The Influence of Stress on Dopamine Levels :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Influence of Stress on Dopamine Levels In the quest to survive, every living organism is equipped with the armor to withstand the impacts of stress. The African savanna leaves the zebra in an anxiety-ridden position of vulnerability to predators. Stress may can be as basic as the lack of food, habitat, or reproductive success. Humans are especially aware of the impacts of stress due to the nature of todayà ¢s contemporary lifestyle. Too many daily demands can give a person anything from insomnia to indigestion to depression. Every person is equipped to naturally deal with large amounts of stress, but when these amounts exceed what the body can handle, discomfort is considerable. Besides the qualitative approach to coping with stress, what bodily mechanisms are responsible for dealing with anxiety? The nervous system is almost solely credited with this task. The complex interaction system between billions of individual neurons facilitates large number of behaviors that result due to inputs originating inside and outside the organism. Spaces between neighboring neurons are called synapses, and one way in which they communicate is by sending chemical signals called neurotransmitters across the presynaptic membrane to the postsynaptic membrane. Years of nervous system research have determined that stress activates the neurotransmitter, dopamine. The functions of dopamine are numerous, but in general it inhibits transmission of nerve impulses. This transmitter is found throughout the body, though mainly housed in the brainà ¢s interior basil ganglia, in the frontal lobe of the information-processing center of the brain, or in the limbic system (1). Many chronic diseases result from the overproduction or underproduction of dopamine. The dopamineà ¢s inability to move into the frontal lobe of the brain results in the inability to control fine motor movement and is familiarly called Parkinson Disease(1) . If the flow of dopamine throughout the nervous system is not allowed to circulate as usual, then schizophrenia follows (1). Now that the extreme abnormalities of dopamine have been discussed, letà ¢s look at how dopamine affects the average person who is subjected to a stressful environment. One study maintains that the chewing behavior of mice is a response to stress, and therefore it serves as a coping device. The body responds to stress by the activation of the cerebral dopaminergic (DA) system. The study shows that when given the option of chewing, the activation of mouse DA system is drawn out (2) In other words, when allowed to chew, a mouseà ¢s body will have prolonged the presence of stress-managers; this coping mechanism reduces the impact of the stress.

National Westminster Bank Essay

Q1. Analyse the customer contact process during the account opening procedure. What aspects of the branch’s operation impact on each stage? From analysing the branch’s operation it is clear to see which parts of the banks operation impacts each stage of the account opening procedure. Firstly the customer arrives into the bank, usually customers go to the cashiers section, they are then referred over to the enquiries counter, where they are greeted by enquiry personnel who find out which of the banks service the customer requires. If the customer wishes to open a new account, a member of the records staff comes to administer the account opening procedure. It is the records staff who deals mostly with new customers. The records staff must to have a good basic knowledge of all the banks operations to be able to advise the new customer which account is best suited for them. They must find out if the customer wishes to invest money or if they wish to avail of the banks credit facilities. The records staff would not have an in depth knowledge of the investments available to new customers so more often than not a member of the investment section is called over to advise the new customer. Read more:  Banker’s Draft Natwest For credit facilities, the new customer is referred to the lending section for processing, as this operation is outside the record section staff jurisdiction. Once they account type has been established, the â€Å"formalities† begin (processing of customer details). Records staff go through forms to ensure that all key information has been gathered. This is probably the longest part of the account opening procedure with the customer as a lot of details need to be processed. Once all the details have been gathered by the records staff, the direct customer contact finishes. Customer details are then passed onto the administrative section and the machine room to finalise the opening of a new account and the paper printing (cheque books, log books, ATM cards etc.) How the different operations interact upon the Records section: Q2. How would you improve the process? Once the bank identified their problems the set out an improvement plan. They key areas identified for improvement were identified: > Signage > Inexperienced Staff > Limited staff for rush hours > Uneven flow of walk-in customers at peak times From a recent survey customers identified the following problems: > Account opening forms were not properly explained > Bank’s standard account pack was not sent out to customers > Some customers waited more than the standard 9 days to receive cheque book and bank card > Customer personal details were recorded incorrectly > Staff seemed uninterested in the customers needs > Customers wouldn’t recommend the bank to others All of the above points were taken into account in the banks improvement plan. Firstly the signage issue was tackled. This issue was clearly a problem when we visited the bank, see fig.1 It was evident from this, that the enquiries desk wasn’t clearly noticeable or signposted. To eliminate the problem of new customers queuing at the cashier’s desk (adding to queue delays in the bank) new signage was positioned around the bank clearly highlighting where the new customers were to go. While it was unfeasible to move staff permanently from section to section, records staff who are generally young and junior members of staff could be temporarily move around each of the banks operations. This would add to their training knowledge and enable them to give more specialised advice to customers. By doing this staff will get to know each others jobs, they will become more confident in their work, giving the sense of importance to the banks operation. This increases staff motivation which reduces boredom as boredom leads to mistakes. To assess the overall performance of staff’s training and progress, the bank could introduce ‘mystery shoppers’, a member of staff from another of the banks branches comes to open an account, goes through the whole procedure and at the end evaluates the staffs performance, identifies areas for improvement etc. As it was, the cashiers would go for their lunch, and it was the job of the records section to cover the cashier positions during lunch. This however was the busiest period for new customers wishing to open accounts. During the lunchtime rush customers could feel they were been rushed, inevitably resulting in mistakes occurring. To deal with this issue, lunch time for the bank staff could be divided up more evenly. Only a set amount of cashiers go for lunch at any one time, these cashiers do not take their lunch until the first group comes back, this way there is always somebody covering the records section to deal with new potential customers if they arrive during the lunch time period. To ensure the records section were not over burdened by new customers during the lunch time period, a system of ‘appointment only’ during the lunch time rush was set up. This way the records section could easily deal with walk-in customers in the mornings and afternoons, and during lunch time they knew how many customers to expect and spend the required time needed with each customer opening an account. This way the customer feels more at ease and the records section staff do not feel under pressure and rushed, reducing the amount of mistakes made. Customers felt that the account opening forms were not properly explained to them. This issue was tackled by more staff training and the ‘mystery shopper’ also helped by giving feedback. This helps the junior staff in training to interpret the forms better and be much more capable of explaining the forms to customers. In terms of the bank’s standard account pack not been sent out to customers, the bank set up a system of having all the leaflets on hand so the member of staff dealing with the new customer could make up a package there and then to suit the customers needs. It was identified that some customers waited more than the standard 9 days to receive their cheque books or ATM cards. This waiting period was improved by a more clear line of communication set up between the records staff, administration staff and the machine room. This was also helped as now there were fewer mistakes and the records staff had more time to process the forms during the day as the ‘by appointment only’ and not having to cover the cashier positions fully during lunch had clearly freed up some extra time for them. To deal with the problem of customers personal details not been recorded properly, the customer was asked to fill in a form which clearly legible showing how to spell their name address etc. Once all the forms had been filled out, it was advised that the supervisor provided an extra check on the forms before they were sent for processing. To assist with the implementation of this system a sort of a Kanban system could be set up, â€Å"In-Kanban†, â€Å"Out-Kanban† this way everything was fully completed before it was sent for processing, and there would be no mix ups, on what was processed and what has to be processed. Also as part of this kanban system to finalise the last step, approval by the manager must be signed on the form. The problem of the customers feeling rushed was solved when the records section were released from other duties such as fully covering the cashiers during lunch. If all of the above points are implemented successfully, the bank will be back on track to a successful and complimentary word of mouth.

