Water in the California desert Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Water in the California desert - Research Paper Example As the climate continues to change the appearance of the planet,those who inhabit it, are faced with the various issues that come with such changes occurring in the first place. In times of considerable rain occurring,the concern becomes the potential flooding that would require specific plans in place,in order to aid those most affected. The same would also be said in instances were there would be a lack of water in the given environment that would also lead to problems that would need to be addressed in order to aid the general populous in the surrounding area, as well as any other regions that may be impacted. One such region to consider, in terms of discerning as to whether or not they would have a noticeable issue with water, would be the southern part of California.Different factors would be in place, in terms of assessing the situation in its entirety and determining whether or not the area of Southern California, would in fact have an issue with water availability. In terms o f describing the region of Southern California, "California's 25,000 square miles of desert can be divided into two basic zones; the Mojave, or high desert, and the Colorado, or low desert. Each of these areas contains unique fauna and flora, as well as other natural resources that make them an important part of California's present and future. California's deserts are home to two National Parks (Death Valley and Joshua Tree), a National Reserve (East Mojave), and California's largest state park, Anza- Borrego," ("California's", p.1). With the above mentioned importance that this region of California would have, it would remain essential to answer any problems that may arise for the area, which in this case, would be the issue of water shortage. Different organizations would be in place, with the essential purpose of gauging the water levels present within their locale. In the case of Southern California, according to testimony provided by the chairman of the board of directors for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, in his testimony before a Senate committee handling such an issue, the director would outline what he felt were the issues facing the region, in testimony that would go toward the assertion that, in terms of a potential water issue for the region of Southern California, they would in fact be facing such a problem. In terms of describing the group that Timothy F. Brick would represent, "Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is the nation's largest provider of imported water to an urban area. The population in its service area is more than 18 million, and it is projected to rise to 22 million by 2030. Metropolitan is comprised of 26 member public agencies that service an area spanning 5,200 square miles and six southern California counties," (Childs, 2007). As an organization that would represent a wide a rea and would service multiple counties within the region of Southern California, in terms of making the assertion that there would in fact be an issue with the availability of water in the area, they would be an organization that would know what they were talking about. In the period of time just before the Director would give his testimony, the area of Los Angeles alone, would have received an alarmingly low amount of rain, which in turn, would have translated into an issue for the overall water supply. From a political standpoint, the Governor for California would set forth with a plan to handle the continuing issue of water deficiency that areas within the state, such as California would continue to see. As those involved would allude to, there would be methods possible in the process toward remedying the issue and seeking the best possible outcome. In terms of the political legislation suggested from the state level, "The plan is comprised of four policy bills and an $11.14 billion bond. The package establishes a

Critique of a research article Literature review

Critique of a research article - Literature review Example Medical articles can be well analyzed based on the content, the reputation of the authors among other useful information. However, it is paramount that evidence based practice (EBP) be adopted when analyzing an article. According to Sackett et al (1996, pg 71-72) â€Å"Evidence based medicine is the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients†. The best available and current research is utilized in making a judgment about the article in question (Drisko and Grady 2012). The research article, Healthcare Providers’ Intentions to Engage in an Interprofessional Approach to Shared Decision-Making in Home Care Programs: A Mixed Methods Study by Legare et al., presents views of the healthcare providers in the implementation of the interprofessional approach to shared decision-making (IP-SDM). In addition, it evaluates their intention for engaging in the program. The IP-SDM program has been gainin g popularity in Canada but it is yet to be incorporated into the healthcare system (Reeves et al., 2008) Interprofessional approach entails the engagement of different professionals within the healthcare system, where all contribute towards the achievement of a common method of patient care. In addition, the aspect of shared decision-making entails the development of a system that involves the patients in determining the type of treatment that is given to them. The research concludes that the health professionals are not in any way opposed to the program (Legare et al. 2013, pg 221). The research objective is clearly defined by establishing the two main items under analysis, the intentions, and the factors behind the intentions of the health workers. The methodology was also defined and this article attempts to analyze it further by pointing out some of its strengths and weaknesses. The participants were healthcare providers with home care

Financial Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Financial Crisis - Essay Example ese institutions have wrongly assessed the level of risk of their operations and exposed their business, as well as the other stakeholders to enormous losses. This behavior was encouraged by credit rating agencies, which due to some conflicts of interest, failed in correctly judging the level of risk of many of these institutions, and downgraded some of them when it was too late to make a difference. Other cause which leaded to the collapse of the financial system was a combination of excessive borrowing, higher risk taking, and lack of transparency. Major U.S. banks failed in their assessment of risk by taking too much leverage, by providing credit too easily, and by not disclosing correctly all the information of their operations to the public. The government played also a role in this financial crisis. By not taking the appropriate actions to stop this crisis, the government only created more panic and uncertainty in the financial markets. It also failed in ensuring that regulators are doing their job objectively, and in the best interest of all parties in the financial markets. Finally, the crisis can also be attributed to mortgage securitization and to over-the-counter derivatives (mostly to credit default swaps). The complexity of these instruments, and most of all the lack of regulation in this matter caused a chained failure of the entire financial

