Process control Essay Example for Free

Process control Essay Process control is a major factor in ensuring that a process is working to its maximum potential. Sometimes process control means that one must conduct research to see how a process improvement can be implemented. Process improvement normally results in adjusting and modifying particular tasks or steps in a process to make them run more efficiently and smoothly. According to Chase, Jacobs, and Aquilliano, it is very important to put metrics in place so that you can determine if improvements are needed for a particular process (Chase, Jacobs, and Aquilliano, 2006). Over the last five weeks, I have observed the task of getting ready for work. After collecting data for analysis, I have enough information to develop a process improvement plan. In this paper, the control limits will be reviewed and any applicable seasonal factors that could impact the historical data will be discussed. Control Limits In an article in the Journal of Science and Technology, a control chart is described as â€Å"a statistical devise used for the study and control of a repetitive process† (Radhakrishnan and Balamurugan, 2010, p 1052). The control chart is a tool used with 6 sigma to look at ways to improve the performance of a particular process. They basically let management know when they should adjust a process or when we should leave it alone. It has upper specification limits (USL) that are used to identify the maximum amount of that could give acceptable performance. Also there is the lower specification limit (LSL), which identifies the lowest amount that could give acceptable performance of the process. The USL and LSL are also known as the control limits that are either 3 deviations above the mean or 3 deviations below it (Chase, Jacobs, and Aquilliano, 2006). In developing a control chart for the process for getting ready for work, one must first look at the sampling plan. For weeks, data has been collected during business days to indicate how long it takes to get ready for work. This data is reviewed to find the mean, median, standard deviation, and mode. The results are as follows: mean is 74. 70588, median is 74, mode is 71, and standard deviation is 3. 981792. This information tells us that the average time it takes to get ready is 74 minutes, whereas the time occurring the most is 71 minutes. The standard deviation in this indicates that we can go either 3. 98 to the right or left of the zero probability distribution. The chapter readings advise that in looking at the control chart, one can assume that the process is working properly when the samples stay within the control limits (Chase, Jacobs, and Aquilliano, 2006). The next indicator to look at is the capability index, which in this case shows us how well we are doing in getting ready for work in a timely manner. The readings indicates that the more off-center the capability index, the higher the chance to of defective products. Because we are not discussing products in this process, it would be the greater the chance to get off schedule (Chase, Jacobs, and Aquilliano, 2006). The data indicates that there is a capability index of -8. 6. According to Landauer, the capability index is interpreted as: â€Å"1) if the capability index is less than one, the process is outside the control limits 2) if it is greater than one; the process is within the control limits. The results from my data at first was a little puzzling because the index of -8. 6 would indicate that the process is outside of the control limit and would need to be adjusted. However, because the process improvement plan is to decrease the time it takes to get ready for work, the negative number is a good factor. In having this information handy, one must also consider how seasonal factors impact the process. Seasonal Factors It is a little difficult to determine seasonal factors that could impact the time it takes to get ready for work. After thinking about this a while I think the biggest impact could be daylight saving time. When an hour of sleep is lost in the Spring, it takes a while to adjust to the change in the daylight saving time. In fact, research indicates that when one transitions into and out of daylight saving time, there could be negative impacts (Lahti, Leppamaki, Lonnqvist, and Partonen, 2008). These impacts could result in a loss of sleep, restlessness, and lack of sleep quality which could result in crankiness and negatively impact a two year old. If my son does not wake with a positive attitude, I know it will be a challenge getting ready for work on time as I would need to devote more time calming him down. During the seasonal periods, it may be better to implement process improvements like adding a resource to assist with the process. In my process this would mean getting my husband to help out more in getting the baby ready for daycare. With the added resource, one can shorten the time that it takes to complete the process and does not run the risk of deviating off course. Applying this same format to a production process could mean adding more employees, equipment, or even outsourcing to ensure that a project or process is completed timely. Conclusion Overall, control charts are visual measures that assist with determining if a process is in control or not. When backed by statistical data like the mean, median, mode, standard deviation, and capability index, one could gather enough data so that a process improvement decisions necessary for keeping the process in control can be made.

