EmotionaI Intelligence (EI), Management, and Leadership-Sheila Essay

EmotionaI Intelligence (EI), Management, and Leadership-Sheila - Essay Example This is not an easy task since the current generation is full of competition. People are ever competing against one another for things such as promotions, jobs and resources (Bateman & Snell, 2007). Hence, in a move to achieve my objective, I ought to perform much better than my competitors. Apart from providing an analysis of emotional intelligence on leadership, the study attempts to relay some of the requirements that one ought to have in a move to succeed in the world of business. Leadership is quite dynamic and in order for one to be a good leader, he or she ought to be as dynamic as leadership itself. During the 20th century, for an organization to achieve success, managers were to focus mainly on the company’s organization scale in addition to properly defining the levels of authority (Ashkenas et al., 2002). This is not the case anymore since when the 21st century set in, so did a number of changes, for instance technology. In relation to studies conducted by Ashkenas et al.(2002), it is because of technology that there was rapid change in the ways of doing business. This is because unlike in the past, not only is there quick customer response but also flexible strategies in addition to rapid product development. Due to this analysis, it is evident that in the next five years there will be certain changes as well. Hence, in order to achieve my objective, I have to be up to date with the current changes as they take place. In my opinion, once I become the vice president of a hospital, my roles would not be quite difficult. This is because my current profession is quite similar to that of a vice president of a health organization; the only difference is that there will be more staff to manage and delegate duties. This is because just like the vice president, in my current profession I am also in charge of the organization’s

Challenges Facing Organizational Leaders In Nigeria Dissertation

Challenges Facing Organizational Leaders In Nigeria - Dissertation Example The significance of this study is to create awareness of the challenges facing the organizational leaders in the private sector in Nigeria, as well as develops strategies, which could make the organizational leaders in Nigeria more adjusted to the ever-shifting environment that they operate in. Correspondingly, an appraisal of past works in this part did not yield any concrete results. This presumes that past investigations on leadership analyses in Nigeria did not pay close interest to this part of social occurrence, or investigators in Nigeria had not taken it as a fragment of their academic lists that is worth investigating. This analysis will offer a compass to steer future investigations in this part of social occurrence. Moreover, the challenges confronting organizational frontrunners in Nigeria cannot be disconnected from the happenings within the country, as well as environmental pressures operating within Nigeria. This investigation will function as a facilitator for economic growth and social revolution within Nigeria, as well as provide the example, which can be tailored in organizational settings, which have the same cohesion with the Nigerian setting. The study of leadership is an intricate endeavor, which requires sound theoretical framework and engagement of perspectives from different disciplines for thorough exposition. This purpose of this study is to investigate the challenges facing the organizational leaders within the private sector in Nigeria and how the challenges could be obliterated. This chapter provides the theoretical framework for this study by combining the concepts of leadership systems and organizational change. The key proposals of these theories are considered against the backdrop of challenges leaders face an organizational system.

Causes of BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Causes of BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill 1. Introduction The concept of effective leadership represents a theoretical framework to analyse the case study Deepwater Horizon Accident. The idea of an effective leader can be captured by the following basic principles: the leader must have a long term and strategic vision (what should be achieved? How should be achieved? Who should achieved an identified goal?). A leader should be focused on people. This implies the identification of instrumental goals, their effective communication, and human beings involvement. The involvement depends both on incentive system and involvement. effective leaders are increasingly characterised as being enablers   helping people and organisations to perform and develop. This implies that the leader has to achieve a sophisticated alignment between peoples needs and the aims of the organisation The leader needs to balance, reconcile and integrate opposite cultural values (Hofstede). The conflicting values and cultural differences emerges whenever a leader deals with stakeholders (consumers, environmental groups, trade unions). Hofestede (1978) identifies four dimension to analyse cultural value of nations. He describes the following elements: power distance individualism vs collectivism Masculinity vs. femininity Weak vs. strong uncertainty avoidance Long vs. short term orientation 2. The Case Study The Deepwater Horizon Accident was caused by the escape of hydrocarbons resulting in explosions and fire on the rig. At that time the social media emphasizes this accident not for the death of eleven people and the injured of seventh, but also in connection with main environmental damages (such as the rig sank and the continued flow of hydrocarbons from the reservoir). The following investigation reveal that: The team did not identify any single action or inaction that caused this accident. Rather, a complex and interlinked series of mechanical failures, human judgments, engineering design, operational implementation and team interfaces came together to allow the initiation and escalation of the accident. Multiple companies, work teams and circumstances were involved over time. ( BP 2010, 5) Thus, the problematic situation in Mexican Gulf seem to be generated by the leadership style, as they fail of focusing developing a clear vision and communication and exercising strong control to the organization. This statement represents a thought provoking situation in order to analyse the behaviour and leadership style of three leaders (Tony Hayward, Bob Dudley, Barack Obama) 2.1 Tony Hayward At the time of natural disaster Tony Hayward was the Chief executive of BP. In coherence with Hofstede (1978), he showed a short term vision in his communication activity. The Guardian (14 May 2010) indicate that the Chief executive declared: The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume. The same article report the emerging conflicts between BPs efforts (to contain the spill had succeeded in dispersing the oil and preventing large amounts reaching the shoreline around the Gulf) and the environmentalists concerns the unseen damage being done to marine life. Additionally, Tony Hayward admitted that BP had made mistakes in its early response to the crisis. It initially refused to compensate fishermen who were unable to produce written proof of their normal earnings. Instead, the main worry concerned share values and profit distribution. The leader also failed to deal with the stake holders revealing an individualistic approach and short term vision in firms management style. This aspect was also revealed by the weak safety policy adopted by the BP company. 2.2 Bob Dudley Following the criticism related to Tony Hayward, Bob Dudley was designated as the new Bp Chief Executive. Mr Dudley joined the board of BP before, as his most high-profile role was as the chief executive of BPs joint venture in Russia, exploiting oil fields in eastern Siberia. The BBC report (2010) reveals: Mr Dudley is widely respected within the company, and from a PR point of view, it might help that he is American, not British. BP has often been described as Public Enemy Number One in the US since the oil spill. Now that the company is to be run by an American, it could help it in its battle to rebuild its reputation in the US. In coherence with Hofestede (1978), this assumption underlines the implications of national distance on leadership recognition and recruitment. The Christian Science Monitor (2010) also reports BPs voice in America will no longer come with a British accent attached. The Christian Science Monitor (2010) also indicates: Hes been in the frying pan. Dudley is no stranger to tough situations. The oil business these days involves working in difficult terrain, whether thats in physical terms (a mile below the seas surface) or politically. His work has taken him to the South China Sea, Angola, Algeria, and Egypt. Hes been in the fire. He wont bring fresh eyes to the Gulf. Hes already been one of BPs point men there helping to orchestrate the failed top kill and other efforts to plug the wellhead leak. His new role simply formalizes something chairman Svanberg had already announced that Hayward would soon relinquish day-to-day management of the spill response. Hes has shown some care with words. This is important, because BP has both a public-image problem and legal challenges and those two things can tug a corporate spokesman in different ways. One calls for an air of forthrightness, the other for caution. In accordance with these empirical evidences a crisis management requires contingency theory can explain leadership style. In this situation there is a unique way to lead a company, but the optimal course of action depends upon the internal and external situation (Mintzberg, 1979). However, another criticism from Bob Dudley s leadership style related to high ethical and moral issues. This aspect emerges with his previous experiences in Russia area. 2.3 Barack Obama The new leader of US, Barack Obama has signalled the intention to assign criminal charges in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster. Mr Obama said his government would do whatever it takes to clean up the oil, adding that BP was responsible and must pay. This approach can be equate the position of Obama to that of a leader of social justice. However, there some critical aspects: a. the social media describe that Obama was playing golf during the oil crises; b. the majority of Americans disapprove of how Mr Obama has managed the crisis; c. the Republicans accuse Mr Obama of exploiting the crisis for his own political gain. Were dealing with a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster. The oil that is still leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the environment of our Gulf states. And it could extend for a long time. It could jeopardise the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this place home. , pledging to bring those responsible to justice if laws were broken. President Barack Obama sharpened his criticism of BP Plc and pressed the energy giant to halt the oil gushing from its ruptured well. President Barack Obama has been criticised for playing golf while the BP oil spill disaster continues Barack Obama has been criticised for continuing to play golf while oil spills into the Gulf of Mexico. He has played at least seven times since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on April 20, creating Americas biggest environmental disaster. Having already racked up 39 games since taking office, Mr Obama is approaching the record as the U.S. President spending the most time on the golf course. Republican Party chairman Michael Steele has called on the President to stop playing until the oil leak has been curbed. Steele said Speaking in Louisiana,. He said the focus was now on preventing any further damage to the Gulf coast. BP says it will be at least a week before temporary measures to stem the leak are in place. But it could take up to three months to drill relief wells that could fully contain the spillage, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar warned on Sunday. The Deepwater Horizon rig, which was carrying out work on behalf of BP, sank on 22 April, two days after a huge explosion that killed 11 workers. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has warned the spill threatens the way of life in his state. Mr Obama flew to Louisiana on Sunday to see for himself the damage. Speaking in the town of Venice, he said: Were dealing with a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster. The oil that is still leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the environment of our Gulf states. And it could extend for a long time. It could jeopardise the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this place home. Presidents use Oval Office addresses for what they regard as vital national issues. The speech came as opinion polls suggest a majority of Americans disapprove of how Mr Obama has handled the crisis the worst environmental disaster in US history. The Republicans were quick to criticise the address, with party chairman Michael Steele accusing Mr Obama of exploiting the crisis for his own political gain. on US politicians Obama Barack, with assumption rather then emphasis on logical argument by ..the accident failure was systematic in actually fact was caused by human errs, rapidly become clear that there was not much effort have put in place. Unfortunately for those undergoing pain in the gulf seems to be that the process does not include process urgency . it could well prove that the democratic leadership need to make clear their accountability for decisions .A majority problem with democratic leader styles is the senior managers are willing to give up the power, means the workplace are complex and highly contested issue in which makes democratic approaches to leadership extremely problematic. We have an obligation to investigate what went wrong and to determine what reforms are needed so that we never have to experience a crisis like this again, said Mr Obama. If the laws on our books are insufficient to prevent such a spill, the laws must change. If oversight was inadequate to enforce these laws, oversight has to be reformed. If our laws were broken, leading to this death and destruction, my solemn pledge is that we will bring those responsible to justice on behalf of the victims of this catastrophe and the people of the Gulf region. , and US president BP has servel Chief Executive, but they did not be able to demonstrate and contribute to the problem solve and produce a desired results. In 2007 it was indruce to the company a new leader tony haywood in a which took a place of browne, haywood had the necessary ability and knowledge to drive to company to success. Great leader are made not born. The satisfaction of employees and communication was effective .indeed his inspiration been put in place and focus in companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ number of research show that Haywood are high onà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.and less demand the actually factors more specific was in leaders behaviour charateristic . The leader has such difficulty In focus on systems maintenances, and meet the work criteria in which cause numbers of castrophry, disaster and left eleven people without live. Unwillingness in leaders is composed of negative associate with productivity subordinate. The factors analysis produced two understandably behaviour dimensions, and differences in these behaviours associate to effectiveness. One series of studies has collect date, however, according to theory enhance a subordinate perception of a link between the effort and outcomes. The leadership styles did not providing opportunities for consultation special managers and (staff in this system management) the relationship between leader and mangers wasnt based on trust, seemed forgotten to inspire their subordinates to do thing behind the capabilities, the key issue of these..were in communication and make the vision affect. The direct in charge of oil in gulf in clean BOB Dudley in which has been working in the field for such long but not long ago enjoy working for BP with position of managing, direct point out that tony has genuine differences, he moved a company forward also mention that theres not suggestion that he acted improperly without knowledge that organization will face problem in the future history. In reality, it damage not just the company BP but also have server impact environmental crises, to the tourism, hospitals and industry wildlifeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. In short time James lee and the new Chief Executive managed to clean the oil after eight seven days. But still evidence that the new cap place stemming of the oil flow the incident comes to attention the interesting styles and chacteristics come from Some studies have shown that Compare with tony which fail to set higer but reasonable standard and demand so that the other accept their responsibilities .. It can been seen neither of them connect between effort and outcomes, its admitted thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ It can been see the failures are result of the dark side of charismatic leadership distinction between managers and leader when Bob Dudley Another criticism from Bob Dudley à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. high ethical and moral standards. Seems be to that the leader was not able to perform is fuction Feishman by harris 1969 The accident occurred on 20th April 2010 it was due to maintains http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-06-23-bp-oil-spill-a-catastrophe-that-couldve-been-avoided Telegraph.co.uk Jon Swaine and Robert winnett 05 june 2010 Bernard L. Weinstein Tom Talk Friday jully 2010 the Washington times . Bob Dudley Bob Dudley managing to How long did it take to clean up? Have been emerged that Mark Langford Tuesday july 27 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · The Guardian, Friday 14 May 2010 http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/may/13/bp-boss-admits-mistakes-gulf-oil-spill?intcmp=239 Barack Obamal Why did tony haywood tried to resign The fact he has been threet also the shareholder called to instant communication and intense competitive pressure, good, Conclusion The investigation have been done theres not a such evidence such intent in which require court order, it conduct to a conclusion available or clear According to result suggest that the actually leadership was, While some leaders use à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦constructively others destrying them, according to research the leader or organization wasnt a strong culture otherwise would not exist at all the other way around better even excellent company performe, the commit to met a positive response but the result was castrophry Now Bob Dudley is a new which guarantee BP have that will do a better job?

