Famfa Oil Ltd is oil depletion a good thing Essay

Famfa Oil Ltd is oil depletion a good thing - Essay Example In such a way, the author will discuss four of the following environmental drawbacks that oil drilling within Nigeria, and elsewhere throughout the world for that matter, necessarily poses: the disruption in aquatic and sea life that the high level of noise generated by such a process necessarily entails, the level of habitat destruction that oil drilling causes, the environmental impacts and risks that oil spills pose, and the somewhat unregulated and oftentimes sloppy means by which third-party oil extraction companies often engage in such a process. Similarly, the analysis will also discuss what this author deems to be at least one overall benefit that oil drilling necessarily poses for the environment, the creation of man-made reefs on the ocean floor, as well as the issue of domestic oil ownership. By waiting each of these determinants, the analysis will also seek to determine whether or not, regardless of the economic benefits with such a process necessarily entails, the comple te exhaustion of hydrocarbon resources around the globe would be a benefit for the environment and by extension mankind as a whole. Background history: As compared to the multinational conglomerates of Chevron, Shell, BP, and others, FAMFA Oil is a relatively newcomer to the world of oil and gas exploration. Additionally, whereas many of the other firms which it previously been specified Tens of thousands of oilfield leases throughout the entire globe, FAMFA Oil operates specifically within its own nation of origin; Nigeria. This helps to set FAMFA Oil apart from many of its competitors do not only to its relatively recent entry into the world of oil drilling and exploration, but also sets it apart as Nigeria’s only domestically operated oil exploration and extraction entity. FAMFA Oil was originally founded in 1993. Soon thereafter, it began exploration of potential oil fields directly off the coast of Nigeria in what is now termed as the Guinea shelf. Soon thereafter, in 19 98, the Agbami field was discovered. This represented one of the first new hydrocarbon deposits discovered within recent history. Granted a leasehold right to over one half million acres of this oilfield in the late 1990s, FAMFA Oil soon became a dominant player sharing remainder of the oilfield with the likes of Texaco, Chevron, and a litany of other subsidiaries. Besides being one of the first oil companies operate within this oil-rich region, FAMFA Oil also had the additional benefit of extracting a very high quality crude that is been defined by many spectators as light, sweet, and low in sulfur content. Naturally, the overall level of oil that is exhibited within this particular field, and other fields in and around Nigeria necessarily means that a higher profit margin exists for this firm due to the fact that the crude oil extracted from these regions is of a higher value and needs less refinement prior to being turned into usable petroleum resources. Environmental Issues and Concerns: Firstly, from the interview which was conducted, it became clear that the CEO of FAMFA Oil was keenly aware of the overall risks related to noise pollution that oil drilling necessarily entails. Whereas environmentalists and society in general for that matter, are keenly aware of the risks of oil spills that necessarily result from oil extraction and exploitation around quote, few are aware of the fact that one of the secondary or tertiary

Illustration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Illustration - Essay Example ctive equipment consists of a range of clothing and equipment, which is worn by workers, students, contractors and visitors to protect their bodies from workplace hazards. Personal protective equipment contains equipment for eyes, head, ears, breathing system, body, hands and arms and feet and legs and should be used for the protection of an individual against any hazardous situation. People working in a workplace make use of personal protective equipment to ensure their safety. Firemen use PPE, manufacturing laborers use PPE, students and scientists working at laboratories use PPE, people working at construction sites use PPE, doctors use PPE and many others use PPE for their safety from any risky situations. For different kinds of workers working at different places, different kind of safety equipment and clothing is used. Firemen wear costumes that secure them from extensive heats and burns, they also use goggles for the safety of their eyes so that their eyes don’t get injured because of the situations they are put in. There are also special helmets for the firemen that secure their heads from any injurious activity happening around them. The students working in laboratories with chemicals should put on the lab coats and gloves in order to work securely. There can be many chances of occurrence of some dangerous situation. For that time, they should be ready and should use the PPE designed for that purpose. With proper precautionary measures by using PPE, many hazards can be controlled. While entering a workplace, the workers should wear the PPE instructed for them in order to take suitable precautionary measures for any risky situation. The protective equipment is designed for the safety of its users and when it is used, it proves to be efficient. Generally, people consider protective equipment as a burden and try to avoid it but they should keep in mind that it is not a burden and should be used for their own safety. Some people also use half of the

Are violent video games bad for kids Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Are violent video games bad for kids - Term Paper Example However, some studies have also indicated positive side of video games on children. This paper explores the negative and positive influence of video games on children. Violent video games promote aggressive behavior among children. According to Coon and Mitterer, children who are addicted to violent video games are most likely to develop violent and anti-social behavior (263). Most violent video games are designed in such a way that the more violent a child is when playing, the more points he or she earns. Active involvement of children in violent scenes shapes their behavior into aggressive individuals as they grow up. The interactive nature of the video games creates a perfect learning mode for children to master the art of violence. Video games adversely impact on performance at school. Video games are addictive in nature leave too little time for children to do their homework (Craton Para 15). For example, a child who takes three-quarters of his or her time playing video game will have no adequate reading time and hence likely to record poor academic performance in school. Video games make children to live fantasy life and lose touch with reality. Children addicted to violent video games usually want to do the things they do see in the video games. However, the reality is that video games are packed with fictional scenes. For instance, children usually want to try shooting and or other queer behaviors rewarded in violent video games. However, video games also have some benefits to children who play them. Video games enhance critical thinking in children and enable them to integrate well in the society. The games engage the brain in active and constant abstract thinking (Coon and Mitterer 263). They sharpen mental skills of children by fostering instruction following, logical problem solving, planning resource use, multitasking, quick and effective decision-making skills among others. The present world is technology driven and demands people to

