nature and foundations of australian law Essay -- essays research pape

The nature of law in Australian society is both complex and dynamic. The case of McBain v Victoria and the historical analysis of the legal response to Indigenous Australians in the 200 years following British colonization informs an understanding of the nature of law in Australian society, while also revealing characteristics of Australia’s constitutional framework. An understanding of the nature of law in Australian society is informed by the McBain v Victoria case, which illustrates the dual function of law as a chronicle of social narrative and personal stories and institutionally as an instrument for social order and dispute resolution. In this case the concept that law operates in ‘different ways at various levels’ shows that law is a fundamental aspect of daily of life in Australian society. It also suggests that law is intertwined with social conflict, changing values and political issues and that despite the legal ideal of autonomy law reflects these values and is also influenced by them. In McBain v Victoria, the unmarried Ms Meldrum sought access to IVF technology treatment from Dr McBain. However, McBain was precluded from treating Meldrum due to legal regulations located in s 8(1) of the Infertility Treatment Act 1995 (Vic) (State Act), which was exclusive in permitting treatment of only married women or women living in genuine de facto relationships. The exclusion of unmarried and lesbian women prescribed by the State Act reflects the perceived societal value o...

American History 1800 to 1877

The emergence of the United States as an independent nation, towards the end of the 18th century, was an epochal happening in contemporary history. It led to the creation of the world’s wealthiest and mightiest power, and the subsequent development of a rich and vibrant society that influenced humankind in numerous ways. The future of the United States was, however the furthest thing on the minds of the people who inhabited the North American continent in the beginning of the nineteenth century.Aggressive European settlers, black slaves and the original inhabitants of the country, descendents of people who had come from Serbia thousands of years ago and known as Native Americans or American Indians, peopled the land. The European settlers, mainly from Britain, were adventurers, people willing to take huge risks and endure enormous physical hardship to build a future for their families and children. The black people lived and worked as slaves in farms and workshops.Captured fro m villages and farms in Africa by white slave traders, thousands of Africans, mostly from the Sudan, came to North America in shackles, and aboard slave ships, in the 17th and 18th centuries. White farmers and settlers purchased the captive Africans from these traders and used them as slaves, on farms and plantations, mostly in horrific conditions. The children of slaves grew up in bondage and lived lives of legal slavery, Thus at the turn of the 18th century, hundreds of thousands of black Americans worked as slaves in America.While black slaves lived everywhere, their populations were concentrated in the agricultural economy of the south, where the requirement for human labor necessitated their presence in large numbers. The Native Americans, termed also as Indians, were the original inhabitants of the land. A nomadic and innocent people, they belonged to different tribes and roamed all over the continent on horseback, living on game and agriculture.The Native American people, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, were in a state of perplexity, disorder and dismay, confronted, as they were, by whites who were not just strongly armed, intelligent, organized, avaricious and cruel, but also wished to devour their lands and drive them away from their habitat. The nineteenth century is an epochal period in American history, characterized by continuous interaction and confrontation between the white European settlers, the black slaves and brown Native Americans.The period ended with the total domination of the white man, the eclipse of the proud Native American and the beginning of black emancipation. This essay attempts to analyse the events of the period 1800 to 1877 and examine the premise that the fiery and independent spirit of the Native Americans, quite distinct from the submissive and relatively docile attitude of the black slaves, increased their threat perception in the eyes of the whites and led to their near complete decimation in the United Stat es. 2. The End of Slavery Slavery in the United States began with the arrival of twenty Africans in a Dutch slave ship in 1619 in West Virginia.The sale of these Africans as indentured servants preceded the capture, transportation and enslavement of thousands of black people to work in the newly developed farmlands of North America. An enormous number of men and women came from Africa in inhuman conditions to fill the growing demand of labor in the American colonies. Figures of the people captured and sold into slavery range from one to many millions. While their actual number is a matter of controversy, the wide scale adoption of slavery in the US remains one of the worst and most horrific acts of humanity.Hundreds of accounts narrate the appalling conditions in which the slaves came and later lived in the American colonies The slaves were transported across the ocean in especially fitted ships. They were kept lying on narrow ledges, chained, but were brought above deck in good wea ther. Overcrowding, minimal and monotonous diet (two meals per day and a pint of water), poor hygiene, epidemics, and lack of physical activity decimated, on each and every 1-2 months long trip, a whopping one seventh to one fourth of the â€Å"cargo† and one sixth to one half of the crew.(Vaknin, 2005) The African slaves came from agricultural tribal economies and while physically very strong, were also very good with their hands and for work in the fields. A gradual realization of their enormous economic worth in agricultural production and other labor-intensive work led to the institutionalization of slavery, the legalization of â€Å"chattel slaves† and the creation of hereditary servitude; where children of slaves were born as property of white masters.The availability of this huge unpaid work force resulted in enormous increase in agricultural production, the building of American infrastructure and the emergence of the USA as the wealthiest country in the world. Slaves became prized commodities and thought of as â€Å"black gold†. The slave trade also led to spurts in the economies of slave trading nations like Holland. Amsterdam became the trading capital of the slave trade, much like it is the center of the flower business today, acting as an auction centre and helping to manage the slave trade, with up to 10,000 slaving vessels frequenting the port. (Schuma, 1987).The institutionalisation of slavery led to huge increases in the numbers of slaves. A population of slightly less than one million slaves in 1800 increased four fold to four million by 1860. (Slavery in Colonial America, 2006). As such, even though import of fresh slaves was stopped by the end of the 18th century, prolific growth continued to increase their numbers. Even though their percentage of the total population fell from nearly 20 to 14 they remained a sizeable segment of American society. In fact, the relative percentage of slaves in the southern states varied fr om 20 to as much as 60 percent in certain areas.Slavery at the time of the Revolution was firmly established in the five southernmost states from Maryland to Georgia, and it was more than a trivial presence in most of the others. Slaves numbered about half a million in 1780, constituting a little more than one-sixth of the national population. In the South, two persons out of every five were slaves. (Fehrenbacher, 2002, p. 15) The struggle for liberation and emancipation of American slaves began after the declaration of independence in 1776 and started gaining momentum by the early 1800s.The movement for liberation and emancipation was spearheaded by the northern states and opposed violently by the agricultural south. While it would be churlish to deny the enormous contribution of emancipators like Abraham Lincoln and Harriet Beecher Stowe, the primary reason for this difference in attitude between the north and the south would appear to be economic and political rather than humanit arian. Southern economies depended much more on slave labor than the northern states and, ironical as it may appear, relationships between blacks and whites were much stronger in the south, than they were in the north.Over the years, even as cases of ill treatment continued to happen, living conditions of blacks in the south improved steadily. Most slave-owners regarded themselves as custodians of their slaves. They properly fed the working adults, allowed them to grow vegetables in their own