Religious and Thnic Groups Paper Essay

I picked Buddhism as my religious group. I am a Christian so this is interesting to me because if would have stayed in Thailand, Buddhism would be the religion that I would have learned and believed in. Buddhism is a very unique religion and it differs from all other religion out there. They do not believe in a God. Tak stated, â€Å"We don’t believe in a god because we believe in man. We believe that each human being is precious and important, that all have the potential to develop into a Buddha – a perfected human being. We believe that human beings can outgrow ignorance and irrationality and see things as they really are. We believe that hatred, anger, spite and jealousy can be replaced by love, patience, generosity and kindness. We believe that all this is within the grasp of each person if they make the effort, guided and supported by fellow Buddhists and inspired by the example of the Buddha. As the Buddha says: No one saves us but ourselves, No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path, But Buddhas clearly show the way† (2011) The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism teach that life is a suffering, there is a cause of this suffering, it is possible to put an end to this suffering and the Noble Eightfold Path is the means to end this suffering. Refuge in Three Jewels is the three components of Buddhism which protect a person from the unstable world as he progresses on the path to become a Buddhist. The Five Precepts lay down the moral conduct to make human world a better place to live. These precepts prevent Buddhists from indulging in deeds that restrict spiritual growth and cause harm to others. The Three Marks of Conditioned Existence explain that everything in this world is impermanent, without substance and full of suffering. They do not have a ten commandments, no judgment day, no creation myth, no prayers for help or intervention, and let’s people find their own path though life. There are no rewards or punishments on judgment day like others. Buddhism is strictly not a religion in the context of being a faith and worship owing allegiance to a supernatural being. Buddhism has been looked upon as opposite teaching from other and this makes Buddhism have a negative experience even though they feel that it is okay and that hateful things can not cut through their skin. This is what my brother had to say about his experience with others in different religion, a member on Yahoo commented â€Å"I have experienced hate form other who don’t believe in what I believe in. And for the simple fact that I don’t worship their god. People have been afraid and confused and it’s sad that people are this way. Well people telling me that I’m going to burn in hell is just one example. Mostly I get people coming up to talk to me and I get the whole, â€Å"so are you a good Christian girl thing,† which makes me want to puke, and I say no I’m Pagan. And most people don’t even know what that means, but typically they stop talking and walk away. †( Philosoraptor, 2012) Buddhism has contributed little at a time and over time. Today we use meditation as a relaxation and even as a type of medicine. It is like yoga, has the same affect on the mind, body, and soul. The growth with Buddhism is even reaching different races, like for example Whites. Amanda Rivera said, â€Å"I think the appeal comes from the fact that the Lotus Sutra emphasizes the absolute equality of all people to be able to attain buddhahood, to attain their enlightenment. The sources of prejudice and discrimination with any religious group is that people do not know and understand the group and which fear and hate starts to set in. It is the people’s ignorance that causes the negative feelings and actions. When we talk about prejudice and discrimination a fine example would be two years ago in Kansas. The Lao-Buddhist Association [Wat Lao Buddhasampham] is trying to move its Olathe temple to a location along 119th Street in Olathe. But the Johnson County Board of Commissioners has so far denied the group a conditional use permit. Neighbors say that the area the Buddhists have chosen is zoned residential, but Lama Chuck Stanford of the Rime Buddhist Center says that discrimination is the real reason behind the opposition. â€Å"This is clearly just ugliness of ethnic and religious prejudice,† said Stanford. [†¦] Standord notes that Christian churches are common in residential areas, and that comments made by residents during a January zoning board meeting indicate fear and ignorance. At the meeting, people raised concerns about traffic, water pollution and â€Å"animal sacrifices,† along with noise from gongs, which Stanford says are no louder than church bells. Another example On Sept. 13, 2011 the U. S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the city of Walnut in Southern California because the city did not allow Chung Tai Buddhist Group, originally from Taiwan, to build a worship and meditation center. The Department of Justice accused the city government of violating federal law, which states that religious groups have the same rights to use land as other building applicants, and of discriminating against the Buddhist group. The sources of prejudice and discrimination with any religious group is that people do not know and understand the group and which fear and hate starts to set in. It is the people’s ignorance that causes the negative feelings and actions in which then problems and issues occur instead of accepting that people are different and unique. I have been neutral with Buddhism but my brother believes in it. I do not judge him and I try to think critically if I speak but after doing the research I have a new understanding of my ethic religion of my biological parents. The main important thing I have learned is not asking which religion is better but what is different from what I believe in and what they believe in because that is when you can see how others think and view beliefs. Taking a look at ethnic group of Pacific Islander are different from others in the aspect that the Pacific Islanders live a very social lifestyle, in which family members, both immediate and extended, work together in a solidified community. Pacific Islanders often have difficulty balancing their traditional â€Å"laid-back† attitudes with the high pressure competitive demands of American pedagogy and marketplace economy. Pacific Islanders’ cultures follow customs and traditions based on ancient principles that promote living an honorable and noble lifestyle. Embedded deeply into the Polynesian culture are music, dance, and food. Traditional storytelling, music, and dance are ancient ways of passing down history from one generation to another. Thus teachers with students who are Pacific Islanders may want to use both written and oral instruction, particularly in areas of literacy. Pacific Islanders are in fact highly developed peoples. Our ancestors survived for centuries in remote and isolated communities having devised their own means of dealing with the elements and of maintaining social order. In the process of what is known as ‘development’, however, Islanders wrestle daily with individual demands in a market-driven world, while our consciousness continues to be haunted by a pervasive sense of our collective identity (Wickham). The main thing with interaction with other groups is that Pacific Islander are more laid back and they tend to not be up to par with the other social groups. This makes them to be â€Å"dumb† and â€Å"no gas in the think tank. † Pacific Islander has been a huge contribution to American culture in fields as varied as the arts, health care, business and military service, Asian Pacific Americans are central to our quality of life. Month of May has been declared Asian Pacific American Heritage Month which celebrates all of those that have entered into the United States and help to develop where we are today as one. Prejudice and discrimination is part of history with Pacific Islander in the past. Taiwanese-American Wen Ho Lee, for example, was targeted by the U. S. government and suspected of espionage because of his ethnicity, according to many in the Asian/Pacific Islander community. In May, U. S. Rep. David Wu, an Oregon Democrat, was detained entering the Department of Energy building in Washington, D. C. , and repeatedly asked if he was an American citizen. July, 2009 in Seattle, a group of Asian-American youths, stopped by police for jaywalking, claimed they were harassed by an officer who repeatedly asked if they spoke English and allegedly remarked, â€Å"I’ve been to your country before, when I was in the Army. † These types of prejudice and discrimination are all appearance wise and nothing more. The pure ignorance is the source for all these actions. The research was harder to do on Pacific Islander due to the fact of less records and information like other groups. The more I read the same information was being presented. I started to research other groups and I was able to find so much more information. So yes it did help me to understand them better but not to the point of really understanding them because of lack of information and data on them. Prejudice and discrimination on the two groups were similar because both of them were looked upon as physical appearance and judge by looks instead of getting to know the two and understand the two. They both been looked at as different and odd. In the beginning of the two in America they both been push around and forced into doing things that were not right at all. Harassment and anger seems to fill hate towards the two. They are different in ways of the one is being discriminated because of a practice and the other is a human being. There is not much to be different other than that. Discrimination and prejudice looks the same, acts the same, and smells the same. Not much difference because it is all out of uneducated assumptions, anger, hatred, and intolerance. References Philosoraptor, M. (2012). Yahoo! Answers. Retrieved from http://answers. yahoo. com/question/index? qid=20120229093706AAHWC2Q Swee, T. (2013). Buddhism-Major Differences. Retrieved from http://www. buddhanet. net/e-learning/snapshot01. htm Tak, Y. (2011). Comparing Buddhism With Other Religions. Retrieved from http://wfcs. buddhistdoor. com/OldWeb/passissue/9612/sources/comp. htm Rivera, A. (2011). Why Is American Buddhism So White. Retrieved from http://www. thebuddhadharma. com/web-archive/2011/11/9/forum-why-is-american-buddhism-so-white. html Wickham, A. WACC. Retrieved from http://www. waccglobal. org/en/19973-indigenous-communications/929-Hidden-perspectives-on-Communication–Culture-in-the-Pacific-Islands-. html.

