two years school learning but he continued his education through greedy self-learning. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin vividly depicted his personal experience from a poor and lowliness boy to be a rich and famous man. All his progress he had made belonged to his own efforts to be excellent, the longing for success and the pursuit of magnificent moral. Benjamin Franklin was deeply influenced by the Enlightenment and Puritanism. He devoted himself to practice the values of thrift, hard work. He advocated democracy with self-governing institutions, and opposed to authoritarianism both political and religious. From the Autobiography, the process of realizing American Dream can be seen clearly. Undoubtedly, the meaning of Benjamin Franklins success goes far beyond himself, and is thought-provoking to many Americans. Franklin set a good example for other people to follow and his experience is the best explanation of the American Dream. Chapter Three Development of the American Dream 3.1 The Political System The Treaty of Pairs in 1783 recognized the independence of the United States and the former 13 colonies became 13 states of America. Although the Declaration of Independence proclaimed that 13 colonies are, and of right to be free and independent states, they had no idea about the future political system of the United States. They had to face the fact that a new nation couldnt grow well without a suitable and effective political system. 3.1.1The Federal Constitution When the American Revolution was over, the United States was not one unified nation as it is today. According to the Articles of Confederation, each state had its own government and handled all of its internal affairs. To make matters worse, the Congress didnt have the authority to ask any state to do anything. For example, it could not tax any citizen or to regulate commence among the states. Faced with domestic difficulties and outside challenge and threat from European powers, a more powerful and effective government was desperately needed in order to safeguard independence and freedom. Only in this way could each state work together and the country be powerful enough to protect the peoples interests. First of all, a Constitution was badly needed to replace the Articles of Confederation. The delegates from 12 states without Rhode Island attended the Constitution Convention in 1787. During the convention, James Madison, later the forth President of the United States, took a leading role with his remarkable contributions to the work of Constitution, and earned him the title Father of the Constitution. After over three months discussions, debates and compromises, the Constitution came out at last. The Preamble to the Constitution states the purpose of the government: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. 3.1.2 Three Branches of Government According to the Constitution, a federal system was set up with a strong central government. To protect the democracy and defend against a tyranny, the government consists of three parts, the executive, the legislative and the judicial. Each branch has powers that the others do not have and each branch has a way of limiting any wrongful action by another branch. This is called the principle of checks and balances 3.1.3 Bill of Rights The Constitution of 1787 didnt make it clear to protect individual rights. The calls for amendments protecting individual rights were quickly solved by Congress. In 1791, Congress adopted ten amendments to make them part of the Constitution. To all Americans, they are known as the Bill of Rights. According to it, Americans have the freedom of speech, press, religion and the right to assemble peacefully, protest and demand changes. 3.2 Westward Movement Westward Movement was one of the solemn and meaningful parts of American history. In the extension of American boundaries from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast, the nation occupied vast land in the middle and west. The frontier moved in a westward direction for nearly 300 years across the wilderness and barren plains. The road to the west was full of difficulties and danger, but these settlers went on and never gave up. Go west and grow with the county became a famous motto to these settlers. Once an English traveler described these frontier settlers as a daring, hardly race of men, who live in miserable cabin.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ They are unpolished but hospitable, kind to strangers, honest and trustworthyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Frederick Jackson Turner was one of the most renowned American historians and an advocate of Westward Movement. He declared that the frontier was significant in American history and made America more than an extension of Europe. It had created a nation with a culture that was different from Europe, not only more pragmatic and energetic, but also more emphasis on individuality and democracy. Its hard to believe that three centuries of Westward Movement had no impact on the national character. For the descendents of European, they explored the Wild West land with the purpose of making a better life. They were usually described as the pioneers of American, and full of courage and intelligence. They made remarkable progress to the development of the country. On the other hand, the negative effects of Westward Movement should not be ignored. There is no denying that Westward Movement was a bloody and brutal process. America pillaged the land of Texas, New Mexico and California through a war of conquest against Mexico. Its