Posted in: Community Level
Smog is chemical mixture of gases that commonly forms a brownish-yellow haze in the air, primarily over urban areas. Components of smog include ground-level ozone, nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOC), sulfur dioxide, acidic aerosols and gases, and particulate matter. These gases result from a reaction between certain airborne pollutants and strong sunlight. Smog poses a significant threat to animal, plant, and human life. In fact thousands die every year as a result of this pollution.
The ground level ozone that is said to be the “main culprit” in smog is really a collection of hydrocarbons, CO2, CO, and SO2 that react with UV rays from the sun to form nitric oxides (NOX), halogenated by-products, and sulfur compounds. These composites do indeed cause offensive odors, aggravate respiratory problems and burn eyes. But it is not the ozone that is the true villain. Ozone naturally forms not as a true component of smog but, more accurately, as a means of eliminating it. As the level of VOCs and particulate rises in the air, the ozone level rises as nature herself tries to clean up man’s mess.
If we remove the manmade components of smog, the VOCs and industrial particulates then we simply have a natural process where the ozone and nitrogen dioxide are normalized to safe and healthy levels. When we add a large amount of man-made hydrocarbons to the atmosphere, then the amounts of nitrogen dioxide and ozone are artificially increased. The main reason that ozone gets the label of “Public Enemy Number One” is that while man-made hydrocarbons are very complex and as such quite diff
When CFCs meet Ozone
icult to measure, ozone is very easy to accurately measure. Consequently, ozone has long been used as an indicator for the severity or presence of smog because as the levels of the true components of smog rise, so does the level of ozone. By conveniently placing the onus on ozone, government and industry are effectively relieved of the responsibility for the millions of pounds of toxins released into the air every year. Rather than taking steps to control the real culprit, we are actually allowing our government to shoot the messenger – good guy ozone.
Ozone’s beneficial role in smog reduction is its ability to break down and oxidize hydrocarbons and particulates in the air. One of the most powerful oxidants known, ozone actually burns and destroys particulate with which it comes in contact. Ozone is unstable and highly reactive, and as such it readily seeks out molecules of particulate and gas with which to chemically react in an effort to break up the oxygen triplet – O3 – and return to its natural state: O2, or dioxygen. However, in the process of breaking down man-made hydrocarbons in particular, the result is the production of elements that combine to produce additional ozone and nitrogen dioxide, above and beyond what is produced naturally. Even though hydrocarbons are quickly being broken down by the ozone, the sheer volume of these pollutants that is produced by our highly-industrialized society is almost insurmountable. In our cities and industrial areas, where there is an extremely high level of hydrocarbons in the air, nature simply cannot keep up without overcompensating.
By itself, ozone is a natural purification agent used in a variety of ways for this purpose both by nature and by humans. At reasonable levels it is not at all unhealthy, and due to ozone’s reactive and unstable nature it is very, very rare for ozone levels to become excessive under natural or normal circumstances. Conversely, man-made hydrocarbons are completely unhealthy at any level and under any circumstance. Common sense dictates that black, sooty smoke coming from an automobile exhaust or smokestack can only be harmful to our health. Hydrocarbons do occur naturally in the air, as does the ozone that helps to break them down without reaching dangerous or unnatural concentrations. When excessive amounts of hydrocarbons are produced, largely man-made, we will get high ozone concentrations as a natural reaction to an unnatural situation. Rarely do less-populated areas experience smog and ozone problems, even though ozone is naturally produced the same way and in similar quantities in big and small cities alike.
Modern, “air-tight” construction methods that began in the energy-conscious 1970s, combined with misinformation about ozone safety perpetuated by well-meaning public health agencies, has resulted in an unfortunate lack of ozone in most indoor environments. The reason this is so unfortunate is because in truth ozone is an effective, natural air purification agent which, when properly produced by a high-quality air cleaning system, can alleviate a wide range of health problems such as allergies, asthma, sinus problems, and chemical exposure. It has been stated by many environmental agencies in no uncertain terms that indoor air pollution is the number one environmental health problem – and it is a far more significant risk to human health than even the worst outdoor air pollution. Because it is the high hydrocarbon concentration that is a component of smog conditions that makes the ground ozone level artificially high, this is not a factor indoors. Even if we have many other kinds of pollutants in our home (and we do), hydrocarbons are the only contaminant that cause ozone levels to rise above safe levels. The scientific community is still not sure exactly why this happens; what they only know is that it does happen.
It should be clear that ozone is not the culprit of our pollution problems at ground level. Ozone has been used for half a century as a purifying agent for a variety of applications – water treatment and purification, food preservation, cancer and HIV treatment, and odor removal. Most ozone air purifiers are designed to produce an ozone concentration of about .04 ppm (parts per million) when operated according to instructions, which is within all standards. Fortunately, ozone is a self-policing element, since its odor becomes obnoxious to most well before it becomes a health hazard, as opposed to the refreshing and purified smell it gives off when occurring at safe and healthy levels.
Dr.Badruddin Khan
Posted in: Foreign Nations
Nations from all over the globe are fond off its richness in cultural values, economic development, industrial development and all time government authorities have maintained healthy relations of India at global level. On the ground of development in various sectors India have achieved high ranks, as a result nations from all over the world look India always as a hot platform for the commercial ventures.
According to intellectuals and experts for the last 10 years India has become hub for outsourcing the work from developed nations and multinational even medium and small level of companies are outsourcing the part of their work to India. Due to development of knowledge base mass and fast IT developments in India, boom of outsourcing to India took place in recent years. The favorite areas where worldwide nations found India is best for outsourcing are Web development, Business process, Knowledge process, Technical & non technical support from call centers, Billing services, HR hiring, Accounting, Tax processing, Biotech research, telesales/telemarketing, etc. Today IT software and web development services are primary demand of the outsourcing firms. With the gradual interest of developed nations and support of the Indian government Outsourcing revolution took place and results in creation of Offshore Development Centers in various parts of India. They had started rendering services like offshore software outsourcing to clients, offshore web development, website development and many other customized IT services.