Critically explore the term postfeminism in relation to any aspect of Essay

Critically explore the term postfeminism in relation to any aspect of contemporary culture in a national context of your choice - Essay Example Others such as Lotz argue that post-feminism is a part of third wave feminism (2001). According to Lotz, post-feminism includes poststructuralism and women-of-colour feminism influenced by poststructuralist, postmodern and postcolonial ideologies. In another representation of post-feminism, Rachel Moseley, a media critic sees post-feminism as a â€Å"re-evaluation of the tension which was often thought to exist between feminism and femininity† (Richardson 2006, p. 163). By this, she implies that post-feminism puts feminity (such as glamour and sexual objectification of women) back into feminist politics that originally are against feminity. 6 Some critics such as Tania Modleski take an opposite stance and argue that post-feminism is in fact discarding the achievements of second wave feminists by â€Å"delivering us back to a prefeminist world† (Richardson 2006, p. 164). Thus, there are paradoxical and opposing representations of the term ‘post-feminism’ and this contradiction is also reflected in the characters played in contemporary media. 6 The first use of the term ‘post-feminism’ was in 1920s press when it stated that feminist activism was not needed any longer and that a post-feminist era had dawned (Lotz 2001). The term’s critical academic use was in the post-second-wave era when it was defined as an emerging ideology and culture which incorporated, depoliticized and revised a large number of fundamental issues put forth by second-wave feminism (Lotz 2001). Faludi later on used the term to state that women no longer cared about feminism (McRobbie 2004). 6 Authors have debated post-feminism in terms of gender politics in popular magazines such as Time and People. However, there is no shared understanding of this term and its theoretical explorations are very expansive and unclear. Earlier representations of women in media, such as Mary Richards in The Mary Tyler Moore Show during the 1980s and 90s

Year of Wonders Essay Example for Free

Year of Wonders Essay Background of the novel: 1. William Shakespeare wrote most of his known plays between 1589 and 1613, and died in 1616. 2. Elizabeth I was succeeded by James VI of Scotland (becoming James I of Great Britain upon his crowning), in 1603. 3. Between the years of 1649 and 1660, during the English Civil War, England had no monarch; instead, the country was temporarily ruled by Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell as a military/parliament. 4. In 17th Century England, many people believed that witches were abound and were the cause of a variety of otherwise difficult-to-explain behaviour amongst people; if a person were found guilty of witchcraft, they were sentenced to death by hanging. 5. Puritans were those of a particular division of the Christian faith, differing notably from other branches in mostly their views on morality, which they believed to be incredibly important – and pursued down to the finest level of detail – and the structure and manner of their worship (shunning the interference of outside sources, such as rulers of the land, into religion, and not seeking happiness by normal means, taking it instead from their belief that they were acting according to God’s will). 6. (I couldn’t answer the first part of this question, as after seeing multiple versions of the book’s cover there seems to be no recurring phrase to consider as a ‘subtitle’.) Historical Fiction: 1. While some people may hold the expectation that historical fiction would be based on facts and research, painting a realistic picture of its setting, I would say that such an assumption is not, or at least should not be, usually present; historical fiction is labelled as ‘fiction’ for a reason, and as such is grounded too much in alternate reality, aiming too much to provide entertainment rather than information, to be considered an accurate, researched portrayal of its setting. Of course, there are exceptions – Year of Wonders, in part, being one – but even that does not provide a realistic enough picture of its time and place to make the emergence of such an expectation of factual provision becoming commonplace in the genre seem a good idea. 2. I believe that an author’s ability to shape their material into an effective and engaging narrative holds a higher position of importance than their willingness to adhere to historically accurate occurrences; if the author aims to engross their audience in the story, then every other aspect of the book is secondary to that goal. In the same way as one would be unwise to attempt to write a good book about a purposefully boring premise or character, there is little point in maintaining historical accuracy if such maintenance detracts from the entertainment of the piece. Even if the aim is not entertainment, but rather the conveyance of a particular theme, the same reasoning applies – there is little to no reason in maintaining historical accuracy if the themes being presented could be done so far more effectively without such accuracy. 3. Although it is obviously important in any medium to avoid anachronistic occurrences that could detract from the story, I do not agree that the ‘anachronisms’ in Year of Wonders could be classified as such, in that they do not seem to be truly anachronistic at all. By this, I mean that the attitudes of the main characters do not seem unbelievable, even considering the book’s setting, as any era will always have those who think differently – indeed, if not for this, this emergence of individuals going against the status quo who may obtain the rare chance to influence others, mankind’s common values would never have changed since its inception. Each of the characters in question seems to have been written with enough explanation of their own values and attitudes that they are justified, even within the context. While these circumstances are certainly unlikely, they are not impossible, and attempting to call those two things one and the same is akin to labelling day the same as night by the mere fact that they lie next to each other in the cycle of time. Reading the Novel: 1. It would seem that the reason for which Geraldine Brooks gave the name Year of Wonders to her novel is that, despite the devastating effects of the plague on Anna’s life, there truly were ‘wonders’ that happened for, and around, her in that year. She grew closer than she ever may have expected to a good friend; she