a nightmare for Native Americans because of the ruthless treatment from American whites. Also it caused the destruction of the natural environment in the west. 3.3 The Civil War During the 1850s, the issue of slavery severed the political bonds that held the United States together. The appeal for abolishing slavery had aroused deep concern all over the country. In 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Toms Cabin; a novel portrayed the cruelty of slavery and pointed out the fundamental conflict between North and South. American had to face the fact that America was both a freedom-loving and slave-holding society. The issue of slavery had impeded the further development of the nation. Abraham Lincoln had long regarded slavery as an evil. He believed that slavery should be restricted and eventually abolished. In 1858, Lincoln declared that: A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half-slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved-I do not expect the house to fall-but I do expect it will cease to be divided. 3.3.1 Emancipation Proclamation Emancipation Proclamation was one of the greatest documents in American history. It played a significant role during the Civil War. The preliminary Emancipation Proclamation declared that all slaves in states rebelling against the Union were free. In practical terms, the proclamation had little immediate impact. It freed slaves only in the Confederate states, while leaving slavery intact in the Union. The final Emancipation Proclamation authorized the recruitment of African Americans into the union army. Emancipation Proclamation was just the beginning of the efforts toward abolishment of slavery. The 13th Amendment to the Constitution adopted in 1865 by Congress finally abolished slavery. 3.3.2 Gettysburg Address The Gettysburg Address is a speech by President Abraham Lincoln and is one of the best-known speeches in history. It was delivered at the dedication of the solders national cemetery in Gettysburg. Battle of Gettysburg was regarded as the turning point in the Civil War. Lincoln invoked the principles of human equality stated by the Declaration and redefined the Civil War as a struggle not merely for the Union, but as a new birth of freedom that would bring true equality to all of its citizens and ensure the survival of Americans democracy, that the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. 3.4 A Society of Affluence Between two great wars-the Civil War and the First World War-the United States came of age. In a period of less than 50 years it was transformed from a rural country to an urban nation. Great changes had taken place around the country. The last decades of the 19th century were a period of imperial expansion for the United States. With the development of its power, America started to pursue its own national dream-to be a powerful country on the world stage. In order to safeguard its own interests, the United States had to stake out spheres of economic influence. More generally, the doctrine of manifest destiny first used to justify Americas expansion. Some Americans expressed their discontent with the character of modern life in the 1920s. The decade was called the Jazz Age, the Roaring Twenties, or the era of flaming youth. World War I had overturned the traditional social and moral order. Mass prosperity enabled an open and hedonistic life style for the people. The aftermath of World War II exacerbated the ethical shift as a consumer culture blossomed and Americans became preoccupied with material goods. As one critic noted, consumed by desires for status, material goods, and acceptance, Americans apparently had lost the sense of individuality, thrift, hard work, and craftsmanship that had characterized the nation.The result of this shift in work ethic had actually spurred rather than lessened the peoples desire to achieve the American Dream. People lost their traditional values, beliefs and the motive force to success, and felt cheated by the society. They found that the dream in the past turned out to be an illusion; The American Dream didnt exist at all. 3.5 The Disadvantaged Groups In the United States, any group other than the dominant white Anglo-Saxon Protestant majority is a minority group in American society. These racial and ethnic minorities mainly refer to the blacks, Native Americans, the Hispanics, and Asian Americans. Although they are the minority groups, they should have been treated equal and own the rights as same as the whites. They also have their desires for the American Dream. Take the blacks for instance; their dreams were deeply rooted in the American dream. Although black slaves were emancipated as a result of the Civil War and granted basic civil rights according to the 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution, there was still a huge gap between the whites and blacks. During the mid-1950s, Civil Rights Movement reached its peak. Protest movement against racial segregation and discrimination became widespread in the southern America. This movement rooted in the centuries-long efforts of African slaves and their descendents to resist racial oppression and abolish the institution of slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. was a prominent leader in the Civil Rights Movement. He was famous for his work to end racial segregation and discrimination by the means of nonviolent methods. So he won his fame from the whole world and became a Nobel Peace Prize winner. King led the march on Washington, where he delivered his speech-I Have a Dream. From the words below, the cry for the blacks American dream was obviously expressed. I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. 