The Intel Corporation Waste Management Plan in the Workplaces

Executive summary Waste materials produced in the workplace pose various challenges to both organisations and the environments in which the refuse is disposed. This paper presents a discussion of the intensity of the seriousness of these problems with reference to a case study of waste management in Jones Cafe 5 and the Ronler Acres Cafe 3 workplaces.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The Intel Corporation Waste Management Plan in the Workplaces specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The two workplaces are cafà ©s owned by the Intel Corporation. They are located in Hillsboro in the State of Oregon, in the United States. Currently, the two dining facilities use pre-consumption waste management techniques, which involve measuring the pre-consumed waste in a bid to look for mechanisms of reducing the refuse. The facilities have been successful in this effort by reducing this type of garbage by 47 % between 2009 and 20 10. This reduction translates to saving of $132,000 for every $1,000,000 worth of foods produced at the workplaces. This paper proposes a plan for increasing the savings by an additional $80,000 for every $ 1,000,000 worth of foods produced in the facilities through the adoption of post-consumption waste saving strategies such as recycling, minimisation of packaging, and conversion of refuse into inputs. These strategies are implementable within one year. However, the strategies will use the Intel Corporation’s financial resources for the future reduction of costs associated with refuse. Introduction The world population is rapidly growing, thus leading to the emergence of more urban centres. As urban centres become more populated, municipal solid waste (MSW), which is one of the critical by-products of lifestyles associated with urbanisation, also increases. According to the World Bank (2013, par. 1), ‘ten years ago there were 2.9 billion urban residents who generated about 0.64 kg of MSW per person per day (0.68 billion tons per year)’. While this population has currently grown, the waste production capacity per person has also grown. This growth is due to increased consumption of manufactured food products and other goods.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The World Bank (2013, par. 2) estimates that the world urban population currently stands at ‘about 3 billion residents generating 1.2 kg per person per day (1.3 billion tons per year)’. It also estimates that by 2025, the population will grow to 4.3 billion people generating waste amounting to 1.42 kg per individual in a day, which amounts to 2.2 billion tons of solid waste annually. Waste management is an important issue facing various municipal councils across the globe. Gandy (1999, p.21) notes that waste management refers to ‘the collection, transporta tion, processing and/or disposal, managing, and monitoring of waste materials’. The word ‘waste’ covers all material emanating from people’s activities. The aim of waste management is to mitigate the effects of the waste on the environment and people’s health (Price 2001). Considering the estimates of the Word Bank (2013) as stated above, building of municipal waste landfills emanates from individual consumers within urban centres. Therefore, a waste management plan begins with the development of strategies of reduction of waste production at an individual or organisational level. This step precedes the development of plans for disposal of garbage at an individual or organisational level. This paper presents a waste management plan in the workplaces for the Intel Corporation in its facilities in Oregon. Through proper management or reduction of waste at the facilities, the paper holds that municipal solid waste reduction at both Oregon and global pl atforms would become a reality when other organisational and individual consumers follow similar strategies for waste reduction across the globe. Description of the workplace Background information Concepts of foods waste management attract attention for retails food organisations as they seek for mechanisms of handling their waste in a manner consistent with concerns of environmental suitability anchored on perspectives of social corporate responsibility. This concern is perhaps due increasing cognitions that when foods organisations manage garbage better opportunities exists for cutting their operational cost (Pipatti Wihersaari 2008). Indeed, this is the main driver of paying intensive consideration to garbage reduction and management at the Intel Corporation’s dining facilities.