ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
Executive Summary This brief report examines various engineering aspects of oil spill disasters. It provides that oil disasters can occur when engineering controls, such as a blow out malfunctions, are not met. It also highlights a number of recent major oil disasters and measures undertaken to prevent and mitigate resulting effects. It concludes with recommendations calling for, among other things, aggressive enforcement of drilling regulations, extensive risk assessment programs, and shifting to renewable sources of energy to avoid overreliance on fossil fuels. Introduction The demand for oil will continue to rise as the world economy continues to grow. This is because oil, to a large extend, is the major driver of world economies (Fingas 2010). To meet this demand, oil companies are increasingly venturing offshore, in search for natural gas and crude oil deposits beneath ocean floors. Offshore drilling is a delicate process that occurs at extremes condition of a very high pressure and thousands feet below the sea level.Such an undertaking require high expertise in personnel and sophisticated drilling equipment. Offshore oil spills are one of the worst manmade disasters that can occur. Lessons from previous disasters show that oil spill results in widespread environmental degradation, loss of life and property, as well as immense financial losses (Petroleum 2011). Engineering controls form one of the major aspects of controlling and mitigating the effects of oil spills. The purpose of this report is to examine a number of engineering approaches that have been executed in the wake of recent oil spill disasters. This report will inquire the engineering aspects of manmade disasters and oil spills with special focus on oil rigs, causes of oil disasters, engineering response to oil disasters and prevention. Recent major oil disasters will also be presented. Oil rigs A drilling rig or oil rig is a structure housing the equipment used to drill for water or natural gas from beneath the earth’s surface (Max Energy Limited 2006). Oil rigs are used in the extraction process of crude oil or gas. They are primarily used during exploration and commercial mining to bore a hole on the ground or ocean floor so that oil can be produced (Max energy Limited 2006). Drilling rigs are huge structures and they rest on floating structures called platform. They consist of special pumps used to circulate drilling mud, drill bit and the casing used for cooling and removing debris during drilling. Most drilling rigs also feature adjoined workers quarters. (
According to the Oxford advanced learner’s dictionary, the word architecture has different meanings in our case it is taken to mean the art design or style of a structural building. Environment is the condition that affects the behavior and development of a person, the physical conditions that somebody exists in. So do the physical structures, their design and style affect human behavior in general? Many a time ones quality of life is associated with factors like ones diet, lifestyle and at times ones level of activities. Architecture in general has not been considered as a factor that affects one’s quality of life but in real sense it is a defining cause. With today’s research people have been made aware of the advantages and disadvantages that have been brought about by the architecture of surrounding infrastructure. “The amount and size of windows in a room, openness, shape/form and size of a room, the type and amount of light, specific colors, air quality, noise, and toxic materials implemented in buildings have been related to the specific outcome of behaviors and certain health-related issues.” (Architecture and health, 2007). For instance if a person was to be left in a dark room with no windows or was basically small and cramped it would make him or her moody, decrease his or her productivity, invoke stress, stress and if he or she was sick their getting better would be hindered. People’s behavi
The Suez Canal is one of the most important choke point that has massive geopolitical significance to Europe, Africa, North America and the Asian continent. Constructed in 1869, this is the shortest sea route that connects America, Europe, Asia, and Eastern African continents (Varble, 2009). Before the construction of this canal, sailors from Europe had to travel south of Africa when going to the American continent. Similarly, sailors from the American continent had to follow this route in order to reach Europe, India, China, Middle East, and the Eastern Africa regions. This was a costly, dangerous, and time consuming process. According to Lesseps (2011), the geographical location of the Suez Canal makes it a strategic location for trade. The report by Varble (2009) indicates that this is the world’s largest trade route for oil. Most of the oil and oil products from the Middle East use this route to reach the rest of the world. This means that the leading oil producing countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and UAE largely depend on this route for their economic prosperity. Exports from North and Central American continents to Europe, East Asia, India, East Africa, and Australia heavily rely on this canal. The bilateral trade between Europe and East Africa depends heavily on this canal. This makes it a strategic economic canal that facilitates international canal. This choke point has been of global political significance to many countries in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and American continents. According to Lesseps (2011), the Suez Canal played an important role in the colonization of Africa. Following the independence of the United States, Europe turned to Africa as they sought for raw materials to support their industrial sector, and cheap labor. The canal provided European countries, especially the Great Britain, France, and Germany a short route to Africa. They could easily move their forces