Sustainability Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Sustainability Management - Essay Example Like never before, solutions to the pressing needs of Rwanda may not be necessarily being found within the limits of its politics. (Ikeno, Jun, 29) Considering that the established arrangement of institutions in Rwanda are not so well placed to possess power to deliver policies that are required or those policies that have been requested by themselves. (Stoke, Peter, 12)These institutions have to take part in the transnational and polycentric governance network upon which power is dispersed. The weaknesses that Rwanda faces include the pressure from the growth exhibited internationally including from the neighboring Kenya. Some of these challenges also come from the emergence of non-state actors with new methods of mobilization. (Stoke, Peter, 43)To this end, the paper will isolate and discus the specific emergence of policy void in Rwanda. First and foremost, Rwanda’s high dependency on the foreign assistance puts the country in awkward situation. This was especially after the World Bank slashed the aid after the United Nation’s report suggesting that Rwanda was aiding in fueling violence in Democratic Republic of Congo. This has provided a wakeup call to Rwanda which now believes that attraction of investors is much more beneficial than seeking the donor aid that comes with conditions. There is also a huge gap that Rwanda has in the line of technology. Technology is envisaged to have the potential of converting the economy from agricultural base to knowledge base. A number of companies are now investing on this industry considering that startup is relatively cheaper to companies in the country than in the neighboring countries like Kenya. There is a considerable effort that Rwanda has made to ensure that it transform itself into technological hub. Apart from wiring itself with over a thousand miles of fiber optic cables, and further signing a deal for 4G network, the country has also ensured that ICT is

Globalization is only for Developed Countries Essay Example for Free

Globalization is only for Developed Countries Essay In the 1990s, the term globalization gained the popularity. At that time, globalization had become phenomena with an aura of an elemental force, almost similar to that of time and gravity. In simple words Globalization means that the same products will be available in all the countries of the world. It also means economic integration and a world united by the web. This glorious ideal made us think that if globalization would stay on with all its perks with falling trade barriers, leaving countries batter off economically and that it will reduce the widening gap between the rich and the poor. It was believed that the removal of the barriers to trade and foreign investment would result in a dynamic change in the way a company anywhere in the world would do business. It was hoped that the integration would prove beneficial to all. In the 1990s the iron curtain disappeared and trade barriers started falling, the gifts of several rounds of WTO, the Western and Japanese entrepreneurs started looking far beyond there borders for highly beneficial deals, cheap labor new markets and a very big lot of new customers. Nobel Laureate, Stiglitz (2002) rightly interpreted the situations of developing countries in his illustrative work Globalization and Its Discontents. He says; â€Å"Small developing countries are like small boats. Rapid capital market liberalization, in the manner pushed by the IMF, amounted to setting them off on a voyage on a rough sea, before the holes in their hulls have been repaired, before the captain has received training, before life vests have been put on board. Even in the best of circumstances, there was a high likelihood that they would be overturned when they were hit broadside by a big wave (p. 17). † With the end of World War II globalization started taking shape in a big way. In 1975, there were still only 7000 MNCs compared to more than 60000 today. A maddening race for going global began from opening up a two-man sales office to chalking out a countrywide network. Companies had to be big and they had to be universal. By the 1990s no one was alien to the charms of the phenomenon called globalization. The intellects of the world-entrepreneurs, economists, celebrities and politicians traveled around the world to tell us how small the world was getting. We were told to think globally and act locally. However, soon the reality dawned. The developed nations have discarded the moth-eaten policy and adopted an open-shutter strategy in coping with the developing nations. In the past they donned an apologetic camouflage and devised subtle and under-the-counter means to bring the developing countries round to their point of view, they at least acknowledged their sensitivities and treated them as members, no matter how low-grade, of the homo sapiens species. But now they have thrown all pretence to the winds and, without mincing words, dictated their terms to the developing world. Even Kipling had the decency to spell out the Western concern for the ‘uncivilized’ people of the third world by treating them as ‘the white man’s burden’. He was deeply committed to their improvement and had probably hatched some fantastic schemes to pull them out of their ‘savage’ state. But the present day reformers make no bones about it. They shamelessly believe that the condition of the third world countries is simply irretrievable and no amount of logic and persuasion can help them out of their ugly predicament. Therefore they now rely on dictation as a prescription for their conversation and have imposed their brand of progress and prosperity spineless people of the third world. And they are least bothered about their preferences and priorities.