3.6 A New Age 3.6.1The American Dream under the economic crisis The financial crisis from 2007 until now is considered to be the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The collapse of the housing bubble triggered the economic crisis which resulted in the bankruptcy of large financial institutions and downturns in stock markets all around the world. It contributes to the large number of the unemployed, the decline of consumer wealth. Many families have no money to pay the debts of housing mortgage loan and lose the job to make a living. Americans have to face the fact that American Dream turned out to be an illusion once again. They have to sell out their cars and houses, cut down the expense of family and education for kids Home ownership is one of the most important symbols in the traditional American Dream. But now the owner of the house is turning to the slave of the house. The people are tired of tax cuts for the wealthy that shift the burden to the backs of working people. They are tired of waiting years for the increase of wage while CEOs pays are soaring. They are tired of living without health care and falling into poverty. 3.6.2 Barack Obama: Reclaiming the American Dream Barack Obama is the first African-American President in history. His story is regarded as an example of the American Dream. His father came from Kenya and mother was from Kansas. With the help from his grandparents, he was raised in Hawaii. Hard work and education were the means of getting ahead. The year of 2008 was not only the year of election, but also in the midst of economic crisis. Its a period of hard time for most of Americans. During the presidential election, a lot of Americans were deeply touched by Barack Obamas election slogan Change We Need. It aroused echoes in their hearts. Just as Obama said, The time has come to bridge the growing divide between Main Street and Wall Street. The American Dream is slipping out of reach. During the process of campaigning for President, Obama expressed the idea of reclaiming the American Dream many times. He believed that the American Dreams were worth fighting for because it belonged to every American. Its the dream of his grandfather who serviced in the army and moved his family west in search of opportunity. Its the dream of his grandmother who got up at dawn and worked twice as hard at her job because a woman had to work harder to go ahead. Its the dream of his father who crossed an ocean because America offered the light to him. Its the dream of his mother who was a single mom and knew the meaning of life. Chapter Four Comments on the American Dream The American Dream as the motive force has inspired Americans to chase the happiness and perfectness. On the other hand, theres no denying that the huge gap between dream and reality does exist. Many Americans have to face the fact that their dreams turn out to be nothing. After hundred years of development, the definition of American Dream has changed over the course of history. The spirit of thrift advocated by the Puritanism has been replaced by the extreme individualism. Many people and companies aspire to material wealth by hook or by crook regardless of justice and moral principles. America was founded on the principle of human equality, but in practice the nation has fallen far short of that ideal. The inequality is not simply a matter of distinctions between social classes. The class divisions often parallel racial and ethnical divisions. American society is dominated by Anglo-Saxon whites. They were the first settlers and quickly took control of economic assets and political power in America, and they have maintained this control until now. Immigrants from other nations have had to struggle hard to become assimilated into the mainstream of American life. Some have shared in the American Dream, but other disadvantaged groups have been excluded by different kinds of barriers from equal participation in American life. To a small number of people, they realize the American Dream and hav

Modern technologys effect on ecology :: essays research papers

?It is because of those scientists? inventions.? ?Modern technology owes ecology an apology!? This is what some people say when the read the news about haze, deforestation, extinction of flora and fauna and global warming. They blame modern technology, the materials and ideas developed in the last century to assist humans in their activities, for the deterioration of ecology. The ecological cycle has been very much disturbed by the developments humankind have achieved. Despite these allegations, we should stop and think, does modern technology really owe ecology an apology? For what reason does it owe ecology an apology? Is it because it took away its attractiveness and reduced attention and respect to nature?s beauty? Is it because it harmed the environment? Has all modern technology harmed Mother Nature? I think modern technology does owe ecology an apology as some but not all of it has negatively affected the ecology. First of all, let?s examine the consequences of modern technology on the environment. Modern technology indeed has harmed the environment. It created bulldozers, cranes, guns, nuclear weapons and other dangerous equipments that have been used by man to clear forests for the sake of urbanization. Nuclear weapons that have been used in wars such as the one that was detonated in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 has left a huge impact on the environment.

