Genetically Modified Organisms Essay

Abstract Genetically modified crops and food involve the deliberate altering of the genetic material of plants and animals. Biotechnology when used for agriculture and food production will cause concerns over the environmental, economic and ethical issues that this technology affects. Genetically modified crops that are resistant to pesticides can help contribute to increased yields and agricultural growth. Most foods we consume today have been genetically modified or they have ingredients that are derived from gene modification technology. Some specific fears expressed about genetically modified organisms are the fear of the unknown and also cultural, ethical and environmental. The benefits from GMO crops include longer shelf-life, improved nutritional quality, increased crop yield. The benefits of GM crops and food seem to outweigh the risk. The agencies that  regulate this technology and the businesses that are involved in this technology should help enhance public awareness for worldwid e acceptance of genetically modified crops and food. The Food and Drug Administration known as the FDA has been focusing their time and money on food biotechnology. The use of biotechnology when used for agriculture and food production increases the environmental, economic and ethical concerns. The use of genetically engineered organisms poses apprehensive questions on the risk to human health. Progress in technology and especially genetic engineering of food is not what it once was. The way food was once grown and made has long passed. What are the possible risks and effects of this technology and is there enough information to determine the consequences GMOs will have on human health. This technology dates back to the early 1900s and in 1935 Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was first discovered by Andrei Nikolaevitch Belozersky a Russian scientist. Recombinant DNA a form of artificial DNA was created in 1973 and in 1994 insulin produced by genetically engineered E. coli bacteria is sold on the market. Genetically modified organisms hit the grocery stores in 1994 and the United States Food and Drug Administration approved the first genetically engineered crop product called the FLAVR SAVR tomato. This tomato has a longer shelf life than conventional tomato, but in 1997 the Flavr Savr was pulled off the grocery shelves due to economic difficulties. The marketplace began embracing GMO technology and by 1999 over 100 million acres worldwide are planted with genetically engineered seeds. GMOs are referred to as crop plants that are created for human and/or animal consumption which have been genetically modified in laboratories. In 1997 scientist have figured out how to stack genes (combining more than one trait from the same plant) and it is estimated that 89 percent of all soybeans and 61 percent of all corn grown in the United States has been genetically engineered(International Food Information Council, 2007). The FDA approved genetically engineered corn, soy, cotton, canola, potato, squash and tomato for commercialization in 1995 and since then the amount of crops genetically engineered has been steadily increasing. The genes are often altered to render the plant resistant to either insects or herbicides. You are likely eating genetically engineered potato chips or potato chips that  have been fried in canola, corn or soy oil. In the United States and most of the world people are consuming large amounts of genetically modified foods and don’t even realize. In 1994 the FDA approved genetically modified organisms for food crops and approval for GMO crops by the FDA has increased since. The number of crops since 2012 approved by the FDA has been 144 crops. Crops that have herbicide-tolerant traits are widely and rapidly adopted in the United States and out of the 144 crops approved by the FDA roughly around 75 percent are genetically engineered to withstand direct applications of he rbicides and/or contain an insecticide BT toxin. Countries with poor resources can benefit from biotechnology which will help provide more stable crops. Genetically modified crops can increase the nutritional quality of agricultural products and also help reduce season planting problems and cut cost. Crops can be produced to be resistant to herbicide which means they can be sprayed with herbicide to kill weeds and the crops will not be affected. This will help reduce the amount of herbicide used and a reduction in cost for the farmers and consumers. Cost for genetically modified foods may be expensive in the initial stages of research but, in the end this option will cost less overall for farmers due to the reduction in pesticide and herbicide which will help produce higher yields of quality product. Legal and ethical concerns that GMOs present are an ongoing debate. People wonder if it is ethical to file intellectual property on the genetic sequence of an organism. Biotech companies argue that IP-based revenue is used to promote further research and some worry that ownership of a particular sequence prevents widespread research and hinders scientific discovery. The U.S Supreme court ruled that patents cannot be filed on naturally occurring human gene sequences, but this ruling left room for loopholes and does not apply to GMO products. Legal debates are far from over. The political implications on genetic engineering in the world of science and around the world are a controversial topic. It is evident that with population on the rise there will not be enough production of food to sustain the needs of the growing population. This could be a possible solution to help sustain the world food supply. Research and testing is helping raise livestock and grow crops more efficiently. There are many concerns behind the genetic practices and over the safety of genetically modified foods on humans. The natural balance of the environment  also needs to be raised to include the impact that genetically modifying food will have on the environment. The question is can genetically modified foods be a good solution to help feed the growing population and what are the pros and cons associated with the social, ethical and scientific implications? How difficult would it be to segregate genetically modified organisms from other organisms and what effects could this introduction of new genes into the natural context of the environment have? Tests conducted on genetically modified crops only look at short-term effects not what effects it could have in the long range. Genetic structure on any living thing is very intricate and complex. The consequences that technology of genetically modified organism could have on the environment is not known and a system as complex as genetic codes is not something to take lightly and should not be taken for granted without knowing all the facts. Despite the legal, ethical and environmental controversies surrounding GMO products there is potential on many different research horizons. Genetic engineering could prove to be a useful tool to help address the increasing rate of population and the problem of global hunger must be addressed. It is important to weigh the benefits and consequences and not dismiss this technology before we have all the facts. There needs to be more research to help evaluate the safety of genetic engineering and to realize its full potential for scientific discovery. We will discuss throughout the rest of this paper the advantages and disadvantages of genetically modifying foods and crops. There needs to be further studies conducted to fully understand the effects this could have on human health and also on the environment. The concerns raised by environmental groups, religious organizations, political interest groups and government officials, scientist and different associations about genetically modified foods are criticized for businesses pursuing profits without worrying about the potential hazards and also for the government’s failure to exercise any regulatory oversight. Everyone has an opinion on GMOs and until we have further information we have to assume that it could be a good solution to our growing population and food supply, but we need to take the necessary precautions before we find ourselves worse off. There are many political issues with genetically modified organisms, but the  one that most people pay attentions to is â€Å"should labeling be required when dealing with genetically modified organisms?† Currently the United States does not require labeling for genetically modified organisms. Let me take some to time to explain what the term labeling means. When genetically modified foods have a label on it, it states that it was made from genetically modified crops. The United States and Canada are the only countries that do not require labeling on genetically modified foods. There are 50 countries in the world that either ban genetically modified organisms completely or have a lot of restrictions on it. The labeling of genetically modified foods has been known to cause concerns. There are several positive and negative arguments of labeling genetically modified organisms. One positive argument of labeling genetically modified organisms is that consumers have the right to know what is in their food. Another positive argument about labeling genetically modified organisms is that it will allow consumers to stay away from the food that causes them problems. A negative argument of labeling genetically modified organisms is that it may imply a warning about health issues. Another negative argument of labeling genetically modified organisms is it will impose a cost on all consumers. As of right now it does not look like the United States requirements for labeling genetically modified organism will change anytime soon. There are not any requirements for the way food is labeled, but there are federal bills in play that could change the way genetically modified foods are labeled in the future. There are a few states that approved the legislation for requiring labels on genetically modified organisms. The first state that approved the legislation was Connecticut and that happened in 2003. Recently Maine was the second state to approve the legislation. These legislations that were approved will not go into effect until more of the northeastern states endorse a similar legislation. New Hampshire House rejected a GMO labeling bill. Just this year alone 67 genetically modified organisms labeling bills have been presented in 25 states. Last year in 2013 there were 110 genetically modified organisms bills presented in 32 states. Currently there are four states with pending legislations on GMO labeling; these states include California, Missouri, Minnesota and Rhode Island. Along with the states that have the pending legislations, there are a few more states that are trying to put the GMO labeling question on the ballot. The states that are trying to put the question on the ballot are Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, and Oregon. Last year Washington voters rejected the genetically modified organism ballot; and that ballot turned out to be the most expensive ballot question ever. In the United States three different government agencies have jurisdiction over the genetically modified organism foods. The agencies include Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. The EPA evaluates genetically modified plants for environmental safety. The EPA also conducts risk assessment studies on pesticides that could cause harm to human health and the environment. The USDA evaluates whether the plant is safe to grow or not. The USDA is responsible for all the genetically modified organism crops that do not fall under the umbrella of the EPA; an example of the crops that the USDA handles are drought tolerant, and disease tolerant crops. The USDA has several internal divisions which all share the responsibility for assessing genetically modified organism foods. The divisions that are included in the USDA are the Animal Health and Plant Inspection Service, the Agricultural Research Service, and the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service. The FDA evaluates whether the plant is safe to eat or not. The FDA believes that genetically modified