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The Intel Corporation Waste Management Plan in the Workplaces specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Lear n More Located in Hillsboro, in Oregon, two dining facilities (Jones Cafe 5 and Ronler Acres Cafe 3) owned by the Intel Corporation are incredibly concerned about proper waste management practices coupled with derivation of best approaches to garbage reduction. In this effort, the facilities sought to generate data for their garbage by tracking various pre-consumer food-related wastes through the deployment of waste tracking computer-based systems coupled with software applications (Intel Corporation 2010). The main objective of gathering this data was to provide information, which forms the basis for the creation of staff awareness on impacts of waste at the facilities, focus their behaviours towards waste minimisation, and conduct diagnosis for various causes of high wastage at the facilities. The program was put to action in 2009 through 2010. Preliminary results of the program indicated that tracking waste at the facilities on a daily basis had the capacity to reduce pre-consu mption waste by about 47 percent in terms of weight. It could also reduce the cost of foods per meal basis by 13.2 percent (Intel Corporation 2010). The facilities also approximated that if the waste management plan worked; extending similar concepts to other foods facilities in one year would reduce emissions of green gasses by about 100 metric tons (Intel Corporation 2010). Demographic data Ronler Acres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5 produce large amounts of garbage. At the workplaces, the amount of waste produced is not related to the floor space or the number of employees, but to the number of meals served by the two dining facilities on a daily basis. They both serve about 12,000 meals in a week, which translates to about 2900 pound of foods going into waste (Intel Corporation 2010). Such refuses have huge implication on the operational costs at the Intel Corporation, as evidenced by data from environmental protection agency of the US. Intel Corporation (2010, p.1) posits, ‘garb age cost commercial and retail food service operations $30 billion to $ 40 billion per week’.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The two workplaces owned by the Intel Corporation have their share on this huge sum of costs, which may be considered unnecessary if proper waste management plans and practices are adopted. Although pre-consumer wastage poses the biggest challenge to both Ronler Acres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5, other materials are emitted from the workplaces as waste. These materials include post-consumer waste such as packaging materials like cartons, plastics, aluminium cans, and steel waste such as damaged cutlery among others. Cutting on production of pre-consumer waste does not translate to reduction of some of these post-consumer wastes. The waste would end up in the incineration, recycling or landfills waste management systems in Oregon. Packed take-away meals pose a major challenge to the two facilities. The Intel Corporation does not have a mechanism of tracking waste associated with packed take-way foods and beverages in a bid to ensure their proper management through appropriate disposal ap proaches depending on the type of waste. Current waste management practices The current waste management systems at the Intel Corporations’ Ronler Acres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5 focus on reduction of pre-consumer waste. The food waste tracking system is created through financial aid from the department of environmental quality in Oregon and the Hillsboro City. The system operates through the deployment of digital scales coupled with software to measure various quantities of the disposed foods. Intel Corporation (2010, p.2) notes that the tracking includes ‘pre-consumer foods from hot and cold production areas as well as post-consumer foods from the hot line, salad bar and other cafes and kiosks throughout facilities’. In this sense, the system only focuses on the reduction of wastage of foods before consumption by the Intel corporation customers. It has mechanisms of reducing post-consumption waste. The current pre-consumer waste management system at both Ronler A cres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5 workplaces has proved less costly in terms of employees’ time utilised in weighing the foods thrown away as refuse. The system uses only 4 minutes within a week for every employee at the two work places. The data collected through the system includes the food items disposed, the reason for disposal, the type of containers used in weighing, the name of the employee recording the data, and the sending station of the dining facility. In the effort to foster productivity of the system, the Intel Corporation appointed a work team referred as ‘stop waste action team’ spearheaded by an executive chef to provide oversight and review data collection in every site. The team encouraged collective improvement in avoiding food wastage. Between 2009 and 2010, the system made it possible to reduce food waste to 1600pounds from 2900 pounds in a week. This move saved more than 60, 000 pounds of food from going into waste annually. In terms of cost, in every $ 1, 000,000 worth of food, $132, 000 was saved through pre-consumer waste reduction. However, this saving could even increase to $ 200,000 by adopting the waste management plan proposed in this paper. Rationale for waste assessment The rationale for conducting waste assessment at the Intel Corporation’s Ronler Acres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5 workplaces rests on the platform of the need to save costs for the organisation and mitigate health and environmental impacts of refuse. In Oregon, there is also a legislative requirement for organisations to reduce their waste materials in a bid to reduce