Role of Indian government for the outsourcing revolution for the last many years
Conversations With History – Philip Bobbitt
From the early 1990s India has adopted the rule of globalization liberalization and privatization on the domestic front as well as international trade. On the ground of these liberal policies various sectors of Indian business took pace in the productive manner such as before 1994 Indian telecom sector was under government control, then in year 1999 new telecom policy encourage private participation. Establishment of EOUs (export oriented units), STPs (software technology parks) and FTZs (Free trade zones) by the government has encouraged FDIs (Foreign Direct investment) to India. On the ground of outsourcing, India had started with medical transcription and recently reached to business process and web development services to outsourcing firms.
<b>Role of IT developments in Outsourcing Revolution in India</b>
IT outsourcing revolution is also an integral part of the total outsourcing, for the last ten years high profile IT companies have established their offices in India and made India a hi-tech hub for IT & web development services. Some of the multinational firms are IBM, Motorola, Yahoo, HP, Oracle, and Microsoft who have increased opportunities for the Indian market. The powerful role of The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) also cannot be denied for the IT developments in India and ultimately helping hands for IT services to offshore outsourcing. There are more than 1000 registered Indian IT companies as member of NASSCOM are contributing in providing services outside the India.
Btucker
Posted in: Community Level
[First published on the Doing Things Differently blog - #61 - Tighten Our Belts]
http://www.doingthingsdifferently.blogspot.com/
I was the columnist in The London Paper last week, suggesting that the recession is a good thing. Readers vote on whether they want more of you… and 96% did. I also had many comments calling this point of view “refreshing” and “inspiring”. In this, I hear a whispered hope for a move away from ‘business as usual’ to a more enjoyable and equitable way of running our economy.
At its best, this shake-up wake-up call will prompt us to re-prioritise and re-allocate resources. It will make us more aware of where we use money as an excuse to see ourselves as separate from others. Instead of this isolation, we will find ways of leaning in to human energy as our most precious resource and recognise our interdependence.
A great example of this is Liftshare - an organisation that works to bring about sustainable change by encouraging individuals to do things together. There are now 290,000+ people registered and several inspirational stories have emerged.
Sandra from Clacton-on-Sea started car-sharing as a way of saving petrol and impact on the environment and found that “two people who led separate lives have now become great friends, with all the benefits and opportunities that new friendships offer”. They socialise regularly, found they had tons in common, and get to chat, laugh and sing along to 60s and 70s music on the way to and from work.
Similarly with Emma from Swindon, her initial motivations were financial and environmental and says “I have benefited in ways I never imagined, including socially. The company is great, we share ideas, and we exchange knowledge about the local area – where the best markets are, what’s on at the theatre. As I know we have to rely on each other at a particular time of day, I’m much more efficient at work. I can no longer stay late to get things finished so I don’t faff about any more, I just get it done.
And there are wider community benefits, as Clare from Herefordshire describes: “We also pick up and drop off a regular prescription for a friend who has retired and finds it difficult to get to the doctors”.
With lifshare, we see the Triple Bottom Line of a solid, sustainable venture – intending to bring about economic, environmental and societal/inter-personal benefits through its activities. As we tighten our belts and make changes economically, perhaps we’ll also tighten our belts as a community, finding afresh how fulfilling it is to need each other.
Do Things Differently
1) If you had one tenth of your current income, what would you do differently? Make a list. Then assess: in what ways would any of this be preferable? What could you gain as side-effects of these changes? Plato said “Necessity is the mother of invention”. In which ways would your decreased income increase your creativity and innovation?
2) Now return to your current level of income – but keep those new ways in place. What would you do with all that extra money?? Which deeply fulfilling lifestyle benefits would all that abundance bring you?
(c) Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2008
Corrina Gordon-Barnes
www.lucy-pinder.tv Quote: Lucy Pinder, Glamour Model “I’m really pleased to be involved with the Don’t Run The Risk campaign this year. The fact that people misuse level crossings and ignore warning signs is really surprising to me, especially when the consequences are so clear. This kind of campaign is really important to highlight the dangers of taking life-threatening risks to young men.” Quote: Mark Shaoul, Head of marketing, Network Rail “Last year’s campaign had a noticeable effect on recorded incidents at our level crossings, which are one of the key safety points on the rail infrastructure. This year we have taken the campaign a step further, using data to identify specific level crossings for heavy weight local community activity. We’ve also stepped into new territory with a viral designed to reach those elusive 18-24 year old male drivers. All in all, our message is clear, if you run the risk at a level crossing, your chances of surviving if hit by a train is virtually zero” thenewsbureau.co.uk
Posted in: Foreign Nations
The managing director of the Four X Company is concerned about the implications concerning the issues mentioned below. As a legal advisor, I have been asked to address the issues in terms of research and analysis of GATT/WTO principles and structure. My purpose is to advise the Four-X company on the action that the country of Fargo may take against the country of Narnia under GATT/WTO Law, specifically, whether it can challenge the Designer Tax.
I think that the Four X company does can challenge the Designer Tax, because it is was introduced in contradiction with the theories of international trade. Besides, the government of the country of Narnia did not have the sovereignty to impose this tax on imported products, and ignore it with similar products produced locally.
In this paper I am going to discuss the concepts of international trade and the implications of corresponding law in order to find the appropriate decision that could help the Four X company to cope with the problem.
