Luxury e-commerce advantages & disadvantages Essay

Luxury e-commerce advantages & disadvantages - Essay Example Though advancements like e-commerce or e-business has favored to an extent, but there are some drawbacks too, which often gets sidelined by the human setting of the present world. This study will give a critical view of how luxury e-commerce is important and what are the gaps that need to be covered in the modern business system (Okonkwo, 2007). Background As trends changed it brought changes in the human setting, like people got more to the use of e-commerce and e-business. On a similar node, luxury is part of the glimpse where e-commerce brought luxury brands on high human accessibility. There came up luxury e-portals like Net-a-Porter which facilitated buyers on luxury boutique and designer clothing. Net-a-Porter being UK’s top selling online forum stocked 3000 brands at one time of selling, which was all to favor the luxury patrons on the internet (Roberts, 2010). On the earliest luxury facilitated people where it became more than a necessity and something associated with the desires. Luxury was first sought as an idea of a peculiar, but later as fashion industry revolved and brands came up luxury became part of peoples’ lives (Danziger, 2005). The same perception revived on e-commerce where an estimated 95% buyers’ populace was only on the luxury. ... Today consumers not only trace luxury in goods or service, but they also expect luxury in the method of deliverance and service (electronic trade and provision). It was the year 1990 when Amazon gave origin to the concept electronic trade and distribution. Ebay was the second major contributor to e-commerce, a competitor of Amazon which evolved in the same year of e-business (Schneider, 2011). It was the start of electronic based distribution (1995) when AltaVista, Lycos and Yahoo! came more with the luxury brands on their distribution and selling (Schneider, 2011). Later on MSN and Hermes also promoted luxury on the online buying and selling, as they were on a great response from luxury excavators (Okonkwo, 2010). Apart from all the persistence of luxury on e-commerce and trade has also aware the modern business specialists (Schneider, 2011). They have understood that luxury is a core preference of the buyers, where e-commerce is the right forum to distribute it. This is how luxury is widespread to all parts of the business system, from buyers to sellers and from marketers to branders respectively (Danziger, 2005). Definition to E-Commerce and E-Business With the plethora of globalization and internationalization, small and large business firms have identified e-commerce as a forum to exchange (Saunter, 2012). The core activities of a business like supply, distribution, promotion and marketing of goods have become achievable on the e-commerce and e-business. E-commerce is a term that indicates electronic business commerce, where businesses are sold, expanded and developed on the basis of large consumer presence on the internet (Dave, 2008). E-commerce is a combination of two things,

Use of Phone Cameras Essay Example for Free

Use of Phone Cameras Essay Over the years, technology has reached new heights in terms of the services it offers to today’s generation. Our youth’s ingenuity has also evolved into higher levels in terms of getting away from studying. The rampant use of modern electronic devices to cheat on examinations have been so that carrying a cell phone, digital camera or some other electronic gadget has been banned in schools in China, South Korea, and the Philippines. (West, 2000) Cell phones have proved to be the leading gadget used for cheating in secondary school. The earlier method was using text massages to forward questions to other people outside the classroom who would look up the answers. With the advent of digital cameras being augmented to cellular phone features, the application has reached greater levels. In the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, students photographed test questions using their cell phone cameras. These images were then sent to classmates outside the exam room who had the job of looking up the answers and sending them back to their friends in the examination room. Ros Yabin, the dean of their college was amazed at the students’ ingenuity and at the same time exasperated at the dishonorable act saying: If theyd spend as much time studying, theyd all be A students. (Glater, 2006) In China, a move to ban the use of cellular phones during examinations has been implemented to prevent massive cheating that has supposedly happened during their previous nationwide examinations. Further more, cell phone scramblers have been procured for the examination sites to beef up proctoring security. China’s minister of education hopes that these measures will be sufficient to regain the quality of their nationwide exam results. Similar actions are being done by South Korea, ever since 183 students in four organizations, including six female high school students were involved in an exam scandal that offered students to send correct answers to a nationwide examination in exchange for money. (Lee, 2004) These techniques are not limited to cellular phones. Another student from a California secondary school loaded his notes onto a Sidekick digital micro recorder and tried to access it during the examination. When questioned by the teacher, he initially reasoned that he was merely using the dictionary feature. The student was investigated by school authorities and was eventually proven guilty. (Glater, 2006) iPods have not yet achieved high popularity as a tool for cheating, but it is quickly rising through the ranks. Since it has gotten a lot easier to record one’s voice with the use of a computer, students have begun to take advantage of their iPods in their examinations. One Pepperdine student in 2004, who dictated all his notes in a file in his iPod and listened to it while taking the exam. He would have gotten away with it had it not been for one of his classmates who told on him. (Glater, 2006) At the journalism school at San Jose State University, students who were caught using spell check on their laptops, their examinations were invalidated because part of the writing test was to measure their ability in spelling. Whether they’re cell phones, digital camera features, micro recorders, or any other new-fangled device out on the market, student ingenuity will make use and abuse the possibilities of his new toys in making it easier for him to pass his weekly quizzes. It is up to teachers and proctors to keep open eyes and ears, to be mindful about any device that the student brings to the table. It is also the responsibility of school officials and the government to uphold the quality of education in their respective areas. References: Glater, Jonathan (April, 2006).Cheating gets easier with gadgetry. New York Times V. 125 Is. 43 23 – 24 Glater, Jonathan (May, 2006). Colleges Chase as Cheats Shift to Higher Tech. New York Times V. 125 Is. 44 11 – 13 Lee, Howard (2004). Exam Scandal: Answers Relayed From Other Organizations. Seoul Today V. 87 Is. 13 28 32 China Moves to Block Cellphone Cheats. Retrieved April 24, 2007 from The Chronicle website: http://chronicle. com/wiredcampus/article/1307/china-moves-to-block-cellphone-cheats West, Jordan (2000). Cheating and Technology. San Diego: Holdfast

Safeguarding the Wellbeing of Children and Young People