the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). Failure to comply with this directive may result to legal action against an organisation. However, amid this legislative requirement, cutting environmental costs and operational costs for Intel are the most important reasons for conducting the waste assessment. As argued before, operations in food services results in loss of $30 to$ 40 in the form of foods waste. This aspect is accounted for by between 4 and 10 percent of all foods prepared in the retail food sector that never reach the customers’ plate. Chief causes for this scenario include spoilage, overproduction, and expiration. These wasted foods add challenges to environmental pollution by food-associated waste such as packaging for consumed food, which finds its way to landfills. Decomposing food waste emits gases such as methane, which create greenhouse gas problems (Pipatti Savolainen 2006; Bogner Matthews 2003). Hence, reducing waste underscores an important aspect for conducting waste assessment in any work place. Methodology The first step in the development of waste management plan for Ronler Acres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5 is answering the question why waste exists in the two workplaces. Responses to this question prompt the necessity of conducting interviews with the workers at the organisation coupled with the management team. The existing waste manage ment system provides an important source of data on the type of garbage. However, for post- consumer waste, contents of waste collection bins are used to determine the type of waste finding its way to the Oregon municipal. Appropriate waste management techniques can only be derived after getting data pertaining to the types of waste materials involved in the process. Hence, an analysis of the waste contained in waste bins is important. A consideration is also made to study mechanisms of food processing at the two dining facilities. This aspect helps in gathering data on waste that accompanies foods offered at both Ronler Acres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5 workplaces, which may get out of the dining facilities in the form of take-away foods, later to find its way to the Oregon MSW treatment plants. Description of waste generating processes With the new system of waste management in place, Ronler Acres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5 have been in a position to reduce their pre-consumption wastage by more than 47 percent. The main processes through which waste materials are produced include trim wastage, expiration, spoiled foods, and over production. These processes are illustrated in the circle graph shown in fig. 1 below. Fig.1 waste production process at Ronler Acres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5 Source: Intel Corporation (2010, p.7) The processes for producing food in the facilities consume a lot of water, land resources, and more importantly, energy. Affluent water constitutes some of the principle waste produced by the facilities. Waste materials at the facilities are also produced through food processing activities such as transportation, storage, and processing. Waste materials composition includes biodegradable waste and non-biodegradable waste such as plastics and aluminium cans. Waste materials are normally collected in wastes bins before being hauled to the Oregon’s waste treatment plants. Efforts to reduce waste production at both Corporation’s Ronler A cres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5 has seen the Intel Corporation appoint waste administration personnel within its facilities headed by a senior chef. Under the new system, the organisation does not hire from outside its existing labour resources. The existing workforce takes individual responsibility to measure and record waste materials before disposal. From the paradigms of labour costs, Intel Corporation (2010, p.5) notes that ‘in hypothetical operations at an hourly rate of $ 10, total labour cost in the waste reduction would be less than $30 per week’. However, the system works without any additional dollars or even working hours for the existing employees. Instead of increasing labour, the waste management systems reduce labour requirements in the two dining facilities through the reduction of overproduction. Results from the waste assessment An interview with the workers and the management team provided important information on waste generation processes. An intervie w with the senior chefs at both Ronler Acres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5 revealed that forecasting of menus to cut down waste is a major problem. In particular, the chef for Ronler Acres Cafe 3 admitted that even in the light of the new system of waste management at his work place, low production forecasting is a major challenge. It may lead to failure of the facility to meet the orders of the day. Jones Cafe 5 senior chef admitted the incompleteness of the waste management system to address challenges of management of some waste materials such as refuse vegetable oils, empty cans, and other packaging materials such as containers for hot beverages. At both facilities, the management cited the problem of menu sophistication in contributing to the challenges of accurate forecasting of the raw material