The US Sugar Quotas Essay Example for Free

The US Sugar Quotas Essay In the bid to regulate the amount of sugar imported into the United States, the federal Government imposed a quota that gave limited exclusive rights of export to a few countries. These countries range from Brazil, Philippines, Peru and Colombia among others. The logic behind this move was to protect the United States infant sugar industry from the competition from foreign farmers that enjoy more conducive environment for surplus production. It was also in the bid to appease farmers from Louisiana territory. This was in spite of the fact that experts had warned that sugar growing in the United States would be impeded by the harsh environment. Others argued that the tariffs by the 1820s had to be maintained so as to maintain a high demand and the value of slaves. The imposition of sugar tariffs and quotas is supposed to help in subsidizing sugar growing. These sugar quotas continue to have negative impacts. It has to be understood that this is a costly system to the consumers and the taxpayers. The United States has maintained a very high price for its sugar, higher above the international price in sixth fold. James Bovard notes that â€Å"each 1-cent increase in the price of sugar adds between $ 250 and $ 300 million to consumers’ food bills.† He continues to note that a study conducted by one commerce department found out that â€Å"sugar program was costing American consumers more than $3 billion a year† (1998). The quota after its imposition single-handedly handed blows to other types of businesses. Brazil in a retaliatory stance reduced significantly its consumption of the American grain. Other countries that were relying on sugar exports to America resorted to wheat and corn, stiffening the competition that exists between the American and other countries. Candy producers have also been hit the worst. Initially, candy firms were circumventing the sugar quota by importing products high in sugar and then sifting the sugar, the federal government made a crackdown on this. Now, these firms are being forced to compete with their foreign counterparts who apparently have access to cheap sugar and hence cheap chocolate has increased, hurting the local industries. A number of people in the United States have lost jobs due to the sugar quotas. This number is higher than the number of farmers that the quota purports to protect. According to James Bovard, a commerce department had it that â€Å"the high price of sugar destroyed almost 9,000 US jobs in food manufacturing since 1981.† An example is given of one Branch Candy Company that relocated to Canada terminating over three thousand workers contracts. It remains the opinion of the majority that the sugar quota is not only hurting the multilateral tie that the United States has enjoys with the neighboring countries, it is also exploitative to the consumers. It is the high time that these quotas were abolished and the sugar plantations converted to other viable crops.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The taking over the mantle of power in the house by the Republicans in the mid 1990s had given false signs that the sugar quota would finally cease to exist. A bill co-sponsored to end the program lost narrowly as the house voted to stay the sugar quota system. Immense lobbying took place in the house before the voting. This indicates how volatile the debate is and how it is influenced by politics and the fear of backlash from the sugar growing Districts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An analysis of the history and recent trends of the United States sugar quota reveals it has always been at the centre of American politics especially on its relations with the immediate neighbors such as Cuba and Mexico. The Clinton administration for example had to grapple with the sugar politics as the congress was being required to approve the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). One specific aim of NAFTA was to remove the quotas and the tariffs that existed between the United States and other countries such as Mexico and Canada.   The removal of the stringent controls with Mexico could have the net result of opening up the United States market to the unlimited imports of sugar thus threatening the high sugar prices existing (Roberts, P., 1999). Right from the early 1800, politics have dominated and completely dictated the implementation of the sugar quotas. Former congressmen have been enjoying lucrative contracts as lobbyists for the industry or for the foreign sugar producers wishing to be a part of the exclusive list. It is to be noted that the number of farmers set to profit in the United States sugar quotas fall way below fifty thousand, but due to the sensitivity of the matter and the amount of money involved, they have been able to influence the sugar importation policies in the excuse that it is in the bid to protect an infant industry. The sugar industry in the United States has become lucrative solely because of the subsidies it receives. The taxes imposed on sugar extend far beyond the price and its cost. The protectionist and the loan program on sugar mean that the farmers are in a win-win situation. They have enough funds to cater for cost of growing and producing and are slated to sell at a high price. All this is a done in the wake of sharp criticm that has reigned in sugar politics especially from the affected neighbors. In the bid to respond to the criticism on the infringement of the free market and enterprise spirit, the Reagan administration for example formed the foreign aimed Program aimed at providing the affected countries with food. The fears by the producers that imports will lead to reduced sugar prices and the loss of revenue and subsidies has led to the immense lobbying especially by the districts producing sugar, this has prompted favorable policies and bills in the congress. References Roberts, Paul. Nov. 1, 1999. The Sweet Hereafter: Our Craving for Sugar Starves the Everglades and Fattens the Politicians. Harpers. James Bovard, April 1998. The Great Sugar Shaft. The Future of Freedom Foundation. Retrieved on 12th may 2008 from http://www.fff.org/freedom/0498d.asp

