A Case Study Analysis on the Strategic Alliances of Audio Duplication Services, Inc. (Ads) Essay Example

A Case Study Analysis on the Strategic Alliances of Audio Duplication Services, Inc. (Ads) Essay Abstract Logistic strategy is vital part of company’s goal to reduce cost, gain more profit and improve supplier-customer relationship. This paper studied the logistic process of Vanity Products to have a grasp of how logistic works and affects the flow of supply chain. Guide questions are answered to have a better understanding on the logistic and warehousing; and how these decisions must be well thought. Evaluation, conclusions and recommendation are done to know the best alternative for Vanity Products. Introduction Background and Significance of the Study The strategic decision with regards to alliances is an option for firms to improve and strengthen their respective firms. Strategic alliances is said to be a multi-faceted, goal oriented partnerships of companies in which each shares resources and rewards but the risks involved is also shared. In deciding whether such alliances will help your firm, several factors should be considered. These factors are, if this would add value to the products, if this would improve the firm market access, if this would strengthen the operation, if this would enhance strategic growth and organizational skills, and if this would build the firm’s financial strength. The decision if one firm should make an alliance to another company is something that is thought thoroughly. We will write a custom essay sample on A Case Study Analysis on the Strategic Alliances of Audio Duplication Services, Inc. (Ads) specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on A Case Study Analysis on the Strategic Alliances of Audio Duplication Services, Inc. (Ads) specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on A Case Study Analysis on the Strategic Alliances of Audio Duplication Services, Inc. (Ads) specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This strategic alliance is a very big step for any firm and the firm should be very critical in making such decisions because the benefits are high and so the risks in this kind of arrangement. Objective of the Study This study aims to: 1. Study and analyze the strategic alliances of Audio Duplication Services, Inc. (ADS) 2. Evaluate the alternative of ADS on its logistics management 3. Study and analyze the benefits of Vendor-managed inventory(VMI) Key Terms to Remember Shipping Cost – Third Party Logistics- the use of outside company to provide for a particular services to perform all or part of the firm’s material management and product distribution functions Strategic Alliances – agreement among firms in which each commits resources to achieve a common set of objectives Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI)- a family of business models in which the buyer of a product provides certain information to a vendor Results and Discussions Case Questions 1. Why are ADS’s customers’ customers moving towards VMI arrangements? ADS’s customers’ customers (i. e. etailers) are moving towards the VMI arrangement so that the likelihood of being out of stock is reduced and the inventory level in the supply chain is also reduced. This will be achieved because through VMI the retailers could provide a continuously updated point-of-sale (POS) to the record companies. By then, the decisions that will be made by the record companies like how much of each album, CD, and cassette title is delivered and when each delivery is made will be more accurate because the records company’s data is updated. 2. How will this impact ADS’s business? How can ADS management take advantage of this situation? This decision on VMI arrangement will have a big impact on ADS. The ADS management should take advantage in the new arrangement because through this they could maintain a more accurate inventory level. Because in this kind of arrangement, the ADS takes full responsibility on the inventory level and through VMI they could have a more accurate inventory level and also ADS could deliver the product on time. 3. How should ADS manage logistics? The ADS should manage logistics by hiring a third party logistics to manage the logistics in their supply chain. This decision is based on several reasons. One of these is that managing logistics is not one of the expertises of ADS Company and by hiring a third party logistics the ADS Company could now focus on their competency of cassette duplication. Also, the new arrangement of direct shipping to the stores would incur higher shipping cost for ADS because of a more complicated route that unlike before there is a distribution center where the products are shipped; in this situation it is very logical for them to hire a third party logistics so that the path networks of these stores would be manage efficiently by third party logistics who are experts in this things. Another reason why ADS Company should not opt to buy a fleet of trucks is that this alternative would require a very high capital investment. Thus, ADS should hire a third party logistics to manage their logistics. 