requirements to avoid waste production. The facilities kept on altering their menus to incorporate more of local and sustainable foods, which are highly perishable. This move led to the prod uction of more green waste. The pie-chart (circle graph) shown in fig. 2 below shows most discarded waste in the two dining facilities Fig. 2: Pie chart showing most discarded waste at Ronler Acres Cafe 3 and the Jones Cafe 5 Source: Intel Corporation (2010, p.7) Through the new pre-consumption waste management system, Ronler Acres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5 have been in a position to reduce their waste production levels tremendously as shown in table 1 below. Table 1: Waste reduction rate at Ronler Acres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5 Metric Total Total pre-consumer food waste 92, 920 lbs Waste baseline week(4/20/2009) 2933 lbs Report period ending week (4/05/2010) 1562 Percentage change in lbs -47% Source: Intel Corporation (2010, p.6) Analyses of results Amid the efforts of the Intel Corporation to minimise production of pre-consumer waste, both Ronler Acres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5 still produce other forms of waste materials. Effective management of such waste can lead to i mmense reduction of costs of running the facilities. One of the waste minimisation opportunities is to encourage customers to come with their hot beverages travel mugs. This move can help in reducing the amount of waste materials used for packaging hot beverages. The cost of each hot beverage-packing container is about 11% of the total cost each container of hot beverage served at the facilities. By offering 10 % discount on equal quantities, of beverage served to customers having their own hot beverage travel mugs, will increase profit levels of the beverages by 1% while reducing the amount of plastic waste drastically. This cost-saving and waste-reduction opportunity also includes additional saving on minimisation of transportation costs and the carbon dioxide emissions associated with transportation of the packaging containers to the facilities. Encouraging customers to come with their own travel mugs can assist in putting two trucks for hot beverage packaging containers out of t he roads per week. Both Ronler Acres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5 discard many used vegetable oils. Instead of incurring costs levied on proper disposal of oil refuse from restaurants in Oregon, Ronler Acres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5 can utilise the waste vegetable oil as cost-saving and waste-reduction opportunity. Vegetable oils can be deployed in the production of electricity to supplement the Oregon’s State grid supply to the Ronler Acres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5, and in the production of energy required in heating water. The utilisation of refuse vegetable oil in the production of electricity requires waste oil generator such as Vegawatt vegetable oil generator. The generator can produce hot water from refuse vegetable oil at a capacity of 120 gallons in a week (Kaplan 2012). Picture 1 below shows an example of Vegawatt generator, which can be installed in a restaurant Picture 1: Vegawatt waste vegetable oil generator Source: Kaplan (2012, p.25) Apart from the minimisation of e nergy consumption from the Oregon State’s grid, the generator does not introduce significant costs in terms of space utilisation. It is the size of two-door Samsung freezers sold in the commercial market. Its break-even time is four or even two years with a cost saving of $7,000 annually for smaller versions and $25, 000 for larger versions (Kaplan 2012). Considering that Oregon’s department for environmental quality and the city of Hillsboro have high interest on giving incentives to organisations seeking to install systems for waste reduction and proper waste management, with such incentives, the payback period for Vegawatt waste oil vegetable generator can be reduced even to 6 months. Waste recycling especially steel waste, plastic waste, and aluminium cans underscores another important cost-saving waste reduction opportunity. For effective implementation of this strategy, awareness on the need to dispose these waste materials appropriately is important. Consequentl y, Ronler Acres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5 need to sensitise their consumers on the importance of proper waste disposal. This goal can be achieved through the provision of waste bins for each type of waste at the exit of the facilities accompanied by signboards instructing customers to ‘put waste materials in their correct places.’ This move helps in reducing costs associated with sorting out waste materials. From the cost-saving analysis, the general perception is that recyclable waste materials call for collection, sorting out, and then transportation to the manufactures of the products and then delivered back to Ronler Acres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5 at reduced costs. However, from a wider perspective, reducing the amount of virgin raw material required in the production of the materials translates in to reduced costs of production due to easiness of accessing cheaper raw materials (Myllymaa et al. 2005; Jenkins et al. 2003). Hence, the cost of repurchasing the products m ade from 100% recycled material also reduces at the two facilities. Recommendations for waste minimisation Ronler Acres Cafe 3 and Jones Cafe 5 should specifically aim at reducing post- consumption waste having successfully already minimised pre-consumption waste. This strategy can help the two workplaces to save costs for running the facilities by an additional $80,000 per $1,000,000 worth of food produced as compared to the already achieved cost saving of $132, 000 per 1,000,000 worth of food produced through pre-consumption waste reduction strategies. Future wastage minimisation strategies should focus on recycling, use of waste to produce inputs required in running the facilities such as power by making use of waste vegetables oil generators, and reduction of the amount of take-away foods and beverages packaging using containers, which cannot be reused to repackage without going through the recycling processes. Implementation of the above-recommended practices requires the commi tment of organisational resources in purchasing the required equipments and machineries such as Vegawatt generators and waste collection bins. Short-term strategies such as encouraging customers to come in with their packaging such as travel mugs require no resource planning and time. They are implementable immediately. Recycling requires good administration of the waste collection process coupled with acquiring of waste collection bins. This recommendation is implementable within one year. Through funds obtained from the Oregon department for environmental quality and city of Hillsboro, purchasing of Vegawatt generators can be accomplished within the next six months. Reference List Bogner, J Matthews, E 2003, ‘Global methane emissions from landfills: New methodology and annual estimates 1980-1996’, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, vol.17 no.11, pp. 34-48. Gandy, M 1999, Recycling and the Politics of Urban Waste, Prentice Hall, London.  Intel Corporation: Food Wastes Pr evention 2011, Intel Corporation, Oregon. Jenkins, R, Martinez, K, Palmer, K Podolsky, M 2003, ‘The determinants of household recycling: a material-specific analysis of recycling program features and unit pricing’, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, vol.45 no.2, pp. 294-318. Kaplan, M 2012, ‘Restaurants Use Waste Oil for Power Generation’, Smart Planet, vol.11, no.7, pp. 21-34. Myllymaa, H, Dahlbo, M Ollikainen, S 2005, ‘A method for implementing life cycle surveys of waste management alternatives: environmental and cost effects’, Resources, Conservation, and Recycling, vol. 7 no.50, pp. 108-121. Pipatti, R Savolainen, I 2006, ‘Role of energy production in the control of greenhouse gas emissions from waste management’, Energy Conservation Management, vol.37 no.6, pp. 1105-1110. Pipatti, R Wihersaari, M 2008, ‘Cost-effectiveness of alternative strategies in mitigating the greenhouse impact of waste manageme nt in three communities of different size’, Mitigation and Adaption Strategies for Global Change, vol.2 no.1, pp. 337-358. Price, J, 2001. ‘The landfill directive and the challenge ahead: demands and pressures on the UK householder’, Resources, Conservation, and Recycling, vol. 32 no.13, pp. 333-348. World Bank: What a Waste – A Global Review of Solid Waste Management 2013. Web. 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Life of a Peasant essays

Life of a Peasant essays When you think of the Middle Ages you think of Kings and castles, knights in shining armor saving the princess, and savage warfare to coincide with horrible diseases and plagues taking lives. For the most part that was true, but we are forgetting about the majority of the population, otherwise known as the commons. These people can easily be compared to you and I living in these times. The peasants were not a part of the noble class or associated with the clergy, but just lived plain and simple lives and tried to get by with what they had. In those times they did not have a lot. Since all of us would be considered peasants in those times, I am going to take us back to that era and compare the life of a peasant to our lives now. From the day they are born all the way to their death. I will go over the different types of commoners, go over how they grew up, what they ate, and even what they did for fun back in those days. Childbirth in Medieval times were much of the same as they are now. I say this in the biological way only of course. Birth was not in the hands of a physician, but entirely up to a midwife. The only reason there would be a doctor there is if there was a pathological complication. The setting for childbirth was different as well. All of the childbirths would take place at the home, as compared to 2hospitals in todays times. Hospitals were predominantly used for long-term care for the poor. Another huge difference in childbirth was the risk to the mother. The closest estimate of childbirth deaths was about 14 deaths for every 1,000 childbirths. This is very high in modern standards. In 1988, Nigeria was reported to have a rate of 8 deaths in every 1,000 births, which was unusually high even for a Third World country.(Singman,McLean p40) The first formal event that an infant had to go through was the ceremony of baptism. This...

