The article deals with the raise of a tariff on Chinese solar panels Essay Example for Free

The article deals with the raise of a tariff on Chinese solar panels Essay US commerce department brings heavy tariffs against Chinese solar panels Investigation finds China kept prices low with subsidies, but some in US warn tariff will slow adoption of solar energy The Obama administration imposed heavy tariffs on Chinese solar panels on Thursday, after finding that China is flooding the market with government subsidised products. The preliminary decision, that China had dumped solar products on the US for less than the cost of manufacture, will result in tariffs of between 31% and 250% on Chinese imports. It was seen on Thursday as a mixed blessing. US solar panel makers, who brought the original complaint, are expected to benefit. But the tariffs, by forcing up prices, are expected to slow the adoption of solar power more generally. There were also fears the move could lead to a broader US-Chinese trade war. In its decision, the US commerce department said it would impose tariffs of about 31% on about 60 Chinese solar panel exporters which participated in the investigation, including Wuxi Suntech and Trina Solar. Other manufacturers will face tariffs of just under 250%. The levies will be retroactive for 90 days. The tariffs were in addition to fees ranging from 2.9% to 4.73% imposed last March. Chinese government subsidies helped drive down the price of solar panels by 80% over the last five years, and by 40% in the last year alone. The price drops drove some US solar panel makers – such as Solyndra – to collapse. The seven US-based solar panel makers which brought the complaint said the ruling from the commerce department would help American companies hold their own against Chinese competitors. The solar panel makers were struggling against Chinese competition, and weakening demand in Europe. Todays decision is expected to have an impact on the US marketplace for Chinese manufacturers since it will begin to remove the advantage they have had as a result of their illegal trade practices, the Coalition for American Solar Panel Manufacturing said in a statement. The statement went on: However, it will not disrupt solar growth or solar installations in the United States. But that is precisely the fear of other industry analysts. The falling costs for solar panels also made solar power more competitive with other sources of energy. The US solar industry grew by 109% last year. Jigar Shah, who heads the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy, told reporters Thursdays ruling will mean higher prices for consumers and will set back the adoption of solar. He also warned that China might retaliate against American manufacturers, sparking a trade war. Chinese officials have protested in the past at American accusations of unfair pricing and threatened to take America to the international trade court or WTO. We think its raising taxes 31% on solar cells, and we think its going to increase solar electricity prices in the US precisely at the moment that solar power is becoming competitive, Shah said. The article deals with the raise of a tariff on Chinese solar panels and their impacts on the market, as well as general tensions between the U.S. and China. A trade war is implied to be on the rise. The situation is, â€Å"that China had dumped solar products on the US for less than the cost of manufacture, will result in tariffs of between 31% and 250% on Chinese imports.†(line 5-6) . The industry in the U.S. is protected because of â€Å"’ the advantage they have had as a result of their illegal trade practices, (line 24-25) As shown in Diagram 1, price increases from P to P+t, The share of the market from domestic producers increases from Q1 to Q3, shown by revenue g to a+b+c+g+h and the imported share decreases from Q2Q3 to Q3Q4 shown by a revenue decrease from h+i+j+k to i+j. US Government revenue of this tariff is d+e and there is a dead-weight loss of welfare, as consumer surplus f is lost. World efficiency decreases by c, due to less efficient competitors producing a greater share of the Quantity supplied to the market, which is a misallocation of resources, hence undesirable. Winners of this are clearly the domestic producers, as their revenue increases hugely; the losers are Chinese solar panel producers, which have less share of the revenue. This can cause structural unemployment in China. But not only China loses out, also domestic consumers have less choice and the price rises to P+t, so that this might cause inflation. But this measure is effective to prevent the dumping, as â€Å"China is flooding the market with government subsidized† (line 4) Solar Panels. Also losers of the tariff could be U.S. energy producers, which are reliant on solar panels, so that this is a major threat to environmental sustainability, because efficiency of solar power is driven down, thus substitutes become more attractive and PED gets more elastic. As it were â€Å"the falling costs for solar panels† (line 28) made the solar panels more attractive to the industry and now the tariff leads to â€Å"higher prices for consumers† (line 32). Seeing the advantages for the U.S. producers, they appreciate the