to the East and South African regions through the canal. This way, the European forces were able to defeat African worriers that tried to resist their rule. The canal helped them gain firm control of the entire continent within a short period of time. When the tripartite aggression was defeated in Suez Canal, it marked the beginning of the waning British control of Africa, Middle East, and part of Asia. The Suez Canal has been of military significance to the Middle East countries. According to Lesseps and Wolff (2011), Egypt has been very influential in the Arab world because of its control of the Suez Canal. Countries in the Middle East rely on this route to import weapons from the United States and Europe. This means that any sanction by Egypt against any of these countries may cause serious impact on the affected country. It may choke it both economically and militarily. This explains why Egypt has been very influential in the international policies in this region. Israel has specifically relied on this route to enable it import military equipment from the United States. Currently, the Suez Canal has been of significant to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The sanctions placed against Hamas by the Egyptian govern
Mercy Otis Warren lived from 1728 to 1814, when women were not free to express themselves in public as their views became undermined. However, Warren was so bright that her views could not be ignored. She identified herself as a liberal woman and explorer. [1] Similar to male writers such as Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson, Warren wrote on the subject of America Revolution. She expressed her observations, feelings and thoughts, in her writings, and entrenched her ideas into the minds of many people. Warren saw the birth of America since she associated with outstanding members of revolutionary community. James Otis was her brother while James Warren, a Massachusetts politician and successful landowner was her husband. [2] She was a creative writer and reporter. Warren did not seem embarrassed for being a woman, in her work. Rather, she used her femininity to structure her intellectual inquest in an area that experienced male domination. Warren used her writings at the time of the American Revolution, together with semi-public correspondences, to show that women deserved a better placement. At the time of Warren’s birth, women could only stay at home carrying out domestic chores. Women could not get education opportunities as men dominated the society. However, Warren did not get satisfied with just staying at home and carrying out domestic chores. She tried to educate herself and became the earliest woman to take part in the revolutionary war against the English rule. Warren’s desire for knowledge was unquenchable, and her curious character made her put her ideas on paper. However, the process was hard for her since she was a woman. Warren’s place, as a woman, gave her plenty of time to consider the activities of the revolution and offered a keyhole, which allowed her to record the events of the war. She explained how the happenings of the revolution entered her “quiet cottage and brought to observation a mind that had not yielded to the assertion that all political attentions lay out of the road of female life.” [3] She held that nothing could stop her from pursuing her goals. She also spoke to those who felt that women belonged to an inferior race, and they could not do other tasks apart from domestic chores. She reminded them “every domestic enjoyment depended on the unimpaired possession of civil and religious freedom.” [4] Warren accepted her woman identity. However, she differed with those who felt that women could not take part in political affairs. She also argued that the activities of the revolution touched all corners of the society including domestic affairs. Warren let her femininity create her expression and perceptions on history apart from just introducing herself as a woman in the prologue of her work. She likened a woman who wrote to a teacher in class. Warren’s work was full of evidence that showed her belief on the role of a historian. She felt that her role as a historian was enlightening her readers about politics and virtue. Warren often communicated with her female friends through letters. These communica
Introduction Uncertainty always reigns in the minds of managers when it comes to deciding what impact is brought about by the competitive strategies utilized by the managers. This uncertainty is even more when firms operate in new environments such as the e-ecommerce platform. The fact that there are a growing number of firms joining the e-commerce environment is ground enough to establish strategies that would enable a firm compete effectively in the new environment. Understanding the strategies which would be usable in attaining value in e-commerce is a priority among e-businesses (Filson 2004). Amazon.com being a leading online retailer for books is an e-business which has over the time positioned itself strategically to remain relevant and competitive in a dynamically evolving environment. Amazon.com: Overview Amazon.com was founded by Jeff Bezos, who is also the current CEO of the company, in July 1995; however, the company started operating as a public firm in 1997. Amazon.com began as an online bookstore but then entered the music store field in June 1998. These services and goods, and others which Amazon.com has ventured in, are offered on retail basis hence making the firm an outstanding internet retailer (Filson 2004). It is important to note some of the major competitors of Amazon.com include Barnes & Noble and eBay among others. Compared to its competitors i.e. including even the early competitors, Amazon.com’s market value has remained larger thus making the company always stand out in performance. While the main competitors experienced fall in their market value after their peak in the late 1990s, Amazon.com’s value has been