Essay about Agrium and PotashCorp

Agrium Inc. and Potash Corporation are the Canadian companies dealing with production of nutrients and fertilizers in a number of countries in and outside of North America (Atrium Inc., 2011; PotashCorp, 2011). BHP Billiton, an Australian company with head offices in Australia and Great Britain, is a global company managing the world’s natural resources (BHP Billiton, 2011). The first two companies can be identified as direct competitors to each other because of the type of their operations, while the third one deals in the adjacent sphere and has similar scale and value chain.

Agrium Inc. is a full-cycle producer of agricultural products involved in all steps of production beginning with raw material collection and ending with the distribution the products to all continents (Agrium Inc., 2011). Its strategy is based on investing in the top brands in the portfolio, which allows the company to grow and succeed, working in economy pricing segments for the reason of affordability to the end customers, and global presence helping to sustain the business worldwide.

PotashCorp is known for the production of three primary crop nutrients, which are distributed in the areas of their highest demand – in the developing countries with considerably large population like China, India, Brazil, etc. The strategy of the company lies in the connection of the production sites to the marketplace and supporting the main operations with adjacent businesses allowing maintaining leadership in the areas of business activity. The company also keeps in touch with global trends and evaluates the feedback from the customers as the primary source of business information (PotashCorp, 2011).

BHP Billiton offers a high range of affordable products and services in 25 countries dealing with mining and extraction of natural and energetic resources. Being an international merger of two companies in the adjacent fields, BHP Billiton covered a huge market share in the sector groups of metals, coal, petroleum and precious materials.

The company is also known for its takeovers, and the aforementioned PotashCorp could become a part of BHP Billiton in 2010 as well (“BHP Billiton Launches Hostile Bid”, 2010).

Arguments and debates arose around this issue because historically PotashCorp was an important part of regional community and the one to obtain subsidies from the Canadian government at the times when the industry emerged. Therefore, the acquisition was an unsuccessful business transaction for BHP Billiton and did not take place because PotashCorp was undervalued. By acquiring PotashCorp, one of the leading companies in the industry, BHP Billiton was planning to expand into the new attractive segment of market benefiting from global presence. According to BBC News Business (“BHP Billiton Launches”, 2011), the market of nutrients and fertilizers will be growing for at least a couple of decades in both developed and developing countries, and that is how the interest of BHP Billiton in PotashCorp is explained.

At the same time, Agrium, a recognized enterprise in the native country of Canada (Agrium Inc., 2011), has made around 10 acquisitions of Asian and Australian companies in same and similar industries in the past years improving its competitiveness in the world market and proving the effectiveness of the strategy (Pugh, 2010).

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Chemical Pollution Essay

Biosphere is a part of the planet, which includes the totality of living beings, in which there is a possibility of permanent life. Today, the largest changes in the biosphere are made ​​by man. Now we realize that any human activity affects the environment and the deterioration of the biosphere is dangerous for all living creatures, including human beings.

Chemical pollution is the most common pollution caused by substances that are used in industry and agriculture.

The main sources of chemical pollution and their effects on human health:

1. thermal power stations (dust, ash, mercury, nitrogen oxides) - cause poisoning, respiratory diseases,
2. production of basic metals (oxides of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia) - causes destruction of the respiratory tract, nervous system, the hematopoietic system, lung cancer,  
3. motor vehicles (lead, carbon oxides) - cause decreased immunity, loss of endocrine and respiratory systems of the brain;
4. textile industry (cotton dust) - causes bronchitis, lung disease,
5. production of rubber (carbon black, organic solvents) - causes cancer, arrhythmia, diseases of the nervous system;
6. nitrates - in the human body, they are converted into toxic substances - nitrite, resulting in methemoglobinemia.

Thus, chemical pollution is the cause of the growth of cancer by 3.5%, hypertension - by 5.3%, respiratory diseases - by 15%, bronchial asthma - by 7.5%. By their harmful effects on human health all chemicals are divided into 4 hazard class: extremely hazardous (heavy metals, certain medications), very dangerous (antibiotics, acid) dangerous (household chemicals, detergents); relatively dangerous.