garden plots, provided them with clothing and housing. In wealthier and larger plantations, the slaves were cared for by qualified physicians. Slave life was richer than portrayed in literature and cinema. Slaves belonged to churches and were ordained as ministers and preachers. A few learned to read and write. Music was a favorite pastime.Slaves were allowed to moonlight or work on their own free time. The Law, even in the Deep South, recognized slaves as both chattel and human beings. Slaves were held responsible for criminal acts they had committed, for instance, and enjoyed many human rights Case law and non-binding custom endowed them with additional privileges: the right to marry, own private property, have free time, enter contracts, and (if female or child) be consigned to lighter labor. (Vaknin, 2005) The struggle for the freedom of black slaves originated, strangely enough, from white Americans, mostly from the north.The movement continued for decades until the confrontation between the south and the north over slavery ended in conflagration and violent civil war. People like William Garrison, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Harriet Tubman mobilized public opinion and influenced union government policy to take up the black cause. The blacks, themselves, had very little contribution to make towards their own liberation and the few localized and small insurrections that did take place, like those led by Denmark Vesey and Nat Turner met with immediate and forceful suppre ssion.The civil war lasted for many years and led to the death of thousands of federal and unionist soldiers. Its end, in 1865, led to the abolition of slavery and the freedom of African slaves. While some blacks did fight with the federal soldiers in the civil war, this is possibly the only freedom struggle in the world where the oppressed, the denied and the ruled contributed very little towards their own liberation. Strange as it may appear, white northerners died in the thousands to secure American slaves their freedom.Feelings of compassion and thoughts of equality and liberty undoubtedly led many noble-minded whites to take up the cause of the unfortunate slaves. The movement for abolition of slavery and its violent denouement is one of the most famous freedom movements of the world. It is thus perplexing to know that while white Americans from the north were striving ceaselessly for black freedom, they were also driving Native Americans from their ancestral lands, destroying their means of survival, cloistering them in small parcels of land and decimating their numbers. 3.The Annihilation of the Native Americans The Native Americans, the current term for the original inhabitants of the Americas, are supposed to have migrated from Serbia thousands of years ago. The peoples, who belonged to several tribes, lived for thousands of years quite happily, growing their populations, living off game and rudimentary agriculture, before the Europeans set foot on North America. The early Europeans described these people in glowing terms. the Indians lived in common, â€Å"the most perfect and most worthy life of man,† a mark of the â€Å"ancient golden age.† This good Indian welcomed the European invaders and treated them courteously and generously. He was handsome in appearance, dignified in manner, and brave in combat, and in all he exhibited a primitivism that had great appeal to many Europeans. 4. (Prucha, 1984, p. 7) The coming of the Europeans le d to the unfolding of one of the biggest tragedies of history and the practical annihilation of the whole race. The Europeans brought diseases with them that that killed natives by the thousands.The most lethal of the pathogens introduced by the Europeans was smallpox, which sometimes incapacitated so many adults at once that deaths from hunger and starvation ran as high as deaths from disease; in several cases, entire tribes were rendered extinct. Other killers included measles, influenza, whooping cough, diphtheria, typhus, bubonic plague, cholera, and scarlet fever. Although syphilis was apparently native to parts of the Western hemisphere, it, too, was probably introduced into North America by Europeans. (Lewy, 2004)Apart from bringing diseases, the settlers started encroaching into Native American Territory and over the years pushed the Indians from the East towards the Pacific Rim. The Native Americans were very different from the black slaves. They were used to vast open prai ries and their tribal structure fostered independence. In the beginning, the whites used captured natives as slaves. This practice did not really succeed as the Native Americans could not bear the hardships of plantation and farm slavery like the blacks and died in large numbers.In addition, as the standoffs between the whites and the Native Americans grew over the years, wars generally ended in massacres and flight rather than in captivity. By the end of the 18th century, the United States was forcefully pushing the Native Americans increasingly towards the west with a mixture of force, aggression and deceit. Exploitation of rivalries between different tribes furthered this cause and the same people who were very concerned about the abolition of slavery did not baulk at depriving the Native Americans from their livelihood.There was a significant difference between the perception of Native Americans and slaves in the eyes of the whites. Black slaves were economic assets; oppressed p eople, who however did not pose any economic and physical threat to the whites. Abolition of slavery and proposals for freedom of slaves were, perceived to be causes of economic difficulty for the southern states. However, the fact that very few slaves were involved in the freedom movement did not raise animosity against them, even in the southern states.Thus, the sympathy levels for blacks remained high and the movement for their liberation continued with even pace. The perception about Native Americans was very different. The Native Americans were an independent people and the owners of land. They hated the settlers and considered them aggressors, and the whites too thought of them as opponents and dangerous enemies. The 18th century thus witnessed numerous wars between the natives and the white settlers. During the American war of independence, Native Americans fought mostly with the British in a bid to stall the expansionism of the United States.It was only at the end that they realised that the equally treacherous British had ceded huge tracts of their land to the Americans. The beginning of the 19th century thus saw the Native Americans under enormous pressure from the United States, but still owners of huge tracts of land coveted by the whites. The US Congress, in 1830, passed the Indian Removal Bill, a law that forcibly evicted American Indians from their lands and pushed them further to the west. This strategy of dispossession resulted in numerous skirmishes, treaties, wars and the gradual forcible eviction of Native Americans from their lands.All their proposals for peaceful co existence and willingness to adopt the farming methods of the white settlers came to nothing, and by the late nineteenth century, they could live only in specific tracts of lands known as reservations. This process of removal resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Native Americans from disease and hardship, even as they gave up their homes and lands and moved far away. One particular journey, known as the Trail of Tears led to the death of thousands of Cherokees. (The Trail of Tears, 2005) 4. ConclusionThe fate of the Native Americans at the hands of the government of the United States is unparalleled in historical annals. In most conquests, the victors rule over the defeated peoples, impose their laws and their religions on the conquered. The dispossession of the Indians is the only instance where the conquerors forced the defeated to leave their lands, restricted their freedoms, separated them from society and cooped them up in reservations, much alike concentration camps. Their systematic extermination and relocation is one of the most brutal acts in U. S. history.Most Americans know this intuitively, but they'd rather not think about it-so instead they choose simply to feel sorry for the Indians living today. (Miller, 2000) This happened only a hundred and fifty years back at the hands of a democratically elected government of a country that supposedly values liberty, freedom and democracy. The liberation of blacks and the abolition of slavery in the USA occurred along with the practical decimation of the Native Americans, the deprivation of their rights and their banishment to distant reservations, at the hands of the same government.The reasons for this unbalanced, ambivalent and practically schizophrenic behavior of the free American people and their democratically elected government are difficult, practically impossible to explain. The only possibly valid reason is the independent attitude of the Indian people, their love for freedom and their pride, which made it difficult for them to accept total subjugation. This, unlike the situation with the black slaves, increased their economic and military threat in the eyes of the American people and government and led to their genocide and practical annihilation. BibliographyColeman, M. C. (1985). Presbyterian Missionary Attitudes toward American Indians, 1837-1893. Jackso n, MS: University Press of Mississippi Fehrenbacher, D. E. (2002). The Slaveholding Republic: An Account of the United States Government's Relations to Slavery (W. M. Mcafee, Ed. ). New York: Oxford University Press. Gutzman, K. C. (2002). The Slaveholding Republic: An Account of the United States Government's Relations to Slavery. Journal of Southern History, 68(4), 957+. Retrieved November 24, 2006, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5002502749 Holder, P.