4. Why are the large national retailers moving toward a direct shipment model? So that the product would get into the specific stores where it is needed on time and with the right quantity. Also, direct shipment model is important in a business to reduce the lead time especially for a company whose nature is already changing due to the changing technology. Conclusions, Recommendations, References, and Other Details Conclusions Ultimately, a business organization’s goal is to make profit. But one cannot forsake the quality of the product as well as the satisfaction of customers. In this case, the customers of Vanity Products made changes in terms of ordering the products they need. It was very challenging for VP to adapt to the changes made by the customers since significant changes have to be implemented to address the demands of customers. VP encountered problems regarding cost as well as logistic service. With this, Tom White recommended a solution where different warehouses will be established near the customers. In the long-term, it is beneficial to the company because it decreases the cost in terms of transportation. Recommendations From the main discussion, Tom’s proposal is the best course for Vanity Products. The requirement of the customers that the products be delivered within five days will be met. At the same time, the cost of VP will be lower compared to that of delivering less than truckload quantities to a specific store or using a peddle run method to deliver a full truckload quantities to a set of stores or customers. Thus, the best alternative or solution to the problem is to implement Tom’s proposal. References (1)J. Heizer and B. Render. (2010). Operations Management. Tenth Edition. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. (2) Munley. com. Truck Accidents Glossary. Retrieved February 4, 2013 at http://www. unley. com/truck_glossary/legal_glossary_p. html (3) Businessdictionary. com. Freight Costs. (2012) Retrieved February 4, 2013 at http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/freight-cost. html Other Details â€Å"A Case Study Analysis on the Strategic Alliances of Audio Duplication Services, Inc. (ADS)† IE 191 Section: V Date of Submission: March 21, 2013 Contributors Signature Members: Josol, Patricia Beatriz| ___________| Palomar, Romelyn Mae| ___________| Tena, Mara Alyssa| ___________|

Free Essays on Cloning, And Stem Cell Research

Cloning, and Stem Cell Research Technology has advanced a great deal within the past few years. We have learned so much information about animal’s genes and what can be done with them. However, with this new information brings new questions and arguments also arise. So far, scientists have successfully cloned a sheep, a monkey, a bull, and are working on an endangered breed of ox. Of course cloning animals and conducting research on those animals does not concern many people. When people begin discussing cloning and stem cell research, heads turn because it is such a controversial issue. Is it morally right to destroy a life so that maybe someday others could live? According to an article in People Weekly, the theory is that embryonic stem cells could replace any damaged or diseased tissue, curing diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and diabetes. Sounds like a winning plan to the uneducated hear. The problem that arises with this theory is that scientists must destroy human embryos to make the cells. Michael West, the chief executive of Advanced Cell Technology a Worcester, Massachusetts based company, is where a majority of their cells come from embryos left over from In Vitro Fertilization. In Vitro Fertilization is a process where the sperm from a male and an egg from a female are fertilized outside of the human body in a laboratory. When scientists perform this procedure, the scientists will extract more than one embryo from the female to ensure that at least one will be fertilized. The rest of the cells are then extra and are not needed. West and other scientists at Advanced Cell Technology have proposed producing stem cells from cloned embryos. This may lead to treatments in which damaged tissue is replaced with what are essentially the patient’s own cells. West also explains that unlike other types of cells, embryonic stem cells can probably reproduce forever. â€Å"These cells will grow for resear... Free Essays on Cloning, And Stem Cell Research Free Essays on Cloning, And Stem Cell Research Cloning, and Stem Cell Research Technology has advanced a great deal within the past few years. We have learned so much information about animal’s genes and what can be done with them. However, with this new information brings new questions and arguments also arise. So far, scientists have successfully cloned a sheep, a monkey, a bull, and are working on an endangered breed of ox. Of course cloning animals and conducting research on those animals does not concern many people. When people begin discussing cloning and stem cell research, heads turn because it is such a controversial issue. Is it morally right to destroy a life so that maybe someday others could live? According to an article in People Weekly, the theory is that embryonic stem cells could replace any damaged or diseased tissue, curing diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and diabetes. Sounds like a winning plan to the uneducated hear. The problem that arises with this theory is that scientists must destroy human embryos to make the cells. Michael West, the chief executive of Advanced Cell Technology a Worcester, Massachusetts based company, is where a majority of their cells come from embryos left over from In Vitro Fertilization. In Vitro Fertilization is a process where the sperm from a male and an egg from a female are fertilized outside of the human body in a laboratory. When scientists perform this procedure, the scientists will extract more than one embryo from the female to ensure that at least one will be fertilized. The rest of the cells are then extra and are not needed. West and other scientists at Advanced Cell Technology have proposed producing stem cells from cloned embryos. This may lead to treatments in which damaged tissue is replaced with what are essentially the patient’s own cells. West also explains that unlike other types of cells, embryonic stem cells can probably reproduce forever. â€Å"These cells will grow for resear...