I Don; T Know Essay

Why or why not? All personal and confidential information should be limited to the bare amount of health care professionals. Only to carry out medical treatment (MLAE). 2. In this case, how would you be able to correct your error and provide the missing documents to the patient while still protecting patient confidentiality under HIPAA? You should contact the patient inform them you still have the documents, and ask if they ould like to come to get them (MLAE). 3. Besides a HIPAA Patient Release of Information form, list 4 other items that are found in the medical record. A privacy notice, acknowledgment that the privacy notice was received, a trading partner agreement, and an agreement reached with a healthcare professional business associates (MLAE). 4. Legally, does the patient or the physician/healthcare facility own the medical record? Why? The healthcare facility, but the patient can access them any time as long as the physician feels it will cause no harm to the patient (MLAE) . 5. List 3 ways patient confidentiality is maintained in the reception/waiting area of a medical office. Not discussing patient information in the lobby. Making sure computer screens are out of patients sight. Also making sure patients files are not left open (MLAE). 6. A breach of confidentiality can result in what consequences for a health care professional? This could result in possible termination, or possible civil action being taken (MLAE). 7. From the list of Interpersonal Ethics (found in Chapter 1 of the Fremgen text), please describe how any of those traits were demonstrated in your actions in this case scenario? Respect by looking to make sure you could access his information (MLAE). Unit 8 Project Questions: Part II 1. Would the action taken in this second scenario be within your scope of practice for your chosen field? Why or why not? No only physicians should be giving out prescriptions, and they should have never even looked in the file. They should have just taken a message for the doctor (MLAE). 2. What determines your scope of practice for your chosen career? What you study, and what the office you are working in tells you to do (MLAE). 3. Would Respondeat Superior apply in this case scenario? Why or why not? I would not think so, because this person was not acting within their scope of Employment (MLAE). 4. Would the Good Samaritan Law apply in this case scenario? Why or why not? No because this was not any emergency situation (MLAE). 5. What role does the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) play in regards to prescription medication? The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety, tobacco products, dietary supplements, prescription and ver-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs (medications), vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, blood transfusions, medical devices, electromagnetic radiation emitting devices (ERED), and veterinary products (MLAE). 6. What role does the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) play in regards to prescription medication and a physician’s ability to prescribe narcotics? Physicians must have a DEA license to write prescriptions, and i t must be for the state they are practicing in (MLAE). References Bonnie F Fremgen, Ph. D. (2009). MEDICAL LAW AND ETHICS. New Jersey : Pearson Education Inc.

Good Health Essays

Good Health Essays Good Health Essay Good Health Essay Physical appearance: A topic of little concern? In recent years our society has identified the importance of being healthy with being beautiful. Moreover, lifestyle, diet and exercise have been shown to have a profound impact on people’s health, both in the short term and over the course of a life time. In their pursuit of physical attractiveness, human beings think immediately of good health and shapeliness. For some, appearance is a superficial matter and a topic of little concern as they believe there are more important matters in their lives, whereas for others, the importance of one’s good appearance is – or should be – and important short-term goal. According to a survey report based on the matter of how important physical appearance is, it was confirmed that for a good number of people having a positive physical image is a topic not worthy of undue discussion. Although they are aware that being beautiful has an advantage professionally or socially, they can clearly distinguish their body image from their personal characteristics. : Thus, working out all day long in the gym and going on weight-reducing stressful diets have become the most important rule of what not to do. Accordingly, they define beauty as every quality that a person has, which not only includes physical qualities but inner qualities, too. This includes treating the body, mind and spirit as a whole. Physical attractiveness, then, is not a topic to be ignored but just a component to be taken into account. On the other hand, there is an opposite attitude towards one’s appearance. In comparison with the less attractive, some people seem obsessed about their body image since they believe that a person with good looks is liked more, is attributed more socially desirable characteristics and receives better jobs. In a recent survey of Psychology Today, doctors state that people who are happy with their bodies may be more confident and likeable than those who have a negative body image. Unfortunately, they also explain that for some people having a good look is seen as a crucial aspect in their lives and that instead of having a healthy life they may prefer to become slaves to their own bodies. In conclusion, people will have to reassess their way of living and question whether having almost a perfect look is acceptable. At the same time we have to say that it is true that people look for a good-looking appearance but it is also true that their intellectual abilities are equally important. Personally, I believe that people should try to keep an appropriate balance between being healthy and being beautiful. Although it is terribly negative to be obsessed with one’s appearance, it is very important to be well-groomed and especially careful about one’s health.