Trade Theories
Theories other than comparative advantage have been advanced to explain why nations trade. During the past twenty years, a new trade theory has been hypothesized by economists. The new position is referred to as the theory of increasing returns. This term is short for “increasing returns to scale” and is synonymous with “economies of scale.” 1 This theory holds that trade happens in order to take advantage of economies of scale. Industries in two trading countries can achieve lower unit costs by producing large volume and spreading the high start-up expenses over the entire volume produced. If the countries did not trade with each other and relied on the domestic markets only, they might not be able to reach the highest level of scale economies. International trade will result in the volume, which will produce greater economies of scale.
Such a theory explains why nations trade the same product with each other. Location results in the higher economies of scale. For example, the japanese and the United States trade automobiles with each other, but the Japanese locate their factories in the United States because of the larger market and better economies of scale. Similarly, car companies locate their production in Germany instead of France because the German automobile market is larger than the French market.
Other Reasons for International Trade
Kim and Kim discuss a number of reasons why such specialization increases production and, thus, national and personal income. 2 Among these are: (1) since natural skills among peoples are different, if each specialized in his or her natural skill, the total of their output would be greater than if both tried to do the other person’s skill; (2) even if the skills of each person are identical, specialization is still better because it increases production and so each person’s skills will improve from repetition; (3) specialization results in the simplification of tasks because it can lead to mechanization and the advent of large-scale machinery; (4) specialization by each person saves time because neither person loses time by shifting from one skill to another.
Other motives for international trade include economies of scale from the synergistic effect when the whole becomes worth more than the individual parts. In addition, the differences in tastes among the citizens of different countries l
Growing Your Business – International Trade (Part 2)
ead to trade that can satisfy these various tastes.
International trade has become increasingly important to the world economy. Trade accounts for about 25 percent the world gross domestic product (GDP). It is growing at twice the rate of any other economic sector.
In short, the international flows of goods and capital that underlie international finance are critically important to the well-being of the world’s nations. United Nations statistics show that the ratio of world exports to total gross domestic product has consistently increased since 1970. Much of this growth in world trade can be attributed to the liberalization of trade and investment because of reductions in tariffs, quotas, currency controls, and other restrictions on the flow of international payments. In addition, the advances in communications and transportation facilities and their concomitant reductions in cost have also facilitated the growth in international trade. Much of the trade liberalization has been accomplished by the implementation of several regional economic agreements and organizations.
Regional Economic Agreements
Several regional economic agreements or organizations have been established since the end of World War II for the purpose of facilitating an expansion of trade. The governments involved in these efforts have recognized the value of expanded trade. Some of these blocs have committed to the major objective of reducing or eliminating trade barriers such as tariffs and quotas. Others have gone further and have established political as well as economic institutions.
Many of the regulatory measures are in an evolving state. Some are in the stages of development or negotiation – in the form of “advisory resolutions” or “voluntary guidelines.” But in many instance, the regulations are legally binding treaties. The form in which they currently exist is often an indication of the next step to be taken in the international regulatory process. Yesterday’s studies lead to today’s “voluntary guidelines,” which, in turn, become the basis for the treaties and directives of tomorrow.
The most ambitious effort so far is the draft code of conduct for multinational corporations, which is being developed by a commission of the Economic and Social Council. About two-thirds of the code’s 71 provisions have been agreed upon.
The language of the code would make any sensible company think twice before investing overseas. An example is the provision that multinational corporations should “avoid practices, products, or services which cause detrimental effects on cultural patterns and socio-cultural objectives as determined by government.” Where is the historical perspective of the authors of the code? Over the centuries, civilization has been advanced by the transnational (to use that deadly term) flow of science, art, music, literature, and–yes–culture and commerce. Moreover, should the UN encourage the governments of its member nations to set “socio-cultural objectives” and require private enterprise to follow the “cultural patterns” set by government? This is not a traditional function of government regulation in a free society: It is a mechanism used by totalitarian rules to enforce their power.
Key concepts of sovereignty
What I intend to do is to examine certain key concepts of sovereignty, and discuss their roles in the context of international law generally, international relations, other disciplines, and, of course, with a focus on the relationship to international economic law which often means the WTO.
National government leaders and politicians as well as special interest representatives too often invoke the term’s sovereignty to mislead needed debate. Likewise, international elites of ten assume that “international is better, ” and this, we can also say, is not always the case. What is needed is a close analysis of the policy framework that can get us away from these preconceived “mantras. ” (Jackson, 2001) My objective is to try to shed some light on these policy debates, or in some cases, policy dilemmas, and to describe some of the policy framework that needs to be addressed.
The subject has been extensively addressed in different kinds of frameworks, or academic disciplines. For example, I have been educated by a number of books from political science and international relations disciplines, many of which have important insights and have helped me in my thinking. (Liftin, 1998)However, in many of those works, I have found the focus was on how to describe the concept of “sovereignty” and how it operated in the past and present in international relations. I intend to address a somewhat different question, namely, I want to consider the question of what, if any, are the valid issues raised in so-called “sovereignty” debates, and how can we analyze those issues for future impact on policy.
There has already been a considerable amount of literature concerning the issue of “sovereignty, ” and various concepts to which it might refer. Most of this literature is very critical of the idea of “sovereignty” as it has generally been known. For example, one eminent scholar has described the concept as “organized hypocrisy. ” (Jackson, 2000) This same author writes that there are at least four different meanings of sovereignty (some of which overlap). He describes: “domestic sovereignty, referring to the organization of public authority within a state and to the level of effective control exercised by those holding authority; interdependent sovereignty, referring to the ability of public authorities to control trans-border movement; international legal sovereignty, referring to the mutual recognition of states or other entities; and Westphalian sovereignty, referring to the exclusion of external actors from domestic authority configurations. ” (Jackson, 2000)
Some other authors have described sovereignty as being more valuable for aims of oratory and persuasion than of law and science. Still others have explored sovereignty as a “social construct, ” saying “numerous practices participate in the social construction of a territorial state as sovereign, including the stabilization of state boundaries, the recognition of territorial states as sovereign, and the conferring of rights onto sovereign states. ” The approach of these authors seems to be that there are no particularly inherent characteristics in the concept of sovereignty, but it depends very much on the custom and practices of nation-states and international systems.