Safeguarding the Wellbeing of Children and Young People Explain how to support children and young people’s self-confidence and self-esteem A fundamental part of emotional development is the development of a young person’s self-confidence and self-esteem. Self-esteem can be defined as how you feel about yourself and your perceptions of yourself. Self-confidence is how you feel about your abilities and is dependent on each situation; it is shown through an individual’s behaviour and personality. There are four ways in which we can support our children in this area: interest, listen, expression and support. INTEREST : It is important to show a genuine interest in what a child is doing, learning about, discussing etc. In the class, ensure that you lower your body to their level and encourage them while they are working using lots of praise individually and in front of the class. This will also help to build a strong trusting relationship with pupils. LISTEN: By listening to a child this will also develop a strong bond and allow you to tune into a child’s behaviour and pick up on anything that may be upsetting them. I always make sure I make time to listen to whatever news and information the children tell me, giving them my undivided attention. This can gain trust as well especially if they need to express any worries. â€Å"The child needs to know that you are there to listen and, most importantly, that you will believe what he or she tells you† (Meggit 2013 p.142) EXPRESSION: A child must be able to feel that is perfectly normal to show a range of emotions they can feel sadness and also happiness and enjoyment. This creates a well-rounded individual that should feel confident enough to understand and express any concerns they may have. SUPPORT: Staff must always support and be there for the children in all situations whether they are related to school or home life. A friendly face and a smile at the start of the day can work wonders and will make you more approachable. Children need also to be supported through the school day, encourage pupils to try a more challenging activity like a complicated sum or climbing on a piece of gym equipment. This will motivate them and allow them attain higher levels. 6.2 Analyse the importance of supporting resilience in children and young people â€Å"Resilience is the capacity to bounce back from adversity. Protective factors increase  resilience, whereas risk factors increase vulnerability. Resilient individuals, families and  communities are more able to deal with difficulties and adversities than those with less  resilience. (www.gov.uk 2014) Teaching staff can help children to become confident individuals, to grow in independence and think for themselves. The more confident a child the more likely they are to be able to overcome adverse situations. In the class room children need support and encouragement but they also need a certain element of freedom to become more independent. For example for younger age groups allow them to dress themselves for PE or encourage them to put a dressing up costume on independently. This will teach them important skills, they may be frustrated initially but will feel a great sense of achievement when they can button up a shirt. With modern life being more pressurised and hectic we need to take time to reward and praise, recognise great efforts being made by a pupil in all areas of school life. This can help develop their own self-awareness, have a more positive attitude about themselves and set goals for the future. â€Å"Emotional intelligence or emotional well-being involves developing: positive self-esteem and self-image; emotional strength to deal with life’s highs and lows; confidence to face the world with optimism; and an awareness of our own feelings and those of other people† ( Kamen, 2012, p.300) 6.3. Explain why it is important to work with the child or young person to ensure they have strategies to protect themselves and make decisions about safety Nowadays we need to teach our children and young children both the dangers of face to face contact but also online contact too. They need to understand and recognise potential dangers and to be able to prevent putting themselves at risk and avoid harm. â€Å"You can teach children to be safe without scaring them – You just need to know how.† (www.kidpower.org 2014) Developing awareness starts in the early years foundation and continues right through to KS4 and by building trust with students as a support assistant they will be able to confide and talk to you if needs be. When explaining the need for safety it is important that it is dealt with calmly as you don’t want to increase fear and anxiety in the pupils. Local police officers often come into schools to discuss stranger safety, pupils are constantly reinforced about the importance of e-safety, road safety and the green cross code is often taught by outside groups in a fun but informative way and as they mature discussions which involve relationships, solvent/alcohol abuse must take place. PSHE (personal, social and health education) lessons do provide a perfect forum for such issues and to discuss problematic issues. As an adult you must remember to address these issues using age appropriate language, make sure they have the knowledge to safeguard themselves, explain what is appropriate/inappropriate, not to keep secrets and that you can say no. My school setting also communicates with parents over the issues of e-safety and stranger danger. 6.4 Explain ways of empowering children and young people to make positive and informed choices that support their well-being and safety. Children and young people need to be empowered in order to make positive and informed choices and this in turn will support their well-being and safety. â€Å"Therefore, the most effective way to teach children they have the power to take positive action to work through the challenges before them (now and later in life), is to encourage this belief in ourselves, and to make choices take action that reflects this belief.† (www.earthkids.com 2014) The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), changed the ways children are treated and viewed and outlines children’s rights and this document has empowered children. Within schools, teaching staff must help pupils to make the safe decisions, be supportive but discuss reasons. Children always push boundaries and as adults we must allow them to take and manage risks and grow in independence. For example when teaching children about road safety , they will be shown how to cross a road safely – stop, look ,listen and holding an adults hand, then the next step would be to cross with them without holding their hand and eventually the last stage would be crossing on their own. They are now empowered to make their own decision but throughout the process they have been supported and will understand the reasons for each stage. REFERENCE LIST www.earthskids.com/empwr.aspx (accessed November 2014) www.gov.uk/resilence_in_schools_health_inequalities 2014 (accessed November 2014) Kamen, T. (2011) Teaching Assistant’s Handbook for Level 3: Supporting Teaching and Learning in schools. Hodder Education www.kidpower.org/library/article/safe-without-scared (accessed November 2014) Meggit.C., Bruce.T., Grenier.J., (2012) Child Care and Education (2nd Edition) Hodder Education

Computers and Technology :: Technology Essays