Human Rights Records of Multinationals in Nigeria

Human Rights Records of Multinationals in Nigeria Chapter 1 Introduction From time immemorial man has depended on his environment for all his material needs. Adam and eve for instance survived with the most basic of sustenance and the story is that they lived exclusively on fruits gathered from the Garden of Eden including the forbidden one. This is a classical case of mans insatiability with just what is immediately available or sustainable. It is not necessarily greed or avarice but mans advancement, increasing needs, and quest for the unknown. The instruction to increase and multiply created new pressures for him. The few fruits he gathered from the garden could not sustain his ever-increasing family. Eden also became too small as a result of his obeying the instruction to increase and multiply, and the need to move to unknown destinations became imperative, where he ran into hostile situations such as excessive cold, heat, other various forms of inclement weather; in addition to unfriendly plant and animal life. Movement from point A to B by foot whic h was the only option available at the time must have been very painful and slow. Therefore man had to fashion out ways of transportation. This started with rafters made from such materials as papyrus, to dug- out wooden canoes for water transportation; the forerunners of our mass transport system, and a large component of mans current environmental problems. Mans development continued unabated until the industrial revolution that completely changed forever the relationship of man with his environment. The creation of the internal combustion engine could be regarded as a major landmark in mans existence on earth which has facilitated the enormous movement of man, and the reduction of the universe into the proverbial global village. It is in this quest for man to satisfy his needs and wants through modern transportation, accommodation, leisure and several other aspects of human endeavor that has led to unprecedented demand for energy. Energy in the form of wind, water, sun, fossil etc has become a preoccupation of modern life. However, one which appears to have an obviously devastating consequence on mans environment today is fossil energy the prime mover of mans various activities. The exploration, extraction and exploitation of fossil fuel have so irreversibly impacted the earth that they are considered as the major causative factors of global warming. In Nigeria the early exploration of solid minerals which started in 1903 was immediately followed by such exploration for fossil oil. The major international company that was involved in this early exploration was Shell DArcy. There is every indication that the native communities where these explorations were going on were completely unprepared for the shock of oil activities. First and foremost, there were no specific existing laws in the Nigerian system guiding such human activities and therefore any attempt at either avoiding disaster or remedying any that occurred was almost completely at the discretion of the operating company. According to the Nigerian Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, mineral exploitation in the country was largely carried out without regards to the adverse effects on the environment or the host communities. It was not until 1946 that the minerals ordinance was enacted with provisions for reclamation of mined out lands. In consequence therefore a unit; m ines land reclamation unit was established to reclaim the hundreds of abandoned mines land all over the country which were relics of the colonial mining activities. The same or far worse could be said to be the case for oil mineral exploitation. One must bear in mind that Shell DArcy was neither CARITAS nor RED CROSS. In the process of their exploration and indeed exploitation, several incidents of damage to the ecosystem had occurred and there are several unwritten stories of this great damage to the ecosystem. The first mineral act for Nigeria was actually written in 1946 *123) and from all indications it was quite defective and concentrated mainly on Solid Minerals, and what the Nigerian government saw as the revenue that would accrue to the nation. The areas dealing with environmental impact abatement occupied very limited space and importance. It is instructive to mention here that the entire minerals and mining sector which included solid minerals and crude oil mining was unde r one ministry ab initio. It was only when crude oil took precedence over solid minerals that the two were separated in the 1970s before a full- fledged Ministry of Solid Minerals development was established in 1995 which is the structure as at today. There have been several reported cases of monumental damage to the ecosystem generally and specifically to farm lands, fishing areas and other water courses in the Niger delta of Nigeria as a result of accidents or carelessness on the part of oil companies in several Niger delta areas such as Ogoni land, the current Bayelsa, Warri axis (Bob, 2005). Such devastation has consistently occurred, with the oil companies either paying lip service to such disaster abatement or actually offering very painfully limited amounts of redress to host communities. One reality is clear; because government either by omission or commission (more of commission) had not been in a position to protect the host communities; and their crying interests, we have had cases of unrest in the Niger delta area. Prominent among these unrests are the Ogoni uprising, and of recent, MEND (movement for the emancipation of the Niger delta) with their negative attendant consequences on the Nigerian nation and her economy. These cases of unrest have been extensively documented and had attracted international attention and sympathy. Much as one would say that the extant laws guiding the exploration and exploitation of crude oil in the country have undergone serious reforms, several factors outside the laws have come to further exacerbate an already difficult situation. Opinion is that while the existing laws are not extremely favorable to host community existence and indeed the entire ecosystem, other human failings in the Nigerian system have lent their weight to inflicting extensive pain on host communities of oil producing areas. The most hurting has been positively identified as â€Å"corruption†. The oil companies are 100% profit making organizations. Therefore in this system where a gift of a gold watch and a cup of coffee, could easily make a minister whose job includes enforcement of extant laws to look the other way while operating bodies break all the existing laws, these oil companies naturally found it easier to side track national laws in order to operate at maximum profit while inflicting un told pain and hardship on host communities. Objectives: The primary objective of this paper is to broadly examine the interaction between multinationals and the host countries in which they do business from a human rights perspective. For the purpose of this discourse, I will limit my case studies to three prominent multinationals in Nigeria, which are Shell, Chevron, and Exxon Mobil. As earlier stated, some of these industries present a huge number of dangers and in many cases extremely hazardous consequences for employees, inhabitants of certain communities and indeed the environment particularly their effect on flora and fauna. While some of these dangers presented may not be committed intentionally, some individuals are nevertheless made to suffer