Thus, the concept of sovereignty seems quite often to be extremely, and perhaps purposefully, misleading, and a crutch to politicians and media to avoid the tough and very complex (as we see below) thinking that should be taken up about real policy issues that are involved.
In the area of trade policy, many specific instances can be cited as use of constructs to avoid some of the implications of “sovereignty concepts. ” Perhaps a striking example is the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and now, WTO, criteria for membership, which do not focus on a “sovereign entity, ” but instead on “an independent customs territory.”
How the law of GATT and WTO help in resolving the issue
Three basic principles therefore in GATT tariff negotiations: (1) such negotiations are to be on a reciprocal and mutually advantageous basis; (2) concessions are to be bound; and (3) they are to be applied on an MFN basis (through Article I of the GATT). The first two of these principles have tended to apply to developed countries only. Until recently, developing countries have not been required to offer reciprocal concessions or to bind their tariff rates.
The introduction of a market-access commitment reflects the fact that the contestability of service markets is frequently restricted by measures that apply to both foreign and domestic entities. The market-access article explicitly covers a number of such measures that were felt to be of particular importance. To a degree it is the equivalent of GATT Article XI, which prohibits the use of QRs. Note, however, that the market-access obligation overlaps with the national-treatment requirement, as prohibited measures may be discriminatory as well as non-discriminatory (e.g. limitations on foreign equity participation violates market access and is discriminatory). This overlap creates potential for confusion and disputes.
Other GATS obligations address issues such as transparency, recognition of licenses and certification of service suppliers, policies regarding payments and transfers for services, domestic regulation, and the behavior of public monopolies. Article III (Transparency) requires all Members to establish enquiry points to provide specific information concerning any laws, regulations, and administrative practices respecting services covered by the Agreement. Article VI (Domestic Regulation) requires that Members establish disciplines to ensure that qualification requirements, technical standards, and licensing procedures are based on objective and transparent criteria, are no more burdensome than is necessary to ensure the quality of the services concerned, and do not constitute a restriction on supply in themselves (thereby possibly circumventing a specific commitment). Article XI requires Members to refrain from applying restrictions on international transfers and payments for current transactions relating to their specific commitments – it does not apply generally.
In 1964 GATT adopted a specific legal framework within which the concerns of developing countries could be addressed. Part IV dealt specifically with trade and development and contained three new articles XXXVI to XXXVIII. Article XXXVI stated that Contracting Parties should provide, ‘in the largest possible measure’, more favorable and acceptable market access conditions for products of export interest to developing countries, notably primary products and processed or manufactured products. Paragraph 8 of the article addressed the principle of less than full reciprocity by specifying that developing-country members ’should not be expected’ to make contributions that would be inconsistent with their level of development in the process of trade negotiations. The Alcoholic Beverages case addressed differences in domestic taxation between shochu, a white spirit of largely (but not exclusively) domestic manufacture in Japan, and various white and brown spirits and liqueurs such as vodka, gin, whisky, brandy, rum, and others, which were usually imported. The law was “facially neutral” in the sense that all shochu, domestic or imported, was taxed equally, and all the other beverages, domestic or imported, were taxed equally. The rates applied to the latter products, however, were higher than the rates applied to shochu. The issue was whether the different categories of product should be considered “directly competitive or substitutable,” and thus whether the differences in rates of taxation violated GATT requirements to tax like imported and domestic products equally and not to tax directly competitive or substitutable products so as to afford protection to domestic production. The panel found, and the Appellate Body affirmed, that the imported products were “like” or “directly competitive or substitutable” with shochu, and that the differences in taxation violated GATT Article III. The case therefore stands as a successful attack on facially neutral measures with a discriminatory effect against imports in Japan. However, the difference in treatment among the products in this case was clear on the face of the tax law. There was no dispute that the law treated the different products differently, only whether those differences in treatment were legally actionable because of the products being “like” or “directly competitive or substitutable.” The case therefore offers little comfort for trying to address in the WTO the types of facially neutral measures in Japan in which proof of the existence of the measure and its discriminatory or market restrictive effect is indirect, complicated, or highly fact-dependent.
Of key significance to developing country exporters is the creation of trade barriers against the foreign products due to the way of production. Mexico won the case at the GATT against the US ban on the imports of tuna which consider to be caught in nets that were unfriendly to dolphin, and the shrimpturtle case had analogous result, but both of the cases made the GATT/WTO quite unpopular with the environmental groups.
Transparency at the multilateral and national levels is essential to reduce domestic pressures for protection and to enforce agreements ( GATT, 1985). Efforts to increase transparency and examine Members trade policies take up a large part of the institution’s time. The approach is inspired by what Professor Bhagwati has called the ‘Dracula principle’: problems may disappear once light is thrown on them ( Bhagwati, 1988). Transparency provisions of the WTO relate to both the acts of the WTO itself, and the actions of its Members. As far as the WTO itself is concerned, most important WTO documents are made public. 1 WTO decisions, panel findings, and other major documents of the WTO bodies are published in a series entitled Basic Instruments and Selected Documents (BISD) edited by the WTO Secretariat in Geneva. The Secretariat also prepares regular newsletters and publishes ad hoc studies on particular aspects of the multilateral trading system.
Under GATT -1947 smaller trading nations often perceived a lack of transparency concerning agreements reached between the major players in either MTNs or with respect to the settlement of bilateral disputes or trade issues. While bilateral agreements regarding specific trade issues are not necessarily a matter of concern, they may be detrimental to the interests of third parties who are left to determine the potential effects of the deal on their exporters. More important in terms of generating controversy has been the practice on the part of large traders of coming to an agreement between themselves and then attempting to present the deal as a fait accompli in a negotiating group in an MTN or in the Council.