Book Jackets :: Essays Papers

Book Jackets Book jacket, book cover, dust jacket, dust cover. They are all words that describe one pretty innocuous thing: the thing that covers the hard cardboard cover of a book. The book jacket was developed for practical purposes only: to protect books from dust, insects and other harmful entities. However, as years progressed, the book jacket has become a separate part of the book itself and the reading experience. The book jacket has morphed into not only an addendum used to help sell the book, but also into a piece of art in and of itself. Classic books such as Ralph Ellison's The Invisible Man , Joseph Heller's Catch-22 and newer titles such as Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park and Chuck Palahniuk's Lullaby . There's even a celebrity book jacket designer in our midst; it's hard to miss Chip Kidd and his eclectic and eye catching designs gracing the shelves of bookstores and libraries across the country and the world. The book jacket has come a long way since its early inception as a protector of books; it has become the first step in the reading experience. Although book covers have been decorated for many years, it wasn't until the 1800s that book jackets came into existence. â€Å"Book jackets first appeared in England in the nineteenth century, in a culture that was still discovering the rules of consumerism. Their early evolution came about in fits and starts, constrained by cultural inhibitions that are now difficult to understand. When decoration was present on the outside of the book, it took the form of either blocking onto binding cloth, or pasting printed paper sheets onto the front and back boards† (Powers 6). Up until the advent of book jackets at this time, the decorated covers of books were quite popular and even produced celebrities of book cover design. Aubrey Beardsley and Sarah Wyman Whitman were popular book cover designers of the 1800s. Pasted paper designs started appearing on books as early as the 1830s which soon gave way to two colored textured designs and gold stamping in the 1840s and 1850s. As the years progressed, the use of text and colored ink was simplified and became commonplace on book covers around the world. â€Å"The transformation of book design owed much to the Arts and Crafts movement, which revered the book as an object both functional and aesthetic, a part of everyday life yet worthy of care and adornment.

Goodbye Uncle Tom and Abortion

Tom's treatment of black people back then was cruel and just sad to see. The whites mistreated millions of slaves and in the process, they're mentality was changed. That broken mentality from then affects the young black generation today because they believe that they are not worth anything. The African American generation of today is in extreme distress, they kill each other more and more everyday with very little remorse.They kill each other because they don't value life and some Of them are too young to realize that to only did they take someone's life, but they also destroyed their own. The murder rates of blacks in the United States are higher now than they were 25 years ago. More young black Americans die from homicide today in America than those of whites. More young black males are being imprisoned due to the rising violence in the black community leaving their women to raise the kids on their own. Black females have been affected more in a psychoanalytic and coloratura persp ective because of how black women were treated in the past.In the movie, it showed women being raped and then tossed as if hey were just animals. The men in that film abused the women to the point where they believed that they were nothing more than just tools for men to get their pleasure and nothing more. The ones that weren't killed ended up having kids that only reminded them of the pain they had to endure which made them feel worse. The mentality that they are just tools for men to get pleasure ended up being passed down to black females today as well. Some of them only feel valued when they dress a certain type of way to obtain a guys attention and affection.The abortion rate for African Americans has one up drastically as well. More and more young black women are getting abortions because they don't want to raise a child on their own. With the rise in black on black violence more black males are in jail and the ones that aren't in jail just walk out because they're not ready to be fathers. The abortion rate in America is at an all time high and most of the people getting abortions are young minorities because they feel they have no other option. Nothing is being done about these issues because the mentality of African Americans hasn't changed.They still suffer from the same broken mentality that their ancestors who were slaves suffered from. Black people won't be able to fix this problem until they admit that there is a problem, change their mentality, and learn to come together as a whole again. Black violence has gone up because more black people are against each other instead Of being for each other. In the movie, black people betrayed each other because they were not united and we're killing each other today for the very same reason. The mind set of black people has to change in order for black on black violence to stop.

Homophobia in Schools

Homophobia is a problem in many public and private school systems, denying homosexual students a safe learning environment. Everyday a student is discriminated against because of his sexual orientation. Gay, lesbian and bisexual students are being verbally, physically, and academically abused. Homophobia is taking hard working students and creating a negative and damaging learning environment for them. It’s time for a change. Words like â€Å"faggot, queer, homo, fairy and dyke† have become common â€Å"insults† in today’s school systems.These words are unacceptable, yet time and time again I observe teachers doing nothing when they hear said words being used. If however I were to use a racial slur such as â€Å"nigger† I would be immediately reprimanded and possibly disciplined. Discriminating against someone because of who they love is inexcusable. Schools NEED to do something to combat this growing problem, Girard may have an anti-bullying progra m instituted but what does it really do to combat it? Nothing. They preach equality, but do they enforce it?No. Instead of instituting programs to teach equality, punishments must be given out. Instead of being passive, schools should be aggressive in defending the victims of all forms of bullying. Students who identify themselves as â€Å"gay† are up to five times more likely to miss school due to feeling unsafe, 28% of them are forced to drop out. And yet school administrations do nothing about it. In fact 85% of teachers actually oppose integrating lesbian, gay and bisexual themes in their curricula.Frighteningly A 2007 survey found that four out of five young lesbian and gay people have no access to any information about LGBT issues at school. There are many different ways in which LGBT people experience homophobia, including malicious gossip, name-calling, intimidating looks, internet bullying, vandalism and theft of property, discrimination at work, isolation and reject ion, sexual assault, or even being sentenced to death. All forms of homophobia are destructive, not just for people living openly as LGBT, but for society as a whole.Living in a homophobic environment forces many LGBT people to conceal their sexuality, for fear of the negative reactions and consequences of coming out. For people who have been brought up to believe that homosexuality is wrong, the realization that they might be gay can cause feelings of shame and self-loathing, leading to low self-esteem. Suppressing homosexuality involves denying an important part of a person's identity, and can have a serious impact upon their life and relationships. Furthermore, the dilemma of whether to ‘come out’ or not can cause a great deal of personal distress.