salvaged many an innocent life with her (albeit shaky at first) willingness in being a midwife, which eventually led to her finding what she believed her true calling; she witnessed her town’s sacrificial act of goodness, sparing innocent bystanders from sharing in Eyam’s wretched fate; and, ultimately, she managed to find happiness, emerging from that most trying year scathed but still very much alive, restarting her life anew and settling down with two healthy, happy children to call her own. 2. Here is a list of my initial impressions of the characters in Year of Wonders: * Anna – A girl whose innocence was taken from her by that which she has experienced, seeming embittered and disillusioned with the world around her but standing as a strong pillar of kindness in spite of that. To those familiar with the terminology – for I can think of no better term for Anna’s character – she seems at first (and throughout the story) to be a ‘Mary Sue’. * Michael – A once-great man driven into an almost catatonic state by the events of the plague. * Elizabeth – An unpleasant woman, spoilt to the point of incredible greed and selfishness by the circumstances of her upbringing. * Jamie – A child like any other, energetic and inquisitive. * George – Good and kind-hearted, to the level that these qualities become suspicious. * Jane – A prudish and serious young girl, putting her religious views above all else in h er life to a perhaps obsessive extent. * Sam – Dull, yet kind; a simple man, content with his life. * Tom – A typical baby; along with Jamie, he is the subject of his mother’s devotion and love, and much of her reason for living now that Sam is dead. * Elinor – Kind and carefree, yet contemplative and devoted; Anna’s picture of perfection. * Mem – A woman weathered by the world, showing inherent goodness behind a more grumpy exterior as she remains to tend to a village of people who think none too highly of her. * Anys – A young girl showing the same world-weariness, temperament and awareness as her aunt, though whose morality is perhaps more tarred due to her selfishness, her bluntness and her disregard for typical values. * Stanley –Similarly to Jane, a person who treats worship and morality as being almost synonymous with life itself. * Aphra – Self-absorbed to the extreme and paranoid towards any outside forces in her life. * Lib – A representation of a typical girl of the Middle Ages, serving as a foil to Anna’s more progressive character. * Colonel Bradford – A selfish, rude man, having grown accustomed to abusing the power granted to him. * Miss Bradford – A typical rich woman of the times, considering her wealth as a token of superiority. * Robert – A wandering young man of high-class birth, seeking simple entertainment after leaving his home town of London. * Mary – An unremarkable woman on face level, wanting only a plain and happy life. * Surgeon(s) – [Grouped together because they are of indistinguishable temperaments] Fearful men, seeking not truly to aid others at critical points but rather to gain a stock of money from their work and remain in safety themselves. * The sexton – A hard-working old man, trying merely to do his duty in a most difficult time. * Brad – Though not particularly evil, a superstitious, desperate and stupid man. * Faith – Much the same as her father, Brad. * Urith – The same as Brad. * Martin – Same as above. * Maggie – A hard-working, honest peasant woman. * Jenny – Same as above. * Brand – A cautious man, but one who has goodness within him. * Jakob – Kind and accommodating, despite his difficult lot in life. * Josiah – A cruel and angry man not afraid to use his strength to get his own way; like his wife Aphra, he seems to reject anything other than the concept of self. * Sally – An entirely innocent victim, her death seeming representative of that which makes the villagers start to abandon their faith. * Kate – Another desperate, simple peasant woman, seeking safety but throwing away reason in an attempt to reach it. * Merry – Like Sally, Merry is a unfairly victimised child, but unlike her, Merry appears to represent hope and strength. * Alun – A gruff man, set in his ways, but with a good sense of right and wrong. * Randoll – A simple villager with a good heart. * Henry – Another plain villager, of a gruff and unpleasant temperament himself, but angered back into caring about morality by Josiah’s actions. * Lottie and Tom – Desperate parents who have suspended their disbelief of the supernatural in a vain attempt to protect their child. * John – A man whose already-fragile mind snapped from the fear and grief of the plague, spurring him to reckless action. * Urith – Meek; locked up in hiding due more to fear of her husband than of the plague. * James – A saddening old figure, his faith tested by his continued survival while more meaningful lives pass away in front of his eyes. * Mrs. Bradford – A fearful woman, whose subservience to her husband is so great as to surpass her care for her child’s life. * The Innkeeper – An honest, fair-minded man with a good sense of justice. * Ahmed – Refined, kind and accepting. 3. Brooks’ descriptions of the village and countryside are used to create suspense by portraying the change from a normal, perfectly functional town to a broken wreck; mentions of laughter, of playful children and of the sounds of work, are replaced by a foreboding silence, while the town itself becomes overgrown and filled with decay. The reason that these scenes – scenes of a once-lively town reduced to an image of death – create suspense is that, no matter where the characters focus, they will be presented by a reminder of the ruins around them, showing them just how close they are to that fate themselves. 4. The views developed by Brooks throughout the narrative seem to combine into one main theme – a willingness to question the status quo, to show that the current state of things may not always be for the best. This is shown through class divides (questioning whether the wealthy truly deserve their privileged status, as evidenced by the selfishness of the Bradfords), relative gender equality for the times (as both men and women play a crucial role in stopping the end situation from being even worse; if, as was typical of the times, only the men had been allowed to decide on issues – and, for example, Anna and Elinor had not been able to choose to act as midwives – the death toll may well have been higher), and the steadfast determination to perceive the plague as a religious occurrence rather than a natural one (which, by focusing eyes in the wrong direction, likely caused the loss of many lives; if the true reason for the plague had been discovered earlier, more effective countermeasures could have been taken). This general theme, and its components, reflects contemporary attitudes rather accurately – recent society has certainly become more open to changing the status quo, and such things as gender equality and reduced expectations of religion seem to have worked rather well in changing society for the better. 