A Brief Analysis of the Hayward Lumber Company’s Environmental Strategy free essay sample

HLC initially looked into FSC-certified wood when custom home-builders began to generate a demand for the material. This consumer base is generally providing a service for luxury home buyers who tend to be less price-sensitive and willing to pay the higher rates in order to claim environmental friendliness. The other portion of their customer base, low-cost builders, did not show an interest in such expensive products despite the ecological appeal. In order to meet the demands of the luxury home buyers HLC dedicated a portion of their inventory holding to FSC-certified lumber, spending twenty-five percent more on the ‘green’ wood. This company was the only one in the region to take on this endeavor. The ability to provide the eco-labeled FSC wood to builders in the area allowed HLC to set themselves apart from the other suppliers in the area that had refused to lay out the capital for the eco-label. We will write a custom essay sample on A Brief Analysis of the Hayward Lumber Company’s Environmental Strategy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page HLC was able to effectively separate themselves from the other suppliers by providing this new and unique service and the consumer base had no other options, ensuring sales. The initial direct investment for FSC-certified lumber was $500,000, giving the firm just over a million board feet. However, as the firm would have stocked non-certified product instead, the extra cost to HLC was an estimated hundred thousand dollars. The firm was able to sell a large portion of the eco-labelled good at five percent mark up, selling the twenty percent excess at the price of regular lumber. Taking a small loss on the extra inventory affected profit less than allowing the product to spoil. Outside of the direct investment, there are other costs to consider. Pursuing these green interests and infiltrating the company’s culture with â€Å"Hayward’s Green Manifesto† would take time and money, not to mention advertising expenses to inform and attract the eco-friendly consumer base. Full cost to the firm could be estimated to be around one million dollars, depending on sourcing expenses and the costs for pursuing the educational environmental strategy. However, only a portion of this would be viewed as additional cost over the costs of maintaining the previous product line solely. Hayward had to plan this effort carefully, as FSC-certified product was different than the traditional product that the firm was used to turning over. Sourcing would have to be done carefully by making sure suppliers were adhering to the regulations for harvesting ‘green’ timber. Chain of custody certification costs would be reflected in the costs that Hayward would see in purchasing and selling FSC wood, while HLC dealt with learning and following FSC regulations for sustainable forestry. Due to the costs, this product was, understandably, difficult to source. Very few areas of woodland worldwide attempted to obtain certification and promote sustainability. This is due in part to the costs of certification and part to the inefficiency costs from the chain of custody. Overall, the supply chain for FSC-certified wood required more controls to limit the losses normal to the production of regular lumber. Dedicated mills or FSC-certified milling time had to be set aside for perfecting the harvested timber and the expensive nature of the product increases the need to cut down on imperfections. Regulations required the firm to shut down and completely clear premises of non-certified wood before they could begin to handle the premium product, reducing output by time waste. HLC faced holding costs, including the loss associated with selling off excess inventory, due to this as the firm only purchased a few times throughout the year – having to forecast and purchase the good in advance. Green builders most likely do not pose a threat to HLC’s new business. Due to the transport costs and certification costs associated with the product, it would be difficult for green builders to purchase frequently. One builder may not be able to accurately predict demand for upcoming projects and efficiently purchase the required amount of wood. The article mentions that a lumberyard in the region would cost around $12 million, making it very expensive for a green builder to buy land to appropriately store excess product or safety stock. It would be time-consuming for the green builders, as well, because they may require specific requirements that HLC is used to accomodating. Taking on these extra tasks rather than sourcing from HLC would drastically reduce the time that could be spent on other projects. HLC has a long-standing history with many subcontractors for providing quality and meeting custom demands and deadlines such as specific delievery instructions to prevent