The Challenge of Young Man Gro essays

The Challenge of Young Man Gro essays The Challenge of Young Man Growing towards the World of Adults The story A by John Updike is a tale of a young man who is compelled to figure out the difference between cruel reality and obscure fantasy. Using the first person point of view, Updike gives an inside look into the adolescent mind of Sammy, the narrator and main character. The young man feels discontent with his ordinary adult surroundings and tries to get out of the intolerant social atmosphere to seek unconventionality. The setting of A a small grocery store, represents an intolerable society. In addition, the characters, such as the insensible customers, Stokesis and Lengel, add to the feeling of unbearable strictness and monotonousness in this conservative society. On the other hand, the fascinating girl, Queennie, symbolizes longing for the future to the growing young man. Through the main characters conflict between the two types of opposing characters, Updike says that despite fearful uncertainty, Sammys youthful aspirations to be free of tradition make him unwilling to try to meet the unrealistic expectation of society. In this story, the A ...the women generally put on a shirt before they get out of car into the street... (608). So there is no room for stepping beyond the normal and the proper. Sammys life is a tiresome monotonous routine of a checker-board green and cream rubber tile floor (607), regularly ordered and neatly arranged aisles, and the constant noise of the check out slot machine. Furthermore, he is repressed by the electric eyes not allowing anything to escape and by a cash-register-watcher always tripping him up. Such setting o ...

Airline Management (Analysis of the ‘four pillars’)

This should be included into a broader package of measures including new aircraft technology, more efficient operations and better use of infrastructure, (ICAO, 2013) [Online]. The industry determined that a carbon-offsetting policy would be the best method, giving carriers the opportunity to tailor their response to their business development; in effect, ensuring that carriers feel the plan still allows for expansion to meet rising demand, (IATA, 2013) [Online]. The meeting concluded with the following, (ATAG, 2013) [Online]: Agree a roadmap for development of a single global MBM for aviation to be implemented from 2020 that can be adopted at ICAO’s next Assembly in 2016. Agree the principles for development of a global MBM, including: o The goal of carbon-neutral growth from 2020; o That aviation emissions should only be accounted for once; o That a global MBM should take account of different types of operator activity. This report will evaluate the progress made on ONE of the four pillars to reduce emissions from the aviation sector; whilst also paying attention to the barriers that carriers face in achieving these targets. The first section will provide a brief introduction to the four pillars as well as reasoning behind the choice in evaluation. A discussion will then follow answering the requirements of the report, before a conclusion summarises the findings. FOUR PILLARS The four pillars cover the entire scope of feasible methods to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. The pillars are technological process, improved infrastructure, operational measures and economic measures. Table 1 below provides a summary: This report has chosen to focus on the development of operational measures; the decision was driven by an interest in the development of fuel efficiency, business optimisation and carrier integration in a bid to reduce emissions from an industry that has always been labelled a major global polluter. With demand for air travel booming on the back of global urbanisation and emerging economies, more attention is being paid to carbon emissions from air travel. According to data from the Air Transport Action Group [ATAG] (2014), global emissions from air travel total 689mt, against a total of 34Billion tonnes of CO2 produced annually from human activity. With these figures, CO2 emissions from air-travel total 2% of annual emissions; in terms of transport, aviation is responsible for 12% of total emissions, compared with 74% from road transport. OPERATIONAL MEASURES As mentioned above, there are a number of factors, which with improvement can lead to a reduction in emissions. This section will concentrate on fuel efficiency, which will touch upon optimal aircraft use, new aircraft design and route optimisation. Also mentioned with be business optimisation, paying attention to carrier ‘load factor’, optimisation on ground-operations and also integration between carriers, which has included MA activity and also the introduction of alliances in the industry. The discussion will touch upon carrier cost reduction, which has become a major supporter of reduction on CO2 emissions given its link to fuel usage and so exposure to high oil prices. FUEL EFFICIENCY In terms of achievements so far, the issue of fuel efficiency has supported in recent years by the economic downturn and high oil prices. Carriers have look to reduce their fuel bills to stay profitable, focusing on a number of methods which also support fuel efficiency. To start, carriers have invested heavily in new aircraft after developments from both Boeing and Airbus support greater fuel efficiency. Airbus experienced its biggest year in 2011, receiving net orders for 1,419 new aircraft, buoyed by the launch of its A320neo, (Morrow, 2013) [Online], with similar success from Boeing, (BBC Business, 2014) [Online]. USA EXAMPLE Figure 1 shows that out of U.S. carriers Alaska Airlines came out as the most fuel efficient airline; what is most surprising is that the company has increased its business and routes by 33% 2000-2010, however has reported no increase in fuel use/emissions as investing in new planes has improved fuel efficiency greatly. The report also found that the fuel-efficiency gap between the best/worst airlines was 26%, (ICCT, 2013); the report also found that about one-third of the variation in efficiency likely comes from the deployment of different technology; for example Allegiant operates a fleet of McDonnell Douglas aircraft that date back to the 1970’s, while Alaska Airlines uses new Boeing planes that have technologies like ‘winglets’ to reduce fuel burn. These finding bode well for Boeing and Airbus as they continue to offer newer models. Recent additions such as Boeings 777X, a more fuel efficient version of the 777 Jumbo and Airbus’s A320 family have been well received; according to Boeing (2013) [Online], customers for the 777X include Gulf carriers along with Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa, with record breaking orders of 259, while Airbus (2013) [Online] confirmed its backlog of orders for the A320’s at over 10,000. These new planes will reduce both emissions and n oise pollution, allowing for negative externalities to be controlled as expansion continues. BUSINESS OPTIMIZATION Carriers have adopted a number of methods to optimise their operations. One factor has been the adoption of alliances between carriers, allowing for them to effectively ‘share’ their capacity. This has reduced the need for such aggressive