(1974). The Hoe and the Horse on the Plains: A Study of Cultural Development among North American Indians. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. Lewy, G. (2004, September). Were American Indians the Victims of Genocide?. Commentary, 118, 55+. Miller, J. J. (2000, October 9). Buffaloed: Fighting the Truth about American Indians. National Review, 52,. Prucha, F. P. (1984). The Great Father: The United States Government and the American Indians. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. Schama, Simon , (1987), â€Å"An Embarrassment of Riches†, First Vintage Books, Random House, New YorkSlavery in Colonial America, (2006), A history of American slavery, Retrieved November 23, 2006 from en. wikipedia. org/wiki/History_of_slavery_in_the_United_States Trafzer, C. E. & Hyer, J. R. (Eds. ). (1999). Exterminate Them: Written Accounts of the Murder, Rape, and Slavery of Native Americans during the California Gold Rush, 1848-1868. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press. Trail of Tears,(2005), Historical Documents, Retrieved November 21, 2006 from www. americanindians. com Vaknin, S, (2005), Slavery in the USA, Buzle. com, Retrieved November 23, 2006 from www. buzzle. com/editorials/9-26-2005-77541. asp

Study of the Effect of Lead (Heavy Metal)

A major environmental concern due to dispersal of industrial and urban wastes generated by human activities is the contamination of soil. Controlled and uncontrolled disposal of waste, accidental and process spillage, mining and smelting of metalliferous ores, sewage sludge application to agricultural soils are responsible for the migration of contaminants into non-contaminated sites as dust or leachate and contribute towards contamination of our ecosystem. The present study was undertaken to study the effect of heavy metals on the growth of Brasicca juncea and thereby its utilization for phytoremediation. The minimum amount of lead (0 mg/gm) was found in plant treated in 0 % concentration of lead acetate and maximum amount of lead (0. 0011 mg/gm) was found in plant treated in (0. 6%) concentration of lead acetate. The percentage germination for control, 0. 2, 0. 4, 0. 6 percent lead acetate treated seedling was 89%, 88%, 86. 66% and 83% respectively. The length of shoot was found much less in plant treated in 0. 6% concentration of lead acetate (10 cm), as compared to the length of shoot in plant treated with 0% concentration of lead acetate (8 cm). Length of roots was found maximum in 0. 6% concentration of lead acetate (2 cm), as compared to the length of shoot in plant treated with 0% concentration of lead acetate (0. 5 cm). It was found that Brasica juncea tolerated highest concentration of heavy metals and can accumulate lead. Key Words: leachate, heavy metals, lead, phytoremediation, Brasicca juncea. Introduction Heavy metal contamination of soil, water and air has caused serious environmental hazard in the biosphere due to rapid industrialization and urbanization. Lead is probably one of the most frequently encountered heavy metals in polluted environment. The primary sources of this metal include mining and smelting of metalliferous ores, burning of leaded gasoline, disposal of municipal sewage and industrial wastes enriched in lead as well as using of lead-based paint (Kabata-Pendias and Pendias 1984; Seaward and Richard-son 1990). Relatively high levels of lead concentrations were recorded as high as 7,000 Â µg/ gm in roadside soil (Kabata-Pendias and Pendias 1984) and 13,380 Â µg/gm in mining district soil (Wick land 1990). In recent years it has been reported that some plant species known as hyper accumulator derived from heavy metal-contaminated areas have the ability to accumulate unusually high content of heavy metals without dramatically being impacted in their growth and development. (Reeves, Brooks and Malaises 1985; Baker and Brooks 1989). This raises the suggestion that these hyper accumulators may provide the basis for phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated sites (Baker et al. 1991). Phytoremediation potential of a few such species for heavy metal-contaminated soil and water has recently been detected (Brown et al. 994; Kumar et al. 1995; Dushenkov et al. 1995; Huang et al. 1997; Blaylock et al. 1997). Lead as a Heavy metal: Lead (Pb) exists naturally in many forms throughout the world & has a soil retention time of 150-5000 yrs. Lead is among those heavy metals which have no known biological function. Never the less, numerous investigations show that plants can accumulate lead via root and shoot, and that the lead concentrations in plant tissues are significantly related to the lead levels in environment (Kabata-Pendias and Pendias 1984; Nwosu et al. 995; Sawidis et al 1995; Xiong 1998). Excessive lead accumulated in plant tissue can be toxic to most plants, leading to decrease in seed germination, root elongation and biomass, inhibition of chlorophyll biosynthesis, as well as cell disturbance and chromosome lesion (Balsberg Pahlsson 1989; Kumar et al. 1991; Fargasova 1994; Xiong 1997c). In lead and other heavy metal-contaminated sites, the vegetation structure and biodiversity are usually reduced barren patches of soil occurring, and trees are sparse or absent (Wickland 1990). Material and Method Brasicca juncea seeds obtained from nursery were treated with lead acetate solution of concentrations ranging from 0. 0%, 0. 2%, 0. 4% & 0. 6% for control the seed were soaked in distilled water. After 24 hrs the seeds were transferred on wet filter paper (wet by the solutions of respective conc. ) in plastic trays. Seedlings were harvested after twenty days, the germination rate and the length of root and shoot was recorded. The amount of lead accumulated in the seedlings was also calculated. Stock solution of 0. 2%, o. 4% and 0. % was prepared in the following way: 20 mg of lead acetate in 1000 ml distilled water in volumetric flask gave 0. 2% of lead acetate solution. In the same way 40 mg & 60 mg lead acetate salt were dissolved to prepare 0. 4% & 0. 6%. stock solutions respectively. The DNA in control and the treated seedlings was estimated by Diphenylamine reaction. Optical density was read at 595 nm on a photoelectric colorimeter. Standard graph of O. D. on Y-axis and concentration of standard DNA on X-axis was plotted. DNA from sample was estimated with the help of standard graph. The Folin Lowry’s method of protein assay was used for protein estimation in control and treated seedlings. Optical density was read at 625 nm on photoelectric colorimeter. For the estimation of lead from the treated seedlings, 10 gm of the plant material was crushed in mortar and pestle in 40 ml distilled water and the solution was filtered. Another series was made by taking 10 ml sample solution from filtrate of all concentrations from 0. 2%, 0. 4%, 0. 6% and control. 25 ml of freshly prepared Ammonium solution and 0. 5 ml of Sodium sulfide solution was added to all the above test tubes. Similarly for standard graph, varying concentration (0. 25 – 1. 5ml) of working lead solution was prepared. To this 25 ml of freshly prepared Ammonium solution to make it alkaline was added; also 0. 5 ml of Sodium Sulfide was added. The volume of all solutions was equalized with distilled water. A blank was also prepared in the same manner without adding lead solution. Optical density was read at 430 nm on photoelectric colorimeter. The concentration of lead was calculated in terms of mg/litre from standard graph. Result & Discussion The minimum amount of DNA (4. 50 mg/gm) was found in seedlings treated in (0%) concentration of lead acetate after 20 days of treatment, and maximum minimum amount of DNA (4. 675 mg/gm) found in plant treated in (0. 6%) concentration of lead acetate after 20 days of treatment. The graph shows that the amount of DNA increases as the concentration of lead acetate goes on increasing. The minimum amount of Protein (86 mg/gm) was found in plant treated in (0%) concentration of lead acetate after 20 days of treatment, and maximum amount Protein (93. 5 mg/gm) found in plant treated in (0. 