Antigones Defiant Monologue by Sophocles

Antigone's Defiant Monologue by Sophocles Here,  Sophocles has created a dramatic female monologue for his powerful protagonist, Antigone. The monologue gives the performer the opportunity to interpret classic language and phrasing while expressing a range of emotions. The tragedy, Antigones, was written around 441 BC. It is part of the Theban trilogy that includes the story of Oedipus. Antigone is a strong and stubborn protagonist who holds her  duty to her family obligations above her own safety and security. She defies the law as enacted by her uncle, the king, and holds that her actions obey the laws of the gods. Context After the death of their father/brother banished King Oedipus (who, you may recall, married his mother, hence the complicated relationship), sisters Ismene and Antigone see their brothers, Eteocles and Polynices,  battle  for control of Thebes. Both perish. One brother is buried as a hero. The other brother is deemed a traitor to his people. He is left to rot on the battlefield. No one is to touch his remains. In this scene, King Creon,  Antigones uncle, has ascended to the throne upon the deaths of the two brothers. He has just learned that Antigone has defied his laws by providing a proper burial for her disgraced brother. Antigone Yea, for these laws were not ordained of Zeus,And she who sits enthroned with gods below,Justice, enacted not these human laws.Nor did I deem that thou, a mortal man,Couldst by a breath annul and overrideThe immutable unwritten laws of Heaven.They were not born today nor yesterday;They die not; and none knoweth whence they sprang.I was not like, who feared no mortals frown,To disobey these laws and so provokeThe wrath of Heaven. I knew that I must die,Een hadst thou not proclaimed it; and if deathIs thereby hastened, I shall count it gain.For death is gain to him whose life, like mine,Is full of misery. Thus my lot appearsNot sad, but blissful; for had I enduredTo leave my mothers son unburied there,I should have grieved with reason, but not now.And if in this thou judgest me a fool,Methinks the judge of follys not acquit. Character Interpretation In one of the most dramatic female monologues of Ancient Greece, Antigone defies King Creon because she believes in a higher morality, that of the gods. She contends that the laws of Heaven overrule the laws of man. The theme of civil disobedience is one that can strike a chord in modern times. Is it better to do what is right by natural law and face the consequences of the legal system? Or is Antigone being foolishly stubborn and butting heads with her uncle? The strong, defiant Antigone is convinced that her actions are the best expression of loyalty and love to her family. And yet, her actions defy other members of her family and the laws and traditions she is bound to uphold.

Free Essays on The Devastation Of Schizophrenia

The Devastation of Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a severe and devastating brain disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality and relates to others. Of all mental illnesses, schizophrenia undoubtedly results in the greatest amount of personal, emotional and social costs. It presents an enormous threat to life and happiness. It also causes more lengthy hospitalizations, more chaos in family life, more exorbitant costs to individuals and government and more fears than any other. Contrary to popular belief, schizophrenia is not a split personality. It actually means a split between the individual's perception of reality and reality, not a Dr. Jekyll - Mr. Hyde switch in character (Grayson, 1). Approximately 1 percent of the population develops schizophrenia during their lifetime - more than 2 million Americans suffer from the illness in a given year. Although schizophrenia affects men and women with equal frequency, the disorder often appears earlier in men, usually in the late teens or early twenties, than in women, who are generally affected in the twenties to early thirties. Scientists still do not know the specific cause of schizophrenia and believe that it is a combination of many factors that may precipitate the disorder. It is known, however, that schizophrenia- like cancer and diabetes- is a real illness with a biological basis. It is not the result of bad parenting or personal weakness. No credible authority believes any longer that social circumstance, poverty, poor mothering or willful behavior cause schizophrenia. Researchers have uncovered a number of factors that appear to play a role in the development of schizophrenia (Grayson, 3). Schizophrenia does "run in the family". The disorder has an important genetic component. Evidence for a genetic element comes from twin studies. Monozygotic twins (identical twins) are those with exactly the same genetic make... Free Essays on The Devastation Of Schizophrenia Free Essays on The Devastation Of Schizophrenia The Devastation of Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a severe and devastating brain disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality and relates to others. Of all mental illnesses, schizophrenia undoubtedly results in the greatest amount of personal, emotional and social costs. It presents an enormous threat to life and happiness. It also causes more lengthy hospitalizations, more chaos in family life, more exorbitant costs to individuals and government and more fears than any other. Contrary to popular belief, schizophrenia is not a split personality. It actually means a split between the individual's perception of reality and reality, not a Dr. Jekyll - Mr. Hyde switch in character (Grayson, 1). Approximately 1 percent of the population develops schizophrenia during their lifetime - more than 2 million Americans suffer from the illness in a given year. Although schizophrenia affects men and women with equal frequency, the disorder often appears earlier in men, usually in the late teens or early twenties, than in women, who are generally affected in the twenties to early thirties. Scientists still do not know the specific cause of schizophrenia and believe that it is a combination of many factors that may precipitate the disorder. It is known, however, that schizophrenia- like cancer and diabetes- is a real illness with a biological basis. It is not the result of bad parenting or personal weakness. No credible authority believes any longer that social circumstance, poverty, poor mothering or willful behavior cause schizophrenia. Researchers have uncovered a number of factors that appear to play a role in the development of schizophrenia (Grayson, 3). Schizophrenia does "run in the family". The disorder has an important genetic component. Evidence for a genetic element comes from twin studies. Monozygotic twins (identical twins) are those with exactly the same genetic make...

Ability To Efficiently Process Local Stimuli Psychology Essay

Ability To Efficiently Process Local Stimuli Psychology Essay This study is a replication of Navons third experiment in his 1977 paper Forest Before Trees. Participants are shown a large letter the global stimulus made up of smaller letters the local stimuli. The small and large letters are either consistent or contradictory. Participants were asked to identify the local stimuli. The aim was to determine whether global stimuli affected the reaction time of identifying local stimuli when the two are incongruent. 51 undergraduate students took part in the study which was an opportunity sample. This was a laboratory experiment of a repeated measures design. It was found that a contradicting global stimulus significantly affects the reaction time of identifying the local stimulus. From the results collected it can be concluded that global processing does affect local processing when the two figures are inconsistent and that incongruent stimuli cause a significantly delayed response to identifying the local stimuli. Is our ability to perceive and r ecognise local stimuli affected when local and global stimuli are incongruent? According to the theory of bottom-up processing, the whole is built up from its individual components. This would suggest that we first identify the local stimulus before perceiving the global one, implying that our ability to recognise the local stimulus should not be affected by the global one. However the Gestaltist law of common fate contradicts this in suggesting that we perceive the global stimulus as all of the local stimuli are positioned together to form it. Navon (1977) suggested in his paper ‘Forest Before Trees: The Precedence of Global Features in Visual Perception’ that we initially perceive the global structure and proceed to break it down to identify its components. He tested this by showing participants a large letter composed of smaller letters arranged to form the shape of the large letter. The small and large letters were either congruent or incongruent, and participants h ad to identify the small letter as quickly as possible. In this study, Navon’s original experiment was replicated to test whether the global letter affects the time taken to identify the local letter, comparing between when these letters are congruent or incongruent. The purpose of this study was to compare our findings to those already existing from Navon’s experiment to either corroborate or contradict his findings, and then discuss the possible explanations for the manner of global and local processing and how this can be applied to the real world and implicate possible future research. This study looks at whether global or local stimuli are perceived first and whether incongruence between them affects the speed at which they are recognised. Based on Navon’s findings, we expect that there will be an effect on reaction time when the local and global letters are incongruent, with it taking a significantly longer time to identify the local stimuli compared to wh en all stimuli are congruent. Method Design: This experiment was a laboratory experiment with a repeated measures design, in that the same group of participants performed the task a number of times in a row. The independent variable was the congruence of the stimuli, and the dependent variable being measured was the participant’s reaction time in seconds. The independent variable is nominal and the dependent variable is linear. All participants were tested at the same time under the same conditions, in the same setting; however this cannot account for personal factors such as attention or fatigue.