Turning to transparency of Members’ policies, the WTO requires that all trade laws and regulations are published. Article X of the GATT, Article III of the GATS, and Article 63 of the TRIPs Agreement all require that all relevant laws, regulations, judicial decisions, and administrative rulings are made public. There are many notification requirements embodied in the Articles of the Multilateral and Plurilateral Agreements, all of which require the existence of appropriate bodies or agencies that have responsibility for satisfying them. A consolidated notification, including all changes in laws, regulations, policy statements, or public notices, must be provided each year by WTO Members to the Secretariat. So-called enquiry points must be created that have the responsibility for answering questions and providing relevant documents regarding health and product standards.
Under the GATS, at least once a year Members must inform the Council for Trade in Services of the introduction of new – or changes to existing – laws, regulations, or administrative guidelines which significantly affect trade in services covered by their specific commitments. By 1997 each Member must establish one or more enquiry points to provide specific information to other Members, upon request, on all relevant measures of general application which pertain to or affect the operation of the GATS. Members must also establish judicial, arbitral, or administrative tribunals or procedures which provide, at the request of an affected service supplier, for prompt, objective, and impartial review of administrative decisions affecting trade in services.
The WTO also has important surveillance activities. The WTO itself periodically reviews the trade-policy and foreign-trade regimes of Members. Matters of interest to developing countries are reviewed in the Committee on Trade and Development. Multilateral surveillance of trade restrictions for balance-of-payments purposes takes place in the Committee on Balance of Payments Restrictions. The Textiles Surveillance Body reviews bilateral agreements on trade in textiles involving MFA countries and the Textile Committee oversees the phasing out of the Multifibre Arrangement (MFA). Several Committees that oversee the functioning of specific agreements conduct surveillance of the relevant policies of Members at intervals of between every three months and every two years.
The effective resolution of trade disputes is vital for the smooth functioning of the trading system. The growing number of trade disputes in the 1980s and early 1990s was variously attributed to the intensification of trade conflicts resulting from changing patterns of comparative advantage, in conjunction with the existence of vaguely worded GATT provisions and differences in their interpretation (subsidies, agriculture). Certain disputes were essentially attempts to contest existing provisions with a view to clarifying them.
Conclusion
According to the issues discusses above, we see that the government officials of the country of Narnia were not legally authorized to imposed the Designer Tax on the imported products of Four X company from the country of Fargus. Their decision was intended to be justified by the fact that Four X company used artificial flavors in their products which are dangerous for health, but the this Tax also should be imposed on products that are sweetened, and the beverages produced locally were not the subject of this tax in spite of being sweetened.
As WTO is taking part in resolving trade disputes, the Four X company can argue about the justness on application the new Designer Tax to its products, while it is not applied to the similar products produced locally. WTO might help in resolving this conflict, and allow the Four X company to challenge the Designer Tax.
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Posted in: Foreign Nations
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Increasing Trade relations between nations has led to increase in Import and export of goods between them. It serves as a great way to expand business and markets for their companies and allows them to take more impart part in the global economy. It also serves as a catalyst for faster growth and brand building.
An import is any good or service brought into a country from another country in a fair and acceptable fashion, typically for use in trade. Imported goods or services introduce domestic consumers to newer things by foreign producers. There are two basic types of imports: 1. Industrial and consumer goods.
2. Intermediate goods and services.
Companies usually imports goods and services to supply to the domestic market at a cheaper price and better quality than competing goods manufactured in the domestic market. Companies import products that are not available in the local market.
There are 3 broad types of importers:
1. One who import and sell products around the world
2. One who requires foreign source to get their products at lowest price.
3. Last type is the one using foreign source as part of their global supply chain.
An export is any specialized goods, commodity or technology, shipped from one country to another country typically for use in it’s domestic market for eg: India exports Darjeeling Tea to many other nations. Export of commercial quantities of goods normally requires trade agreements between both the nations. Import and export allow the Foreign Direct Investment flow in to the country. Exporting is a major component of international trade, and allows nations to go for specialization in certain domains of business. Every year the worldwide Import and Export trade of more than $2 trillion occurs, and it is slated to grow further in future.
Trade Lead is a means for capturing and follow-up a project. Trade Leads are means for capturing and following up a project of a company in one country by another in some other part of the world. There are various kinds of portals where a person requiring some goods or services will post about his requirements and the others following this trade lead will offer him to fulfill his need. This can also occur between consumers and companies operating in different nations thereby automatically generating import and export business. International buyers and sellers can post their trade leads to buy and sell, import and export a wide range of products and services. Product categories include for eg: Automobiles, Garments, Furniture, Electronics etc. Services may include for eg: Education, Healthcare, Architecture, BPO etc.
The job of the company is to attain the best possible Return on Investment (ROI) and take advantage of tools allowing them to do business.
Manu Vikram Singh
Posted in: Foreign Nations
me playin a song from band on drum set well…
The recent elections in Ghana have been hailed as a successful African story. The praises, admirations and messages of commendations coming from all corners of the globe is an indication that the world is hoping for a change in Africa. It is also an indication that the world is expecting something different, different from the way things are done all the time on the continent.
Having experienced political instabilities for most of her modern existence Africa has often been described as a failed continent – a continent where everything is depressing. So it came as a surprise when Ghana managed to conduct one of the best successful elections on the continent. The successful elections in Ghana have indeed opened a different chapter for the continent. It has shown the rest of countries on the continent that there is the need for democracy to be given a chance in Africa. The elections have sent a powerful message to the continent that democracy as a form of government should be widely adopted and practiced by all the countries so that there will always be peaceful means of electing leaders and transferring power from one administration to the other.
I strongly believe that Ghana’s elections are sending the following message to the African Union and its members.