6%) concentration of lead acetate after 20 days of treatment 89. mg and 91. 5mg of protein was estimated in the seedlings treated with 0. 4% and 0. 6% lead acetate. From the graph it can be concluded that the amount of protein increased with the increase in the concentration of lead. The graphical representation was done for calculating the concentration of lead in the treated seedlings. The optical density was read at 430 nm for control, 0. 2%, 0. 4% and 0. 6% lead acetate treated seedlings was 0, 0. 013, 0. 016 and 0. 019 respectively. The graph plotted resulted into a straight line, indicating the increased accumulation of lead in the seedlings. The concentration of lead was calculated using graph. In 1gm of control, 0. 2, 0. 4 and 0. 6 percent lead acetate treated seedling sample had 0 mg, 0. 00078 mg, 0. 00094 mg and 0. 0011 mg of lead respectively. The minimum amount of lead (0 mg/gm) was found in plant treated in (0%) concentration of lead acetate and maximum amount of lead (0. 0011 mg/gm) was found in plant treated in (0. 6%) concentration of lead acetate. This suggests that Brasicca juncea could accumulate comparatively high doses lead. The percentage germination for 1 gm each of control, 0. 2, 0. 4, 0. percent lead acetate treated seedling was 89%, 88%, 86. 66% and 83% respectively. The germination with increase in concentration of lead acetate did not show any inhibitory effect on the germination of seeds but a steady decrease in the percentage of germination was observed. Maximum percentage of germination was found in control seeds. Out of 300 seeds soaked in 0. 2%, 0. 4% and 0. 6% solution of lead acetate showed 264, 260 and 249 seeds germinating respectively. When compared to the control the germination percentage of the treated seeds did not differ much. This indicated the capability of Brasicca juncea in tolerating the presence of heavy metals like lead. The shoot length for 1 gm each of control, 0. 2, 0. 4 and 0. 6 percent lead acetate treated seedling was 8 cm, 8. 5 cm, 8. 3cm, and 10 cm respectively; also the root length for 1 gm each of control, 0. 2, 0. 4 and 0. 6 percent lead acetate treated seedling was 0. 5 cm, 0. 8 cm, 1. 0 cm and 2. 0 cm respectively. The length of shoot was found maximum in plant treated in 0. 6% concentration of lead acetate (10 cm), as compared to the length of shoot in plant treated with 0% concentration of lead acetate (8 cm). Length of roots was found maximum in 0. 6% concentration of lead acetate (2 cm), as compared to the length of shoot in plant treated with 0% concentration of lead acetate (0. 5 cm). This indicates that Brasicca juncea was able to utilize the increased amount of lead to its advantage, suggesting the use of Brasicca juncea as a natural alternative for phytoremediation. Conclusion The present study indicates that plant species like Brasicca juncea can tolerate wide range of heavy metals concentration, it utilizes the heavy concentration for its all round growth . It can be used in removal of lead; and hence its use in phytoremediation in future. Phytoremediation is a fast developing field, since last ten years lot of field application were initiated all over the world, it includes Phytoremediation of Organic, Inorganic and Radio nuclides. This sustainable and inexpensive process is fast emerging as a viable alternative to conventional remediation methods and will be most suitable for a developing country like India. Most of the studies have been done in developed countries and knowledge of suitable plants is particularly limited in India. In India commercial application of Phytoremediation of Soil heavy metal or Organic compounds is in its earliest phase. Fast growing plants with high biomass and good metal uptake ability are needed. In most of the contaminated sites hardy, tolerant, weed species exist and phytoremediation through these and other non-edible species can restrict the contaminant from being introduced into the food web. Further studies need to be performed in order to establish the maximum amount of lead that the plants may tolerate, and the ability of Brasicca juncea to germinate and grow in media containing mixtures of heavy metals.

Free Essays on Mythology

Greek mythology was fully developed by about the 8th century BC. As the Greek people began to realize that the sun, moon and stars followed certain rhythms with The seasons, they thought that something not beast nor human had the power. That is were the idea of gods came in. Ancient Greeks believed that the gods, who resembled Humans lived on Mount Olympus, where they had their own little society. Individual Gods were part of three main parts of the world- the sky or heaven, the sea, and the Earth. The 12 chief gods were Zeus was the god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods. He was considered the father of the gods, and of mortals, although he did not create either; he was their father in the sense of being the ruler both of the Olympian gods and of the human race. He was the rain god, and the cloud gatherer, his wepon was the terrible thunderbolt. His breastplate was the aegis, his bird the eagle, his tree the oak. Zeus was the youngest son of the Titans, Cronus and Rhea, and the brother of the Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera. According to one of the ancient myths of the birth of Zeus, Cronus, having heard the prophecy that he might be dethroned by one of his children, swallowed them as they were born. Upon the birth of Zeus, Rhea wrapped a stone in swaddling clothes for Cronus to swallow and concealed the infant god in Crete, where he was fed on the milk of the goat Amalthaea and reared by nymphs. When Zeus grew to maturity, he forced Cronus to regergitate the other children, who were eager to take vengeance on their father. In the war that followed, the Titans fought on the side of Cronus, but Zeus and the other gods were successful, and the Titans were banished to Tartarus.... Free Essays on Mythology Free Essays on Mythology Some of the world’s most compelling relationships have their roots in classical mythology. Many different religions have stories or ideals that have similarities to the relationships seen in ancient Greek mythology. From the interaction of mortals and gods we see how different writers viewed religion, family, and society. More specifically we see how the gods influence the way of life of a mortal. In Homer’s Odyssey there are many instances where the gods help mortals through their struggles. However, at the same time, there are situations when gods use their power to all but destroy the lives of the mortals who have displeased them. One of the most intriguing relationships between god and mortal is that of Athena and Odysseus. There are many times when Athena gives Odysseus the helping hand needed to succeed in his ventures to return to Ithaca. The roles that the gods play in the Homeric world compared with Euripides and Sophocles have great similarities as we ll as differences. Looking at how Athena seems to take care of Odysseus, it seems that the gods, perhaps only Athena, tend to take a liking to mortals occasionally. You could draw the conclusion that Athena seems to like Odysseus’ family. She shows almost as much interest in Telemachos as she does Odysseus. â€Å"Likening herself to Mentor in form and in voice: â€Å"Telemachos, already your well-greaved companions are seated at the oars awaiting your urging. Let us go, so that we may not long delay from the journey.† (Book II, pg 26, lines 401-404) In this passage Athena has taken the form of Mentor, a good companion of Odysseus, and has instructed Telemachos â€Å"to go in a ship onto the murky sea to learn of the return of my father who is gone so long.