organism foods are substantially equivalent to unmodified, natural foods, and is not subject to FDA regulations. A lot of companies that are working on new genetically modified foods are not required to consult with the FDA, nor do they have to follow the FDA’s recommendations. The current FDA policy was created in 1992 and it states that companies may voluntarily ask the FDA for a consultation. The FDA agency does not have the time, money or resources to carry out the safety studies of all the genetically modified food products. Everyone might not support genetically modified organisms, but they are very cost effective. The genetic engineering crops can be grown and survive  longer than organic crops. When using genetically engineered crops such as insect resistant crops saves money because they require less pesticides to be used. These genetically modified crops will help all farmers save money as well as help them gain profits. There are many economic advantages for genetically modified foods. Some of the advantages are pest resistance, herbicide tolerance, disease resistance, nutrition, and pharmaceuticals. There are many fungi and bacteria that can cause plant diseases. Some biologists are working on genetically engineered crops that will prevent the fungi and bacteria that cause the diseases. Herbicide is a spray that farmers use to destroy weeds instead of removing the weed physically themselves. Spraying herbicides is a time consuming and expensive process. The herbicides could potentially harm the crops and the environment. Pesticide resistance is said to be one of the most damaging impacts that genetically engineered crops have caused in the economy. Farmers typically use many tons of chemical pesticides annually. People do not want to eat food that has been treated with pesticides because of the potential health hazards. There are millions of acres of farmlands in the United States that are infested by weeds that have become resistant to herbicide. The â€Å"Roundup Ready† trait has promoted the accelerated development of resistance in several weed species. The â€Å"Roundup Ready† trait was engineered to tolerate the herbicide. In order for farmers to fight these weeds they have to use more toxic herbicides. There are some companies that are working to develop new genetically engineered crops to tolerate the older herbicides, but there is no guarantee that the same thing as before will not happen again. Along with economic advantages, there are also disadvantages. Some people believe that the farmers are the biggest losers when it comes to genetically modified agriculture. It is believed that farmers are tricked with deceptive advertising. Although genetically modified crops can produce a little more corn than organic crops; genetically modified crops reduces other output from the plant for example seeds, leaves, roots etc. Organic crops serve as food for earthworms, fungi, and other beneficial insects that will turn it  into fertilizer for the next crop. The genetically modified organism can decimate the communities of organisms that create soil, so that the farmer is stuck wondering why their soil fertility drops every year. In countries like India, the people are afraid that if they switch over to genetically modified organisms many people will lose their jobs. India is a country with over 1.1 billion people and it continues to grow. There are over 600 million farmers in India, and if they were to start using genetically modified organisms then over 580 million farmers will be looking for work. There are no other job industry in India that is creating this many jobs. It would not be logical for India farmers to switch to genetically modified crops. They would go from about 580 million farmers to only 20 million farmers; that just an impact that it will have on India’s economy. Genetically Modified Organisms has been a growing hot button issue over the past decade. As time has come and gone, many farmers have started growing cheaper genetically modified crops, which have created a surplus of genetically modified food. This has created a lot of tension between consumers and suppliers and now many of these consumers are demanding that the genetically modified foods be properly labeled. This has caused a sort of media frenzy along with many negative psychological and sociological effects because these consumers don’t know what they are putting in their body. It has become increasingly evident that genetically modified foods (genetically altered in an unnatural way) make people exceptionally uneasy, because they are unhealthy and to be completely honest, they don’t know what exactly is in it. Many consumers are starting to publicly ponder what sort of long term health risks might be associated with genetically modified foods, even though in 1992 the FDA announced that these GMO’s are generally safe, it is safe to assume that time has also been a factor in people’s restlessness. During this economic turmoil that the United States is suffering (an estimated 17 trillion dollars), many farmers have been looking for any and all possible ways of cutting their agricultural costs so their  profit margins can become higher. Genetically modified crops have been the answer, especially with all the companies that have a current high demand for them, these farmers have definitely exploited that demand. You can’t really blame them as it’s really these corporations trying to cut cost when there mass producing these food products (especially frozen foods). They are numerous citizen outreach groups, like the Coalition for Safe Affordable Foods aim to lower costs but keep the same healthy quality food and as time continues these groups will only become stronger and stronger simply because of how many people are starting to realize how unhealthy their daily food from grocery stores actually is. The labeling uproar is only the first step in what promises to be a lengthy process to make America’s food increasingly healthy. These Genetically modified crops are planted in fields similar to regular crops and they interact directly with different organisms that would normally feed on the crops and would interact incidentally with other creatures in the food chain. Again like normal crops, the pollen from the engineered crop is released into the environment, which has led to serious concerns about the possible effects that genetically engineered crops on other species and about the gene flow, the transfer of alleles (a number of alternative forms of same gene or same genetic locus) or genes from one population to another. In reality these lower agricultural costs aren’t the only useful trait that genetically engineered crops can have. Since they are genetically engineered, companies and farmers can chose exactly what they want to genetically altered. Some common useful traits for genetically engineered crops are resistance to pests/herbicides, able to increase nutritional value, and for the production of other valuable goods such as pharmaceutical drugs. These crops, while under development, are able to thrive in environmental conditions outside the species native range. Obviously there are some big negatives with genetically engineered crops, most of which have been made relatively public, but there are some positives if companies start using genetically altered plants in a more responsible manner. The willingness of consumers to pay a premium price for organic foods (food not genetically modified) has come at a time when genetically modified foods have come under scrutiny. Studies, like Lusk JL, Jamal M. Kurlander L, Roucan M, Taulman L, whom created a meta-analysis of genetically modified food valuation studies found, in a review of 25  studies, found a premium of 29 percent for non-genetically modified foods. These studies also revealed that Europeans are much more willing to pay a premium for non-GM foods than their American counterpart. This is also consistent with public policy, as there are required labeling of all genetically modified. In the United States, although there may be change in the future due to a large increase in consumer’s demand to know exactly what is going in their body, still has no labeling policies. The one exception in the United States is Whole Foods, who independently (mainly because they view themselves as the healthy grocery store compared to the Food Lions, Walmart, and Targets of the world) announced at Natural Products Expo West in March 2013, that all products in every store in the United States and Canada â€Å"must be labeled to indicate if they contain genetically modified organisms (GMO)† per Whole Foods press release. As of late, genetic modification of food has been associated with a great deal of media attention, although technically this rise of media coverage was by the spring of 1999 (add). With the rise of GMO awareness groups (especially when considering food) media attention has risen in the past decade due to consumer complaints have also led to a more close eye on what exactly is going on, and further investigation into what we, as a country, are putting into our body. Through all of the media frenzy and consumer uproar, eat healthy movements have led many of these consumers to question the validity of the GMO companies claiming their products are healthy. Many people are looking to European countries as evidence on how to run a healthy country, but in reality there is a great deal of precaution (an important theme in international relation, especially in environment and public health instances) has been a very delicate question in transatlantic relations, especially pertaining to regulation laws. This precaution usually stems from the differences in laws in how genetically modified foods can be shipped from country to country. GMO’s are good examples of how regulatory laws greatly vary from country to country (the European Union has much more strict regulatory laws compared to the United States). There has been a positive trend especially at the state/community level, where in some cases there has been extensive legislation and policy changes over the past quarter century. I think that the biggest mystery in all this genetically modified food chaos is the FDA’s lack of influence, which has in turn  created tension betw een them and various states and has ultimately caused a guessing game in the grocery aisle for many customers. The common thought between consumers is that the FDA has not played nearly enough roles when regulating genetically modified foods. Due to their negligence farms are rapidly increasing their use of genetically modified crops (which have a significantly lower cost per square foot then natural crops), which has increased their presence in food. A perfect example of a drastic rise in genetically modified ingredients is the soybean in the United States over only the last 10 years. In 1997 17 percent of the soybean acreage was genetically modified, and today that percentage is upwards of an astounding 93 percent. The FDA’s presence would be a great benefit to the â€Å"eat healthy movements†, and at some point they will be forced to make their move. It is understandable that consumers are now standing up and demanding to know if GMO’s are present in their food. It is their right, and unfortunately due to the United States nature of catering to big business (i.e. oil/gas prices) it is taken away. There have been many positive strides in this eat healthy front, and the numbers of these groups will only continue to rise, especially if the FDA doesn’t step in. Consumers have a right to know what is in their food, and until they achieve that right, they will fight for themselves and for the children of America. Genetically modified organisms have brought good news and a brighter future for many, but have also been called into question by our ethics. Genetically modified organisms or GMOs, have had a huge impact when it comes to foods and its production along with any other areas it may touch. There is a vast spectrum, from ending world hunger to being able to produce indulgent, yet unnecessary, foods like burgers in a lab (Lynas, 2014). It’s a truly fascinating thing to see such unimaginable science at work; and the endless, and quite unclear, possibilities it may bring. With an