COMPARE AND CONTRAST TWO POEMS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

COMPARE AND CONTRAST TWO POEMS - Essay Example The poem primarily deals with the immediate concerns of survival and moving through the bare and sometimes dark conditions that were everyday obstacles during this time in African-American communities. She tells her son to keep moving forward: â€Å"So, boy, don’t you turn back/ Don’t you set down on the steps† (14-15). The crystal stair works well as a metaphor for life; her advice in no way addresses the nuances or more positive aspects of life, but simply the need to survive and get through the day. Meinke’s poem, while also expressing his advice to a son, is very different in presentation and specific content. As with Hughes’ poem, the writer is speaking directly with the intended audience and offers advice through imagery and metaphor. According to Meinke, the purpose of life is to live every day fully while also planning for the future. Beauty in the world plays an important role in living a full life. The author states that â€Å"Beauty is nectar/ And nectar, in a desert, saves† (Meinke 13-14). The poem ends on a telling note regarding the enjoyments in life and the need to savor each moment and experiences: â€Å"And always serve bread with your wine/ But son, always serve wine† (21-22). Meinke’s poem expresses sentiments that Hughes’ mother cannot fully understand; for her, because of the hardships she knows and experiences on a daily basis, the luxury of enjoying life’s more positive offerings is a foreign concept. Hughes and Meinke have presented two differing views that juxtapose a world full of beauty with that of a more barren, colorless environment. Both poems successfully convey parental concerns and words of wisdom that are to help their respective sons live and function in the world–the main difference being that Hughes’ mother strives for simple survival, while Meinke’s parent is able to

Online shopping Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Online shopping - Research Paper Example mer premise, a major characteristic of online shopping provides a possibility of the transfer of customers shopping travels to a more effective products transportation that at the end has the possibility of producing constructive results on sustainability, use of land as well as mode of travel choices. The fact that online shopping is more popular in big towns and cities means that it will thus act as an incentive for the required changes in these cities that face the most obstacles for logistics (Cairns, 2005). There is a lot of controversy regarding the effects of online shopping on road use and the overall changes in consumers travel habits and the impacts of the changes. Some studies indicate good or desirable effects on road use while others indicate negative results with a final group indicating net neutral results. However, a good number of this research indicate that with the increasing popularity and expansion of online shopping, coupled with the adoption of the necessary changes required then online shopping is going to be the solution for most of the transport challenges we experience in our towns and cities (Cairns, 2005). In spite of transportation policy and regulations, online shopping continues to expand as more and more people accepts the system. Despite the fact that, business to business section dominates online shopping in terms of money value of all the completed transactions, the business to consumer section remains very vital for the possible effects on travel habits, patterns of land use, logistics in cities as well as the effects on sustainability. The highest level of efficiency in the use of roads and other transportation facilities is achievable through restructuring and reorganizing the transportation activities linked to business transactions (Hu and Saleh, 2005). There is the need to find out how the changes in the manner of conducting online shopping will influence the efficiency and the overall contribution towards a more

HR in Pantaloon Retail Limited | Analysis

HR in Pantaloon Retail Limited | Analysis This project starts with the history of Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited which is biggest player in the retail industry and got diversified into many sectors. After that discussed about the HR policies and practices which are followed by Pantaloons in appointing the employees such as Service Rules, Promotion Policy and Rules, Wage Structure, Employee Motivation and Welfare Schemes, Health and Safety Rules, Training and Development. After completion of HR policies and Practices then discussed about the type of job and the applicant who is getting recruited depending upon the level of the company that is junior, middle, senior. Pantaloons use some Training Methodologies for training their employees. Company Profile:- Pantaloon Retail Limited is Indias largest retailing company which operates multiple retail formats in both Lifestyle and value segments. The headquarters of Pantaloon Retail Limited is in Mumbai and operates all around India and has over 30,000 employees working for over 1000 stores across 73 cities in India. Pantaloon Retail Limited includes a chain of fashion outlets such as Pantaloons, Big Bazaar and Brand Factory. The company also operates its products online by the web portal named futurebazaar.com. Values of Pantaloons:- The Success story of Pantaloons had built on a number of core company