The following event is from Chicago's history. Explain in detail an Research Paper

The following event is from Chicago's history. Explain in detail an important effect the Pullman Strike produced in either local - Research Paper Example Gradually with time the demand for the Pullman cars decreased and the owner decided to lower the wages of the railroad employees. It was here that the role of Eugene Debs came into play to save the wrath that the employees had to face (Beik 2005). The workers of the railroad company were members of a renowned labor union known as the American Railway Union. Eugene Debs urged the employees to launch a strike against the company so that their wages could be increased and their demands met. The workers then launched a boycott against the Pullman cars and gained a lot of support by joining hands. Debs launched a peaceful strike urging Pullman and the authorities to take the aggravating conditions of the workers into notice. The Union was supported by a number of railroad employees and the number almost reached the mark of 200,000. The Pullman Car Company had the support of the government because of the capitalistic nature of the government. It was because of this reason that the federal government started intervening in the state affairs and an offensive against the labor union was launched. Debs was not successful enough to make the strike successful as the railroads used the government to cut down the strike. Richard Olney interfered and ordered federal intervention for the strike. Federal troops were given the permission to break up the strike as they believed that the delivery of the U.S mail was being affected by the strike. The strike was finally broken down on July 10, 1894 when Debs along with three members of the organization was arrested. Debs was sentenced for six months in the prison and the strike was called off so that the workers could resume their jobs. Although the strike was unsuccessful it proved to be a great event for the labor unions and federal agencies altogether. It had an effect on the national politics of the United States as it favored socialism over the capitalism that was already prevalent in the state. Capitalism and socialism were bo th affected through the strike. Socialism could not be revived for twenty years after the strike was made unsuccessful by the federal agencies and capitalism was brought down in the next elections. President Grover Cleveland was held responsible for the situation that occurred after the Pullman strike. This essay would further provide an overview of the effect that the Pullman strike had over the national politics of the United States of America (Beik 2005; Salvatore et al 1999). Effect of Pullman Strike The Pullman strike was an unsuccessful venture launched by the labor unions in a time of industrialization. The labor union in those times was not strong enough to fight the capitalist governments and hence they lost to the authoritative powers. The overall effect of the strike was to create a socialist environment in the United States. It brought forward the things that took place against the workers to the attention of people. The Supreme Court also decided against the Pullman Car Company as they violated the charter of companies by providing their workers with the wrong environment and conditions. The strike made the federal government stronger as they were able to launch an offensive against the labor unions. Antitrust laws against the labor

Tell us about 2 activities that is important to you, and why (1 page Essay

Tell us about 2 activities that is important to you, and why (1 page per activity) - Essay Example In similar terms, societal predicaments seem to fascinate a number of people, challenging them to ethically reflect on past transgressions before moving forward towards promising prospects (Katz 70). In a way, reading news articles can make people recall things that had already happened, but still have a way of influencing the habits of the present. All these are important points that are deemed logical to the reason behind the practice of reading daily newspapers. On the part of the writer, all these partly account for the reasons why news articles are important. Most importantly, the act of reading relevant news can stimulate the mind of an academic individual. Although not all people claim this as such, there is a cognitive development happening when new pieces of information are assimilated. Old beliefs are replaced, while blank slates in the mind are rejuvenated. All in all, the act of reading news articles fulfills not only the natural instinct of every person to learn, at best , it promotes the learned response exhibited by a well-read individual. The more one learns, the more open-minded the behavior is towards self and environment in general.

Contemporary cars Essay Example for Free

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Mexico City Policy :: essays research papers fc

On August 16, 1984 an international conference regarding population was held in Mexico City. It was at this conference that the Reagan Administration implemented the â€Å"Mexico City Policy†, also known and the Global Gag Rule. This policy stated that Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) would be prohibited from receiving United States funds if they performed, promoted, referred or counseled patients on abortion. The funds would be withheld from the NGOs even if the money used for abortion services were non-U.S. funds. This policy was in effect from 1984-1993 when president Bill Clinton came into office. On January 22, 2001 president George Bush reinstated the Mexico City Policy. There has been much debate over whether the policy is helping or hurting those abroad. Many people in the United States are not aware that the Mexico City Policy is in effect, or even what it is. It is very important that people here are aware of how the government is controlling health care and wo men’s rights in other countries. â€Å"It is my conviction that taxpayer funds should not be used to pay for abortions or advocate or actively promote abortion either here or abroad,† Bush stated in his memorandum to reinstate the Mexico City Policy. However, the policy does not state that funds will be withheld if the US taxpayer’s money is used; it states that monies will be withheld if abortion services are offered at all, even if it is not US money. Douglas Johnson the legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee states, the â€Å"government will no longer..try to legalize abortion in countries in Latin America, Africa, and Muslim countries in which people are strongly opposed to abortion and believe in the protection of unborn children.† What Johnson fails to recognize is that in countries where abortion is legal women’s rights are being compromised. U.S. Representative Christopher H. Smith expresses his feelings in his article â€Å"A Congressional View: The Unborn Must be Protected† (Global Issues Electronic Journal) by stating, â€Å"Abortion is child abuse.† Smith also comments that when the policy was previously in effect it had no affect on the family planning money received by NGO’s. It may not have affected the money received but it did affect women who were denied the option of abortion services. On January 22, 2003 president Bill Clinton rescinded the Mexico City Policy stating that it â€Å"undermined efforts to promote safe and efficacious family planning in foreign nations.