expansion by some, which would have created too much competition on some routes. Furthermore, airlines have invested in newer aircraft to meet the needs of routes, such as smaller aircraft for new, short-haul routes and larger aircraft, such as the Airbus A380 for busier, long-haul routes. Emirates currently have orders for 90 A380’s as the carrier looks to expand capacity on a number of routes, (Wall, 2013) [Online]. FUTURE PROJECTS FOCUS (VIRGIN ATLANTIC) As more attention is paid by governments and consumers onto CO2 emissions and other negative externalities, company’s such as Virgin Atlantic (2013) have put more into reporting their impact on the environment from sustainability reports; in some continues such as the UK, reporting into emissions and environmental impact are becoming mandatory for listed companies, (UK Government, 2013), which will only increase the amount of information that the aviation sector will make public, (Sustainable Aviation, 2014) [Online]. According to Virgin Atlantic (2013), through its Sustainability Report 2013, the company focuses on a number of programs to improve sustainability. These include: Reducing CO2 emissions by 30% between 2007 and 2020. Improving the fleet of aircraft – currently Virgin Atlantic are taking delivery of 10 Airbus 330-300, which will replace the older Airbus 340-600 and be 30% more fuel efficient. Implementing technology to monitor aircraft fuel-use and routes to identify further carbon savings. PESTEL ANALYSIS This section will touch upon PESTEL analysis to look into the future possibilities to meet operational measure targets. In terms of driving-forces, a number of carriers will look to improve operational performance in a bid to lower costs and remain profitable as low-cost carrier reduce market prices and higher oil prices affect carrier margins. However, it has been noted that each carrier will take a differing approach, designed to also meet the requirements of current expansion plans. For example, take British Airways (BA); currently the carrier is involved in its ‘One Destination’ initiative, with a number of schemes underway to make the carrier carbon neutral from 2020, (Brittlebank, 2012) [Online]. According to British Airways (2013) the international community’s aim is to cut net CO2 emissions by 50% by 2050 (relative to 2005 levels). Figure 2 below provides a graphic to the proposal, identifying some of the key factors which will support the reduction. As mentioned prior, one of main drivers will be the continued improvement and market adoption of new aircraft. For example, British Airways (2013) estimates that the new Airbus A380 will have a 16% improvement in fuel efficiency compared to the aircraft it will replace, mainly down to the capacity of the aircraft, which can be used on longer routes, such as Hong Kong and Los Angeles. Improvements such as these will continue to drive down CO2 emissions per passenger kilometres, a metric widely used in the airline industry to measure efficiency. In 2012, BA aircraft emitted 101.9g/CO2 per passenger kilometre, while Emirates emitted 100.6 (Emirates, 2013), Lufthansa 109.3 and EasyJet 95.6 (EasyJet, 2013) [Online]. One factor that each airline has in common is major deliveries of new aircraft. While new aircraft will continue to benefit both the environment and also the airline in terms of lower fuel bills, headwinds will appear in the long-term. While the current spate of aircraft order s has been supported by growth opportunities and profitability in the industry, long-term risks to demand could dampen the need and justification to purchase new aircraft. Furthermore, it has also been noticed that the recent rise in airline purchases has been fuelled by expansion projects from carriers in the Middle East and Asia, while European airlines seen less reluctant to purchase than previously as profitability has waned. Given this, the risk is that in the long-term, order may decline, which would impact on carriers ability to further reduce emissions. For example, British Airways (2013) are targeting efficiency of 83g/CO2 per passenger kilometre by 2025, which will require the support of capital expenditure. Given the current reduction in the carriers profitability over the year, continued weakness may make current expenditure plans un-obtainable. Figure 2 also highlights the potential for low-carbon fuels to support the four pillars. Both BA and Cathay Pacific (2013) among other have highlighted development into biofuels as a future growth area. The process involves inputting commercial/ residential organic waste into a boiler, where extremely high pressure plasma breaks down the waste into gases. These gases are then cooled and cleaned, before the Fischer-Tropsch process re-forms the gas into low-carbon jet fuel, (British Airways, 2013). BA is currently involved in a UK-based project with Solena Fuels Corporation to construct a waste-to-fuel plant, which at its peak will convert 500,000 tonnes of water into 50,000 tonnes of jet fuel each year, (British Airways, 2013). Cathay Pacific (2013) also remained optimistic on biofuels, implementing a number of projects itself. While development will be buoyed by social/ political acceptance of biofuels in the future and the green-credentials it provides, there are also factors, such as the costs involved and its competitiveness with current kerosene supplies. Another driver to mention will be the potential for demand. Figure 2 highlights that in the long-term, BA see a reduction in demand as one support for lower emissions; however this may not be the same for carriers such as Emirates, or others in Asia, Africa. Emirates recently reported a 4.5% in aircraft movements given new routes and higher demand, (Emirates, 2013). Given this, the need for a streamline of global initiatives is needed as emerging airlines increase slights to meet increased demand. Another driver identified is the purchase of emission reductions, or ‘carbon offsets’, with the money invested into initiatives to reduce emissions in other areas, which could be seen to offset the emissions from carrier operations. For example, Cathay Pacific (2013) has used money raised to invest in hydropower/ wind power projects in China. These programmes are now run by over 35 airlines, however require voluntary donations from passengers, IATA (2014) [Online]. The main risk is that the projects rely on the social responsibility of customers; an over reliance on these programmes to reduce emissions could back-fire if customers do not share the view; PriceWaterhouseCoopers (2013) suggests that carriers may need to purchase an extra ˆ1.1Billion of carbon offsets annually by 2030 to reach targets. PriceWaterhouseCoopers, hereafter PWC, (2013) backs up the above in its latest report. After mentioning the halving on aviation emissions by 2050, PWC shows its scepticism, saying that reaching the target will not be easy and would require improvements in carbon intensity of 5.1% every year. Ultimately, advances in fuel efficiency would need to be accelerated along with adoption of biofuels. To add, the report mentioned that a global consensus on sustainable aviation was needed before acceleration in improvements can be seen. The fear is that any improvement from airlines operating in