clearly outstanding (Filson 2004). Competitive Strategies Amazon.com realized that the theory of increasing sales as a general strategy for the competitiveness of a business was not enough in the e-tailing environment. In realization that exploring other product lines may increase a firm’s competitive position, Amazon.com has pursued other lines of business including “1-Click ordering and zShops”. These shopping devices eased shopping by offering shoppers more information since categorization of products has been made possible. In addition, 1-Click payment feature for instance offers recommendations on books or music which may be related to the customer’s search. This has eventually led to an increase in value. Since the above strategies are not price-based, Amazon’s competitors have found it challenging to imitate (Datamonitor 2011). This is because technology used to develop such features is usually patented, thus barring competitors from imitating the technology. As for zShops and auctions, Amazon strategically benefitted in that others were offered an opportunity to utilize Amazon’s technologies. Shopping at Amazon.com has been made easier
The 1964 Presidential campaign was a critical point in the formation of the New Right. A significant portion of the Republican party’s rhetoric focused on themes of excessive government control, economic liberties, and the threat of totalitarianism. This rhetoric was particularly heavy in Ronald Reagan’s famous speech given on behalf of the party; it focused on governmental overregulation, which led to excessive spending and reduced transparency of the national budget (Reagan, 1964). The same speech also included indictments of socialism and direct comparisons of the politics promoted by the Democratic party to those of communist and socialist leaders (Reagan, 1964). These statements reflect the ideals proclaimed by the Young Americans for Freedom movement four years prior, particularly the idea that governmental regulation of the market is impossible without infringing on personal freedoms (New Guard Staff, 2016). More concerns voiced in the Republican candidate Barry Goldwater’s campaign were government corruption and the police’s inability to enforce the law amid civil unrest due to overly restrictive policies (CONELRAD6401240, 2011). Although Goldwater lost that election, the attention his campaign brought to these issues allowed conservatives to rally and organize behind its ideas. Reagan’s speech was also a pivotal moment in the emergence of the New Right, support of conservative ideas, and subsequent shift to conservative Republican politics. It gained him personal visibility as a politician and helped him to be elected as the governor of California in 1966. With the newly organized and united New Right, support for conservative politics increased, leading to the victories of Republican candidates in subsequent elections. Ultimately, the campaign led to Reagan himself being elected President in 1980 and the second term in 1984.
Purpose This article basically tries to have a look into the effectiveness of marketing efforts being carried out by the companies. While posing introspective queries about the modus operandi and the desires effects or workability of marketing efforts, the article also talks about providing inputs to marketing professionals for making the marketing techniques more effective. Business Problem under investigation Marketing decision makers have always wanted to make their marketing moves as effective as possible, based on whatever knowledge they gain about the market. But, what is worrying Gordon A. Wyner (2002), the writer of this article, is that the research process often ends up ignoring some of the issues, which happen to be equally crucial in making marketing efforts successful. Citing an example, it is stated that emphasis is often given to measuring things like product, advertisement, and purchase for achieving rigor in sampling and quantitative analysis. But it is felt that parameters which are difficult to quantify like brand, customer service, and segmentation often fail to attract adequate attention of the researcher. Underlining the importance of such researches, Wyner (2002) has grouped the marketing research methods into two general groups;   * The methods which measure the effects of marketing stimuli i.e. which measure the net outcome of marketing campaigns carried out by the company.   * The methods which measure the contribution of customers towards a successful marketing strategy. The writer has also tried to find out the key limitations in finding out the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. The limitations that have been mentioned are;  1. Marketing research is stated to be weekly linked to the financial outcomes of the business.  2. The tuning of marketing research with the feasibility aspect is far from being comprehensive.  3. Thirdly, the paper states that often the marketing efforts are limited to a narrow subject area, which prevents them from combining information and insights to address overall business problems. Subsequently the articles suggests some steps like preparing the research parameters in tune with the decision making schedule and marketing objectives and integrating the existing researches with the one’s being carried out. Data Collection Methods Wyner (2002) has relied more on secondary sources for qualitative data, for preparing this introspective paper as the nature of this study involves a broader analysis of the subject. Conclusions drawn This study concludes that, “Researchers should apply their skills in structured analysis to explain the rewards and costs of alternative paths. To truly make marketing more effective, decision makers need to understand marketing, economics, and organization”. That is the