Nuclear Energy The Problems And Solutions Environmental Sciences Essay

Nuclear Energy The Problems And Solutions Environmental Sciences Essay Nuclear energy is a divisive issue that many people have mixed feelings about. Nuclear power has many dangerous effects to the environment and the people living near a power plant. Many countries use nuclear power as an alternate source of electrical energy from fossil fuels. Nuclear energy has to be handled with extreme care or it could lead to disastrous damages. These problems included radiation, disposing of nuclear waste, and high costs of building and maintaining power plants. But while it is extremely dangerous to use nuclear energy, it does provide an alternate source of energy that does not pollute the air. Let us look at what nuclear energy is and where it came from. Most early atomic research was focused on developing effective weapons for use in World War II. After World War II, the government allowed nuclear energy to be developed for citizen use. We generated our first electricity from nuclear energy in 1951. According to the European Nuclear Society, as of end 2011 the total electricity production since 1951 amounts to 69,760 billion kWh and the cumulative operating experience amounted to 15,080 years by end of 2012. Because of accidents and public reluctance for them a new nuclear power plant has not been ordered in the U.S. since 1973. So, what is nuclear energy? According to the EPA, nuclear energy originates from the splitting of uranium atoms in a process called fission. Fission releases energy that can be used to make steam, which is used in a turbine to generate electricity. Nuclear energy is generally used in a combine mixture with Uranium and Plutonium. EPA further states, in the plantà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s nuclear reactor, neutrons from uranium atoms collide with each other, releasing heat and neutrons in a chain reaction. This heat is used to generate steam, which powers a turbine to generate electricity. Unfortunately, nuclear energy also generates some nasty by-products like tritium, cesium, krypton, neptunium and iodine. Let us talk about what is it that makes nuclear energy so bad for the environment and to people living near power plants. Let us start with the dangerous information and knowledge of this process. Knowledge of how to create power plants is shared among many nations. The problems with sharing this knowledge, is that countries will have access to the knowledge of how to make nuclear weapons, which could be bad for some nations. The International Energy Agency or IEA is responsible for energy in many countries, but some have criticizes them for not being able to keep the knowledge from hostile countries. There have been many accidents with nuclear power plants. On April 26, 1986, a reactor at the Chernobyl power plant exploded. 30 people were killed instantly, including 28 from radiation exposure, and a further 209 on site were treated for acute radiation poisoning. The World Health Organization found that the fallout from the explosion was incredibly far-reaching. 985,000 deaths can be attributed to the Chernobyl accident between 1986 and 2004. The accident cost the former Soviet Union more than three times the economic benefits accrued from the operation of every other Soviet nuclear power plant operated between 1954 and 1990. Another accident happened recently in Japan. On March 11, 2011, an earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The emerging crisis at the plant was complex, and, to make matters worse, it was exacerbated by communication gaps between the government and the nuclear industry. The plant suffered major damage from the 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011 and, as of February 2013, is not expected to reopen. The earthquake and tsunami disabled the reactor cooling systems, leading to releases of radioactivity and triggering a 30 km evacuation zone surrounding the plant. On April 20, 2011, the Japanese authorities declared the 20 km evacuation zone a no-go area which may only be entered under government supervision. Radiation releases caused large evacuations, concern about food and water supplies, and treatment of nuclear workers. A few of the plants workers were severely injured or killed by the disaster conditions (drownin g, falling equipment damage etc.) resulting from the earthquake. There were no immediate deaths due to direct radiation exposures, but at least six workers have exceeded lifetime legal limits for radiation and more than 300 have received significant radiation doses. Predicted future cancer deaths due to accumulated radiation exposures in the population living near Fukushima have ranged from none to 100. There are also many environmental problems with using nuclear energy as well. All the steps in the complex process of creating nuclear energy entail environmental hazards. The mining of uranium, as well as its refining and enrichment, and the production of plutonium produce radioactive isotopes that contaminate the surrounding area, including the groundwater, air, land, plants, and equipment. As a result, humans and the entire ecosystem are adversely and profoundly affected. Some of these radioactive isotopes are extraordinarily long-lived, remaining toxic for hundreds of thousands of years. Presently, we are only beginning to observe and experience the consequences of producing nuclear energy. Nuclear waste is produced in many different ways. There are wastes produced in the reactor core, wastes created as a result of radioactive contamination, and wastes produced as a byproduct of uranium mining, refining, and enrichment. The vast majority of radiation in nuclear waste is given off from spent fuel rods. A typical reactor will generate 20 to 30 tons of high-level nuclear waste annually. There is no known way to safely dispose of this waste, which remains dangerously radioactive until it naturally decays. The rate of decay