Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Is It Really Costing Us - 895 Words

America is the largest meat producer and the second largest meat consumer in the world (Willett, 2014). I used to be one of these consumers eating meat at nearly every meal. After learning more about the beef, dairy, pork, and poultry industries I became a vegan for ethical reasons. You may have heard of â€Å"factory farming† which is how most of our food is produced today. Factory farming has negative results including pollution, related health risks to humans, and cruelty to animals. While factory farming can keep up to society’s ever growing demand for meat, what is it really costing us? Pollution is a huge concern to a lot of people. It can come in many forms and from many sources. Most people don’t think about the fact that the food they eat causes pollution. Regardless of how it is packaged or how far it has traveled to get to you, there are other pollution factors. Pigs are raised in cramped spaces in overcrowded buildings with slotted floors. The pigs eat, sleep, and defecate in these cages. The farmers spray down the pig houses, and the feces washes through the slots in the floors to large lagoons outside. When the lagoons get full the farmers spray the feces filled water into the air to fertilize nearby fields (Peach, 2014). The potential threat for water pollution is very serious. Bacteria in the waste lagoons are dangerous to our lakes and streams, and the creatures that live in them. When the land floods from excessive rain the waste from the lagoons is carriedShow MoreRelatedThe Usefulness Of Traditional Costing System1646 Words   |  7 Pagesabou t their costing methods to ensure that the product cost is rightly allocated, in view that the product cost has a clear aftermath on the pricing decision of a product which also affect profitability. Product costing is a crucial subject especially if the business is considering the application of the cost leadership strategy developed by Michael Porter, (1980), as a tool to gain a competitive edge over its rivals. In this essay, we will assess the usefulness of traditional costing system to managersRead MoreLandau Company1113 Words   |  5 PagesManagerial accounting â€Å"Case: 19-4 Landau Company†Ã¢â‚¬  Question 1: * The income statements prepared under absorption costing and variable costing usually produce different net operating income figures. Under absorption costing if inventories increase then some of the fixed manufacturing costs of the current period will not appear on the income statement as part of cost of goods sold. Instead, these costs are deferred to a future period and are carried on the balance sheet as part of the inventoryRead Morecase study GG Toys1080 Words   |  5 PagesG.G.   Toys   Ã¢â‚¬â€œ   Nele   Rieve   Ã¢â‚¬â€œ   E01487695   Ã¢â‚¬â€œ   10/14/2014       G.G.    Toys    is    a    leading    manufacturer    of    high- ­Ã¢â‚¬ quality    dolls    located    in    the    US.    The    company    is    popular    for    its    â€Å"Geoffrey    dolls†    but,    due    to    rising    product    costs,    has    included    customized    dolls    and    cradles    in    its    product    mix.    Two    plants    are    used    for    the Read MoreCigarettes are Harmful and Should Be Made Illegal Essay1235 Words   |  5 PagesMariana Islands, and the US Virgin Island agreed to the largest manufacture of tobacco in US history (introduction). That was a horrible decision because in 2011 a study done in the United States estimated that 43.8 million adults are current cigarette smokers. 440,000 of those 43.8 million adults died of tobacco related causes (centers). Of those 43.8 million 34.1 million smoke at least once a day and the remaining 9.7 million of them smoke every once in a while. According to US law adults have theRead MoreCost Management Strategies For An Organization1590 Words   |  7 Pagesorganizations than small organizations, especially service sector have greater interest in it. pricing tools helps us to identify the relationship with client, gain experience from new market, need to keep resources available, helps to sell other services for an organization. Budgeting tools: Managerial accounting people use budgeting tool and technique to manage money related information that assure us that a task is supported sufficiently and can be finished inside of the assigned budget. Utilizing modelsRead More Activity-Based Costing ( ABC ) Essay1439 Words   |  6 PagesActivity Based Costing ACTIVITY BASED COSTING AND MANAGEMENT : AN OVERVIEW Activity Based Costing (ABC) is more relevant than traditional costing in companies, where product mix is diverse in; batch sizes, physical sizes, degree or complexity, and raw material characteristics. ABC will also provide more decision useful information for the service industry, characterized by diversity in range