cluttering construction sites. Similarly, HLC is set up specifically to handle incoming wood and abiding by certification standards. Their relationships with sourcing partners also may enable them to acquire the limited eco-label more easily than a builder could. Their plan to become a â€Å"one-stop shop† for green building is a strong one. It enables these builders to obtain the environmentally safe building materials all from one trustworthy supplier – at any time they wish due to the â€Å"just in time† approach of HLC. Easing the builder’s procurement process reduces costs further for the builders and promotes a good image of the lumber company. Educating the industry about eco-friendly building tools and materials helps to stimulate demand for the firm, drawing in like-minded consumers that would not hinder the environmental efforts of the company. HLC could be more efficient at handling FSC-certified wood, however, and the truss plant is a good way to do this. Having these pre-made options for FSC-certified roof and floor trusses would cut down on the need to make the items customly for each builder. Similarly, this option is lower in cost than meeting individual requirements and could draw in the previously unwilling low-cost tract housing builders. The others projects could be sound investments, as well, involving expansion through acquisition and showcasing to attract new consumers and promote the idea of sustainability. However, taking on all three could be too much for the firm. Hayward could experience many advantages of taking these routes. Not only would it increase the firms standing to the environmentally-conscious part of the world, expansion of the ‘green’ portfolio could help the firm to be one step ahead of this emerging trend – much like the arsenic-free wood decision enabled HLC to capitalize on a market idea before it became a mandate which may have resulted in high cost. Disadvantages could include losing out on the low-end market to which they previously held strong relations with. This involves loss of supplier relations and consumers, as well. The efforts to transform the industry and incorporate it into Hayward’s ‘greener’ view could prevent this to some degree, especially the truss expansion option. It is a good way to prevent product loss due to exposure to the elements as well as expand on Hayward’s three-part manifesto idea of becoming a one-stop shop. This plan reduces error and imperfections in the products while decreasing time significantly, enabling the firm to hold true to the original model of quality and the Hayward’s family ideal of being â€Å"on time, as promised. †

A History of United Nations Missions in Africa

A History of United Nations Missions in Africa The United Nations (UN) conducts a number of peacekeeping missions throughout the world. Beginning in 1960, the UN began missions in various countries in Africa. While just one mission occurred through the 1990s, turmoil in Africa escalated and the majority of missions were run from 1989 on. Many of these peacekeeping missions were the result of civil wars or ongoing conflicts in African countries, including Angola, the Congo, Liberia, Somalia, and Rwanda. Some of the missions were brief while others lasted years at a time. To confound things, some missions replaced previous ones as tensions in the countries escalated or the political climate changed. This period is one of the most dynamic and violent in modern African history and its important to review the missions that the UN carried out. ONUC -  UN Operations in the Congo Mission Dates: July 1960 through June 1964Context: Independence from Belgium and the attempted secession of the Katanga province Outcome:  Prime Minister  Patrice Lumumba  was assassinated, at which point the mission was expanded. The Congo retained the secessionist province of Katanga and the mission was followed by civilian aid. UNAVEM I -  UN Angola Verification Mission Mission Dates:  January 1989 through May 1991Context:  Angolas lengthy civil war Outcome:  Cuban troops were withdrawn one month ahead of schedule, having completed their mission. The mission was followed by UNAVEM II (1991) and UNAVEM III (1995). UNTAG  -  UN Transition Assistance Group Mission Dates:  April 1990 through March 1990Context:  Angolan Civil War and Namibias transition to independence from South Africa Outcome:  South African troops departed Angola. Elections were held and a new constitution approved. Namibia joined the UN. UNAVEM II  -  UN Angola Verification Mission II Mission Dates:  May 1991 through February 1995Context:  Angolan Civil War Outcome:  Elections were held in 1991, but the results were rejected and violence escalated. The mission transitioned to UNAVEM III. UNOSOM I  -  UN Operation in Somalia I Mission Dates:  April 1992 through March 1993Context:  Somali Civil  War Outcome:  The violence in Somalia continued to escalate, making it difficult