tariff, because the heavily subsidized Chinese solar panel economy otherwise would drive them out of business in the longrun, shown by Diagram 2. The Chinese producers gain market-share as S (domestic) shifts to S(domestic+subsidy), illustrated by the increase in area from a to a+b+e+f+g . The foreign market share falls from b+c+d to c+d. The occurring inefficiency through the subsidization is g, as this is the difference between S(world) and S(domestic) also here, there is structural unemployment in foreign supplier’s countries and consumers are affected by taxes, as they fund the subsidies. Therefore as a consequence the taxes might rise. This might lead to increased transport and therefore constraints to environmental sustainability as well. Seeing both governments â€Å"working† against each other with protectionist measurements is not only harmful to the world as an economy, but also to the domestic economies of both countries. Although they could simply shift their labour in the U.S., if the restriction of labour mobility is non-existent and therefore structural unemployment would only be a short run factor, both spend their resources on this trade war, which is simply inefficiency and a misallocation of resources, hence a big threat to sustainability, because this trade war could in several years not only be about solar panels but a whole range of products, which affects a great number of people, seeing that the U.S. and China are the two biggest economies. This trade war is further reinforced by China wanting â€Å"to take America to the international trade court or WTO† (line 35). So rather than producing what both countries have comparative advantages in, the U.S. commerce department tries to save a â€Å"sunset† industry, as the demand in Europe declines and Chinese competitors produce at prices lower than the manufacturing cost. Concluding, both governments work against with counter-veiling protectionist measures, which must be critically evaluated as they slow down the economy. Although the U.S. can save more market share for them by using the measures, a lot of efficiency is lost and the resources could be allocated into sectors with comparative advantage, hence a problem of economic structure, as inefficient producers should close down. More importantly it is a threat to environmental sustainability, as it hinders the adoption of â€Å"green energy† with higher prices,â€Å"precisely at the moment that solar power is becoming competitive,. (line 37-38).

Saccharin :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Saccharin is one of the most disputed sugar substitutes in the United States today. Since 1977, it has been regarded as potentially carcinogenic (â€Å"Saccharin†, 1999). The sweetness of saccharin compared to sugarcane is utterly amazing. When measured up to sugarcane, saccharin is 550 times as sweet in its pure state. Also, it is estimated to have a sweetening power of 375 times that of sugar (â€Å"Saccharin†, 2000)! This drug may be amazing, but some people say that it causes a dangerous disease, cancer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1879, while developing new food preservatives a young Johns Hopkins chemistry research assistant accidentally discovered that one of the organic compounds he was testing was intensely sweet. He named it â€Å"saccharum†, the Greek word for sugar. He further learned that it passed through the body unchanged and was thus a safe artificial sweetener for diabetics (Anderson, 1995). Similar sugar substitutes are used today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Saccharin, which is also known as ortho-sulpho benzimide, is a white crystalline solid derived form coal tar. Them chemical formula is known as C6H4CONHSO2 (â€Å"Saccharin†, 1999). In 1977, saccharin was banned in Canada, but it has been kept on the market in the United States (â€Å"Saccharin†, 2000). It may be legal in the United States, but warning labels are necessary on saccharin-containing foods (â€Å"Saccharin†, 2000). In 1997, a group of scientists urged the federal agency to keep the artificial on its list of cancer-causing agents (CSPI, 1997). The National Toxicology Program, NTP, said that declaring saccharin sage would, â€Å"result in greater exposure to this probable carcinogen in tens of millions of people†¦ If saccharin is even a weak carcinogen, this unnecessary additive would pose an intolerable risk to the public,† (CSPI, 1997). They felt that even if it is weak, it still is a carcinogen. Samuel Epstein, a professor of environmental medicine at Illinois Medical Center in Chicago said, â€Å"In light of the many animal and human studies clearly demonstrating that saccharin is a carcinogenic, it is astonishing that the NTP is even considering delisting saccharin, â€Å" (CSPI, 1997). Many other scientist still today believe and have proven that saccharin is a cancer causing agent (at high doses in lab animals), but still people use it day in and day out at restaurants and their homes. Still many people are trying to have it removed from the list of carcinogens. Saccharin was also test on many laboratory animals, especially lab rats. They concluded that a high dietary dose of sodium saccharin causes urinary bladder tumors in rats (Bell, 1998).