infinite amount of uncertain prospects, should there be some rules, standards, or guidelines set in place and reinforced for those who are practicing the science? Society has witnessed how technology can benefit us, but we have also come to realize the many downsides following close behind. Society needs to take the time to analyze both sides of the spectrum related to genetically modified organisms, crops, a nd food, when it comes to our environment, our  morals, and our ethics. Golden rice is one of the most talked about gifts produced by GMOs. The GMOs that created golden rice have made it possible for it to produce beta-carotene, in hopes of reducing vitamin A deficiency (Lynas, 2014). An independent humanitarian board runs the project, though there are doubts as to where the technological producers’ intentions truly lie. Society has seen the interests they have in looking for ways to end world hunger, but the revenue GMOs also produce can be a strong motivational factor. Malnutrition has been a problem for some unfortunate countries, most of which are undeveloped and poverty stricken. Countries who either cannot plant crops due to lack of fertile land, or do not have the money to buy nourishment. When something as precious as golden rice looks so appealing and promising, why is it that there are organizations such as Greenpeace rising against these â€Å"good crops†? (Lynas, 2014) Genetically modified organisms are beneficial in many ways. The GMOs used to cultivate a new class of crops, known as genetically modified crops, have a list of other valuable qualities besides its fruitful fields. Think about a farmer’s market or any other store where you may do your grocery shopping. Now imagine it being filled with many colorful and delightful looking vegetables and fruits, a real lavish produce dream. That dream is not far from becoming true if GM crops were able to truly flourish. There are crops, such as the Bt brinjal (genetically modified eggplant variation). Bt brinjal are resistant to certain complications that farmers must combat during the harvest. Having resistant genetically modified crops would remove the need to spray insecticides, thus reducing exposure of carcinogenic residues for both farmers and consumers (Lynas, 2014). Mark Lynas said in his article titled Good Crops, â€Å"These crops can reduce the use of environmentally damaging agrochemicals, and several have been developed by public-sector organizations concerned with food security, the reduction of poverty, and sustainability.† The lists of advantages GM crops have shown so far in our environment bring some people hope for a rich future. There is the opportunity to better the environment, our morals, and our ethics with these advanced crops. The ability to produce a crop that will  yield abundant bounties could reduce the need to look for more fertile land. With less land, but a bigger harvest, the environment and its inhabitants could certainly thrive. Also, GM crops that are more resistant allow our environment to be less polluted by insecticides, pesticides, and other undesirable toxins (Caplan, 2013). There is this strong chance that genetically modified crops, and their fruits, can prove the grass is greener on the other side. And though the unvisited sight seems attractive and somewhat necessary, would one dare to venture off into an unknown area? The remarkable technology of genetically modified crops and foods has much to offer. Nonetheless there are unintended consequences that are growing silent ly, and even though they are not completely formulated, they must be addressed. Unintended consequences are unforeseen outcomes society must face when it is determined to proceed with a decision, a course of action. There are many reasons why these consequential drawbacks arise, some that are inevitably unavoidable (Vernon, 1979). Researchers are only humans who make mistakes, and can overlook small details, which can lead to hapless outcomes. Like with any technology, genetically modified organisms should not be dismissed as inconsequential. There are still many unanswered questions scientists have yet to address when it comes to genetically modified crops. The main reason is that genetically modified technology is still in the early stages. There is a vast array of knowledge in the subject, yet there is still a lot of experimentation required in order to consider GMOs stable and safe. The author of the Impact of GMO on Environment and Human Health Jai Godheja shares some scary, but possible unintended consequences GM crops can lead to in the near future. The m ost controversial term being used on the topic of GM crops is genetic pollution, which basically describes what could happen when genetically modified organisms contaminate organisms unintendedly. Genetic pollution can affect the ecological system in many ways. The uncontrolled flow of genetic information being released by GM crops can cause organic or untreated organisms, to completely be wiped out (Godheja, 2013). GMOs are not organic, and if they were to poison our entire environment, nothing would be considered natural anymore. Recently, there was an interview with a farmer who was growing organic fruit, but when  tested, the end product had traces of GMOs. This discovery lead to people questioning what they are consuming. Farmers have everything to gain, but what of the people ingesting the supposed â€Å"safe† yet unidentified creations? Not to mention, the environment is ever-changing, evolving, and modifying to be able to survive in its own natural way. Therefore the, now modified as well, organisms that have always attacked the farmer’s harvest can, and more than likely will, find a way to develop resistance against pesticides and herbicides at hand (G odheja, 2013). Suddenly our delightful, and prosperous, dreams start to turn into a bitter nightmare. As the saying goes, â€Å"One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,† just as well can be said about our nightly thoughts. One person’s dreams could be another’s nightmares. The world is filled with numerous cultures that each has their own ideas, opinions, religion, and thoughts on how individuals should live their life. The ethics and morals of people, already seen as not being defined clearly by any one populace, extend even more when thought about on a global scale. The rights and wrongs could be flipped; the evils of some can be seen as blessings to others, and the good can be interpreted as wicked depending on the mentality. Now throw in a contentious subject matter like GMOs, and heads are bound to clash. Some agree GM crops are extensively worthwhile and should be fully supported, while the opposing side calls into question not only its safety but its ethical issues as well. Al-Hayani states in his article, â€Å"God has commanded us to seek knowledge and make discoveries to better our lives and our environment† (Al-Hayani, 2007). However, due to the diverse mindsets, the definition of what may be better is uncertain. Ethics is defined as the study of â€Å"doing the right thing,† so what people must figure out and come to a conclusion is whether genetically modified food is ethical. For some this question is not easily answered because there are numerous, both good and bad, things to consider. Furthermore even when those considerations are taken into account and categorized, one can still stand as undecided. An individuals’ ethics can lie all over the place, and never be clearly defined. Ethics are what make each person who they are, and can swiftly change depending on the circumstances they find themselves under. One shouldn’t be judge by their actions, but it does help outline their code of ethics and morals. Religion has a huge impact on many of our ethics. Everything created by God is considered natural and blessed by God, thus there is nothing unethical about his creations (Sandu, 2010). GMOs are not considered natural because humans have created them, and God himself even though he created the means cannot bless them. â€Å"According to its kind† is the statement Sandu repeats in his article as a biblical quotation, in order for his audience to understand God created grass and trees that would produce seeds that would in return produce more fruitful trees. The trees produced were pure breeds, or â€Å"good species.† There was the chance of crossbreeding, but this was still considered naturally hybrid because there was no human interaction involved (Sandu, 2010). A rule of thumb to remember in this context is once humans have interfered with natural processes, for example putting two species unlikely to crossbreed in an enclosed area for that intention, then immediately t he creation becomes tarnished—unnatural. Consequently it is then believed to be unethical by some. Yet others would agree the benefits GMOs have provided are ethically sound. Going back to Al-Hayani’s statement, the creation of GMOs, though unnatural, has shown some promise in bettering our lives and our environment. Genetically modified crops have provided an abundance of produce, as well as improved products like golden rice, in order to better our lives and that of others in need. With that said, GMOs would seem to be accepted as ethically sound. It is the people’s social responsibility to address and seek solutions to problems such as world hunger. Society is currently at a point where it has acknowledged problems alike and are searching, even found, answers. It is said that poverty has seen a larger decrease in the past fifty years, than the prior five centuries (Al-Hayani, 2007). There is no denying the many benefits technology, referring back to our topic of GMOs, can provide to improve our world. One couldn’t imagine such commendable technology being questioned or seen as unethical when it is providing society with indefinite aforementioned results. And even so it holds its skeptics. With all the technology available to us, there are some individuals who make the mistake of believing we control nature. It’s unwelcomed by some to think nature controls us, and unacceptable to give in to the idea we will never have complete control of our environment. Genetically engineered technologies continue to garner mixed feelings. The unstable technology has  been able to deliver assistance to society, but even the worldly provided benefits have been called into question considering its enigma. Though we may not all have the same beliefs, there is one statement that stands out and should be remembered by us all: â€Å"God didn’t make a mistake, no matter how much we’ll strive or boast, trying to transform ourselves in creators, we can’t arrange things better than the way He did† (Sandu, 2010). There is so much technology that serves many outcomes to our people, our society, our environment, and our future. All in all, it’s important to always keep, not one’s, but everybody’s best interest in mind. References: Al-Hayani, F. (2007). Biomedical ethics: Muslim perspectives on genetic modification. Zygon: Journal Of Religion & Science, 42(1), 153-162. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9744.2006.00812.x ARS : Home. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ars.usda.gov/main/main.htm Battle over gmo labeling rumbling in us. (2014, march 16). Retrieved from http://www.nst.com.my/world/battle-over-gmo-labeling-rumbling-in-us-1.516003 Bizeau, C. (n.d.). Social, political, and economic impact. Retrieved from http://tbcgeneticmod.wix.com/gmos CAPLAN, A. L. (2013). Genetically Modified Food: good, bad, ugly. Chronicle of Higher Education, 60(2), B4-B5. Catacora-Vargas, G. (2012). Socio-economic considerations in gmo decision-making . Retrieved from http://www.ensser.org/fileadmin/files/1.3-Catacora-paper.pdf Colson, G., & Rousu, M. C. (2013). What do consumer surveys and experiments reveal and conceal about consumer preferences for genetically modified foods?. GM Crops & Food, 4(3), 1-8. doi:10.4161/gmcr.26322 Constable, A., Jonas, D., Cockburn, A. Davi, A., Edwards, G., Hepburn, P. & Samuels, F. (2007). History of safe use as applied to the safety assessment of novel foods and foods derived from genetically modified organisms. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 45(12), 2513- 2525. Debora , W. (2000, April). Genetically modified foods: Harmful or helpful?. Retrieved from http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php Devos, Y., Maeseele, P., Reheul, D., Van Speybroeck, L., & De Waele, D. (2008). Ethics in the societal debate on genetically modified organisms: A (re)quest for sense and sensibility. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 21(1), 29. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10806-007-9057-6 Godheja, J. (2013). Impact of GMO’S on environment and human health. Recent Research In Science & Technology, 5(5), 26-29. Helme, M. (2013). Genetically Modified Food Fight: The FDA Should Step Up to the Regulatory Plate so States Do Not Cross the Constitutional Line. Minnesota Law Review, 98(1), 356-384. Hiatt, Shon R., and Sangchan Park. â€Å"Lords of the Harvest: Third- party Influence and Regulatory Approval of Genetically Modified Organisms.† Academy of Management Journal (forthcoming). Lynas, M. (2014). Good Crops. Technology Review, 117(1), 12. Prah, P. (2014, March 03). Here’s what gmo labeling will cost you. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/13/gmo-labels_n_4956995.html Sandu, G. H. (2010). Biblical Bioethics essay concerning genetically modified organisms. Scientific Papers: Series D, Animal Science – The International Session Of Scientific Communications Of The Faculty Of Animal Science, 12-14. Schrà ¶er, W., & Schmidt, G. (2013). Supporting monitoring effects of genetically modified organisms by GIS-technologies and geodata – an overview. Biorisk: Biodiversity & Ecosystem Risk Assessment, 8111-120. doi:10.3897/biorisk.8.4038 Selected Internet Resources on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.istl.org/10-winter/internet2.html Vernon, R. (Feb., 1979). Political Theory, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 57-73, Unintended Consequences†¨ Published by: Sage Publications, Inc.†¨Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/190824 Accessed: 25/08/2010 15:52 University of California San Diego. (n.d.). Genetically modified organisms (gmo). Retrieved from http://www.bt.ucsd.edu/gmo.html Wirth, D. A. (2013). The world trade organization dispute concerning genetically modified organisms: Precaution meets international trade law. Vermont Law Review, 37(4), 1153- 1188. Wohlers, A. E. (2013). Labeling of genetically modified food. Politics & The Life Sciences, 32(1), 73-84. doi:10.2990/32_1_73

Studying in united kingdom

Executive SummaryAnalyzing in United Kingdom is relatively more outstanding than any other states it provides a alone survey methodological analysis which enhances coincident development of an person with ample of chances in itself and internationally. This paper focuses on overall scenario of the environment of surveies and other issues such as scholarships, wellness safety, insurance, substructure and guidance. This paper elaborates the reason of the overall scenario and the argues through political, environment, societal and engineering ( PEST ) analysis, follows suggestions and recommendations.Footings of MentionToday, Education is non a mere making. It brings with it an chance to step outside the boundaries of the four walls of a schoolroom. George Savile, Marquis of Halifax justly opined, â€Å" Education is what remains when we have forgotten all that we have been taught. † Education as per my sentiment should be such that brings new people of different civilizations. It provides one an option to develop amidst assorted civilizations, ideas, perceptual experiences and experiences. I work in my company as a manager, my company is an instruction consultancy, As the manager of my consultancy AEC – Abroad Education Advisers, it is my wish that our squad accomplish a common aim with our assorted university spouses in doing a undertaking that depicts a genuinely unfastened and wide-ranging industry of thoughts, penetrations and position about the various kingdom of instruction overseas for pupils. Our consultancy ‘s chief end and aim is to acquire closer to the pupils in India, the chances of assorted demanding classs and survey plans which are being offered in the prime instruction Institutes foreign. It is our top precedence and responsibility that our pupils do non merely acquire what they desire but besides we try presenting the best option for their calling. We provide reding service to those of our pupils who look for a professional counsel for their hereafter and we guide the pupils as per their involvement in a peculiar sector or industry, We provide full aid and work in coordination with our all pupils ‘ ability, comfort and their future aspirations every bit good as whenever we choose a university for our pupils we have our chief purpose that our pupils are good satisfied with their instruction and have a better platform for get downing of their callings. Even to the universities to whom we send our pupils, we have a full religion in the universities abilities to do our pupils radiance and emerge as fore-runners at that place. It is therefore our chief aim to supply first-class services in order to convey contentment to everybody we work with. Our organisation has completed 9 old ages of excellence in our field and during the term of office we have developed our trade name image for the quality of service that we provide and have developed religion among our clients household and nearby for the abroad instruction services. AEC Education Consultants is one of the fastest lifting globally educational advisers dedicated to supplying the Indian pupils with all indispensable information refering to the acquisition chances in UK. As from the recent old ages UK has been a topographic point where there is a perfect blend of assorted traditions, civilization, international exposure every bit good as planetary competition which makes a pupil non merely makes his instruction complete in a perfect environment but besides enhances a pupil ‘s character which helps them in their long tally calling as good, pupils after holding a twelvemonth or more than in the state are good versed with international environment but besides due to such mixture of assorted international pupils, they even inherit the manner to believe otherwise and introduce some new thoughts in their respective filed. We are authorised Partner of the British High Commission advancing instruction in the U.K. We have our several subdivisions in In dia and are supplying the best guidance and aid to steer to take and prosecute a pupil ‘s dream calling. We at AEC assist our pupils with scholarships and loan every bit good. We help them in obtaining an instruction loan from nationalized Bankss.Our comprehensive services include:Career Counselling– We help our pupils to happen and take a peculiar class which will accommodate their involvement and background. Comprehensive information on the International instruction system and life style.University Selection– In this measure we help our pupils to take the best suitable University for their class. After procedure application for all the Universities in U.K, and so we can propose you which one is suited in your field.Application Producer-The following measure is to concern the selected universities. We guide our pupils in make fulling the Universities signifier ; aid in readying of Recommendation missive, Statement of intent. We send our recommendation missive wi th your university application signifier to the University emphasizes the strengths of the pupil and why she/he should be license. The admittance decision maker considers this missive in their judgement devising. We keep maintain the touch with the universities to guaranting the pupil a fleet response.Fiscal Support– We besides offer our aid in apply for bank loan and other scholarships.Visa Assistance-We help our pupils in using visa and other legal process. We prepare their visa file. We can assist our pupils in set uping all needed papers for visa application. We besides verify all the documents in our file and submit it harmonizing to the high commission/embassy demands.Accommodation & A ; Airport Pick Up– We besides manage and book the adjustment in the abroad state. We will besides form the airdrome pick up service for our pupils. Our pupil ‘s safety is our first responsibility.Travel Agreements-We will besides help our pupils in travel agreement, foreign c urrency, all type insurance policy, opening a bank history in abroad state, cellular phone services in abroad state and other services every bit good.From the recent old ages, as UK has become progressively a topographic point where instruction is one of the best throughout the universe. Our clients are pupil who are interested in survey in aboard.UK universities and colleges holding 1000 classs at assorted degrees of instruction. Most of the pupil who late completed intermediate class and graduation grade prefer to travel on board for their farther surveies. The Student these yearss prefer UK grade because it take merely three old ages and postgraduate maestro ‘s class merely one twelvemonth compared with four twelvemonth in most other states.Assorted TYPE OF QUALIFICATIONS IN UNITED KINGDOM:Assorted makings offered by UK Universities and CollegesFirst Degree ( Bachelors Degree ) .Sandwich Courses: Where the assignments is accompanied by the practical work.HND ( Higher National Diploma )Vocational Courses.Postgraduate.Research ( Doctorate. )There are many inquiries work stoppage in pupil head sing aboard surveies. The most of information required by our client is related to instruction sector. There is following of inquiryWhy survey in UK?The UK is fleet emerging as one of most demanded survey topographic point for pupil in this universe.Which university should i choose in abroad?It depends on survey ba ckground and the fiscal position besides should act upon your pick of the university or college.AEC squad will be assisting you with choosing best class and university for you.How long does the admittance procedure take?Actually, it depends on the university to university and college to college. But most of the instances it takes 5 to 8 hebdomads barely.Is there any entryway test?There is no entryway trial for any class as such. However ; you need to hit in IELTS or TOEFL with minimal set is 6.5.How much does it be to analyze in aboard?It depends on the universities, college and state. If student pursue a Master class in UK University it cost around & A ; lb ; 6000 to & A ; lb ; 9000 lbs.What is sort of inn service is available?They are assorted option are available foremost, the universities provide on campus adjustment. In university adjustment consist of individual and dual room and you can hold self catered installation where you need to fix your ain nutrient. But most of clip p upil hire flats or house outside which is inexpensive and best for them.Can I pay my tuition fee by episodes?Yes you pay your tuition fee in instalment base and few universities besides offer pupils to give immense price reduction on if they pay whole tuition fee in.What is the handiness of work in the UK?Every pupil is permit to work 20 hours per hebdomad.Overview of the state of affairsThere are unexpected job will be arise with our client and us. In instance when we send the all papers of pupil to the universities for the enrollment but it will be refuse by the universities due the incompletion or incorrect certification. The UK universities want know the fiscal position of pupil for the life purpose many of the pupil face this job to agreement of hard currency on their history it ‘s a really large issue for us and our client. There is an English test, TOFEL and IELTS which behavior for the pupil who want take admittance in UK there minimal set mark is 6.5 but unluckily pup il achieved that mark, so it ‘s really bad for both us. Most of the pupils are non cognizant of foreign state about their living criterion, civilization, usage and transit, so it ‘s possible for pupil they faced trouble over at that place. Some pupil faced job with due to proficient issue like Swift transportation ( Online money transportation ) the fee is transfer at that clip to the university, so this procedure the slow down the other activity like apply for the visa, it ‘s non possible for pupils to use for the visa without acquiring unconditioned missive