for UNOSOM I to deliver relief aid. The United States created a second operation, the Unified Task Force (UNITAF), to help UNOSOM I protect and distribute humanitarian aid. In 1993, the UN created UNOSOM II to replace both UNOSOM I and UNITAF. ONUMOZ  -  UN Operations in Mozambique Mission Dates:  December  1992 through December 1994Context:  Conclusion of the Civil War in Mozambique Outcome:  The ceasefire was successful. Mozambiques then government and the major rivals (Mozambican Nation Resistance, or RENAMO) demobilized troops. Those people who were displaced during the war were resettled and elections were held. UNOSOM II  -  UN Operation in Somalia II Mission Dates:  March 1993 through March 1995Context:  Somali Civil War Outcome:  After the Battle of Mogadishu in October 1993, the United States and several Western countries withdrew their troops from UNOSOM II. The UN voted to withdraw UN troops from Somalia after having failed to establish a ceasefire or disarmament. UNOMUR  -  UN Observer Mission Uganda-Rwanda Mission Dates:  June 1993 through September 1994Context:  Fighting between the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF, based in Uganda) and the Rwandan Government Outcome:  The Observer Mission encountered many difficulties in monitoring the border. These were  due to the terrain and the competing Rwandan and Ugandan factions. After the Rwandan genocide, the missions mandate came to an end and it was not renewed. The mission was succeeded instead by UNAMIR, which had already begun its operations in 1993.   UNOMIL  -  UN Observer Mission in Liberia Mission Dates:  September 1993  through September 1997Context:  The First Liberian Civil War Outcome:  UNOMIL was designed to support ongoing efforts by the  Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)  to bring an end to the Liberian Civil War and ensure fair elections. In 1997, elections were held and the mission terminated. The United Nations established a Peacebuilding Support Office in Liberia. Within a few years, the Second Liberian Civil War had broken out. UNAMIR -  UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda Mission Dates:  October 1993  through March 1996Context:  Rwandan Civil War between the RPF and the Rwandan government Outcome:  Due to the restrictive rules of engagement and an unwillingness from Western governments to risk troops in Rwanda, the mission did little to stop the Rwandan genocide (April through June 1994).   Afterward, UNAMIR did  distribute and ensure humanitarian aid. However, the failure to intervene in the genocide overshadows these significant although belated efforts. UNASOG  -  UN Aouzou Strip Observation Group Mission Dates:  May 1994 through June 1994Context:  Conclusion of the territorial dispute (1973-1994) between Chad and Libya over the Aouzou Strip. Outcome:  Both governments signed a declaration agreeing that Libyan troops and the administration had been withdrawn as previously agreed upon. UNAVEM III  -  UN Angola Verification Mission III Mission Dates:  February 1995 through June 1997Context:  Angolas Civil War Outcome:  A government was formed by the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), but all parties continued to import arms. The situation also deteriorated with the involvement of Angola in the Congo Conflict. The mission was followed by MONUA. MONUA  -  UN Observer Mission in Angola Mission Dates:  June 1997 through February 1999Context:  Angolas Civil War Outcome:  Fighting in the civil war resumed and the UN withdrew its troops. At the same time, the UN urged a continuation of humanitarian aid. MINURCA -  UN Mission in the Central African Republic Mission Dates:  April 1998 through February 2000Context:  Signing of the Bangui Accord between rebel forces and the Central African Republics government Outcome:  Dialogue between the parties continued and the peace was maintained. Elections were held in 1999 after several previous attempts. The UN mission withdrew. MINURCA was followed by a UN Peacebuilding Support Office in the Central African Republic. UNOMSIL  -  UN Observer Mission in Sierra Leone Mission Dates:  July 1998 through October 1999Context:  Sierra Leones Civil War (1991-2002) Outcome:  The combatants signed the controversial Lome Peace Agreement. The UN authorized a new mission, UNAMSIL, to replace UNOMSIL. UNAMSIL  -  UN Mission in Sierra Leone Mission Dates:  October 1999 through December 2005Context:  Sierra Leones Civil War (1991-2002) Outcome:  The mission was expanded three times in 2000 and 2001 as the fighting continued. The war ended in December 2002 and  UNAMSIL troops were slowly withdrawn. The mission was followed by the UN Integrated Office for Sierra Leone. This was created to consolidate the peace in Sierra Leone. MONUC  -  UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Mission Dates:  November 1999  through May 2010Context:  Conclusion of the  First Congo War   