So, the chemicals, polluting the environment, are very diverse. Depending on their nature, concentration, time of the human body exposure, they can cause a variety of adverse effects: dizziness, nausea, sore throat, cough. Ingestion of high concentrations of toxic substances can lead to loss of consciousness, acute poisoning and death. Effects of substances on the human body may be divided into blood poisoning (carbon kerosene, heavy metals); nerve poisoning (alcohol, drugs); renal and hepatic poisoning (heavy metals); heart; gastrointestinal.

So, we can conclude that chemical pollution is a very serious problem that became part of our life because there is a link between pollution and diseases. Environmental pollution affects human health. Our health is 30% dependent on the state of the environment. The problem has become social. Again and again we hear about the danger to the environment, but still many of us consider it to be an unpleasant, but inevitable product of civilization, and believe that we will have time to cope with all the difficulties to identify. However, human impact on the environment has taken alarming proportions. To radically improve the situation, will need targeted and thoughtful action. Responsible and effective policy towards the environment will be possible only if we accumulate reliable data on the current state of the environment, evidence-based knowledge about the interaction of important environmental factors, if we develop new methods to reduce and prevent the harm caused by human nature.

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Hazard Mitigation and Vulnerability Essay

Gender Chapter

Gender refers to a person’s position and role in society based on their biological wiring, roles acquired through socialization, and the scope of relations in society. In most societies, gender is viewed as a master status. Gender plays a vital role in determining various responsibilities ascribed to men and women in society. By and large, gender denotes roles that are attached to either being male or female. Sex is used in reference to biological characteristics that classify a person as either being male or female. Sexuality refers to the feelings that arise from the ability to desire sex. Gender relations play an immeasurable role in determining gender prospects in society. It determines opportunities available and the chance for achievement.

In disaster situations, women experience hurdles that are peculiar to them. For example, women in most cultures have limited access to mainstream media. In case of an emergency alert, women are less likely to access information than men. In most cultures, women have limited access to internet. 

This effectively isolates them from alerts preceding a disaster. During disasters, gender relations affect both sexes in various ways. For example, women are quick to act but cultural stereotyping limits them in the realm of decision -making. This means that women cannot make important decisions for the family in case a disaster occurs. On the other hand, men are unavailable during disasters.

Gender is strongly related to other social factors relating to disaster management. Women are unable to act decisively since most of them lack economic control. For example, women may lack money to fuel vehicles to assist in easy mobility and evacuation. Men resist evacuation so as to cushion property from looters. This places them in great danger. This means that gender is a relevant factor in disaster vulnerability. During disasters, men and women are vulnerable in different ways. In disaster management, gender mainstreaming is very important. For example, working in partnership with women groups empowers women in disaster situations. This can also be achieved through risk mapping with due cognizance to gender.

Health Chapter

Good health is a basic human right and a leading concern for all human beings. Health means more than the mere absence of illness. It is a relevant aspect in relation to disaster management. Health is relative to other factors such as gender, chronological age, and social role in society. Health is a very relevant area of study in relation to vulnerability. During disasters, health condition plays a major role in determining vulnerability of segments in the general population. As a matter of fact, ill-health exposes people to danger in times of disaster. Disease can also be a causative agent in a disaster. The state of health facilities plays a key role in examining the vulnerability of people in the crisis zone.

There are certain terminologies relevant to disaster management. One such terminology relates is health disparities. These are the inequalities related to health of the population. They have a direct bearing on the vulnerability of individuals. Health ecology explores the connection between the affected individual and their surroundings. However, it is important to ensure that the population enjoys good health during and after a disaster. This should be undertaken cautiously considering that health can trigger a disaster through spreading of diseases.

Management of health during emergencies is a key area in disaster management. This can be made achievable by integrating health systems. This promotes co-ordination and unison in managing a disaster. This saves time, money, and lives. A good health system plays a key role in promoting resilience during a disaster. Stakeholders in the health sector can play a major role in getting out to the persons during and after a disaster. This can be achieved by creating avenues through which people can access information relating to disaster management and safety. Such outreach should also cater for the period after a disaster. This will go a long way in reducing trauma and any related effects of a disaster.