of a radioactive isotope is called its half-life, the time in which half the initial amount of atoms present takes to decay. The half-life of Plutonium-239, one particularly lethal component of nuclear waste, is 24,000 years. The hazardous life of a radioactive element (the length of time that must elapse before the material is considered safe) is at least 10 half-lives. Therefore, Plutonium-239 will remain hazardous for at least 240,000 years. There was a proposal to dump nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, a site that is considered sacred by the Western Shoshone. The plan was for Yucca Mountain to hold all of the high level nuclear waste ever produced from every nuclear power plant in the US. However, that would completely fill up the site and not account for future waste. Transporting the wastes by truck and rail would be extremely dangerous. Repository sites in Australia, Argentina, China, southern Africa, and Russia have also been considered. Though some countries reprocess nuclear waste (in essence, preparing it to send through the cycle again to create more energy), this process is banned in the U.S. due to increased proliferation risks, as the reprocessed materials can also be used for making bombs. Reprocessing is also not a solution because it just creates additional nuclear waste. There are a few different methods of waste immobilization. In the vitrification process, waste is combined with glass-forming mat erials and melted. Once the materials solidify, the waste is trapped inside and cant easily be released. There are many alternative energy sources that are sustainable and do not pose the accident risks inherent in nuclear energy production. Many of them are renewable and some have little risks to the environment. These other energy sources includes: bioenergy, geothermal, wind, solar, and tidal energy.Bioenergy comes from any fuel that is derived from biomass recently living organisms or their metabolic byproducts. Unlike other natural resources such as petroleum, coal and nuclear fuels, bioenergy is a renewable energy source. Geothermal energy is power generated from natural steam, hot water, hot rocks, or lava in the Earths crust. In general, geothermal power is produced by pumping water into cracks in the Earths crust and then conveying the heated water or steam back to the surface so that its heat can be extracted through a heat exchanger, or its pressure can be used to drive turbines. Wind energy form of energy conversion in which turbines convert the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be used for power. Since wind power does not require the use of fossil fuels, it is considered a renewable energy source. Solar energy is energy derived from the Suns radiation. Passive solar energy can be exploited through architectural design, as by positioning windows to allow sunlight to enter and help heat a space. Active solar energy involves the conversion of sunlight to electrical energy, especially in solar cells. Hydrogen power is a term for the energy production and distribution of hydrogen as a viable fuel source to power buildings, homes and the transportation industry. Tidal energy is produced by the surge of ocean waters during the rise and fall of tides. Tidal energy is a renewable source of energy. Many more sustainable resources could be found and current resources improved if better technology were available and if the government and utilities actively promoted their development. There are many different alternative sources that are safer for the environment and human health then nuclear energy. The nuclear energy industry has been quick to declare this technology as the solution to global warming. Many claim it has a net positive environmental gain compared to fossil fuels, though this ignores the problems and dangers associated with nuclear waste. The United States currently has no acceptable, long-term strategy for managing nuclear waste and, thus, the risks to the environment are huge. For now, because of the devastating incident of Chernobyl and many other factors, nuclear power growth has slowed, but still is a problem that needs to address and hopefully fixed. In addition, nuclear energy always carries with it the threat of nuclear proliferation and terrorist attack on the plants. If a government is to maintain a non-proliferation policy, a non-nuclear energy policy must also be in place. Combined with the risk of a meltdown, it is clear that although nuclear energy may appear to be a solution to climate change, it only brings with it more problems. There is always the chance that there will be a meltdown at one of the United Statesà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ 103 commercial nuclear reactors or, even more likely, in a country with less stringent nuclear energy laws. Nuclear energy is not the solution it brings with it huge risks and has the potential to wreak havoc on health and on the environment. Sources: Peterson, P. F. (2001). The Pros and Cons of Nuclear Fuel Recycling. Science, 294(5549), 2093. Zehner, O. (2012). Nuclear Powers Unsettled Future. Futurist, 46(2), 17-21. Rugy V. No to Nukes. Reason [serial online]. July 2012;44(3):18-19. Available from: Academic Search Elite, Ipswich, MA. Accessed January 13, 2013. Lewis, J. (2008). the nuclear option. Mother Jones, 33(3), 56-92. Flory, P. W. (2006). Just the Facts. Foreign Affairs, 85(5), 149-150. EPA (2012) Nuclear Energy Ita, M. (2006). Nuclear vs solar energy, which?. New African, (449), 37-38. Lewis, H. W. (1986). The Accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and Its Consequences. Environment, 28(9), 25. LePoire, D. J. (2011). Exploring New Energy Alternative. Futurist, 45(5), 34-38. Funabashi, Y., Kitazawa, K. (2012). Fukushima in review: A complex disaster, a disastrous response. Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists, 68(2), 9-21. doi:10.1177/0096340212440359 European Nuclear Society (2012). Nuclear power plants, world-wide