Outcome:  The Second Congo War began in 1998 when Rwanda invaded. It officially ended in 2002, but fighting by various rebel groups continued. In 2010, MONUC was criticized for not intervening to stop mass rapes near one of its stations. The Mission was renamed the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. UNMEE -  UN Observer Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea Mission Dates:  June 2000  through July 2008Context:  A ceasefire signed by Ethiopia and Eritrea in their ongoing border dispute. Outcome:  The mission was ended after Eritrea imposed numerous restrictions that prevented an effective operation. MINUCI  -  UN Operation in  Cà ´te dIvoire Mission Dates:  May 2003 through April 2004Context:  Failed implementation of the  Linas-Marcoussis Agreement, which was to end the ongoing conflict in the country. Outcome:  MINUCI was replaced by the UN Operation in Cà ´te dIvoire (UNOCI). UNOCI is ongoing and continues to protect the people in the country and aid the government in disarmament and demobilization of former combatants. ONUB -  UN Operation in  Burundi Mission Dates:  May  2004 through December 2006Context:  Burundian Civil War Outcome:  The missions goal was to restore peace in Burundi and help establish a unified government. Pierre Nkurunziza was sworn in as President of Burundi in August 2005.  Twelve years of midnight-to-dawn curfews were finally lifted on the people of Burundi. MINURCAT -  UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad Mission Dates:  September  2007 through December 2010Context:  Ongoing violence in Darfur, eastern Chad, and northeastern Central African Republic Outcome:  The concern for civilian safety amidst activities by armed groups in the region prompted the mission. By the end of the mission, the government of Chad pledged that they would retain responsibility for protecting its citizens. After the termination of the mission, the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic continued efforts to protect the people.   UNMIS  -  UN Mission in Sudan Mission Dates:  March 2005 through July 2011Context:  End of the Second Sudanese Civil War and signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) Outcome:  The CPA between the Sudanese government and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) was signed, but it did not bring immediate peace. In 2007, the two groups came to another agreement and Northern Sudanese troops withdrew from Southern Sudan.   In July 2011, the Republic of South Sudan was formed as an independent country. The mission was replaced by UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) to continue the peace process and protect civilians. This started immediately and, as of 2017, the mission continues. Sources: United Nations Peacekeeping.  Past Peacekeeping Operations.

History response 11 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

History response 11 - Assignment Example anticipated that Castro was someone he may well work with, since Cuban leader explored New York and Washington seeking both public and official support. But affiliations deteriorated after the Cuba’s Agrarian transformation rule nationalized land possessed by American firms. Both corporate lobbyists and Cold War hawks soon portrayed Castro as a Soviet threat on America’s doorstep. As tensions increased, Castro sent Che Guevara to Moscow and Beijing to shore up support for his regime while the Eisenhower administration drew up plans for invasion. Having this and Che being a Chinese collaborator, the relations between China and Britain melted. At present day, therefore, the medium of exchange has changed to numerous mediums unlike opium which was used in the former years by china and Britain(Goscha et al 7). ` The Great Leap scheme that was founded by Mao’s authority was unsuccessful. The steel formed in small shared furnaces was practically ineffective coupled with food production that plunged since many people died in the scarcity that resulted. By 1961 the collapse of the Great Leap Forward guided the more realistic â€Å"experts† in the Communist Party to lessen Mao’s authority slowly while renewing rationality to financial preparation (Goscha et al 30). Yet still, Mao’s conviction in the power of ground-breaking eagerness would inspire a younger age group of revolutionaries. Guevara was amongst those involved in the Chinese replica as an option to both free enterprise (capitalism) and the heavy Soviet form of technocratic communism (Goscha et al 41). This shows both a good example of youth culture as seen in schemes that he formed and also a bad instance on the youth, signified by his failures on food