Computers and Technology One of the most pivotal technological moments that I can remember from my academic career is the first research project that I had to do early in high school when the internet was considered a valid resource. My school had just established an internet connection, and instead of going to the card catalog in the library, there was a rush for the computers. Encyclopedias and periodical guides had been usurped by this relatively new network of information, and it has changed the way that students do research. Why settle for a couple of magazine articles and a book in a library with limited resources when the World Wide Web offers an almost limitless supply of information on almost every topic known to man? Human beings have been able to perform extensive research on a subject ever since the printed word came into the daily life of scholars, but the advent of the cyberculture era has given us a completely new tool that has both its advantages and disadvantages in the pursuit of knowledge. The one thing that can be said for sure though is that research, whether sparked by casual curiosity or a deadline for a thesis, will never be the same. Until the last decade or so, the bastion of knowledge and information was that building full of books that was known as the library. Print, in the form of books, magazines, newspapers, journals, encyclopedias, atlases, etc., was the primary source for information on virtually any subject. Even dialogue about information was exchanged with printed words on paper or handwritten letters. Then, something strange happened, and all of a sudden, you cannot find a library in a school anymore, there is only the media center. The media center is still a place to gather information, but now computers seem to overshadow the bookshelves. A small school with only a few hundred books is very limited in what topics it can cover, but place one computer in there with an internet connection and it opens a flood of information on everything from socialist realism to belly button lint. As Steven Johnson points out in his article â€Å"Links,† the very nature of the web, with its links that carry the user from one source of information to the other, provides something that seekers of information have never seen before. Computers and Technology :: Technology Essays Computers and Technology One of the most pivotal technological moments that I can remember from my academic career is the first research project that I had to do early in high school when the internet was considered a valid resource. My school had just established an internet connection, and instead of going to the card catalog in the library, there was a rush for the computers. Encyclopedias and periodical guides had been usurped by this relatively new network of information, and it has changed the way that students do research. Why settle for a couple of magazine articles and a book in a library with limited resources when the World Wide Web offers an almost limitless supply of information on almost every topic known to man? Human beings have been able to perform extensive research on a subject ever since the printed word came into the daily life of scholars, but the advent of the cyberculture era has given us a completely new tool that has both its advantages and disadvantages in the pursuit of knowledge. The one thing that can be said for sure though is that research, whether sparked by casual curiosity or a deadline for a thesis, will never be the same. Until the last decade or so, the bastion of knowledge and information was that building full of books that was known as the library. Print, in the form of books, magazines, newspapers, journals, encyclopedias, atlases, etc., was the primary source for information on virtually any subject. Even dialogue about information was exchanged with printed words on paper or handwritten letters. Then, something strange happened, and all of a sudden, you cannot find a library in a school anymore, there is only the media center. The media center is still a place to gather information, but now computers seem to overshadow the bookshelves. A small school with only a few hundred books is very limited in what topics it can cover, but place one computer in there with an internet connection and it opens a flood of information on everything from socialist realism to belly button lint. As Steven Johnson points out in his article â€Å"Links,† the very nature of the web, with its links that carry the user from one source of information to the other, provides something that seekers of information have never seen before.

A Critical Analysis of “My Kiowa Grandmother”

A Critical Analysis of â€Å"My Kiowa Grandmother,† and â€Å"Take My Saddle from the Wall: A Valediction† A Critical Analysis of â€Å"My Kiowa Grandmother,† and â€Å"Take My Saddle from the Wall: A Valediction† The essays, â€Å"My Kiowa Grandmother,† by N. Scott Momaday and â€Å"Take My Saddle from the Wall: A Valediction,† by Larry McMurtry, both seek to understand the values and traditions of an old way of life that has been lost to the trials and tribulations of time.By reaching back into history through their families, both authors achieve the same effect, while using starkly contrasting narrative structure; they show the characteristics that have been lost to younger generations. The purpose of N. Scott Momaday’s essay, â€Å"My Kiowa Grandmother,† is personal self-expression, because he attempts to define his own values and judgments through an exploration of the memories and stories he has of his grandmother and ance stors. The title of Momaday’s essay sets the stage for the rest of his words. My Kiowa Grandmother,† becomes an exploration of who she was and the values that she lived by as part of the last generation of true Kiowa Indians. The essay that ensues is about Momaday collecting his interpretations of her life and analyzing the stories to find the values that the Kiowa honored and followed. Through his exploration, Momaday establishes a system of values that he chooses to try to follow himself. The essay’s content is divided not by a beginning, middle, and an end, but rather through a series of episodes and recollections that are slightly disconnected but belong to a larger picture.The essay is filled with descriptions of the land the Kiowa dwelled on and the manner in which they lost that land, thus forcing them onto a reservation. He discusses the journey his ancestors took as he himself travels in their footsteps a century later across North America, from Montana to Arkansas, where the Kiowa lived for many decades. He then begins to offer a more personal view of his grandmother and his memories of her when the weight of age has come upon her (290). He illustrates for the reader a very intimate moment where he watched and listened to her praying.Despite not speaking the native language, â€Å"there was something inherently sad in the sound† of her prayers (290). He ends the paragraph by revealing that he knew that he would not see her again after watching her pray that night. As Momaday tells the stories, they are completely separate of one another but all share in a relationship as a whole. His words indicate that the Kiowa Indians were a proud people who faced the cruelties of manifest destiny as the United States spread westward across the Great Plains, forcing Native Americans onto reservations.Momaday sets out on his proud journey to understand his people and to adapt their culture and values in the present day, but ultimately con cludes that those traits have died with â€Å"the last great moment of their history† (288). Similarly, Larry McMurtry also seeks to identify old values and traditions that are long lost to history in his essay, â€Å"Take My Saddle from the Wall: A Valediction. † Unlike Momaday, however, he constructs his essay with an introduction, followed by the body of