The Place of Factor X in Friedman and Albright’s Conflict

Three scholars namely Thomas L. Friedman, Madeleine Albright and Francis Fukuyama have offered related thoughts which policy-makers could learn to use in conflict resolution. To all of them, respecting human dignity is apparently the key to conflict resolution. Also, they all try to explain moral choices as the type of choice that must surface in the society to create a harmonious society. However, they have presented different sources for which people reflect on in making moral judgments like identity, rationality and freedom. The articles they have written which are; The Dell Theory of Conflict Resolution, Faith and Diplomacy and The Posthuman Future, respectively have tackled distinct issues but they derive their arguments from human nature. The first article for example discusses about the impacts of economic globalization on state and group collaboration; the second deals with how expertise and consideration of religion could facilitate in the understanding of cultural and religious differences to arrive at peace and settlements thus preventing wars; the third concerns itself with dissecting human nature to prove that technological and scientific development should be regulated to preserve the innate characteristics of humans and maintain their aspirations for unity. I would like to emphasize however that using the third article, Posthuman Future by Francis Fukuyama, the two articles are similar in that they refer to some aspects of human nature that Fukuyama referred to in his study as part of Factor X. But at the same time, I would like to present a personal analysis that Friedman and Albright in their discussions of economic-political behaviour and religious beliefs, are able to introduce although implicitly another aspect of human nature that Fukuyama might have not fully underscored- the human interactions that produce, mould, shape and influence beliefs, behavior, ideologies that yields to mobilization, organization, even conflict and its resolution. Let me begin by sharing what Fukuyama has to say about human dignity. How is moral choice determined? Francis Fukuyama in his new book the â€Å"Posthuman Future† tries to give a fresh perspective on the nature of humans and human values that eventually leads to a discussion of a kind of moral choice that is rooted in human dignity. Fukuyama says that human values are rooted in human nature which in turn is rooted in our genes. Fukuyama defines human nature as â€Å"the sum of the behavior and characteristics that are typical of the human species, arising from genetic rather than environmental factors.† Humans as complex wholes with a range of capacities like rationality, moral choice, sociability, sentience, consciousness, language, and so on that exceed those located among non-human animals is what gives humans moral worth. So while non-humans may possess nature as well, only humans possess dignity. Dignity is what gives humans the following: â€Å"superior†¦ moral status that raises us all above the rest of animal creation and yet makes us equals of one another qua human beings.† Fukuyama believes that dignity resides in what he refers below as Factor X: â€Å"a mysterious ‘Factor X' which is the ‘essential human quality' that remains after ‘all of a person's contingent and accidental characteristics' have been stripped away.† Fukuyama claims that: â€Å"Factor X cannot be reduced to the possession of moral choice, or reason, or language, or sociability, or sentience, or emotions, or consciousness, or any other quality that has been put forth as a grounds for human dignity. It is all of these qualities coming together in a human whole that make up Factor X† It is Factor X that Fukuyama wants to conserve from the command of biotechnologists. In this given equation, biotechnology which consists of the alteration of our biological nature would also alter human nature, transforming human values and undermine capitalism. He further notes that: â€Å"What is ultimately at stake with biotechnology is the very grounding of the human moral sense. We therefore need international regulation to obstruct any technological advance that might ‘disrupt either the unity or the continuity of human nature, and thereby the human rights that are based upon it.† (Fukuyama, 2002) Francis Fukuyama seemingly concerned with the natural order of things fears that with artificial actions like those presented in medicines, cloning and genetic engineering, what could have been naturally designed as the end in our society would change as we intervened in the natural course of events. This assumption leads him to some policy prescriptions as regards the limitations of these developments. One can deduce from his assumptions that our morality and our moral choices will also be affected with these perceived changes. The resolution for Fukuyama in all of humans’ worries that provoke biotechnology is seen in his statement, â€Å"There are good prudential reasons to defer to the natural order of things and not to think that human beings can easily improve upon it through casual intervention† Having read the Dell Theory of Conflict Resolution, one can judge at the outset that the intention was to rationalize the behavior of people and organizations which due to globalization and   in the consideration of their best interests have resorted to collaboration, thus making their human nature progress into economically defined configurations and abstain from war and other skirmishes. Richard Cobden said: â€Å"Free trade is God’s diplomacy. There is no other certain way of uniting people in the bonds of peace† (cited in the Dell Theory of Conflict Resolution). If I were to put it simply, I’d say Friedman as he appears a liberal to me wishes to promote for the sake of resolving conflict among groups and states, human’s embedded rationality as the aspect that makes us unique and thinking life-forms. He is saying that economically speaking, we would rather choose the best possible choice- that one that will entail the least costs and risks and the greater benefits. The least harm would be to preserve the freedom of choice and inherent rights of humans -characteristic of a capitalist system and even prospered in free trade. Now, this has become not only a rational choice for him, but also a moral choice; and dignity derives itself from the consideration of other people’s rights to personal property, opportunity to engage in the globalizing system as free and rational beings and appreciation of what others could do to help others at the same time helping their own selves (comparative advantage). In this case, conflict arises when disrespect against other humans in the form of illegal transactions, abuse of power, unfair decisions and agreements take place. Hence, as far as foreign policy is concern, time has come for policy-makers to lose interest in hard security issues like war but focus on meaningful and friendly trade treaties and the like. On the other hand, the article Faith and Diplomacy by Madeleine Albright takes faith in religion as the basis of human’s moral choices. Looking at human’s capacity and nature to reason and feel- this must be provoked to make people make better assessment of their actions and decisions. It is the domination of a common identity as humans created in the likeness of God that could fashion an intensive dislike to killing other humans and hurting them. The ultimate reason to abhor war and fighting must come from the nature of humans to feel sympathy, pain, sadness from the makings of their religious differences. Hence, international diplomatic relations faced with religious-based insurgencies must take this tactic to eliminate the perspective of dehumanization in wars as an opportunity to maintain order. Human dignity in this case is taken away when one treats another human non-human. He says in the article: â€Å"When participants in a conflict claim to be people of faith, a negotiator who has the credentials and the credibility to do so might wish to call their bluff† Humans have the nature to realize mistakes after some moments of reflection based on reason and sentiments. However as Fukuyama states, Factor X is the totality of human natures, the sum of all parts. Although a lot of other scholars still contest and rebut Fukuyama’s exaggeration of the impacts of biotechnology on the human qualities, I may not delve into those criticisms although one thing is clear to me: that all of these scholars have faith in what humans can do both negative and positive. Conflict is caused by human qualities and characteristics as rational, free beings capable of innovation and complex organizing. What must be given emphasis however more than human nature is human interaction. Their social nature is what brings them to form distinct religious groups and organizations, influence each other to develop new traditions, norms and structures, cooperate and not to cooperate depending on mainstream beliefs and ideologies. I would say Friedman and Albright’s thoughts on moral choice, human dignity and conflict resolution are not isolated from the human aspects that Fukuyama is talking about, although in a separate discussion, they have perhaps unintentionally promoted another way of looking at conflict which transcends the explanations made by Fukuyama.       .   

