Thursday, October 31, 2019
How will climate change affect National Grid(UK) and how they do PowerPoint Presentation
How will climate change affect National Grid(UK) and how they do business - PowerPoint Presentation Example On the other hand, it is suggested by Koomey et al. (1997, 1) that ââ¬Ëthe common perception among many policy makers and industry leaders is that the twin objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting a more competitive economy are inherently contradictoryââ¬â¢. Many efforts have been made by the states globally in order to create a mutually ââ¬â accepted plan for the reduction of greenhouse emissions; however this plan has faced significant oppositions mostly because it is against of the interests of specific parts of the population within each country globally; gas emissions and pollution in general seem to serve the interests of a specific group of people who ignore the effect of increased industrial activity on a continuous basis and promote personal interests even if they are related with severe damages on climate worldwide. Current paper focuses on the activities of National Grid, ââ¬Ëan international electricity and gas company and one of the larg est investor-owned energy companies in the worldââ¬â¢ (corporate website) in terms of their relationship with the climate changes globally. More specifically, the effects of climate changes in the international context are being identified and evaluated trying to locate the relationship between the firmââ¬â¢s activities and the climate change as they can be observed in the firmââ¬â¢s daily operations specifically in Britain. Climate has changed dramatically in all regions around the world. One of the main reasons for this change has been considered to be the extremely high percentage of carbon dioxide released by industries, households and a wide range of other sources (e.g. automobiles, fires and so on). Regarding this issue, it has been found by Marland et al. (2007) that ââ¬Ësince 1751 roughly 315 billion tons of carbon have been released to the atmosphere from
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Operation Management Essay Example for Free
Operation Management Essay Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to provide students with an understanding of the role and importance of operations management in the efficient and effective production of goods and services. It will enable students to realise that the ââ¬Ëproperââ¬â¢ organisation of productive systems, and their interfaces with internal as well as external customers and suppliers, is essential if goods/services are to be produced on time, to cost and within the laws and regulations. Scenario. Impressive Burgers was established 10 years ago with the goal of providing fast take away food to their customers quickly and of a higher quality to that of their rivals. Each restaurant offered a simple menu structure with a choice of four set meal options. 1. Burger, Chips Soft Drink 2. Cheeseburger, Chips Soft Drink 3. Chicken Burger, Chips Soft Drink 4. Vegetarian Burger, Chips Soft Drink Customers were offered a choice of size of each meal: Regular, Medium or Large. The size of the chips and drinks portions varied but the burger size remained the same. Using this format they were able to serve each customer their order within 4 minutes from a ordering at the till to receiving their complete order to take away. Each restaurant places their orders with the suppliers directly based on the managerââ¬â¢s prediction for demand based on the reports generated by the restaurants own till system. These orders arrive in one shipment once every other week. The company has grown to a chain of restaurant operations and the management introduced a number of changes to the format 12 months ago in an effort to increase each business at each restaurants. The number of set meal options available on the menu was increased to offer more options to the customer and to attract customers seeking healthier options. The menu options were increased by a further three options: 5. Chicken Nuggets, Chips Soft Drink 6. Chicken Salad, Garlic Bread, Soft Drink 7. Hot Dog, Chips Soft Drink In addition to these set menu additions the company also offered the option of changing the chips option on the set meals for either a Side Salad or for Potato Wedges. The restaurants themselves have not changed and the number of staff and machinery has remained at the same levels before the menu changes. Since these changes were implemented there has been a dramatic increase in turnover and the number of customers that are visiting each of their restaurants. However, overall profit has declined dramatically over the last 12 months and the company predicts that if it continues the company will report its first loss in its history within the next 6 months. The company is considering expanding its operations by opening a number of new outlets but want to identify the problems to the issues they are currently facing. The company has begun to investigate why the mixed fortunes have arisen and has identified a number of issues. Serving times have increased dramatically and it now takes an average of 9 minutes for a customer to be served and the number of customer complaints has increased. The main complaints include rude and agitated staff and incorrect or incomplete orders. The total value of stock held at each restaurant has increased by an average of 20% and waste has dramatically increased. The CEO of Impressive Burgers is worried about the current development and has recruited you as Operations Manager with the responsibility of rectifying the situation that the company is currently facing. Your first assignment as Operations Manager is to produce a formal report to the management which includes the following tasks: |Outcome |Assessment Criteria | |No(s) | | |1. Understand the nature and |explain the importance of operational management |1. 1 | |importance of operational | | | |management |explain the need to produce safely; on time; to cost; to | | | |quality and within the law | | | | |1. 2 | | | | | | | | | | |explain the link between operations management and | | | |strategic planning | | | | |1. 3 | | | | | | |produce a systems diagram to illustrate a typical | | | |business | | | | | | | | | | | | |1. 4 | |2 Understand the link between |explain the ââ¬ËThree Esââ¬â¢ (economy, efficiency and effectiveness) | | |operations management and | |2. 1 | |strategic planning |explain the tension between cost minimisation and quality | | | |maximisation |2. 2 | | | | | | |evaluate the significance of the five performance objectives | | | |that underpin operations management | | | | | | | | |2. 3 | | | | | | |explain linear programming | | | | |3. 1 | |3 Understand how to organise a typical production process | | | | |evaluate critical path analysis and network planning | | | | |3. 2 | | | | | | |explain the need for operational planning and control | | | | |3. 3 | | | | | | | | | | |produce a set of clearly defined operational outcomes | 4. 1 | |4 Be able to apply relevant | | | |techniques to the production |produce a network plan and indicate the resultant critical path| | |of an operational plan for a | |4. 2 | |typical business | | | | |explain how quality could be defined and maintained |4. 3 | |Assignment Tasks: | | | | | | |Assessment | | |Criteria | |You are required to produce a formal and written report to cover the underlisted tasks. | | | | | |Task 1 | | |Explain the importance of operational management in an organization such as Impressive Burgers and explain ââ¬ËThree Esââ¬â¢ (economy, | | |efficiency and effectiveness and its relevance in the industry in which Impressive Burgers operates. |1. 1,2. 1 | | | | |Task 2 | | |Critically evaluate Impressive Burgersââ¬â¢ approach to expanding their operation. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |1. 2,1. 3,1. 4 | | | | |Task 3 | | |Discuss the reasons behind the problems the company is facing and make suggestions for rectifying the situation. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |3. 1,3. 2,3. 3 | | | | |Task 4 | | |Considering the effects on the operations, identify ways in which the overall operation could be improved and expanded further. | | | | | | | | | |4. 1,4. 