Sources of air pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sources of air pollution - Essay Example What will happen if the temperature of the world increases? Global warming will occur. Global Warming is prevalent on our Earth even today. It is causing deaths of thousands of animals each year, glaciers are melting and the pollutants are causing diseases such as asthma and lung cancer, etc. The destruction of ozone layer is continuously taking place by our activities, the use of natural resources by us and also by emissions of harmful gases in the atmosphere. At first, we will look into the sources of air pollution inside our homes. We, as human beings are a major constituent of creating air pollution. In our offices, schools, and homes, we make use of certain products and perform activities which are the reason for air pollution. Such activities are known as anthropogenic sources of air pollution. These activities include cooking and smoking. Other sources comprise of Boilers in which we boil water or other liquids at our homes, steam generators as they create smog when we start them for electricity purposes. Also piston engines, furnace, and gas turbines create pollution in the air1. Also, industrial plants set up by humans, power plants and vehicles which have internal combustion engines generate VOCs, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and their particulates. In most big cities and urban areas of the world, cars are the primary source of these air pollutants such as Los Angeles and Mexico City2. Farmers burning wastes from crops create carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and other particulates. Other human activities such as leaky refrigerators, aerosol sprays, perfumes and fumes from varnish, paint, and other solvents are the main factors in increasing air pollution. Natural sources, also known as biogenic sources, are also a cause for air pollution but are not as harmful as the human sources. The quality of air is destroyed or worsened by natural processes such as volcano eruptions which produce chlorine, sulfur,

Love Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Love - Case Study Example Horstman’s Law of Project Management† this may not be as difficult as it seems since â€Å".Tools and accessibility are better today than they’ve ever been.† The next issue to consider is regarding the cost of RIFD. According to the 4th paragraph of the 2nd page, the library has about 2,170,471 resources and Mr. Sidkoro must consider the cost of implementing and installing RIFD on all of those resources. That amount of cost would be quite an investment to the library due to the sheer amount of their resources. It is best planned on how they are to plot out the purchasing or implementation. The next issue to consider is regarding how they are to implement the RIFD initiative going further. Being that many of their resources are being borrowed in a daily basis. They must have a solid plan on how they are to include all of their resources in the implementation. This must be well planned in order to cover the vast amount of resources they have, also considering that not all of them are present at a given time. All of their plans must be scheduled, and these schedules must be followed religiously as, according to the podcast above, â€Å"The consequences of a missed deadline are – can in some cases be –

Sexual Politics Kate Millet (1970)

Sexual Politics Kate Millet (1970) Sexual Politics Kate Millet (1970) Summary of document This article enables the reader to understand the difficulties of gaining equal rights and respect which women faced during the second wave of feminism (1970s). Though it can be possible for females to appear to have a higher class to some men due to the economic, social and educational purposes (Millet, 1970, p36). The writer suggests that the castelike status of a female within patriarchy is most liable for confusion (Millet, 1970, p36). This is due to the writer suggesting a two-tier caste system which meant despite some females may be born into a higher class then some males, it meant that due to the domination of sexual status, patriarchy society has been formed. There are two examples from the text which backs up the point that the writer was making. These are: a black lawyer has a higher status than a white farmer. However, race itself can be used in a caste system which overrides class. This means the white farmer belongs to a higher order of life just as it oppresses the pro fessional in spirit. Also, much of the literature between 1940s -1970s has shown the caste system towards male triumphs over the social status of wealthy and educated women. (Millet, 1970, p36) The writer also suggests that males use bullying and hostile remarks (Millet,1970, p36) as a psychological (Millet, 1970, p36) form of dominant power. Class divisions are not threatened by expressions of enmity or the existence of sexual hierarchy which has been reaffirmed to punish the female quite effectively (Millet, 1970, p36). The writer suggests that the function of class in patriarchy is dependent on how expressive the masculine supremacy allows itself to become in