of services provided. If the products in a plant or services provided posses similar characteristicsRead MoreWhat Are The Two Major Uses Of Managerial Accounting Information1313 Words   |  6 Pagesrestaurant a would only notice a 25% decrease in net profits despite losing half of its customer base to restaurant B. 4. Compare and contrast job costing and process costing systems. Process costing – uses the total cost of large production runs of identical products. In the case of a paint factory that is producing 50,000 gallons of white paint, process costing would require that all of the chemicals and materials used in the process of manufacturing the paint would be accumulated into a cost accountRead MoreModule 1 Case Absorption vs. Variable Costing1401 Words   |  6 PagesThis case study will look at Jokkmok Industries and one of its managers, Mr. Rosen, who is bucking for a promotion to CEO. His division uses absorption costing and has the ability to produce 50,000 units a quarter with a fixed overhead amount of $600,000. While the sales forecast shows that the company will only sell 25,000 units during each of the next two quarters, Mr. Rosen wants to double his budgeted production for the second quarter from 25,000 to 50,000 units. We will look at Mr. Rosen’sRead MorePros And Cons Of Debt Or Degree752 Words   |  4 Pageslooking at student loans to cover costs. What is that degree really costing you? We need to have a standard cost for college classes nationally. There is just no reason for tuition to so high that students are focused to jeopardies their future. Student’s today are starting their adult lives with a mountain of debt and no outlook of the life they had hoped for. Did you know that student loan debt is the second largest debt category in the US? It falls right under the mortgage debt category. A mortgageRead MoreEssay On Nasa852 Words   |  4 Pagesfinally come true. All due to one man’s devotion, Elon Musk’s SpaceX has made new deep developments. NASA has fallen a big time in the past 10 years or so, due to the fact US spends $600 billion on military and not in showing America is the most advance in the Space and Technology. SpaceX has made the cheapest rocket costing only $61 million per launch and the Rocket is called Falcon 9. Falcon 9 is able to return to the launching pad without having to crash into the Ocean like NASA’s Space rockets

Monday, December 23, 2019

The Impact On The Biodiversity Of The Ecosystem That Was...

On March 24,1989 many animals lost their lives due to a huge man-made disaster.In the first paragraph I will be talking about what happened,why it happened,and how it happened. In the second paragraph I will be talking about discussing the impact the issue had on the diversity of species in that environment. In the fourth I will be devising a step-by-step plan to restore the biodiversity of the ecosystem that was destroyed by The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. Then I will be rediscussing, and basically summarizing the the entire paper in the fifth paragraph.So what exactly happened, and why? How many plants and animals were killed,or harmed? What would I do to help the environment? That is what this paper is about! How did this terrible accident happen? On March 23,1989,the ship departed from the Trans Alaska Pipeline at 9:12 pm. William Murphy was hired to maneuver the 986 foot vessel through Valdez Narrows was in control first. At the time the captain Joe Hazelwood, and Helmsman, Henry Clear, who was steering, were at his side Then captain Hazelwood took over, and pilot Murphy left the vessel. During this time they encountered icebergs in the shipping lanes and the captain then ordered Claar to go around the icebergs, which was out of the shipping lanes. After that the wheel was handed over to third mate Gregory Cousins who was told to turn back into the shipping lanes when the tanker reached a certain point. the Claar handed the wheel over to Helmsman Robert Kagan, for anShow MoreRelatedAlaska Oil Drilling: A Threat to Biodiversity1606 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ After decades of rancorous debate marked by legislative impasse, public protest, and mounting political pressure, the issue of opening the last of Alaskas pristine frontiers for oil drilling exploration appears may finally be moving towards a long-sought resolution. At the heart of this over thirty-year old conflict, waged bitterly between environmental activists and major petroleum producers, is a parcel of land containing nearly 20 million acres of untouched environmental resources known asRead Moreoil spill4253 Words   |  18 Pagesï » ¿ Oil Spill Group 3 Vera Lois A. Decano Kriceal Viz B. Saldon Mia Tagle Sam John F. Luison Kathe Unabia Chayya Margaret P. Golez Dominic M. Concillo Oil Spill Introduction In the recent years there have been occurrences of oil spills