5. Contrast between characters can be seen between multiple pairs in Year of Wonders. Anna seems to have four main contrasting characters, each of a different kind – firstly, she and Aphra are contrasted in their desires, with Anna’s being largely for the wellbeing of other people while her stepmother’s are selfish. Michael Mompellion could be considered the second contrast to Anna, as he is an initially strong man weakened by his trials and losses while Anna’s seem to serve only to strengthen her resolve in the end. Anys is the contrast to Anna’s third defining characteristic; while Anna is a rather traditional girl despite her individual ways, and hides much of her true self and her opinions inside, Anys’ views would not seem entirely common in our day, and she has little reservation about speaking her mind bluntly. Finally, Anna’s situation – that of a strong, outgoing woman, hidden behind the mask of a cautious, unglamorous girl – is opposite to that of Elinor, who appears in Anna’s eyes to be a near-flawless woman radiating energy but is internally scarred and in turmoil. Elinor, with her constant kindness and equal treatment despite her high-class family background, has another contrasting character of her own in Elizabeth, the rich daughter of the Bradfords who abuses her power and thinks only of her own desires. One more prominent contrast is between Colonel Bradford and Michael – while both being intelligent men, the Colonel seeks to employ this intelligence only to protect himself, whereas Michael aims to aid those around him. The Structure of the Novel: 1. It seems that flashback has been used here for a multitude of reasons; it allows for a more direct before-and-after contrast to show the development of her character throughout the year (by virtue of snapping from one to the other; in a gradual build-up, the changes would be less noticeable), it reveals the inevitable end of the story so as to place an emphasis on the book’s characters and setting rather than its plot’s ramifications, and it creates a sense of curiosity as to just how events transpired within the focused-upon year to create such change as can be seen. 2. While beginning with a flashback is, as previously explained, effective in setting up a variety of paths to set the foundation for telling a tale, it is not a solve-all solution for storytelling; some aspects of the story cannot be satisfactorily fleshed out without the reader having some pre-established knowledge of the characters, setting and such things, and so I imagine that is for this reason that Brooks decided to revisit this time. 3. While I am not certain on this fact, it would seem that the middle thirteen chapters of the story were indeed narrated in chronological order; if this is not the case, then I would perhaps say that the signposting to show this anachronism was insufficient. Leaf-fall, 1666: Apple-picking Time: 1. Key character interactions and quotations in this opening chapter are: * Anna’s devotion to the deteriorated Michael Mompellion, rousing curiosity as to what led to the situation. * Michael’s grief and bitterness over the loss of Elinor. * The cold, vengeful attitude held towards Elizabeth as a member of the Bradfords. * The mention that Josiah ‘loved the pot more than his children’. * Elizabeth being ‘sour-faced and spoiled’. * ‘His hand is on the bible, but he never opens it’ – Michael’s religious habits contrasting with his shattered faith. * Anna’s motives in caring for Michael, showing her idolatry of Elinor: ‘I do it for her. I tell myself I do it for her. Why else would I do it, after all?’ * Michael’s frigid recital of a passage from the Bible, showing further his grief from the loss of Elinor and his feeling of betrayal from God: ‘Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 2. I think that Brooks chose to use first-person narrative because it would seem that the story she seeks to tell is primarily one of a single girl’s character development; while third-person writing allows for a greater scope of focus on multiple characters or a wider story, the first-person perspective tends to allow the writer to more accurately portray the nuanced thoughts of an individual, and so it seems more fitting for this purpose. Another possible reason is that this subjective first-person story, shown through the imagined eyes of Anna Frith, paints the emotions and feel of the setting better than a first-person narrative may manage to easily do. 3. Archaic and dialect words contribute to the story by creating a more realistic setting; in a similar way to the aforementioned example of anachronism (an ancient Roman wearing a watch), the story’s sense of realism would be broken if the residents of a small, 17th century British town were to speak just as we do today. 4. Aside from the stated phrases, notable signs of decay, loss and disillusionment in this chapter are: * ‘The courtyard hadn’t been swept in a sennight. It smelled of rotting straw and horse piss.’ * ‘If there’s one thing I couldn’t stand anymore, it’s the scent of a rotting apple.’ * ‘†¦sometimes I feel that I’m tending just another in that long procession of dead.’ * ‘My neighbours’ cottage was empty, the ivy already creeping across the windows and the grey lichens crusting the sills.’ * ‘[Nature] has taken less than a year to begin to reclaim its place.’ 5. Some examples of parallels between the physical desolation of the garden and the spiritual desolation of Michael are: * The idea that Elinor would be sorry to see what had become of her garden; just as it has been dirtied with weeds, so too has Michael’s spirit been corrupted by his anger and grief, and Elinor would be most saddened to see what had become of this once-strong man. * In relation to the previous point, Anna remarks, ‘I expect she would understand why it is so’. * Anna also remarks on how nobody could truly restore Elinor’s garden back to its former glory, drawing comparisons to how – no matter what efforts Anna or any others may make in improving Michael’s state of depression – they could never tend to him with the same skill as his wife could have; he could never return to being the steadfast bastion of strength that he was when he stood with Elinor’s support. 6. It does not, to me, seem that Anna’s relative stability in the face of Michael’s mental collapse indicates a message of feminist resilience; regardless of Brooks’ intention, the two simply seem to be different people, defined in this aspect by their characters rather than their genders. This view is supported by Aphra’s fall into depraved insanity, which certainly contained no message of women being inherently strong. 7. Examples of the complexities of Anna’s character shown in this chapter are: * Her prioritising of compassion above tradition – ‘A servant has no right to stay, once she’s dismissed. But I did stay†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Page 4) * Her hesitance to let any life be in need, unhappiness or danger – tending to the horse (‘I kept prattling, softly, as I used to with the children when they were scared or hurt.’ (Page 5)), not wanting to pull out the plant (‘like me, so brimful of endings that they cannot bear to wrench even a scrawny sapling from its tenuous grip on life.’ (Page 12)).