That the constitutions of the various African states should stipulate the number of years and number of terms one could occupy the office of president or prime minister. To alleviate the continent from political diarrhoea, poverty and economic melancholy the governments must as a matter of urgency embark on democratic reforms. The years where leaders rule till they die or are chased out of office should be a thing of the past. The leaders should allow free and fair elections to be held every 4 or 5 years depending on what the constitution says. Elected leaders must have fixed term of office and on no account should they try to manipulate the system in order to remain in power. The elections in Ghana which attracted a lot of international commendations around the world are indicating to the rest of Africa that the people want something different. Our image as a continent can improve considerably if we allow democracy to flourish, if we allow rule of law to work, if we embark on a new path-a path where it is possible for the incumbent to lose elections and hell does not break loose, a path where judges are free to dispense justice without fear or favour, a path where members of the opposition are not seen as enemy combatants but as contributors of our democracy and development, and a path where policies and ideas dominate political discussions and elections instead of the whipping of tribal and ethnic sentiments.
The leaders on the continent must realize that the existence of a vibrant democracy is in the best interest of the people and the continent as a whole. The politicians must know that vibrant democracy is a necessary condition if Africa is to come out of her current political and economic misery.
More often than not, lack or absence of democracy, corruption and abuse of power has often been cited by coup plotters as reasons for overthrowing governments in power. To prevent such incursions by the army political accountability on the continent must be nurtured strengthened. That means the three organs of government namely the executive, legislature and the judiciary must first be independent of each other and secondly they should powers that checks and balances each other so as to prevent one arm from amassing too much power. History has shown that a situation where one arm of government amasses power only breeds envy and instabilities. The Judiciary should be given enough powers to investigate allegations of corruption so as to prevent the repetition of corrupt practices that fuelled the wars on the continent.
Additionally, the fourth arm of government that is the media should be enshrined in the constitution and the AU Charter. The mushrooming of public and private media on the continent especially electronic media should be seen as an encouraging development and governments should be encouraged to allow such private stations to be established unconditionally. The freedom of the press must be safeguarded so as to prevent unscrupulous politicians from attacking them and subjecting them to all sorts of negative tactics. The media should be allowed to play its role as the watchdog of the state and every law that will intimidate them and undermine their ability to work should be repealed.
The various institutions of government such as police, military and the ministries should work to promote democracy and development. Rule of Law should be employed by the state. Everyone should be equal before the law. Instances where there are two separate laws for the rulers and the ruled is not only affront to rule of law but affront to democracy and justice. The office of the Ombudsman and other independent bodies should be established to protect the citizens from the state.
That brings us to one of the most important institutions of democracy .i.e. electoral commission. The role of the electoral commission must also be enshrined in the constitution. This office must be independent of the executive branch of government. It must be well resourced so that it can organise elections without any difficulties. The role played by Dr. Afari Gyan in conducting Ghana’s election can only be described as excellent. The electoral commission must be impartial so as to prevent the electoral disputes that characterised the elections in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria.
The constitutions of the various countries should guarantee the existence of opposition parties. This will prevent the one party state found in most countries from gaining root. Absence of official opposition not only prevents the people from having a choice but also discredit any advantage democracy or elections may have. Therefore, constitutional and electoral courts should be established in member countries so that matters of political and electoral disputes could be settled amicably. Corruption should be punished severely and every effort should be made track down every penny stolen from the countries.
The AU
The African Union as a continental body has a lot to learn from Ghana’s elections.
The AU Charter should be reformed, strengthened and implemented to the letter. All regional bodies such as ECOWAS, SADC and the rest should be streamlined to work within the broader framework of the AU. The AU must not be a talking shop anymore. It must not be a gathering of corrupt, despotic and kleptocratic rulers but rather a gathering of true democrats. The AU must be a platform of action and concrete decision making, a platform where issues affecting the people are addressed. This will require strong, determined and visionary leadership. A leadership who share the thoughts and ideas of Nkrumah, Lumumba, Seketuri and Nasser and who are committed to fighting poverty and improving the lots of the people. The AU must have a full time foreign policy chief who will be the mouthpiece of the continent and who will articulate the needs and concerns of the people to the outside world. The AU should establish special bodies of experts who will serve as advisory bodies to the AU. The complete silence exhibited by the AU during the current Global Financial Crisis necessitates for the establishment of such bodies of experts. These bodies may include health, economics, environment, resource, science and technology.
Each country should strengthen her intelligence capabilities so as to ward off the undesirables of the cold war tactics where Africa was destabilised by the west using their intelligence branches and the various African countries should share vital information about what the west is up to. Every effort should be made to prevent arm struggles either within the countries or between the countries.
The days where suspensions are used as a form of punishment for coup plotters should be things of the past. Instead there should be a strong, well funded standing army (Africa High Command) ready to be deployed to any country where the army will try to cease power. Such an army should also be used to crash any arm insurgence that will show it ugly head onto the Africa political scene.
The Pan African Parliament should be strengthened and its decisions binding on all member countries. An African Court of Justice should be established to settle disputes between nations and within nations and its decisions must be binding on all members as well. This court must be the highest court on the continent. It must be modelled in line with European Court of Justice. Individuals could take their case to this court for dispensation of justice. These democratic and constitutional measures will definitely help to reduce conflicts and human rights’ abuse which is rife on the continent.
Africans must unite and form a common front so as to make their voices heard on the international stage. We must unite against all forms of propaganda from the rest the world. The positive effect that Aljazeera is having on the world is an indication of what positive thinking could bring to the world. Aljazeera has done well in shaping the world opinion about Islam, Arabs and issues affecting Muslims, Arabs and people of the developing world. To counter the growing influence of Aljazeera, BBC for example has had to close down some programmes in order to launch an Arabic version of the BBC. Africans must know that our coming together will be interpreted differently by many who do not share our interests. As a result every effort would be made to thwart these laudable efforts in order to maintain the status quo of having a north –south divide. We must also know that our effort to change our predicament would meet several challenges among them the huge financial requirement, the human and material resources needed and many others. But we must put ourselves together and start doing something now because a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step.