from the universities. If the non fall in his categories from twenty-four hours first it really hard for screen up the old talk. The first clip when we met our client we put a applier signifier which consist of many thing related to his/her past and go outing instruction background if they non make full the signifier right so its large job for us in farther manufacturer due to the invalid information we ca n't make the right thing.PEST Analysis:The PEST Analysis is stand for â€Å" Political, Economic, Social, and Technological analysis. † Sellers find many chances by placing tendencies ( way or sequences of events that have some impulse and lastingness ) and megatrends ( major societal, economic, political, and technological alterations that have long permanent influence ) . Within the fleetly altering cosmopolitan images, sellers must analyze six environmental forces, demographic, economical, social-culture, natural, technological, political -legal. In demographic environment sellers must be cognizant of population feature ; the age mix of population and literacy and instruction phases. In the Economic field, sellers need to see on income allocation and degree of nest eggs, debt and recognition handiness. In societal cultural pitch sellers must be cognizant of influence of faith, linguistic communications and imposts that shape the values and attitudes of consumer penchant, wonts and behavior. Whereas in accepted atmosphere sellers require being sensitive of populace ‘s interested concerns sing the state of affairs. Many sellers are at present bridal sustains ability and Green Marketing Programme that offer enhanced ecological consequences. In technological sphere seller should take history of accelerate velocity of technological alteration, chance for betterment ; verify R and D budgets, and the improved governmental parametric quantity brought approximately by technological alteration. In the political authorized atmosphere, sellers must work within the many Torahs modulating large concern patterns and within assorted particular involvements group. Before bring forthing a good plague analysis it is of primary importance to foremost encephalon storm the relevant factors that applies to the administration or to its concern environment. Second demand is to place the information that applies to these factors. And thirdly to pull decision from their information it is nevertheless necessary non merely to depict factors, but to believe through what they mean and how do they impact the concern. PEST analysis is merely to a strategic starting point and has its ain restrictions stressing the demand to prove the decision and happening against the world. POLITICAL: – It includes legal and regulative actions employment jurisprudence, consumer protection, and environmental protection, inter state relationship attitudes, like political tendencies, governmental leading, revenue enhancements and governmental construction. Business Legislation: Harmonizing to the World Bank any company can set up in 13 yearss compared to the others states. Tax SYSTEM: – The top corporate rate is 20 eight per centum that accounts smallest in the G7 and less than of the U.K. ‘s pillar rivals. There is fall down in corporate revenue enhancement over 50 % in earlier 1980 ‘s, it reflecting down autumn in industry sector. The highest per centum of personal revenue enhancement goes up to 40 % which is lowest in the Europe. EMPLOYMENT LAWS: Harmonizing to the World Bank the Denmark is in the first place and the UK is come to the 2nd best place. GOVERNMENT POLICIES: – The UK is least corrupt state by transparence international. It has better ranking in comparison to France, U.S.A, Germany and Japan. The figure one metropolis for concern from 19 old ages still keeping the place and commanding in 2008 by the European proctors and they find London is one of the biggest economic of import sector in the universe. ECONIMICAL ENVIRONMENT: – The family properties to the in-between income and above classs constitute the majority of devouring category, has been progressively steadily over the old ages. The urban consumers have to incur has a great cost of populating while the rural population has higher disposable income. It includes following points: – Productiveness: – Swiftly lifting historically the U.K. have lesser production than its core rival but this is changing and the U.K. has congested the infinite with several states and conquer others. Economy RATE / DEBT: -United Kingdom successful achieved the end in 2008 to unify the 501 new investings and besides expand the bing investing, which is highest than Europe. TRANSPORT LINKS: – The U.K. offer Earth category transportation links, HEATHRO ‘ s new terminal 5 is now unfastened publically and working efficaciously, farther growing is designed for international airdrome at STANSTED and London metropolis. For sea containers terminal at Felixstowe and London Gateway and for train system with venture in London. Cross train and train cargo route and rail web has improved. CREDIT AVAILABILITY: – More foreign companies set up their European central office set up at that place in the U.K. than someplace. OLYMPIC OPPERTUNITIES: – The Olympic Games in 2012 is held in London. The procuring phase is started in 2007, contracts are offered for large company of all sizes and the full estimated fiscal program will run in industry. SOCIAL CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT: – It comprise of assorted elements which are as follows: – SOCIAL MOBILITY: – The U.K. has mostly broad scope of broadband sharein comparison to the G7 states and set up a strongest I.C.T. substructure in the globally. Consumerism: -In London the top degree fiscal service Centre are present and which is top in Europe besides. Degree OF EDUCATION: – In the latest research by TIMES Higher Education in UK show the UK have Six top degree universities in Europe. U.K. research produce 16 research documents per U.S. one million dollar of research budget ( compared with 9.2 documents in the U.S. and 3.6 in Japan ) . LIFE STYLE CHANGE: – In U.K the populating criterion of people is high they are good educate and diversion because authorities introduce good policy for UK citizen ‘s. They have pay low personal revenue enhancement, authorities is besides provide fund fittingness and its free to all.UK hold a rich cultural heritage and wealth of leisure installations. POWER DISTRIBUTION INDEX: – Distribution of power is really complicated in some topographic points. Racial favoritism is more and some societies are unequal to some extent. Individuality: – Basically GEERT HOFSTEDE has mentioned cultural dimensions in which individuality is fundamentally self dependant and Bolshevism means populating with uncle, aunt, natives etc. TECNOLOGY: – In engineering the is maintain the 2nd place after U.S.A.In UK there are many immense industry and many advanced company set up his works. There are following points: – PACE OF CHANGE: – As new inventions are at that place in engineering which is really quickly adopted by the metropolis which helps them to make work more efficaciously. Internet: -For pupils it is indispensable to hold a cognition about cyberspace specially individuals who have migrated from one state to another because everything is computerised in this planetary epoch. VERIFYING R and D BUDGET: – With the usage of new M.I.S. system it has changed the face of working form. Everything is calculated and E.R.P. besides helps in happening new ways to research better chances and happen possible clients for their administration. INCREASED REGULATION OF CHANGE: – As new engineering comes which helps to make concern in different mode like C.R.M. package etc. ENVIROMENTAL TECHNOLOGY: -The United Kingdom has one of the most sparkling and globally esteemed renewable energy and environment engineering country in the universe. The UK authorities targeted to cut down the degree of CO2 emanation by 60 % by 2050 offer a healthy support for continued trade in the UK. Nanotechnology: -The UK has celebrated and good repudiated in universe for his nanotechnology, there 1500 research scientists which are concentrating on the development of nanotechnology. Recently UK authorities invest & A ; lb ; 90 million lb for six twelvemonth plan to R & A ; D section of nanotechnology.Overview of UKHarmonizing to my point of position quality of UK which should necessitate to believe when pupil make up one's minding to analyze work or unrecorded:Culture-Every civilization is good and bad portion in position every different individual and there is different type of exclusions to theses stereotype.Diversity-There is wide scope of mix civilizations in United Kingdom. The most of the foreign communities in London.Tolerance-British populace are by and large broad to aliens, and esteem the autonomy to hold different sentiment and attitude.Freedom-The citizen of UK are really free minded and they can show their feeling and idea to the aliens and regard freedom of life.H umour-They have great sense of temper, it ‘s really hard.Creativity-In UK single thoughts are encouraged. British citizen are often non as comfy with working as bunch.Modesty-British citizen are rather retiring.Language-The United Kingdom is the topographic point where the English linguistic communication born. In UK the many people are utilizing English as their first linguistic communication and other state except the US ( If you see the most English talkers in all these state such as- , UK: 60 million, Ireland/New Zealand/South Africa: 3 million ) , US: 230 million, Australia: 15 million, Canada: 20 million, .The British accent really celebrated in universe and people like it and it ‘s easy to understand.Travel-In traveling in UK is easy, you can in railroad station any many mall the aid Centre is available. There are many flights from the London across all over the universe. There are assorted conveyance but they are non efficient. But can holding no job with them.UK is a rather little state, so it ‘s non hard take a long trip to beach or passing holiday to assorted topographic point in UK.Among several states in which are close to UK of Europe continental. If student come in aboard and making survey otherwise work in the UK, they have opportunity see and understand the assorted civilizations of Portugal, Spain, Germany, Scandinavia Belgium, France.Healthiness. Most of the pupil comes for survey in UK if their class is more than 6 month. They get the benefit of free wellness intervention if you cause by any disease. Just demand to register with NHS that all.Work-International national pupil are allow to work half-time because they have limitation of 20 hr in a hebdomad. In UK the cost of life ( ex-food and adjustment ) is high,Solutions and recommendationsAn instruction in India is more theoretical base instead than practical base. Hence clients should see this option.Surveies in abroad are application base instead than theory base. Appli cation base surveies includes apply the theoretical linguistic communication in to instance surveies, assignments based on recent planetary tendencies.International exposure enables a pupil to hold knowledge about different tradition and civilization and lets a pupil know about different types of people around the universe this enhances their communicating accomplishments and do their manner of believing a small flexible.Bing a Doctorate, Masters or a alumnus from Uk universities is more valuable and acceptable throughout the universe. This means there are ample of chances for a pupil who has passed from UK.After surveies from United Kingdom a pupil non merely gets a grade which is internationally accepted but besides a pupil attains personality training, a good communicating accomplishments, and extremely analytical abilities.There are a batch of scholarships for pupils who are meriting, these scholarships can change from a & A ; lb ; 1,500- & A ; lb ; 2,500 and even some universit ies give inn adjustment for full 1 twelvemonth or even throughout the continuance of class.Prognosiss and resultsThe economic system is coming out of recession and UK is a fast growth state which will potentially advance the chances of concern and services.Graduating or get the hanging from UK enhances international exposure which aid in acquiring the coveted appellations.After analysing PEST analysis we can state future chances are really broad in U.K because in all the field conditions instruction, concern it has its name, celebrity and huge chances to work on like we studied it takes 13 yearss if you want to put a little concern here.Reference Section and Bibliographyhypertext transfer protocol: //www.aasco.com.pk/australia.phphypertext transfer protocol: //www.aecoverseas.comhypertext transfer protocol: //www.intstudy.comhypertext transfer protocol: //www.geert-hofstede.com/hypertext transfer protocol: //www.guardian.co.ukhypertext transfer protocol: //www.flightglobal.com