his essay, and then offers a conclusion that links the entire narrative together from beginning to end.McMurtry’s approach presents a cleverly braided narrative utilizing literary devices, such as drama and humor, to reflect his main ideas. Still, both essays are expressive in nature. The authors delve deep into their thoughts in order to construct the personal essays in which each man seeks to find his values within himself. Even though McMurtry’s essay is significantly longer and â€Å"prolonged in thought† (142) compared to Momaday’s essay, he seeks to achieve an understanding of the v alues and traditions of his ancestors as well.McMurtry includes a metaphor that equates the departing of his relatives, and the other cowboys of their day, as a train that has left. In a few years, the tail end of the train will pass out of sight; a way of life has come and gone (142). McMurtry creates a story about his family, based on their accounts left to him in memoirs and letters throughout the years. McMurtry’s ultimate purpose is to narrate an expressive literary essay that uses humor and drama to attract the attention of the reader.While discussing cowboys and their straightforward wisdom, he concludes that cowboys’ observations turn into aphorisms. One such aphorism he finds particularly appealing is as follows: â€Å"A woman’s love is like the morning dew, it’s just as likely to fall on a horseturd as on a rose† (149). McMurtry also includes a great deal of drama and suspense as well. At one point, he recalls his grandfather’s tro ublesome drinking; one day his grandmother issued an ultimatum, sober up or she would leave him. â€Å"The threat was undoubtedly made in earnest, and he took it so immediately to eart that he stopped drinking then and there, with a jug half full of whiskey hanging in the saddle room of the barn† (143). Additionally, a substantial difference between the two essays is the author’s view of their ancestors. McMurtry admits that he â€Å"never considered genealogy much of an aid to recognition, and thus never pursued [his] lineage any distance at all† (143). On the other hand, Momaday is very curious of his lineage. So curious in fact that he actually sets out on a â€Å"fifteen hundred [mile]†¦ pilgrimage† (289) to see where his ancestors began their journey onto the plains.Momaday describes his ancestors as people of the Earth, whereas McMurtry’s cowboy ancestors preferred the company of minorities, such as Mexicans and Blacks, to the company of farmers. â€Å"The plow and the cotton patch [were] not only tasks [his ancestors] loathed† they were qualities of a soul that the McMurtry’s despised (146). The method of organization that authors use is important to the overall presentation of their thoughts. Momaday’s attempt at self-definition is an integral part of the pattern of his essay.Momaday achieves his goal by organizing his thoughts in a descriptive, associative pattern that allows him to tell multiple disconnected stories that are a part of a larger picture. Momaday portrays the Kiowa people and where they lived. He describes his grandmother and his memories of her, then recounts the sad and lonely home that once belonged to her, and the commotion that once filled the rooms of the house during reunions. Each of the parts of his essay comes together as pieces of a whole puzzle do when he ventures out to her grave.Ultimately, his quest to understand the values of the Kiowa, and to find himself with in their stories and traditions, is lost as are the generations of old Indian warriors. After visiting his grandmother’s grave, the weight and understanding of the loss prevails and â€Å"looking back once, [he] saw the mountain and came away† (292). His journey to understand his people, for him, ended with the death of his grandmother. As he departed the ancient burial ground at the base of Rainy Mountain, he left not only his ancestors there, but also his dream of carrying out their traditions as well.Each part of Momaday’s essay is a static representation in time, or snapshots of an event that occurred. Conversely, McMurtry’s essay follows a dynamic pattern; the details he provides change from one event to another. McMurtry excels at offering a great deal of description through his narration, and the pattern that he follows is an expressive narration of process. The events that McMurtry depicts are unique to him, and will differ from other accounts of the same stories provided by family and friends. This pattern allows him to eliminate the five stages that a narration of an event demands.All the parts of his narrative are equally important in their accounts, and the resolution is the last event the McMurtry draws from. In addition, tension does not increase throughout the events that are presented. This allows McMurtry to describe a level account of many great stories that prevents the reader from feeling as if he omitted any accounts that would provide additional insight. Although each author’s essay follows a certain format for organization, the patterns the two men use are very similar as well.In describing his essay, Momaday uses a good deal of narration to move the story along from snapshot to snapshot. McMurtry, on the other hand, uses a tremendous amount of description in each of his small stories within his essay to deliver his narration in its literary purpose. For example, when McMurtry shares one of his favorite aphorisms about dew falling on a horesturd or a rose, his description of the cowboys before and after the statement is necessary in order for the statement to make sense. In addition, McMurtry uses a fair amount of description when discussing a country club that was host for a family reunion.The details of that paragraph range from â€Å"rusty slot-machines† to the â€Å"sights and sounds which one associates with big-city country clubs† and finally â€Å"the ploop of badly hit tennis balls† (157). His description allows the reader to generate in their mind the same picture that McMurtry portrays. The two approaches that each author uses, although similar in style, are structurally different and therefore allow each man to express his thoughts using different methods. Both authors utilize an expressive tone that opens their minds to the reader in order to grasp a better understanding of the goal of each essay.Overall, despite the varying structure, both article s are successful in their attempt to find the values and traditions among their families and ancestors. Both endings are concise and manage to bridge the gap between the introduction and the conclusion. Similar to Momaday, McMurtry closes with a scene describing the departure of his Uncle Johnny from a family reunion only a few months before his passing: When he smiled at the children who were near, the pain left his face for a second, and he gave them the look that had always been his greatest appeal – the look of a man who saw life to he last as a youth see it, and who sees in any youth all that he himself had been (172). The final snapshot of McMurtry’s uncle before his death has stuck with McMurtry through the trials of time. Both authors realize that the traditions of their rugged ancestors were gone, â€Å"such as it was, such as it can never be again† (172). Works Cited McMurtry, Larry. â€Å"In a Narrow Grave. † New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc. 20 06. Kindle Edition. Electronic book. 24 May 2010. Momaday, N. Scott. â€Å"My Kiowa Grandmother. † Purpose, Pattern, and Process. United States of America: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2005. 287-92. Print.