2 | | | | Grading Criteria The assignment will be graded into Pass, Merit and Distinction against the following criteria: Pass: A pass grade is achieved by meeting all the requirements defined in the unit outcomes. Grading Criteria The assignment will be graded into Pass, Merit and Distinction against the following criteria: Pass: A pass grade is achieved by meeting all the requirements defined in the unit outcomes. |Merit Distinction | |M1 |Identify and apply strategies to find appropriate solutions | | |Identify areas relevant for each task in the assignment and respond accordingly and professionally | |M2 |Select and apply appropriate techniques | | |Evidence of processing and synthesised complex information/data. | | |Appropriate learning methods/techniques have been applied | | |Report should have proper citations and reference list to all sources including your field-visit observations, books, magazines and other | | |material used for research | | | | |M3 |Present and communicate appropriate findings | | |Present your views coherently and logically | | |Demonstrate real situations in your assignment | | | | |D1 |Use critical reflection to evaluate own work and justify valid conclusions | | |Justify your ideas in a professional manner. | | |Propose realistic ideas for the future based on the current status | | |Learner presented CONCLUSIONS for all tasks/areas | |D2 |Take responsibility for managing and organizing activities | | |Show that you did the assignment alone and in accordance with the time. | | |Assignments referred will automatically achieve the minimum grade too for improper handling of task | |D3 |Demonstrate creative thinking | | |Demonstrate that you followed all the guidelines while doing the assignment and have utilised adequate and relevant words for the specific. | | |business environment | | |Apply innovation and creative thought in your work. | |Required Evidence | |â⬠¢ Report (Your report should be approximately 1800 words and you are likely to be penalized if it exceeds 2000 words. If you feel it is essential to | |include detailed information, put it in an appendix and refer to this appendix in the text. Your sources of information should be clearly identified) | | | |Reading Research Resources | |Lecture slides | |F Rowbotham et el (2007) Operations Management in Context | |S Brown et al (2000), Strategic Operations Management, Butterworth Heinemann. | |L Galloway L et al (2000), Operations Management in Context, Butterworth-Heinemann. | |J Heizer and B Render (2003), Operations Management, Prentice Hall. | |N Slack et al (2000), Operations Management, Pitman. | |D L Waller D L (1999), Operations Management ââ¬â A Supply Chain Approach, Thompson | |Newspapers, trade journals, magazines | | | |Guidelines for Presentation | |All assignments must be word-processed using Times New Roman (12 point) and stapled in the top left hand corner. | |Page numbers must be included at the bottom of each page. | |Secondary sources should be acknowledged using the Harvard Referencing | |Students are requested to attach the ââ¬Ëassessment activity front sheetââ¬â¢ on the top of each report with all personal information (name, and student number | |etc. ) accurately presented. | |Every report must have a front page showing the title, class and name | |The length of writing will be limited to about 1800-2000 words. | |Note: Assignment that did not follow this ââ¬ËGuidelines for presentationââ¬â¢ will not be accepted. | | | |Plagiarism Policy The college has strict penalty for plagiarism and the assignment will be cancelled if the assignment is observed for this. The definition| |and scope of plagiarism are presented below: Plagiarism occurs when a student misrepresents, as his/her own work, the work, written or otherwise, of any | |other person (including another student) or of any institution. Examples of forms of plagiarism include: | |â⬠¢ The verbatim (word for word) copying of anotherââ¬â¢s work without appropriate and correctly presented acknowledgement; | |â⬠¢ The close paraphrasing of anotherââ¬â¢s work by simply changing a few words or altering the order of presentation, without appropriate and correctly | |presented acknowledgement; | |â⬠¢ Unacknowledged quotation of phrases from anotherââ¬â¢s work; | |â⬠¢ The deliberate and detailed presentation of anotherââ¬â¢s concept as oneââ¬â¢s own. | | | |All types of work submitted by students are covered by this definition, including, written work, diagrams, designs, engineering drawings and pictures. |
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Business Environments And Companies
Business Environments And Companies The relationship between business environment and companies is very significant. The companies could be affected by external and internal environment. When the current economy is in bloom, how a company grabs the chance and stands on leadership. Contrarily, what if the economy is fading, how companies can survive from it, even make higher profits than before. Although the good economy situation can inspire companies to be successful easier, but it is not the only factor to operate business, it is more rather to take integrated strategies and analysis. For examples, five forces model and balanced scorecard are useful for companies to deal with the unexpected change of business environment to improve the business performance. In this Study, researcher will discuss the critical points of how companies deal with the economy both bloom and crisis. In addition, selected companies will be the major to discuss. External and Internal Environment External environment has effect on companies performance. Companies must develop the skills required on to identify opportunities and threats existing in external environment. It is challenging and complex. There are three major parts in external environment: The general environment has six segments: demographic, economic, political/legal, sociocultural, technological, and global. In terms of economic segment, according to Hoskisson, the economic environment refers to the nature and direction of the economy in which a firm competes or may compete ( Hoskisson, 2005) There are five aspects could be affected by Economic factor, which are income, inflation, recession, interest rate, exchange rate, moreover, there are also four major elements that affect business environment. The elements are economic growth, the business cycle, employment and unemployment. However, economic factors are the main elements that affect financial matters of a business like interest rates, tax and stock markets. While the economy is growing, it could be a critical effect for companys success, but it not the only reason for company to succeed. The marketing department of a company is doing market research, market analysis, market strategy, and sales. It should focus on the economic situation whether the demand, prices and sales are going to be affected or not in current and future. Analyzing economic plays a very important role in determining actions a firm should take. So growth economy is good for companies success. In the time of economic growth when demand and sales increase, unemployment falls, and production goes up. Companies would consider how to accommodate these changes and adjust production and sales strategy as well as prices accordingly. For example, if peoples income increase, customer are willing to buy products. The total demand from customers rises. Then the companies will increase its production .This will lead an increase number of the sales of companies. Companies earn mor e profit. But on the other side, during the economic growing time, because of the increase of peoples income, the unemployment decrease and firms are in need of more workers. Trying to find employees become more difficult. Companies should provide develop and foster programs aimed at increasing employee satisfaction retain its workers. Then companies have to make additional efforts in recruitment in order to get labor. The taxation can affect the business because companies have to pay tax to the government on the energy they are using or have to pay some profit that they make to the government as tax. Interest rates are charged on every loan that a business takes from the bank. This can affect a business because if they keep on borrowing the loan they would have to pay extra money back to the bank this can affect a business in making profit. So the growth economic has double influence for success of business. When economic growth is becoming slow or inflation, the demand and sales are falling. Company will try to cut production and selling costs. When unemployment rate is rising, companies must deal with issues associated with lying off firms employees. The human resource department of companies should take necessary actions to make this process