Aberlyn Capital

Executive Summary The venture leasing deal that Aberlyn proposed to RhoMed is an innovative way for RhoMed, a start-up firm, to acquire financing without diluting its equity value and raising debt in the market. Management believes that the firm is more valuable than venture capital firms would believe, and debt financing would be extremely costly since RhoMed doesn’t currently have positive cash flow. For Aberlyn, the main benefits of the transaction are the interest payments paid on the lease and potential to sell the patent for a much higher value than the original $1 Million valuation by RhoMed. However, this is a rather risky investment for Aberlyn. If RhoMed defaults on its payments, Aberlyn uses the patent as collateral and must sell it in the market. Since the patent is highly individualized and therefore may not be commercially feasible, the patent is probably worth less than what Lulu’s valuation suggests. RhoMed has limited options in terms of financing as the cost of debt and equity are both very expensive for start-up firms without positive cash flow. However, by going this route, they are risking losing the main driver of their business their patent. In order to value RhoMed as a whole we needed to make numerous assumptions, particularly on their future revenue streams, a huge driver for the valuation and share value, as our sensitivity analysis suggests. We believe that the revenue projections given in the case are far too optimistic. We projected our own descending annual growth rates for revenue and assumed that the firm reaches stability in 2004 and grows at the inflation rate of 3%. We estimated capex by using a constant percentage of revenue of 21% and we used our estimated capex to estimate depreciation. Based on these assumptions, the NPV for the value of the firm is about $19.5 M and with a share value of $3.45. To value the warrants we used the black-Scholes model and reached a call price of $180,915 in total or $2.63 per warrant. Alberlyn requires an implicit yield of 15-17% on firms characterized as â€Å"class 2.† To calculate the IRR for Alberlyn, we evaluated three different scenarios that could potentially occur. Case 1 assumes that RhoMed successfully makes all its payments and buys back the patent at $1 at the end of three years. This yields a 15% IRR. Case 2 assumes that RhoMed defaults on its payments and that Aberlyn then successfully sells the patent in the market in 1995. In order to find then  appropriate sale price we assumed an IRR of 15% and backed into the purchase price of $2,750,652. Case 3 assumes that RhoMed defaults on its payment and Aberlyn is unable to find a buyer in the market. This yields a negative IRR and an NPV of negative 950 M, nearly equal to the negative amount of the initial investment. Based on our analysis we think that Aberlyn should not go ahead with the venture leasing deal and that RhoMed should reconsider issuing equity instead. Costs, Benefits, and risks of the venture leasing deal to Aberlyn and RhoMed Aberlyn 1. Benefits: This is a relatively novel transaction where an intangible asset is leased. As a frontrunner, Aberlyn has first mover’s advantage allowing it to capture profits from this innovative financing approach, even in future transactions after RhoMed. Aberlyn has an incredibly qualified management team and utilizes its expertise both in the case of RhoMed and in future leasing transactions. The two main benefits are the interest payments paid on the lease and Alberyn’s higher valuation of the patent. Aberlyn is providing $1 Million in cash to RhoMed but values the patent at $5 Million. If RhoMed cannot pay the interest or the principal then Aberlyn can use the patent as collateral and sell it in the market at a premium. This means that Aberlyn should be able to recoup its investment even if things do not go according to plan. 2. Costs: Aberlyn might have to engage in costly litigation in order to defend against possible infringements on RhoMed’s patent. If other companies sense that Aberlyn is unwilling to pay the litigation fees necessary in order to defend the patent, other companies will use the technology for free, rendering the patent worthless. 3. Risks: A. Novel Transaction: Since this is a relatively novel approach, and since RhoMed does not have experience with external financing, there are multiple areas under the discretion of Aberlyn’s management, which can ultimately determine Aberlyn’s profitability. B. Low cash balance: A potential risk is that RhoMed does not have enough cash flow to cover the interest expense and principal payments. According to Exhibit 6, the cash balance in 1992 is 21,351, and the net cash flow is -37,783. Considering that the interest expense for 1993 is projected to be 27,000, the default risk should be  highly considered. C. Highly specified product: Since the patent is not commercialized and targeted towards the individual, there might not be a market at all for the patent. It could be that if RhoMed does not exercise the option to buy the patent back or defaults on its payments and Aberlyn can’t sell the patent in the market, it would essentially be stuck with the patent, an a sset that has no value. We calculated the NPV in this scenario and concluded that Aberlyn would essentially lose nearly its entire investment. D. Another potential risk that Aberlyn faces is they are only purchasing one patent, and many firms regard one patent as being far less useful than a patent that is part of a broader portfolio. The patent would be more highly valued if antibodies, proteins, and peptides had already been patented and included within the Antibody Delivery System. E. This patent may actually capture a smaller portion of the market share than Lulu believes; this is because the product is highly individualized and not commercially feasible. If it is difficult for this new technology to capture as much market share as is predicted by Lulu, then Aberlyn will have difficulty selling the patent if and when RhoMed cannot meet its payment obligations. Another reason why it may be more difficult for Aberlyn to sell the patent is that much of the patent’s value is derived from the fact that RhoMed’s scientists have a lot of expertise in the area they are researching. If another firm that didn’t have the same level of human capital necessary to realize the full value of the patent bought the patent then they might value it less. RhoMed 1. Benefits: RhoMed can continue on with its business activities while maximizing its control of equity. Without the deal, RhoMed needs to find external financing from places such as banks until its IPO likely around 1994. Since RhoMed is a new company with negative cash flow, limited resources, and limited partnerships, most external sources of financing will be costly. Further, RhoMed’s founders want to retain their equity. Since most other venture capital firms want 30% equity, Aberlyn’s offer is attractive. 2. Costs: While the costs of maintaining the patent, such as defending it, are shifted to Aberlyn, RhoMed still bears additional leasing costs, which are similar to a loan and include both principal and leasing  interest payments. Although this is a significant cost, this cost is much lower than what the cost of traditional debt financing would be for RhoMed. 3. Risks: RhoMed faces quite a few risks, the main one being that they could lose their patents or what they deem proprietary technology. If RhoMed defaults on either the interest payments or the principal, then Aberlyn keeps the patent. If Aberlyn sells the patent in the market, RhoMed will lose its competitive advantage. Overall, RhoMed is putting the highest value of their business at a substantial risk. Nevertheless, this deal is necessary for RhoMed because of limited financing options. Lulu Peckering’s Evaluation The patents that RhoMed developed for immunotherapy of cancer treatment is a novel approach that has not been conclusively demonstrated. Therefore, there is no current market making it hard to find comparable firms and challenging to project future revenues. The best way to get a relative sense of how profitable the company can be is to try to size the market and make assumptions as to how much of the market RhoMed can capture considering the strength of the patent and the technology associated with it. There are two things to consider with Lulu Pickering’s patent evaluation. First are some of her assumptions. We agree with her valuation of the market size at $735.4 M. However, the assumption that RhoMed can capture 20% of the market seems unrealistic especially considering that if a PET machine is available, it will probably be used over other methods. This implies that splitting the market share evenly between the five options is probably not feasible. I would argue that PET will capture 40% of the market. The fact that the product is very individualized and less commercially feasible makes it even more difficult to believe that RhoMed can capture a substantial portion of the market. Therefore, we claim that they can only capture 10% of the market. Using the same method as in the case, we reach a market size of $36.8 M. Dividing that by half to account for the other risks discussed yields $18.4 M. Based on a royalty rate of 5% over the fourteen year time period of the estimate, with the assumption that this is relevant to all types of cancer, this equals $9.2 M. The discount rate is a measure of risk. Because we accounted for some of the risk associated with this product by  cutting down the size of the market, we can use the 7.3% premium above the risk free rate given in the case (13.35%) as the discount rate over 14 years: $9.2 M/(1.1335)^14 = $1.6 M. Assumptions for FCF of RhoMed and Valuation (Appendix 1) Revenues for RhoMed: We believe the revenue projections for RhoMed in Exhibit 7 are too optimistic. The revenue projections between 1993 and 1994 jump nearly 1000% and while start-ups do grow rapidly at the beginning, this seems highly optimistic. Given RhoMed is in its start-up stage, we project descending annual growth rates for revenue. We assume that the firm reaches stability in 2004 and then peg the subsequent growth rate to inflation at 3%.1 Capex: Given the condition that RhoMed is in a capital-intensive biotech industry, we calculated CAPEX as a constant proportion of revenue. We assume the ratio of CAPEX/Revenue remains constant at 21% (as in year 1992) over the following years. Depreciation: To calculate the depreciation, we use CAPEX and depreciated with a consistent 11-year life using the straight-line method. This patent has a 17 year life span and most PPE have a five year schedule. Therefore we chose an average of those two times, 11 years, as the depreciation schedule for the patent. We were then able to calculate depreciation each year using a depreciation schedule (Appendix 3). Terminal Value: For TV, we used the constant growth method, assuming a constant growth rate of 3% and discounted it back one year to yield a 2004 value of $55,642,743 (Appendix 2). Risk-free rate/discount rate: We used the risk-free rate of the 10-year U.S. Treasury bonds at 6.05%, which we think best reflects the length of the project and added a premium of 7.3% as stated in the case which yielded a 13.35% discount rate. Impact of Warrants: We took into consideration the impact of warrants. Since the warrant coverage ratio is 10%, it means 1,000,000*10%/3.45 = 29,000 warrants can be exercised. Therefore, we added this number to the current total shares outstanding. Based on these assumptions, the NPV for the value of the firm is about $19.5 M. As this is an all equity firm, this is also the firm value, dividing that by the number of shares outstanding (5,699,747) results in a share price of $3.43 (Appendix 2). Assumptions for Warrants and Valuation Sigma: We used the industry average sigma, 68% (from footnotes in Exhibit 10). Risk-free rate: We used the 5-year U.S. Treasury rate of 5.05% as a benchmark, matching the time horizon of the warrants. Valuation: We calculated the value of the warrants using the Black-Scholes model. For the inputs of the B-S model, we used the firm value of $19.5 M that we calculated above as Y, $1.45 for the exercise price, 5,699,747 for the number of shares outstanding, as provided in the case. Number of the warrants is calculated by multiplying 1,000,000 by the warrant coverage 10%, and then divided by the exercise price. Using alpha=n/(n+m), P=alpha*Y and X=(1-alpha)*n*Xw, we derive all the inputs for B-S model. Inputting those values in the model results in: P=234,317, X=98,798 and the value of the warrants or the call price = 181,501 in total or 2.63 per warrant (Appendix 4). Internal Rate of Return for Aberlyn Aberlyn is looking for a 15-17% implicit yield on patents falling into risk class â€Å"2.† We evaluated three different scenarios that could potentially occur based on the benefits, costs, and risks discussed earlier. Scenario 1: Optimistic View In this case, we assume RhoMed would successfully make all the payments and exercise the option to buy back the patent for $1 (which we ignore in our analysis since it’s so small). Amortization of the patent at the assumed book value of $1 million uses the straight-line method and is zeroed out after the sale. This yields a 15% implicit yield (appendix). Scenario 2: Optimistic Default on payments, sell patent. In this case, we assume RhoMed failed to make all the payments either interest or principal or both, loses the option to buy back the patents, and loses the patents in general. We assume RhoMed would fail to make those payments at year 3 (since they borrowed $1 M they could at least make the payment for the first couple years) and thus Aberlyn would sell the patent in the market in 1995. Using Aberlyn’s required implicit yield of 15%, as case 1, we backed out the required sale price of the patent in 1995 = 2,750,652 (appendix). Scenario 3: Pessimistic In this case, we assume that RhoMed would not be able to make payments at year 3 and that Aberlyn will not be able to sell the patent in the market. As discussed above, there could be a situation where Aberlyn cannot find a market for patent and would be left holding an asset that ultimately holds no value. In this case Alberlyn has a negative NPV of $950 M, nearly equal to the amount of the initial investment (appendix). From Aberlyn’s perspective it seems that there is little upside to pursuing this route. They are essentially acquiring an asset that could be replicated by other firms and that is highly individualized, highly narrowing the market. As the sensitivity analysis shows, RhoMed’s valuation and share price are very sensitive to revenue streams (appendix). Even if RhoMed does make the payments, the revenue projections might be off and considered the difficulty in commercializing an individualized product, it seems even less likely that their revenue projections will be realized. While a $1M investment is not large, they could face the possibility of losing nearly entire amount as scenario three indicates. While RhoMed has limited options, this is also a risky approach for them because they are gambling the main driver of their company the patent. While the founders don’t want to dilute equity value, they might want to reconsider traditional equity financing. While this is an innovative approach to venture capital, we think it is risky for both parties involved and we would recommend that they reconsider. Appendix 1 – FCF_Assumptions Appendix 2 – RhoMed FCF, Share Price, Depreciation Schedule Appendix 3 – Depreciation Schedule Appendix 4 – Warrant Valuation Appendix 5 – IRR Calculation