Finally it is time for the old guard of African politics to leave the scene and give way to the younger generation. There are a lot of Barak Obamas on the continent but they have been prevented by the old guard from making any economic, social and political contribution towards Africa’s development. It is very sad that even in this 21st Century these old guards still think they only hold the key to wisdom. Some of these old guards have been in power for more than 3 decades yet they still want to continue to rule. For example Gaddafi of Libya has been in power for 39 years now. Omar Bongo of Gabon 31 years, Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea 28 years, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe 28 years, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt 27 years, Paul Biya of Cameroon 26 years, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda 22 years, Omar Al Bashir of Sudan 19 years, Iddriss Derby of Chad 17 years, Yahya Jammeh of Gambia 14 years, and the list goes on unending. Recently the president of Tunisia has decided to make himself a life president of the country. The presence of such dictators is not only harmful to the image and the development of the continent but a major factor why impoverishment and underdevelopment is prevalent on the continent. Every effort should be made by the AU and the regional bodies to discourage such blatant abuse of power. It is against this background that Ghana should be commended again and again for conducting one of the freest elections on the continent.
Ghana’s elections are a straight message to the African Union and its members that democratic reform needed on the continent is long overdue and that the African Union should take notice of it. Let this 21st Century be a century of hope, a century of development, a century of prosperity and a century of peace for Africans and the world.
Lord Aikins Adusei
Posted in: Community Level
Online MMOs and RPGs like World of Warcraft and Warhammer have taken the world by storm, and now the Xbox 360 is offering gamers a new way to connect to the online community with Xbox Live. With Xbox Live gamers of the world unite on their couches to battle demons, race cars and fight bad guys, sharing the fun of online gaming without having to give up the fun of their favorite Xbox.
To thoroughly enjoy the full Xbox Live experience, the only thing Xbox fans need are an Xbox 360 and a high speed internet connection. Gamers simply connect their Xbox to their modem and they have instant access to hundreds of games and free demos, as well as a global community of players just like them with whom to share the excitement and thrill of ultimate destruction from the comfort of their living room.
Xbox fans who choose to take advantage of Xbox Live have two membership levels to choose from. The silver level membership is available at no cost and allows players to download content from the Xbox Live Marketplace, share their gamer profile and achievements with other users and chat with their friends while they’re online. For casual gamers who want to be able to share the excitement of their favorite video games but don’t really care about multi-player events the silver option is perfect, offering the chance for gamers to build an online community without having to pay an extra fee out of pocket.
For video game lovers who are serious about taking their online community to new heights, Xbox Live also offers a gold level membership at a reasonable price that offers all of the advantages of the silver membership along with the ability to play multi-player games online, create parties and join games with their friends. For gamers who loved the raiding option of World of Warcraft and want to carry the fun over to their 360, the gold membership is the online gaming solution they’ve been waiting for.
Of course, Xbox Live isn’t just for hard core gamers. It’s not even just for video games! If you’re the type of person who just never found their way into the video game mania that’s sweeping the nation, you can still benefit from becoming a member of Xbox Live. Through the Xbox Live community members can watch movies, TV shows and additional, exclusive media content created especially for Xbox Live members, and Netflix fans can watch streaming movies on their Xbox 360. The diverse options available for Xbox Live means that no matter who you are or how serious you are about your video games, the Xbox Live community has something to offer you.
Online gaming has risen dramatically in popularity and exposure in recent years, and Xbox Live is taking that concept to new heights by bringing the fun and freedom of being part of an online community of gamers off of the computer and onto the Xbox 360. Who knows where it’s going to go next?
How to get rich in runescape 3m at most in 1 day
Ray Subs
Posted in: Community Level
[First published on the Doing Things Differently blog - #61 - Tighten Our Belts]
http://www.doingthingsdifferently.blogspot.com/
I was the columnist in The London Paper last week, suggesting that the recession is a good thing. Readers vote on whether they want more of you… and 96% did. I also had many comments calling this point of view “refreshing” and “inspiring”. In this, I hear a whispered hope for a move away from ‘business as usual’ to a more enjoyable and equitable way of running our economy.
At its best, this shake-up wake-up call will prompt us to re-prioritise and re-allocate resources. It will make us more aware of where we use money as an excuse to see ourselves as separate from others. Instead of this isolation, we will find ways of leaning in to human energy as our most precious resource and recognise our interdependence.
A great example of this is Liftshare - an organisation that works to bring about sustainable change by encouraging individuals to do things together. There are now 290,000+ people registered and several inspirational stories have emerged.
Sandra from Clacton-on-Sea started car-sharing as a way of saving petrol and impact on the environment and found that “two people who led separate lives have now become great friends, with all the benefits and opportunities that new friendships offer”. They socialise regularly, found they had tons in common, and get to chat, laugh and sing along to 60s and 70s music on the way to and from work.
Similarly with Emma from Swindon, her initial motivations were financial and environmental and says “I have benefited in ways I never imagined, including socially. The company is great, we share ideas, and we exchange knowledge about the local area – where the best markets are, what’s on at the theatre. As I know we have to rely on each other at a particular time of day, I’m much more efficient at work. I can no longer stay late to get things finished so I don’t faff about any more, I just get it done.
And there are wider community benefits, as Clare from Herefordshire describes: “We also pick up and drop off a regular prescription for a friend who has retired and finds it difficult to get to the doctors”.
With lifshare, we see the Triple Bottom Line of a solid, sustainable venture – intending to bring about economic, environmental and societal/inter-personal benefits through its activities. As we tighten our belts and make changes economically, perhaps we’ll also tighten our belts as a community, finding afresh how fulfilling it is to need each other.