Executive Summary Memo for Market Analysis of Parkinson's Disease Research Paper

Executive Summary Memo for Market Analysis of Parkinson's Disease - Research Paper Example The exact cause of such effects is not known, although aggressive research in this area is underway. Irrespective of the cause, a patient with full-blown Parkinson’s disease will have four cardinal symptoms, tremor at rest, bradykinesia, rigidity, and difficulties with balance. Such patients due to difficulty in movement control are virtually rendered nonfunctional, and the quality of their life is severely affected (1). From the market point of view, thus there is huge untapped potential in the Parkinsons disease therapy market. The exact cause of the disease is not known, but a considerable number of individuals suffer from this problem. The medical therapy assumes a central role in the management plan, and therefore a variety of medications are available for symptomatic treatment. Despite new research to discover newer drugs, there is no medication as yet which has shown promise in arresting the pathological process of the Parkinsons disease. Therefore, this existing gap can create opportunities newer modalities of therapies, therapeutic agents, or curative agents (1). The Worldwide market of Parkinson’s disease is huge, since it is a common neurological disease with a disease burden of 4.1m affected individual. It is expected that its prevalence will rise in the coming years with increased clinical interventions in different forms. Current treatments or therapeutic choices are unsatisfactory making the unmet needs of this market a huge one, creating significant market opportunity. Although the market is global, in developed world, almost all counties constitute the major markets of such drugs. These countries are USA, Japan, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and the UK. Compared to last evaluation of 2006 the market has been predicted to grow beyond $4.6bn from its base of $2.2bn, which interestingly was 11% larger than its base of 2005. The market is expected to increase in an exponential rate due to the fact that

The war on drugs - argumentative research paper

The war on drugs - argumentative - Research Paper Example Drug wars seek to alleviate the problem, and offer a lasting solution towards drug users through elimination of the sources of drugs throughout the globe. Drug use was prominent in years prior to institution of measures that were assumed to regulate utilization of drugs among the American populace. In earlier years, drugs found numerous applications in production of foods and drinks around America. For instance, Coca-Cola utilized cocaine in drink manufacture until some period in 1903, while opium was utilized for infants with colic and was considered an OTC drug (Toll 427). The other drug that was utilized during this epoch was heroin and found greater appliance as cough depressant. Although people developed dependence on these drugs, alcohol remained the biggest setback yet it has not been contemplated as harmful with respect to other drugs. Various legislative acts were utilized in phasing off drug exploitation within the society, thus indicating commencement of war on drugs. The period when drugs were never regulated showed little discrepancies with regard to utilization of drugs, despite the actuality that drugs are currently regulated. Restrictions on drug use never commenced until the closing stages of 19th century, which led to prologue of various enactment at all levels of government. However, drug trade got these restrictions on racial grounds, since certain races were involved in drug trades around America. The preliminary enactment transpired in 1906, which aimed at directing the cataloging of medications and at the same time, prevent production or delivery of adulterated commodities in trade among states (Toll 427). The enactments progressed throughout the years, since the initial enactment leading to the current struggles towards the alleviation of drug utilization within the societal context. Prologue of Harrison Act served to prohibit drug sales to

Mis 2200 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mis 2200 - Essay Example Huber was absent. Ability to Work with Others—Tom is comfortable in a role as an individual contributor and highlights his knowledge and experience when working with others. In a managerial capacity, Tom can readily assume authority, and he might be even more effective if he were to work on his approach and be more collaborative and less dictatorial. Due to confidence in his knowledge and experience, Tom may have overstepped his authority on occasion. General Knowledge of Business Operations—Tom has worked in Mason’s Appliance Department for the past twelve years. He is the most senior staff member on the team, and his experience as an interim manager has provided additional insight into the business operations. Leadership—Carol has subtle leadership experience. She was a high school teacher for several years, and leads by example in her current role with Mason’s. While Carol definitely has capacity in this area, there appears to be an opportunity for her to grow into a stronger leader. A report of disciplinary problems in her classroom when she was teaching and her general willingness to take on any task without challenging the necessity of the task highlight this opportunity. General Knowledge of Business Operations—Carol has worked in Mason’s Appliance Department for the past four years. She has solid knowledge of the operations and given her willingness to take on all tasks assigned has broad experience of the intricacies in the department. Leadership—Don’s leadership experience is largely informal. He was captain of his track team in college and leads by example in the positions that he has held. Don has been working on a master’s degree in marketing which gives him a solid understanding of leadership concepts and principles. Ability to Work with Others—Don is professional and likable. His personality would compliment others in the department and he appears approachable. Don’s resume indicates a

Edouard Manets Olympia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Edouard Manets Olympia - Essay Example However, young Edouard rebelled against the will of his father, who wanted for him to become a lawyer. He went to follow his passion of studying painting at the Louvre, and abroad in Holland and Italy.1 His work, constantly refused by the establishment, received the support of his close friend Baudelaire and was inspired by Velazquez, Rembrandt and Titian. Manet painted a wide variety of subjects (seascapes, still lifes, portraits, as well as urban, religious and historical scenes) and his most famous paintings are Musique aux Tuileries, Djeuner sur l'Herbe, Le Fifre, Un Bar aux Folies-Bergres and of course, Olympia. Supported by Emile Zola, he also painted his portrait in 1866.2 When he died in his early 50s, the Impressionists were making art that insisted it was of the moment - a train steaming out of a station, rain on the boulevard, Manet's art is at the forefront of this discovery of contemporary life during their time.3 To this day, numerous artists had begun to challenge the stale conventions of the Academy when Manet's Olympia was accepted for the Salon in 1865. Never had a work caused such scandal. Critics advised pregnant women to avoid the picture, and it was relegated to thwart vandals. She is not a remote goddess but emphatically in the present, easily recognized among the demimonde of prostitutes and dancehalls.4 Viewers were not used to the painting's flat space and shallow volumes. To many, Manet's "color patches" appeared unfinished. Even more shocking was the frank honesty of his courtesan: it was her boldness, not her nudity, that offended. Her languid pose copied a Titian Venus, but Manet did not cloak her with mythology. In Olympia's steady gaze there is no apology for sensuality and, for uncomfortable viewers, no escaping her "reality".5 Anthony Julius agrees with that premise of "escaping reality." In his book, Shock and art Transgressions: The Offenses of Arts (2001), he deems that such art succeeds by alienating people, exposing our prejudices, sabotaging our habits. So Manet's Olympia, a naked prostitute in a classic pose, stares back at us, unmasking the centuries of male dominance and voyeurism disguised as an interest in the artistic nude of myth and history. He claims that the purpose of the painter, which is to convey his artistry is concealed by the shock value and diminishes its semblance of value as an art. In Heschel's analysis of Geiger's study of the "Jewish Jesus" (1988), she draws an analogy to Manet's Olympia, whose direct stare at her audience discomforted a world used to the demure artistic portrayal of women and concluded that it was "unchristian" and making it less of a scholarly gaze. Geiger's Jewish study of Jesus unsettled the Christian, or at the very least culturally Christian, academic world. According to Heschel, by reversing the situation in which Christians, especially the biblical critics of the age, wrote about Judaism to one where Jews wrote about Christianity, Geiger made a major adjustment to the power relations between the two religions. Where Christian theologians excoriated Pharisees and Pharisaism, Geiger argued purposely that Jesus was a Pharisee par excellence; the ideal that Jesus preached so

Assignment 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Assignment 1 - Essay Example The driver continued to drive and the officer discharged his firearm to which the driver stopped and the officer fell off the hood. The taxi driver was taken to the ground and handcuffed (Holmes, 2015). A severe action was taken against the police officer and the driver filed a civil case for the recovery of the damages that he suffered. He suffered injuries on his cheek, left elbow, and rib-cage, had a bleeding nose and mouth, and also filed for the loss of future income and general damages. The driver was released a while later and there was an independent investigation to be carried out in order to find out details about the incident (Lawrence, 2014). Actions were to be taken after the investigation reports had been given out by the Coquitlam RCMP’s Serious Crime Unit. The investigation gave its findings one year later stating that there were no charges against any of the parties. The authorities held that the police officers were acting only in the course of their duties and rights as members of RCMP. The police officers had those powers as peace officers and provincial constables. The response also concluded that if there were damaged caused to the driver, it was due to his role in failing to listen to the police officer and assaulting a peace officer. The investigation reported that the police officers opened fire on the driver after being struck by the car. The civil claim was filed against the officer about a year later and the court held that the police officer merely acted in self defense (Holmes, 2015). The three problem solving methods namely SARA, CAPRA and PARE are used by authorities in order to solve conflicts. The SARA model stands for scanning, analysis, response, assessment which could have been used in this situation as the situation had to be scanned, analyzed, responses would be collected, and then the assessment of the action taken would

Mis 2200 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mis 2200 - Essay Example Huber was absent. Ability to Work with Others—Tom is comfortable in a role as an individual contributor and highlights his knowledge and experience when working with others. In a managerial capacity, Tom can readily assume authority, and he might be even more effective if he were to work on his approach and be more collaborative and less dictatorial. Due to confidence in his knowledge and experience, Tom may have overstepped his authority on occasion. General Knowledge of Business Operations—Tom has worked in Mason’s Appliance Department for the past twelve years. He is the most senior staff member on the team, and his experience as an interim manager has provided additional insight into the business operations. Leadership—Carol has subtle leadership experience. She was a high school teacher for several years, and leads by example in her current role with Mason’s. While Carol definitely has capacity in this area, there appears to be an opportunity for her to grow into a stronger leader. A report of disciplinary problems in her classroom when she was teaching and her general willingness to take on any task without challenging the necessity of the task highlight this opportunity. General Knowledge of Business Operations—Carol has worked in Mason’s Appliance Department for the past four years. She has solid knowledge of the operations and given her willingness to take on all tasks assigned has broad experience of the intricacies in the department. Leadership—Don’s leadership experience is largely informal. He was captain of his track team in college and leads by example in the positions that he has held. Don has been working on a master’s degree in marketing which gives him a solid understanding of leadership concepts and principles. Ability to Work with Others—Don is professional and likable. His personality would compliment others in the department and he appears approachable. Don’s resume indicates a