Cvs Annual Report Essay

Executive Summary/Company History/Products and Services CVS/Pharmacy has shown a consistent growth for the last three years. Three years ago CVS/Pharmacy has merged with Longs Pharmacy and Caremark to form the largest retail pharmacy chain in the United States. CVS/Pharmacy- CVS/Pharmacy began operations in 1963, and added the pharmacy department in 1967. In 2007, CVS merged with Caremark Rx, Inc. Finally, in 2008, CVS bought the Longs Drug Store chain. CVS has over 7000 stores(Cvs.com, 2010). At the end of 9 months of 2010, the company has lost 9.25% against 2009 net income. However, the company has increased their assets and liabilities by .1% against 2009 figures(Cvs.com, 2010). As the company stands now in trends, Net revenues for this 7,100-store drugstore retailer were $23.9 billion for Q3 2010, down 3.1% from $24.6 billion in the prior year’s period. Poor performance by the company’s Pharmacy Services segment—its revenues dropped 8.5%, to $11.9 billion—was a major contributor to the company’s woes. CVS’ Retail Pharmacy segment revenues actually increased 4.1%, with total same-store sales climbing 2.5%(Trendwatch, 2010). CVS/Pharmacy is in the process of transitioning their leadership at CEO. Tom Ryan will be stepping down at the end of the year as CEO, and Larry Merlo will be promoted to CEO. Tom Ryan has been the CEO of CVS/Pharmacy Inc. since 1994, and it has been the consistency at the top that has lead to the expansion of CVS/Pharmacy as being largest retail pharmacy chain in the United States. Now that Tom’s tenure is coming to a close, a new dawn is  occurring for the corporation with Larry Merlo taking the helm. Competitor Analysis In the retail pharmacy industry, there are only three pure pharmacy firms: CVS/Pharmacy, Walgreens, and Rite-Aid. Pure pharmacy firms are pharmacy retailers whose business is built around the pharmacy. Wal-Mart, Kroger, and local grocery stores have pharmacies as an extension of their business plan, but it is not the focus of their company. CVS/Pharmacy and Walgreens have been battling over the top position for years, and Rite-Aid has been ranked at a steady third in the market place. Walgreens- Walgreens is CVS/Pharmacy’s chief competitor. Founded in 1901, Walgreens is considerably older. Unlike CVS/Pharmacy, Walgreens began with the pharmacy department. With 6000 stores, Walgreens is smaller than CVS. In 2010, Walgreens has increased sales against last year by 6.4%, and net earnings by 4.2%(Walgreens.com, 2010). Moreover, they have posted 36 straight years of sales gains, and 35 straight years of dividend payments(Walgreens.com, 2010). Finally, Walgreens has posted net earnings for 5 consecutive years. Despite Walgreens smaller size, it has a bigger market share at 31.2% compared to CVS/Pharmacy’s 25%(Wikinvest.com, 2010). The last 10 years has been the first decade that a Walgreens family member was not at the helm of the Walgreens Pharmacy chain. Charles Walgreens retired from the CEO position in 1998, but stayed on a member of the board of directors. Mr. Walgreens will officially retire for the company this year. Gregory D. Wasson is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Wasson has worked with Walgreens for 31 years. In conclusion, Walgreens & CVS/Pharmacy are the giants in retail pharmacy. Their strengths, weaknesses, successes, and failures have brought them to a virtual dead heat. The purpose of this research is analyze the financial strength of both to determine which is in the best financial health. Common Size Statements We will first compare CVS/Pharmacy and Walgreens through common size financial statements. Commons size financial statements allow for comparisons to be made between companies of different sizes and volumes in order to see the true performance. CVS/Pharmacy has over 7000 stores, and Walgreens Pharmacy only has 6000 stores. The difference in size will have an  impact on expense, revenue, and income. Every company plans to get the most out of every dollar spent. Consequently, we will be comparing the their financial performance from 2007-2009. From the beginning, Walgreens has yielded a better gross profit by an average of 8% over CVS/Pharmacy. Gross profit is the amount left over after cost of goods sold is taken from revenue. Although, both have been steady with their percentage gross profit, CVS/Pharmacy 21% & Walgreens 28%, Walgreens has gained more. However, Walgreens’ celebration is short lived because the balance statement is more than gross profit. In fact the 8% edge in gross profit they gave back in operating expenses. Walgreens’ operating expenses took, on average, 22.5% away from their total revenue. CVS/Pharmacy operating expenses took only 14.5% away from their total revenue. Moreover, other indicators of return on investment to the company are higher for CVS/Pharmacy than Walgreens. CVS/Pharmacy has had a higher operating income than Walgreens since 2007. For the last two years CVS/Pharmacy has posted higher income before taxes than Walgreens. Finally, the biggest trend difference between the two firms is that CVS/Pharmacy’s net income has increased three years in a row, while Walgreens’ net income has steadily decreased three years in a row. As a company, CVS/Pharmacy received a 20% gross profit margin. The next biggest payment went to operating expenses at 14.12%. After the expenses, income before taxes and operating profit account for 13% and net income accounts for nearly 4%. In 2009 alone, Walgreens’ gross profit and operating expenses nearly cancel each other out. There is only a 4% variance between gross profit and operating expenses for Walgreens. Operating profit and income before taxes accounts for only 10% of the revenue, while Walgreens’ net income accounts for barely over 3%. On the key financial statements, Walgreens’ performance has been diminishing over the last three years, and CVS/Pharmacy’s performance has risen. The reason behind the growing strength of CVS/Pharmacy has been the general, consistent financial growth. This will be illustrated by the financial ratios. Liquidity is the firm’s ability to meet its current obligations(Marshall, McManus, Vielle, 2010). Working capital is the excess of a firm’s current assets over its current liabilities(2010). In this case, Walgreens’ has higher working capital than CVS/Pharmacy. On other tests of liquidity,  Walgreens’ out performs CVS/Pharmacy. Walgreens has a higher current ratio, acid test ratio, and they turn over their assets 8 more times a year than CVS/Pharmacy. Although Walgreens has yielded their lowest net income in three years, they have a high comparable liquidity. Moreover, the higher net income for CVS/Pharmacy has not translated into higher liquidity. However, the increased in income has translated into a higher inventory turnover for CVS/Pharmacy. Conclusion The findings of this paper are illustrating the transition in the marketplace between CVS/Pharmacy and Walgreens. For the last 20 years, these retail pharmacy firms have battled for supremacy in the industry. Over the last decade, CVS/Pharmacy has had one Chief Executive Officer, Tom Ryan. However, since Tom Ryan took over in 1999, Walgreens has had 3 CEO changes. The result of inconsistency in their leadership has translated to a lower return on investment. Walgreens has higher liquidity, but they have shown three years of decreasing net income. As a result, they are getting weaker as an organization. However, CVS/Pharmacy has shown consistent growth over the last three years. Their increasing strength has been represented by their purchases of Long’s Pharmacy and Caremark. It is my conclusion that this trend will continue