Automobile Air Pollution :: essays research papers

Automobile Air Pollution Efforts to improve the standard of living for humans, through the control of nature and the development of new products have also resulted in the pollution of the environment. Much of the world's air, water, and land is now partially poisoned by pollution. Some places have become uninhabitable. This pollution exposes people all around the globe to new risks from disease. Many species of plants and animals have become endangered or are now extinct. The air pollution comes from lots of sources but the paper will be about air pollution cause by automobiles. As a result of tremendous amount of air pollution, primarily for automobile governments have passed laws to limit or reverse the threat of environmental pollution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are lots of sources other than the automobile for air pollution. Nature itself is one of the causes. Sometime nature causes the air pollution by activities like a forest fire, volcanic, hurricane. These are temporary dislocations that nature balances and accommodates to modern economic development, however, sometimes disrupts nature's delicate balance. The other source is from factories. Factories are release smokes and chemical in the air. In many places smoke from factories and cars combines with naturally occurring fog to form smog and create a midday sky. It had happened in London, â€Å"London, England, has been subjected to the danger of smog, long recognized as a potential cause of death, especially for elderly persons and those with severe respiratory ailments† (pollution).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Transportation by car though, is the major source of air pollution. Early in the century human invented, internal combustion engine, engine that use fuel as gasoline or diesel. Those engines were used to manufacture an automobile for fast travel from one place to another. Because they were not much in use, those few cars were not enough to threat the environment. Those engines were not fast enough so mastermind humans invented bigger and faster engines and those take more fuel. When these engines burn fuels they introduce smoke and other, less visible, by products. Once they are released into the air, the products of incomplete combustion, particulate matter (soot, ash, and other solids), unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, various nitrogen oxides, ozone, and lead, undergo a series of chemical reactions in the presence of sunlight. The result is the dense haze characteristic of smog. â€Å"Smog may appear brownish in color when it contains hig h concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, or it may look blue-gray when it contains large amounts of ozone† (Danger).

Psy/265 Sexuality at Different Life Stages Essay

There are changes in every stage of life including sexual changes that follow us as we grow older. With the following scenario’s that talk about the different points of our awareness and stages of sexual relationships, I will suggest from a counselors perspective ways to help each person in the settings presented. The first case is Anna, an adolescent girl, is very much in love with her boyfriend who is three years older than she. He is putting a lot of pressure on her to have sex. At the same time, she is anxious about her parents’ attitude towards her boyfriend. Her mother constantly warns her about dating an older boy and assumes that he intends to take advantage of her. The first thing I would go about is setting a relaxed and comfortable exchange to allow Anna to express her own opinions, in doing so I would simply ask her what she feels about having sex with her boyfriend, not how her parents feel, not how her boyfriend feels, but how does she feel about it. I would then ask her is she was prepared to have sex, has she discussed with her boyfriend what precautions they would take, and what they would be prepared to do if something happened and she became pregnant. Some of the questions would be directed towards her once I could visually observe her, I would ask her if she was feeling peer pressure to have sex, or if her boyfriend was pressuring her to have sex. I would also explain that sometimes it is okay to say no to sex and just because her friends say they have or are encouraging her to have sex does not necessarily mean it is the right decision for her. I would also enter into a discussion of what sex means to her, and bring about the questions to see if she feels if she does not have sex with him she would perhaps loose him. I would recommend to her that she see a gynecologist or her family doctor to further explore all the birth control options and make sure she understands that even though it is a shared responsibility with her and her boyfriend, she should make sure she is practicing safe sex. For me I would also mention that her mother is concerned, because Anna is her daughter. I would ask her if she had any questions for me, and then assure her that what ever we discuss is between us and she can feel free to come to talk with me at anytime. I would also tell her to take all the time she needed to come to her decision, and make it because it is what is right for her. I am a realist, and all we can do is provide the kids with good information and hope that we have given them enough of it for them to make a decision that is right and safe for them. Tom and Susan are an elderly couple. Tom has been retired for several years, and Susan is more recently retired. She has shown a renewed interest in sexual activity. Tom has not reciprocated Susan’s interest as he is anxious about his sexual ability at this age. I feel it would be best to first address some issues with Tom and see if he felt there was a possible physical reason that perhaps he had not brought up prior to this. Several factors may play a role in sexual inactivity including declining activity, physical problems, boredom, and attitudes about sex among older people. If he was having physical issues I would suggest to him that perhaps he should see his physician about