Hydro Québec, Energy and the Environment Essay

The replacement of gas with electric streetlamps in Quebec was implemented by the Royal electric Company which covered the entire city as at 1889. The project was facilitated by Senator Rosaire Thibodeau with the financial backing of a prominent businessman, Mr. Rodolphe Forget. There was with time the development of nuclear power. The experimentation with nuclear power began from around 1965. Nuclear power was increasingly being considered the energy source of the future and all the major countries had embraced it, prompting Canada to do the same. The last hydroelectric project in the twentieth century was the Sainte-Marguerite-3. This was built both a water reservoir and power generation head. The head is 330 meters long, making it a marvel. In 1998, Hydro Quebec decided to reinforce its transmission system. This was because in January of the same year, there had been a major ice storm that destroyed much of its Quebec distribution and transmission systems, exposing their vulnerability hence a need for reinforcement (History of Electricity in Quebec: Chaotic Growth of an Industry, n. d). On 7 February 2002, there was the signing of a historical agreement between the Grand Council at Crees and The state of Quebec. This provided a basis for the building of two main generation systems, the Eastmain-1 and Eastmain-1-A on the Rupert River. According to the company’s management, many past studies have investigated the potential health effects of electric and magnetic fields on human beings. These have however been inconclusive hence the harm not fully established. It therefore calls for further research to clarify this while minimizing people’s exposure to them and committing the company to supporting the research (History of Electricity in Quebec: Chaotic Growth of an Industry, n. d). Renewable and Green Hydroelectric power is not as green as required. This is because it contributes to mercury poisoning of water sources (Eisler, 1987). There is also a forced decomposition of the matter that is flooded, leading to production of carbon dioxide and Methane, both major greenhouse gases. Gas and coal are considered greener, but have lower performance. The greenhouse gases produced by Hydro-electric power are comparatively minimal. Hydropower produces a mere thirty-fifth of that by natural gas and a seventieth of that by a coal. The comparison is unjustified. This is because the ratio of waste product produced is less than the other sources. The author calls for a comparison between the sources in terms of same costs hence superiority of hydroelectric power (Hydro Quebec Research: Publications and Documentation Centre, n. d). Hydro Quebec and Sustainability Hydro Quebec is also committed to the promotion of wind power as a source of energy. Its strategic plan proposes the creation of a 4000 Megawatt wind energy capacity by 2015. Between 2004 and 2005, there was the signing of purchase deals for wind power with its total Wind power capacity standing at 500 Megawatts. The company also planned to engage in gas and oil exploration specifically at the Gulf of St. Lawrence and was seeking partners (Sustainable Development, n. d). The company promotes a reduction in electricity demand by enhancing efficiency in its use. This is done through awareness campaigns and investment in research and development. There is for instance investment in power-saving refrigerators and solar units. Hydro Quebec still retains one nuclear plant, the Gentilly-2 in the south of the Saint-Laurence River, producing about 2 per cent of the company’s electricity. Steps taken towards environmental protection include the minimization of atmospheric emissions. This is achieved by supplying hydro electric power to neighboring United States which is known to mostly rely on generation fuel-generated electricity. It also advocates for the Kyoto Protocol on emissions and is frequently involved in environmental conservation campaigns and funding of environmental research. Hydro-Quebec also values aesthetics and therefore fully incorporates it in its facilities. In this, there is emphasis on good choice of material, landscaping and observation sites among others (Sustainable Development, n. d). References Eisler, R. (1987). Mercury Hazards to Fish, Wildlife and Inveterbrates: A Synoptic View. Washington DC: US Department of the Interior. History of Electricity in Quebec: Chaotic Growth of an Industry. (n. d. ). Retrieved March 30, 2009, from Hydro Quebec: http://www. hydroquebec. com/learning/histoire/histoire_quebec/index_frame. html? ext_epoque=1 Hydro Quebec Research: Publications and Documentation Centre. (n. d. ). Retrieved March 30, 2009, from Hydro Quebec: http://www. hydroquebec. com/sustainable-development/documentation/documents. html Sustainable Development. (n. d) Retrieved March 30, 2009, from Hydro Quebec: http://www. hydroquebec. com/sustainable-development/index. html