less than desirable conditions, in the hands of company security agents all of which border on human rights violations. Therefore in this paper, positive and the negative roles played by the multinationals will be examined in order to help assess their human rights records properly. As an in tegral part of this research also, extant laws, covenants and treaties if any that these multinationals have signed regarding their operations within the country will be examined, as well as the company`s operational guidelines. Organization Of Dissertation Chapter 1 is basically concerned with the introduction. For the purpose of this work however, the next chapter will give a brief overview of the country and the history of oil exploration in Nigeria as well as a discussion of the major concept which is human rights from the perspective of several scholars. Chapter 3will focus mainly on the human rights performance of these multinationals (negative and positive), beginning with their corporate social responsibility and how well they have behaved in host communities and abided by their business principles. The forth chapter then will solely be focused on the spillover effects of the activities of the multinationals and as such the reaction of the host communities and the Nigerian government in general. The fifth chapter will be the conclusions and recommendations. Research Question 1. What are the human rights records of multinationals in the oil industry in Nigeria specifically shell, chevron, and Exxon Mobil? 2. How well have these companies kept to their public statements and operating principles? Chapter 2 This chapter will give an overview of the country and a brief history of its oil exploration and exploitation in the country, vis a vis, the definition of human rights as defined by several scholars. Overview Of Nigeria Nigeria is undoubtedly the most populous nation in Africa with an estimated 140 million people. The nation comprises 36 states and one federal capital territory. Nigeria is also blessed with vast agriculture and mineral resources which include, but not limited to cocoa, cassava, coal, bauxite, tin, tantalite, iron ore, limestone, gold, many precious metals/stones, and most importantly crude oil. Despite being one of the major producers and exporters of oil in the world and also a member of the OPEC, the country has continued to experience endemic poverty and strife notwithstanding the abundance of the above mentioned. All of this can directly be linked to corruption and mismanagement of funds by the ruling elites, with billions of dollars being made each day by major multinationals in diverse joint venture agreements with the government owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Bob (2005, p.59) argues that â€Å"Nigeria`s highly centralized, notoriously corrupt and ethni cally riven political system have made it possible for the country`s leaders both military and civilian to siphon most of the revenue from oil†. This institutionalized corruption has almost always been implicated in serious cases of human rights violations. *MITCHELL. According to several authorities including the, US state department, among others, oil exploration and exploitation have often precipitated gross human rights violations, citing several cases of extrajudicial killings, torture (US*), and most of all environmental devastation which has led to the destruction of total ecosystems. Oil Exploration In Nigeria The history oil exploration in Nigeria could be dated as far back as the drilling of oil wells in Nigeria by the Nigerian bitumen company in 1903 when mining exploration activities started in Nigeria. However the first major discovery and exploration of oil was in 1956 in oloibiri village in eastern delta of Nigeria (Olorode et al, 1998, p.14). This operation was carried out by Shell DArcy now known as shell petroleum development company (SPDC, 2009). Subsequently, oil companies such as ExxonMobil, Chevron Texaco, ENI/Agip, and TotalFinaElf joined in oil exploration activities mostly in the Delta region under a joint venture agreement with state owned NNPC. The oil industry has definitely made a huge impact on the socio-economic life of Nigeria especially as one of its major sources of revenue. However oil exploration as an extractive industry has negatively impacted on the indigenous populations where oil drilling and exploration occur. Despite huge profits amassed by the oil indust ry, gross environmental devastation and degradation have routinely cropped up with little or no solution being proffered to the situation by the oil industry operatives. According to reports by the committee for the defense of human rights (CDHR), the industry has inflicted unprecedented agony on indigenous communities by completely disrupting water ways, destroying soil, water, air, animal, plant life, and generally causing massive destruction in the eco system especially on the flora and fauna (Olorode, 1998, p.15). Communities affected by oil exploration are those of the Niger delta. The Delta region is made up of a number of indigenous communities and states which include Rivers state, Delta, Bayelsa, cross river and Akwa Ibom and they account for about 80 percent of the oil and gas produced in Nigeria. The remaining 20 percent are scattered in different parts of the country such as, Imo, and Ondo *(CDHR). Apart from oil and gas, the Niger Delta is also blessed with agricultural land, creeks, forests, rivers, creeks, and coastal waters with fish and sundry marine life (Okonta and Douglas, 2000, p.33). Ironically even in the midst of these abundant natural resources, the region remains one of the poorest and most under developed in the country, with the people suffering from unimaginable diseases and a complete absence of basic facilities which include electricity, clean water, education, hospitals, housing, and good roads*. Decades of wanton mismanagement of funds and corruption have been cited as the reason for paltry GNP per capita of 280 us dollars, but the reality in the Niger delta is even far worse. A recent survey by the world bank stated that 7 in every 10 Nigerian`s live below $1 a day (*). Furthermore the area has one of the highest population densities in the world, with an estimated 3 percent growth per year, and this burgeoning population in the face of under development has been referred by Okonta and Douglas as the â€Å"human ecologists ultimate nightmare; a growing population in an attempt to survive (is) destroying the very ecosystem that should guarantee its survival† (Okonta and Douglas, 2000, p.34). Most of the suffering of the peoples of the Niger Delta could be attributed to oil companies invading their territories and paying little attention to the plight of the people, and also the ever corrupt government officials and political elites willing to accept bribes and cuts from these multinationals to remain silent. These acts of commission and omission by state functionaries have sometimes been exploited by the multinationals resulting in the brutal repression of dissenting host communities using instruments of state violence (*). Following is a reference to various definitions and concepts of human rights as elucidated by the aforementioned authorities. Human Rights â€Å"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights†. —Article 1 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) According to the United Nations declaration of human rights (UDHR), rights fall into two major categories namely civil and political rights, as well as socio-economic and cultural Rights†. (Malone, 2003, p.20). Civil and political rights which are also considered as first generation rights are argued to be those unalienable rights to which an individual is entitled. According to the UNDHR they include the right to life, right not to be tortured, right to fair hearing and judicial process. Forsythe, for instance, explained human rights to be â€Å"those fundamental moral rights of the person that are necessary for a life with human dignity.