Literary Analysis of David and Goliath

A Character Analysis of David and Goliath When studying any piece of literature there are many different methods and techniques that can be used. The Bible, in specific, is often referred to as a source of moral code, hope, and answers to social, ethical, and political questions. However, this incredibly influential book can also be read as if it were any other novel. The events, settings, and characters can all be evaluated for what they are, forgetting the notion that they are from a religious text. This approach is called narrative criticism.When regarding to the Bible in this way, we do not need to know any historical information or focus on seeking a deeper theological meaning. Instead, the stories are evaluated in terms of how well the characters, settings, and events portray the overall theme or message of the narrative. The story of David and Goliath in particular, does a great job in using its characters to achieve this goal. Though there are many different interpretations o f this story, I am going to focus on one: the idea that power and strength is not needed to succeed or win, but instead it is our heart and determination, intelligence, and above all, our faith in God.To get this point across, the implied author uses narratives to tell us about David and Goliath as well as show us specific and relevant character traits through their actions and beliefs. In order to understand how the characters portray the message of the story we must first develop a set of traits based on what the information given to us by implied author. In the very beginning of the story we are given a detailed description of Goliath: And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion names Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. He had greves of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slug between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighted six hundred shekels of iron; and his shield-bearer went before him† (1 Samuel 17: 5-7). Based on this description we can easily come to the conclusion that Goliath is extremely strong and powerful and an experienced warrior.He is prepared, confident, and willing to take on whatever he is faced with. It is also explained that Goliath’s height is â€Å"six cubits and a span,† which is about nine feet in today’s society, making him extremely tall. Furthermore, we are explicitly told that he is a â€Å"champion,† alluding to the idea that he never loses a battle. It is here where the implied reader would initially assume that Goliath is most likely to prevail. It is also stated in the text, through the words of David, that Goliath is uncircumcised.Though this minor detail can easily be overlooked it is important to note because it demonstrates Goliaths lack of faith in God. In addition to what the implied author explicitly tells us, there are several characteristics of Goliath that can be presumed from his own actions as well as those around him. For example, Goliath’s character can be described as arrogant and cocky based on his command to fight an Israelite to death for victory. He shouts to the Israelites, â€Å"Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants; but if I prevail against him, then you shall be our servants and serve us† (1 Samuel 17: 8-9). Before the battle can even begin, Goliath immediately takes it upon himself to set the terms and conditions of how to fight the battle at Socoh. He becomes very commanding and authoritative, bossing everyone around. Instead of both armies fighting one another, like a typical battle, Goliath is so confident in his fighting ability that he declares a one-on-one battle to determine the outcome of the battle.In reaction to Goliath’s demand, Saul and all the Israelites â€Å"fled from Goliath, and were very much afraid† (1 Samuel 17:24). Not only does this show the power and terrifying quality of Goliath, but it also demonstrates a weakness in Saul, who is suppose to lead and protect the Israelites, and his people. At this point, it is hard to side with either the Philistines or the Israelites since neither show desirable qualities. Goliath, though strong and powerful, shows nothing beyond that. He shows no faith in God and is entirely dependant on his fancy armor and swords.Goliath has no other source of strength other than his physical stature and possessions. David, on the other hand, is depicted as a character that is lacking brute strength and weaponry. We are told through the voice of Goliath that he is â€Å"only a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance† (1 Samuel 17: 42). It is evident that David is meant to appear as an average kid with no exc eedingly superior or spectacular qualities. This simple portrayal of David is significant because it sets in motion the development of realistic empathy from the implied reader towards David.It is important for the implied reader to feel empathetic towards David because even though David kills Goliath in the end, we are meant to view him as a hero, not a murder. Building a connection between the implied reader and David makes this possible. Though David represents a seemingly common boy at the time, he has several qualities