Assignment 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Assignment 1 - Essay Example The driver continued to drive and the officer discharged his firearm to which the driver stopped and the officer fell off the hood. The taxi driver was taken to the ground and handcuffed (Holmes, 2015). A severe action was taken against the police officer and the driver filed a civil case for the recovery of the damages that he suffered. He suffered injuries on his cheek, left elbow, and rib-cage, had a bleeding nose and mouth, and also filed for the loss of future income and general damages. The driver was released a while later and there was an independent investigation to be carried out in order to find out details about the incident (Lawrence, 2014). Actions were to be taken after the investigation reports had been given out by the Coquitlam RCMP’s Serious Crime Unit. The investigation gave its findings one year later stating that there were no charges against any of the parties. The authorities held that the police officers were acting only in the course of their duties and rights as members of RCMP. The police officers had those powers as peace officers and provincial constables. The response also concluded that if there were damaged caused to the driver, it was due to his role in failing to listen to the police officer and assaulting a peace officer. The investigation reported that the police officers opened fire on the driver after being struck by the car. The civil claim was filed against the officer about a year later and the court held that the police officer merely acted in self defense (Holmes, 2015). The three problem solving methods namely SARA, CAPRA and PARE are used by authorities in order to solve conflicts. The SARA model stands for scanning, analysis, response, assessment which could have been used in this situation as the situation had to be scanned, analyzed, responses would be collected, and then the assessment of the action taken would

The Power of Possessions Essay Example for Free

The Power of Possessions Essay Possessions hold on to the memories from the past reflecting the emotion a person holds on to. Holding onto possessions allows people to reminisce the memories from their past whether uplifting or heartbreaking, these possessions hold onto the stories we do not want to forget. In the poem â€Å"Mrs. Caldera’s House of Things†, Mrs. Caldera keeps hold of so many items of her past including pencil tips, plastic hummingbirds, tineless forks, milk bottles and many more. Mrs. Caldera loves thinking about her childhood and having all of the items helps remind her of all her childhood memories. It is obvious that all these items bring great joy and happiness to her especially at the end of the poem when Mrs. Caldera is baking cookies and the author says, â€Å"She is humming a song from childhood,/ Her arms are heavy and strong / They have held babies, a husband,†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (7.25-27). In those lines, it is shown that Mrs. Caldera is happy with the life she lives and thinking about her past gives her great joy. In the excerpt from â€Å"Memoria ex Machina† the author feels great emotions from a silver Seiko watch and a 1973 Datsun 1200, both items which belonged to his father. Thinking back on the memories from his dad’s items brings him great fear. It is evident that he is fearful of these items especially the watch when he says,† a pleasant hum long since obliterated by hordes of digital beeps†. In those lines, the author says how the watch was soothing to him with its pleasant hums but now it is terrifying to see it. Both the watch and the car which he has such fond memories of, now fill him with fear and despair as if he wishes he could take back the things he did. In both the poem and the excerpt it is shown that the possessions a person holds on to contains the memories from the past. They remind people of important memories in their life no matter how happy or depressing they are. With possessions, people can always remember the memories they want.

Migration of Ducati Virtualization Servers to Private Cloud

Migration of Ducati Virtualization Servers to Private Cloud Ducati Motor Holding limited is a motorcycle designers and manufactures based in Italy. It owned by German automobile manufacturer Audi and Lamborghini which all comes under Volksvogen. It has rapidly moved to virtualization in past few years thus reducing the capital costs and had flexibility in applications, Ducati moved to 100% cloud due to high utilization of server virtualization; So Ducati has also embraced to Private cloud automation across both in racing and street bike business. Ducati collaborated with Aruba for a cloud automation thus signing the three-year agreement. Aruba is an Italys web hosting Services Company and has improved its activities in Europe with Aruba cloud, it offers the cloud based services on data centres in France, UK and Czech Republic. Aruba decided to have collaboration with Ducati as it Shares a significant values with Bologna-based manufacturer, operating with competence and passion to guarantee the satisfaction of their clients and users across the world. Those values led to the sign an agreement of this prestigious partnership. Total Cost of Ownership was considered before moving to Private Cloud. CAPITAL EXPENSES OPERATIONAL EXPENSES. Cost of Migration to Cloud Platforms: Moving data to the cloud is one of the most important steps of any migration. Aruba charges fees for transferring data to Cloud. Yet its likely that number is smaller than all of the costs which Ducati currently paying for on-premise infrastructure. Reliability and Availability: Aruba offers guaranteed performance of 99, 95% uptime in a month for private cloud operations and offers services throughout the agreement period of time. Resources: Aruba provides, Maximum of 32 cores per Virtual Machines, 256GB of ram per Virtual Machines, Unlimited disk space, Network resources as per requirements. Privacy and Security: Aruba uses VMware NSX and VMware VCloud Director for managing the network and securities. Operations can all be done by password protected log-in. Scalability: Aruba offers upgrading and downgrading at anytime, which allows the users to expand or reduce the resources as per the requirements. Maintenance, Monitoring and Other Services: Aruba provides the features of uptime monitoring and usage monitoring to manage the storage and other resources. Capital Expenses and Operational Expenses For On-Premise Virtualization Servers. VARIABLES INITIAL YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 Cost of Migration to Cloud Platforms Reliability and Availability $0 $300000 $400000 $500000 Privacy and Security $500000 $100000 $100000 $100000 Resources $3000000 $150000 $190000 $250000 Maintenance, Monitoring and Other Services $0 $200000 $200000 $300000 Scalability $0 $30000 $70000 $150000 Total One Time Expenses $3500000 $550000 $690000 $850000 Capital Expenses and Operational Expenses For Private Cloud. VARIABLES INITIAL YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 Cost of Migration to Cloud Platforms 200000 $0 $0 $0 Reliability and Availability $0 $0 $0 $0 Privacy and Security $0 $0 $0 $0 Resources $0 $0 $0 $0 Maintenance, Monitoring and Other Services $0 $300000 $300000 $300000 Scalability $0 $10000 $10000 $10000 Total One Time Expenses $200000 $310000 $310000 $310000 Total cost for On-Premise Virtualization Server Vs Private Cloud. Total One Time Costs INITIAL YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 Total Cost for On-Premise Virtualization server $3500000 $550000 $690000 $850000 Total Cost of Private Cloud Costs $200000 $310000 $310000 $310000 Conclusion: Moving to the cloud from On-Premise Virtualization server, Ducati able to deploy the Design, New Architectures, Applications and Solutions in a incredibly shorter period of time. The Private Cloud also enables Ducati to support the business and growth of the company with the low cost of investments compare to On-Premise Virtualization Server. Ref: http://www.zdnet.com/article/learn-why-ducati-races-ahead-with-private-cloud-and-a-virtualization-rate-approaching-100-percent/

God is the Key to Happiness :: Happiness Essays

Who do you think has the best life on the earth? People with a lot of money, or people who are famous? When I was ten years old, I used to think that people who have money, just like Bill Gates, have the best lives on the earth. But then when I got older, I thought that people who are famous and also have money are the ones with the best lives on this earth, Just like LeBron James. In the age of thirteen, I used to dream that I was going to have one of these lives in the future and I can become someone like LeBron James. But what should have been a wonderful dream was turned into a personal fear and disaster of losing a friend and classmate, Just after my teacher asked one of my classmates and my friends that what do you want from god to give you as a Christmas present, and my friend answered: nothing because he had everything that a young boy dreams to have: a big house, lot of money, sport cars and expensive toys. He was from a rich family and his parents did not care of what he was doing or where he was, they just gave him as much money as he wanted to do anything he wanted. He was someone really famous in our school and people wished to have a life like him. But this dream did not last so long after we found out that he is not in school for a week. Our teacher said as he was going to read the prayer in the morning: let?s pray for John as he is having some hard time in the hospital right now. Every single person in our class was shocked because of John. No body could believe that such an amazing life can turn to a disaster. John, the happiest person on the earth, who said that he does not need anything in his life got in trouble with a deadly disease which could cause death in few months, he got in trouble with blood cancer in his early life and doctors told his parents that he was not going to survive more than 2 months. I imagined the time that John told our teacher that he does not need anything and he is the happiest man on the earth which was kind of right by that time, just like Magic Johnson when he was talking to media about his life.

Julius Caesar Essay: Decision Making in Julius Caesar -- Julius Caesar

Decision Making in Julius Caesar Making the right decisions is an ongoing struggle for man, because making decisions is never easy, and the wrong decision can lead to endless perils. Decisions must be made when dealing with power, loyalty, and trust. Yet, unlike other decisions, ones that are about these three fields are the most important, due to the risk involved, and because of the consequences that might follow. Power- power is the complete domination of others, and since all men want to dominate those around them, power is valued as one of the most important possessions. Power is highly sought after, thus the correct decisions must be made to obtain it, and this is clearly proven by Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar". Power is obtained much easier than it is kept. "Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!" The conspirators celebrate the death of Caesar, because they believe that they make the right decision in killing him, and so far they have, but the decision to spare Mark Antony is one that will haunt them in the end. Power is not always beneficial, it can be a very dangerous possession. "You shall not stir out of your house today." Calphurnia makes the decision to persuade Caesar to stay home, and not go to the Senate meeting. When one has power, there are those who want it, like Brutus and the other conspirators. Calphurnia makes the right decision, yet Caesar makes the wrong one by deciding ... ...imminent. In the course of man's life he will have to make many decisions, and some will decide his future. Power, loyalty, and trust, are essential, yet obtaining them is only the beginning, managing them is a much harder task. For one to succeed he must realize how much power is beneficial and how much is dangerous. Loyalty helps one's cause immensely, yet one must not take the loyalty of his followers to the extreme. Trust is one of the most important assets a man can have, he must be careful, and not take it for granted. Man must always be prepared for these times when a decision must be made, because, as seen in Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar", one irrational decision can be man's last.