less painful and less problematic as possible for both the company and its employees. In difficult times, for examples, GFC, wars, terrorism and government instability are the main elements in influencing on business. Business may have more threats if there is a war. It is a warming sign if companies receive threat realized. It could make companies to be unable to pay full salaries, which means employees would default on mortgage and debit payments, triggering a meltdown in the lending and retail sectors and ripples out into wider economic disruption. Terrorism affects can be far reaching into commerce and trade, reaching businesses like communica tion systems, the Internet, medical systems like hospitals, as well as trade and transportation.It does not seem entirely farfetched to imagine that in some instances, barriers meant to safeguard populations from terrorism would actually amplify the risk: poor countries that might have to slow exports because of the cost of security measures are at risk, because of the effects of poverty, of political destabilization and rad.The party in government has a large say in what happens in the economy. If they put up taxes, then the disposable incomes of people tends to go down. With a reduction in income, people tend to be more cautious about how they spend their money. Industries are populated with different strategic groups and industry environment has direct effect on the firms strategic actions. Its competitive actions and competitive responses: the threat of new entrants, the power of suppliers, the power of buyers, the threat of product substitutes and the intensity of rivalry among competitors. This is Porters five forces of competition model. In total the interactions among these five forces determine an industry where an industrys profit potential. The greater a firms capacity to favorably influence its industry environment, the greater is the likelihood that the firm will earn above-average returns. The last part of the external environment is competitor environment. Competitor analysis focuses on each company against which a firm directly competes. Crucial to an effective competitor analysis is gathering data and information that can help the firm understand its competitors intentions and the strategic implications resulting from them. It informs the firm about the future objectives, current strategies , assumptions, and capabilities of the companies with whom it compete directly. Internal environment The final step of the Environmental Analysis is internal environment. It consists of identifying resources and capabilities (in the form of the value chain), finding competencies, and determining what competitive advantages (hopefully sustainable) the organization has. The internal environmental assessment, along with the external evaluation (macro and micro environment) already completed will provide all the information needed for the final SWOT Analysis.Resources, capabilities, and competencies should be evaluated with respect to goals, strategy, and the vision statement of the organization. RESOURCES Resources can simply divide into two parts, tangible and intangible. For example: tangible resources: financial, organizational, physical, and technological resources; intangible resources: human, innovation, and reputational resources. CAPABILITIES Capabilities are the firms capacity to deploy resources that have been purposely integrated to achieve a desired end state. There is a method to evaluate the firms capabilities. (figure is below)INBOUND LOGISTICS Inbound logistics covers everything that has to do with the obtaining, purchasing, storing, distributing (internally), and managing raw inputs, components, materials, and services. OPERATIONS Operations consist of all the processes, assets, and costs of turning raw materials into a final product or service. Facilities (and maintenance), workers, designers, quality assurance, environmental protection, equipment, and assembly processes would be included in the evaluation of Operations OUTBOUND LOGISTICS Outbound logistics encompasses all of the resources, capabilities, and processes required to distribute the final product or service. Examples of outbound logistic items are warehousing, packaging, shipping, delivery vehicles (and maintenance), order picking, finished goods inventory control, distributor and customer supply chain management (CRM customer relationship management). SALES AND MARKETING Sales and Marketing is considered everything associated with marketing the product or service. The sales force, personal selling, advertising, promotion, market research, web site, and dealer or distributor support are a few examples of Sales and Marketing. SERVICE Service is associated with providing assistance to the customer. Some Service examples are installation, warranty work, maintenance, complaints, questions, repair, and technical assistance. COMPETENCIES Competencies are accomplished by evaluating the organizations resources and capabilities and benchmarking. Benchmarking may be done on several levels: industry, primary competition, and prior performance. Although the book focuses primarily on cost, benchmarking may also be accessed through efficiency and effectiveness. Some examples of efficiency benchmarking might be number of defective widgets produced; hours of downtime for machine X; or number of days from sale to delivery. Efficiency types of measures should be used in conjunction with standard financial measures of benchmarking such as days in inventory or asset turnover ratios. Finally, compare the organizations RCCs (especially the competencies) to the competition or industry. Make a note of those competencies in which the organization has an advantage over the industry or competition these are most likely the core competencies and competitive advantage. Cases analysis ( DELL, Apple and Intel ) DELL- The Five Forces Models The five forces model is developed by Michael Porter whom is a Harvard professor and called the godfather of contemporary strategic management. The five forces model is a strategic analysis tool, and the five forces which are following: bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes and rivalry among competitors. The way to apply the five forces model on a retail business is easy, simply considering each one of these five forces individually as they exist in the external environment. In terms of Dell, Dell Computer Corporation, established in October 1987, and it is defined as a computer systems company and a provider of computing products and services. Dells primary product provides enterprise systems, desktop computers and laptop computer systems. Dell also markets and sells Dell/EMC storage products under a long-term strategic relationship with EMC Corporation The Company provides targeted services for consulting, deployment and support, as well as an extensive selection of peripheral hardware, including hand-held products, and computing software. The Company conducts operations worldwide through wholly owned subsidiaries. Sales outside the United States accounted for approximately 35% of the Companys revenues during the fiscal year ended February 1, 2002 (fiscal 2002). Bargaining power of suppliers Large number of suppliers for components like hardware, keyboards, etc. But two major inputs are monopolized Microsoft standard for all PCs Intel standard for most PCs .High switching costs. Dell known for low cost and best quality computer, laptop and server manufacturer in the industry. The key behind dell success is maintaining better relationship and collaboration with the supplier of computer hardware and software Bargaining power of buyers Highly price sensitive. Reliability and customer service become important factors. Dells products are very reliable and customer service is outstanding. These two factors help Dell to create certain brand royalty. But thats given the fact that the Company set the prices very low. If the prices are raised too high, customers will not hesitate to switch. Threat of new entrants The level of threat of new entrants of Dell is moderate. And the reasons for Dell are low capital investment for independent stores, and low product differentiation, brand name may be a barrier to entry, low economies of scale, no legal or governmental barriers, and decreasing profitability indicates that there is a threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes In U.S.A, computer is a main device in daily life, it is almost one computer for every three people there. And the only