Research Project Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Project - Research Paper Example However, research has shown that local members of the community are not benefiting much from the resources that are mined in their area. It has also been found that the working conditions of the employees are not favourable since the mine has been recently hit by a spate of strikes over pay issues. It has also been found that people who were protesting over improved working conditions were harshly treated and 34 lost their lives after the police opened fire on the protestors. In principle, organizations that extract natural resources in different places should plough back to the members of the community. It has been recommended that the company involved in this case should make efforts to empower the employees in particular so that they can also directly benefit from the natural resources that are obtained from their areas. This can be done through increasing their wages as well as creating community share trusts. This action is designed to fulfil the corporate social responsibility (CSR) concerns of the company. Overview of the topic In most cases, natural resources like minerals are exploited for various reasons. Minerals contribute towards economic growth and development if they are sold to other countries. Through exploitation of mineral resources in a particular area or country, employment is created and the welfare of the people is likely to be improved. There are many benefits that can be derived from extracting natural resources in a certain area. Development of infrastructure can also be promoted if a natural resource that is of commercial value is being mined in a particular area. Essentially, informed companies should make an effort to ensure that their activities also positively contribute to the growth and development of the areas they would be operating in. This can also help to create trust among the local members since they would stand to benefit from the wealth obtained from their backyard. However, this is not the case in some places that are rich in mineral resources since the people living around the area where the minerals are being mined live in abject poverty. This is in stark contrast to minerals millions of dollars extracted in these people’s background but they do not benefit from these resources. This is ironical because local residents in the communities where the precious minerals are mined are poor and they do not directly benefit from the wealth extracted from their backgrounds. This calls for organizations involved in this business to be more accountable and socially responsible for their activities. Essentially, the concept of â€Å"CSR maintains that businesses are part of the larger society in which they exist and are accountable to the society for their operations,† (Strydom, 2004 p.11). This means that organisations should strike a fine balance between the needs and interests of customers, needs of the environment and the need for businesses to realise their financial goals. This goes han d in hand with the concept of business ethics which tries to make a distinction between something that is morally good from bad (1994). Apart from inequalities in the distribution of wealth obtained from extraction of natural resources in a particular area, it can be seen that the local community members are also exposed to dangers such as environmental pollution that are directly caused by the activities of the company extracting the

Paulo Frerie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Paulo Frerie - Essay Example I have had an opportunity to experience both sides of the divide during my time in high school and college, throughout much of the former education consisted of sitting in class and taking notes. Despite the fact that they were making some effort to be interactive, I with the benefit of hindsight, realize now that their efforts often simply culminated in our rubber-stamping the teacher opinions. Conversely, in senior high school, there is one teacher who made a difference in the way I perceived education, he was an elderly Gent who loved classics and surprisingly for a teacher, in any lesson, he did the least amount of speaking and the most listening. This was radically different from what most of us were used to, and some of my classmates claimed (Secretly) that he was just lazy, nonetheless with time we realized that we were learning more from ourselves than we would have if he just stood there dictating. This is because, when a teacher is teaching, we would often zone off and I pe rsonally had to be startled out or my reverie, as someone was reading Robert frost, in what I considered sleeps inducing tones. With time, the teacher made the readings more student oriented especially by asking a student to lead the discussion, social rivalries began to show their face in the class as students competed in a new arena, intellect. Initially, we were surprised since whenever we were confused by a problem, we would ask the teacher and he often came out with answers that were complicated, but we often assumed they were right.

Comparative International Reporting (Accounting) Essay

Comparative International Reporting (Accounting) - Essay Example Financial reports should be understandable, relevant, comparable and reliable (New Zealand International Financial Reporting Standards.2008). Financial reporting as said earlier is mandatory in all countries irrespective of laws prevailing. Accounting reports are prepared according to laws or standards framed for this purpose. In New Zealand the Financial reporting standards board or the FRSB is responsible for developing, implementing and ensuring accounting standards in the country (New Zealand Equivalents to International Financial Reporting Standards. 2011). The FRSB forwards new accounting standards to the Accounting Standards Review board or the ASRB for approval. It also works along with the International accounting standards board. In New Zealand issuers of securities and large profit making reporting entities are required to fully comply with the international financial reporting standards. According to the financial reporting act of 1993, reporting entities includes busines s which issues securities under the securities act and companies and other entities whose legislation requires them to comply with the act of 1993. The financial reporting act of 1993, places obligations to all such organizations to prepare financial statements in compliance with the generally accepted accounting practice within five months of their financial year. Smaller companies except issuers of securities and overseas companies can comply with less stringent requirements up to the limit of justification on their costs. It is also mandatory for companies to audit their financial statements and to file them with the registrar of companies in the public register. Meanwhile small overseas companies are exempted from this condition. The 1993 act has established the ASRB with the prime purpose to approve financial reporting standards. The Institute of chartered accountants of New Zealand, a professional body is responsible for developing and submitting financial reporting standards to the board (Financial reporting law. 2010). Since the introduction of New Zealand eqvallent to the IFRS, all the entities have to work through ever changing and more complex requirements of reporting. These challenges have reached the point of height when the entities are required to prepare and submit their annual report to share holders and other stake holders. With regard to presentation of the income statement, the companies have two options. The financial statements are approved for the purpose of issue within a period for 65 days average for listed entities and 100 days for non listed entities. Financial statements make up nearly 60% of the annual report. According to NZ IAS 1 , a minimum and separate disclosure on the face of the income statement of revenue, finance costs, profit and loss share of associates and joint ventures accounted for using equity method, profit or loss and tax expenses. Even though there is no specific requirement to show operating expense on the sta tements, the NZ IAS1 gives a choice for companies to select presentation of services by function or by nature. The NZ IAS1 also requires inclusion of primary statements that show changes in equity. This can be due to changes arising other than from transactions with equity shareholders acting in their capacity and all changes in equity or SOCIE. With regard

Evaluating Capital Investment projects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Evaluating Capital Investment projects - Essay Example On the contrary, non-discounted matrices applies accounting rate of return. The metrics measure project performance/progress over a given period. Therefore, it is advisable for Arizona Hospital to select a combination of metrics due to the prones and cones associated with each metrics. Some of the prones of discounted matrices include; they give the intrinsic value of an investment, they are easier to apply and are reliable to use than non-discounted cash flow metrics methods. Some of the disadvantages of discounted metrics over non-discounted metrics include; they are based on assumptions and can only be reliable when there is certainty of cash flows (Baker & English, 2011). On the other hand, sensitivity analysis entails a mathematical technique used to determine the impact of independent variable over the dependent variable. The sensitivity may tell the senior managers of Arizona hospital whether the project will be optimal and the level of risk associated with a particular project so that necessary changes can be applied accordingly (Saltelli, Tarantola & Campolongo, 2004). This means that sensitivity analysis act as a useful tool for assessing capital projects risk and returns. This is because sensitivity analysis helps to identify the potential investments risk in the market, these help managers to prepare on how they can deal with that risk (Saltelli & Wiley InterScience,

A literature review on the various roles of the HR manager Essay

A literature review on the various roles of the HR manager - Essay Example The practices of Human Resource Management have been integrated so that such an organisational culture could be designed in which the workers could identify their own success (Smith, 2006). The role of HR managers is becoming significant in organisations because ‘sophistication of human resource management practices can enhance the operational inefficiencies (Ijose, n.d.) and to remain operationally efficient having strong management team, designing the work according to successful strategy execution, retaining skilled people, designing the culture that may implement strategy critical activities and creating good policies and procedures that may support strategy execution are required (Higgins, 2005 cited in Ijose n.d.). A lot of research work has been done on the changing and various roles of HR managers in the organisations. In the new service paradigm, the HR managers are in the position to measure the pulse of organisation therefore; they have to be very responsive (Ulrich, Losey & Lake, 1997). The changes in the roles of human resources in organisations have significant implications not only for businesses but also for the HR functions and HR professionals (Bundy, 1997). The role of Human Resource managers is not limited to typical HR functions. Only determining the competencies cannot bring competitive advantage to the organisations unless the knowledge is integrated into the entire HR system therefore, HR managers should think systematically and strategically instead of thinking functionally and tactically about their area (Becker & Huselid, 1999). In a research on the impact of rapid change in Europe on HR managers by European Association for Personnel Management, it was found that nowadays, managers in Europe are required to give attention to traditional HR problems of line managers and they are also supposed to be specialised by line managers in various other functions so that they may get a broader business