Distance Learning: The New Frontier in Education

Distance learning has started to become more visible in today’s society. It has been recognized as an integral part of the education system. While still not being utilized in all places, it’s spreading and gaining ground as one of the more popular ways to deliver information. As a means of educating students, distant learning helps plug holes that have been created by a lack of a certified teacher being available. Through distance learning, technology has become an intricate part of how students are educated. Early Beginnings Distance Learning has been considered somewhat of a new idea. However, some of the key concepts that shape distance learning have been around for quite some time. Distance learning has a large portion of its roots in what’s known as correspondence study. According to Webster’s’ Dictionary, correspondence is defined as, â€Å"a course offered by a correspondence school. † Correspondence is defined as, â€Å"1 a: the agreement of things with one another b: a particular similarity c: a relation between sets in which each member of one set is associated with one or more members of the other — compare FUNCTION 5a. This information explains to us that two different parties are engaging in a form of communication with one another. â€Å"The roots of distance learning are at least 160 years old. An advertisement in a Swedish newspaper in 1833 touted, the opportunity to study ‘Composition through the medium of the Post. ’ In 1840, England’s newly established penny post allowed Isaac Pitman to offe r shorthand instruction via correspondence. † This information is very important because it helps in shaping some of the reasons and purpose of why correspondence was necessary. The power of correspondence began to develop even further. Because its advantage was in its ability to send information via the postal service, correspondence created opportunities for people to gain knowledge without physically being present. Not all scholars believe that form information transferrence marked the beginning of distance learning. â€Å"The history of distance education could be tracked back to the early 1700s in the form of correspondence education, but technology-based distance education might be best linked to the introduction of audiovisual devices into the schools in the early 1900s. This is an interesting point because it shows that different reference points are used according to a different set of criteria. As correspondence study continued to evolve, the implementation of correspondence schools began to expand. Several different correspondence schools were opened inside and outside of the United States: In 1891, Thomas J. Foster, editor of the Mining Herald, a daily newspaper in eastern Pennsylvania, began offering a correspondence course in mining and the prevention of mine accidents. His business developed into the International Correspondence Schools, a commercial school whose enrollment exploded in the first two decades of the 20th Century, from 225,000 in 1900 to more than 2 million in 1920. In Britain, we are informed that correspondence began to progress, â€Å"with the founding of a number of correspondence institutions, such as Skerry’s College in Edinburgh in 1878 and University Correspondence College in London in 1887. † As time progressed, distance learning received more support with the development of different communication mediums. Radio began to find its way into the mix of distance education. In the 1920’s, at least 176 radio stations were constructed at educational institutions, although most were gone by the end of the decade. † The development of televised courses began to receive a major push as well: In the early 1930’s experimental television teaching programs were produced at the University of Iowa, Purdue U niversity and Kansas State College. However, it was not until the 1950’s that college credit courses were offered via broadcast television: Western Reserve University was the first to offer a continuous series of such courses, beginning in 1951. The development of fiber optics paved the way for distance learning to make greater strides. It allowed for fast expansion of live, two-way, high-quality audio and video systems in distance education. With the introduction of the computer, teaching at a distance was able to really take off by leaps and bounds. Online courses found its way onto a number of colleges and universities. This was a great stepping stone for the development of such institutions as the British Open University, the American Open University, Nova Southeastern University and the University of Phoenix. These schools offer an enormous amount of courses online. According to Teaching and learning at a Distance; it is vital to the study of distance learning to combine theory because â€Å"it directly impacts the practice of the field. † There are many theorists whom express their ideologies that pertain to the historical background of distance learning. There are several scholars that note how important the role of theory and distance education intertwine, including; Borje Holmberg, Michael Moore, Otto Peters and many others. Theorists’ Desmond Keegan exemplifies the significance of theory and distance education when he expressed in 1988†¦ Lack of accepted theory has weakened distance education: there has been a lack of identity, a sense of belonging to the periphery and the lack of a touchstone against which decisions on methods, on media, on financing, on student support, when they have to be made, can be made with confidence. Keegan in his theories, implements how distance learning is vital in not only the classroom, but also how it encompasses the areas of politics, finance, and socialism. According to this theorist this type of education not only affects the classroom, it covers several properties of the world. Bjore Holmberg’s ideas promote that like any type of education. This type is no different in that it is according to him, trial-and-error with mere attentiveness to the theoretical stand point in making decisions. The ideas between Holmberg and Keegan contrast in that, Holmberg views distance learning as a representation of a deviation from conventional learning, while Keegan’s theories deduce that this type of instruction is a discrete type of education is symmetrical to the conventional methods. Contemporary Issues Distance Learning has created a wealth of opportunities for education to reach people in a variety of formats. With progress come concerns and issues that must also be addressed. There are several areas that have become red flags in the process of delivering education through the non-traditional classroom setting. Several policy issues have come about that are being examined. These areas of development deal with academic, fiscal and geographic: Institutions will need to develop policies that clarify everything from academic calendar to transferability. When a course is offered at one institution through a traditional classroom model, the academic calendar, for example, is the purview of that college or university. In certain cases, state regulations influence the calendar. But when a college enters into a consortia arrangement with other institutions on different academic calendars, it can become very confusing for the learners. In fact, some semesters or quarters end too late for courses to transfer to another college. Since distance learning models can complicate this process, flexibility is required. This is an issue that I personally encountered while taking an online Spanish course at Pulaski Technical College in the summer of 2007. In order to enroll for Spanish 2 I had to show that I had passed Spanish 1. The deadline was 2 days before grades were to be posted. I was fortunate enough to receive help from the administration but it was an intervention that would be constant on the part of the university. There’s also the question of integrity on the part of the students. While the use of CIV technology can alleviate some of this, other forms of distance learning continue to deal with this problem. The issue of students allowing others to complete their assignments has been around for quite some time. With distance learning, it looks to be just as prevalent. Fiscal concerns are consistent for a number of reasons. In most cases, distant education comes with a higher price tag than the conventional classroom setting: One certain way to guarantee problems in a distance learning program is to overlook the role of receiving institutions – those who do not offer the courses but provide the resources for learners to participate. This includes â€Å"receive† sites for interactive television courses and colleges that provide their computer laboratories to learners not enrolled at that institution. Contractual arrangements often provide a source of revenue to these receive sites, but in some cases policies do not provide, or prohibit, revenue sharing. Eventually, these receive sites become a source of frustration and potential revenue loss, which can diminish an otherwise well-run program. Distance learning policies must address the issue of equitable fiscal arrangements with receive sites and all other partners. These issues must be clarified in advance of program offerings, for without them, sound fiscal planning is impossible. Students are experiencing, what is called, geographic â€Å"out-of-state† fees for distance classes. This is a major concern because the internet is a boundless instrument that does not limit the learners’ ability to acquire knowledge on the basis of physical location. Asking students to pay extra fees for such this reason is of major concern: Setting tuition clearly is a fiscal issue; however, it also is a key aspect of the geographic service issue. Is â€Å"out-of-state† currently a relevant categorization for learners? Will â€Å"out of country† rates still apply? If we are to recognize the overarching reach of today's distance learning, existing policies need close examination and new policies may be needed to redefine tuition rates and service area restrictions. Another issue deals with the availability of instructors. While most of the curriculum is uploaded to the site in online courses, students may have questions that aren’t explained in the information. The difficulty comes in trying to contact the teacher through email or via telephone. The instructor may not respond in a timely manner, which puts the student at a disadvantage if the assignment is due before the question gets answered: Respondents were asked to rank the differences between traditional course delivery and distance delivery. The scale was according to importance, one having the most importance and six the least importance. The order in which possible choices were ranked was not of importance in this question. The rankings provided by each respondent for each difference was what was being examined. Results can be seen in Table 4. The primary choice for most important was â€Å"interaction with instructor† with 40 out of 107 (37. 4 percent) responses. Ronn Atkinson, social studies teacher at the Distant Learning Center in Maumelle, suggests that, â€Å"not all kids in Arkansas have access to the internet. It's either a question of accessibility or affordability. CIV is very expensive. Buying the system and paying the line charges, etc. Some districts can't afford it on their own without help. † Futuristic Implications Distance learning has made some very interesting strides and looks to be a mainstay in the future. This alternate form of education looks to be the growing as it takes on different shapes. Distance learning will take the place of traditional classrooms because of the accessibility that students have to computers. The overhead cost of running and operating an educational institution from a building will be a big determining factor in the success of distance learning: Despite the challenges distance education presents to our traditional conceptions of education and instructional delivery, distance education enrollment at community colleges has increased greatly over the last decade, suggesting that distance education offers an alternative to the traditional classroom experience that accommodates many students' individual circumstances and educational needs. Although the goals and outcomes of distance education are still somewhat unclear, it is generally agreed upon, however, that the marriage of technology and higher education will be a lasting one, and by the year 2000 more students will be instructed via more media than was ever thought possible. Though distance learning has become a very viable asset to education, a very key component to learning may be lost in the shuffle. The instructor’s ability to inspire the students through classroom lectures and instruction would most definitely not have the same effect on a student via online learning: How can we substitute for the inspiration of personal interaction with faculty members? In all of my years at Miami-Dade Community College, I never received a letter complementing a college program without reference to a faculty member or other staff member who had inspired or contributed to the development of the writer. Almost all of us can point to an individual, very often a faculty member, who had major impact on our lives. Is there a way to keep that inspiration in a distance learning situation? Is there something to be substituted? Compressed Interactive Video (CIV) has become a very interesting form of technology. This medium allows students to be taught a subject by a teacher in another location outside of the school building. So if a student is interested in taking a sociology course and their school does not offer it, he/she can utilize this system. More students are taking advantage of this technology each year. While CIV is still pretty expensive, over time it will become more affordable. Once that happens, it will help in the progression of home schooled students. Conclusion The power of learning at a distance has reached unparalleled heights in its ability to educate students. While there are some concerns as to whether or not it’s the â€Å"cure all,† there doesn’t seem to be much concern whether or not it is the medium of the future. It is cost efficient and looks to be the ultimate replacement of school building instruction. Distance learning is the truly the way of the new frontier. Bibliography Simonson, Michael; Smaldino, Sharon; Albright, Michael; Zvacek, Susan. Teaching at a Distance. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall, 2000. Gellman-Danley, B. , & Fetzner, M. J. (1998). Asking the Really Tough Questions: Policy Issues for Distance Learning Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, Volume I, Number 1, Spring, State University of West Georgia, Distance Education. Schmidt, E. K. & Gallegos. A. (2001). Distance Learning: Issues and Concerns of Distance Learners, Journal of Industrial Technology, Volume 17, Number 3 – May 2001 to July 2001. McCabe, Robert H. (1996). Ten questions for the future of distance learning, Community College Week, 10415726, 7/29/96, Vol. 8, Issue 26 The Future of Distance Learning. (1994). Retrieved April 25, 2009, from EducationAtlas. com Website: http://www. educationatlas. com/the-future-of-distance-learning. html Research in Distance Learning. (2009) The History of Distance Education. Retrieved April 25, 2009 from MA Distributed Learning Web site: http://www. digitalschool. net/edu/DL_history_mJeffries. html