advanced economies could be offset on a global scale by less-efficient emerging airlines from China and India etc., who may not have the financial means to invest heavily in the newest aircraft. GROUND OPERATIONS As mentioned in the Four Pillars, efficiency in ground operations will also support a reduction in emissions. Easyjet (2013) [Online] mentioned that they avoid ‘congested hubs’, such as Heathrow and Frankfurt, to help reduce taxiing and holding patterns, which will use less fuel and so emit less carbon. Furthermore, low-cost airlines have also been known for quick turnaround, allowing for greater efficiency from their current fleet, (Barrett, 2009). SUMMARY The report chose to focus on operational management as a tool to reduce emissions, focusing on fuel efficiency, new aircraft, and route optimisation. The report found that fuel efficiency, driven by new aircraft models has become a high priority; while the decision will have been impacted by a move to reduce emissions, there is also the thought that the trend of high-oil prices, coupled with lower earnings over the economic crisis would have pushed a number of carriers to seek cost-reductions and efficiency drives. Given this, past improvements in efficiency have been strong; however, strong growth in demand from emerging economies has led to a marketable rise in flights, pushing overall emissions higher. For example, Emirates, seen as one of the fastest growing carriers could be used as a barometer. While the carrier has reported improvements in fuel efficiency, due to new aircraft and routes, the carrier reported a 15.9% increase in overall CO2 emissions to 22.4Million tonnes, (Emirates, 2013). Looking ahead into the future, the report has highlighted a number of factors for improvement; being higher adoption of new aircraft, increased adoption of biofuels and purchase of emission reductions. Carriers will continue to place attention on new aircraft/ biofuels as focus remain firmly on cost-reductions; however, the level of long-term success will depend upon profitability, which will impact directly on future capital expenditure plans. To add, not all carriers may share the same plans as emerging carriers may focus on growth and profitability over the environment. To combat this, PWC (2013) identified that a global consensus is needed; currently regulation in the USA/ Europe is much higher than seen in Asia/ Middle East/ Africa, creating unfavourable discrepancy to airlines, such as BA. Carbon offsetting was also identified as a major growth initiative, however as mentioned this currently relies on customer donations; as so both social and political attention on the effects of emissions need to be heightened to encourage offsetting by the public. Operational measures provide great opportunities to further reduce emissions; however, carriers need to ensure they have the funds available for capital expenditure, and the public support/ donations to move ahead with carbon offsetting plans. Finally, it is important to mention that while fuel efficiency will continue to improve, strong increases in demand may lead to overall emissions increases as flight numbers/routes are increased by emerging airlines. This has been seen with data from Emirates; under these circumstances carriers would need to accelerate all initiatives in a bid to meet targets that would seem ambitious. All four pillars will need a global consensus to support target achievement. REFERENCES Airbus (2013) [Online]: Orders Deliveries, Available at http://www.airbus.com/company/market/orders-deliveries/, Accessed 12/01/2014. Air Transport Action Group (2014) [Online]: Facts and Figures, Available athttp://www.atag.org/facts-and-figures.html, Accessed 12/01/2014. ATAG (2013) [Online]: 38th ICAO Assembly, Available at http://www.atag.org/our-activities/38th-icao-assembly.html, Accessed 22/03/2014. Barrett, S (2009): Deregulation and the Airline Business in Europe, EU, Routledge. BBC Business (2014) [Online]: Boeing reports record orders and deliveries for 2013, Available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25622236, Accessed 22/03/2014. Boeing (2013) [Online]: Media Releases; Boeing launches 777X with record-breaking orders, Available athttp://boeing.mediaroom.com/Boeing-Launches-777X-with-Record-Breaking-Orders-Strengthens-Partnerships-in-the-Middle-East-at-the-2013-Dubai-Airshow, Accessed 12/01/2014. British Airways (2013): Corporate Responsibility Summary, London, British Airways. Brittlebank, W (2012) [Online]: British Airways aims for carbon neutral growth, Available at http://www.climateactionprogramme.org/news/british_airways_aims_for_carbon_neutral_growth/, Accessed 22/03/2014. Cathay Pacific (2013): Sustainability Matters, Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific. EasyJet (2013) [Online]: In the air, Available at https://www.easyjet.com/EN/environment/green_in_the_air.shtml, Accessed 22/03/2014. Emirates (2013): The Emirates Group Environment Report 2012-13, UAE, Emirates Group. IATA (2013) [Online]: IATA Carbon Offset Program, Available at https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/environment/pages/carbon-offset.aspx, Accessed 22/03/2014. IATA (2014) [Online]: Fact Sheet: Carbon Offset, Available at http://www.iata.org/pressroom/facts_figures/fact_sheets/pages/carbon-offsets.aspx, Accessed 22/03/2014. ICAO (2013) [Online]: 38th Assembly Session, Available at http://www.icao.int/Meetings/a38/Pages/documentation-wp-presentations.aspx, Accessed 22/03/2014. International Council of Clean Transportation (2013); U.S. Domestic Airline Fuel Efficiency Ranking 2010, USA, ICCT Publications. Morrow, D (2013) [Online]: Airbus close to setting new order record, Available at http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/airbus-close-to-setting-new-order-record-393827/, Accessed 23/03/2014. PriceWaterhouseCoopers (2013): A sustainable future for aviation; the future of international aviation emissions could be determined in the next 12 months, London, PWC. UNFCCC (2008): The right flight path to reduce aviation emissions, USA, UNFCCC. Virgin Atlantic (2013); Sustainability Report 2013, UK, Virgin Atlantic. Wall, R (2013) [Online]: Emirates orders additional 50 airbus 1380’s to expand fleet, Available at http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-16/emirates-said-in-talks-to-order-50-airbus-a380-superjumbos-1-.html, Accessed 22/03/2014. Airline Management (Analysis of the ‘four pillars’) This should be included into a broader package of measures including new aircraft technology, more efficient operations and better use of infrastructure, (ICAO, 2013) [Online]. The industry determined that a carbon-offsetting policy would be the best method, giving carriers the opportunity to tailor their response to their business development; in effect, ensuring that carriers feel the plan still allows for expansion to meet rising demand, (IATA, 2013) [Online]. The meeting concluded with the following, (ATAG, 2013) [Online]: Agree a roadmap for development of a single global MBM for aviation to be implemented from 2020 that can be adopted at ICAO’s next Assembly in 2016. Agree the principles for development of a global MBM, including: o The goal of carbon-neutral growth from 2020; o That aviation emissions should