† (Forsythe, 2006, p.3) Landman (2006), defined human rights as â€Å"a set of individual and collective rights that have been formally promoted and protected through international and domestic law since the universal declaration of human rights in 1948† (p.8). Alston (2005), cited Karel Vazali`s categorization which argues that there are three generations of human rights namely, the first generation – civil and political rights, i.e. right to life and political participation. The second generation according to Alston includes economic, social and cultural rights or collectively, right to subsistence. The third generation rights which is the solidarity rights encapsulates the right to peace and most importantly for the purpose of this discourse is the right to a clean environment. There are two schools of thought with regards to environmental human rights which are enshrined in article 21 of the African charter on human and people`s rights, which argues that the right to a healthy or adequate environment, constitutes a fundamental component of human rights (African Charter on Peoples and Human Rights: Ratification and Enforcement, Act 1990). The second school of thought posits that environmental human rights are derivable from other human rights including, but not limited to the right to life, the right to health, as well as the right to property (Ibid). The whole concept of environmental rights is informed by the concept of a right to a habitable environment for the present and generations yet unborn. According to Olorode (1998, p.8), â€Å"the extractive industries constitute one of the human activities which have immediate and significant consequences on the environment†. Odu (1977) as quoted in Olorode (1998, p.8) also argued that â€Å"extractive industries may alter the ecology so completely that it cannot support agriculture or fishing† Since this treatise is primarily concerned with the human rights records of select multinational oil companies in Nigeria, relevant clauses of the Nigerian constitution on fundamental human rights are worthy of reference. Chapter four of the Nigerian constitution deals solely with fundamental human rights as enumerated in sections 33 to 46, the keynotes of which are reproduced hereunder: â€Å"33. Right to life 34. Right to dignity of the human person 35. Right to personal liberty. 36. Right to fair hearing. 37. Right to private and family life. 38. Right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion 39. Right to freedom of expression and the press. 40. Right to peaceful assembly and association. 41. Right to freedom of movement. 42. Right to freedom from discrimination 43. Right to acquire and own immovable property. 44. Compulsory acquisition of property. 45. Restriction on and derogation from fundamental human rights. 46. Special jurisdiction of High Court and Legal aid† (Sections 33-46, Constitution federal republic of Nigeria (FRN) 1999) Furthermore section 20 of the same constitution provides that â€Å"the state shall protect and improve the environment and safeguard the water, air and land, forest and wildlife of Nigeria. It can therefore be argued that adequate provisions are already in place at least on paper, for the protection and enforcement of the fundamental human rights of Nigerians with particular reference to environmental rights. However, section 44(3) vests the entire property and control of all minerals, including oil and gas occurring in any land, upon or under any waters within the Nigerian territory and its exclusive economic zone on the government of the federation which shall manage these resources in the manner prescribed by the national assembly (Constitution, FRN, 1999). This constitutional provision is more often than not relied upon by the government and its institutions, sometimes allegedly at the behest of the multinational oil giants, to suppress and repress legitimate agitations by aggrieved host communities. The aggrieved host communities are usually either seeking for their fair share of the oil wealth, outright resource control, or demanding for concrete remedial measures against the sundry negative environmental impacts of oil exploration and exploitation such as gas flaring. According to reports by Osouka and Roderick (2005, p.4) Nigeria flares more gas than any country in the world, averaging a staggering 2.5 billion cubic feet of gas associated with crude oil. This they argue to be equal to 40% of all Africa`s natural gas consumption which have contributed more greenhouse gases than the entire sub Saharan Africa as a whole. They posit that â€Å"the flaring of associated gas in the niger delta is a human rights, environmental and social monstrosity† (Osouka and Roderick 2005), because the health and livelihood of the inhabitants of these communities are adversely affected by these unmitigated flares which contain a plethora of pollutants resulting in â€Å"an increased risk of premature deaths, child respiratory illnesses, asthma and cancer† Osouka and Roderick (2005, p.29). Osuoka and Roderick further reported that the commission had contended that the Nigerian government had in principle admitted complicity for this hazardous practice by stating that â€Å"there is no denying the fact that a lot of atrocities were and are still being committed by the oil companies in Ogoni land and indeed the entire niger delta area of Nigeria† (Osuoka and Roderick, 2005, p.29) Prior to the 1999 constitutional provision, the federal military government had in 1969 promulgated the petroleum decree which effectively abrogated the 1954 revenue allocation formula that provided for the equal sharing of mining revenue between the regions and the federal government (Oronto and Okonta, 2000, p.40). Furthermore decree 6 of 1975 increased the federal governments share of the oil proceeds from 50% to 80% leaving the states with only 20% (Oronto and Okonta, 2000, p.41). Oronto and Okonta further contended that a senior permanent secretary in the administration of former military head of state general Gowon had â€Å"cynically remarked in a public lecture that the people of the niger delta were most unlikely to pose any real threat to the regimes continued exploitation of their oil wealth as they were relatively few in population and thus could be easily subdued†, (Oronto and Okonta, 2000, p.41). They therefore concluded â€Å"that this is exactly what the Nigerian military junta has done beginning from the mid eighties when the people of the Niger delta began to raise their voices in protest (Oronto and Okonta, 2000, p.41). Following in the next chapter therefore is a detailed report on the activities of the select multinationals with particular reference to their corporate social responsibility (CSR), on the one hand, and their alleged collusion with the authorities to perpetrate gross human rights violations against the host communities, on the other. However business and operating principles will first of all be examined before delving into the detailed report. Chapter 3 Operating Principles â€Å"The voluntary principles on security and human rights are a unique tripartite, multi