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 176

Assignment Example The archeologists further discovered how the city came into being; through a lava-tube cave. These caves and other physical features, according to the archaeologists, symbolized the gods and ancestors of Mesoamerica (Archive.archaeology.org n.p). Other than their religious significance, the features were also used as a focal point for settlement and other activities. The city expanded at a fast pace during the second century until the A.D 600. The city was later torched down around A.D 750 by invaders (Archive.today n.p). The archaeologists, from their findings, concluded that the city’s residents were multiethnic and worshipped a goddess. The discovery of the burial site was the breakthrough of 1999, which was after the discovery of various mass graves from 1982 to 1989. The 2003 excavation at the Teotihuacan led to the discovery of three burial sites believed to belong to elite individuals. In these burial sites, Maya artifacts were present. These Maya artifacts further linked the Mexican capital to the southeast Maya region (Archive.archaeology.org n.p). The remains of these elite individuals were found in cross-legged position and various Maya-style artifacts such as shells, obsidian and other ceremonial items. The discovery of Mayan artifacts confirmed the interaction between the Mayan and Teotihuacan communities. The use of Mayan artifacts by royalty suggests that the two communities influenced each other greatly. This discovery is vital in giving historians insight about the ruling of the city of Teotihuacan. The discoveries on the ancient city of Teotihuacan shed light on this ancient civilization. The presence of mass graves meant that the Teotihuacan community participated in sacrificial rituals (Asu.edu 2014). These sacrificial rituals were very vital to this community as they celebrated state power at the pyramid of the moon. The vastness and orderliness in design

Critique of a research article Literature review

Critique of a research article - Literature review Example Medical articles can be well analyzed based on the content, the reputation of the authors among other useful information. However, it is paramount that evidence based practice (EBP) be adopted when analyzing an article. According to Sackett et al (1996, pg 71-72) â€Å"Evidence based medicine is the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients†. The best available and current research is utilized in making a judgment about the article in question (Drisko and Grady 2012). The research article, Healthcare Providers’ Intentions to Engage in an Interprofessional Approach to Shared Decision-Making in Home Care Programs: A Mixed Methods Study by Legare et al., presents views of the healthcare providers in the implementation of the interprofessional approach to shared decision-making (IP-SDM). In addition, it evaluates their intention for engaging in the program. The IP-SDM program has been gainin g popularity in Canada but it is yet to be incorporated into the healthcare system (Reeves et al., 2008) Interprofessional approach entails the engagement of different professionals within the healthcare system, where all contribute towards the achievement of a common method of patient care. In addition, the aspect of shared decision-making entails the development of a system that involves the patients in determining the type of treatment that is given to them. The research concludes that the health professionals are not in any way opposed to the program (Legare et al. 2013, pg 221). The research objective is clearly defined by establishing the two main items under analysis, the intentions, and the factors behind the intentions of the health workers. The methodology was also defined and this article attempts to analyze it further by pointing out some of its strengths and weaknesses. The participants were healthcare providers with home care

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 176

Assignment Example The archeologists further discovered how the city came into being; through a lava-tube cave. These caves and other physical features, according to the archaeologists, symbolized the gods and ancestors of Mesoamerica (Archive.archaeology.org n.p). Other than their religious significance, the features were also used as a focal point for settlement and other activities. The city expanded at a fast pace during the second century until the A.D 600. The city was later torched down around A.D 750 by invaders (Archive.today n.p). The archaeologists, from their findings, concluded that the city’s residents were multiethnic and worshipped a goddess. The discovery of the burial site was the breakthrough of 1999, which was after the discovery of various mass graves from 1982 to 1989. The 2003 excavation at the Teotihuacan led to the discovery of three burial sites believed to belong to elite individuals. In these burial sites, Maya artifacts were present. These Maya artifacts further linked the Mexican capital to the southeast Maya region (Archive.archaeology.org n.p). The remains of these elite individuals were found in cross-legged position and various Maya-style artifacts such as shells, obsidian and other ceremonial items. The discovery of Mayan artifacts confirmed the interaction between the Mayan and Teotihuacan communities. The use of Mayan artifacts by royalty suggests that the two communities influenced each other greatly. This discovery is vital in giving historians insight about the ruling of the city of Teotihuacan. The discoveries on the ancient city of Teotihuacan shed light on this ancient civilization. The presence of mass graves meant that the Teotihuacan community participated in sacrificial rituals (Asu.edu 2014). These sacrificial rituals were very vital to this community as they celebrated state power at the pyramid of the moon. The vastness and orderliness in design