substitute for PC is Apple Computer. However, the higher price and lack of software support prevent people from switching to Apple system. Competitive rivalry within an industry the main points of the competitive environment within this industry are high concentration price war, low margin, decreasing profitability, and Low differentiation. For example, Dell.com offers computers and laptops of high quality at low prices as compared to the competitors. EBay.com is a place where people like to go to purchase products online at low price However, in the midst of sever competition, Dell can still grow his market share in this campaign. That is a proof of Dells business strategies has been successful. Apple- The Five Forces Models Apple Inc. (previously Apple Computer, Inc.) is an American corporation that designs and markets personal computers, computer software, computer system, and personal eletronic device. The most popular products of Apple Inc. include Mac personal computers, iPod, iPhone and iPad. Apple software includes the Mac OS X operating system. August 2010, the company operates 301 retail stores within ten countries, and an online store where hardware and software products are sold. As of May 2010, Apple is one of the largest companies in the world and the most valuable technology company in the world, even having surpassed Microsoft. In terms of five forces model, there are 2 main points need to be discuss Threats of substitutes Apples entertainment products have face the threats of substitutes. For examples, satellite radio for music (XM, Sirius), entertainment media, media and music (XBOX, PS2), alternative means to acquire music (Music CDs, DVDs), alternative sources for videos (Cable, Broadcast, Theatres) Competitive rivalry within an industry Apples main products are in an extremely competitive war. For example, Windows OS and media player for playing music and video ( Microsoft), the Linux also treat Mac OS X as his main Competitor, alternate sources of computer hardware (Dell, HP, Lenovo), small stylish MP3 players (Creative, Samsung, Sony), and online music stores similar to itunes stores (Napster) However, the products Apple sells and the services Apple offers are not the best in this industry, but they are always standing on the first place. The main reason for Apple could be Marketing, Apple always knows how to get customers, even their products and services in technological aspect are not the best, but they know what customers want and need, and focus on it. Intel -Balanced Scorecard analysis The balanced scorecard is a strategic planning and management system that is utilized in organization, government, and nonprofit organizations worldwide to align business activities to the vision and strategy of the organization, in order to improve internal and external communications, and monitor business performance against strategic goals. It was developed by Drs. Robert Kaplan (Harvard Business School) and David Norton.The balanced scorecard has evolved from its early utilise as a simple performance measurement framework to a full strategic planning and In terms of Intel, Intel Corporation is an US global technology company and the worlds largest semiconductor chip maker, based on revenue. Intel was founded on July 18, 1968, as Integrated Electronics Corporation.It is the inventor of the x86 series of microprocessors, the processors found in most personal computers. The company is located in Santa Clara,California, USA. Intel also makes flash memory, network motherboard chipsets and graphic chips, and other devices related to communications and computing. Financial perspective A technology company that excels in many operational disciplines can still struggle if its product development decisions are flawed. Product management decisions within technology companies need to be based in part on the estimated and measured return on product development expense. A clear, consistent practice for analyzing RoI and applying it in decision making must be driven vertically and horizontally throughout the organization. Such a practice is an inherent requirement to realizing consistent decision making and communicating product investment decisions Customer perspective Technology customers will typically have strong belief systems underpinning what supplier they do business with and what products/services they purchase. They require the ability to interact with the suppliers organization, and will grade the supplier on how successful those interactions are. Its of strategic importance that customer facing personnel, and those in support roles, place a priority on that customer interaction consistently being a positive one Internal business process Assessing, re-assessing and re-re-assessing market demand is imperative. The trend for increasing rate of change in technology markets has no end in sight. A technology company cannot rely on one market assessment at one point in time to guide project priorities. Market assessment needs to be continuous. Learning and growth As stated earlier, the path to marketplace disruption begins with the introduction of enabling technologies. There are many paths to obtaining such enabling technologies, which do not require the risk and expense of basic research and development. Yet, for the technology company to be a leader, its of strategic importance to continually lead in the identification and application of technologies that enable use models and workflows in the marketplace. Conclusion To sum up, the economy is unexpected changeable, while the economy is in good time plus company continuously takes the right strategies, it could be easier for company to succeed in their own business adventure. What if the economy is falling? Companies still need to have the correct strategies operating in their business to avoid the failure, even take the critical time to gain more market share in order to make more profits. According to the examples and cases which are all above in previous chapters, Researcher would like to say that take better strategies can always make companies running on the right track, even shrink the loss in bad economy time.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Analysis on Marxââ¬â¢s Historical Materialism Essay examples -- Political
As one of greatest figures in human history, Karl Marx introduced not only Communism but also historical materialism to us. According to historical materialism, the mode of production would determine and foster mankindââ¬â¢s ideas, values, and beliefs. Many opponents of Marx attacked his ââ¬Å"impossibleâ⬠Communism but neglected his contribution in defining the relationship among important production elements. This paper would explain the theme of historical materialism and probed the relationship between consciousness and mode of production. Then, this paper would analyze how division of labor affect mode of production and conclude that historical materialism was realistic and applicable. Marx defined historical materialism in the preface of A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy that, ââ¬Å"it is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, on the contrary, their social existence that determines their consciousness.â⬠In contrast to idealism, which prioritized the value of human ideas, historical materialism insisted that the existence of human kinds pushed the productions; and mode of production shaped human consciousness in return. The contradictory between Idealism and historical materialism lie between whether it was evolvement of consciousness steering for societal changes or the other way around. While choosing one of them as individual political philosophy, it was very similar of answering question, ââ¬Å"which came first, chicken or egg?â⬠Personally, I favor for historical materialism for ââ¬Å"consciousness is determined by your beingsâ⬠seems rational as well as logical. So what is consciousness? According to Marx, ââ¬Å"Consciousness can never be anything else than conscious existence, and the existence of men is t... ... future stage would follow Marxââ¬â¢s blueprint or not. This beautiful image was worth of dreaming. Comparing with Idealism, which stressed the human ideasââ¬â¢ capabilities in shaping societies, I felt historical materialism was more realistic and applicable. Despite the communismââ¬â¢s unclear future, the equation between mode of production and consciousness (or ideas and values) was very understandable and logical. I was convinced by the theme of historical materialism, which was ââ¬Å"life is not determined by consciousness, but consciousness by life.â⬠(Marx 155) Works Cited Brooks, Mick. "What Is Historical Materialism." Maxism. 14 Nov. 2002. Web. 25 May 2012. . Marx, Karl, and Friedrich Engels. "The German Ideology." The Marx-Engels Reader. Ed. Robert C. Tucker. New York: Norton, 1978. 146-200. Print