stakeholder initiative established in 2000 that introduced a set of principles to guide extractive companies in maintaining the safety and security of their operations within an operating framework that ensures respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The voluntary principles address three main areas: risk management, interactions between companies and public security and interaction between companies and private security† Voluntary principles on security and human rights, 2000 Prior to this time, shell which was the first multinational to start exploration in Nigeria had to abide by the 1948 universal declaration of human rights which called on all, including companies to respect the rights of individuals. However there were no concrete laws in the nation at the time as regards exploration and exploitation, therefore SPDC formed its own set of principles to which it conducted its operations in 1979 (SPDC, 2003). Subsequently other multinationals in this review (Exxon Mobil, and Chevron) began their operations within the nation in 1955 and 1913 respectively with their own business principles that would guide their operations and several other treaties that they signed on to. One critical factor about their operating principles is that they appear to be similar in most of the various areas of human rights and CSR with virtually the same rules. SPDC for instance has in its portfolio a set of guiding principles apparently aimed at bringing development to the h ost communities in particular and the entire environment of its operations generally, some of which are: Sustainable development: Responsibility to the society Health, safety , and security Local communities Communication and engagement Shell argues that the above mentioned principles govern all of its operations and bodies within the country. For instance its business principles to society is â€Å"to conduct business as responsible corporate members of society, to comply with applicable laws and regulations, to support fundamental human rights in line with legitimate role of business, and to give proper regard to health, safety, and the environment†(SPDC, 2009*). Principle 5 therefore guarantees health, while one which is regarded as primary in relation to this discourse is principle 6 which states that â€Å"Shell companies aim to be good neighbours by continuously improving the ways in which we contribute directly or indirectly to the general wellbeing of the communities within which we work. We manage the social impacts of our business activities carefully and work with others to enhance the benefits to local communities, and to mitigate any negative impacts from our activities. In addition, Shell companies take a constructive interest in societal matters, directly or indirectly related to our business†. (SPDC, 2009) Similarly, ExxonMobil argues that its â€Å"standards of business conducts provide a framework for their operations responsibly, and that they abide by the United Nations Declaration of Human rights as it applies to companies, the fundamental Principles and rights at work of 1998 ILO Declaration, and are active participants of the earlier stated voluntary principles on Security and Human rights and most recently the UN global compact (*). They also argue that they â€Å"comply with all environmental laws and regulations and apply responsible standards where laws or regulations do not exist† (ExxonMobil, 2009) interesting! Chevron also like the other companies in this review abides by the UNDHR, and has adopted certain treaties and covenants such as the ILO principles and rights at work, the UN global compact, as well as its own company`s business operating principles which are all geared towards ensuring that it operates and maintains high standards in its activities in host countries/communities (*). According to the company`s principles regarding respect for human rights, it maintains that it supports universal human rights and as such condemns human rights abuses (sec 1.27,p.29). Furthermore with regards to the environment, â€Å"Corporate Policy 530 commits Chevron to comply with the letter and spirit of all environmental, health and safety laws and regulations â€Å"(sec 1.4) P.14. With this said, a full detailed report of the human rights records of the multinationals under study will be reviewed. Spdc (Shell Petroleum Development Company) Unarguably one of the biggest and profitable companies in the world, Shell first began its global operations in 1907 as an offshoot of the British owned shell transport and trading company (STTC) and the royal Dutch petroleum company of the Netherlands (Okonta and Oronto,2000. P.62). Since then, the multinational has spread its wings to virtually all countries of the world, and this giant produces oil and gas in approximately 45 countries of the world with interests in other natural resources such as zinc, uranium coal mining and a host of others in about a hundred countries (ibid P.62). â€Å"As measured by its business peers and even many of its adversaries, it is seen as an outstanding company† (Doyle, 2002. see preface). SPDC was granted its exploration license in 1938 to prospect for oil throughout Nigeria† (Okonta, Douglas, 2001, pp.37-39), and it teamed up with British Petroleum to open up the Nigerian oil Fields the first oil well being explored and drilled in Oloibiri in 1956 (ibid). On the 17th of February 1958, shell`s first official oil shipment from Oloibiri was made, producing an estimated 367,000 barrels a day. (*REVIEW SENTENCE)SPDC in its own ways has impacted positively and added value to the lives of the citizens, for example through the annual shell scholarship which is open to virtually all students in the Nigerian higher education system. Furthermore, shell was recognized as the first multinational to begin a HIV/AIDS in Nigeria intervention programme and thus this programme has reached most states in the federation*. SPDC has also sponsored several programmes such as IT and various digital learning programmes for schools in Nigeria. However for the most part, shell has built a few schools within the delta region one of which happened recently in Bayelsa state(*). In the area of compensation for environmental devastation and involvement with human rights abuse, SPDC, argues that it offers adequate clean up of the polluted environment and has compensated the best way it can (*REF). Most recently, the families of late ken Saro Wiwa and his colleagues were settled by the multinational, however it was assumed by the general public as settlement for shell`s involvement with the c ase, shell on the contrary denied, and claimed that it was a humanitarian gesture aimed at establishing a trust fund for Ogoni people (SPDC, 2009). Most recently, SPDC launched series of business radio programs towards the economic development of the Niger Delta which would also use initiatives such as LIVEWIRE, telecommunications self employment programmes among others (Yusuf, 2009, p.A4) SPDC also claims to support and finance community development initiatives in the Niger Delta outside of its tax obligations. These initiatives are reportedly in the area of small business development (SPDC, 2009, p.1). In 2008, SPDC contributed $56.8 million to the over $158.2 million statutory disbursements to the NDDC by Shell-run operations, in addition to another $25.2 million SPDC contribution to an additional $84 million investment by operations run by SPDC in various development projects (ibid,p.1). SPDC also reportedly invested $2.25 Million in partnership with USAID Nigeria