† (Book II, pg 23, lines 262-263) Athena then says, â€Å"†¦hereafter you will not be a coward or senseless. If there is really instilled in you the good might of your father and you are as he was to achieve... Free Essays on Mythology Greek mythology was fully developed by about the 8th century BC. As the Greek people began to realize that the sun, moon and stars followed certain rhythms with The seasons, they thought that something not beast nor human had the power. That is were the idea of gods came in. Ancient Greeks believed that the gods, who resembled Humans lived on Mount Olympus, where they had their own little society. Individual Gods were part of three main parts of the world- the sky or heaven, the sea, and the Earth. The 12 chief gods were Zeus was the god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods. He was considered the father of the gods, and of mortals, although he did not create either; he was their father in the sense of being the ruler both of the Olympian gods and of the human race. He was the rain god, and the cloud gatherer, his wepon was the terrible thunderbolt. His breastplate was the aegis, his bird the eagle, his tree the oak. Zeus was the youngest son of the Titans, Cronus and Rhea, and the brother of the Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera. According to one of the ancient myths of the birth of Zeus, Cronus, having heard the prophecy that he might be dethroned by one of his children, swallowed them as they were born. Upon the birth of Zeus, Rhea wrapped a stone in swaddling clothes for Cronus to swallow and concealed the infant god in Crete, where he was fed on the milk of the goat Amalthaea and reared by nymphs. When Zeus grew to maturity, he forced Cronus to regergitate the other children, who were eager to take vengeance on their father. In the war that followed, the Titans fought on the side of Cronus, but Zeus and the other gods were successful, and the Titans were banished to Tartarus.... Free Essays on Mythology Greek Mythology Greek Mythology, beliefs and ritual observances of the ancient Greeks, who became the first Western civilization about 2000 BC. It consists mainly of a body of diverse stories and legends about a variety of gods. Greek mythology had become fully developed by about the 700s BC. Three classic collections of myths-Theogony by the poet Hesiod and the Iliad and the Odyssey by the poet Homer-appeared at about that time. Greek mythology has several distinguishing characteristics. The Greek gods resembled humans in form and showed human feelings. Unlike ancient religions such as Hinduism or Judaism, Greek mythology did not involve special revelations or spiritual teachings. It also varied widely in practice and belief, with no formal structure, such as a church government, and no written code, such as a sacred book. Principal Gods The Greeks believed that the gods chose Mount Olympus, in a region of Greece called Thessaly, as their home. On Olympus, the gods formed a society that ranked them in terms of authority and powers. However, the gods could roam freely, and individual gods became associated with three main domains-the sky or heaven, the sea, and earth. The 12 chief gods, usually called the Olympians, were Zeus, Hera, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hestia, Hermes, Demeter, and Poseidon. Zeus was the head of the gods, and the spiritual father of gods and people. His wife, Hera, was the queen of heaven and the guardian of marriage. Other gods associated with heaven were Hephaestus, god of fire and metalworkers; Athena, goddess of wisdom and war; and Apollo, god of light, poetry, and music. Artemis, goddess of wildlife and the moon; Ares, god of war; and Aphrodite, goddess of love, were other gods of heaven. They were joined by Hestia, goddess of the hearth; and Hermes, messenger of the gods and ruler of science and invention. Poseidon was the ruler of the sea who, with his wife Amphitrite, led a g... Free Essays on Mythology Myths throughout history have been in existence since ancient times and still play a vital role in today’s society. Acting as basis of how to live one’s life and a guide towards beneficial pathways, myths compile many elements into a story that teaches a lesson and/or instills fear in one’s mind to avoid making immoral decisions. Born on the frontier of Ancient Greece philosophy these fictitious accounts of legendary heros and mystical lands were first established into the culture of the Greek way of life. Used to explain the Gods, demigods, and explanations of the universe, myths provide a tangible outlet that the mind is left to ponder. Mysteriously disappearing into the Atlantic Ocean, the island of Atlantis has been the subject matter of its own mythological story for many years. As told by Plato, the story starts when the Gods divided the earth into separate parts, each taking control of their deserved piece.(Hefner, â€Å"Atlantis the Myth†) Poseidon gained control of what was to be Atlantis. Soon after, he fell in love with a mortal women named Cleito with whom he would have ten sons with. He made his first born son the first king of Atlantis and his other sons became princes that would rule separate portions of the island. Saying that Atlantis was prosperous beyond all expectations did not prove to be an understatement. Every citizen was educated, the landscape was made up of green grassy meadows and pristine lakes, and there was not to many conflicts between the inhabitants. New inventions and ideas of how to make life easier came about as they used their intelligence to the fullest extent. I t was what we would call a Utopia. Poseidon set rules and laws that were to be followed by the future rulers and leaders of this fruitful kingdom. As long as the rules and regulations were met the state of the island showed no signs of corruption. However, as time went on and the leaders strayed from the set rules of P...

Statistical Finding on Movie Theater ads Effectiveness

Statistical Finding on Movie Theater ads Effectiveness Being the owner of a small business, it is important to make a wise and an informed decision on the way to advertise your business. A decision has to be made regarding promoting the business through Movie Theater. To arrive at a rational decision, research has to be conducted on how effective ads using Movie Theater are, in reaching the potential customers.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Statistical Finding on Movie Theater ads Effectiveness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Research shows that cinema advertising impacts emotions and revenues. 3D technology has created awareness on movie going audiences from the young to the old, owing to its flexibility. Many have been overwhelmed by the technology and get information on new products through advertisements in the movies. 3D commercials have also promoted advertising. Avatar and Monsters vs. Aliens have really transformed the advertising company. They have been know n to promote Samsung’s 3D television sets. â€Å"The young man is shown taking a 3D experience home by cutting a cube of action through a screen thus, replicating the experience of her family’s home television† (Knight 1). This has promoted Samsung televisions on many people are purchasing it. Cinema advertising recorded a growth of 5.8% in 2007, from $539.9 million to $571.4 million. â€Å"In 2008 a lot of money, over 90% was spent on on-screen advertising than anywhere else in the theater† (Knight 1). This escalation was attained due to improved technology, which allowed the advertisers to effortlessly update creativity digitally. This made digital advertising very suitable for marketing national brands. Consumers, who are definitely the buyers of advertised products, like movies and go to cinemas in large numbers because going to cinema is a popular trend. This is a perfect moment to introduce various brands of goods in the market to consumers. The stu dy based on about 2600 consumers showed that moviegoers remembered 60% or more of the cinema ads after leaving, with increased desire to buy; as much as 20% or more (Knight 1). The young like movie ads compared to television ads. This is supported by the fact that the number one leisure activity for the youths is movies. 62% of those in the age bracket of 18 to 24 years, 58% of those in 25-34 years and 39% of those in 45-54 years preferred cinema ads (Knight 1). Many like movie theater ads compared to internet ads. Sixty-six percent of those interviewed preferred cinema ads compared to 49 percent who were okay with online ads were acceptable. In media, movies have higher emotional rating (41.5%) than watching other major television programs such as the â€Å"Super Bowl (39.7%), Summer Olympics (26.3%), World Series (22.8%) and Oscars (16.1%)† (Fuchs 1). Surveys show that consumers who are emotionally fond of specific brands had similar feelings regarding the experience they g et from watching movies.Advertising Looking for report on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More â€Å"About 45% of the customers who buy health and beauty products and 44% of those who buy packaged goods are emotionally attached to movies as compared with 30% and 29% for television, 21.1% and 21.1% for radio, and 21.2% and 18.9% for magazines† (Fuchs 1). This shows the strength and impact of Movie Theater advertising Cinema advertising has also gained public interest owing to its improved quality. The public have been captured by the movie theaters because of good quality of movies, as well as their wide range. When a great creative product is being launched, it is done in cinema. About 70% of ads today are new creative that are used far from us. Multiplexes increase people turn out in the movie theaters. Bars and restaurants in places where multiplexes are have made movies a place to get entertained in the evening. People therefore, get movie ads that have been considered more memorable than television advertisements. People get to remember the movie ads the same way they remember certain scenes of the movie (Fuchs 1). Fuchs, Andreas. Stronger attachments: Cinema advertising impacts emotions and revenues. 12 May 2010. Web. Knight, Kristina. Big-Screen ads engage consumer emotions. 22 April 2010. Web. bizreport.com/2010/04/want_to_engage_take_ads_to_the_big-screen.html#.