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Cuban missile crisis Vietnam war
The most dangerous passage to Cold War was the Cuban Missile crisis during the 1960ââ¬â¢s. This is a confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States in Cuba. Robert F. Kennedyââ¬â¢s Thirteen Days is the portrayal of the tensions surrounding the Cuban Missile crisis and the analysis of the said conflict. Two sides of the conflict was presented during the conflict between Union Soviet and United States. One side of the ordeal was the Communists of the Soviet Union desire to bring entire European countries under their supremacy and conquer the world.The other side of the conflict was the goal of Americans to the vindication of right and to stop the spead of Communism. During the Cuban Missile crisis, two significant people played important roles. They were Americaââ¬â¢s president John F. Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Krushchev. Both leaders were pressured with what is happening that time. They performed different tactics and strategies on how to deal with the sc enario. Drama took place and a lot of negotiations were arranged for the Cuban Missile crisis.The pressure was triggered after Berlin and Germany were separated and divided among the victorious countries, Allies were formed and three different blocs occured. Nations that has been established after the war remained neutral while western countries which were governed by America and Soviet Union together with their new allies had formed the other two blocs. Soviet Union established allied countries around them and spread and imposed communism to each and every country.America was alarmed and imposed the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan to control Soviet Union in spreading communism. However according to Robert F. Kennedyââ¬â¢s Thirteen Days; two things came to pass that sent threat and tension through the U. S. First was, the Chinese government was overthrown by Communism, which is a big alarm for the threat of superiority of Communism. And the second was the ââ¬Å"CUBAN MISSILE C RISISâ⬠ââ¬Å"page # 2â⬠knowledge and ability of Soviets when it comes to nuclear and atomic issues. There was a fear in the U. S. because of the threat of a nuclear war.The crisis began when Soviet Union Leader Nikita Krushchev plans to install missiles in Cuba because of the Americanââ¬â¢s Missile were installed in Turkey which is adjacent to Soviet Union and he did not want that America would take over Cuba and overthrow Fidel Castroââ¬â¢s communist government. The Soviet Union leader also considered newly elected John F. Kennedyââ¬â¢s reaction to his plans. Krushchev conclude that Kennedy was a weak, faulty and could not bear pressures and tensions. He (Krushschev) was a leader who based his premises on hasty generalizations because he pre-judged Kennedy because he was a newly elected president.On the other hand, John F. Kennedy was reluctant about what is happening around him. His administration issued a warning about the impending crisis in Cuba. This is t he Memo 181; it states study of probable military, poitical and social impacts in the installment of missiles in Cuba which could reach the United States. Kennedy made a decision which was effective because he first consulted people around him and querried for facts so that his plans would be perfect and would not lead onto decisions which will lead to more seroius problems like a world nuclear war.He also kept the informations for himself first before broadcasting it to the American nation because he wanted that his administrations plan would be a secret and would not leak for the enemies. When National Security Adviser McGeorge Bundy learned a bad news that Soviets were constructing an offensive missile in Cuba was positive. He did not first told the president about whatââ¬â¢s taking place in Cuba. Instead he gets more information and he wanted the president to have a rest for a more challenging decisions for America. On October 16, the Thirteen Days had began, Bundy told the p resident about the construction of missiles and theââ¬Å"CUBAN MISSILE CRISISâ⬠ââ¬Å"page # 3â⬠president immediately ordered a meeting for the senior officials which he termed as Ex Comm. They planned secretly and develop their strategies on how to destabilize the construction of ballistic missiles. John F. Kennedy was a leader who wants everything to be clear and concise. After the deliberations and discussions were done, strategies were finally made and ready for execution. But first Kennedy briefed his people and made his first decision: to hold all military military equipment under ship to Cuba.This was the Proclamation 3504 known as the quarantine order. And during his speech on October 22 he said to the Soviets, ââ¬Å"And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender or submission. â⬠JFK exudes a leader whose strong and tough with his decisions which Krushchev miscalculated when he planned to test Kennedy with his plans. Then the crisis even worsens each day passed. Secret negotiations were made. And trying to avoid the war the two leaders resorted by changing of letters. A naval blockade was implemented by America in the Carribbean and Cuban coast which triggered the Soviet nation.Because of it, on the 26th day of October, Krushchev seemed to be willing to remove the missiles in Cuba in exchange for Americaââ¬â¢s commitment not to invade Cuba. But on the next day, Krushschev proposed a different argument and that is if Soviets will remove their missiles in Cuba, it follows that US must also remove their missiles in Turkey. This proposal from Krushchev was just, but he is so demanding about this matter. He was insistent about the matter because of the loss of arms and military equipment in Cuba which disband their operations and still he remained confident with his decision.Thus, Kennedy made the right decision. Kennedy did not support Krushchevââ¬â¢s second proposal, instead he wrote Krushchev and made a de al to remove the blockade and agree not to invade Cuba if Krushchev would remove the missiles in Cuba. JFK also secretly proposed the dismantling of US missiles in ââ¬Å"CUBAN MISSILE CRISISâ⬠ââ¬Å"page # 4â⬠Turkey. The Soviet leader agreed and the crisis ended. The result was Krushchev lost prestige while Kennedy gained. Cuba remained under communist dictatorship and US left it.Both Leaders were good leaders and have their own political and social will. They both fights for what they know what is right for their country and beliefs. I can say that John F. Kennedy was one of the best presidents of US because of his courage and making rational decisions. While Nikita S. Krushchev fights for what he believes in and his people but he failed. Essay2 (Vietnam War) United States played a big role in the Vietnam War and it was the biggest and longest military conflict of the nation. Many lives were affected not only in Vietnam but also in America.US army troops were sent to S outh Vietnam to fight against North Vietnam and National Liberation Front because they want to unify the North and South Vietnam to become a Communist Republic. And protesters from the US were greatly affected. The main issue during the Vietnam war was the opinion of the american people toeards the issue which had caused a lot of speculations in the government and also the US academic institutions. According to Turley (1986), even at the start of US escalatory moves in the beginning of 1965 there were limits to American public and congressional tolerance of the war's expenses and duration.Turley (1986) moreover explained that these limits were worsen by the administration under Johnson: its refusal to arouse popular emotion on the war's behalf, its failure to make an effective strategies for massive US intervention, its public misrepresentation of the war's denelopment and of its own political and social intentions, and its refusal to make solid and tough political choices. American s treated Vietnam War as unpopular and insignificant and yet it is the longest war americans fought for. To sum it all it is the most disastrous war that involved the Americanââ¬Å"CUBAN MISSILE CRISISâ⬠ââ¬Å"page # 5â⬠people. Many soldiers have lost their lives during those time. Many