values that have remained almost unchanged. These values are: Indianness: confidence in their business structure. Leadership: To be a leader, both in thought and business. Respect Humility: To respect every individual and be humble in conduct. Introspection: leading to purposeful thinking. Openness: to be open and receptive to new ideas, knowledge and information. Valuing and Nurturing Relationships: to build long term relationships. Simplicity Positivity: Simplicity and positivity in our thought, business and action. Adaptability: to be flexible and adaptable, to meet challenges. Flow: to respect and understand the universal laws of nature. HR Policies and Rules:- Promotion Policy Rules: Promotion Policy and rules are applied to employees depending upon on their ability of performing work, managing their skills and the level of experience. Wage Structure: Every Job has awarded different wages depending upon the position of the employee and the responsibility levels which the employees take over. This enables the company to: Provide competitive salaries for each job taking into account market rates. Reward everyone according to their contribution. The Salary allocated ranges depends upon the employees position type for employees performing the standard duties of their jobs. Set up maximum and minimum levels within those ranges to account for variations in experience and skill levels. The pay defers from Store Administered employee to Head Office Administered employee. The payment of the employees is directly by the manager or it is deposited into the savings account which the employee holds. The Company reserves the right to suspend pay where an employee fails to notify about absence from work. Employee motivation welfare schemes: Reward Policies Pantaloon believes in sharing its progress and profitability and reward accordingly. They offer a range of benefits which are service-related, so they build up as service of an employee increases. Each element of the benefits package is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains competitive and maintains pantaloon as a leading employer. Some of them are: To extend a discount facility to employees of Future Group. Healthcare Offers Pantaloons offer following healthcare options to all monthly paid employees and their partners: Private health insurance Gratuity Scheme Free medical treatment for the employee, spouse and the dependent family members. Female employees can have Maternity leave 84 days maximum on completion of 160 days. Travel Expenses Travel is an integral part of work for many people. Pantaloons offers travel options and expenses so employees can travel in a secure and comfortable manner. Social Activities Pantaloons provides the employees the scheme named Seekho which enables them to develop their skill sets and opt for any educational courses so that they can increase their productivity which adds additional value for the company development in future. Every employee of the pantaloon contributes small amount of money from their salary each month voluntarily to the pantaloon foundation which they can use for any emergency needs. Lifestyle Options Pantaloon provides following options and benefits: Flexible working Employees can avail advance of 7 days of all purpose leave during the probation period which will be adjusted in the employees leave balance. Leave accumulation will be permissible up to 90 days period. Only 15 days will be carried forward to the next fiscal year. Corporate helpline A 24-hour confidential support service which help employees to manage stress, personal, traumatic or financial issues which are affecting their attendance or performance at work. Health safety rules: Pantaloon is committed to ensure the health, safety and well being of all its employees, customers and others who visit or work in their premises. Companys Policy on Health and Safety includes: The Health Safety Committee The Committee members advice on health safety policy who monitors employees effectiveness and reviews the key performance and take measures on a quarterly basis. The Store/Site Manager The Store/Site Manager is responsible for ensuring with Fire, Health Safety Officer that Company Health Safety Policy is implemented. This includes: Suitable Induction and Legislative Update training for Fire, Health Safety. The prevention, investigation and the reporting of accidents. The completion of ongoing Risk Assessments and maintenance of known hazard information. Property, Development and Facilities Management They are responsible for the provision of working areas, equipment and materials that are safe and dont pose any risk to health. Training and development: Personal Development Learning career development Pantaloons are committed to develop its employees into skilled, customer-focused, enthusiastic and motivated employees. They provides the employees the scheme named Seekho which enables them to develop their skill sets and opt for any educational courses so that they can increase their productivity which adds additional value for the company development in future. An employee is equally responsible for learning and development. Training is given as and when required e.g. the implementation of new systems. Review of performance Line managers review performance continually in order to assess how a particular employee is doing. It helps employee in assessing themselves and look for further development. Highlights of Equal Opportunities