and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in an $11.3 million project to develop cassava farming over a five year period. More than 3,200 farmers were said to have received training under this programme (ibid, p.2). However, it is generally believed that the exploitation and devastation of land of the people of the Niger delta began with the first discovery of crude in Oloibiri village in the Delta region of the then Eastern Nigeria in 1956. For the records, there was a 50-50 profit sharing agreement put in place by the Nigerian government and multinational oil companies at the time shortly before Nigeria gained its independence from the British in 1960. Amidst all of this Nigeria had a series of changed governments including several military coups which gave room for corruption. Presently, shell accounts for about 50 percent of oil production in the country the bulk of it in the Niger Delta with the attendant gas flaring, oil spillage, illegal building of canals and waste dumping that has brought the human ecosystem of the Delta area to a near-total collapse, destroying farmland, economic crops and fishing creeks*. While this degree of devastation, poverty, disease, loss of lives and property occurs in this area, unfortunately shell despite many covenants and treaties it has ratified on corporate re

Children Transition In Life Children And Young People Essay

Children Transition In Life Children And Young People Essay Bereavement This can be a very traumatic time for a child or young person, bereavement can affect concentration, memory and learning. New sibling A challenging transition for young children, it may affect the childs behavior as they may act out, wanting to gain attention. Parental Separation This can affect children and young people in many different ways and must be dealt with in accordingly in a sensitive manner. Moving Home Moving house can be a big upheaval, it can affect the child or young person because they are being taken out of their safe and familiar environment. Illness or Injury Whether it be the child/young person directly affected or a family member, either way the child may need help dealing with the change of circumstances. Divorce This is a difficult period for a child or young person, they may be affected in many different ways and must have endless emotional support. Taken into the care system This can be a difficult transition where the school and social services must work together to make the process run as smoothly as possible for a young child. Abuse Neglect Abuse and neglect can affect all areas of development. Children and young people are affected by abuse in different ways, outcomes of abuse vary. Moving countries Moving countries can have a negative affect upon children and young people, socially, academically and emotionally. These types of transitions are generally unplanned, or occur with little or no warning and in turn can be damaging if not responded and dealt with in the correct way. These unplanned transitions will also however affect children and young people in different ways. Some children and young people may also experience transitions such as: The introduction of Step Siblings Changing schools Change of carer Pet dying Parental change of partner It is a known fact that all children and young people are faced with transitions, although some may be affected positively and some negatively. When children are faced with planned or unplanned transitions they may experience feelings such as anger, guilt, rejection and sadness. Other ways that children and young people may show the affects made by transition i.e. attention seeking behavior, friendship/peer problems, and becoming withdrawn and quiet or displaying uncharacteristic habits. Children and young people moving from primary to secondary high school may find it hard to adjust to being taught more formally. They are suddenly expected to study a wider variety of subjects, to take on more responsibility and sometimes make a new circle of friendships. Involving changes like learning more and having less free time. For most children and young people going through a transition such as moving school can have an impact on their learning and achievements, sometimes affecting them academically. Suddenly a child is removed from their comfort zone and taken away from a familiar environment, from their friends and teachers etc. The child is completely thrown of track and put into a new environment which can be extremely difficult for a child or young person to adjust too. It can have affects on a childs learning, self esteem and sometimes resulting in them no longer wanting to go to school, although some children and young people do adapt well to this type of transition. For example when I was attending secondary school a young girl moved from her original school due to her parents moving country, when she began attending my secondary school she settled in and adapted very well, proving to be quite popular with her peers. It appeared to have a positive affect on the young girl but then suddenly her peers turned against her, this then resulted in the young girl becoming a victim of torment and bullying. She became unhappy, quiet, withdrawn and reserved. Her parents decided it was in their childs best interests to change schools once again, where she began to regain her self esteem and confidence which was extremely affected by the bullying, changing schools and moving countries. Fortunately the next change of school had a positive affect on the young girls education and learning which dramatically improved. She began making friends, displayed more confidence and began to enjoy attending school again. Moving school can have a negative and/or positive impact on a child or young persons behavior and development. In the beginning a change of school proved to have a negative affect upon the young girl but fortunately the second period of moving school resulted in having a positive affect upon her, improving her behavior and development. Therefore I feel it is important that a childs parents consider their childs happiness before making this choice, due to the positive and negative affects it can have on a child and young person. Although changing schools unfortunately cannot always be prevented due to unforeseen circumstances in life. Parental Change Of Partner A parent introducing their new partner to their child can also be a challenging and difficult time. It can result in affecting a child or young persons behavior and development. For example when I was a teenager my mother introduced me to her new long term partner which at the time felt like a stranger was trying to replace my father, I also felt that her new partner was taking away my mothers attention. Suddenly a new authoritative figure was brought into the family. From my personal experience it had a bad affect on my behavior and development as I began to misbehave, smoke, drink and act out because I was extremely angry inside and wanted to regain my mothers attention which I no longer felt I had. I became an angry, depressed, withdrawn and isolated teenager, clearly displaying signs that I was negatively affected, no longer being my usual bubbly, happy self. My education also began suffering because of this transition as I could no longer concentrate in school. However this does not always have a negative impact on children and young people but it does need to be handled cautiously and sensitively. It can be a very challenging time for the child and young person but also for the parents, family members and anybody else involved.