in several locations within our country. Knowing that these have adverse effects on our environment and the ecosystem as a whole, we’ve always been in search of ways to counter this major problem. The damages we receive from an oil spillRead MoreHuman Impact on the Coastal Landscape3602 Words   |  15 PagesPerry Newton Student # 000-00 1818 Geog 222 Section (1) Mrs Sandra Burrows Date: November 4, 2008 The Human Impact on Coastal Landscape The relationship between humans and their environment is a topic that engenders much debate. Humans are intellectual. They can think, reason, feel and make deductions or hypothesis and seek to solve or prove their deductions or theories. The environment on the other hand is inanimate and exists by means of natural laws and principles that govern the universeRead MoreMineral Resources18511 Words   |  75 Pagesgrasslands, deserts, mountains, rivers, lakes and the marine environment all form habitats for specialised communities of plants and animals to live in. Interactions between the abiotic aspects of nature and specific living organisms together form ecosystems of various types. Many of these living organisms are used as our food resources. Others are linked to our food less directly, such as pollinators and dispersers of plants, soil animals like worms, which recycle nutrients for plant growth, and fungi

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Marijuana Tax Act Free Essays

Marijuana was declared an illegal drug in the USA with the passing of the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937 under dubious circumstances. 1 Since that time numerous studies have shown that the drug is less harmful than tobacco and alcohol. Despite the available evidence and the enormous cost of enforcing the marijuana ban, it is hard to understand why this relatively harmless drug continues to remain illegal in the United States. We will write a custom essay sample on Marijuana Tax Act or any similar topic only for you Order Now This essay argues why marijuana should be decriminalized without further delay. Opponents of legalizing marijuana contend that it is a dangerous drug; this is far from the truth. For example, there has not been a single recorded case of death due to marijuana overdose. On the other hand, a legal intoxicant like alcohol results in the death of about 5,000 persons every year due to overdose. The reason for this is that the ratio of cannabinoids2 necessary for intoxication is 40,000:1 while that for alcohol is generally between 4:1 and 10:1. (â€Å"Answers To†¦ ,† 2005) As such marijuana is one of the least toxic substances and would have to be consumed in physically impossible quantities to prove fatal. As for the health effects of marijuana, a World Health Organization (WHO) Study, which was scheduled to be published in December 1997 but was suppressed by its top management due to political pressure, had reported that Cannabis fared better than alcohol and nicotine in five out of seven comparisons of long-term damage to health. (Concar, 1998) In terms of addictiveness too, most studies show that marijuana was less addictive than alcohol, nicotine and caffeine. (Quoted in â€Å"Study Compares†¦ ,† 1994) A common myth about marijuana is that it acts as a ‘gateway’ drug, i. . , marijuana use leads to use of harder drugs such as heroin or cocaine. This theory is disproved by the fact that after the legalizing of marijuana in Holland in the 1970s, heroin and cocaine use declined markedly, despite a slight increase in marijuana use. If the ‘gateway’ theory were true, the use of hard drugs should have gone up rather than down. (â€Å"Answers to†¦ † 2005) Other charges against marijuana, based mainly on prejudiced and unreliable studies, are that it contributes to an escalation in crime and is responsible for increased driving accidents. The linkage between marijuana and crime is absolutely false because, if anything, marijuana actually lessens aggressiveness in the user. Only â€Å"driving under the influence of marijuana† could be hazardous but it is far less problematic as drunken driving. (Ibid. ) Enforcing the ban against marijuana in the US costs the tax payers as much as $ 12 billion annually; it also diverts the energies of the law enforcing agencies that would be better served in fighting the spiraling crime rates in the country’s cities. This is reflected in the fact that there have been nearly 6. 