Policy are: Promote a working environment free from discrimination, harassment and victimization on the basis of: Gender, sexual orientation. Marital status Race, color, nationality. Working Hours Religion or Political views. Age and Disability. Identification of Jobs and their Analysis: Pantaloons as above mentioned it has around 30,000 employees who are working under different roles depending upon their qualifications. This means there is diversity in the Company distribution of work load as per the qualifications of the persons applying in. There are three levels of Jobs in any company viz. Entry Level, Middle Level, Senior Level. These levels have their own Job description, Job Specification and the Recruitment and Selection procedure etc These are briefly discussed below:- Entry Level: The entry level jobs at Pantaloons for example the Stock and Inventory staff and others. Job description: The Applicant for the Stock and Inventory the employees are responsible for shipping of inventory and supplying the inventory from the internal locations to the other departments. This means he pulls all the items from the storage, physically move them. Job Specification: Strong Organizational Skills. Multi Tasking ability. Basic computer knowledge. Strong Communication Skills. Must be soft spoken and must have a smiling face while treating the customer. Able to work under pressure. Detailed recruitment and staffing: For recruitment in this level a mass number of people are required. The company goes with advertisements and newspaper for walk in interviews. The company chooses reference and consultancies for the recruitment of the employees as one strategy. There are interviews conducted by departmental managers , store managers, HR heads and the team leaders respectively After all this process done if the person gets through all the interview rounds then he is given his place in the team or the job part for which he/she is fit for. Middle Level: The middle level job is of a Store Manager who is supposed to be responsible for both the functioning of the firm in maintaining the store and the management of the entry level people. Job Description: Minimum 3-5 years of experience in maintaining stores and performing the operational requirements. Monitoring the entire store and planning about the future services and training the new employees in their work. Must provide extremely high customer service and must make sure that the employees working under him must also provide same level customer satisfaction. The candidate is expected to develop functional understanding of business as well as understand the way information about the workplace and scheduling the processes. Good understanding of concepts such a Market basket analysis, Regression analysis etc. Job Specification: Graduate (preferable in retail management) with strong Maths background. Business Systems Analyst Skills. An experience of minimum 3-5 years is required. Advanced Computer knowledge. Effective verbal and written communication skills. Project management skills and strong leadership skills. Ability to manage multitasks in very fast pace environment. Broad knowledge on retail business. Strong analytical skills. Must be able to make seasonal strategy of a product. Detailed recruitment and staffing: The company produces vacancies in the consultancies, news paper advertisement for walk in. Now the company selects or shortlists the viable profiles and then starts the recruitment. Now the interviews are conducted as per these persons one by one viz. department head, store manager, zonal manager, HR. Senior Level: The senior level job is of Operations Manager who is responsible for all marking targets for different groups and is responsible for the other high end activities in the organization. Job Description: Minimum 5+ years of experience in performing the operational requirements. Interviewing the low level managers and make sure that all the employees understands the organization goals. Must provide extremely high customer service and must make sure that the employees working under him must also provide same level customer satisfaction. Must manage business operations activities and have to deliver the results according to the organizational strategy. Good understanding of concepts such a Market basket analysis. Job Specification: Excellent communication is required. Knowledge of business processes their interdependencies. Ability to give short-term solutions to business problem from a business continuity point of view. Develop report and review on all the operations which are taking place under his control. Ability to develop long term solutions for business problems with a view on repercussions on the whole business. Leadership skills required. An experience of minimum 5+ years is required Detailed recruitment and staffing: Same process is followed while giving ads in the news papers and consultancies. The main interview is taken by the HR and then supervised by the directors and the BODs. SELECTION PROCESS Finalization of the Candidate: Once a candidate is finalized, he has to submit the following documents: Last salary slip Last appointment letter REFERENCE CHECK: After the submission of slip and the appointment letter, the candidate has to give the names and contact details of two professional references from his current company/any of the previous companies where he has worked earlier. A telephonic call is made to the persons and the