July 31, 1976 Colorado :: essays research papers

On July 31, 1976, a violent rainstorm hit the area where the Big Thompson Canyon is located. According to reports the rainfall was falling at an alarming rate of 2† per hour which caused the Big Thompson river to rise and return to its primordial state. This all began when winds from the east pushed very humid air up the mountains. The unstable air continued rising as its water vapor condensed. The winds were less than 20 mph above 10,000 feet that was too weak to move the storm away. Humid high-altitude air combining with weak winds meant the storm pulled into little dry air to weaken the rainfall. Hardly any of the rain soaked into the steep-sided canyon. The river quickly went over its banks, filled with debris that acted like battering rams against downstream buildings and cars. The water then backed up in the canyon’s narrow mouth, in floods, water often backs up as debris piles against bridges. The Floodwater sped up as it squeezed through narrow places was freed when the dam that was formed by debris burst loose. Due to these events, occurring in such a short time the U.S. Army came to rescue 850 people off the tops of homes, canyon walls, and rocks. The flood destroyed 556 homes and 52 businesses. The total damage was $35.5 million to the area; it cost $1 million dollars to remove 320, 450 tons of debris. The storm and flood caused the Big Thompson River to change course in thirty places. The flood killed 144 people and it took the authorities working until mid-September to identify all the bodies. The town felt that most of the deaths occurred due to the lack of a timely warning. To prevent this from happening again they installed a reverse 911 emergency system.

Tragedy at Texas A&M University :: essays research papers

Tragedy at Texas A&M University Texas A&M University and the University of Texas have been rivals for over 90 years. Every year Texas A&M held an annual bonfire tradition which attracts thousands of people. It is a tradition for Texas A& M to build a huge bonfire right before the game against rivals with University of Texas. Students would spend several weeks building the bonfire. On November 18, 1999 the stack of logs collapsed over and killed 12 A&M students. The aggie bonfire tradition would never again be the same. In US News, the article â€Å"A Tragedy at Texas A& M†, tells how the logs broke in half killing 12 students. On Thursday of November 18, 1999, early that morning the students started working on stacks of logs from the previous days. Students at A & M were very proud of this historical event. The students would gather one week and start to create the bonfire together. But little did they know this would turn into a tragedy. Early morning around 2:30am the logs were thrown everywhere including the students that were working on it that night. About 70 students were at the top of the logs when it suddenly gave way. At least nine killed in collapse of A&M towering, 40-feet pyramid of logs trembled and then came roaring down early Thursday, crushing at least nice students to death and injuring 28 others. At least four of the injured were in critical condition and two people could be seen trapped in the rubble late Thursday afternoon. Rescuers couldn’t tell if they were died or alive. Rescuers had to use sound-detection equipment to listen for moaning, tapping and heard scratching noises that led them to believe there were victims trapped. In Time magazine, the article â€Å"A Good Time Goes Bad†, explains, how a junior at Texas A& M University, embarked this fall on a rite of passages that began in 1909. Fernando Shaun was an eye- witness to this tragedy late that night. The week before the accident Fernando would help cut the wood and load the trucks. He worked hard around the clock to build the wooden tower. At 2:28am is when he saw the 44-ft tall tower fall to the ground. After 24 hours the rescue workers had found 12 dead bodies and 28 were injured. The people began to question, why did the tower fall?

Big Time Sports Essay

Big time sports in colleges are governed by guidelines and regulations. These sports are mostly in campuses and colleges. Big time sports can sometime lead to violent behaviour and undeserving behaviour, which are morally questionable. Most athletics can start using alcohol or drugs as incentives so that they can be able to practice for long hours without getting tired. These college athletes want to be the beat during tournament hence they will do everything possible to fulfill the goals, targets of the team. The players want to be selected because only the competitive and talented players make the team. In tournament you will find that violent behaviour is experienced in the field and university principles like discipline are undermined. Big time sports have its vices. Lack of discipline is one of them. Lack of discipline is constant practiced by the team players but the campus or colleges can avoid this and as a penalty to the players who misbehave they should not be allowed to play for the team until they are disciplined. Big time sports have been commercialized by the colleges and campus that participate in them because they compete with professional players. Many institutions end up using a lot of resources financially to build big stadiums. These can sometime lead to corruptions as sport grants and aid to these colleges and campus do not follow a procedure. Big time sports have programs, which govern the sports in the campuses and colleges. These programs do not receive a positive public exposure due to recruitment scandals, favourism based on gender issues, other students who participate in the sports end up performing badly academically, which is not good for the college. Colleges compete against each other between highly skilled teams of students halting scholarships. (Murray, 70) Big time sports can lead to conflict between academic performance and athletics. Colleges and campuses offering courses in liberal arts and sports have shown that the students who participate in college sports do not do well academically. This has led to college to tag the students in the graduation list who participate in college sports so as to compare them with the other students who don’t participate in sports. (Murray, 70) Big time sports cannot be successful if it wasn’t for the role the coaches play in these college sports. The coaches train the students with talent because they know the success of the team depends on the athletes’ talent. So if it is nurtured well, the more successful the team will be. If the team players are good that will reflect on how well the coach is because they learn from him as he guides them. Big time sports open opportunities. Most players are discovered while still in high school hence if recruitment is done properly the most talented players are got easily. Recruitment plays a major role in the success of a team taking into consideration that the team has competitive players hence stakes are set high for new players because if one is a good player possibility of being bought by a sport body to play for them are high. Other players are bought while still in high school, which can make them not finish high school, which is not right. High school athletes have to follow guidelines. Official visits are limited due to costs and if the player decides to have an official visit, it will be at his own expense. Big time sports have benefits to both colleges and campus and the players. These sports in terms of cost, consume a lot of resources in the campus budget. At the end, regardless of the high cost, when the colleges win in the college sport, there is usually an increase in application of students who want to join the college, donations also increase, teamwork is enhanced among the players, opposing teams are also united especially during the tournaments and lastly, it attracts athletes from diverse background. (Murray, 70) Big time sports are governed by guidelines and procedures. Due to technology, talented athletes are spotted even before they get to college and recruitment starts. They start the recruitment process by viewing the videotapes of applicants, dossiers, transcripts, which they sort. The ones short-listed are met in person. The final list is submitted to the admission office and also those who are academically qualified are admitted. The colleges also have committees to answer questions about college sports or any issue related to it. Issues to do with recruitment, complains and corruption, are also looked into by the committee. Works Cited Page Murray, S. College Sports, Inc. : The Athletic Department vs. the University. Henry Holt & Company. 1990.