The Role the Bible in Regards to Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Role the Bible in Regards to Ethics - Essay Example The Bible gives Christians the answers to different morality aspects that often bring up arguments and disagreements. Such matters include: abortion, immorality, drug abuse, homosexuality, alcoholism, divorce and the family among other aspects of life that often bring up dilemmas. (London, 2009) The Bible talks about morality and ethics in specific and general terms. In the Book of Mark 7:20-23, the Bible specifies that it is what comes from inside of Christians that causes them to sin. The heart directs us to steal to kill and to rob; to be jealous to be immoral and to commit any form of sin against the Lord. The verse mentions specifically the acts that are known to be immoral and unethical in accordance to the Bible. In Romans 1:25-32 the Bible goes ahead into specifications that when men sin against the Lord and are involved in worshiping the creations of the Lord and not God himself; it results into acts such as homosexuality where men have a strong passion for each other instead of the natural relationships created by God. In verses 29-30 it goes ahead and specifies the evils that the Lord is against including: slander and malice, disobedience of parents, being proud and not keeping promises among others. (Clapp, 1996: pg 36) In the Book of 1 Peter 4:3, the Bible continues to specify on aspects such as drunkenness which it depicts as evil. In the same chapter, it is also stated that for every wrong that is committed, the Lord is going to judge human beings accordingly. Therefore, it is clear from the Bible that the wrong doers will be punished and those who are strong and they suffer physically for the Lord will be saved. II. Nature of the Relationship between the Bible and the Church in regards to Ethics Churches of the world regard the Bible not as a collection of verses by the ancient people but as the word of The Lord. The Bible is taken as God's voice speaking directly to us. It is the voice of the Lord to the congregation and to the entire world. This is an act of faith and is what interconnects the Bible to the church. The main purpose of the church is to interpret the word in the Bible to the congregation and let it known to individuals what is right and wrong in the eyes of the Lord. The church serves as an institution of direction to the believers on the path to follow in order to be righteous and to live a holy life and waiting on the Lord. In the book of Isaiah 40:8, the Bible states that all other things in this world will come to pass but the word of the Lord will stand forever and ever. The message of the Bible that was intended by God to guide our every step and our day's activities is preached in churches. What is right or what is wrong (ethics) is emphasized in the c hurch using the wordings of the Bible. (London, 2009) In the Book of Nehemiah 8:1-16, the people of Israel are gathered in the Watergate to listen to the word that the Lord had given to Moses for them. Ezra the priest at that time read the scripture out loud to the people and they listened attentively to every word. They stood up in respect of the word and they bowed down to the Lord and worshipped Him in song and Praise. Ezra discouraged them from being sad and he told them that the joy of

Assisted Suicide Essay Example for Free

Assisted Suicide Essay If you’re suffering from excruciating pain and there’s no hope you will recover and doctors are keeping you alive for as long as you can take for no reason, would you want them to pull the plug? Assisted suicide is mostly legal in 16 countries. In the U.S. assisted suicide is legal in Washington, Oregon, Vermont and Montana does not specifically address physician-assisted suicide but have no laws against it and physicians who practice it are shielded from prosecution. Assisted suicide is a controversy because too many people it’s against their religion. Assisted suicide is considered to be inhumane to some people because some people say that animals are put down, not human beings. Also some believe that some people might take advantage of assisted suicide. It’s a choice that some people might want to take if they’re suffering. Most of the people that are against assisted suicide say it’s because it’s against their religion. Others believe it is inhumane and say it violates a fundamental tenet of medicine by contradicting the doctors role as a healer to end a person’s life (murder) even if they are suffering. Assisted suicide should be legal everywhere because if you do not believe in it then you don’t have to choose that option, but people that believe in it should be able to choose. Many physicians believe assisted suicide should be legal and terminally ill patients should have the choice to end their suffering. If you have the right to live, shouldnt you have the right to die? If you have the right to live, shouldnt you have the right to die? When such people ask for assistance in exercising their right to die, their wishes should be respected† This quote from Claire Andre (page 1) is stating that someone who is asking to end their suffering from a terminal illness/disease that their wish should be honored and respected. Claire is trying to prove that assisted suicide should be respected if one has the desires to end their  life but only from a terminally illness/disease. She is stating that it’s actually inhumane to keep someone alive as long as possible through medical treatment. If the doctors know that a patient wont recover they should be able to ask the patient if they want the option of getting a high dose of medicine that will end their s uffering. Most people who are against assisted suicide have no reason besides that it’s against their religion because it’s technically suicide. Others say that it’s inhumane and it’s technically murder because you’re taking someone’s life. Also some people think that some people that are having family issues or people who are in debt might try to take advantage of assisted suicide. Dr. Ann McPherson, a 64-year-old GP from Oxford, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. After 14 years of being diagnosed she now has terminal pancreatic cancer and secondary cancer in her lungs. She is only taking her morphine and she does not receive cancer treatment anymore. Assisted dying is something I have considered. I have no idea if I want it, that depends on how my dying goes. But I want it to be there. I feel very strongly that palliative care should include assisted dying, I call it assisted dying, not assisted suicide, because suicide has connotations of someth ing bad, running away. I think the law is inhuman as it stands and I think the  ­public is ahead of the lawmakers on this. (Page 1) she believes that making it illegal to have a physician end ones suffering is inhumane and should be reconsidered. Also no one would be able to take advantage of assisted suicide because there are protocols and you have to be terminally ill. To those who believe that assisted suicide technically suicide and against their religion are wrong. How can it be inhumane if it’s their choice to end their own suffering? If God loved you he wouldnt want you to suffer through terminally illnesses/ diseases he would want you to be able to end your suffering. Dr. Ann McPherson calls it assisted dying because she believes that suicide is just as excuse to end your problems or run away. Maybe some people are just against assisted suicide because of the name and havent looked into it. Maybe if they used the name Euthanasia or Assisted dying more often people might look at it different. Dr. Ann McPherson also has a husband, children, and grandchildren. She states that she wants her family to be there for her and she said I dont want to go to  Zurich, to some anonymous facility; I would want to do it in my own bed. I have a husband, three children and five grandchildren and I would like them to be there if that is the route I go down, though I dont want them to be directly involved. A professional should be able to do that. (Page 2). She doesnt want her family to take part in her death but if she was able to choose that path she would want her family to be there. Also if someone asked a physician to help them assist suicide and they were not terminally ill but they had life problems, they should and would be turned away. Assisted suicide is a way out of suffering from illness and diseases not life issues. There have been only 5 countries to fully legalize assisted suicide and only 3 states (soon to be 4) in the United States. The other 11 countries have no law against suicide/ assisted suicide. Assisted suicide is starting to appear in many court cases around the world and is starting to be considered worldwide. Some countries have no laws about assisting a suicide or suicide itself but do have laws like failure to assist a person in danger, an assisted with manslaughter, accessory to murder, and even murder is brought up in cases that involves someone assisting someone in suicide. While Oregon, Washington State, Vermont and Montana permit physician-assisted suicide, Montanas Supreme Court determined that assisted suicide is a medical treatment. We find no indication in Montana laws that physician aid in dying provided to terminally ill, mentally competent adult patients is against public policy and therefore, the physician who assists is shielded from criminal liability by the patien t’s consent.†(Page 1) The Montana Supreme Court states that physicians may assist patients in ending their lives with a high dosage of legal drugs. The states living-will law provides the basis for the practice said by the Montana Supreme Court (page 1). Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, and the United States (Washington, Oregon, Vermont, and Montana) have legalized assisted suicide. More countries are starting to move toward legalizing assisted suicide/ euthanasia. In 1997 Colombias Supreme Court ruled that penalties/ criminal offenses for mercy killing should be removed. They havent legalized assisted suicide but are leading towards it. In the United Kingdom a man named Martin who is 46 years old suffered from a brainstem stroke. He is completely paralyzed everywhere except for his eyelids. He has a computer in which he stares at 24/7, that recognizes one letter at a time as Martin blinks and stares at it. He uses his eyes to spell out his desires, frustrations and anger on his computer. He wants to go to court for an assurance that any professional person/ physician who helps him to die/pull the plug will not be prosecuted. The doctors said that he could live for years in his state and even his wife is trying to help him fight for the right to die. He describes his life as S-H-I-T and he just wants to die (page 1). The United Kingdom’s laws are suicide is not a crime but assisting a suicide is. Martin is fighting for his right to die and the United Kingdom is debating it. This shows that more and more countries are starting to consider legalizing assisted suicide and they are realizing that in some situation s it should be allowed. Assisted suicide should be legalized, allowed, and accepted everywhere .More and more countries are legalizing assisted suicide every year. There should be a choice for someone who is terminally ill and suffering to end their life without anyone being prosecuted. If you dont believe in assisted suicide then you dont have to choose that option. A person who is suffering from a terminal illness/disease should have the right to die, no doubt. If you believe its inhumane to end ones suffering how is it not inhumane to keep someone who is suffering alive by a machine keeping them alive. If suicide is against your religion then you dont have to choose assisted suicide, but would God really want you to suffer, no. Also if the name â€Å"assisted suicide is the reason youre against it, call it euthanasia. If you believe that it violates a fundamental tenet of medicine by contradicting the doctors role as a healer to end a person’s life (murder) even if they are suffering, you are mos t definitely wrong. It’s inhumane to keep someone alive who is suffering and have asked you to end their suffering by using an overdose of medicine to make their passing painless and quick. If you have the right to live, shouldnt you have the right to die? The answer is yes because why/how can it be a crime to commit suicide or assist suicide by a physician? How can you possibly be punished and also why should a Judge be able decide whether you live or not? Assisted suicide  should be legal and not have to have a Judge decide your life. Some people might say its technically suicide and some people might say its technically murder. How on earth is it either of those? First off you are just trying to end your suffering if you choose assisted suicide and a physician assisting a patients suicide/death isnt (should not be considered) murder. The physician is just helping them ease away their suffering. All around the world countries are debating whether or not to legalize assisted suicide. More coun tries every year are legalizing it and already 4 states of the United States have approved it. In some countries if you assist a suicide you could be charged from failure to assist someone in danger to murder. Most people who have been charged with assisting a suicide were let off. The charges were acquitted but not after fighting them in court. Learning more about assisted suicide and suicide in general would give more people more knowledge about assisted suicide and why it should be legalized. Most people were taught very young that killing yourself/someone is very bad so every time the topic about assisted suicide by physician comes up they say it’s wrong to kill yourself and it’s wrong to kill someone. They do not have the slightest clue that assisted suicide is helping suffering people and their families watch them suffer. It would bring peace to the person who is suffering and to their family to know that their suffering has ended. So shouldnt we have the right to die, if we also have the right to live? If you are suffering from a terminally illness/disease or terrible accident where you can no longer eat, clean, use the bathroom, change clothes, and even adjust yoursel f wouldnt you want the option of assisted suicide.