only be accounted for once; o That a global MBM should take account of different types of operator activity. This report will evaluate the progress made on ONE of the four pillars to reduce emissions from the aviation sector; whilst also paying attention to the barriers that carriers face in achieving these targets. The first section will provide a brief introduction to the four pillars as well as reasoning behind the choice in evaluation. A discussion will then follow answering the requirements of the report, before a conclusion summarises the findings. FOUR PILLARS The four pillars cover the entire scope of feasible methods to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. The pillars are technological process, improved infrastructure, operational measures and economic measures. Table 1 below provides a summary: This report has chosen to focus on the development of operational measures; the decision was driven by an interest in the development of fuel efficiency, business optimisation and carrier integration in a bid to reduce emissions from an industry that has always been labelled a major global polluter. With demand for air travel booming on the back of global urbanisation and emerging economies, more attention is being paid to carbon emissions from air travel. According to data from the Air Transport Action Group [ATAG] (2014), global emissions from air travel total 689mt, against a total of 34Billion tonnes of CO2 produced annually from human activity. With these figures, CO2 emissions from air-travel total 2% of annual emissions; in terms of transport, aviation is responsible for 12% of total emissions, compared with 74% from road transport. OPERATIONAL MEASURES As mentioned above, there are a number of factors, which with improvement can lead to a reduction in emissions. This section will concentrate on fuel efficiency, which will touch upon optimal aircraft use, new aircraft design and route optimisation. Also mentioned with be business optimisation, paying attention to carrier ‘load factor’, optimisation on ground-operations and also integration between carriers, which has included MA activity and also the introduction of alliances in the industry. The discussion will touch upon carrier cost reduction, which has become a major supporter of reduction on CO2 emissions given its link to fuel usage and so exposure to high oil prices. FUEL EFFICIENCY In terms of achievements so far, the issue of fuel efficiency has supported in recent years by the economic downturn and high oil prices. Carriers have look to reduce their fuel bills to stay profitable, focusing on a number of methods which also support fuel efficiency. To start, carriers have invested heavily in new aircraft after developments from both Boeing and Airbus support greater fuel efficiency. Airbus experienced its biggest year in 2011, receiving net orders for 1,419 new aircraft, buoyed by the launch of its A320neo, (Morrow, 2013) [Online], with similar success from Boeing, (BBC Business, 2014) [Online]. USA EXAMPLE Figure 1 shows that out of U.S. carriers Alaska Airlines came out as the most fuel efficient airline; what is most surprising is that the company has increased its business and routes by 33% 2000-2010, however has reported no increase in fuel use/emissions as investing in new planes has improved fuel efficiency greatly. The report also found that the fuel-efficiency gap between the best/worst airlines was 26%, (ICCT, 2013); the report also found that about one-third of the variation in efficiency likely comes from the deployment of different technology; for example Allegiant operates a fleet of McDonnell Douglas aircraft that date back to the 1970’s, while Alaska Airlines uses new Boeing planes that have technologies like ‘winglets’ to reduce fuel burn. These finding bode well for Boeing and Airbus as they continue to offer newer models. Recent additions such as Boeings 777X, a more fuel efficient version of the 777 Jumbo and Airbus’s A320 family have been well received; according to Boeing (2013) [Online], customers for the 777X include Gulf carriers along with Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa, with record breaking orders of 259, while Airbus (2013) [Online] confirmed its backlog of orders for the A320’s at over 10,000. These new planes will reduce both emissions and n oise pollution, allowing for negative externalities to be controlled as expansion continues. BUSINESS OPTIMIZATION Carriers have adopted a number of methods to optimise their operations. One factor has been the adoption of alliances between carriers, allowing for them to effectively ‘share’ their capacity. This has reduced the need for such aggressive expansion by some, which would have created too much competition on some routes. Furthermore, airlines have invested in newer aircraft to meet the needs of routes, such as smaller aircraft for new, short-haul routes and larger aircraft, such as the Airbus A380 for busier, long-haul routes. Emirates currently have orders for 90 A380’s as the carrier looks to expand capacity on a number of routes, (Wall, 2013) [Online]. FUTURE PROJECTS FOCUS (VIRGIN ATLANTIC) As more attention is paid by governments and consumers onto CO2 emissions and other negative externalities, company’s such as Virgin Atlantic (2013) have put more into reporting their impact on the environment from sustainability reports; in some continues such as the UK, reporting into emissions and environmental impact are becoming mandatory for listed companies, (UK Government, 2013), which will only increase the amount of information that the aviation sector will make public, (Sustainable Aviation, 2014) [Online]. According to Virgin Atlantic (2013), through its Sustainability Report 2013, the company focuses on a number of programs to improve sustainability. These include: Reducing CO2 emissions by 30% between 2007 and 2020. Improving the fleet of aircraft – currently Virgin Atlantic are taking delivery of 10 Airbus 330-300, which will replace the older Airbus 340-600 and be 30% more fuel efficient. Implementing technology to monitor aircraft fuel-use and routes to identify further carbon savings. PESTEL ANALYSIS This section will touch upon PESTEL analysis to look into the future possibilities to meet operational measure targets. In terms of driving-forces, a number of carriers will look to improve operational performance in a bid to lower costs and remain profitable as low-cost carrier reduce market prices and higher oil prices affect carrier margins. However, it has been noted that each carrier will take a differing approach, designed to also meet the requirements of current expansion plans. For example, take British Airways (BA); currently the carrier is involved in its ‘One Destination’ initiative, with a number of schemes underway to make the carrier carbon neutral from 2020, (Brittlebank, 2012) [Online]. According to British Airways (2013) the international community’s aim is to cut net CO2 emissions by 50% by 2050 (relative to 2005 levels). Figure 2 below provides a graphic to the proposal, identifying some of the key factors which will support the reduction. As mentioned prior, one of main drivers will be the continued improvement and market adoption of new aircraft. For example, British Airways (2013) estimates that the new Airbus A380 will have a 16% improvement in fuel efficiency compared to the aircraft it will replace, mainly down to the capacity of the aircraft, which can be used on longer routes, such as Hong Kong and Los Angeles. Improvements such as these will continue to drive down CO2 emissions per passenger kilometres, a metric widely used in the airline industry to measure efficiency. In 2012, BA aircraft emitted 101.9g/CO2 per passenger kilometre, while Emirates emitted 100.6 (Emirates, 2013), Lufthansa 109.3 and EasyJet 95.6 (EasyJet, 2013) [Online]. One factor that each airline has in common is major deliveries of new aircraft. While new aircraft will continue to benefit both the environment and also the airline in terms of lower fuel bills, headwinds will appear in the long-term. While the current spate of aircraft order s has been supported by growth opportunities and profitability in the industry, long-term risks to demand could dampen the need and justification to purchase new aircraft. Furthermore, it has also been noticed that the recent rise in airline purchases has been fuelled by expansion projects from carriers in the Middle East and Asia, while European airlines seen less reluctant to purchase than previously as profitability has waned. Given this, the risk is that in the long-term, order may decline, which would impact on carriers ability to further reduce emissions. For example, British Airways (2013) are targeting efficiency of 83g/CO2 per passenger kilometre by 2025, which will require the support of capital expenditure. Given the current reduction in the carriers profitability over the year, continued weakness may make current expenditure plans un-obtainable. Figure 2 also highlights the potential for low-carbon fuels to support the four pillars. Both BA and Cathay Pacific (2013) among other have highlighted development into biofuels as a future growth area. The process involves inputting commercial/ residential organic waste into a boiler, where extremely high pressure plasma breaks down the waste into gases. These gases are then cooled and cleaned, before the Fischer-Tropsch process re-forms the gas into low-carbon jet fuel, (British Airways, 2013). BA is currently involved in a UK-based project with Solena Fuels Corporation to construct a waste-to-fuel plant, which at its peak will convert 500,000 tonnes of water into 50,000 tonnes of jet fuel each year, (British Airways, 2013). Cathay Pacific (2013) also remained optimistic on biofuels, implementing a number of projects itself. While development will be buoyed by social/ political acceptance of biofuels in the future and the green-credentials it provides, there are also factors, such as the costs involved and its competitiveness with current kerosene supplies. Another driver to mention will be the potential for demand. Figure 2 highlights that in the long-term, BA see a reduction in demand as one support for lower emissions; however this may not be the same for carriers such as Emirates, or others in Asia, Africa. Emirates recently reported a 4.5% in aircraft movements given new routes and higher demand, (Emirates, 2013). Given this, the need for a streamline of global initiatives is needed as emerging airlines increase slights to meet increased demand. Another driver identified is the purchase of emission reductions, or ‘carbon offsets’, with the money invested into initiatives to reduce emissions in other areas, which could be seen to offset the emissions from carrier operations. For example, Cathay Pacific (2013) has used money raised to invest in hydropower/ wind power projects in China. These programmes are now run by over 35 airlines, however require voluntary donations from passengers, IATA (2014) [Online]. The main risk is that the projects rely on the social responsibility of customers; an over reliance on these programmes to reduce emissions could back-fire if customers do not share the view; PriceWaterhouseCoopers (2013) suggests that carriers may need to purchase an extra ˆ1.1Billion of carbon offsets annually by 2030 to reach targets. PriceWaterhouseCoopers, hereafter PWC, (2013) backs up the above in its latest report. After mentioning the halving on aviation emissions by 2050, PWC shows its scepticism, saying that reaching the target will not be easy and would require improvements in carbon intensity of 5.1% every year. Ultimately, advances in fuel efficiency would need to be accelerated along with adoption of biofuels. To add, the report mentioned that a global consensus on sustainable aviation was needed before acceleration in improvements can be seen. The fear is that any improvement from airlines operating in advanced economies could be offset on a global scale by less-efficient emerging airlines from China and India etc., who may not have the financial means to invest heavily in the newest aircraft. GROUND OPERATIONS As mentioned in the Four Pillars, efficiency in ground operations will also support a reduction in emissions. Easyjet (2013) [Online] mentioned that they avoid ‘congested hubs’, such as Heathrow and Frankfurt, to help reduce taxiing and holding patterns, which will use less fuel and so emit less carbon. Furthermore, low-cost airlines have also been known for quick turnaround, allowing for greater efficiency from their current fleet, (Barrett, 2009). SUMMARY The report chose to focus on operational management as a tool to reduce emissions, focusing on fuel efficiency, new aircraft, and route optimisation. The report found that fuel efficiency, driven by new aircraft models has become a high priority; while the decision will have been impacted by a move to reduce emissions, there is also the thought that the trend of high-oil prices, coupled with lower earnings over the economic crisis would have pushed a number of carriers to seek cost-reductions and efficiency drives. Given this, past improvements in efficiency have been strong; however, strong growth in demand from emerging economies has led to a marketable rise in flights, pushing overall emissions higher. For example, Emirates, seen as one of the fastest growing carriers could be used as a barometer. While the carrier has reported improvements in fuel efficiency, due to new aircraft and routes, the carrier reported a 15.9% increase in overall CO2 emissions to 22.4Million tonnes, (Emirates, 2013). Looking ahead into the future, the report has highlighted a number of factors for improvement; being higher adoption of new aircraft, increased adoption of biofuels and purchase of emission reductions. Carriers will continue to place attention on new aircraft/ biofuels as focus remain firmly on cost-reductions; however, the level of long-term success will depend upon profitability, which will impact directly on future capital expenditure plans. To add, not all carriers may share the same plans as emerging carriers may focus on growth and profitability over the environment. To combat this, PWC (2013) identified that a global consensus is needed; currently regulation in the USA/ Europe is much higher than seen in Asia/ Middle East/ Africa, creating unfavourable discrepancy to airlines, such as BA. Carbon offsetting was also identified as a major growth initiative, however as mentioned this currently relies on