Poverty in the Philippines Essay

This article needs more links to other articles to help integrate it into the encyclopedia. Please help improve this article by adding links that are relevant to the context within the existing text. (April 2013) This article’s factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (August 2012) The estimates of poverty incidence in the Philippines per province as of 2012. The national average is 22.3%, virtually unchanged from 2006’s 23.4%. Poverty remains a critical social problem that needs to be addressed. Philippines’ poverty line marks a per capita income of 16,841 pesos a year.[1] According to the data from the National Statistical Coordination Board, more than one-quarter (27.9%) of the population fell below the poverty line the first semester of 2012, an approximate 1 per cent increase since 2009.[2] This figure is a much lower figure as compared to the 33.1% in 1991.[3] The decline in poverty has been slow and uneven, much slower than neighboring countries who experienced broadly similar numbers in the 1980s,[4] such as People’s Republic of China (PRC), Thailand, Indonesia (where the poverty level lies at 8.5%) or Vietnam (13.5%). This shows that the incidence of poverty has remained significantly high as compared to other countries for almost a decade. The unevenness of the decline has been attributed to a large range of income brackets across regions and sectors, and unmanaged population growth. The Philippines poverty rate is roughly the same level as Haiti.[4] The government planned to eradicate poverty as stated in the Philippines Development Plan 2011-2016 (PDP). The PDP for those six years are an annual economic growth of 7-8% and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Under the MDGs, Philippines  committed itself to having extreme poverty from a 33.1% in 1991 to 16.6% by 2015. This article’s factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (August 2012) Rapid population growth[edit] Given that the population of the Philippines is increasing at a rapid rate of 2.36% per year, this can be translated as an increase of more than 5,000 people daily in a country that already has an increase of more than four million poor people since 1985.[5] In 1985, the absolute number of people living in poverty was 26.5 million. This increased to 30.4 million in 2000 and from 2006 to 2009, increased by almost 970,000 Filipinos from 22.2 million to 23.1 million.[4] As the Philippines has financially limited resources and a high poverty rate, the rapid increase in population has become a problem because there is insufficient resources to support the population, which leaves much fewer resources to improve the economy. From 2003 to 2006, even though the Philippines experienced above-average economic growth, the poverty incidence increased as a result of its population growth rate.[6] Unemployment[edit] Poverty reduction has not kept up with GDP growth rates, largely due to the high unemployment rate, high inflation rate and wide income inequality. The official rate of unemployment for 2012 in the Philippines was 6.8 per cent.[7] This was an increase of joblessness even though in 2012, the GDP grew at 6.6 percent. From 2000 to 2009, the economy of Philippines grew by 3.2% on average annually, which was on par with the economic performance of  its neighbors.[8] However, this recent growth did not translate into more jobs. Unemployment in the Philippines has been high in comparison to its neighbors, at around 7.5% to 8.0% since 2006.[9] The Philippines has faced difficulty in job creation due to its inability to attract more foreign, direct investments. Diwa Guinigundo, who is the Central Bank Deputy Governor, mentioned that while capital flows are turning to the emerging markets,[10] foreign, direct investments to the Philippines remain relatively low due to the weak investment climate. The Philippines has hefty business procedures, poor tax and customs administration, weak protection against expropriation and high-energy cost. Therefore, the poverty rate remains constant over the years. ≠¥ REFERENCE: WIKIPEDIA Philippines: A Strategy to Fight Poverty Poverty Profile The Philippines has achieved only modest reductions in poverty at a national level since the economic and political collapse of the mid-1980s. In addition, severe regional disparities remain. The proportion of households living below the official poverty line has declined slowly and unevenly from 59 percent in 1961 to below 39 percent in 1991 and around 36 percent in 1994. Urban poverty stood at around 23 percent in 1991 and rural poverty at 53 percent (by World Bank staff calculations). Food poverty (or those living below subsistence) was around 20 percent of households in 1991, but 32 percent of rural households while only 12 percent of urban households. Two-thirds of the poor are engaged in the agriculture, fishery, and forestry sectors and have an elementary school education or less. However, the depth of poverty is relatively small (with the poverty gap index only 17 percent in 1991, having fallen by 40 percent since 1961), and income disparities among the poor have declined noticeably. Since 1971, the urban poor have become a rising share of the total poor population, but still two-thirds of the poor live in rural areas. The depth of poverty is nearly 2 1/2 times larger in rural areas than in urban areas. The urban poor are concentrated in Luzon, while the rural poor live predominantly in Mindanao and the Visayas. Poor households in the  Philippines tend to combine into extended families to conserve household assets. Thus, larger households are observed as having greater poverty than smaller households: households of 8 or more members represent nearly a third of all the poor. The incidence and severity of poverty is significantly lower among elderly and female headed households in the Philippines, in striking contrast to the evidence from other developing countries, again because these households tend to be absorbed into others. It also reflects women’s strong position in the labor market in terms of relative pay and attachment compared with many other Asian countries and even relative to many OECD countries. Incentive and Regulatory Framework Philippine performance on poverty reduction has been disappointing compared with the rest of East Asia, but the Philippines has not been able to sustain growth long enough to reduce its incidence of poverty to the levels attained by its neighbors. GDP growth averaged only 1.1 percent per annum in the 1980s. Further, the pattern of growth in the past tended to accentuate rather than reduce income disparities. Slow growth of higher productivity sectors resulted in absorption of labor in low productivity employment in the 1970s and 1980s. The industrial sector shrank over this period, and agricultural growth slowed dramatically. More importantly, poverty declines were modest even when the economy was growing rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s because of the distorted structure of the economy. Policies discriminated against labor, subsidized capital-intensive methods of production, and gave low priority to agriculture and exports. This resulted in growth that was narrowly based and inequitable, trapping many people in marginal, low paying occupations such as upland agriculture, rural wage labor, and informal employment in cities. Infrastructure was highly concentrated in Metro Manila. Government interventions, especially in the 1970s and early 1980s, tended to diminish the role of market mechanisms in favor of regulation by parastatals and promoted oligopolisitic control in important sectors of the economy. This inward-looking strategy was inherently unstable, and so the economy lurched from balance of payments crisis to crisis. In the wake of across-the board structural reforms of the financial sector, agricultural pricing and marketing, the tax system, the foreign trade and investment regimes, and government corporations, the experience of the Philippines in  the late 1980s showed that accelerated growth in a more liberalized economy has a positive impact on incomes of the poor and that poverty declines during periods of rapid growth. Between 1985 and 1988, when GDP growth averaged 4.8 percent, the poverty headcount fell by 1.3 percentage points each year, an achievement equivalent to Thailand’s long-term rate of poverty reduction. Analysis of the economic growth of 1985 to 1988 concludes that deregulation in agriculture and greater control over inflation were likely the key factors that improved the lot of the poor. Labor market performance has also shown signs of improvement. Public Expenditures Public expenditures on education in 1994 were less than 3 percent of GDP compared with 4 percent in Indonesia or 7 percent in Malaysia, despite inching upwards since the late 1980s, after over almost two decades of limited investment through the 1970s and early 1980s. Public primary education remains relatively under-financed, and funding is based on pupil headcount without any compensatory mechanisms to assist the most â€Å"at-risk† areas, schools, or ethnic groups. Thus, in the Philippines, poor youth are much more likely to drop out of school or get a poor quality education. The Philippines spends comparatively less of its resources on health than several other East Asian nations, both publicly and privately (spending 0.6 percent on GDP on health publicly and 2.4 percent of GDP on health overall). In addition, public health gains are not as great as they should be because of the poor distribution of health facilities and personnel over the country. The poor would benefit from more emphasis on primary care and the reduction of environmental risk factors (which induce disease disproportionately among the poor). In many cases, the improvement of other infrastructure such as rural roads will allow existing health facilities to be used more intensively. As a result of the fiscal decentralization enacted in 1991, most traditional poverty alleviation programs except education have become the responsibility of local governments, limiting the ability of the central authorities to implement programs of national priority. At the same time, the current revenue sharing arrangements with local governments (set by a legal formula) do not redistribute resources towards poorer provinces. Also, by devolving functions and whole institutions to local government, expertise and efficiency in many areas has been (at least temporarily) lost  and likely is weakest in poorer provinces. The variation in capacity and resources calls for continued attention by central authorities–for technical assistance, capacity building, and incentives to raise revenues locally. Safety Net The Philippine Government has implemented a number of safety net programs, ranging from cash and in-kind income transfers (such as food subsidies and nutrition interventions) to wage employment programs and livelihood creation programs. In response to natural disasters, the National Food Authority distributes assistance to affected areas in the form of subsidized rice. In addition, the private sector, NGOs, and foreign donors have been actively assisting in the planning, financing and execution of many of these programs. However, the government’s set of programs do not constitute an efficient and equitable social safety net: (i) they are fragmented and not a consistent or adequate response to the problem; (ii) they have generally failed to mobilize communities to help themselves; and (iii) recent changes of institutions and strategies are