Alton Towers Audit

Section A: Environmental Pressures Political (60%) The government has the authority to make decisions that can impact the operators greatly, for example they can decline planning permission and carry out health and safety checks resulting in closures such as Alton’s Black Hole. (25%) public campaigning can affect decisions made by theme parks in an attempt to resolve negative publicity. An example is when Soils Association campaigned against the provision of unhealthy foods in tourist attractions. Since then the park has made several changes and requested advice from nutritional expect Annabelle Karmel. 1 Regulatory (85%) â€Å"Various legislatives have been added to the woe,†2 limiting parks to what they can do such as only being able to employ those who have had CRB checks since public safety is a priority. Economical (60%) Less people have domestic expenditure which resulted in outbound tourism decreasing by 15% and domestic travel increasing by 17%. In 2009 the theme park industry as a whole gained revenue of ? 315m. (25%) The decreasing value of the pound makes it cheaper and more appealing for tourists and Britons to holiday in the UK. The pound has decline by a ? against the Euro in the last 5 years. 3 Social (50%) â€Å"What was once extreme is now tame and what was once unique is now old. †4 In today’s climate visitors are more demanding and not easily satisfied resulting in most operators introduce an attraction every 12 months. (40%) consumer lifestyles cause implications, household numbers are decreasing and more people choosing to have fewer children resulting in theme parks attracting other market segments 5 Technological (60%) Technology is the catalyst that allows futuristic attractions to be created as well as software such as CAD contributing to development, saving time and saving money. 6 Alton towers has a portfolio which consists of many â€Å"firsts. † Thirteen is the latest addition to these firsts, as the â€Å"first free fall drop rollercoaster† by which Alton towers claims that â€Å"so much technology has never been combined into one ride†. 7 Competitors (40%) In order to retain or increase market share theme parks have to be actively competitive. â€Å"You can guarantee in a few months another rollercoaster will be built slightly quicker or a couple of meters higher†8 (10%) â€Å"There are 7000 museums, gardens, zoos, etc that work hard to gain a market share of voice, consumer time and wallet. †9 The other two competitive factors (USP positioning and strategic alliances) are more important as they concern direct competitors. Organisational (80%) Designers, engineers and other intellectual property are the brains behind the â€Å"beasts†. The man behind some of Britain’s iconic roller coasters is Mr. John Wardley. His designs consist of Alton Towers’ Nemesis, Oblivion, Air and Thirteen as well as Thorpe Parks’ Colossus, Saw and Stealth. 10 Alton Towers employs 2000 people and supports another 3,700 jobs which prove how labour intensive the industry is. 11 Market (70%) According to one operator if there is rain before 9 am, ? of those who intended to visit a theme park do not go. Alton is trying to resolve the issue by considering â€Å"controlling† the weather using cloud seeing technology. 12 (30%) Marketing increases awareness. In 2002, despite others being affected by weather, Drayton Manor saw their visitor numbers increase by 2-5% thanks to its biggest ad campaign. 13 Industry Competitive Structure Alton’s direct competitors are made up of 20 operators all competing with a similar target audience. Alton towers direct, indirect, potential and current competitors are summarised in appendix 1. The main competitors are Thorpe Park, Chessington, Drayton Manor, Lego-Land, Blackpool, Flamingo and Gulliver’s. Alton towers are in lead with 20. 3% which accounts for a fifth of market share (appendix 4). 14 Using appendix 4, I would classify Alton Towers as the Market leader. More than half of the UK’s adults have visited Alton towers previously. 15 The market challengers would be its 2 competitors that play the biggest threats, Thorpe and Lego-Land. Chessington however would be placed with Drayton as followers, since the majority of rides are adjustments of standardised platform designs. This is backed up by the market shares both acquire. Neichers consist of Flamingo’s and Gulliver’s who appeal to only children whilst others try to satisfy all ages. A potential direct competitor is Disney land Paris, due to the fact that apart from Alton towers, it attracts more UK visitors than any other UK parks. 16 Its proximity is close and its transport connections are excellent, however its geographical location stops it from being a current competitor since the majority of individuals would rather have the convenience of staying in the UK for day trips. Current Indirect competitors are made of 7000 other attractions, which fight for a voice of market share, consumer time and their wallets. Theme parks are the 3rd most popular type of attraction after music concerts and festivals. 17 Potential indirect competitors can include the current concepts being aired for new parks themed around harry potter, CBBC and Horrible Histories. 18 The reason for them being indirect rather than direct is due to the fact we are unsure what will be involved within the park. As you can see, in appendix 3, Alton towers, Drayton Thorpe have a broader target market by providing attractions for all age groups, whilst Flamingo, Lego, Gulliver’s Chessington appeal to the younger market. Drayton Flamingo are the cheapest with ticket prices at ? 20-? 25 whilst others are priced at ? 35-? 40. Gullivers, Lego Flamingo differentiate themselves by having a consistant theme running through the park, with others having a number of themes within their grounds or no theme at all. An adoption life cycle has been created (Appendix 5) to show that Alton and Thorpe are the innovators constantly creating thrilling and exciting rides. Whilst at the opposite end are laggards Gulliver’s Lego-Land who simply adjust basic standard ride platforms to fit in with their theme. Industry Forces In appendix 6 there is a detailed porters 5 forces for Alton Towers. The numerical weighting is divided between the 5 elements; suppliers, buyers, threats, rivalry and substitutes. This model allows us to look at bargaining powers of each force. Starting with suppliers which have received the highest percentage of 40%, there are numerous companies that contribute to theme parks from additional services such as food and merchandise to essentials such as electricity and rides. Without suppliers industry competitors would not have any product/service to offer to buyers giving suppliers a dominant bargaining power. Dependant on the product, some suppliers such as LTC (ride consultants) are dominant within their market making switching costs high. The next highest percentage was distributed to industry rivals (20%) that play a massive threat to Alton Towers since they have the ability to take potential customers. The theme park industry is intense with its 20 operators fighting for market share. Buyers had equal percentage due to the fact they have the choice of which theme park to attend and low switching costs. The lack of demand or customer base which would lead to a theme parks closure. Substitutes and new entrants both have a low percentage of 10% due to the fact if customers are won over by other indirect attractions, most likely those customers wanted to gain another benefit other than high thrill seeking adrenaline rushes. There are also high entry and exit barriers such as the lack of investment and recourses, making it difficult to actually enter compete within this market. All of the forces have been declared to be a low threat for reasons mentioned above and the fact that it is unlikely that any force would be able to set up a strong competitor due to the various product offerings, services and labour needs to do so. Product /Service Evolution Theme parks products are focused around innovation, which is extremely rare. Parks attempt to create the tallest, fastest and longest rides which in reality are variation of basic platforms. Intellectual property plays a great role in the creation of innovative products. Examples of innovative products, all designed by John Wardly, are Alton Towers Flying coaster â€Å"Air†, its first free fall drop â€Å"Thirteen† or Thorpe park’s â€Å"Stealth† hydrochloride launcher . The latter two being described as â€Å"Engineering Genius†19 The park also provides other products to accommodate visitors such as its hotels to encourage overnight stays, healthier food options, various ticket passes (e. g. fast track/annual pass) and merchandise. Technology has assisted in increasing revenue through ride photos and â€Å"Your day† DVD’s f your day. The DVDs are produced using a RFID bracelet that potential customers carry around. 