Absenteeism 2

Absenteeism is a serious workplace problem and an expensive occurrence for both employers and employees seemingly unpredictable in nature. A satisfactory level of attendance by employees at work is necessary to allow the achievement of objectives and targets by a department. Employee Absenteeism is the absence of an employee from work. It is a major problem faced by almost all employers of today. Employees are absent from work and thus the work suffers. Employee’s presence at workplace during the scheduled time is highly essential for the smooth running of the production process in particular and the organization in general. Despite the significance of their presence, employees sometime fail to report at the work place during the scheduled time, which is known as â€Å"Absenteeism†. Labour Bureau, Simla defined the term ‘absenteeism’ as â€Å"the failure of a worker to report for work when he is scheduled to work. † Labour Bureau also states that â€Å"absenteeism is the total man-shifts lost because of absence as a percentage of the total number of man-shifts scheduled to work. According to Webster’s Dictionary, â€Å"Absenteeism is the practice or habit of being an ‘absence’ and an absentee is one who habitually stays away. † Types of Absenteeism: Absenteeism is of four types viz: 1) Authorized Absenteeism, 2) Unauthorized Absenteeism, 3) Willful Absenteeism and 4) caus ed by circumstances beyond one’s control. 1) Authorized Absenteeism: If an employee absent himself from work by taking permission from his superior and applying for leave, such absenteeism is called authorized absenteeism. ) Unauthorized Absenteeism: if an employee absent himself from work without informing or taking permission and without applying for leave, such absenteeism is called unauthorized absenteeism. 3) Willful Absenteeism: If an employee absents himself from duty willfully, such absenteeism is called willful absenteeism. 4) Absenteeism caused by Circumstances beyond One’s Control: If an employee absents himself from duty owing to the circumstances beyond his control like involvement in accidents or sudden sickness, such absenteeism is called absenteeism caused by circumstances beyond one’s control. Features of Absenteeism: Research studies undertaken by different authors reveal the following features of absenteeism: * The rate of absenteeism is the lowest on pay day, it increases considerably on the days following the payment of wages and bonus. * Absenteeism is generally high among workers below 15 years of age and those above 40. The younger employees are not regular and punctual, presumably because of the employment of a large number of newcomers among the younger age groups. While the older people are not able to withstand the strenuous nature of the work. The rate of absenteeism varies from department to department within a unit. As the size of the group increases, the rate of absenteeism goes up. This difference in the rate of absenteeism is believed to be due to the peculiar style and practices of management, the composition of the labor force and the culture of the organization. * The percentage of absenteeism is generally higher in the day shifts * The percentage of ab senteeism is much higher in coal and mining industries than in organized industries. * Absenteeism in India is seasonal in character It is the highest during March-April-May, when a land has to be prepared for monsoon saving, and also in the harvest season, when the rate goes as high as 40 percent Causes Of Absenteeism: The following are the general causes of absenteeism 1) Maladjustment with the Working Conditions: If the working conditions of the company are poor, the workers cannot adjust themselves with the company’s working conditions. Then they prefer to stay away from the company. 2) Social and Religious Ceremonies: Social and religious functions divert the worker’s attention from the work. ) Unsatisfactory Housing conditions at the workplace. 4) Industrial Fatigue: The industrial fatigue compels workers to remain outside the work place. 5) Unhealthy Working Conditions: The poor and intolerable working condition in the factories irritates the workers. Excess hea t, noise, either too much or too low lightening, poor ventilation, dust, smoke etc. cause poor health of the workers. These factors cause the workers to be absent. 6) Poor Welfare Facilities: Though a number of legislation concerning welfare facilities are enacted, many organization fail to provide welfare facilities. This is either due to the poor financial position of the companies or due to the exploitative attitude of the employer. The poor welfare facilities include poor sanitation, washing, bathing, first-aid appliances, ambulance, rest rooms, drinking water, canteen, shelter, creches etc. the dissatisfied workers with these facilities prefer to be away from the work place. 