society. However, the writer states a paradox to this point. She states: while in the lower status strata, the male is more likely to claim authority on the strength of his sex alone, he is actually obliged more often to share power with the women of his class who are economically productive. Whereas in the middle and upper classes, there is less tendency to assert a blunt patriarchal dominance, as men who enjoy such status have more power in any case. (Millet, 1970, p36) The writer suggests that Western patriarchy are interested in concepts of romantic love compared to Eastern patriarchy, but this interest could be used to conceal the patriarchal nature of society. She states that it was a Victorian habit, for example, to insist the female assume the function of serving as the males conscience and living the life of goodness he found tedious but felt someone ought to do anyway. (Millet, 1970, p37) She suggests that the concept of romantic love can be used as emotional manipulation which the male is free to exploit (Millet, 1970, p37). This is convenient to both genders due to dominance gained by the male and the concealed realities of the female status and their burden of economic dependency. One of the main effects of class within patriarchy is to set one woman against another, in the past creating a lively antagonism between career woman and housewife. (Millet, 1970, p38) This is means that one envies the other security and prestige, while the envi ed yearns beyond the confines of respectability for what she takes to be the others freedom, adventure, and contact with the great world. (Millet, 1970, p38) Women have less investment in the class system (Millet, 1970, p38). This is due to women having fewer permanent class associations compared to males, also not many women rise above working class in personal prestige and economic power (Millet, 1970, p38) so women do not enjoy the benefits that higher class will offer the males. Usually the white male concedes the female to a higher status than the black male. However, due to white racist ideology being exposed; this has meant these ideological attitudes of racism has now changed to sexism. The writer states the priorities of maintaining supremacy might outweigh even those of white supremacy; sexism may be endemic in our own society than racism. (Millet, 1970, p39) Wider social, economic and political context This book was written during the 1970s which was during the second wave feminism. This second wave of feminism was focused on advocacy of womens rights, in particular equal pay, sex discrimination laws, right to contraception and the legalization of abortion. It can be argued that Radical feminism is opening out the revolutionary struggle in new areas we want control not only over the means of production but over reproduction. (London Feminist Movement, 2010) It is hard to imagine that these women were seen as sexual objects as well not even allowed a view. One of the campaigns was the personal is political. This is where women spoke out about constant sexual harassment, major crimes like rape, as well as being seen as inferior to men. Some important events happened during the 1970s. The Miss World protest in 1970 was significant due to women protesting against the objectification of women as judging women only on their looks is insulting. (British Library, 2014) In 1973, the first R ape Crisis centre was formed in England and Wales to provide co-ordination and support to affiliated member groups and campaigns and lobbies to raise awareness of the issues of sexual violence in the wider community and with local, regional and national government. (British Library, 2014) In 1975, the Sex Discrimination Act was made to render unlawful certain kinds of sex discrimination and discrimination on the ground of marriage and establish a commission with the function of working towards the elimination of such discrimination. (British Library, 2014) Also in 1975, the Employment Protection Act made maternity pay a requirement for employers and stopped employers dismissing when women get pregnant. (British Library, 2014) The Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act in 1976 allowed women to obtain a court order against violent husbands without divorce proceedings. (British Library, 2014) One of the positives that came from 1970s especially for feminists was that Margare t Thatcher becomes Prime Minister in 1979. (British Library, 2014) Authors motives Kate Millett book was one of the first second wave texts to use the term patriarchy to describe the different structures of male power. She believed that patriarchy controlled every aspect of womens lives from sexuality, family, etc.   