5 million marijuana arrests in the United States since 1993,3 far exceeding the total number of arrests for all violent crimes combined, including murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. (â€Å"Marijuana Prohibition Facts,† 2004) Apart from the ‘direct’ estimated cost of $ 12 billion that would be saved by legalizing marijuana, the government would also be able to collect a considerable amount of money by way of taxes. Moreover, de-criminalizing of the drug would eliminate much of the underground criminal network in the country that gives rise to numerous social problems such as spreading corruption and graft among the law enforcing agencies. It is unfortunate that policy makers and law enforcers have failed to learn the lessons of Prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s when a similar ban against alcohol had escalated crime to astronomical levels and deprived the government of much needed tax revenue. It would, therefore, not be wrong to conclude that the rationale behind the continuing criminalization of marijuana is based on false premises and difficult to defend. Most scientific studies have conclusively shown that marijuana is a far less harmful drug than alcohol and tobacco. The cost of enforcing the existing harsh laws against marijuana possession is unnecessary and diverts the attention of the American justice system, which would be better served in fighting violent crime and terrorism. As such, there is no reason why marijuana should not be legalized forthwith. How to cite Marijuana Tax Act, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Legal Aspects of Oil and Gas Industries

Question: Describe the legal aspects of oil and gas industries? Answer: The oil and gas industry attracts complex, risky, as well as operations that are expensive that happens for a long period. Employments of special contract are done in guiding the relationship among different parties that are merged in the operations. When the operations and the relation is complex in nature, many disputes happen in the course of activity. Disputes may happen concerning the claim of maritime boundary, claim relating to equipment, claim over jurisdiction, claim in tune with the quantity and quality of goods, etc. Hence, to restrict the progress of oil, as well as gas operations it is important that the parties do proper means of resolving the disputes (Kendall, 2008). The common method of resolving dispute is by the process of litigation but due to the fees and time span involved in it, parties to the contract uses the concept of arbitration that plays a major role in settlement of disputes by amicable means (Born, 2009). When the dispute happens, it relates to two different countries and this leads to tussle between two countries. Hence, the legal system is concerned with many factors like issues relating to legal system, convention, as well as international treaties, implementation of laws, etc. It is to be noted that contract states the scope of dispute resolution. The main idea relates with the sovereign immunity is concerned in international law that states the party to the contract cannot be sued in the absence of a clause. The presence of corporations helps in recognizing the principle of restrictive sovereign immunity (Born, 2014). The application of Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act provides waves of the express or implied clause. High risk is involved when it comes to oil exploration. Such agreements can be entered into by way of agreement that is joint in nature or marketing agreement. When it comes to joint operating agreement, one of the parties assumes the position of an operating party that is responsible for everyday exploration and management of the affairs that are related. The other non-operating party will provide reimbursement of the operating party at the determined percentage that is done on a pro rata method (Brister, 2014). Hence, in this particular contract, the share of interest determination can be termed as important and may lead to dispute. Beyond question, the accounting principles help in chalking out the expenses, as well as revenue, cost reimbursement that is incurred by the party that is operating and indemnification that happens of the operating party when there is a default. Hence, when it comes to payment or liability, it is done based on casting of votes either for or against the resolution that is proposed (Brister, 2014). Marketing contract is another type of contract that is related to oil and gas where the rights, as well as marketing of the oil along with the LNG are provided to the other party residing in another nation (Oil and Gas disputes, 2015). Such contracts need s strong grasp of the market and the skills to store, transport the gas, and maintain them at the needed temperature. It requires huge cost and hence the market research needs to be extensive in nature before entering into a contact (Brister, 2014). In contracts, the provision of dispute resolution are done when the relationship are soured. Therefore, it should be necessary that proper emphasis must be provided to the provisions at the starting stage (Paul, 2010). Arbitration can be said to be a part of ADR that helps in settling the dispute between two parties without referring to the traditional court. In case of arbitration, the