Drum And Bass History In Context Film Studies Essay

Drum And Bass History In Context Film Studies Essay Drum and Bass is an electronic music genre that that developed out of Jungle music. A shift of UK Breakbeat Hardcore and the rave scene of the mid-1990s. Drum and Bass has seen many transformations in its style, taking elements from, Hip hop, dancehall, funk, house, and techno. The genre is characterized by heavy bass and sub basslines as well as fast Breakbeats (a sampling of a percussion section as a drum loop), usually played between 160 and 180 beats per minute.The most renown break is known as the Amen break, a four bar sampled drum solo of the song Amen Brother by funk and soul band The Winstons. It has been extensively used in Hip hop as well as sampled based music and also became the basis for Drum and Bass and Jungle music. Drum and Bass was seen to have a more melodic form, differing from the rough style of Jungle. While Jungle seared to the unyielding sonic boom of Ragga another style was gently maturing behind closed studio doors. A soft more textural form of the Jungle equation which cross- matched spliced breaks with an ethereal ambience, cool jazziness and soulful twists. The complete antithesis to the jump up sonics of the rugged and raw Junglist soundtrack, this new home listening version or Drum and Bass as it was simply referred to by artists involved. However promoters and journalists soon added the word, ambient or intelligent to the depiction. The insinuations of the intelligent label caused ramifications throughout the scene. With Junglists arguing that the name implied that the jump up style of jungle was in some way brainless music for dim-witted people. It also had racial implications since the majority of jungle raves were largely dominated by black youths. However this new genre was t hought to be targeted towards a more middle class white audience. Ironically Drum n Bass was simply trying to keep the original ethos of jungle. Concerned with pushing the parameters of sound while engaging influences from the entire spectrum of music, Drum n Bass represented the very spirit of jungle since its earliest house incarnations.  [1]   Drum and Bass development of Breakbeat can be seen as far back as 1991. As T-Power has already suggested, Drum n Bass and Jungle were developing side by sideall along, although very much in the minority, the more mellow style of Drum n Bass was showing itself even during the Dark period.  [2]   One of the better known DJs to explore this development was L. T. J. Bukem. Alongside Fabio and Grooverider Bukem is known as one of the pioneering DJs of the rave scene. His tastes can be traced as far back as the jazzier endeavours of Giles Petersons Dingwall sessions. However by the time rave had hit Bukem was Djing a rare selection of Jazz Funk and prime House tracks to a growing mass of fans. In 1991 Bukem released his 3rd LP Demons Theme pressing up a dub plate to drop in his set; the track gripped the attention of the crowd immediately. Its mellowing vibes along with the rushing breaks and plush ambience created a fresh outlook within the dark ambience of rave. Early 1994 saw a tirade of people coming together to join forces with Bukem. Artists such as La Bello Blanco and Omni Trio began push forward the smooth vibes as established by Bukem. This more ambient style seemed equally at home in clubs as it did on a personal stereo. One of the scenes most influential labels came in the shape of Reinforced Records. Formed by Iain Barouille, Dego McFarlane, Gus Lawrence and Mark Clair who also created music as a collective under the name 4Hero, the label brought about a new level of sound. Boasting a roster of the scenes most influential figures Lemon D, Doc Scott, Goldie, L Double and Grooverider, together they fashioned a collection of tracks which would range from the other-worldly contortions of Peshays Protà ©gà © to the fractured Breakbeats of Doc Scotts Last Action hero.  [3]  Reinforceds approach to music resulted in a continuous ability to predict the next sonic development in Breakbeat science. This display of sound shifts of the future would redefine the Drum and Bass scene. By June 1994 4 hero unleashed their debut album Parallel Universe this was to be a cutting-edge. Dabbling with experimental Jazz, the album draw upon b-boy roots whilst incorporating strings, layered with clear-cut breaks. The album helped to coin a term which exposed the scenes incessant attraction with Jazz. Jazzstep becoming ever more prevalent towards the end of 1994 saw complex Breakbeat structures sounding increasingly similar to the rhythms of Jazz Fusion bands. The adoption of Jazzier vibes by Reinforced Records created a stir at the epicentre of the Drum and Bass scene. Artists such as Fabio would take very opportunity to weave together the jazzier tracks with his Breakbeat sets. Now with the arrival of this new Jazz element within Drum and Bass sound. However for fans of Drum and Bass this new sound could only be enjoyed via the experimental shows of pirate radio stations. This was until October of 1994, Fabio, Bukem, Kemistry and Storm along with an assortment of guests saw a creation of a Monday night session at Mars Bar in Londons west end. The night was proclaimed Speed, it was to become one of the countrys most important club nights. It not only gave a meeting place for likeminded Djs and producers it was also to be the new creative centre of Drum and Bass. However this particular night was far flung from the raging crowds of the old Jungle raves which often saw gatherings of up to 5000 people. Mars bar only had a capacity of a few hundred, paving the way for a whole new generation of Drum and Bass heads, Jungalists and Breakbeat enthusiasts. These were people who listened to Drum and Bass through pirate stations. Indeed Speed was to Drum and Bass what Roast had been to Jungle and Rage to Hardcore. Each week saw Fabio play their smooth and rolling breaks, Bukem on the oceanic tip, washing the crowd with lush string drive epics while Fabio took he vibe deeper into Jazz land. Intricate beats intertwined with strolling bass lines, counter tempos and off key refrains. Speed also saw the clothing style move away from the flesh-revealing lycra and designer casual chic. In its place was a style more in line with hiphop. 