Our Environment: the Sum Total of Our Surroundings

I. Our environment is the sum total of our surroundings A photograph of Earth reveals a great deal, but it does not convey the complexity of our environment. Our environment (a term that comes from the French environner, â€Å"to surround†) is more than water, land, and air; it is the sum total of our surroundings. It includes all of the biotic factors, or living things, with which we interact. It also includes the abiotic factors, or nonliving things, with which we interact.Our environment includes the continents, oceans, clouds, and ice caps you can see in the photo of Earth from space, as well as the animals, plants, forests, and farms that comprise the landscapes around us. In a more inclusive sense, it also encompasses our built environment, the structures, urban centers, and living spaces humans have created. In its most inclusive sense, our environment also includes the complex webs of scientific, ethical, political, economic, and social relationships and institutions t hat shape our daily lives.From day to day, people most commonly use the term environment in the first, narrow sense—of a nonhuman or â€Å"natural† world apart from human society. This connotation is unfortunate, because it masks the very important fact that humans exist within the environment and are a part of nature. As one of many species of animals on Earth, we share with others the same dependence on a healthy functioning planet. The limitations of language make it all too easy to speak of â€Å"people and nature,† or â€Å"human society and the environment,† as though they are separate and do not interact.However, the fundamental insight of environmental science is that we are part of the natural world and that our interactions with other parts of it matter a great deal. II. Environmental science explores interactions between humans and our environment Appreciating how we interact with our environment is crucial for a well-informed view of our place in the world and for a mature awareness that we are one species among many on a planet full of life.Understanding our relationship with the environment is also vital because we are altering the very natural systems we need, in ways we do not yet fully comprehend. We depend utterly on our environment for air, water, food, shelter, and everything else essential for living. However, our actions modify our environment, whether we intend them to or not. Many of these actions have enriched our lives, bringing us longer life spans, better health, and greater material wealth, mobility, and leisure time. However, these improvements have often degraded the natural systems that sustain us.Impacts such as air and water pollution, soil erosion, and species extinction can compromise human well-being, pose risks to human life, and threaten our ability to build a society that will survive and thrive in the long term. The elements of our environment were functioning long before the human species ap peared, and we would be wise to realize that we need to keep these elements in place. Environmental science is the study of how the natural world works, how our environment affects us, and how we affect our environment.We need to understand our interactions with our environment because such knowledge is the essential first step toward devising solutions to our most pressing environmental problems. Many environmental scientists are taking this next step, trying to apply their knowledge to develop solutions to the many environmental challenges we face. It can be daunting to reflect on the sheer magnitude of environmental dilemmas that confront us today, but with these problems also come countless opportunities for devising creative solutions.The topics studied by environmental scientists are the most centrally important issues to our world and its future. Right now, global conditions are changing more quickly than ever. Right now, through science, we as a civilization are gaining know ledge more rapidly than ever. And right now, the window of opportunity for acting to solve problems is still open. With such bountiful challenges and opportunities, this particular moment in history is indeed an exciting time to be studying environmental science. III. Natural resources are vital to our survivalAn island by definition is finite and bounded, and its inhabitants must cope with limitations in the materials they need. On our island, Earth, human beings, like all living things, ultimately face environmental constraints. Specifically, there are limits to many of our natural resources, the various substances and energy sources we need to survive. Natural resources that are virtually unlimited or that are replenished over short periods are known as renewable natural resources. Some renewable resources, such as sunlight, wind, and wave energy, are perpetually available.Others, such as timber, food crops, water, and soil, renew themselves over months, years, or decades, if we are careful not to use them up too quickly or destructively. In contrast, resources such as mineral ores and crude oil are in finite supply and are formed much more slowly than we use them. These are known as nonrenewable natural resources. Once we use them up, they are no longer available. We can view the renewability of natural resources as a continuum (Figure 1. 1). Some renewable resources may turn nonrenewable if we overuse them.For example, overpumping groundwater can deplete underground aquifers and turn a lush landscape into a desert. Populations of animals and plants we harvest from the wild may be renewable if we do not overharvest them but may vanish if we do. In recent years, our consumption of natural resources has increased greatly, driven by rising affluence and the growth of the largest human population in history. IV. Human population growth has shaped our relationship with natural resources For nearly all of human history, only a few million people populated Earth at any one time.Although past populations cannot be calculated precisely, Figure 1. 