customer donations; as so both social and political attention on the effects of emissions need to be heightened to encourage offsetting by the public. Operational measures provide great opportunities to further reduce emissions; however, carriers need to ensure they have the funds available for capital expenditure, and the public support/ donations to move ahead with carbon offsetting plans. Finally, it is important to mention that while fuel efficiency will continue to improve, strong increases in demand may lead to overall emissions increases as flight numbers/routes are increased by emerging airlines. This has been seen with data from Emirates; under these circumstances carriers would need to accelerate all initiatives in a bid to meet targets that would seem ambitious. All four pillars will need a global consensus to support target achievement. REFERENCES Airbus (2013) [Online]: Orders Deliveries, Available at http://www.airbus.com/company/market/orders-deliveries/, Accessed 12/01/2014. Air Transport Action Group (2014) [Online]: Facts and Figures, Available athttp://www.atag.org/facts-and-figures.html, Accessed 12/01/2014. ATAG (2013) [Online]: 38th ICAO Assembly, Available at http://www.atag.org/our-activities/38th-icao-assembly.html, Accessed 22/03/2014. Barrett, S (2009): Deregulation and the Airline Business in Europe, EU, Routledge. BBC Business (2014) [Online]: Boeing reports record orders and deliveries for 2013, Available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25622236, Accessed 22/03/2014. Boeing (2013) [Online]: Media Releases; Boeing launches 777X with record-breaking orders, Available athttp://boeing.mediaroom.com/Boeing-Launches-777X-with-Record-Breaking-Orders-Strengthens-Partnerships-in-the-Middle-East-at-the-2013-Dubai-Airshow, Accessed 12/01/2014. British Airways (2013): Corporate Responsibility Summary, London, British Airways. Brittlebank, W (2012) [Online]: British Airways aims for carbon neutral growth, Available at http://www.climateactionprogramme.org/news/british_airways_aims_for_carbon_neutral_growth/, Accessed 22/03/2014. Cathay Pacific (2013): Sustainability Matters, Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific. EasyJet (2013) [Online]: In the air, Available at https://www.easyjet.com/EN/environment/green_in_the_air.shtml, Accessed 22/03/2014. Emirates (2013): The Emirates Group Environment Report 2012-13, UAE, Emirates Group. IATA (2013) [Online]: IATA Carbon Offset Program, Available at https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/environment/pages/carbon-offset.aspx, Accessed 22/03/2014. IATA (2014) [Online]: Fact Sheet: Carbon Offset, Available at http://www.iata.org/pressroom/facts_figures/fact_sheets/pages/carbon-offsets.aspx, Accessed 22/03/2014. ICAO (2013) [Online]: 38th Assembly Session, Available at http://www.icao.int/Meetings/a38/Pages/documentation-wp-presentations.aspx, Accessed 22/03/2014. International Council of Clean Transportation (2013); U.S. Domestic Airline Fuel Efficiency Ranking 2010, USA, ICCT Publications. Morrow, D (2013) [Online]: Airbus close to setting new order record, Available at http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/airbus-close-to-setting-new-order-record-393827/, Accessed 23/03/2014. PriceWaterhouseCoopers (2013): A sustainable future for aviation; the future of international aviation emissions could be determined in the next 12 months, London, PWC. UNFCCC (2008): The right flight path to reduce aviation emissions, USA, UNFCCC. Virgin Atlantic (2013); Sustainability Report 2013, UK, Virgin Atlantic. Wall, R (2013) [Online]: Emirates orders additional 50 airbus 1380’s to expand fleet, Available at http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-16/emirates-said-in-talks-to-order-50-airbus-a380-superjumbos-1-.html, Accessed 22/03/2014.

Law (International Business) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Law (International Business) - Essay Example To answer the legal questions at hand, let us look into the different principles of law involved in this case. b. Legal Principles Before we can determine as to whether or not there was a passing of property between the seller and the buyer, we need to establish first the existence of the contract. According to Section 3 of the Sale of Goods Act 1895, a contract of sale can be â€Å"made in writing†¦. or by word of mount, or partly in writing and partly by word of mouth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There are three important elements needed to make a valid contract, namely, a valid cause or object offered, acceptance of the offer and consider. According to the court in the case of Grainger & Sons v Gough1, an offer must be made with the intention of entering into contract with the buyer and not merely an invitation to treat. When it comes to acceptance of the offer, the court ruled in the case of Entores Ltd v Miles Far East Corporation2 the acceptance must be communicated to the seller in ord er for the acceptance to be bidding upon the seller. The acceptance of the offer may be made in writing or through word of mouth. According to Denning LJ in this case, the acceptance must be made unequivocally and such unequivocal acceptance must be communicated clearly to the seller. For instance, if the acceptance was made through telephone, the buyer should see to it that the seller heard the acceptance. Acceptance and counter offer are two different things so it is important to determine as to whether or not what was communicated to the seller is an acceptance of the offer or merely a counter-offer. Note that acceptance give rise to a contract while a counter-offer does not. Also, in acceptance, the buyer accedes to the terms of the seller while in counter-offer; the buyer proposes different terms to the seller. When a counter-offer is accepted by the seller, such acceptance will be binding upon the parties. In international transactions, the place of acceptance is very importan t as this will determine the law applicable to the contract. In the case of Entores Ltd v Miles Far East Corporation3, the court ruled that the place of acceptance is the place where such acceptance is communicated. This means that if the offer was made in UK and the acceptance was made in Australia, the laws of Australia shall govern the transaction since the acceptance of the offer was made in Australia. Acceptance is not absolute in the sense that the parties can revoke the acceptance when the terms agreed upon are not met. According to the court in the case of Grainger & Sons v Gough4, the buyer may withdraw his or her acceptance anytime before or after the contract has been perfected. If the buyer withdraws his or her acceptance before the contract has been perfected, there contract is deemed inexistent. An accepted offer needs to be accompanied by valuable consideration in order for a valid contract to materialize. According to the court in the case of Currie v Misa5, consider ation is not limited to money but also include rights, interest, profits and the like. As stated by the court in the case of Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co v Selfridge & Co Ltd6, the valuable consideration can be a â€Å"benefit to the promisor or a detriment to the promisee†. The intentions of the parties