Do Things Differently
1) If you had one tenth of your current income, what would you do differently? Make a list. Then assess: in what ways would any of this be preferable? What could you gain as side-effects of these changes? Plato said “Necessity is the mother of invention”. In which ways would your decreased income increase your creativity and innovation?
2) Now return to your current level of income – but keep those new ways in place. What would you do with all that extra money?? Which deeply fulfilling lifestyle benefits would all that abundance bring you?
(c) Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2008
Corrina Gordon-Barnes
LITTLE BIG PLANET Choose the adventure. Everything is built from scratch not a community level. I will create the story around the most popular comments or the most recurring. Check out my channel and sub if you like www.youtube.com FOR MORE MACHINIMA GOTO: www.youtube.com
Posted in: Foreign Nations
BestReviews4Buyershttp://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/users/bestreviews4buyersHowtoimport-export-businessHow To Start import export business?
If you happen walk into a store in London and are able to buy a Banarasi Sari (a Traditional Indian women dress) then you are experiencing the effects of International Trade.
For any Nation that is considered to be a world power, International Trade is an important source of economic revenue and may even have a significant share of gross domestic product (GDP). International Trade has been taking place between countries since medieval times through trade routes like Silk Route etc. In today’s modern times due to industrialization the face of International trade has changed through MNC’s, outsourcing and globalization.
In simple words the exchange of certain specific technologies, capital, goods and services (in bulk) between nations as per their requirements is International Trade. It opens up a sea of opportunities for the nations. International trade allows nations to expand their markets for both goods and services that otherwise may not have been available in other countries. Import and Export is the basic method by which the International Trade occurs. Nature has not endowed everyone with everything, some nations have something and some others have the other things. So in this context it becomes all the more important for trade to take place between the nations. Importing means getting something you need from other nation and exporting means giving other countries what they need from you. A great way to expand your business internationally is by importing and exporting goods. Companies taking part in international business have been known to grow faster and fail lesser.
International trade gives rise to a world economy where supply and demand or prices of the goods and services are affected by global events. Political change in India, for example, might result in an increase in the cost of labor and raw materials, thereby increasing the manufacturing costs for an American Garment manufacturing company based in India, which would then result in an increase in the price in the American Market. This type of trade brings not only increases the efficiency but also increases the opportunity of Foreign Direct Investment in the country. It also helps the countries embark the path of specialization and therefore make more efficient use of resources, international trade has potential to maximize a country’s capacity to produce and acquire goods for example India is world known for IT services, Japan for it’s Technological know-how, China for bulk and cheap manufacturing etc.
Global Trade also gives consumers and countries the opportunity to be introduced to goods and services not available in their own countries. If companies are ready for international trade, the government in each country offers a number of programs to help them get started. There are very strict regulations on import and export business so it is critical that firms understand which of these regulations apply to them and the implications. They also have to abide by the trade agreements regarding the goods between the two nations.
Manu Vikram Singh
Posted in: Community Level
Me beating “The Overseer” Boss on veryhard difficulty on my level 11 alchemist. This game is awesome 
Well worth 20$! www.torchlightgame.com GO GET IT! Currently the games online in the single player stages but their releasing their level editor soon for us to make our own levels and mods for the game and share with the community. They will also be introducing the MMO side of it sometime in the future. This game is made by the group who brought you diablo and more! check them out and try the game.
http://www.doingthingsdifferently.blogspot.com/
I was the columnist in The London Paper last week, suggesting that the recession is a good thing. Readers vote on whether they want more of you… and 96% did. I also had many comments calling this point of view “refreshing” and “inspiring”. In this, I hear a whispered hope for a move away from ‘business as usual’ to a more enjoyable and equitable way of running our economy.
At its best, this shake-up wake-up call will prompt us to re-prioritise and re-allocate resources. It will make us more aware of where we use money as an excuse to see ourselves as separate from others. Instead of this isolation, we will find ways of leaning in to human energy as our most precious resource and recognise our interdependence.
A great example of this is Liftshare - an organisation that works to bring about sustainable change by encouraging individuals to do things together. There are now 290,000+ people registered and several inspirational stories have emerged.
Sandra from Clacton-on-Sea started car-sharing as a way of saving petrol and impact on the environment and found that “two people who led separate lives have now become great friends, with all the benefits and opportunities that new friendships offer”. They socialise regularly, found they had tons in common, and get to chat, laugh and sing along to 60s and 70s music on the way to and from work.
Similarly with Emma from Swindon, her initial motivations were financial and environmental and says “I have benefited in ways I never imagined, including socially. The company is great, we share ideas, and we exchange knowledge about the local area – where the best markets are, what’s on at the theatre. As I know we have to rely on each other at a particular time of day, I’m much more efficient at work. I can no longer stay late to get things finished so I don’t faff about any more, I just get it done.
And there are wider community benefits, as Clare from Herefordshire describes: “We also pick up and drop off a regular prescription for a friend who has retired and finds it difficult to get to the doctors”.
With lifshare, we see the Triple Bottom Line of a solid, sustainable venture – intending to bring about economic, environmental and societal/inter-personal benefits through its activities. As we tighten our belts and make changes economically, perhaps we’ll also tighten our belts as a community, finding afresh how fulfilling it is to need each other.
Do Things Differently
1) If you had one tenth of your current income, what would you do differently? Make a list. Then assess: in what ways would any of this be preferable? What could you gain as side-effects of these changes? Plato said “Necessity is the mother of invention”. In which ways would your decreased income increase your creativity and innovation?
2) Now return to your current level of income – but keep those new ways in place. What would you do with all that extra money?? Which deeply fulfilling lifestyle benefits would all that abundance bring you?
(c) Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2008
Corrina Gordon-Barnes