creating problems of transition that tend to obscure priorities in the government’s delivery of social services or make additional de mands on an ill-equipped bureaucracy and cadre of field workers. Poverty Strategy Policymakers must not waver in keeping the economy outward-oriented and geared towards competition, because an East Asian-style economy is far more likely to be able to sustain the rapid and smooth rate of growth that is fundamental to improving the welfare of the poor. To reach the government’s target of reducing the number of families living below the poverty line from 39 percent in 1991 (by official measures) to 30 percent by 1998, it is estimated that GNP will need to grow by about 6.5 percent annually for 1996 to 1998. Many of the urban poor will be helped directly by growth, as employment opportunities respond to increased demand. Even a good number of the rural poor will find their incomes rising, as demand for agriculture-based products, especially exports, expands. However, significant reduction of rural poverty will require improvements in health and education and infrastructure (especially roads, markets, and agricultural extension). Access to the means of production by the rural poor  is crucial. It is time to revisit how to accomplish the goals of rural land reform so that the intended beneficiaries–the poorest of farmers and landless agricultural workers–can benefit. The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, which has accomplished a number of its original goals, is getting too expensive and complicated. Tenancy should be allowed once again, as a useful interim state between landless labor and owner-cultivator status. A market-assisted land reform program should be studied to explore options for reducing costs. Investments with the greatest impact on the poor, e.g., rural infrastructure, should be a priority for use of scarce public funds In urban areas, the scarcity of affordable housing (a problem aggravated by skyrocketing land prices) and threats to environmental health must be addressed. It is now urban, rather than rural, land reform that should be a priority for government action. Tax and regulations on land ownership and development need to be revised. A commission should consider options to balance the rights of dwellers in irregular settlements with the legal owners of urban properties. Water and sanitation services must be extended to poor urban areas. The government should hesitate to spend more money on housing since little of it helps the truly poor. Investment in human capital must be increased by improving the quantity and the quality of primary education and access to primary education in rural areas. Primary health services must be strengthened, especially immunization and prevention of water-borne and respiratory diseases. The social safety net must be consolidated and targeted. General food price subsidies should be stopped, in favor of targeted income subsidies or food stamps and supplementary feeding programs. The National Government should redirect resources formerly used for government livelihood programs towards creating an enabling environment for private institutions to provide credit to the poor successfully. To foster the growth of a healthy microfinance sector, government financial institutions should focus on wholesale lending, ensuring adequate capital is available to reach the poor. Statistical System The key survey for poverty data in the Philippines is the Family Income and Expenditure Survey, conducted every three years. The survey questionnaire is of standard form, more or less comparable to an LSMS format. An important limitation on the relevance of these data for policy purposes has been the  long delays for processing, e.g., the 1991 results became available only in early 1995. Also, the household survey sample is not large enough to allow provincial indicators to be calculated for the smaller provinces. This basic dataset is not integrated with the social sector and other data (surveys on health, demographics., labor force and occasional censuses of population and housing) or with government expenditure information. Monitoring of poverty and the relative performance of the provinces and cities is an important continuing role for the National Government, even after fiscal decentralization. The report recommends that the government expand the household survey and integrate and improve existing statistics and program information so as to provide crucial assistance to the provinces in setting priorities and in raising awareness down to the community level of how well the government is meeting the minimum basic needs of the people. The World Bank has provided technical assistance and grant funding for training and equipment for the government agencies involved (as well as generating interest by other donors) and will continue to do so. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTPOVERTY/EXTPA/0,,contentMDK:20204974~menuPK:435735~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:430367~isCURL:Y~isCURL:Y,00.html Poverty in the Philippines: Causes, Constraints and Opportunities Description New ADB Report: â€Å"Taking the Right Road to Inclusive Growth† Poverty and inequality in the Philippines remains a challenge. In the past four decades, the proportion of households living below the official poverty line has declined slowly and unevenly and poverty reduction has been much slower than in neighboring countries such as the People’s Republic of China, Indonesia, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Economic growth has gone through boom and bust cycles, and recent episodes of moderate economic expansion have had limited impact on the poor. Great inequality across income brackets, regions, and sectors, as well as unmanaged population growth, are considered some of the key factors constraining poverty reduction efforts. Causes of Poverty The main causes of poverty in the country include the following: low to moderate economic growth for the past 40 years; low growth elasticity of poverty reduction; weakness in employment generation and the quality of jobs generated; failure to fully develop the agriculture sector; high inflation during crisis periods; high levels of population growth; high and persistent levels of inequality (incomes and assets), which dampen the positive impacts of economic expansion; and recurrent shocks and exposure to risks such as economic crisis, conflicts, natural disasters,and â€Å"environmental poverty.† Key Findings The report’s key findings include the following: Economic growth did not translate into poverty reduction in recent years; Poverty levels vary greatly by regions; Poverty remains a mainly rural phenomenon though urban poverty is on the rise; Poverty levels are strongly linked to educational attainment; The poor have large families, with six or more members; Many Filipino households remain vulnerable to shocks and risks; Governance and institutional constraints remain in the poverty response; There is weak local government capacity for implementing poverty reduction programs; Deficient targeting in various poverty programs; There are serious resource gaps for poverty reduction and the attainment of the MDGs by 2015; Multidimensional responses to poverty reduction are needed; and Further research on chronic poverty is needed. The report comprehensively analyzes the causes of poverty and recommends ways to accelerate poverty reduction and achieve more inclusive growth. In the immediate and short term there is a need to enhance government’s poverty reduction strategy and involve key sectors for a collective and coordinated response to the problem. In the medium and long term the government should continue to pursue key economic reforms for sustained and inclusive growth. Oct2013 Poorest Country in the World: Democratic Republic of Congo You might be surprised to find that the United States isn’t the richest country in the world. Actually, that crown goes to Qatar who has recently jumped ranks to take first place. But what about the other side of the spectrum, the parts of the world struggling with devastating poverty? Well, on that end the Democratic Republic of Congo comes in first – or last, to be more accurate – with the lowest GDP per capita than any other country. Determining a country’s rank in wealth isn’t the easiest of tasks when you sit down and think about the data and economics involved. However, a good indicator of a nation’s standard of living is the assessment of its GDP (gross domestic product) per capita, which is defined as the total value of all domestic goods and services that country produces annually, times its PPP or purchasing power parity. GDP per capita (PPP) isn’t a perfect shot because its purpose isn’t to calculate that kind of econ omic rank but it’s measured frequently, widely and consistently, allowing trends to become visible. In 2010, GNI (gross national income) per capita replaced GDP in the calculation, but the list is the same between the two. Qatar was still first with about $100,000 GDP per capita (PPP) in 2012 just as it was on the GNI list and the Democratic Republic of Congo came in last at around $370 GDP per capita (PPP). The gap is massive. Of the 40 poorest countries in the world, a solid 33 are in Sub-Saharan Africa. They include Zimbabwe, Burundi, Liberia, and Niger. Other parts of the world notoriously infamous for high poverty rates include Afghanistan, Haiti, and Nepal. But none of these places takes it quite as harshly as the Democratic Republic of Congo (not to be confused with the Republic of Congo) whose turbulent past and bloody wars have eclipsed the nation’s potential to thrive. Since its independence in 1960 and once the most industrialized country in Africa, Congo has bled onto the ground because of its lack of infrastructure and the brutal impact of civil war. Disputes between Congo’s prominent rival groups, the Hutu and Tutsi, erupted after the Rwandan Genocide in which 500,000 people, mostly Tutsi, were victims of mass slaughter by the Hulus in the East African state of Rwanda. The result was an exodus of over 2 million Rwandans fleeing to neighboring countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, known in that  time as Zaire. Most of the refugees were Hulus attempting to escape the Tutsi who had climbed to dominance at the end of the genocide. The Hulu refugee camps in Zaire, however, became politicized and militarized and when Tutsi rebels invaded Zaire to repatriate the refugees, the conflict escalated into the First Congo War in 1996. The situation only grew worse and by 1998, the Second Congo War, which was sometimes called the â€Å"African world war† because it involved a total of nine African countries and twenty armed groups, devastated Zaire and laid waste to her population and economy. The political turmoil continues today despite intervention and peace attempts and is one of the world’s deadliest conflicts with a death toll of 5.4 million people. More than almost 90 percent of the conflict’s victims, however, died due a lack of access to shelter, water, food and medicine – all severely aggravated by displaced and overcrowded populations living in unsanitary conditions. Not to mention, 47 percent of deaths were children under 5 and some 45,000 children continue to die each month. The nation also faces the problem of human rights and the countless crimes against humanity because while many have returned home, an estimated 1.5 million are still displaced. DR Congo is also infamous and heavily criticized for its treatment of women. The east of the country has been described as the â€Å"rape capital of the world† and rates of sexual violence has been described as the worst in the world. It doesn’t help that DR Congo is consistently poisoned by corruption and greed. While mining growth has somewhat boosted the country’s economy, the elite are said to syphon off revenue for their own personal gain due to the nation’s lack of strong central government. Conflicts over basic resources, access and control over rich minerals and oil, and political agendas are some of the many complex causes behind the Democratic Republic of Congo’s inability to rise among the ranks and take the title of the poorest country in the world.