1995 finally saw the sound come to the forefront. As this new melodic style of Drum and Bass progressed it became progressively more supported by the media. That years Goldies Inner City Life had been released to universal acclaim, suddenly everyone wanted a piece of Drum and Bass. Some definitions Ambient jungle  Drum and bass tracks with an atmospheric feel/mood/style to them. Some have long intros or ambient breaks. The most popular example is  Bukems Horizons. Artcore / Intelligent  These were the tracks that were initially written in a backlash against the big ragga jungle scene. The term was used most famously for the series of React Compilations, which have included mixes by  Kemistry  andStorm. This was and still is a favourite style for  Good Looking Records   a label that was initially ignored as it did not base its music on the dancefloor. Darkside  The exact opposite to the optimistic and catchy hardcore anthems. Darkside takes in samples from horror movies, deep, dark basslines and screams. Has undergone some serious developements but an ever-present style throughout drum and bass history. Still popular with todays producers i.e.  Blue Sonics   Devil Inside. It is not so much characterised by the samples now but more by the general sound and feel of the beats and synths. Happy hardcore  This is what remains of the original hardcore style, after jungle split off in 1991/92 some DJs and ravers remained loyal to the manic pianos, cartoon samples and sped-up vocals. The music self-destructed to some extent by becoming stagnated and too repetitive, as a result it would appear to be fading fast in the UK but still retains a large following in other countries. Hardstep  A term borne out of Grooveriders seminal 1995 LP Hardstep Selection. Usually simple tracks with deep grinding basslines and minimal or simple Breakbeats. Jazzstep Another sub-genre for those artists who took in jazz influences for their productions. Originated with Alex Reece  but more recently publicised by Bristols  Roni Size Reprazent  and  4 Hero. Still a style going strong. Jump-up  The style for the dancefloor. Big, bad drums and strong basslines. Often utilise vocal samples so once you hear some tracks you never forget them. Most at home in a club or event and guaranteed to get people moving (even if its only head-nodding.) Ragga-jungle  The style of the originators. Many of the early jungle tunes took in ragga influences spawned one of jungles greatest chart successes: M-Beat feat. General LevysIncredible  and Shy FXs  Original Nuttah. The influence has died right down with the  Tribe Of Issachars Tribal Natty being a lone example of recent years.

Consultant Report For London Taxis International Limited

Consultant Report For London Taxis International Limited This report is being produced to investigate whether a move towards electric vehicles will be beneficial to London Taxi International limited. This report has focused on PESTEL analysis, Political, Environmental, Social, Technological, Economical and Legal regions using SWOT (Strengths, weaknesses, Opportunities and threats) methods to analyse each of these regions. The political aspects to focus upon on making a change to electric vehicles are the implantations of the laws that benefit electric vehicles. One of the main regions these taxis operate around is London and the main disadvantage of driving in London is congestion charge the government has implemented a law that states that for electric vehicles congestion charges are to be scrapped. Generally per vehicle congestion charges implemented by transport of London is  £10 for the day and from the London Black cabs figures there is an assumption of 17000 licensed cabs on the road. Therefore within a year this company will be saving approximately in the region of thousands of pounds and making a profit on the electric vehicles they produce and sell as they are more attractive to purchasers. Continuing with the money this change would account for savings as an electric vehicle is immune from paying road tax because its emissions are below 100g/km under the new lows, this is one of the ways t o promote electric cars to more people, and in addition to that the electric vehicle is immune from the raising taxes put on petrol. The reason for rising the issue of Carbon emissions is due to new laws that are due to come into effect. The car currently being produced by London Taxi International limited would become obsolete as the TX4 is producing CO2 emissions of 233g/km. Therefore even if the switch to electric is not made a new car concept that produces less pollution will have to be considered. Finally as the government are constantly introducing new schemes to promote the electric vehicle they have offered grants for purchasing electric cars. The latest innovative idea by the government is to offer  £5000 towards the price of the electric vehicle. Therefore if we are producing electric vehicles consumers are more likely to purchase the electric vehicle over the existing model as along with the road tax, free parking and other schemes the government are offering will be saving a great deal more money in both the short and long term. Referring back to the SWOT method with the political aspects however laws in other countries consider electric vehicles as a hazard due to the fact they create no artificial noise. These countries have implemented a law that says all vehicles must make some noise for safety reasons. This makes cause a problem when approaching these companies with our new electric design. Considering threats to the political aspects of this report times are changing. Therefore at the moment the government are happy to promote electric vehicles in a positive light. However once the switch over happens, the reaction to electric vehicles may change as there may be an advancement that could show them to be hazardous. One of the biggest issues in the motoring these days is the environment which is being destroyed day by day. One of the main reasons for this destruction is co2 which as we know comes mainly from the use of fossil fuel in motor vehicles. There are new legislations concerning co2 emissions from vehicles and the European commission has issued emission standard known as euro 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and the Mayor of London has introduced a taxi emission strategy that requires all London taxis to meet at least euro 3. There is no debate on how electric vehicles help the economy and save money; but electric cars dont just protect your wallet. They also stop oil companies from drilling offshore or in environmentally protected areas. Offshore drilling is very hazards to the environment for example the Gulf of Mexico spill , and spills from ships such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, and the Torrey Canyon in the UK have illustrated the harm oil spills can cause to ocean-based ecosystems. Most people may not understand