Human Organ Shouldn’t Ligalize

The sale of organs means that organs are removed from inside the body for the purpose of commercial transactions. Although the sales of human organs have been done since long ago, and there are many claims and proposal to make it legal, a lot of oppositions are against this idea. * Money the purpose Considering the poor status of most donors, one of the primary stated reasons for organ selling is to pay off debt. Those who are poorest are frequently seen as more reliable targets for transplant tourists because they are the most in need of money.It is said by the other side that legalizing the organ sale can help people who are in need to continue to survive. But at the same time, it also increases money desire for many poor people. For example, in 2007 a man in UK tried to sell his kidney online for 24,000 pounds in order to pay off his gambling. * Increase crimes and black market Legality of the organ sale would even encourage organ theft through murder and neglect sick individuals for a financial gain. There are many case like beautiful girls or handsome men trying to attract someone and flirting around with them until they agree to go with n end up waking without kidneys.Another example, Few families would turn down the opportunity to receive compensation (ensure financial stability or the dead is the main earner), so they may charge the hospital the same price, or they will turn to black market for higher price. Besides, there might be some criminal who break the promise to pay the donor higher amount for the organ than it was actually paid out or even escape without payment. * Imbalance between the rich and the poor Payment for organ is likely to take unfair advantage of the poor.Even if organ trade is legalized, it is still the third – world wealthy people who can afford the organ for transplantation. And the poor people are still vulnerable and unfortunate because they are the one who always make donation. Moreover, it is injustice to give pure or gan to those rich people who usually spending lot of money on drinking, eating, party, and cause the disease by themselves. * Health: The  WHO  first declared organ trade illegal in 1987 *Affect to living donor Although some medical research proved that there are not many effects on the donors with their left organs.However, a question is asked that if it is not so important, why people are born with both organ, for example kidneys or livers. Kidneys or livers do not regenerate as the other human products like blood or sperm. WHO reports has shown that there is decrease in human well being, especially, those who make living on physical labor. 96% of donors regret selling their organs. *Affect to recipient It is risky to introduce trafficking diseased organ to recipients because those donors often comes from the poor population where they don’t live well and receive good health care.There is a possibility of 1:18 to acquire HIV from such transplant. The diseases donâ€℠¢t show up on the screen of the analysis probably because they just start within three weeks before the donor’s death. One more thing is the change of recipients’ body rejecting of organ result from different blood type or genetic make-up. * Ethical concern *Violate human right The state often denies individuals the right to do certain things with their bodies because they may not make good decision for themselves.Furthermore, any procedure which tends to commercialize human organs or to consider them as items of exchange or trade must be considered morally unacceptable, because to use the body as an object is to violate the dignity of the human person. World Health Organization said that the transplantation promotes health but transplantation tourism violates human right. Organs can be bought and sold arbitrarily. *Corruption There is corruption in healthcare system and government and it sometimes turn to organ trafficking. For instance, In India, a patient unaware th at his kidney transplant procedure took place and was asked to pay after that.For example, in 2006 China made selling of executed prisoners’ organs and claimed that those prisoners had filed agreement and permission, but still the Chinese officials are suspected of these corrupted activities that the profit might go to them not the donors or their families. * Religion For the religious view, body and soul are one entity and very valuable that cannot be treated as property and make business. Traditionally, Muslim believes that oppose donation from human living and deceased donors because the human body is sacred thing from God so any part of the body must not be separated in life or death.Chinese customs call for people to be buried or cremated with the body complete orginally. One die-hard superstition has it that if an organ is taken from a body after death, the person in question will be reborn with a handicap in that organ in his or her next life. Nowadays, trade in human organs is illegal in all countries except Iran. Before, India and Philippine used to legalize this activity too but it turns out that they ban it later on, and it is clear enough why it couldn’t be practiced.There must be many complicated issues occurred. Solution The solutions have been put forward to both increase the amount of legally available organs and stop the flow of illegal organ trafficking around the world. One policy is â€Å"presumed consent†. (Successful in Brazil, US, several nations of Europe and increase the amount of organs available), patient can choose not to donate by submitting document. Worldwide, the trend has been move toward increased regulation of organ trading internationally.