people in the United states protests on the intervention of US in the said war and also many americans supported the war for Vietnam not to be under a communist government. During those times US was so divided and turmoil and chaos happened, wounds that Vietnam caused will never heal for many of the more than two million American veterans life from the war was given to fight against communism in Vietnam (Herring, 2002).More or less sixty thousand Americans lost their lives in fighting for the war. The United States spent about $150 billion dollars. American got involved in the war during 1955 when the first american advisors arrived in Vietnam. Then, American combat troops arrives in 196 5 and had finished fighting for the civil war in Vietnam up to the end when cease-fire was ordered and reconciled on January of 1973. I can say now that Vietnam War was a story of the olden times for the new generation americans.Cambodian Invasion was a played a big scene in the Vietnam this is when President Richard Nixon ordered an attack against North Vietnam and NLF (National Liberation Front), the main goal why Nixon ordered an attack, according to Turley (1986), was to demolish bases of communism and provide arms and military support to the war in Vietnam, for the protection American troops, and to make sure of the withdrawal of America from Vietnam.Students and faculties in different universities in US that time who were not in favor of the Vietnam War felt that President Nixon had deceived them, that the hated war was to be expanded and be pursued (Turley, 1986). Students from Oberlin, Princeton, and Rutgers demonstrated against Vietnam War and Nixon that very night. Many ac ademic institutions had closed and a lot of organizations who opposed Vietnam war had formed demonstrations all over the country. ââ¬Å"CUBAN MISSILE CRISISâ⬠ââ¬Å"page # 6â⬠Different ways of expressing their sympathy for the Americans who catered their lives for Vietnam and dismay for the decision of the president was obvious by that time. Many protest across the country took every possible form and were carried out under every ban, slogan and chant. Strikes, boycotts, and shutdowns were carried out together with rallies in the campus, marches and convocations; across the country there was massive flag lowering, wearing of black armbands, several memorial services, portrayal of funerals and vigil; there were seminars with workshops, and research projects.Vigilant students have also had an interaction with the public especially with the residents and invited each and every household to come in their campus and talk about the issue of Vietnam War. American students and a cademic institutions played a big role in protesting against the Vietnam War. The heart of the young american people was awaken for the love of their country and countrymen. They displayed brotherhood, camarraderie and oneness during the Vietnam War protests.America stood as one in fighting for each and every american whose fighting for the right for Vietnam and all nations as well. Many lives were transformed during the war. And still many lives were taken. Vietnam War was an untold story for Americans. But it made United States a country with strong people and united nations. References: Herring, George C. (2002). America's Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950ââ¬â1975. retrieved April 21, 2007 from http://www. vietnamwar. com/ Kennedy, Robert F. (1969).Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis; ISBN 0-393- 31834-6. retrieved April 20, 2007 from http://www. lawbuzz. com/movies/thirteen_days/thirteen_days_ch1. htm Pope, Ronald R. , Soviet Views on the Cuban Missile Crisis: Myth and Reality in Foreign Policy Analysis; University Press of America, 1982. from http://www. lawbuzz. com/movies/thirteen_days/thirteen_days_ch1. htm Turley, William S. (1986) The Second Indochina War: A Short Political and Military History, 1954ââ¬â1975.. Retrieved April 21, 2007 from http://www. vietnamwar. com/politicalprotests. htm.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Analytical report on the sustainability of the London 2012 Olympic games The WritePass Journal
Analytical report on the sustainability of the London 2012 Olympic games Executive summary Analytical report on the sustainability of the London 2012 Olympic games Olympics Detailed review of ââ¬Ëactive travelââ¬â¢ A short opinion survey of ââ¬Ëactive travelââ¬â¢ Conclusion ReferencesRelated Executive summary This report presents a discussion of the sustainability plan developed for, and implemented during, the 2012 Olympic Games held in London. The sustainability plan was governed by five main themes: climate change; waste; biodiversity; inclusion; and healthy living (London 2012, 2012). The aim with regards to climate change was to deliver a low carbon Games in order to be able to showcase the ability of London 2012 to respond to the need to minimise our impact on the environment. The aim with regards to waste was to deliver a zero-waste Games. The aim for biodiversity was to conserve biodiversity and to create new green spaces across London, which would enable people to be brought closer together through both sport and Nature. With regards to inclusion, the aim of London 2012 was to be the most inclusive Olympic Games to date, with the Games being used as an opportunity to develop the region of London in which the Games was held. With regards to healthy living, the aim of the Games was to inspire people in the UK to become more motivated to exercise and to take up sport, through this developing more active and healthy lifestyles (Girginov and Hills, 2008). In order to provide a framework for the achievement of these five themes, the sustainability plan was divided in to five main aspects, each of which will be discussed in detail in the next section of the report: Local community work; Our responsibility; Food vision; Active travel; and Recycling. Overview of the sustainability plan put forward by the organisers of the London 2012 Olympics As London 2012 (London 2012, 2012) state, ââ¬Å"When we bid to host the 2012 Games, we made a radical proposal to the International Organising Committeeâ⬠¦we were going to hold the worldââ¬â¢s first truly sustainable Olympic and Paralympic Gamesâ⬠. The Olympic 2012 organising committee sat down with BioRegional and the WWF to develop a plan called Towards a One Planet 2012 which outlined how the Olympic Games 2012 could be made as sustainable as possible, guided by the idea that the ââ¬Å"â⬠¦world should live within itââ¬â¢s meansâ⬠(London 2012, 2012). The sustainability plan that was developed has five main areas of consideration entitled climate change; waste; biodiversity; inclusion; and healthy living. These were implemented via five main approaches: local community work (inclusion and biodiversity); our responsibility (inclusion); food vision (climate change and waste); active travel (healthy living); and recycling (waste). These five areas were develo ped through consultation across four main areas, all of which related directly to those attending the Games or watching the Games on the television, namely the venues, travel, food and waste (London 2012, 2012). As London 2012 (2012) state, ââ¬Å"All our venues were designed to ensure that all the athletes perform to the best of their ability whilst pushing the boundaries of sustainability knowledge and designâ⬠, with all the venues being designed ââ¬â or remodelled ââ¬â on the basis of the venues leaving a sustainable legacy for future generations. With regards to travel, London 2012 (2012) note that the most important consideration was to enable the millions of spectators ââ¬â and the thousands of participants ââ¬â to be able to reach the venues on time and for the Games to be used as an opportunity to educate the population about sustainable travel, including the benefits of using public transport, walking and cycling. With regards to food, the organisers of the Games worked very closely with the food industry in order to be able to bring ethical and sustainable food to the Games. Waste was another major consideration of the organising committee, with the organising committee aiming to send none of the extra waste generated during the Games to landfill (London 2012, 2012). The five areas will now be discussed in detail. ââ¬ËLocal community workââ¬â¢, as London 2012 (2012) detail, was based around a specially created outreach program called Changing Places, with the specific aims of encouraging inclusion and preserving and increasing biodiversity (London 2012, 2007). This program aimed to encourage people to get out in to their local community to effect positive changes in their community, changes that would make the communities more attractive to residents and to visitors. The main aims of the ââ¬ËLocal community workââ¬â¢ area of the London 2012 sustainability plan were to inspire communities to improve their public spaces; to enable people from communities to become more united and to develop new skills and interests; and to improve the quality of the neighbourhoods around London 2012 venues, with a view to not only improving the visitor experience but providing an opportunity for long-term positive changes in the aesthetics of these comm unities. The program was begun in 2009 and, since that date, as London 2012 (2012) note, there have been more than 6000 volunteers who have signed up to help, with over 15,000 hours of volunteer time having been given to the program. More than 15 tonnes of waste have been removed from communities near the Olympic venues and over 7000m of community gardens have been created across 250 sites, with 2000 square metres of graffiti having been removed from walls in these communities. As London 2012 (2012) discuss, this represents a massive commitment from local communities who have felt the impact on the environment of their local communities, making these local communities more attractive and increasing the sense of pride that local residents take in their communities. With regards to the ââ¬ËOur responsibilityââ¬â¢ area of the sustainability plan, London 2012 (2012) notes that ââ¬Å"Sustainability has been a part of every bold and challenging decision we have made in the development of the Olympic Park and the staging of the Gamesâ⬠. This area fits within the main ââ¬ËInclusionââ¬â¢ theme of the London 2012 sustainability plan. The Games were not only a success but the preparation for the Games has meant that London has, ââ¬Å"â⬠¦changedâ⬠, with the sustainability plan, ââ¬Å"â⬠¦.changing the way we impact people, industry and the planetâ⬠(London 2012, 2012). As London 2012 (2012) note, within the framework of ââ¬ËOur responsibilityââ¬â¢, there are six main achievements that have arisen from the Games: The Olympic Park; Carbon management; Sustainable transport; Food vision; Waste; and Standards. The Olympic Park features the most sustainable sports venue ever built, with 60% of construction materials for the Park having been brought to the site by rail or river, thus minimising the pollution that the transport of these materials caused. As Collins et al. (2009) note, however, it can be difficult to accurately measure the impact of mega sporting events on the local area, both in the short- and long-term. It is difficult, therefore, to know how London 2012 managed to assess, in quantitative terms, the reduction in pollution generated as a result of moving materials in this way and whether this reduction was maintained during the actual hosting of the Games. In terms of carbon management, London 2012 was the first Olympic Games to measure itââ¬â¢s carbon footprint across the whole Games, with the analysis of this footprint enabling decisions to be made about how to avoid, reduce and substitute carbon emissions in London in future (London 2012, 2012). Sustainable transport wa s a major concern of the organising committee, with the committee committing to achieving 100% sustainable transport across the duration of the Games. This was achieved through the ââ¬ËSupporting Active Travelââ¬â¢ plan, which will be discussed later in the report. Regarding ââ¬ËFood visionââ¬â¢, which fits within the ââ¬ËHealthy livingââ¬â¢, ââ¬ËWasteââ¬â¢ and ââ¬ËBiodiversityââ¬â¢ themes of the sustainability plan, London 2012 represented the ââ¬Å"â⬠¦largest peacetime catering operation in the worldâ⬠with the delivery of food using ethical and sustainable principles meaning that the Games delivered 14 million sustainably sourced meals to visitors and participants. ââ¬ËWasteââ¬â¢ was treated as a fundamental issue that needed to be tackled if the Games were to be delivered sustainably, with the overall aim of London 2012 to achieve ââ¬Ëzero-waste-to-landfillââ¬â¢ and the Games actually achieving an overall 98.5% reuse and 99% recycling of all materials from the Games (London 2012, 2012). In terms of ââ¬ËStandardsââ¬â¢, London 2012 were the first Olympic organising committee to be certified to the British Standard 8901: Specification for a Sustainability Management Systems for Events (London 2012, 2012). Under the area of ââ¬ËFood visionââ¬â¢, the London 2012 organising committee made certain commitments, including a commitment to deliver choice, diversity and affordable prices to visitors in terms of the food that would be available for them to buy at the Games (London 2012, 2012). It was also noted that the food that was sold was healthy, this being a key consideration of the organising committee in view of their commitment to the Games being used as a showcase to encourage people in the UK to become more active and, through this, healthier. To achieve these broad aims, five aspects of food vision were considered: food safety and hygiene; choice and balance; food sourcing and supply chains (with local food being given precedence); environmental management, resource efficiency and waste (with food providers being encouraged to use recyclable packaging); and skills and education (London 2012, 2012). One major aspect of the food vision was the decision to use only fish caught or farmed sustainably, this inspiring the naming of London as the Sustainable Fish City in 2011 (London 2012, 2012). With regards to active travel area of the sustainability plan, which fits in the ââ¬ËHealthy livingââ¬â¢ theme of the sustainability plan (London 2012, 2007), this will be discussed in more detail in the next section of the report. The ââ¬Ërecyclingââ¬â¢ area of the sustainability plan was an important aspect of the plan, constituting the main concern of the ââ¬ËWasteââ¬â¢ theme of the plan (London 2012, 2007), the organising committee encouraging the food providers at the Games to use compostable packaging and for all visitors to recycle wherever possible. In terms of the non-recyclable rubbish generated during the Games, the organising committee placed designated black bins around the venues, the material going in to these bins was then used to produce electricity, which was then pumped back in to the Games. Overall, then, the five areas of the sustainability plan were well thought out and delineated in such a way that each area supported each other area, providin g an overall plan for sustainability that was not only comprehensive but also, and importantly, highly practical (Girginov et al., 2009; Davies, 2012). It can be argued that it was the practical nature of the sustainability plan that led to its aims being achieved across all five areas of the plan (Nichols, 2012; Horne, 2012). Detailed review of ââ¬Ëactive travelââ¬â¢ à As London 2012 (2012) discusses, one of the main aims of the sustainability plan was to encourage UK society, in general, to become more active, to undertake more exercise and, through this, to become healthier as a whole. As Devine (2012) discusses, the Government, as part of the planning for the Olympic Games, organised this aim in to four areas of focus, aiming, through this, to, ââ¬Å"â⬠¦harness the UKââ¬â¢s passion for sport to increase grass-roots participation, particularly by young people and encourage the whole population to be more physically activeâ⬠. With this in mind, the sustainability plan included, as one of the five main areas, the idea of ââ¬ËActive travelââ¬â¢, which aimed to encourage visitors to the Games to walk and cycle more often and, as a result of this, and education surrounding this idea, to encourage people in the UK to walk and cycle more often. The Active travel program was developed to encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyl es, with this not only offering a way to improve the overall health of the population ââ¬â and therefore having a public health perspective ââ¬â but also easing the burden on public transport and on the road network during the London 2012 event (London 2012, 2012). As part of this framework, the London 2012 Inspire Programme was set up which aimed to encourage more walking and cycling. In the run up to the Games, 60 Inspire programmes were set up, with the lessons learned from these pilot projects being consolidated and turned in to plans to effect real changes in the choice of transportation across