East Asian History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

East Asian History - Essay Example A man is allowed to marry if his wife fails to give birth to a baby boy. People use to sold their daughters if they want to work in the lands of rich land lords. The subject of this paper and my ancestor is one of those poor women who struggled hard to live her life, the one who loved her daughters and value them. She had to bear pain of foot binding and post marriage customs but she didn't give up and continued to work hard and serve her family and children. I was glad to know by my mother that my ancestors lived in song dynasty as I was very fond of knowing about ancient China specially song dynasty. My ancestor was born when the country was under Confucius rule, so according to the traditions she was named "daughter no 2" as she was the second daughter of her parents Her father was a farmer and she daily saw her mother working harder than her father and other males. Her mother loved her a lot as she had to sell her elder daughter (daughter no 1) to a rich land owner in order to earn bread and butter by farming on their land. It was one of the happiest days of her life when she takes the first step and gets clothes to wear and straw shoes by her mother first time since she was born. It was made up of hemp (the cheapest material). While playing with her friends in the land, she was deeply impressed by the silk material wore by the daughter of the land lord and wishes to express her desire but was scared as she never saw her mother expre ssing anything My ancestor loves to play with children's living in the vicinity " such as flying kites and sliding down a stairway railing, to activities meant to emulate the adult males around them - playing the zither, writing poetry, and enacting a ritual washing of the Buddha."1 . As she grew up she had to wear old clothes of her mother. She always wore her hairs in two coils. She was amazed one day when unexpectedly her father took her to the market and was excited to see shopkeepers as' "one merchant is raising banners above his shop, another is supervising the unloading of grain sacks from transport boats on the Canal. Another individual is getting dressed, and the establishments, many of which seem to be for eating and drinking, seem on the whole relatively deserted2 . She looked strangely when she saw a person walking with them with his young son and another man came and did a strange practice. She asked her father what the man did and he replied that this is a tradition: "When a father goes out The son must follow behind If on a road he meets a senior He puts his feet together and joins his hand In front of a senior, He does not spit on a ground"3 She became happy as she thought his father will ignore her question now she expected something more from he father and thought he might buy something for her but her excitement comes to an end when her feet were binded. When my ancestor grew up she thought that it is said that Confucius tells us how to"act in accordance with the principle of humanity"4 then why she and other girls have to face this inhuman act of foot binding. When my ancestor turns 19 her mother told her that the greatest duty of women is to have a son. On one morning

Marketing in Canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing in Canada - Essay Example The proposed research paper will attempt to analyze the predominant themes in American marketing, and determine to what degree those themes continued to be used in the Canadian context. As a tentative thesis, this paper presumes that marketing strategies in Canada will, to a great extent, largely resemble marketing strategies that would be used in similar situations in America, and that firms that have both American and Canadian wings do not significantly alter their marketing strategies when advertising similar products or services on both sides of the border, an indication that such marketing strategies retain much of their effectiveness. OVERVIEW OF EARLY FINDINGS As a preliminary step to research, the author evaluated several marketing campaigns launched across both the United States and Canada, from companies with similar placements. At this stage apples-to-apples comparisons of marketing campaigns within a company (the way Ford markets a truck in the United States vs. Canada, f or instance), to attempt to control for the fact that a single company might choose to use similar marketing strategies simply as a cost-saving measures. Research was also conducted into marketing theory, looking into publications that de facto target a US audience as well as explicitly Canadian marketing publications. Throughout this process, some major themes in American marketing have become apparent: gender, patriotism, and technology. Most major marketing campaigns include one of these things to some degree or the other. GENDER Gender plays a major role in many marketing campaigns. Marketers try to connect many different products to the proper performance of gender. This is most clearly demonstrated through explicitly gendered products, such as Dove's normal line versus it's â€Å"Dove for Men† line, which promotes cleanliness as a masculine virtue rather than a feminine one, as is normally shown through marketing in their traditional line. This pattern is also apparent in non-gendered products: beer advertisements for men and for women will be very different from each other, despite being the same product and having many of the same benefits. Gender performance in the United States and Canada are very similar to each other, and one would expect marketing campaigns to feature gender in a similar way. PATRIOTISM Patriotism is rarely expressed explicitly, e.g. â€Å"it is the right thing for your country to buy this product,† - more often patriotism is invoked through connecting the product with demonstrated values of the country, such as strength or constancy, or it is made of products originating in the country. TECHNOLOGIES Technology is the area that might feature a stark difference between Canadian and American strategies. Though the United States, like most developed countries, is increasingly technology heavy, Canadians have proven to be more adept at adapting to social media than Americans. There is a higher percentage of Canadians who have adapted to social media, especially Facebook and Twitter, and they incorporate both of those technologies into their life faster. This might mean that companies need to put greater importance to social media in their