Developing Sustainability Indicators Monitoring For Enterprise Business Essay

Developing Sustainability Indicators Monitoring For Enterprise Business Essay The term sustainability refers to the human desire for an environment that would reap current and future benefits. Sustainability is not an absolute, independent of human conceptual frameworks. Rather it is always set in the context of decisions about what type of system is to be sustained and over what patio-temporal scale.(Allen and Hoekstra 1994) Monitoring process is an emergent and a major management response to the existing challenges in sustainability. It helps in understanding the sustainability systems and its values. Monitoring systems generally focuses on developing the various suitable tools that would help in gauging the relatedness of the sustainability practices. Basically, these monitoring systems reveal the trends and patterns of a sustainable system by constructing a good understanding of those systems. Comparison of future desired conditions with the current state of systems can be established. The changes in the entire system can be easily detected and can be used as an earlier warning against change. The growth and progress of the sustainable system in an enterprise can be effectively measured. Indicators can provide crucial guidance for decision-making in a variety of ways. They can translate physical and social science knowledge into manageable units of information that can facilitate the decision-making process. They can help to measure and calibrate progress towards sustainable development goals. They can provide an early warning, sounding the alarm in time to prevent economic, social and environmental damage. They are also important tools to communicate ideas, thoughts and values because as one authority said, we measure what we value, and value what we measure. Indicators of sustainability are different from traditional indicators of economic, social, and environmental progress. Traditional indicators such as stockholder profits, asthma rates, and water quality measure changes in one part of a community as if they were entirely independent of the other parts. Sustainability indicators reflect the reality that the three different segments are very tightly interconnected, as shown in the figure below: Segmentation of sustainable indicators As this figure illustrates, the natural resource base provides the materials for production on which jobs and stockholder profits depend. Jobs affect the poverty rate and the poverty rate is related to crime. Air quality, water quality and materials used for production have an effect on health. They may also have an effect on stockholder profits: if a process requires clean water as an input, cleaning up poor quality water prior to processing is an extra expense, which reduces profits. Likewise, health problems, whether due to general air quality problems or exposure to toxic materials, have an effect on worker productivity and contribute to the rising costs of health insurance. DESCRIPTION OF ENTERPRISE Sony Ericsson  is a joint venture established on October 1, 2001by the Japanese consumer electronics company  Sony Corporation  and the Swedish telecommunications company  Ericsson  to make mobile phones. The stated reason for this venture is to combine Sonys consumer electronics expertise with Ericssons technological leadership in the communications sector. Both companies have stopped making their own mobile phones. Sony Ericsson has strived to maintain the highest standards in our approach to sustainability. Sustainable development and production is considered to be important challenges for the future by Ericsson which demands an immediate action from responsible manufacturers. Sony Ericsson have put into effect a life-cycle approach to product development .Sony Ericsson mobile communications is a global supplier of high graphic and multimedia cell phones with various features along with accessories and pc cards. The products offer a combination of powerful technology with creative applications for mobile such as music, style, imaging, communications and entertainment. The net result is that Sony Ericsson is an enticing brand which opens up new avenues for growth in business for mobile operators and along with offering desirable, fun products to end users. In the nine years period, Sony Ericsson has been operating and it has maintained a rigorous approach to ensuring that it maintains the same standards across all chains. For Sony Ericsson, the approach to sustainability is based on the following principles: To safeguard the future profits in environmental friendly related issues. Improving the living and working conditions of all those who are involved in production of products. Not to make a negative  impact on the consumers. To improve the impact of our products and activities on the environment. Sony Ericsson have focused on low energy consumption chargers.Sony Ericsson will introduce chargers and phones with this interface well ahead of the desired industry timeline. Our portfolio of chargers is already one of the best in the industry in terms of efficiency and energy consumption. The handset was built with fully sustainable materials, the optional charger had minimal no-load power and the concept offered reduced packaging with the elimination of paper manuals. In 2008, Sony Ericsson observers were introduced. The global take back scheme and the green heart project bring us closer to our vision of being a leader in sustainability in the mobile phone industry. Constant improvising is being made by them so as to improve the working conditions and environment. Sony Ericsson set aggressive, absolute targets: Reduce the total greenhouse gas emissions from the full life cycle by 15% till 2015 (based on 2008 year levels) Reduce the total greenhouse gas emissions from So internal activities by 20% till 2015(based on 2008 year levels) Sony Ericson has continues dialogue with the parent companies on the subject of building more sustainable business. Listing Justification Of Indicators Relevant To The Enterprise ECONOMIC INDICATORS: The economic indicator refers to the system of production and consumption (including finance) and refers to the market based and to the unpaid economy. Economic prosperity is a very important element of sustainable development; it allows to combat poverty, to finance remediation of old burdens, to make changes in our development economic policy and market mechanisms must be applied in support of sustainable development, and not against it. Without denying the importance of tools such as legislation, public awareness etc., and the economy is a very powerful tool for sustainable development. Used in the right way, it provides efficient incentives to make choices for sustainable development. These incentives need to be on all levels of society, they must work in favour of sustainable development by: Making sustainable investments both in the public and private sectors profitable, Channelling research into knowledge and solutions for sustainable development Influencing consumption decision on all levels. Tele communication industry is very important for sustainable development as it generates employment wealth as well as it also provides economic benefits to the society. This all attribute raises concerns at both micro- and macro levels. The economic indicators and objective for the each specific indicator is mentioned below: Table.1 Objective Indicators Sufficient supply and goods and services GDP/ capita Efficient wealth creations Total factor productivity, cost, sales Economic systems evolution and Competitiveness Net investment, R D expenditures, Accumulated public and private debt GDP Per Capita: Gross domestic product (GDP) is nothing but the over all average of the increase or decrease of economic growth. GDP is nothing but the market value of all goods and services produced by the economy during the specific period which is often one year.2008 study by Sony Ericsson on the socio-economic impact of mobile communications in Sudan found that mobile phone access generates significant socio-economic benefits for gross domestic product (GDP), notably for people at the base of the economic pyramid. Total factor productivity, cost, sales: In simple language Productivity gives good ability to understand into inflationary pressures, and how much GDP can increase without affecting inflation. With high demand of Sony Ericsson mobiles and the company has decided to reduce operating costs, connectivity is expected to become economically viable for the local operator within three years. Net investment and capital expenditures: This indicator specifies the distribution to providers of capital broken down by interest on debt and borrowings and dividends on all classes of shares. Then Sony Ericsson describes how it has utilise its capital the level of company commitment to socially responsible investing. These are the mentioned sustainable indicators which help the Sony Ericsson, telecommunication industry to sustain in the market. ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS: Among the various sustainable indicators available in the monitoring system for the enterprise chosen, the prime importance moves to the environmental indicators as it drives the sustainability core concepts. These environmental indicators provide a measure of the companys impacts over the natural environment entities namely on the human, air, water and land ecosystems. The impacts of such practices can be a local or a global one depending upon the nature of the process. The ultimate target is the stake holders in common. Considering the enterprise of Sony Ericson, the threat is posed over the employees who work in the enterprise. Our enterprise corresponds to the telecom industry where by the scope of analysis for the telecom products and the facilities in Sony Ericson company is tremendous. Hence it is worth to develop indicators for the company to evaluate the effectiveness of its sustainable practices. The sustainability indicators relevant to Sony Ericsson Company are identified as below. Materials- (substances of concern) Energy- (power consumption) Products Transport Air emissions (carbon footprint) The above listed indicators are identified to be more crucial for carrying out sustainable monitoring framework for the company, Sony Ericsson. Materials (substances of concern): Considering the first indicator, materials, it refers to the various elements of concern that are used in the company. Being a strong player in the telecom industry, Sony Ericsson, produces mobile phones that incorporates brominates flame retardants (BFR) on its boards and casings. Moreover poly vinyl chloride (PVC) is also used in the chargers. Hence considering the usage of these materials in the company provides more concern over the sustainability issues in the company. Hence developing this indicator would help in the measurement of sustainability impacts of using such materials inside the company. Energy: For any industry or an enterprise, the usage of energy becomes very essential for its effective functioning. Sony Ericsson is not an exception and as it addresses the energy consumption issue through its chargers for mobile phones. This indicator provides effective measurement of the energy consumption that would help the company to incorporate processes that would lead to lesser energy consumption for the sustainable future. Products: Sony Ericsson continues its operations in the telecom industry through its various ranges of mobile phones and accessories that pose a question whether they are bio-degradable or not. The toxicity levels in the products and their environmental impacts can be measured using this indicator. Hence for a product based company like Sony Ericsson, this indicator becomes very significant for ensuring sustainable practices. Transport: Transport is an inevitable indicator in any sector as the movement of either goods or services becomes a mandatory process in the work areas. Considering Sony Ericsson, the usage of transport service, the kind of modes used, the frequency and intensity of transport processes involved in the company is really high which can affect the environment in many bad ways. Thus this indicator is more relevant to the company in identifying the impact that companys transport operations are projecting towards the environment. Air emissions With a large company like Sony Ericsson, the production capacities for their plants in various locations are tend to be generally larger. This results in the production of more carbon dioxide emissions across the nearby areas of the plant locations. So, careful monitoring of such emissions and controlling it becomes very important for the company to evaluate the amount of air emissions of the company. SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS Apart from having economical and environmental sustainability it is as much as important for the company to be socially important too. Since every company they are socially bounded, it is important for them to be connected with the society. For a company to be effective and sustainable, both the individual and community resources need to be developed and used within the context of four guiding principles equity, social inclusion and interaction, security, and adaptability. Telecoms industry is playing as a very important player in shaping up the economy. The five main indicators of Sony Ericsson for social sustainability are as follows: Stakeholder involvement Human rights and business ethics Equal opportunities and non- discrimination Health and safety Bribery and corruption Sony Ericsson maintains good monitoring systems on this sustainability to have better output. Stake holder involvement Stakeholders are those who have a direct relationship to, or are affected by, our business. They include investors, customers, employees, suppliers, industry partners, governments, end-users, non-governmental organizations and the media. So it is important for any organisation to have a good relationship with them. By having sustainable relationships with the stakeholder provide the company with long run benefits. Stakeholder involvement towards a particular company creates a good image for the company among the public. Human rights and business ethics Business engagement in human rights is not only a responsibility but also an opportunity. It is very crucial for any company to behave in a socially and ethically exemplary way and operates business in compliance with all national laws and regulations. This is a main indicator for company to find out whether it is sustainable or not. Equal opportunities and discrimination One of the main indicators that should be addressed in sustainable development requires companies to provide equal opportunities to all regardless of their gender, race and disabilities. Most of the research identifies that gender disparity as one of the important issues that need to be addressed by the industry, including attracting more women into professional jobs. By having equal opportunities make the company to have better sustainable