parties to a dispute refer to one or more persons who are termed as arbitrator or an arbitral tribunal by whose decision or award are set. An international commercial arbitration can be institutional or ad-hoc arbitration. When it comes to institutional process of arbitration, the parties to dispute agree to adhere to a dispute for determination that is in tune with the arbitral institution. The institutions have well settled policies and programs that help in conducting arbitral proceedings (Kluwer, 2014). Qualified arbitrators can be selected in this regard. The disadvantage that can be viewed over here is the hefty fees that can becomes more than the dispute. On the contrary, when it comes to ad hoc system of arbitration, no fees is payable to the institution and the arbitrators having the final say on the rules, as well as regulation of the arbitration. Hence, better flexibility is observed in ad hoc arbitration and therefore majorly attracts the claims that are smaller in nature and less expensive (Paul, 2010). There is a difference change when it comes to oil and gas industry. This change was witnessed after the process of liberalization and hence more venues were opened for the trade and agreements. The court proceeding that is traditional in nature needs the disclosure of information that is sensitive in nature and might be of strategic importance. Hence, can be termed as a disadvantage of litigation. Held in the case of Lyondell-CITGO Refining, LP v. Petroleos de Venezuela, the court wanted an access to the minutes of the Board Meeting though the Law of Venezuela prohibited an access without involving security clearances (Kluwer, 2014). Hence, the plaintiff was based in a position that was unenviable. In such specific situation, the forum of International Arbitration comes to help where the access can be denied by resorting to NOC. When it comes to International Commercial Arbitration, it helps and allows for selecting the expert who is impartial so that the documents can be evaluated and the objectivity of the information can be subjected to better security. Moreover, two different countries are involved in case of oil and gas contract and none of the party is willing to be subjected laws of another country. To devoid home country any advantage, the Rule of International Arbitration needs the appointment of an arbitrator that is neutral in nature and it is done after considering the place of the arbitrator who is independent in nature. Moreover, the relationship of the nation of the arbitrator with the parties to the arbitration is also considered. Therefore, arbitration can be termed as the appropriate method that can be adhered to disputes and can be termed as the best option for the parties to the contract. The proceedings of the corresponding are also simpler in nature and flexible as compared to the court of the US. The rules of IBA also include a provision where the Tribunal Arbitral can provide the judgement without intake of any information that is sensitive in nature. The court of US allows information withholding of information when it comes to the common ground but does not stress on the rejection of the element of disclosure that may arise due to confidentiality based on technical or commercial aspect. The institution of arbitration considers this aspect (British Petroleum, 2015). Hence, it can be commented that arbitration has better terms in comparison of the court when it comes to the point of disclosure. The party who drafts the agreement of arbitration contains the procedure of arbitration that dwells on mutual facts and understanding. It is a vital concept of the International Arbitration that provides the parties to the contract can select the seat of arbitrators. However, when the parties are unable to undertake this, the role of Arbitral Institution comes to the forefront. The selected Arbitrators are qualified and expert in their subject contains knowledge that deals with the subject matter of the contract, as they are majorly concerned with selection and appointment of the parties as against the magistrates and judges of the court who do not possess the specialization in specific cases of business (Born, 2014). Moreover, the arbitrators do not have any link with the disputed parties or the countries to which they belong. The process of litigation is complex in nature and needs a description. When it comes to the process of litigation, the appointment of judges are done by the state and the law of the state prevails where the case falls. This is defined as a strict happening. On the other hand, in the case of arbitration there is freedom in this entire scenario. In the case of litigation, the parties to the contract are completely dwelling under the influence f the lawyers, advocates and barristers who undertakes the case and gives it a proper direction by the evidence and their