Analyzing Resources and Capabilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analyzing Resources and Capabilities - Essay Example The estimated Google’s Brand equity was 25.6 in 2008, a 96% increase compared to 2007. Google’s set of available resources and capabilities enables it to build a strategy focused on company’s internal environment rather than following market trends. According to Robert Grant, â€Å" When the external environment is in a state of flux, the firm itself, in terms of its bundle of resources and capabilities, may be a much more stable basis on which to define its identity†. The company is developing its advertising resources and generates around 99% of the revenue through advertising. The prime resources and capabilities of Google Inc. include search engine differentiation, brand value, qualified workforce, innovative technology, culture, advertising, cost and speed, huge user-base and concentric diversification. Strategic partnerships and agreements with leading businesses allow Google to enhance active use of its resources and capabilities. The firm values its employees with a number of benefits, performance rewards and is also considering wide expansion to its current human resource. As Grant notes, â€Å"The resources and capabilities of the firm form the foundation for building competitive edge†, Google is giving tough competition to its market rivals. However, there still exists a lot of room for improvement in Google’s common set of resources and capabilities as its revenue depends almost entirely on advertising and it also lacks a better understanding of the China

HR Strategic Linkages Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HR Strategic Linkages - Assignment Example HR  department allows the business and the employees to be on the same page and it is the medium between them. It supports the business strategy by encouraging employees to work harder and more efficiently. HR works closely with the employees which in turn benefits the organization as a whole.   An important factor for continuous competitive success is how a company manages its human capital. Investments in human capital can result in better organizational performance and increased productivity which can further improve its financial position. Without it, an organization can lose its efficient production capabilities. Secondly, HR can also help an organization to achieve its goals associated with growth and development. It can help by recruiting employees and determining training needs. It can also help by attracting capable employees and by modifying job requirements. Internally, HR can help by analyzing those parts of a organization which need improvement and introduce ways to improve the performance feedback procedures. It can help as a strategic partner by reorganizing the management structure to make efficient use of its resources. Including HR as a strategic business partner enables better decision making. What benefits do you think the employees derive from this arrangement? As a result of this arrangement, employees receive a lot of benefits. To build human capital, HR develops strategies for finding the best talent, enhancing their knowledge and skills through training programs. Employees will begin to have a deeper understanding of how the organization works. The employees will benefit because HR will initially recruit internally so the employees will get the first opportunity to develop new skills and tasks. Task and skill analyses will further highlight the needs of employees. HR will also introduce more recruiting tools and will give all the employees opportunities for professional and personal development. Employees will also benefit as HR wil l provide compensation and bonuses in order to reward people for their hard work and contribution. Improved performance feedback process with also help the employees as managers will get specific training for it. HR will reorganize the management plan and rotate the employees which will further increase their motivation and improve their skills. It will also retain exceptional employees for the company. The HR has the skills and ability to solve employee related issues. The motivation level of all the employees will increase through these measures as they will see that their hard work and contribution is being recognized and rewarded. Employees can also easily take help from HR as they are now strategic partners to their organization. Motivation of all employees can be further increased by giving them health care coverage, daycare, vacation time, bonuses etc. All these rewards together can boost employee performance and hence create a better working environment for all the workers. What do you think are the risks involved (to HR and the organization as a whole) if HR does not make this a priority and instead remains a purely task-oriented? The organization will have to face a lot of negative consequences if HR does not make this a priority and remains task-oriented. HR will only be involved and interested in the day-to-day responsibilities and tasks. They will not be helping the organization in achieving their