Financing Climate Change for Economic Development (a Case Study of Nigeria)

FINANCING CLIMATE CHANGE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIA) Written By: ABORISADE OLUWASOGO OLANREWAJU SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING BANKING AND FINANCE OSUN STATE UNIVERSITY OSOGBO, OKUKU SUPERVISED BY: MR OLANREWAJU FATOKI ABSTRACT Climate change adaptation is increasingly becoming an area of growing interest and involvement for many developing countries that unfortunately bear the brunt of an overheating planet caused by developed or so called advanced countries.The uncertain effects of a changing climate on Nigeria’s economy pose significant setbacks for meeting development targets like Nigeria’s aspiration to be among the twenty best performing economies of the world by the year 2020 [Vision 20:20:20] and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The fact that Africa’s most populous country runs dangerously on a mono-product economy oiled by cheap hydrocarbon deposits, underscores this heavy dependence on natural resources. Climate change-induced losses and the unsustainable use of these invaluable resources appear to be a harmful problem that has elevated itself to a real development challenge in Nigeria. It is not difficult to see that Nigeria’s climate security vulnerability lies predominantly along the coastal, littoral states of the south and the northern frontline states as a result of a combination of high physical exposure as well as low household and community resilience.Poor adaptive responses to growing shifts in temperature, rainfall, storms, and sea levels could help fuel violent conflict in some areas of the country due to shortages of resources such as land and water which breeds negative secondary impacts such as more sickness, hunger, and joblessness, which in turn flings the doors to conflict and social chaos wide open. These problems are further compounded by a lack of institutional, legislative and fiscal capacity for effective management of natural resources and stability of the ecosystem; leading to educed farm productivity, increased work load particularly on women, and a dislocated rural economy. Mitigation and adaptation are both necessary to alleviate the impacts of a changing global climate on our local communities and national economy. This research work therefore discuses climate change in Nigeria and ways it could be finance to increase economic development in Nigeria. INTRODUCTION Climate Change is a term used for changes in weather condition in the past few years said to be caused by Global Warming.Global Warming is increase in the average temperature of planet earth which is said to be caused by continuous emission of gases that trap heat to the earth's atmosphere. Climate Change and Global warming are often used interchangeably. In an upper part of the atmosphere called the troposphere 10-19km above sea level, certain gases trap heat to the earth to make it warm. Without these gases, the average temperature of the earth will be 33OC colder not able to support life for humans and several living things.These heat trapping gases for their action that resembles heat trapping effect to a glass house in Physics are called Green House Gases (GHG). There are a number of GHG known with some more potent and available than others, these GHG have a natural cycle that keep them balanced and available at certain range in the earth’s atmosphere for their function to keep the earth warm. Certain anthropogenic activities like burning of fossil fuels release gaseous products made up of one or more GH gas. Nigeria’s economy though heavily dependent on oil is sustained by agriculture and has thus become increasingly constrained.Both source of revenue for the economy is vulnerable to climate change crisis. Sustainable development of these sectors of the economy can only be achieved if processes in use are in favour and harmony with the environment. Although, Nigeria is not a major player in the green house gas emission comp ared to the western countries, the country has contributed to the depletion of the ozone layer through continuous gas flaring emission by multinational oil corporation in Niger Delta region. Climate change has become a global concern with harmful effects as seasonal cycles are hindered.For example, food production and water supply are adversely affected by the effects of climate change and if care is not taken, it will affect the economy in a drastic way. Nigeria and Climate Change Nigeria is exposed to the dangers of climate change, which is now a global issue. The dangers pose serious threats to existing environmental problems like desertification, erosion, flooding, and ecological devastation. Considering the strong connection between climate change and development, Nigeria is highly at risk in the area of food security, poverty reduction, energy and most importantly, infrastructure and general economic development.In view of this anyway, Nigeria’s efforts and actions must be informed by these realities. For example, it is estimated that in the Sudan-Sahel area of Nigeria, between 89,297 and 133,944 square kilometers of arable land would be at risk. It is estimated that the capital value at risk stands at about US$6. 4 billion for the current level of development, (NCCC, 2003). In December 2009, Nigeria like many other countries had the opportunity to tackle its climate change issues at Copenhagen, the capital and largest city in Denmark.However, climate change cannot be successfully addressed by any individual country it requires therefore substantial action and continuous efforts. These actions include nations’ investing in programmes and projects aimed at reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG’s), and contribute to adapting to climatic changes. Nigeria is committing itself to facing the challenges that climate change presents within its borders and is acting rapidly to ensure that the Copenhagen deal is the best for Nigeria and Africa.This is being achieved by continuing to form partnerships globally and regionally, and by promoting the development of alternative energy sources internally. Nigeria believes that climate change poses important threats to Africa, while equally offering some unique opportunities to generate new revenues and build more diverse and resilient economies. For example, a policy like the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) if designed to have an African focus could generate investments worth billions of US dollars every year. Causes of climate changeThe climatologists have found evidence to suggest that some factors are primarily responsible for most of the past episode of climate change on the earth and which needs to be addressed urgently. These factors include: (a. ) Radioactive forcing A process which alters the energy balances of the earth-atmosphere system is known as radioactive forcing mechanism (Shine et al, 2010). These may include degree of difference in the earthâ€℠¢s orbit around the sun, solar radiation, volcanic activity and atmospheric composition. (b. ) Non- radioactive forcingAny change in the climate must involve some form of energy redistribution within the global climate system. Yet there are forcing agents who do not affect directly the energy budget of the atmosphere (the balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing terrestrial radiation). These are considered to be non- radioactive mechanism of global climate change. Such agents usually operate over vast time scales [107 to 109] and mainly include those which affect the climate through their influence over the geometry of the earth’s surface, such as location and size of mountain ranges and position of the ocean basins. (c. ) External forcingThis section discusses some of the various external forcing mechanisms operating over time a scale of 10 years to 109 years. (i. ) Galactic variations The orbit of the solar system about the centre of the galaxy has been conside red as a possible external climate forcing mechanism (Hugget, 1991). During the course of a galactic years [now estimates at 303million years] variation in the inter stellar medium (William, Isaac and Shoo, 1975) may also suggest that variation in gravitation torque induced by galaxy’s near neighbors, the small and large megellanic clouds, could have far reaching consequences for the earth’s climate. ii. ) Orogeny It is the name given to a tectonic process of mountain building and continental uplift. Such mechanisms operate over tens or even hundreds of millions of years. The earth’s outer surface, a layer known as the lithosphere {made up of the crust and the upper section of the mantle}, is broken up into 12 different plates which are constantly adjusting their positions relatively to each other and such movements are driven by the internal convective dynamics within the earth mantle.When plates collide, one may either be subdued beneath another or both are pu shed continually together, forcing upwards any continental land masses, to form long mountain range. (iii. ) Epeirogeny It is a term that describes changes in the global disposition of land masses and like organic process, this changes are driven by internal plate tectonic movements. Continents move around the globe at a rate of several centimeters per year owning to the slowness of the internal dynamics of the earth. However, over tens or hundreds of millions of years, both the size and position of land area can change appreciably. iv. ) Volcanic activity Explosive eruption can inject large quantities of dust and gaseous materials [such as sulphur dioxide] into the upper atmosphere [the stratosphere], where sulphur is rapidly converted into sulphuric acid aerosols. Whereas volcanic pollution of the lower atmosphere is removed within days by the effects of rainfall and gravity, stratospheric pollution may remain there for several years, gradually spreading to cover much of the globe . A volcanic activity has the ability to affect global climate on a longer time scale.Over periods of millions or even tens of millions of years, increased volcanic activity can emit enormous volumes of green house gases, with the potential of substantial global warming (Pickering ; Owen, 2004; Rampino ; Volk, 2006]. However, the global cooling effect of sulphur dioxide emissions will act to counter the green house warming and the resultant climate change remains uncertain. (v. ) Ocean circulation It was identified that the oceans store an immense amount of heat energy, and consequently play a crucial role in the regulation of the global climatic system.In order to explain the observed hemispheric syncronity of glaciations, despite periods of directly opposed orbital forcing in the two hemispheres, many researchers have looked to the oceans. Although, in this sense, changes in oceans circulation has traditionally been viewed as internal forcing mechanisms in its own right. Economic implications of Climate change The estimates of economic impact on climate change are typically based on ‘damage function’. The estimates cover a variety of climate impacts that are usually grouped as ‘market impact’ and ‘non-market impact’.Market impacts include effects on climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries and tourism; damage to coastal areas from sea level rises; changes in energy expenditure (for heating and cooling) and changes in water resources. The non-market impacts cover the effects of climate change on health; leisure activities, ecosystem and human settlements. The economic implications of climate change in Nigeria are discussed below: (a. ) Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries McCarl (2007) reported that 70% of the workforce in Nigeria relies on rain-fed agriculture for their livelihood.He noted that agriculture is affected by climate change as a result of reduction in quantity and quality of yields; changes in crop practices through changes in water use (irrigation) and cost of agricultural inputs such as herbicides, insecticides and fertilizers; Environmental effects particularly due to frequency