that make him stand out. However, these character traits are never simply told to us. Instead, the implied author uses David’s actions, decisions, and beliefs to reveal his nature.For example, while his two brothers followed Saul â€Å"David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem† (1 Samuel 17:15). Through this simple action we see the first sign of David’s loyalty and commitment. Despite the fact that bo th of his brothers decide to focus on their loyalty to Saul, David continues to devote his time to helping his father and stays true to his obligation. Though the ability to be loyal is not enough to help David win the battle against Goliath, the implied reader is able to identify with David creating a deeper and more developed sense of realistic empathy.We are then provided evidence that David does in fact possess a set of military skills. When faced with Saul’s doubt and disbelief that he will be able to successful take on Goliath, David tells him a story of how he protects his Father’s sheep from lions and bears. David proclaims, â€Å"your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and whenever a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it.Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircum cised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God† (1 Samuel 17:34-36). Providing us with this story of the sheep is a very effective way for the implied author to demonstrate David’s skill set. He is unmistakably very courageous for taking on the lion and bear in the first place and appears utterly fearless and determined when he continues to strike and kill them. These, in truth, are qualities that prove to be useful when in a fight. Though David is initially epicted as an underdog, his victory in this story provides the implied reader with more reason to continue building empathy towards him. However, above all these traits, is David’s unwavering and unconditional faith in God. David states, â€Å"the LORD, who saved me from the paw of the lion and form the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine† (1 Samuel 17: 37). This verse clearly depicts David’s relationship with God. Instead of relying on armor, swords, and spears, like Goliath, David puts his fate in Gods hands. He undoubtedly trusts that God will allow him to prevail, just as he did against the lions and bears.This is in contrast with Goliath, who worships false Gods and is completely dependant on his weapons and physical strengths. David then prepares for battle when Saul presents him with his armor, which he refuses to wear because it is too heavy for him to walk in. This simple gesture shows that David is confident in his own abilities and the power of God. Instead of relying on the armor for protection, like Goliath, he plays up his skills and utilizes his familiarity with a sling and stones. When David first appears to Goliath, Goliath â€Å"disdained him, for he was only a youth† (1 Samuel 17:42).Goliath goes on to mock him stating, â€Å"Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the ai r and to the wild animals of the fields† (1 Samuel 17:43-44). Through this statement, we can conclude that Goliath represents a bully figure. He appears cruel and harsh, trying to make David feel lesser than him for having no armor, no sword or spear, but just a sling and some rocks. However, David is not frightened or fazed by Goliaths attempt to scare and discourage him. In fact, the very opposite occurs.In his response to Goliath, David exudes bravery, determination, and loyalty to God and his people. David exclaims, â€Å"This very day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army this very day to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s and he will give you into our hand† (1 Samuel 17: 46-47).Not only is David’s faith further portrayed in this statement, but also it provides great evidence towards David’s character. Instead of backing down to Goliath, he asserts himself and stands up to him. He also mocks Goliath by mimicking him in that he will â€Å"feed his body to the birds,† displaying his courage and bravery in the face of overwhelming force. Though the climatic point in this story is when David actually defeats Goliath, it is in this very statement where the meaning behind the action derives.The implied author explicitly tells us that it is not force and weapons that win the battle, but it is the ability to fully entrust in God. However, despite the fact that the implied author plainly states the message of the story, the power behind it would cease to exist without the strong character development. It is necessary for us to create a distinct image of Goliath as a tall, strong, and powerful fighter with intense weaponry to understand that these qualities are not what lead to success.Alternately, it is courage and mental strength, combined with faith and trust in a higher power, which is demonstrated through the character of David. Instead of choosing to back down when faced with the tremendous force, Goliath, David steps up and places a strong belief in his abilities and in God. The fall of Goliath is not simply a tale of an unexpected defeat, but of the value of faith in accomplishing the impossible.