following is checked: Education background Professional Background Personal background Interpersonal skills for the formalities. OFFER LETTER: After checking all the references, if the candidates are found suitable, the offer letter is rollout to the candidate for joining. Effective Training Methodologies: Effective training methodology which a firm uses to adopt for the junior level executive is Experiential action learning. This method requires an instructor to be very skilled and knowledgeable about the process which the firm is following for its growth. Employees who are new to the organization are a part in the experiential action learning which may indeed help them to develop a better sense of knowledge which can improve the capabilities of the employee. Effective training methodology which a firm uses to adopt for the middle level executive is On-the-job training which is a kind of Word-Driven Training, in this type of training, supervisors or mentors-who must be very skilled in the work being taught- instruct participants in a hands-on environment. Design time is usually minimal because on-the-job training is not a formal process Effective training methodology which a firm uses to adopt for the senior level executives are Problem-bases learning in which participants focus on problems with the help of resource person, as required. Learners determine the pace of the training and its content. Training occurs in the sense that the group learns about the problem; at the same time, a solution is developed. The research indicated that people learning through problem-based training are more motivated. Conclusion: Pantaloon Retail (India) limited is not only an organization but it is an institute which provides its employees an opportunity for learning which helps in development of the company. They always look for the people who are high in knowledge which will help the organization success. Pantaloons always welcome change in fashion by thinking out of the box. Pantaloons has achieved success through its capability and competence to lead the change when compared to past. Pantaloons most innovative concepts are now considered as the base line in the retail industry. Pantaloon Retail (India) limited started of with manufacturing of garment later it expanded into the retailing market when compared to any other retail company. Pantaloon Retail (India) limited was the 1st to introduce the concept of the departmental store in retail sector for the entire family members through Pantaloons. Pantaloon Retail (India) also launched hypermarket in India as Big Bazaar, a large discount store and it also launched Food Bazaar. Today Pantaloon Retail (India) limited is diversified into so many fields and evolved as largest retail company in India. The way we work is distinctly Pantaloon. The biggest advantage of pantaloons is the courage of dreaming of becoming diversified into many fields and turning the dream into reality which changes the lives of the consumer. Pantaloon is an invitation to join a place where there are no boundaries to what you can achieve. Means employee are given importance to be open in their thoughts and requested to give their opinions for the organizational success.

By using computers in schools, do students become smarter? :: Essays Papers

By using computers in schools, do students become smarter? Schools all over the world have computers in their classrooms that are used everyday. With greater technology available, many people believe that students learn more by using computers and the internet. There are people on the other hand though, who think that schools would be fine without the use of computers. Students of all ages use computers to learn new things. People have different views on whether or not students become smarter by using computers in school. Henry Jay Becker, an education professor at the University of California has been evaluating how schools and teachers use computers for classroom instruction for over 20 years. He believes that computers should be integrated into classrooms for students to use so they can have more skills. The constructivist philosophy that Becker supports stresses student interest and teachers see themselves more as facilitators rather than sources of knowledge for students. Teachers with more computer knowledge are more likely to use several different software types in the classroom. In his research, Becker has found out that students who use the computer daily in the classroom have better word processing skills than those who do not. They also are more likely to use a computer when not in school. Larry Cuban, an education professor at Stanford does not believe in the use of computers in the classroom. Cuban supports the traditional teaching philosophy in which the teacher goes over material in a structured way and assigns practice of material. In this teaching style, the teacher follows exactly what the curriculum says and makes sure all students know that material. He believes that teachers should teach students so they can be prepared for real life. Larry Cuban states this in one of his articles, â€Å"The primary purpose of public schools is to prepare students academically for a workplace that keeps our economy productive and competitive throughout the world.† Cuban stresses how school systems spend millions of dollars for schools to get computers, internet, etc. but rarely use them. Most teachers use their computers more at home than at school.