some of the things that may help in this area. Many men have problems with erections due to stress and other factors, and when you can get to the cause of it, there is often help for it. I would discuss with them about Susan’s recent retirement and see if that change has triggered her to have some extra energy and less stress from not having a regular scheduled job. I would suggest that they try date night, or think about activities or things that used to make them feel more romantic, and suggest that they try to stop thinking about it and just let it naturally occur. Go out and do things that make you both happy, couple things, individual things, get to know each other again because in a sense that is what they are doing, getting to know each other again. I would encourage them to communicate and talk about things, not turn the television on or the phone on when they go to bed, and discuss their needs openly with each other and figure out what will meet both of their needs. Bill has been paralyzed from the waist down since he was a child. He is involved in a romantic relationship and wishes to be intimate with his partner but is unsure how to express his interest. Bill becomes very nervous and uncomfortable when talking about this subject Sex and the ability to have sex with a partner and have a long term intimate relationship is desired as much by people with a disability as it is with most people. The amount of physical sexual function and ability to feel pleasure or pain sensation is often the first thing they think of, raising fear and anxiety. Yet it is something we all desire because sex enriches our lives and brings us to understanding and closer relationships with our partners. People with a physical disability often have a poor self body image, thinking they are damaged goods, broken, somehow less than. These feelings are normal you should talk about them with your partner, but don’t dwell on them. Healthy love making is about pleasing your partner. Often people in Bill’s situation find excitement and release simply from the closeness of pleasuring their partner. Healthy sexuality involves warmth, tenderness, and love, not just genital contact, so I would encourage Bill to step outside of his comfort zone and talk to his partner about how he feels. I recommend that Bill seek his physician’s medical opinion and assistance to see if one of the clinical treatments for erectile dysfunction, such as Viagra could improve the quality of erections and sexual activity with him. I would also remind him that orgasm after paralysis is possible for some men but it is often not the same as it is usually defined. It can become less physical, less focused on the genitals and more about his state of mind. It is important Bill comes to understand that the loss of sensation does not rule out loss of sexuality. In conclusion, we all experience sexual awareness and activity during all ages of our lives. So we all need to take a moment to just breathe and know we are not alone. Talk to our partners, talk with our physicians/counselors and learn what will work for you in your own situation. Take control of your life and learn to understand your own body. References Rathus, S. A. , Nevid, J. S. , and Fichner-Rathus, L. (2011). Human sexuality in a world of diversity. (8th ed. ) Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Is the Nfl Too Dangerous

IS THE NFL TOO DANGEROUS? BY ALEXANDER COLON Football is one of America’s most beloved sports and with the super bowl coming up; fans of the sport are getting ready for the big game. I am an avid football fan myself and love playing it as much I enjoy watching it. What I have come to notice recently, is how the lives of football players are drastically changed when they are off the field. Football is a full contact sport, if you’re not prepared or unprotected at any given time during a play, you could end up limping off the field nursing injuries or even leave the game on a stretcher.Football players risk physical injuries every time they set foot on the field, and everyone is aware of that. What most people don’t know is that after players football careers are done and over, they face more problems than just a sore body every morning. Some players even play through these painful times in their career without even mentioning it, because they fear they will be dro pped from the roster. In recent research it has been found that mental trauma is occurring in football players leaving them mentally unstable or damaged later in life.This brings about the argument of football being too dangerous or a fair contact sport that all precautions for injuries are being tended to. When a fan watches a football game they don’t think about what the players go through off the field but only of the performance they are putting on the field. It is believed that every football player knows the risks of playing and has the knowledge that they might injure themselves physically. What a lot of the players don’t know is that they might damage their brains and develop things later in life like CTE.Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has common symptoms like sudden memory loss, paranoia, and depression during middle age. It is also known to cause dementia pugilistica, which was what a lot of boxers fell victim to but now more football players are bein g linked to it. NFL players get paid millions to do their job, something most people would kill for, and some people think that the reward is worth the risk. NFL players truly do put their lives on the line when they go out to play but the fame and money is compensation enough for the risks they take in some people’s opinions.In my opinion if you’re playing in the NFL then you are getting paid more than enough for what you’re risking. Even if their brains are messed up they have enough money to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. What the NFL should do is make players sign a waiver informing them of the possibilities that they might contract a disease from getting hit to many times and hopefully this would make them more comfortable with the repercussions.