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Essay on iPhone vs BlackBerry

For quite sometime I could not decide what phone to chose iPhone or BlackBerry. Then I have an opportunity to use them both for a couple of month and made my conclusions, which I'd to talk to you about.

As a rule, the first superficial impression of the smartphone is composed at a time when we first see the device, take it in your hand, feel the quality of its build, its weight and dimensions, location of mechanical keys and other things like that. However, the most telling factor in the initial assessment of the gadget is the quality of the display and what it shows.

The initial impression of both devices and their tactile feedback is great. Despite the fact that their dimensions are slightly different, you have similar feelings during the first acquaintance with these phones. You clearly feel that one and the other gadget is very high quality, presentable and expensive.

The BlackBerry smartphone design has a certain, more restrained business style, and the iPhone appearance has a more neutral traits, but this does not prevent them to create a common, similar pleasant experience from use.

On the technical characteristics of the display, it is worth noting that those of BlackBerry is somewhat preferable, but in reality there in not so much of a difference, at least not noticeable. 

Perhaps, videos and photos look more clearly on the BlackBerry phone but this requires a very close look to see.

So, my conclusions: iPhone is not suitable as a working phone, iPhone is perfect for Internet and multimedia applications.

In matters of convenience, organizing contacts, making calls, often use of email and SMS service BlackBerry was out of competition. Its battery lived up to 30% longer due to the fact that it was cleared of multimedia tasks and there is no reason to use Wi-Fi.

So the iPhone and BlackBerry turned out to be an ideal couple for me. Using multiple devices at the same time become normal for me long time ago. Usually, however, the second device was any outdated device, but now, having tried Apple & BB, I found a new ideal.

Naturally, each of the aforementioned devices has advantages and undelivered. It is also absolutely clear that almost all the fans or users of one or another manufacturer will reduce defects and exaggerate the virtues of their favorite devices. However, if you look at things objectively, you would have to acknowledge that both devices are very worthy.

They have a beautiful design and excellent hardware specifications. And if Apple smartphone at the moment has a greater number of applications, the device from the BlackBerry can boast unique services companies, such as BB Hub, BB Flow, the ability to run Android software, more powerful processor, plenty of memory, in some aspects the best screen.

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Critical Essay on Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye is a novel of the US writer J. D. Salinger, which was written in 1951. The writer worked on this book during World War 2 and the novel is supposed to be the centre of Salinger’s prose.  

The Catcher in the Rye occupies the 15th place in the list of the books of all times. The narration is carried out by the main character of the novel Holden Caulfield, who describes the realities of the US life and the problems of the modern structure of social relations in quite a controversial form. The novel has always been very popular, especially among the youth, who treated the content close to heart comparing them with Holden Caulfield.

The novel had an extremely important influence on the culture of the second half of the 20th century but was understood in the different way. The ones thought that it embodied nihilistic ideas, the others believed that it included purely humanistic ideas. The Catcher in the Rye was one the novels which got their popularity and international fame just after publication. The novel is known to have a scandalous reputation connected with the murder of John Lennon. The copy of the book was found in the murderer’s hands and he claimed that he had found the idea of committing a crime of the pages of the book. The book is very expressive and describes the personal tragedy of the teenager who wants to become a rebel being dissatisfied with the current structure of the human society, its values and the principle of its functioning.

The Catcher in the Rye is a famous novel which has conquered the respect and attention of the young people all over the world. The student is able to prepare a critical essay which would analyze the novel from all sides in the most objective way, because the student’s duty is to find the strong and weak sides of The Catcher in the Rye, its plot, characters, ideas and their explanation. One should observe the novel scrupulously in order to evaluate its importance for the world literature and its influence on the culture and the young people of the 20th century.

The student has the opportunity to prepare a quality critical essay if he receives information about the peculiarities of its writing from the experienced writer or in the form of a free example critical essay on Catcher in the Rye prepared online. The inexperienced student is able to learn about the right research approach, the style of writing and formatting of the paper and the right logical organization of the text reading a free sample critical essay on Catcher in the Rye.

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