practices. Health and safety: Health and safety is one the most important indicator that production industry should concern about. Providing employees with health and safety standards must be addressed properly. The action plan included installing protective railings, improving processes and equipment for chemicals handling, and implementing health and safety procedures for corrective and preventive action. Bribery and corruption: Another main issue that should be addressed the companies is bribery and corruption. Sometimes as like human rights problems, is a large scale problem that cannot be addressed the companies. So companies must make careful consideration in regard to this problem which has a direct impact on sustainability of any company. CRITICAL ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF LISTED INDICATORS Justification For The Economic Indicators: China, India, Indonesia and Brazil are among Sony Ericssons 10 largest markets in sales share. Emerging markets represent around one third of global GDP, and network sales in emerging markets grew an estimated 15 percent in 2008, representing over half of network sales. High growth market: The above mentioned statistical data proves that the Sony Ericssons GDP is increasing to sustain in the market. Moreover, connectivity is an instrument to generate economic opportunity. In fact, a 2007 Deloitte analysis of sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, the middle east and Asia pacific confirms that a 10 percent increase in mobile penetration leads to a 1.2 percent increase in gross domestic product (GDP) in developing countries twice the equivalent impact in developed markets. Applying life- cycle thinking to telecom network helps reduce the total cost of ownership for customers by demonstrating how to optimize energy. Two studies conducted by Sony Ericsson in 2008 showed in the lowest segments, money transfer, learning and mobile applications in health are in high demand. This shows that the company is done the research and addressed the capital investments, profit and share holders value to sustain in the market. Table.2 categories of economic indicators: Provides information on /measures Economic issues addressed Stake holders directly affected Main customers, market share contribution to GDP Contribution to GDP and wealth creation Customers, national governments Financial viability of business and wealth creation Capital investments, profits, share holders value, wealth creation, revenue distribution Shareholders, creditors, insurers Types of product, sales, earnings, values added Sales, earnings and value added Employees, customers, creditors, shareholders. Thus the above mentioned Economic Indicators as provided information on measures and also addressed the economic issues and how the stakeholders are directly affected. The additional indicators include generally- applicable measures of economic performance such as earnings before interest and tax. The micro economic issues have traditionally dominated business decision making with a focus on short term returns, which is in the telecommunication industry often based on production volumes rather than on valued added products and services. ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS: Indicator material The material indicator provides information about the various substances and elements that are used in the products and processes of the company namely Sony Ericsson. The various chemical substances like PVC, BFR and lead in the manufacturing of mobile phones and its accessories are taken into account in this indicator. One of the main substances highlighted by the media is brominates flame retardants (BFR) that reduces the risk of fires in the mobile phones. The major risk of BFR is that it becomes a dioxin under uncontrolled incineration. The company also strives to removes this substance from its charger and cable cases. Thereby the company has phased out the BFR in most of its products. Moreover Sony Ericsson takes the pride of becoming the first mobile phone firm to eradicate the entire use of BFR in its products. The other major substance is the poly vinyl chloride (PVC) because it releases hydrochloric acid and dioxins that gets accumulated in the animal fat and causes cancer to human due to the various carcinogens. Sony Ericsson worked hard to find alternatives for PVC and finally from 2007 all new Sony Ericsson products were PVC free. Other substances of concern were the phthalates, beryllium and antimony were also found hazardous and hence as an attempt to go environment friendly, the Sony Ericsson products are now almost free from such elements which can be very well evident from the companys report over sustainability. Table.3 sustainable indicator framework for social sustainability Indicator Provides information on/ measures Environmental issue(s) addressed Stakeholders directly affected/interested Materials Use of substances of concern like PVC, BFR, beryllium etc. Use and depletion of resources Suppliers, contractors, NGOs, national governments Energy Energy use and efficiency, use of renewable resources of energy. Use of energy resources, contribution to global warming. Suppliers, contractors, local communities, NGOs, national governments. Product Environmental impacts of products life cycle Environmental impacts of products like product toxicity. Customers, NGOs, national governments, insurers and creditors. Transport and logistics Transport distances for products and with respect to employees Intensity of transport activity carried out, use of non-renewable resources etc. Contractors, suppliers, local communities and authorities, national government and NGOs Air emissions Contribution to air, water and land pollution Air effluents, carbon emission, related environmental impacts Local communities and authorities, national governments, NGOs, creditors, shareholders. Indicator -energy The indicator provides measures on the usage of the energy and its efficiency and the usage of renewable sources of energy. With respect to the company, Sony Ericsson the mobile phones and their chargers come into picture regarding the energy or power consumption. Considering the total energy life cycle impact of a mobile phone, there is a no load power consumption issue. Sony Ericsson tried to reduce this and achieved a 0.15 w of average no load power in its mobile phone chargers. Indicator product The product indicator provides information about the environmental impacts that happens throughout the life cycle of the product. It exhibits the other hazardous and toxic properties of the mobile phone products and its accessories of Sony Ericsson. The product gathers more importance in identifying the measure of the sustainability in a company like Sony Ericsson as the entire business rolls out of its products. The company has come up with the initiative towards the development of the mobile phone product that is environmentally sustainable. In 2008, the company initiated a concept called green heart. According to this concept, the entire life cycles of products are revised and the usages of various elements are identified to be environmental friendly. Indicator transport and logistics: The indicator provides information about the distances involved in the transportation of products and the employees as well in the company. This indicator throws light on the usage of the various non-renewable resources and the corresponding emissions that would pose a considerable threat to the environment. Sony Ericsson collaborates with the logistics companies so as to reduce the impact of transport on the overall carbon footprint. The company framed out a separate environmental friendly guideline in selecting the vehicles and fuels for its transport operations. According to the life cycle assessment made by the company in 2008, it was found that 3.7 kg of carbon dioxide emission resulted out of the transportation of which 90% contributed from the outbound transportation. Thus the serious efforts have to be made to join with Logistics Company and reduce the weight of packaging as well so that overall impact of transportation can be minimized. Indicator air emissions (carbon footprint) The indicator provides information about the amount of pollutants that the company introduces to the land, air and water ecosystems. It also defines the level and severity of the impact and the corresponding impacts on the environment. Sony Ericsson has been planning out for larger volumes of production because of business constraints and this causes a larger emission of carbon dioxide into the air. The three major activities were identified to contribute towards carbon emission namely factories, offices and travel. Table.4 Table.5 The impact of business travel is another problem accounting for higher carbon emission. Reducing the long distance travel by introducing alternative meeting arrangements like Tele-Presence systems, an advanced video conferencing technique have been initiated as an effective alternative to reduce business travels. These all techniques were thought for reducing the companys total carbon emission from its business operations. SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS: Companies are paying more attention to the social dimension of sustainable development, mainly due to an experienced shift in stakeholder pressures from environmental to social-related concerns. During the last decades of the 20th century, various significant steps were taken to draw the social dimension of sustainable development into open. Sony Ericsson has taken the following social issues for their sustainability in the market. Stakeholder involvement Human rights and business ethics Equal opportunities and non- discrimination Health and safety Bribery and corruption Table.6 sustainable indicator framework for social sustainability Indicator Provides information on/ measures Social issue(s) addressed Stakeholders directly affected/interested Stakeholder involvement The level of commitment to external stakeholder Stakeholder involvement All external stakeholder Human rights and business ethics The level of commitment to protecting human rights of all stakeholders, employees Human rights and business ethics. All stakeholders, employees, trade unions. Equal opportunities and non-discrimination The level of commitment to non-discrimination and to provide equal opportunities Equal opportunities and non-discrimination Employees, trade unions, national governments Health and safety Employee health and safety Health and safety Employees, trade unions, national governments Bribery and corruption The approach to avoiding bribery and corruption Bribery and corruption Local communities and authorities, national governments, NGOs, creditors Indicator stakeholder involvement Board participation is crucial for the implementation of underlying values for sustainable development and preservation of cultural values. Therefore, involvement of local communities and other stakeholders is crucial in decision making process. Sony Ericsson seeks to respond promptly to stakeholder concerns. They conduct an annual stakeholder survey identifying the top-ranked social, environmental and economic issues for customers and investors. They measure employees views in annual surveys and polls. In 2008, both investors and customers were particularly interested in supply chain management. Indicator -human rights and business ethics Protection of human rights is another relevant sustainability of the social concern that should be addressed when considering electronics industry. Sony Ericsson respects all human rights, including the right to freedom of expression of ideas and as tools for democracy. At times the telecom industry can encounter conflicts in realisation of these rights. Sony Ericsson is addressing the relevant issues to us and our market, but at present, considers that the main concerns in this area fall within the operators domain. As society understands of these issues evolves and the border between operator and vendor changes, Ericsson will reassess its position. Indicator -equal opportunities and non- discrimination Addressing sustainable development requires companies to provide equal opportunities to all regardless of their gender, race or disabilities. Sony Ericsson is making headway in a male dominated industry, and the number of women in the workforce increased worldwide from 12,000 in 2004 to more than 17,000 today. The number of women occupying the top 200 roles increased from 12 percent in 2007 to 13 percent in 2008, while those in line management positions remained steady at 18 percent. Our objective is to develop a management team in which the number of females is proportionate to the female workforce as a whole Sony Ericsson leadership development initiative for employees nurtures key capabilities and competencies and helps set clear goals. We seek to strengthen and deepen leadership qualities at all levels of the organization. During 2008, we launched 122 training sessions to support the initiative and 1,979 managers participated, compared to 78 sessions and 1,281 participants in 2007. To maximize learning opportunities, we mix classroom sessions with informal learning such as mentoring, job rotation, coaching, and interactive feedback. This provides employees with practical support in developing the skills to spearhead and service technological convergence. Indicator health and safety In addition to wages and benefits that are universally important, one of the employee-related issues related to occupational health and safety. Occupational health and safety (OHS) is a global priority for Ericsson. In 2009 we will align our existing locally tailored OHS approach with a globally coordinated system applicable to all markets. Unit heads will ensure that they set appropriate OHS standards that are realistic, attainable and consistent with local operating conditions and legislation. During the year we will finalize a group policy on OHS that will be rolled out throughout the business. . Indicator -bribery and corruption Corruption is one of the main obstacles in equal distribution of wealth. The Ericsson group management system, implemented and monitored wherever we do business, ensures integrity and high standards of conduct. A whistle blower procedure is in place for employees to report violations relating to accounting, internal controls and procedures or fraudulent practices. In 2008, all market unit employees took the anti-corruption e-learning. We also offer training courses educate employees on the code of business ethics and anti-corruption. CONCLUSION Sustainable development has become very significant especially in the telecom industry. In order to respond to the various sustainability challenges forced in the industry, sustainable development becomes very crucial. The framework for the monitoring system developed with the corresponding indicators; provide a comprehensive tool for measuring sustainability in the telecom industry. The proposed indicators in the above discussion, addresses to the key environmental, social and economic issues that are prevalent in the tel