7) Alcoholism: Workers mostly prefer to spend money on the consumption of liquor and enjoyment after getting the wages. Therefore the rate of absenteeism is more during the first week of every month. ) Indebtness: The low level wages and unplanned expenditure of the workers force them to borrow heavily. The research studies indicate that workers borrow more than 10 times of their net pay. Consequently, workers fail to repay the money. Then they try to escape from the place in order to avoid the moneylenders. This leads to absenteeism. 9) Maladjustments with the job demands: The fast changing technology demands higher leve l skills from the workers. Some workers fail to meet these demands due to their low level education and/or absence of training. 0) Unsound Personnel Policies: The improper and unrealistic personnel policies result in employee dissatisfaction. The dissatisfied employee in turn prefers to be away from the work. 11) Inadequate Leave Facilities: The inadequate leave facilities provided by the employer forces him to depend on E. S. I. leave which allows the workers to be away from the work for 56 days in a year on half pay. 12) Low level of Wages: Wages in some organizations are very poor and they are quite inadequate to meet the basic needs of the employees. Therefore, employees go for other employment during their busy season and earn more money. Further, some employees take up part time jobs. Thus the employees resort to moonlighting and absent themselves from work. The Cost to Co. Turnover As most HR managers know, the cost of turnover adds hundreds of thousands of dollars to a company's expenses. While it is difficult to fully calculate the cost of turnover (including hiring costs, training costs, productivity loss), industry experts often quote 25% of the average employee salary as a conservative estimate. For example, if the average salary is $20,000/yr the cost of one employee turnover is $5,000. If you have 30 employees terminating per month, the cost to the organization equals $150,000/month. Mulitiply that by 12 months and you have $1,800,000 in added annual expense. Loss of Company Knowledge When an employee leaves, they take with them valuable knowledge about your company, your customers, current projects and past history (sometimes to competitors). Often much time and money has been spent on the employee in expectation of a future return. When the employee leaves, the investment is not realized. Disruption of Customer Service Customers and clients do business with a company in part because of the people. Relationships are developed that encourage continued patronage of the business. When an employee leaves, the relationships that employee built for the company are severed, which could lead to potential customer loss. Turnover spirals into more turnover When an employee terminates, the effect is felt throughout the organization. Coworkers are often required to pick up the slack. The unspoken negativity often intensifies for the remaining staff.

William Shakespeare s The Trojan War - 1318 Words

Shakespeare uses the backdrop of the Trojan War in Troilus and Cressida to explore the interpretation of honor as something extrinsic without associating it with intrinsic moral values. In the seventeenth century, â€Å"honour† was used in four different ways: fame, renown, glory; credit, good name, reputation; noble rank, position of dignity, title of renown; source of distinction. Fame and reputation are the most common uses of honor throughout the play. Therefore, to avoid confusion and redundancy, fame and reputation will be synonymous to honor for this analysis. Curiously, â€Å"honourable† is defined as honest, upright, and distinguished. The adjective’s definition has clear moral roots based on societal and cultural norms. Thus, in regards to morals, it seems as though during Shakespeare’s time there was a clear divergence between honor and its derivatives. Therefore, by examining the significance and usage of â€Å"honor† throughout Troilus and Cressida, it becomes apparent that chivalrous and moral undertones are being exploited to advance glory and reputation. In the Prologue, Shakespeare presents the play with chivalrous expressions by describing the Greek invasion of Troy as a rescue mission to save â€Å"the ravished Helen† who is being held prisoner behind the massive walls of Troy (I.1 9). The classic â€Å"damsel in distress† setting. Menelaus rallied the kings and armies of Greece under this moral banner to set sail and lay siege to Troy. However, by conquering Troy and savingShow MoreRelated Classical Imagery in Shakespeares Much Ado About Nothing Essay3559 Words   |  15 PagesClassical Imagery in Shakespeares Much Ado About Nothing The romance of history has lured many of the worlds greatest authors to search for their subject matter in the pages of time. 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