25-30% of potential customers have actually purchased a DVD. 20 Other products that theme parks have invested in to boost their existent product range efficiency is the CAD software used to predict if rides are going to work successfully before its even built. Parks such as Thorpe and Lego-Land also attempt to increase customer satisfaction and value for money by introducing Q-Bot systems. This technology allocated ride times to visitors so they can do other things in the meantime. Flamingo started using a variation product called Li-Lo Q texts which works in a similar way. 21 Appendix 7 shows the hierarchy for the leisure market, as you can see product forms split into a range of product items. A few have been selected to give an idea of the current product portfolio. An example of basic platform product, is Alton’s Spin-ball Whizzer and Chessington’ Dragon fury being the same product but altered. Alton Thorpe have many innovative products that attract numerous thrill-seeking visitors such as Colossus, Oblivion, Thirteen, etc. Companies also have co-branded or sponsored product such as Alton’s Sonic Spin-ball-whizzer or Drayton’s Thomas the tank engine land. Lego-Land Chessington offer products suited mainly for children making it difficult to be innovative due to extra restrictions and it means they are not appealing to any other segments. Appendix 8 shows the position of a few Alton Towers rides on the product life cycle. Thirteen being the latest addition is placed in introduction. Nemesis, Oblivion, Air Rita being the most popular are still in maturity due to the fact that their popularity does not allow them to decline. An example of a ride just past maturity would be submission where basic  platform products are no longer that popular. Deul II and Sonic Spin-ball are modified variations created to extend its product life cycle and boost its appeal. Market Segmentation Appendix 9 summarises segmentation variables. The main conclusions drawn up from all these elements are that the main target audience are aged 16-35 most likely being full time student or partly employed. It has a classless socio-economic market however those from D/E would most likely find a day out expensive. The majority of visitors live in the midlands region, where Alton has a high penetration of 71%22. Motivations where the average customer profile consists of those who are thrill seeking risk takers or family orientated individuals. Today’s consumer are more demanding, less patient, have high expectations and seen as being loyal since 88% of those who visited theme parks in 2009 are returning customers23. The average person visiting Alton spend more than 7 hours on the computer and shop at Waitrose indicating that they are young and well to do. 24 House hold numbers are decreasing and so is the rate of birth which means which can lead to labour shortages and less potential customers. Parks have also got to consider introducing smaller family packages. Appendix 10 shows a population shift where the population of the UK is currently 61,792,000. It shows there is a bulge located with the baby boomers, Males and females are fairly and the working population is represents 62% of the mid 2009 market. This information could assist and impact decisions made by the company, for example the increase of baby boomers means that the park may have to offer more services for suited for them. Appendix 1: Detailed PRESTCOM, Numerical Weighting Justification Political . The government realise by intervening in theme parks they could be restricting competition and suppressing innovation. The government involve themselves in matters concerning the safety and well fair of the general public. The government has the authority to decline planning permission, heavily fine theme parks and close them down if they feel it is necessary to do so. 60 *The government themselves are the most important factor due to their high authority and ability to make necessary decisions to restrict or enhance the industry and its competitors. *Reputation is more important than the political climate as it can create more damage to the brand in the long run. *The political climate can affect sales but only for the short term. The public themselves can cause havoc and protest against theme parks which can have an effect on the reputation and decisions made by the theme parks themselves in order to satisfy needs and keep a positive reputation. 25 The political climate itself can have an impact on a theme park sales, activities and management. 15 Regulatory Aspects of theme parks are under tighter control resulting in more red tape concerning employment, machine games, fire safety and CRB. 85 *Numerous regulations have been created for trading bodies to abide by. Recently theme parks are under tighter restrictions which obviously would have a massive impact in how they are run and in some cases what they provide. *There are only a number of people aware of the RFID tags privacy issue and it doesn’t impact theme parks to a huge extent. Connected to technology, there are concerns over privacy rights due to the introduction of RFID tags. 15 Economical Dependant on whether a country is in a boom or a recession it can affect the amount of disposable income an individual has and the unemployment rate of the country as a whole. The current recession has had a major impact on the visitor numbers and sales revenue. The current economic climate has had a positive effect on theme parks. 60 *The economical state of a country is vital to the growth and revenue of all industries. It is the most important economical factor as it means there is lower income rates and less spending power. *Having a weak exchange rate causes outbound tourism to decline and inbound tourism to flourish, both positive contributions to the increase of visitors to UK theme parks. *Inflation can influence sales rates. Exchange rate – the weak sterling rate increases inbound tourism due to the UK being a cheaper holiday destination. 25 Inflation is high causing admissions to rise by 16 % in the next 4 years. Expected to have 4. 7 million admissions 15 Social As time goes on there are shifts in demographics as well as people’s expectations and taste change continuously. Theme parks try to conquer this social factor by providing a variety of attractions to satisfy all needs. 50 *Socially, demographics, expectations and taste play the largest role in motivating people do to particular actions. *Life style also effects the actions of an individual and is nearly almost as important influencing people’s behaviour. *The fact that some individuals are afraid of rides/heights has little impact to those that do and doesn’t significantly decrease the number of visitors. Numerous people are afraid of rides and heights which influence sales, this isn’t helped by the fact that there are incidents where technical faults have caused injuries/deaths. These incidents could also damage a brands reputation. 10 The lifestyle of individuals has changed over the years due to a number of reasons but plays a big part in motivations for certain behaviour and attitude 40 Technological Technology has allowed the internal functioning of the organisation to be more efficient and less time consuming. 