Evaluating Performance through Motivation and Conflict Management Essay

Evaluating Performance through Motivation and Conflict Management Discussion - Essay Example Let me first discuss about the theories of motivation applied to organization’s behaviors and to employees of workplaces. Motivation is etymologically a Latin word "movere"-- to move. It is an internal drive motivating behaviors and determining direction. It is a moving force that motivates organizational behavior. Maslow's â€Å"Hierarchy of Needs Theory† point that motivation is driven by needs and of certain conditions that motivate them to exemplify these needs. This hierarchy features five major areas which start with â€Å"basic needs toward more complicated and self-fulfilling needs. It includes physiological, survival, security and stability. Human being’s social nature needs venue for social interaction to bolster our self-esteem and competence in order for us to develop our full potential for self-actualization. Maslow's believes that unsatisfied lowest-level need has the greatest motivating potential. Alderfer's ERG Theory is also somewhat similar to "Needs Theory† but has only three characters which explains satisfaction and motivation.

Cross Cultural Management Case Study 1500words exc Essay

Cross Cultural Management Case Study 1500words exc. ReferencingBibliography - Essay Example The decision to enter markets outside the home country depends on a company's resources, managerial mindset and the nature of opportunity and threat. Mattel's best-known brand Barbie and its enviable global position has resulted in part from the company's willingness and ability to back its flag ship product with a strong local marketing effort. Mattel has positioned its brand 'Barbie' as a global brand, independent of any country of origin link. Barbie is a Barbie wherever it is made. Mattel has adopted a geocentric orientation i. e., it is adopting a worldview that sees similarity and differences in markets and countries and seeks to create a global strategy that is fully responsive to local needs and wants. Mattel's global marketing strategies for Barbie converges to market needs and wants, technologies advancements and socio-culture integration. A global marketing strategy is built on an information system that scans the world business environment to identify opportunities, trend s, threats and resources. A truly global company leverages its skills and focuses its resource to create superior perceived value for customers and achieve competitive advantage. Mattel has adopted the above strategies to become successful in global market. 2. As Theodore Levitt (1983) in his article" the globalization of markets" in the Harvard Business review argued that around the globe using standardized high quality world products and market then around the global using standardized advertising, pricing and distribution. But most of the organization found it, just a bunk. However success is not solely based on a standardization of marketing elements. To be successful in different market could be achieved only by spending a great deal of time and money to become an insider. That is, the company built a complete local infrastructure with its sales force. Now exactly the same path Mattel has adopted to become successful in Japanese market. Initially Mettle's Barbie has failed is John W. Amerman former CEO of Mattel state 'they did not know what that product was, and it didn't work" (Golab, 1994). Even availing the services of the consultant and modification of product looks do not have sufficient effect. Even the second partnership wi th Bandai didn't worked property. Finally in 1991, Mattel's own sales and marketing staff and office plays the trick and after spending more time and money, in 1994, Mattel has achieved some success and made profit in Japan with sales almost doubling since reintroduction (Golab, 1994). Mattel introduced its own American Barbie with long hair " Star princess Barbie" which becomes one of the top selling dolls in Japan (Thornton, 1994). Apart from time and marketing infrastructure development Mattel has conducted a consumer research in the Japanese market to understand the actual likings of the target customers. To survive in this new globally competitive world we had to modernize. Information technology is the glue for everything we do. For global marketer, information is one of the most essential requirements for decision-making (Reid, 1995; Green and Eric, 1975; Mullen, 1995). So market