skills whereas in case of arbitration, the case remains personal to the party involve as the parties can put forward their viewpoints (British Petroleum, 2015). Hence, the parties can represent their argument and fight according to their benefit. Moreover, the losses or gains rest entirely on the parties. Therefore, the prospects are good for the parties as the settlement is done by peaceful manner. This helps in maintenance o f the relationship between both the parties. Moreover, the time, as well as cost involved in litigation is high because the court fees, barrister fees are required to be met. Moreover, the time span is longer as new dates are taken for representing and producing the evidences. However, arbitration cannot be termed as a less expensive method, but requires less time. The case happens on a fast mode and the judgement happens quickly (Born, 2014). The court considers a lot of time and is expensive in nature. In case of arbitration, the element of privacy and confidentiality is maintained that makes the process flexible and result oriented in nature. The process of globalization leads to influence of one particular order of court on the transactions of other. It was witnessed in the case Yukos, the largest oil private player that filed for Texas bankruptcy, the government of Russia could not lead to the assets sale as an injunction was obtained for the sale in Texas. Hence, it can be witnessed that the commercial as well as global parties are influenced by the order of the court and therefore to avoid all such situation international arbitration can be seen as a method for the settlement of dispute by helping the parties to draft contractual terms that are favorable in nature (Buhring Kirchhof, 2006). With the due passage of time, there has been much criticism on the private oil players because of the heavy profit making, regular scrutiny by the taxation authorities and the packages to the top executives. The process of litigation leads to share of information to the public and can be kept at bay with the help of international arbitration. When two parties knock the gates of the court, a bitter relationship happens between the two parties. As oil and gases contracts spreads for a long period, it is essential to have peaceful relationship between the two. Peaceful ways enables strong understanding, as well as judgment (Kolkey et. al, 2012). Arbitration provides a mean that is peaceful and helps in settlement of dispute. For a long term perspective, it is better that the process of arbitration is followed. There are various reasons that influence the parties to the oil and gas contracts to prefer the process of ADR as against litigation. This can be commented considering the theories and the practice in the current scenario. In short, when it comes to the arbitration party a neutral value is chosen for the settlement of dispute. Moreover, the process of arbitration is aptly termed as a neutral process (Kluwer, 2014). The field of litigation has undergone a vast change in the past decade, however considering the overall impact and the result it is still cumbersome. In this scenario, the process of arbitration comes to the forefront as it helps in settlement of the disputes by peaceful means and without any loss of secrecy (Deventer, 2010). Both the parties to the contract are provided sufficient chances of keeping their talk and therefore it are effective in nature. Hence, to have a strong situation and especially a win-win situation it is essential that the dispute is settled by way of arbitration. Moreover, a strong bond is maintained between the parties to the contract that may be adversely affected when the process of litigation is used. References Born, G 2009, International Commercial Arbitration, Kluwer Born, G 2014, International Commercial Arbitration, Frederick, MD: Wolters Brister, A 2014, Farmout Agreements: The Basics, Negotiations and Motivations. Oil and Gas Law Digest. Brister, A 2014, Introduction to Joint Operating Agreements. Oil and Gas Law Digest. British Petroleum 2015, BP Global/About BP/Angola, viewed 17 March 2016, www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=427contentId=2000571#2014344. Buhring,U.C and Kirchhof, G.L 2006, Arbitration and Mediation in International Business, Washington DC. Deventer, N.K 2010, Yearbook commercial arbitration, Huntington: New York Kendall, J 2008, Expert Determination. 4th edition Kluwer A 2014, International Commercial Arbitration, Austin: Walters Kolkey, D.M, Chernick, R, Neal, B.R 2012, Practitioners Handbook On Arbitration and Mediation, Huntington, N.Y. Oil and Gas disputes 2015, Global Dispute oil and gas, viewed 16 March 2016, https://www.fess-global.org/files/OilandGas.pdf. Paul, S.T 2010, LLM Oil Gas Law, University of Aberdeen: Assistant Lecturer, Rivers State University Of Science And Technology, Port Harcourt: Nigeria.