exactly how these alternative vehicles contribute to save the planet. One of the main problems to the environment is produced by using vehicles that depend mainly on fossil fuel. Not only that, there are other hazards materials that can harm the environment, like the batteries of the vehicle which after its been used fully it bosses a high risk to the environment and it has to be disposed of properly. LTI has been trying to reduce the use of hazardous substances to levels lower than those demanded by new European Legislation and the recyclability targets which came into force in 2006 are comfortably met. A number of components in LTI vehicles are already produced from recycled material and LTIs policy of promoting increased use of these materials will ensure the impact of their vehicles on the environment will be reduced. Also LTI has been thinking of a way to dispose of the hazards materials by using modern disposal facilitates that will do this in an environmentally friendly manner. LTI Vehicles has partnered with Auto green Ltd. Auto green, will take charge of disposing off disused LTI vehicles, and they will provide a contracted network of take back and Authorised Treatment Facilities (ATFs) throughout the United Kingdom. This process ensures that re-use, recovery and recycling targets are met. The economic factors include consideration of economic growth for the company, interest rates affecting cost of capital, exchange rates of exporting goods and finally inflation rates. All these factors affect how the company will operate and what decisions it will make. As we propose to the London Taxi Company a new electric engine concept for their taxis, we have to bear in mind what effects this will have on the company economically if they decide to go ahead with our idea. The advantages of our idea include that there is a small but stable market for the electric engine concept so large sale or purchases of supplies wont cause major changes; also the product is attractive to the company as it will cut down their running costs and hopefully increase profits. London Taxi Company has relationships with partners all over the world international relations. This is an advantage to the taxi company as the production rate of taxis will remain high as they supply electric taxis across the world to countries such as Egypt, Ghana, Kosovo and Lebanon. The company also has a number of European partners with plans to introduce the iconic London taxi to Rome, Milan and Istanbul. These all increase the companys economic growth. As London Taxi Limited already has international relations, they would need to keep ahead of their competition. If this is done, they would appeal more to customers for their greener vehicles and because the electric cars costs less to run. The taxi firms would also want the electric cars as they cost less to run than petrol vehicles. This means London Taxi Limited would sell even more electric taxis and therefore boost their capital and profit levels. Also when new laws on green house gases and co2 emission are introduced in the different countries, (such as America, South East Asia and Australasia) London Taxi Limited will appeal more to the taxi firms. This will give them a new business opportunity, especially if they have electric taxis that are known to be reliable. So London Taxi Limited would be the first choice for taxi production from taxi firms. The disadvantages with this proposition consist of costs of research and development, funding during conversion of petrol to electric engines and exchange rates affecting the cost of importing goods and the supply of exported goods to the international and European cities. As a result inflation rates could have either beneficial or detrimental effects in the long term. As the market for electric cars is fairly young, research and development into new and more efficient ideas is still being done which the London Taxi Company would be interested in doing to improve their electric engines generally. Concerning the conversion to electric for the whole production line, complete factories would need to be adapted to suit the installation of electric engines into the taxi cars. This process would be quite costly and might require borrowing of money to fund it. As exchange rates are fluctuating all the time, importing and exporting costs might have an effect on the business. The inflation ra tes depend on the country that is involved in business with London Taxi Company where, at the moment, inflation rates are highest in Ghana at 15 25 %. In short term, the process might be quite costly, yet if we look at the long run, these costs will only pay off eventually due to no fuel or running costs. The social aspect upon making this decision to change to electric is extremely important as the image is what will encourage both the public and consumers to change to or use electric vehicles. One of the main reasons LTI should convert their cabs to electric power is because although they do have a world renown image, that image is of a loud, expensive, heavily polluting vehicle. Converting their vehicles to electric power will hugely improve this image, reduce running costs and make them much quieter for running in tight residential areas, making taxi companies more likely to buy the taxis. For most emerging electric cars, such as the Nissan Leaf, the government provides subsidies to consumers who want to buy the electric car. If LTI are quick to enter the market, then this government subsidy may be offered to consumers wanting to buy the new LTI electric car. This would be hugely beneficial because taxi companies looking to buy taxis would see this and hopefully take action to get the reduced price while they can. The larger the city, the more pollution occurs due to more vehicles and industries emitting co2. If the taxis that run in the cities were powered by batteries, then a large chunk of these pollutants will be diminished, as well as setting the standard for the rest of public transport. Other companies will be demanding LTI to provide them with the cleaner taxis if they are the first to enter this niche market, which gives an excellent foothold for LTI to establish them in this growing industry. Also, if LTI have battery powered cabs, then they may attract the attention of environmental enthusiasts that would otherwise prefer to use other modes of transport, such as cycling or walking, thus creating a much larger customer base and hence higher revenue. Most people wanting a taxi in London will always choose black cabs over any other taxi model as London is largely associated with Black cabs; because black cabs an