She suggests patriarchy has the power to shape how women thought as well as how they lived their lives. (Hannam, 2006) Millet suggests that personal lives were affected by the state and by patriarchy, so this enabled the opportunity for feminists to challenge the divisions between the public and the private that was central to liberal political thought. (Hannam, 2006) However, Millett was criticised for being anti-male and maybe seen as radical feminist. Target audience The target audience of this document would be feminists. This is because the document supports feminist ideals even though to some feminists it can seem anti-male. This document allows feminists but any reader to understand her opinions and beliefs during the second wave of feminism as well as using the term patriarchy to describe different structures of male power which was not seen til Kate Millett wrote her book. Usefulness of document This document is useful because this book inspired a new wave of feminism which was revolutionary and radical enough to create change for the women who lived in this period. Without vocal writers like Kate Millett, women may have gained as many rights as they did during this period. It can be argued her book was controversial however, her opinion is praised and attacked but her text is used in women studies which means her aim to get more female literature into education succeeded. Though it can be argued that other feminist wrote the same ideals before Kate Millett, but no one was a bold as her when writing their opinions onto paper. Conclusion Sexual Politics still remains to be one of the founding pieces of the second wave of feminism. Many Feminists have continued Milletts criticism with their own opinions to feminism and society. This book will always inspire another generation of feminists due to passionate and boldness she puts into her book. Bibliography British Library. (2014) Timeline of the womens liberation movement. The British Library. Available from: https://www.bl.uk/sisterhood/timeline# [Accessed 19 January 2017]. Hannam, J. (2006). Feminism. 6th edn. Harlow, England: Pearson/Longman. London Feminist Network (2010). Womens liberation and radical feminism 1970-early 1980s. Available from: http://londonfeministnetwork.org.uk/what-weve-done/what-we-did-in-2010/womens-liberation-and-radical-feminism-1970-early-l980s [Accessed 19 January 2017]. Millett, K. (1970) Sexual Politics. Urbana, IL, United States: University of Illinois Press.

Image Processing :: essays research papers

Adaptive Shape Contour Tracing Algorithm ABSTRACT In this paper we are going to present a new shape contour tracing algorithm called  ¡Ã‚ §Adaptive Contour Tracing Algorithm ¡Ã‚ ¨. The algorithm can trace open and closed discontinuous digital shapes and return an ordered set of boundary points that represent the contour of the shape. Unlike other algorithms that return boundary points that are part of the traced shape, our algorithm returns background points that are adjacent to the shape ¡Ã‚ ¦s contour. Furthermore, the algorithm is not hindered by shapes that are noisy and ill-defined as it can adapt to interruptions in the shape ¡Ã‚ ¦s contour using a pre-set tolerance and is able to scan multiple neighbors of a given point. The algorithm has a low complexity and no restrictions on the type or size of the traced shape. The extracted ordered set of boundary points represents the contour of a given shape and is important for curvature-based shape descriptors. Categories and Subject Descriptors I.4.6 [Image Processing and Computer Vision]: Segmentation  ¡V Edge and feature detection, Pixel classification General Terms Algorithms. Keywords Image Processing; Contour Tracing; Shape Boundary Extraction. 1. INTRODUCTION Contour tracing is an important process in boundary-based shape matching. All shapes are represented by a pattern of pixels and the contour pixels are usually a small subset of that pattern. Curvature-based shape matching methods rely on the contour pixels to describe the irregularities in shapes and a reliable contour-tracing algorithm is needed to extract the boundary of shapes. If the shape has holes then another hole search algorithm need to be applied to extract the hole pattern and such an algorithm is not part of this article. We developed a sequential contour-tracing algorithm denoted the  ¡Ã‚ §Adaptive Contour Tracing Algorithm ¡Ã‚ ¨. The algorithm computes the surrounding contour of any shape and adapts to all types of closed curve representations whether they are filled or partially filled digital shapes. Any pixel, 1-pixel wide lines, and full shapes could be traced and represented by closed curves. The algorithm also accounts for discontinuities in the shape contour and can reach nearby pixels. The contour trace starts from the top left point or pixel closest to the shape and proceeds clockwise following the surrounding of the contour of the shape rather than the contour itself. The path around the contour is traced in a look-forward sweep pattern to find the next surrounding point that is closest to the contour. The path is then closed when the start point is found.