Roadmap to the Development Process of Toyota Prius Essay Example for Free

Roadmap to the Development Process of Toyota Prius Essay Toyota Motor Corporation is a famous Japanese multinational corporation, and is considered the world’s second largest automaker of automobiles, trucks, buses, robots, and providing financial services. When Toyota and other Japanese carmakers entered the American market, they were not considered as a threat to the American auto industry because it was believed their cars had no appeal to American consumers However, in the 1970s, due to several problems like environmental regulations, and quality control issues with American cars, a good number of American car owners began searching for alternatives to poorly made American cars. In response to these changes, Toyota and other Japanese carmakers aggressively marketed their cars to Americans as being fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly, and having better build quality than American cars. In addition, Toyota marketed their cars with commercials involving young Toyota drivers jumping in the air. As a result, the Japanese’s marketing campaign along with continuing problems from the Big Three auto manufacturers, allowed import cars to make up about 20 percent of the US car market by 1980. Stage1. General Motors, Ford and Daimler-Chrysler focused in the late 1990s on mergers and acquisitions for improving their business positions to meet future challenges. Toyota, meanwhile, centered its business strategy on technological innovation and persistent environmental product development. The price of oil was not especially high during the 1990s when Toyota started its hybrid car program. Oil prices were below US $20 barrel in 1994 and were to fall to a 50-year low around 1997 when the Toyota Prius was first sold in Japan. Clearly something else was driving Toyota and other Japanese companies to invest so heavily in hybrid car development. There are three probable reasons: 1 . High petrol taxes in Japan, due to the Japanese government wanting to reduce the dependence of Japan on imported oil. While this would have certainly driven the Japanese development of hybrid cars, petrol was cheap in the key US market at this time. 2) The potential to gain a market advantage by developing the key technologies required to successfully commercialize hybrid cars, and then owning these developments via patents. 3) The expectation that ownership of these key fuel savings technologies would become very valuable when world oil prices rise from the lows of the mid-1990s, which was a fair long-term assumption to make during this period. Stage2: Decision Making Process: In 1994, the executive team acknowledged the potential threat of depleting oil reserves and climate change and change their strategy or products to meet the needs of future customers. Course of Action: Toyota set up a group tasked with meeting the challenge of creating a vehicle for the 21st century, which would work within the parameters of natural resource constraints and environmental issues. Commitment to course of action: Toyota pioneered the concept of Hybrid (petrol/electric) technology to mass produce the world’s first eco-efficient vehicle, the Toyota Prius. Evaluation of decision/re-engineering: The first prototype of the car had even faced starting problem. It took almost six months to roll the car. Finally, when the car started, it moved for a few yards only. It was hard to imagine that Toyota, which was known for its efficient production systems, was facing such trouble. Initially it felt that ‘Prius’ was a case of technological problems, impossible demands and multiple miscalculations. It proved how a great company could overcome obstacles and turn a dream into reality. Though ‘Prius’ represented only a small fraction of the nine million cars and trucks that the Japanese company planned to produce in 2006, it would be the first vehicle to provide a serious alternative to internal combustion engines, designed for a world of scarce oil and was branded as ‘The car for the future’. Stage3: Toyota carefully studied the US market and sees there is a growing oil crisis and foresees a need for change in the structure for cars, converting their needs to oil saving cars. While American car manufactures lacked producing such cars, then Toyota caught that opportunity and tried to occupy this niche market. By 2002, it was being sold in North America, Japan, Europe, Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore. Analysts opined that the demand for hybrid cars would rise because of the unstable oil prices and the growing need for environment friendly products. Post Evaluation By examining the external environment and acknowledging the potential threats of depleting resources and increased concern over environmental issues, Toyota have turned a threat into a business opportunity, boosting their reputation both as an environmentally conscious and as technological innovators and established themselves as leaders in this growing market. The car industry faces many complex issues, but the introduction of the Prius provided Toyota with a competitive advantage. RoadMap to the development Process of Toyota Prius. Stage1| Stage2| Stage3| Executive level| 1 Expressed concern about the future of the automobile2. Embarked a new project called G21 to the team3. Communicated the vision and priorities to the team| 1. The executive team acknowledged the potential threat of depleting oil2. Challenged the team for the innovation of new model using new technology| 1. Toyota unveiled the Prius in Japan in October 1997, two months ahead of schedule. 2. Made strategy plans for introducing cars to US and other prospective continents| Management and Team level| 1. Engaged in improving the existing internal combustion engine technology2. Started making refinements to the existing technology | 1. Team committed to the course of action using hybrid technology. 2. Came up with around 80 alternatives. 3. Identified numerous problems heat, reliability, noise, and cost. 4. Narrowed the list to four models. 5. After endless fussing and tweaking, the team finally reached 66 miles per gallon the 100% mileage improvement. | 1. Team has started putting efforts towards with second and third generation Prius. 2. Redesigned the model for making it more appealing to the consumers. | Marketing /Sales Team| 1. Identification of the growing oil prices. 2. Identification of Growing middle class around the world. | 1. Raised the concern that Premium price for the hybrid would make it impossible to sell. 2. Challenged with building consumer technology awareness. | 1. Devised new marketing ways to cut down dealership costs in US. 2. Devised new ways to boost the sales through internet, relied on grass-roots marketing, and public relations events|.