Community Essay -- Community Communities Essays

Community The point that community has an important effect on the shaping of a person’s character is key in both Pythia Peay’s essay, â€Å"Soul Searching† and Winona LaDuke’s interview transcribed in essay form entitled, â€Å"Reclaiming Culture and the Land: Motherhood and the Politics of Sustaining Community†. The two authors present ideas, similar and different, of what it means to live in and be a part of community. Through examining these two essays, summarizing and synthesizing, we can gain a better understanding of what community is and how it affects those within it. Pythia Peay explains that for everywhere that she has resided, each place had a unique effect on her character. Each of the five cities in which she has lived contributed in some part to who she is today. She goes on to point out that each city or town has its own unique sense of soul. Peay believes that in our present day people are beginning to lose their sense of place. A city’s inhabitants lay blind to the fact that in some way their own character is shaped â€Å"within the city’s larger reality† (4). The body of her essay consists of six methods to help anyone discover the soul of their hometown. Winona LaDuke’s essay is a little different. Since it is a transcript taken from an interview it is not as straight forward as Peay’s essay. She begins by explaining the way children are commonly raised in her Native community on the White Earth reservation in Minnesota. She asserts that the role of raising children is done by the community as a whole, not just the parents. The children learn by the example, not only by what they’re told. LaDuke does state that the tribal school system has some problems claiming it is â€Å"a mediocre rural school... ...rce, street life, history, nature, geography, politics, art, and people that offers a perpetually renewing source of life† (7). Through these two essays, a greater sense of what community is really about emerges. Not only is community about ones surroundings, but also about the values and ideals held by that communities inhabitants. The community in which one may or may not choose to immerse ourselves in deeply effects who we are. The character, or soul, within each of us is in part shaped by the community or communities in which we belong to or reside in. Works Cited: Gruber, Sibylle, Ed. et al. Constructing Others, Constructing Ourselves. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt, 2002. Peay, Pythia. â€Å"Soul Searching.† Gruber 3-7. LaDuke, Winona. â€Å"Reclaiming Culture and the Land: Motherhood and the Politics of Sustaining Community.† Gruber 9-15. Community Essay -- Community Communities Essays Community The point that community has an important effect on the shaping of a person’s character is key in both Pythia Peay’s essay, â€Å"Soul Searching† and Winona LaDuke’s interview transcribed in essay form entitled, â€Å"Reclaiming Culture and the Land: Motherhood and the Politics of Sustaining Community†. The two authors present ideas, similar and different, of what it means to live in and be a part of community. Through examining these two essays, summarizing and synthesizing, we can gain a better understanding of what community is and how it affects those within it. Pythia Peay explains that for everywhere that she has resided, each place had a unique effect on her character. Each of the five cities in which she has lived contributed in some part to who she is today. She goes on to point out that each city or town has its own unique sense of soul. Peay believes that in our present day people are beginning to lose their sense of place. A city’s inhabitants lay blind to the fact that in some way their own character is shaped â€Å"within the city’s larger reality† (4). The body of her essay consists of six methods to help anyone discover the soul of their hometown. Winona LaDuke’s essay is a little different. Since it is a transcript taken from an interview it is not as straight forward as Peay’s essay. She begins by explaining the way children are commonly raised in her Native community on the White Earth reservation in Minnesota. She asserts that the role of raising children is done by the community as a whole, not just the parents. The children learn by the example, not only by what they’re told. LaDuke does state that the tribal school system has some problems claiming it is â€Å"a mediocre rural school... ...rce, street life, history, nature, geography, politics, art, and people that offers a perpetually renewing source of life† (7). Through these two essays, a greater sense of what community is really about emerges. Not only is community about ones surroundings, but also about the values and ideals held by that communities inhabitants. The community in which one may or may not choose to immerse ourselves in deeply effects who we are. The character, or soul, within each of us is in part shaped by the community or communities in which we belong to or reside in. Works Cited: Gruber, Sibylle, Ed. et al. Constructing Others, Constructing Ourselves. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt, 2002. Peay, Pythia. â€Å"Soul Searching.† Gruber 3-7. LaDuke, Winona. â€Å"Reclaiming Culture and the Land: Motherhood and the Politics of Sustaining Community.† Gruber 9-15.

Nuclear Energy: Energy of the Future or Environmental Disaster? :: Physics, Atom, Radioactivity, Uranium

An atom slams into another, sending a wave of energy outward when it splits. The extremely hot heat wave collides with water, instantaneously turning it to steam. This steam shots up to turn a massive wheel- and electricity is made. This may sound like some cheesy sci-fi movie, but, in fact, is a real process used to make energy around the world. Nuclear power. But many critics and concerned citizens alike argue that it’s not worth it. The controversy around nuclear power only grows each year as the need for clean power increases- but is nuclear power the ‘silver bullet’ to the energy crisis or a risky gamble that we can’t afford to make? Pros The first question many ask is why, why use radioactive uranium instead of simple coal or oil? Think of it this way- Nuclear reactors make thirty-five tons of waste each year. Seems like a lot, right? But, coal plants make over 15 tons of waste†¦per minute. That’s over seven billion tons per year! ( Enc. America 2) Also, reactors release absolutely no emissions – gasses – into the air. That means they don’t contribute to global warming at all. (NEI 2) Not only are nuclear reactors environmentally friendly, they are also economical, too. The building of a reactor is a big project, so it ads many jobs to the US. By using reactors, we lower our foreign fuel dependence by over 2.1 billion barrels since 1979- that’s billions of dollars that stays in the wallet of the United States. (NEI 2) Many people who fear nuclear power imagine a nuclear meltdown to be like an atomic bomb – Mass destruction, mushroom clouds, the lot. But really, the truth is, no matter what, that can’t happen. There just simply isn’t enough uranium to explode. (NEI-2, 1) At a nuclear power plant, all disaster scenarios are considered and multiple safety systems are implemented against them. For example, plants have a wide variety of sensors and monitors measuring everything from temperature, water pressure, water level, and many other things. If any of these sense something wrong, the plant will immediately and automatically shut its self down. (NEI-2, 2) Not only that, but there are many physical barriers as well; ceramic pellets that hold the fuel and the waste; fuel rods made of a sturdy zirconium alloy; a large steel, sealed container with eight-inch wall; and last but not least, the massive concrete structure that is the plant itself.