Introduction The critical thinking and decision-making procedures are very important and essential in dispensation the amount of order that is pushed on us daylight hours the following day. There is so much contradictory information on any known theme that it is up to the person to make a decision on what to consider. Moreover, the critical thinking process assists a being in analyzing information and attainment a finish. The decision-making process is a methodical technique used in problem-solving. In this document, I will describe the critical thinking and decision-making processes, how they are connected, the benefits every provides, and how I have practiced them in my work surroundings. Which is better, fats or carbohydrates? Will drug use and crime go down if we make legal marijuana use? Is this state in a recession, a revival, or a depression? Should I refinance the house? There are a lot of questions and issues that bomb us every day. Everyone has a view, whether it is the information media, your doctor, your high priest, a subject stuff specialist, or your look after. Who should we consider? This is anywhere critical thinking and decision-making approach in. This paper will describe critical thinking and decision-making. Critical Thinking Critical thinking can be distinct as the art of taking accuse of your possess mind. Critical thinking can, and be supposed to, be used every day. Living in the in order age, we are beneath a constant bombardment of opinions, particulars, and in order. The basic idea of critical thinking is simple. “If we be able to take charge of our possess minds, we can take lay blame on of our lives; we can get better them, bringing them beneath our “self-authority” and way (McCall and Kaplan, 1990).” This will need that we learn self-regulation and the art of self-assessment. This income that we will have to turn out to be interested in how our brain works. With this information, we can then check, fine-tune, and adapt the way our brain processes in order for improvement. It will involve receiving into the habit of thoughtfully our impulsive and common habits of thinking and acting in each dimension of our lives. Kurland more methodically defines critical thinking as being worried about a cause, intellectual honesty, and tolerance, as opposite to emotionalism, intellectual idleness, and closed-mindedness. Kurland’s meaning covers all the major aspects of critical thinking moderately obviously. If I were to figure up critical thinking in one utterance, it would be tolerance. Decision Making Making a decision can vary in importance and difficulty from “What should I encompass for banquet?” to “Should we attack Iraq?” McCall and Kaplan describe decision-making as “A watercourse of choices.” I like this meaning as it simplifies a potentially untidy process. Decisions tend to mound up upon one more. One decision’s result can lead to other troubles, which require additional decisions to be made, along with so on. Harris additionally defines “Decision making is the procedure of sufficiently plummeting indecision and hesitation a
Introduction To start with it is necessary to say, that global economic politics faces two main problems in the recent few years. These challenges are all over unemployment and continuous inflation. But on the whole, the global economy concerns not only unemployment and inflation, but also economic growth and displaced workers, increased government spending, reduced taxes, and a reduced deficit, and the tradeoff between capitalism and socialism. Most scientists also refer to the economic policy problems of land, labor, and capital, but in a lesser measure, they regard space limitations. Main body The book by Stuart S. Nagel “Handbook of Global Economic Policy” states the following ways of solving the most burning issues of the global economy. These are conservative and liberal alternatives. One of the brightest examples of the conservative solution to such challenges is “Reaganomics”. This approach involves the decrease of taxes in order to stimulate employment and decrease domestic spending to struggle inflation. This strategy opposed the official economic development course of the democratic government. It involved the creation of government jobs to increase employment and controlling the prices to keep the inflation on the proper level. Liberal alternatives of challenging inflation and unemployment are not so arduous as conservative measures. The rules of the liberal economy approach suppose to increase the money supply, which helps to struggle unemployment, but these measures worsen inflation. As far as lowering the interest rates helps to reduce unemployment, it has little impact upon the occupation sphere, as enterprises are reluctant to borrow money if they lack employees. Lowering taxes and increasing spending to fight unemployment may not be politically feasible when the national debt and deficit are already too high. The author also presents the third alternative, called “win win”. This strategy is completely different from the mentioned above liberal and conservative measures. It includes the adoption of new technologies and raising the skills of workers. This is claimed to help reducing inflation by increasing the productivity of labor to offset increased wages, raise the quality of goods to offset increased prices, and increasing the domestic income to further offset increased prices. The increase of the new technologies adoption and raising the skills of workers help to lower the unemployment level by making the workers more employable, increasing domestic spending to motivate the creation of more jobs, and increasing the efficiency and wage rates, thereby offsetting a possible reduction in hours (Nagel, 2000). Conclusion Global economy challenges are solved not only by state governments but also by international organizations are created. One of these organizations is the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). EMU never changes the responsibility point for policies except for the policies of monetary and exchange rates. Policies touching upon external trade and the integration of domestic markets are already in the area of