2 gives some idea of just how recently and suddenly our population has grown beyond 6 billion people. Two phenomena triggered remarkable increases in population size. The first was our transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to an agricultural way of life. This change began to occur around 10,000 years ago and is known as the agricultural revolution. As people began to grow their own crops, raise domestic animals, and live sedentary lives in villages, they found it easier to meet their nutritional needs.As a result, they began to live longer and to produce more children who survived to adulthood. The second notable phenomenon, known as the industrial revolution, began in the mid-1700s. It entailed a shift from rural life, animal-powered agriculture, and manufacturing by craftsmen, to an urban society powered by fossil fuels (nonrenewable energy sources, such as oil, coal, and natural gas, produce d by the decomposition and fossilization of ancient life). The industrial revolution introduced improvements in sanitation and medical technology, and it enhanced agricultural production with fossil-fuel-powered equipment and synthetic fertilizer.Thomas Malthus and population growth   Ã‚  Ã‚  At the outset of the industrial revolution in England, population growth was regarded as a good thing. For parents, high birth rates meant more children to support them in old age. For society, it meant a greater pool of labor for factory work. British economist Thomas Malthus (1766–1834) had a different opinion. Malthus claimed that unless population growth were controlled by laws or other social strictures, the number of people would outgrow the available food supply until starvation, war, or disease arose and reduced the population (Figure 1. ). Malthus’s most influential work, An Essay on the Principle of Population, published in 1798, argued that a growing population would eventually be checked either by limits on births or increases in deaths. If limits on births (such as abstinence and contraception) were not implemented soon enough, Malthus wrote, deaths would increase through famine, plague, and war. Malthus’s thinking was shaped by the rapid urbanization and industrialization he witnessed during the early years of the industrial revolution, but debates over his views continue today.As we will see in Chapter 8 and throughout this book, global population growth has indeed helped spawn famine, disease, and social and political conflict. However, increasing material prosperity has also helped bring down birth rates—something Malthus did not foresee. Paul Ehrlich and the â€Å"population bomb†   Ã‚  Ã‚  In our day, biologist Paul Ehrlich of Stanford University has been called a â€Å"neo-Malthusian† because he too has warned that population growth will have disastrous effects on human welfare.In his 1968 book, The Populat ion Bomb, Ehrlich predicted that the rapidly increasing human population would unleash widespread famine and conflict that would consume civilization by the end of the 20th century. Like Malthus, Ehrlich argued that population was growing much faster than our ability to produce and distribute food, and he maintained that population control was the only way to prevent massive starvation and civil strife. Although human population nearly quadrupled in the past 100 years—the fastest it has ever grown (see Figure1. a)—Ehrlich’s predictions have not materialized on the scale he predicted. This is due, in part, to agricultural advances made in recent decades. As a result, Ehrlich and other neo-Malthusians have revised their predictions accordingly and now warn of a postponed, but still impending, global crisis. V. Resource consumption exerts social and environmental impacts Population growth affects resource availability and is unquestionably at the root of many envir onmental problems. However, the growth in consumption is also to blame.The industrial revolution enhanced the material affluence of many of the world’s people by considerably increasing our consumption of natural resources and manufactured goods. Garrett Hardin and the â€Å"tragedy of the commons†   Ã‚  Ã‚  The late Garrett Hardin of the University of California, Santa Barbara, disputed the economic theory that unfettered exercise of individual self-interest will serve the public interest. According to Hardin’s best-known essay, â€Å"The Tragedy of the Commons,† published in the journal Science in 1968, resources that are open to unregulated exploitation will eventually be depleted.Hardin based his argument on a scenario described in a pamphlet published in 1833. In a public pasture, or â€Å"common,† that is open to unregulated grazing, Hardin argued, each person who grazes animals will be motivated to increase the number of his or her animals in the pasture. Ultimately, overgrazing will cause the pasture’s food production to collapse (Figure 1. 4). Because no single person owns the pasture, no one has incentive to expend effort taking care of it, and everyone takes what he or she can until the resource is depleted.Some have argued that private ownership can address this problem. Others point to cases in which people sharing a common resource have voluntarily organized and cooperated in enforcing its responsible use. Still others maintain that the dilemma justifies government regulation of the use of resources held in common by the public, from forests to clean air to clean water. Weighing the issues:| The Tragedy of the Commons| Imagine you make your living fishing for lobster. You are free to boat anywhere and set out as many traps as you like.Your harvests have been good, and nothing is stopping you from increasing the number of your traps. However, all the other lobster fishers are thinking the same thing, and the fishing grounds are getting crowded. Catches decline year by year, until one year the fishery crashes, leaving you and all the others with catches too meager to support your families. Some of your fellow fishers call for dividing the waters and selling access to individuals plot-by-plot. Others urge the fishers to team up, set quotas among themselves, and prevent newcomers from entering the market.Still others are imploring the government to get involved and pass laws regulating how much fishers can catch. What do you think is the best way to combat this tragedy of the commons and restore the fishery? Why? | Wackernagel, Rees, and the ecological footprint   Ã‚  Ã‚  As global affluence has increased, human society has consumed more and more of the planet’s limited resources. We can quantify resource consumption using the concept of the â€Å"ecological footprint,† developed in the 1990s by environmental scientists Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees.The ecologica l footprint expresses the environmental impact of an individual or population in terms of the cumulative amount of land and water required to provide the raw materials the person or population consumes and to dispose of or recycle the waste the person or population produces (Figure 1. 5). It measures the total amount of Earth’s surface â€Å"used† by a given person or population, once all direct and indirect impacts are totaled up. For humanity as a whole, Wackernagel and Rees have calculated that our species is using 30% more resources than are available on a sustainable basis from all the land on the planet.That is, we are depleting renewable resources 30% faster than they are being replenished—like drawing the principal out of a bank account rather than living off the interest. Furthermore, people from wealthy nations have much larger ecological footprints than do people from poorer nations. If all the world’s people consumed resources at the rate of N orth Americans, these researchers concluded, we would need the equivalent of two additional planet Earths. VI.Environmental science can help us avoid mistakes made by past civilizations It remains to be seen whether the direst predictions of Malthus, Ehrlich, and others will come to pass for today’s global society, but we already have historical evidence that civilizations can crumble when pressures from population and consumption overwhelm resource availability. Easter Island is the classic case (see â€Å"The Science behind the Story†), but it is not the only example. Many great civilizations have fallen after depleting resources from