Center for Speech and English Language Literacy Essay

Center for Speech and English Language Literacy - Essay Example 7. To apply as non taxable entity. III. Educators 1. The Center aims to garner the support of online educators and classroom teachers as volunteers to commence the program and hire them when funding resources are made and established. 2. The teachers for some of the modules can be outsource to other supporting non-government and private institutions abroad that will entirely create a computer based interactive speech training for the adult and children alike. Meanwhile, only one or two volunteers will be physically present to help navigate the system and mediate certain inadequacies and language adaptation during lecture. 3. The Center is open to all children who wish to take advantage of the program and so it will help to have an interpreter or software with Spanish language interpretations. 4. Hire one English speech instructor and one Spanish interpreter to ensure smooth operations at the Center. IV. Tools and Equipment Use 1. Computers for the online articulation games complete with headset and printers. 2. Art materials for their exercises. 3. An air conditioned classroom that is comfortable located in an area of the building not easily accessible by passers and onlookers. 4. Tables and chairs that will be used for their computer online education and their manual classroom methods. V. Transportation 1. A minimum of one vehicle shall be purchased by the Center that will serve like a school bus for the participants to be used after classes in their travel towards home. 2. Provision to purchase more units of transportation as the budget allows. VI. Language and Culture Barriers of Participants 1. To gain access and help from the governments multicultural agencies to bridge the gap of language and culture barriers so as to... 2. The teachers for some of the modules can be outsource to other supporting non-government and private institutions abroad that will entirely create a computer based interactive speech training for the adult and children alike. Meanwhile, only one or two volunteers will be physically present to help navigate the system and mediate certain inadequacies and language adaptation during lecture. 1. To gain access and help from the governments multicultural agencies to bridge the gap of language and culture barriers so as to promote homogenous classroom methodology and uniformity in teaching methods. Even Spanish speaking children came from mix race that needs to be reached out.

Classical Islamic Modernism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Classical Islamic Modernism - Essay Example However, Islamic dispensations experienced a myriad of occurrences that were characterised by serious philosophical disagreements and spiteful deliberations that preceded socio-political catastrophes. Moreover, this terminated in revolutions and transformation levying or military coup d'etats. Furthermore, one of the chief quandaries in creation of an agreement was that the crisis between the Islamic orthodoxy and the worldly discourse. This discourse greatly spread into the Islamic dispensation either failed to elicit a new synthesis or eliciting one that was not immensely institutionalized. Furthermore, in the 19th century, Muslim learners initiated serious endeavours to fill the gap between Islam and the renowned Euro-Enlightenment. This prospect resulted into Islamic modernism. Furthermore, associated with this revolutionary group to some extent was noninterventionist patriotism, whose chief prospect was to create the contemporary state. ... In this study, we aim at uncovering the fundamental parameters of the social statuses that levied for the upsurge of the Islamic modernism, noninterventionist and Arabism among others. To this prospect, we extend a sociological design to explicate on the proximate statuses of ideology. Moreover, we then include our sociological explication in a historical account of the progression of chief occurrences that happened in the Islamic dispensation, the inculcation of a Europocentric commencement of the widespread advancement in this progression, the way secularism was perceived by the original logical directors, the way in which it moulded the strategies of the contemporary state, and how this particular prospect elicited its retribution in the mode of Islamic fundamentalism. In the course of the 19th century, a new and widespread cultural occurrence began between the Islamic world and the West. Virtually, all aboriginal scholars aimed at conceptualizing the state of this occurrence, its involvement to the distressing waywardness of their homeland and its position in offering resolutions to the quandary of Muslim down surge. Moreover, the highbrow ethnicity producers went ahead to formulate notion to address the detriment of their society. Additionally, they strove to create a design that would restructure the system of the leadership, for offering groundwork to craft a new society, and for constructing the fundamental ideologies of stipulation making. This occurrence was versatile, and the aboriginal philosophical resolutions were definitely diversified, though religion remained one of the occurrence’s most disputed scholarly divisions. Additionally, Islamic modernism was the initial

Topic Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Topic Proposal - Essay Example Men object strongly to wearing a condom every time they have sex and would certainly object to the intrusiveness of any law requiring them to do so, but have no compulsions about demanding that a woman destroy her body because they didn’t. 1. Women, as independent free citizens of the world, have a right to make their own choices regarding their own bodies. Pregnancy can present numerous serious health risks and even more minor risks. At the least, the woman will experience weight gain, varicose veins, stretch marks and a potential caesarian scar if they go through with a pregnancy. 2. Women will continue to exercise their right to decide the direction of their own body even if it is taken away by law as ample evidence regarding illegal and unsafe abortions abounds from the era before it was made legal. 3. The Constitution protects the rights of women as U.S. citizens and therefore gives them the legal right to determine what to do with their body and places protections in place for her health and well-being. The fetus, not yet born and therefore not a U.S. citizen yet, has no such protections in place, nor should it at least until it is viable (able to survive outside of the womb). 4. Fetuses in fertility labs are destroyed all the time and thousands of pregnancies are never brought to term for a variety of natural and unnatural reasons so it is unreasonable to attempt to protect the rights of the not-yet-born, particularly when they infringe upon the rights of the already living. 1. Evidence exists to illustrate that the fetus is able to feel pain well before it is viable outside the womb, indicating that it is a living, feeling being and therefore should be protected under the law. 2. Legal abortions introduces the possibility for men to bully women into having an unwanted abortion or to use her unwillingness to have this abortion as an excuse to continue beating her or otherwise abusing her. By

Should firearms be allowed in schools Research Paper

Should firearms be allowed in schools - Research Paper Example This makes it possible for intruders to access the premises and eventually mingle with unsuspecting students even in places such as dormitories, which are supposed to be out of bounds to strangers and other unauthorized persons (Newman, 2004). Furthermore, the ratio of security officers to civilians is never adequate to the extent of guaranteeing personal security to every individual unless every person undertakes to incur the expenditure of hiring personal body guards, who sometimes may turn out to be a bother as there is no way it would work if each and every student was accompanied by such guards to their lecture halls (Kopel, 2002). If this proposition is made legal, a methodology of ensuring compliance with the rules of handling guns would be brought forward in addition to constant evaluation on a student’s conduct to ensure that only those with sound and sober minds are allowed the privilege so as to avoid unethical behavior. If police officers, qualified civilians and o ther government security agencies can be entrusted to carrying guns, students can also be trained for example by introducing gun handling and usage lessons so as to make them responsible and aware of the consequences of not following laid down rules and regulations. The Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, shootings should be considered as a point of reference by those who may be misinformed on the vulnerability of college students. According to reports, an unknown armed person gained access to the institution on the 16th April 2007. Apparently, the said person embarked on a shooting spree whereby he killed two students in one of the dormitories and less than three hours later, he shot and killed 30 others in a classroom after which he committed suicide bringing the total number of deaths to 33, an occurrence that was termed as, â€Å"the deadliest shooting rampage in the American history (Hauser & O’Connor, 2007).† If students were allowed to carry guns, there is a high probabi lity that the number of victims would have been lower based on the fact that they would have used their weapons to overpower and probably kill the shooter before he could cause more damage as he did. On the contrary, most of the students tried to escape through the windows while others slept on the floor as a cover as there was no way they could have challenged the shooter. College students especially females should be allowed to carry guns as a measure to control the ever increasing rate of sexual assault both by acquaintances and unknown assailers. Women are generally considered to be weak in terms of defense especially when challenged by fellow men, who are considered to be more masculine thereby energetic. According to 2008 reports, more than 3000 college students are allegedly sexually assaulted within the institutions on yearly basis. Indeed, the same reports indicate that of all college men interviewed, 60% admitted that they would rape their fellow female friends under any c ircumstances deemed justifiable to them (Burnet, 2009). A woman needs protection and this has not been forthcoming in most of the colleges whereby culprits are allowed to go scot-free due to lack of substantial evidence whereas others are expelled from college only to return later

Journal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Journal - Assignment Example All that one needs to have are a computer, good internet connectivity and a microphone. The use of podcasts makes possible to share content via the internet to a large number of mp3 players. I have listened to an audio podcast of lady Antebellum album of â€Å"Own The Night† and it is a nice audio album it keeps you really captivated and its very interesting to listen to. Have as well watched Earth breath and it explains how this takes place, and the use of video just fits perfectly for this topic. The difference between podcast for instance broadcast media is that with podcast, there is a variety to listen to and watch, unlike in broadcast radio there is the issues of monotony as the same songs are being repeated over and over again. Another difference is that when one is using podcasts, one does not require waiting till they hear something that they want to here because the user is provided with the option of choosing what exactly to listen to. This is not the case with Broa dcast radio since one listens to what is currently playing and they do not have the option to choose what to listen to, they have to wait till something they are interested in being played. Podcasts are quite easy to create, and most people can create one and use it to share content, music and videos with the world. Podcasts allow for many formats and subjects as the podcasters are not limited by the traditional broadcast formats as well as broadcast regulations. Podcast subjects can range from politics, science, technology, movies, music and many other different subjects. The content in podcasts is very original and new and is created by innovative people who want to share with the world. Podcasts are downloaded automatically into your laptop or computer and synced automatically to your mp3 player. This makes it convenient hence very popular. A podcast aggregator is a software program used when one is subscribing to a podcast and when one wants to receive podcasts. Podcasts keep yo u in control in that you can actually delete a podcast when you want, you can pause it, you can rewind it, you can replay it as much as you like and you can store it wherever you feel like. Once also has the option of listening the podcast on their laptops or personal computers, they can also burn the podcast in compact discs as well as move it to once mp3 player. One can download as many podcasts as they like there is no limitation and it is not limited to specific media players its compatible. Listening to a radio for instance is not interesting as the relevant corporations control what to listen to and at what time. With streaming content, one is tied to their pc, and it has to have good internet connection. The advantage with a podcast is that you can carry it wherever you are going. With the podcasts that I have watched and listened to i have discovered that it is advisable to use videos for giving directions or instructions on how to go about something. The audio podcasts are suited better for communicating important or useful ideas as well as concepts to a persons’ audience. RSS Feeds Ways to add an RSS Feed was that one can type the RSS feed URL in the field provide don their browser then click on the "Add" button. One can also subscribe to the RSS Feed which will enable them to get automatic updates on the information in the sites they are following. RSS refers to