and intensity of soil damage leading to nitrogen leaching, soil erosion and reduction of crop diversity. Other effects are adaptation of organisms and plants to flood, salinity and temperature, collapse of flourishing profitable investment and a sharp downturn of national economy.According to Okali (2004), droughts usually increase in occurrence, having a huge impact, especially in the dry North as a result of desertification. (b. ) Tourism and Leisure activities The forest is the abode for wildlife. If the forests disappear, the wildlife goes with it. Sites of tourist attractions in Nigeria are vulnerable to climate change. The waterfalls, the lakes, the river basins, the ocean views, the beaches, the ranches etc. may be nowhere to be found. Due to this, the huge investment of both t he government and the private sector in tourism and leisure activities may be eroded.Loss of revenue and the lay-off of those employed in this sector of the economy will impose financial strain on the economy. (c. ) Coastal areas and Sea level rises Not less than seven out of the thirty-six states in Nigeria is in the coastal area. Nigeria’s coastal zone is richly blessed with various natural resources such as crude oil and fish, which are presently being exploited for economic gains. The global climate change and the concomitant sea level rises will have adverse effects on the coastal zone.Nigeria could lose over 18,000 square kilometers of the coastal land and the natural resources contained therein as well as experience disruption in socio-economic activities. This will also increase the salinity of the fresh water, thereby affecting aquatic life. Loss of revenue and GDP and the attendant impact of rendering the inhabitants of the coastal areas, who are pre-dominantly fish ermen, unemployed. (d. ) Human settlement Desert encroachment is becoming a threat from the northern part of Nigeria due to desertification.The inadequate trees in some parts of the North have resulted in unfavourable living condition and displacement of many human settlements. The rising sea level and gully erosion are equally claiming several kilometers in the coastal areas especially the southern part of the country. Valuable resources and infrastructures of the country are found in this area and if the sea claims these places, the economy of the nation will be affected. The Tsunami incidence in Japan on 12th March 2011, which claimed thousands of lives and properties worth billions of dollars, is a warning signal.It is also very important that Nigeria lend a clue from the bitter experience of Japan. (e. ) Health Increased temperature in the various regions could result in high incidence of malaria and other diseases that affect humans due to high temperature. The possibility of water-borne diseases as a result of the sea level rises cannot be ruled out. The implication of this is that there would be an increase in the cost of maintaining a healthy nation. It is note-worthy that this might frustrate the recent effort by government and relevant international health agencies to halt the scourge of malaria and other diseases. f) Industry and manufacturing The effect of global warming on the climate-vulnerable sectors of the economy (agriculture and the coastal resources) that provide input for the industry and manufacturing is another area of concern. The infant industries and the small and medium scale enterprises could be threatened. This is because only the big ones will be able to pay the high prices of manufacturing inputs. The GDP will be adversely affected by the inability of the small businesses to operate since they act as catalysts for economic growth and development. g) Financial services sector This sector serves as the intermediary between the def icit sector and the surplus sector of the economy. Owing to the ability of the big companies who are mostly quoted on the stock exchange to weather the storm of the likely downturn, they will force the market into an initial boom, which may not last, only to be followed, subsequent to its effect on the climate sensitive sectors, by a devastating and catastrophic burst because no entity or segment of the economy would be left out.Hence, there is the tendency of experiencing what could be best described as ‘climate induced inflation’. Odjugbo (2010) noted that climate has a significant effect on the country’s economy. Climate Change Financing Providing financial support to developing countries like Nigeria to help mitigate the effects of climate change and adapt to its impacts will be crucial to achieving agreement at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen in December 2009. This makes financing one of the most critical issu es in international climate change negotiations.The major issues that need funding in order to address climate change properly are observed to include mitigation, adaptation, technology transfer and capacity building of institutions and personnel. Funding must benefit from domestic and international sources. The major sources of domestic resources to finance development in Nigeria have been domestic savings which are channeled into development through various formal and informal avenues, taxation, domestic borrowing (including borrowing from the banking system and private sector), bond financing, external reserves, surpluses of public enterprises, and very importantly, the oil sector.Domestic resources should ideally constitute the major source of financing development and should be the first port of call. It is a better long term option in the achievement of any longer term development goals. On the other hand, external resources should be seen as providing supplementary finance to domestic resources. External finance has proved difficult to predict and sustain. Indeed, some forms of external finance, for example, ODA, portfolio investment and bank lending that may appear to be important have tended to be highly volatile and hence potentially risky and problematic for development.Also, there has been skepticism about aid effectiveness such that ‘despite the declared huge disbursement by donors, there is not much on the ground to show for it’ (NPC, 2008). If domestic resources must provide a robust basis for sustainable progress in meeting the climate change challenges, then policies need to be implemented which would increase domestic saving and raise the revenue (tax and nontax) GDP ratio significantly beyond current levels. As at June 30 2009 there remain few well known sources of domestic financing for climate change adaptation/mitigation, renewable/green energy projects in Nigeria.Whilst we suspect that there are some in-house sources of fina nce being discussed within various institutions, these are not yet publicly known and are at their primary stage of development where they do exist. With respect to mitigation, a lot of resources are needed particularly in acquiring technology. Nigeria supports the initiative for the establishment of a Multilateral Technology Acquisition Fund to buy Intellectual property Rights (IPR) which is a major constraint to technology transfer.Most of the resources for mitigation have moved to the developed countries over the years. Nigeria supports therefore the review of this anomaly for equitable distribution. Mitigation resources should also come to developing countries so that their developmental efforts do not finally result in injecting more GHG into the atmosphere. Nigeria should team up with other African countries and the G77 to seek for greater access to Adaptation Funds. Many of the potential adaptation projects which are urgent require considerable capital investment that the Fun d can best provide.The significance of this is that this source of funding is reliable and predictable. Demand notices requiring for settling of counterpart Funds should be sent early enough to facilitate the processing of payment. Nigeria should team up with other countries to ask for the change in the present arrangement in which developed countries alone produce the CEOs of the GEF. In the future, the position should be alternately occupied by candidates from the developed and developing countries to reflect the global character of this institution.Constraints to financing climate change in Nigeria Some of the expected major sources of financing climate change in Nigeria encounter a lot of challenges/constraints. Some of these are as follows: – * The precarious dependence of government revenue on the oil sector. Thus, any shortfalls in oil revenue will adversely affect climate change mitigation/adaptation. Projected government financing of climate change may partly depend on economic growth performance and may not be realized if the growth performance is weak. The need to lay a solid foundation for sustainable growth, rely more on domestic sources of financing especially noninflationary sources, and diversify the revenue base away from oil to non oil tax sources. In addition to the above, the following issues have been identified as current constraints that are hampering progress in efforts to tackle climate change activities in the country: * Lack of a regulatory framework that should guide any institutional governance and the activities of climate change have discouraged local lending to renewable energy projects, foreign direct investment (FDI), and significant take-off of the CDM market. The lack of an established and working climate change institution has encumbered the drawing up of a broad-based and robust regulatory framework that can, with the assistance of consultants and advisers in this area, ensure world-class practices being put in plac e in Nigeria as part of the structure. * Absence of definite budgets within the various government ministries, departments, and agencies to incorporate climate change activities in national development within the broader Nigerian society. Lack of moral persuasion by the federal government on private enterprise to focus on driving climate change mitigation strategies and business development. * Lack of general educational campaign to advise financial institutions, corporate bodies and civil society on the merits of investing in Green Energy and the CDM market has greatly hampered the take off of all related projects. Lack of knowledge by financial institutions on investment within the new ‘green’ economy in all its ramifications due to lack of capacity build-up in this area. * Lack of knowledge among most local financial institutions on how to advise clients to access CDM funds for their projects which leads to less revenue being generated from carbon sequestration proje cts. CONCLUSIONNigeria cannot afford to be left outing the fringes of achieving environmental sustainability, alleviating poverty and reducing extreme hunger in line with the millennium development goals. The Government of Nigeria must as a matter of expediency treat the problems associated with climate change on the economy with urgency by adhering to international environmental treaties and embarking on massive and aggressive sensitization of the citizens on the problems associated with global warming and the steps that can be taken to address the concern.The government needs to sensitize Nigerians on the need to be more environmental friendly, evolve a change in consumer behaviour and ensure effective utilization of financial resources to mitigate the effects of climate change. REFERENCE Odjugo, P. A. O. (2010). Regional evidence of climate change in Nigeria. Journal of Geography and Regional Planning, 3(6), pp. 142-150 United Nations Organization. (2010). Climate Change Conferen ce in Cancun leads to agreements Sass.R. L. , (2009), Frequently Asked Questions: Climate Change, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University United States Central Intelligence Agency World Fact Book (2011), https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ni. html United States Climate Science Program (2008), Trends in Emissions of Ozone Depleting Substances, Ozone Layer Recovery and Implications for Ultra Violet Radiation Exposure Synthesis and Assessment Product 2. 4