20 *Technology is the most important change impacting theme parks. It is the catalyst behind innovation, production and operation. *It has also assisted theme a parks to be run efficiently, make communication more effective and increase revenue through merchandising but obviously, they have had a smaller impact. Technology has also allowed theme parks to be more innovative when creating rides/attractions, improve existing rides and enhance the safety of rides. 60 Technology can assist theme parks to increase revenue through merchandise and convenience. 10 It has also made communication more efficient. 10 Competitive Direct competitors have a major impact on theme parks activities and visitor no’s. Alton Towers main direct competitors consist of Thorpe Park, The Adventure World of Chessington, Legoland, Drayton and Blackpool 40 *Direct competitors cause theme parks to respond in a competitive manner in an attempt to be the best. The USP positioning extra competitive facilities have an equal impact due to both having the ability to attract visitors and influence their decisions. Theme parks team up with other organisations can also increase awareness/attention The USP positioning has a major influence of how its run and if there successful in positioning accurately then how visitors perceive the brand/theme park. 20 Indirect competitors consist of other leisure activities. The UK leisure sector is a very competitive industry attracting various sorts of people. 10 Theme parks team up with other brands, organisations and companies to give themselves a competitive advantage. 10 Some theme parks have extra facilities to give them a better competitive advantage 20 Organisation Man power – the intellectual property that the theme park has can vastly influence the designs and construction of attractions. Theme parks are also very labour intensive industries. 80 *Intellectual property is a key factor to the success of theme parks; The brains behind the big ideas and the production of them. *The costs influence the organisation, their budget, margins and decisions. Higher overheads such as the increase of electricity cost and higher staffing costs have has an impact on theme parks margins. 20 Market Sales are vastly influenced an uncontrollable factor; the weather 70 The weather is the biggest influence of visitor attendance. Marketing comes second to it due to its ability to increase awareness. Marketing can influence the success of the theme park, especially with those outside local regions. 30 Appendix 2 – Direct Indirect Competitors LOWER COST DIFFERENTATION BROAD TARGET Drayton Alton Towers Thorpe Park NARROW TARGET Flamingo Lego Chessington Gulliver’s Blackpool DIRECT INDIRECT CURRENT Thorpe Park Chessington Gulliver’s Drayton Flamingo Blackpool London Eye Cadburys Sea Life Centre Tower of London Holidays POTENTIAL Disney Paris CBBC park Horrible Histories park Appendix 4 – Market Share (Created using source: Mintel, Theme Parks, Feb 2010) Appendix 5 – Adoption Life Cycle Appendix 6 – Porters 5 Forces Numerical Weighting Appendix 7 – Hierarchical Decomposition of the Leisure Attraction Industry Appendix 8 –Product Life Cycle Appendix 9 – Segmentation table (Created using Mintel Data/Sources) Demographics Geographics Physcographics Behaviouralistic Age – Visitors peak among 16 and 35 year olds. 16-24 year olds account for 21. 4% and 25-34 year olds account for 23. 3%. The data shows that as the age group gets older there is a decrease in the number of visitors. Region- Alton Towers attracted 19. 1% of those from the Midlands region. Followed up by the North West visitors of 17. 5% and then London at 13. 2%. Motivations – can be numerous. It could be for a social day out with friends, for the thrills of sky high rides, for family fun, for a change of scenery or value for money through incentives. Regular visitors – 1 in 4 people went to a theme park in 2009. 88 % were returning to that theme park whilst 12 % were first timers. Consumers are l were satisfied previously and also new targets have been attracted. Gender – 47% of those who went to Alton Towers were female with 53% being males. This shows that it has products to appeal to both genders. Population numbers have increased to 61. 8m. it has been predicted that in the next 4 years we shall see a increase of 10 year olds and over 50’s. Personality – Alton Towers is geared up for those who are energetic, lively, hrill seeking socialisers. They also appeal to family orientated individuals. According to the data 50% of theme Alton Towers visitors spend 7 + hours using the internet per day which indicates that our users are young. Occupation – 19% of those attending Alton Towers were full-time students with and 17. 7 being part time employed. This shows that it attracts many students and those between ages of 16 and 30 years. Climate – has a massive effect upon the attendance. According to one operator 1 out of 4 of those intended to come, get put off of coming if they see it rain before 9 am. 12 % of individuals claim that theme parks simply have no interest to them; theme parks have to try and find ways around this. There has been a high correlation between those that shop at Waitrose and those that attend the Alton theme park. this could indicate that visitors are quite well off as Waitrose prices are high compared to their competitors. Socio-Economic Class – It is classless, Alton towers attracts a number of various people from all sorts of backgrounds. However it has been found that majority D/E segments find it expensive. Today’s consumers are more demanding, less patient and get easily bored. The product life cycle is a lot shorter than it once was due to competitor increase and innovation change. This can be backed up by the fact that rides are now introduced every 12 months rather than every 2/3 years. Lifestyle : household numbers are decreasing. Less people chose to marry and settle down with children affecting the target audience of theme parks in the long run. We currently live in a digital world where people have a hectic life revolved around money and have no time to waste. Ethnicity Religion – attracts all types of people and even has allocated days for example â€Å"Muslim Day† Appendix 10 – Population Shifts

Maritime transportation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Maritime transportation - Essay Example It was forecasted to rise between 6.5-7% per annum over the next ten years (MPA, 2012). The reason behind Singapore’s maritime industry’s vibrant success is its strategic location and constant competition evolved into a strategic center for maritime business. Situated in the center of a complex global web of trade routes and connected to over 600 ports in over 120 countries, Singapore is nothing less than a global hub. A ‘hub’ can be defined as a well-connected node in a network, and throughout history, successful hubs have been the ones that offer focal points of opportunities, growth and innovation. Singapore has been identified as not only one of the 40 mega regions, which signify large markets with significant economic potential, but it is also one of the world’s most important maritime countries as per the UN Conference on Trade and Development. Singapore, apart from being a premier global hub port, is also the busiest port in the world considering shipping tonnage alone, which amounts to more than 120,000 vessel calls annually. In 2004, only the total vessel arrivals at the port exceeded one billion gross tons for the first time in Singapore’s maritime history. Moreover Singapore offers around 20 million tons of bunkers supplied each year to ships globally. Additionally, Singapore offers reliable and efficient cargo handling, the Global Competitiveness Report 2006-7 ranks Singapore as having the best Quality for Port Infrastructure. Singapore holds 70% of the global jack-up rig-building market and more than 65% of the world’s floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) conversion market. Its technological adeptness is observable through the wide range of maritime services available, including pilot age, towage, fresh water supply, crew changes, ship supply and repair as well as expert building facilitie s (Tan, 2005). Singapore is also a fast developing Petrochemical