are large brand image of London. Therefore consumers will have a bigger market of not only tourists but environmentally friendly people may convert to using their service and therefore will increase LTIs production demand. However, the number of cities you see LTIs black cabs in isnt great. It tends to only be larger cities that have them so only a small percentage of people will get to use them on a regular basis. Smaller cities and towns will miss out, unless of course, LTI expand to more cities, which will be easily done with the reduced running costs of converting to battery power. A problem arises also when considering the current state of the economy. People and firms dont have enough money spare to take huge risks. Converting from combustion to battery is a large risk because so little is known about the market due to it being relatively new. Reliability and range are the main concerns, but also costs of a vehicle are breaking down are unknown. This uncertainty may be enough to deter consumers and result in a major loss to LTI. We looked at the technology side of using London Taxi International Limited within the electric car market. The first main point is that this is an innovative idea. It hasnt been done before and therefore will mean the company would get the upper hand over their competition as well as a new image as being a cleaner and greener company from their customers. This is because the electric cars wont be producing as much of their green house gases. Times are changing and electric cars are becoming better and more useful. So its a matter of time before the black cabs need to change. This will get the business a head start into it and get ahead of their competition. If the London Taxi Company accepted our proposal, the first step would be to possibly look into borrowing some money to kick off the process of buying new engine parts and installing them to the taxis (having trained up factory staff to a suitable level to carry this out) this would then involve interest rates which would be predetermined. Then make contact with suppliers for electric engine parts such as batteries and organise prices for shipping and handling. The third task would then be to change the taxi car production line and make all the brand new taxis electric with batteries. The TX4 has already proven to be a reliable vehicle that has a high level of performance with few problems. Therefore a whole new concept design will not need to be considered to change to electric and we are able to keep the main body of the car and only change the drive chain. The design of the TX4 is already owned by LTI and therefore there is no cost associated with keeping this design. As the TX4s shape and parts will still be produced and only the engine will be changed, the machinery that is already producing that car can still function as usual and therefore a massive change will not be needed and money will be saved. It is essential for LTI to create relations with companies that produce electric motors and are researching into the length of the battery life. This is important as the battery makes up a significant proportion of the cost of the car and will change the retailing price in which it is sold at. It wouldnt be sensible for LTI to develop a battery itself as they dont have the resources and experience in this field and as a small company could not invest the necessary capital. Batteries are hazardous and this will introduce new health and safety regulations in the factory which will incur the costs of retraining. The main disadvantages that could affect consumers wanting to purchase into electric taxis is the battery life. As electric vehicles are becoming more common technology is increasing to help sustain these electric vehicles batteries. London are considering introducing new underground charging stations that while parked at lights will charge the battery to help sustain its life. As this technological advancement is being placed around London it enables LTI to promote the electric vehicle without being worried about the length of the battery life. Also stations where you just drive up to change the electric battery, which is robotically manned, are being used by America currently. So as interest increases for electric vehicles in the UK this idea will possible be introduced into the UK giving more cause for electric cars. For private use electric cars are at a disadvantage because of their short range. This is why the electric car market is growing slowly. This is not an issue when the vehicle is being used as a taxi because taxis are almost never used for journeys longer than 10 miles. In the end its the companies wish whether to take an order of a bigger distance or not. Therefore the slow affecting market for cars to change to electric will not have the same disadvantages as taxis changing to electric. Research has shown that there wont be any technological issues when putting the new drive chain (electric motor) into the current taxi models. LTI has introduced a new hydrogen and electric hybrid vehicle to support the 2012 Olympics. The car keeps the ionic shape the London black cab but uses a combination of a fuel cell, powered by a tank of hydrogen, and lithium polymer batteries. This reduces LTIs worry that the TX4s shell would not be able to support an electric motor change. The electric motor has less power than normal petrol/diesel motors. However this should not affect sales as the car will be brought by private companies rather than individuals who would be concerned with performance. There are legal implications that LTI should consider when changing to electric motors. An electric car requires a special fast charging station in order to charge it fully in a matter of hours rather than days. These would require planning permission to be installed on a companys property or if a taxi company lease the property they would need permission of the owner. There could be some safety concerns associated with such a high voltage supply which could provoke the government into bringing in new legislations regarding these charging stations Another factor to consider when thinking about legal implications is such as problems with brake lights; one of the benefits of the electric car is that it uses the cars momentum when free-wheeling to recharge the battery. However a drawback of this is that the cars slow down a lot quicker in comparison to a regular free-wheeling car. Hence there is currently debate with regard to whether the brake lights should be on at such a time. The decisions of such laws should not affect the possibilities to use electric cars for London Taxis.