The Selfish Gene :: essays research papers fc

Creationism is a Bible–based view of human origin that states humans were created in their current form and have not changed, or evolved, throughout the years. However the belief that our species has changed over time to suit our environment is considered evolution. As both sides possess strong evidence for their conclusions, the debate that stemmed many years ago, even before the famous Scopes trial, has no end in sight. Recently state education boards in Kansas, Alabama and Kentucky have given school districts the opportunity to decide for themselves whether creationism will be taught, along with evolution, in their classrooms. Furthermore, the state of Colorado has dropped all questions on their standardized tests that pertain to evolution. Conversely, on October 8th, 1999 '…the New Mexico Board of Education voted overwhelmingly… to limit the statewide science curriculum to the teaching of evolution'; (Janofsky 1). Creationists refer to the Bible to explain that the creator developed the universe, including Adam and Eve. But, creationists also use science to disprove the theory of evolution. Through the second law of thermodynamics, which states that a system is always heading towards disorder, creationists explain that there was once a time when the universe was more orderly and that singularity existed approximately 15 billion years ago. If this is true, where did this singularity come from? Creationists believe that only a superior creator could have set forth this condition. Although evolution is only a theory, it is widely accepted and is based solely on scientific data. Through the second law of thermodynamics evolutionists believe that humans should continue in a pattern of disorder as are those things neglected in a system. However, humans have become more orderly and more suited for their environment, clearly a process that is carried out by gradual change over time. Through Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species, published in 1859, the world was introduced to natural selection and the theory of evolution. In his autobiography, Darwin states 'It was evident that such facts as these, as well as many others, could be explained on the supposition that species gradually become modified'; (118-119). This type of thinking in his times was extremely radical and unheard of, but throughout the years evolution has been explored further and accepted by most scientists. Further research into the origin of man proved that genes were the maps by which humans change. In The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins states ".

Comparing the Movies, Fight Club and Gladiator Essay -- Film Compare C

Comparing the Movies, Fight Club and Gladiator People today enjoy the same things that people enjoyed during the Roman Empire. In the movie, Gladiator, Maximus fights in the Coliseum in front of all the people of Rome. In the movie Fight Club they have fights between different people in front of all the people of the club. This shows that people who lived 1000s of years before us where entertained by violence just like most of us are today. The theme that ties both Fight Club and Gladiator together is people are entertained by violence. The movie Gladiator starts off by Maximus Decimus Meridas, who is played by Russel Crowe, being a respected general of Rome. Maximus leads the Roman army in a successful defeat against the barbarians. After this battle is over Maximus is confronted by the elderly Roman emperor and he tells him that he will be the next emperor of Rome when he passes away. The emperor’s son (Commodus) hears of this and murders his father. Now he is Emperor Commodus and orders to kill Maximus and his family. His family is murdered but Maximus ge...