Protecting and Preserving Our Environment Essay

Our planet Earth is dying. This is a fact that we are experiencing, caused by our own behaviors. The term â€Å"dying’’ is true, because our lifestyle is causing serious damage to the environment and might lead to the termination of humanity if those actions are not stopped. We all share a role in protecting and preserving our environment because it is the primary and the only place for us to live and develop new generations. We all are consumers, but there is a huge difference between a wise consumer and an average consumer in terms of protecting the environment and homeland. As consumers, we always look for the lowest price without putting in mind the potential damage a product can cause to our environment. A perfect example is plastic bottles. We always buy plastic bottled products without knowing whether they are recyclable or not. In fact, it is estimated that 80% of plastic bottles are not being recycled (Greenupgrader.com). A nonrecyclable plastic bottle may last as long as 1000 years before it biodegrades completely (Answers.com). Another notable fact is that 1 ton of recycled plastic bottles would save more than 7.4 cubic yards of landfill (Earth911.com). If we all move to buying recyclable bottles and recycle them, we would save our environment from mountains of discarded bottles. Also, we may save our environment from tons of toxic vapors caused by burning plastic bottles. Controlling air pollution is another crucial factor in preserving our environment. In the past, people were not worried about the potential harm the environment is exposed to because of their acts; however, they became much concerned and alarmed nowadays after they sensed the symptoms of the global warming. We all know about global warming and its side effects. We also know that we are all accused of that problem because of our actions, but why don’t we stop it? If we all try to reduce main factors of air pollution; we would decrease the global warming, and how is very easy. Reducing the use of fossil fuels is an excellent example. Hybrid or fully electric cars can produce 25% to 90% less toxic emissions than an ordinary gas powered vehicle (carbon-monoxide-poisoning.com). This means if we buy hybrid or fully electric cars; then we would contribute to the environment by reducing tons of toxic emissions from fossil fuel powered vehicles. Those toxic emissions cause about 51% of Carbon Monoxide in the air; which is an extremely toxic gas and fatal in high concentrations (thegoodairlady.com). Another great example of reducing air pollution is sharing a ride when commuting to work or school. Sharing a ride or â€Å"carpooling† reduces the number of running vehicles on roads and thus reducing the toxic emissions from them. If 500 people use carpooling every working day, then we would contribute to the environment by reducing as much as 60% of the total carbon monoxide in the air. Controlling air pollution is extremely important; however, excessive water consumption is even much more important and essential to humanity and next generations. Water is becoming scarce in different parts of the world, and this is because we don’t know how vital water conservation is. It is estimated that over 1.5 billion people worldwide do not have access to safe and fresh water to drink (Matt Scott). Isn’t 1.5 billion an astonishing number? , and don’t you think it is time to reduce our consumption not only for us, but also for the next generations? There are many ways to conserve water. One good example is the use of low flow shower head. A low flow shower head may reduce about 15 gallons of water during an average 10 minute shower (environment.nationalgeographic.com). In addition, we all have to regularly check our house for water leaks. Undiscovered water leakage could waste as much as 15,000 gallons of water a year. Moreover, try to avoid filling the bathtub and instead use the overhead shower. Taking a bath wastes about 70 gallons of water, while a normal 10 minute shower wastes only 20 gallons. The difference may not be significant, but over a long period, it does matter. Finally, I think if the majority of us went to one of the mentioned solutions and acted mindfully, then we would save our precious environment from pollution, water scarcity, and many other serious environmental issues. Environment conservation starts with me, you and all occupants of planet earth, so let us start protecting our lives and have a brighter future for the next generations. Works Cited Gunzelmann, Doug. â€Å"Plastic Bottle Facts Make You Think Before You Drink† August 2008 www.greenupgrader.com/3258/plastic-bottle-facts-make-you-think-before-you- drink/ Gunner, John. â€Å"How Long a Plastic Bottle Last Before it Decompose† April 2010 www.wiki.answers.com/Q/How_long_for_plastic_water_bottle_to_decompose Earth 911 â€Å"Plastic Recycling Facts† June 2007 www.earth911.com/recycling/plastic/plastic-bottle-recycling-facts/ Carbon Monoxide Poisoning â€Å"A Guide to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning† www.carbon-monoxide-poisoning.com/article5-hybrid-car-emissions.html Sage Blossom Consulting. ‘’Car Pollution Facts’’ August 2007. www.thegoodairlady.com/car_pollution_facts_000233.html/ Matt, Scott. â€Å"40 Shocking Facts About Water’’ June 2009. www.metadornetwork.com/change/40-shocking/facts-about-water/ National Geographic â€Å"Water Conservation Tips† www.environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/water-conservation- tips/