the UK as a whole (Horne, 2012). As London 2012 (2012) noted, ââ¬Å"By creating a positive experience for people walking and cycling to the Games, London 2012 and Transport for London hope people will continue to choose to walk and cycle in the future, both for every day trips and to future sporting and cultural eventsâ⬠. It is clear, then, that the London 2012 organising committee has a serious commitment to using the lessons learned during London 2012 to improve the health of the general populace beyond the 2012 Games. As London 2012 (2007; 47) states, ââ¬Å"Living healthy lifestyles within the resources of the planet, is an essential element of working towards a one planet 2012â⬠, with healthy living being tightly linked to other aspects of the sustainability plan, including access to green spaces, healthy food and active travel. If more green spaces are available, for example, as a result of the quest for community involvement and the commitment to restore and create more biodiversity spots across London, then people will be more inclined to get outside and be healthy. Once people start to feel healthier, their bodies ask for healthier food. As Shipway (2007) notes, it can be difficult, however, to determine what the sustainable legacies of an event such as London 2012 might be, in terms of health. Whilst the Games had a unique opportunity to deliver sustainable sporting and health legacies, there are many key challenges that need to be overcome before these legacies can have any short- or long-term impacts. What is needed, argues Shipway (2007), is a ââ¬Å"â⬠¦positive step change in the attitudes towards sport and physical activity in British societyâ⬠. Until this is achieved, it is difficult to see how the ââ¬Ëactive travelââ¬â¢ legacy of the London 2012 sustainability plan can be achieved. As Dickson and Benson (2011) note, what is needed, in reality, is some form of metric that could enable the measurement of the degree of implementation of these desired legacies and the impact of the desired legacies on the local area and beyond. Without this, as Dickson and Benson (2011) note, the sustainability pla n put forwards by London 2012 is simply talk with no substance (Leopky and Parent, 2012). Closer links to local and regional planning activities could, for example, have ensured a greater likelihood of achieving, and sustaining, the aims of ââ¬Ëactive travelââ¬â¢ (Gratton and Preuss, 2008). A short opinion survey of ââ¬Ëactive travelââ¬â¢ à A short survey was undertaken of GSM London students, in order to find out their opinions on the active travel ideas in the London 2012 sustainability plan. As shown in Table 1, of the twenty students interviewed, none of them had realised that the London 2012 Games had been accompanied by a sustainability plan. Number of students who knew the London 2012 Olympics had a sustainability plan Number of students who did not know that the London 2012 Olympics had a sustainability plan 0 20 Table 1: Showing the number of students who were aware of the London 2012 sustainability plan When the respondents were asked if they could imagine what this plan might have included, eighteen of the students said they were not sure, with one mentioning that they thought the plan might include ââ¬Ëminimising impacts on climate changeââ¬â¢ and another mentioning ââ¬Ëencouraging less wasteââ¬â¢. Of the twenty students that were interviewed, all twenty of them had been in London at the time of the Games but only three of them had visited an event during the London 2012 Games. Asked for their opinion of the London 2012 Games, twelve of them responded that tickets for the events were too expensive and that the transport had been ââ¬Ëa nightmareââ¬â¢ around the time of the Games, with the seven students who travel by public transport saying that they had become tired, during the Games, of having to help tourists find their routes and of having to stand because the bus/Tube they usually used was very full during the duration of the Games. Two of the students interviewed said that they had taken to using a bike, during the Games, because of the crowding on public transport, and that, as they had enjoyed the experience so much, and felt so much healthier when they used their bike to get to their place of study, they had continued to use their bike since the Games. When asked if they would recommend using a bike to their peers, both of these students stated that, yes, they had recommended using a bike to friends and that, between them, six other students had now started cycling to their place of study, rather than using public transport. When asked whether they felt the London 2012 planning committee had been successful in their mission to encourage the use of active transport to move around the Games, the twenty students replied that they had not realised this was an aspect of the sustainability plan of the London 2012 Games. When told that it was, and that the main aim of this was to encourage people in the UK, in general, to be healthier, the twenty students seemed perplexed by this idea, stating that they were unsure if this would work, as they had not even heard of the sustainability plan and certainly had not seen any adverts encouraging people to use active transport during the Games. It was clear from the short opinion survey undertaken that the twenty students interviewed were not very well informed of the sustainability plan of London 2012 nor of the specific parts of this plan, nor of the fact that Londoners, and people in the UK in general, were being asked to use active transport, following the model of this piloted during the London 2012 Games. It seems, therefore, that from this small sample of people, the London 2012 organising committee were not very successful in transmitting their grand ideas to the general populace. Conclusion à This report has provided an analysis of the sustainability plan of the London 2012 Games, looking at the main themes in the plan and how these themes were implemented. The results of a short survey were presented which suggest that, despite the fact that London 2012 were very successful in implementing some of their plans (such as those covering waste and food), they were not so successful in educating the public about the benefits of engaging in active transport. References Collins, A., Jones, C., and Munday, M. (2009). Assessing the environmental impacts of mega sporting events: two options? Tourism Management 30(6), 828-837. Davies, L.E. (2012). Beyond the Games: regeneration legacies and London 2012. Leisure Studies 31(3), 309-337. Devine, C. (2012). London 2012 Olympic legacy: a big sporting society? International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics DOI: 10.1080/19406940.2012.656674. Dickson, T.J. and Benson, A. (2011). Developing a framework for evaluating Olymic and Paralympic legacies. Journal of Sport and Tourism 4, 285-302. Girginov, V. and Hills, L. (2008). A sustainable sports legacy: creating a link between the London Olympics and sports participation. International Journal of the History of Sports 25(14), 2091-2116. Girginov, V. et al. (2009). The political process of constructing a sustainable London Olympics sports development legacy. International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics 1(2), 161-181. Girginov, V. (2012). Governance of the London 2012 Olympic Games legacy. International Review for the Sociology of Sport 47, 543-558. Gratton, C. and Pruess, H. (2008). Maximising Olympic impacts by building up legacies. The International Journal of the History of Sport 25(14), 1922-1938. Horne, J. (2012). Leisure, culture and the Olympic Games. Leisure Studies 31(3), 261-263. Leopky, B. and Parent, M.M. (2012). Olympic Games legacy: from general benefits to long-term legacy. The International Journal of the History of Sport 29(6), 924-943. Leopky, B. (2013). The Governance of Olympic Games legacy. PhD thesis, Universite de Ottowa. Available from https://ruor.uottawa.ca/fr/handle/10393/23640 [Accessed 21st March 2013]. London 2012 (2007). Towards a one planet 2012. Available from sel.org.uk/uploads/London-2012-Sustainability-Plan.pdf [Accessed 22nd March 2013]. London 2012 (2012). Sustainability. Available from london2012.com/about-us/sustainability/ [Accessed 22nd March 2013]. Nichols, G. (2012). Olympic cities: 2012 and the remaking of London. Leisure Studies 31(3), 378-380. Shipway, R. (2007). Sustainable legacies for the 2012 Olympic Games. Perspectives in Public Health 127, 119-124.
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