the truth :: essays research papers

Shona is an agglutinative language, employing both prefixes and suffixes. Nouns, verbs, and adjectives are all identifiable, as well as personal pronouns, demonstratives, positional prefixes, and various types of agreement markers. All agreement morphology in Shona is prefixal. Nouns are divisible into a number of classes, based both on the agreement morphology in the verb and on the morphology of the noun itself. Verbs: Finite Verbs The order of elements in the Shona finite verb is shown in (1). (1) (NEG)-SUBJ-(TMA)*-(OBJ)-Ãâ€"-(DERIV. SUFF.)*-(PASS.)-FV-(OBJ2) The asterisk is a convention adopted from syntactic phrase structure rules; however, whereas there it is used to indicate that an element may appear an indefinite number of times, we use it here to indicate that we are unsure of the maximum number of TMA elements and derivational suffixes allowed in a single verb. We are also unsure how stringently the TMA elements and derivational suffixes are ordered. "FV" is a convention borrowed from Bantuist notation. It stands for "final vowel". This vowel is /a/ in the positive indicative for almost all verbs. A few verbs (/ri/ "be", /si/ "not be", /ti/ "say") appear to have an intrinsic final /i/, while some others (/NÆ’ge/~/NÆ’gi/~/NÆ’ga/ [an auxiliary (perhaps a sort of copula)], /ne/~/na/ "have", /Ve/~/Va/ "be") alternate between /e/ and /a/ (and sometimes /i/) in ways we do not yet understand. In the negative indicative, the final vowel for all verbs except those just mentioned is /a/, except in the present habitual, where the final vowel is /e/~/i/ (our consultant indicated that these are in free variation). See the section on the imperative for more about the final vowel. The Shona personal agreement morphemes for the subject are given in Table 1. Person Singular Plural 1p nÆ’d"$- t"$Ãâ€" 2p u$- mu$- 3p a@- ~ wa@- Va@- Table 1: Personal subject prefixes Our consultant indicated that /waÃâ€"/ for the third-person singular conveys slightly more respect than /aÃâ€"/. Respect may also be shown by using second- and third-person plural forms for singular referents. First- and second-person subject prefixes appear to have low tone underlyingly, while third-person subject prefixes have underlying high tone. Subject agreement appears to be absolutely obligatory for all Shona verbs. The personal agreement morphemes for the object are given in Table 2. Person Singular Plural 1p -nÆ’di- -ti- 2p -ku- -ku-†¦-i 3p -mu- -Va- Table 2: Personal object prefixes. Note that the first-person singular and plural and the third-person plural are identical to the subject prefixes, while the rest differ. The second-person plural object marker consists of two parts, /ku/ immediately before the root and /i/ at the end of the verb, after the final vowel. the truth :: essays research papers Shona is an agglutinative language, employing both prefixes and suffixes. Nouns, verbs, and adjectives are all identifiable, as well as personal pronouns, demonstratives, positional prefixes, and various types of agreement markers. All agreement morphology in Shona is prefixal. Nouns are divisible into a number of classes, based both on the agreement morphology in the verb and on the morphology of the noun itself. Verbs: Finite Verbs The order of elements in the Shona finite verb is shown in (1). (1) (NEG)-SUBJ-(TMA)*-(OBJ)-Ãâ€"-(DERIV. SUFF.)*-(PASS.)-FV-(OBJ2) The asterisk is a convention adopted from syntactic phrase structure rules; however, whereas there it is used to indicate that an element may appear an indefinite number of times, we use it here to indicate that we are unsure of the maximum number of TMA elements and derivational suffixes allowed in a single verb. We are also unsure how stringently the TMA elements and derivational suffixes are ordered. "FV" is a convention borrowed from Bantuist notation. It stands for "final vowel". This vowel is /a/ in the positive indicative for almost all verbs. A few verbs (/ri/ "be", /si/ "not be", /ti/ "say") appear to have an intrinsic final /i/, while some others (/NÆ’ge/~/NÆ’gi/~/NÆ’ga/ [an auxiliary (perhaps a sort of copula)], /ne/~/na/ "have", /Ve/~/Va/ "be") alternate between /e/ and /a/ (and sometimes /i/) in ways we do not yet understand. In the negative indicative, the final vowel for all verbs except those just mentioned is /a/, except in the present habitual, where the final vowel is /e/~/i/ (our consultant indicated that these are in free variation). See the section on the imperative for more about the final vowel. The Shona personal agreement morphemes for the subject are given in Table 1. Person Singular Plural 1p nÆ’d"$- t"$Ãâ€" 2p u$- mu$- 3p a@- ~ wa@- Va@- Table 1: Personal subject prefixes Our consultant indicated that /waÃâ€"/ for the third-person singular conveys slightly more respect than /aÃâ€"/. Respect may also be shown by using second- and third-person plural forms for singular referents. First- and second-person subject prefixes appear to have low tone underlyingly, while third-person subject prefixes have underlying high tone. Subject agreement appears to be absolutely obligatory for all Shona verbs. The personal agreement morphemes for the object are given in Table 2. Person Singular Plural 1p -nÆ’di- -ti- 2p -ku- -ku-†¦-i 3p -mu- -Va- Table 2: Personal object prefixes. Note that the first-person singular and plural and the third-person plural are identical to the subject prefixes, while the rest differ. The second-person plural object marker consists of two parts, /ku/ immediately before the root and /i/ at the end of the verb, after the final vowel.