their environments, and each has left devastated landscapes in its wake.The Greek and Roman empires show evidence of such a trajectory, as do the Maya, the Anasazi, and other civilizations of the New World. Plato wrote of the deforestation and environmental degradation accompanying ancient Greek cities, and today further evidence is acc umulating from research by archaeologists, historians, and paleoecologists who study past societies and landscapes. The arid deserts of today’s Middle Eastern countries were far more vegetated when the great ancient civilizations thrived there; at that time these regions were lush enough to support the very origin of agriculture.While deforestation created deserts in temperate regions, in more tropical climates, the ancient cities of fallen civilizations became overgrown by jungle. The gigantic stone monuments of the Angkor civilization in Southeast Asia, like those of the Maya in Mexico and Central America, remained unknown to Westerners until the 19th century, and most of these cities remain covered by rainforest. Researchers have learned enough by now, however, that scientist and author Jared Diamond in his 2005 book, Collapse, could synthesize this information and formulate sets of reasons why civilizations succeed and persist, or fail and collapse.Success and persistence , it turns out, depend largely on how societies interact with their environments. I. People vary in their perception of environmental problems Environmental science arose in the latter half of the 20th century as people sought to better understand environmental problems and their origins. An environmental problem, stated simply, is any undesirable change in the environment. However, the perception of what constitutes an undesirable change may vary from one person or group of people to another, or from one context or situation to another.A person’s age, gender, class, race, nationality, employment, and educational background can all affect whether he or she considers a given environmental change to be a â€Å"problem. †   Ã‚  Ã‚  For instance, today’s industrial societies are more likely to view the spraying of the pesticide DDT as a problem than those societies viewed it in the 1950s, because today more is known about the health risks of pesticides (Figure 1. 6). At the same time, a person living today in a malaria-infested village in Africa or India may welcome the use of DDT if it kills mosquitoes that transmit malaria, because malaria is viewed as a more immediate health threat.Thus an African and an American who have each knowledgeably assessed the pros and cons may, because of differences in their circumstances, differ in their judgment of DDT’s severity as an environmental problem. | Different types of people may also vary in their awareness of problems. For example, in many cultures women are responsible for collecting water and fuelwood. As a result, they are often the first to perceive environmental degradation affecting these resources, whereas men in the same area simply might not â€Å"see† the problem.As another example, in most societies information about environmental health risks tends to reach wealthy people more readily than poor people. Thus, who you are, where you live, and what you do can have a huge ef fect on how you perceive your environment, how you perceive and react to change, and what impact those changes may have on how you live your life. In Chapter 2, we will examine the diversity of human values and philosophies and consider their effects on how we define environmental problems.II. Environmental science provides interdisciplinary solutions Studying and addressing environmental problems is a complex endeavor that requires expertise from many disciplines, including ecology, earth science, chemistry, biology, economics, political science, demography, ethics, and others. Environmental science is thus an interdisciplinary field—one that borrows techniques from numerous disciplines and brings research results from these disciplines together into a broad synthesis (Figure 1. 7).Traditional established disciplines are valuable because their scholars delve deeply into topics, uncovering new knowledge and developing expertise in particular areas. Interdisciplinary fields ar e valuable because their practitioners take specialized knowledge from different disciplines, consolidate it, synthesize it, and make sense of it in a broad context to better serve the multifaceted interests of society. Environmental science is especially broad because it encompasses not only the natural sciences (disciplines that study the natural world), but also the social sciences (disciplines that study human interactions and institutions).The natural sciences provide us the means to gain accurate information about our environment and to interpret it reasonably. Addressing environmental problems, however, also involves weighing values and understanding human behavior, and this requires the social sciences. Most environmental science programs focus predominantly on the natural sciences as they pertain to environmental issues. In contrast, programs incorporating the social sciences heavily often prefer using the term environmental studies to describe their academic umbrella. Whic hever approach one takes, these fields reflect many diverse perspectives and sources of knowledge.Just as an interdisciplinary approach to studying issues can help us better understand them, an integrated approach to addressing problems can produce effective and lasting solutions. One example is the dramatic improvement in one aspect of air quality in the United States over the past few decades. Ever since automobiles were invented, lead had been added to gasoline to make cars run more smoothly, even though medical professionals knew that lead emissions from tailpipes could cause health problems, including brain damage and premature death.In 1970 air pollution was severe, and motor vehicles accounted for 78% of U. S. lead emissions. But over the following years, engineers, physicians, atmospheric scientists, and politicians all merged their knowledge and skills into a process that eventually resulted in a ban on leaded gasoline. By 1996 all gasoline sold in the United States was unl eaded, and the nation’s largest source of atmospheric lead emissions had been completely eliminated. III.Environmental science is not the same as environmentalism Although many environmental scientists are interested in solving problems, it would be incorrect to confuse environmental science with environmentalism, or environmental activism. They are not the same. Environmental science is the pursuit of knowledge about the workings of the environment and our interactions with it. Environmentalism is a social movement dedicated to protecting the natural world—and, by extension, humans—from undesirable changes brought about by human choices (Figure 1. ). Although environmental scientists may study many of the same issues environmentalists care about, as scientists they attempt to maintain an objective approach in their work. Remaining free from personal or ideological bias, and open to whatever conclusions the data demand, is a hallmark of the effective scientist. We will now proceed with a brief overview of how science works and how scientists go about this enterprise that brings our society so much valuable knowledge.