Aluminium Foil ((Corporate Social Responsibility)) & Environmental Assignment

Aluminium Foil ((Corporate Social Responsibility)) & Environmental Impact - Assignment Example The availability of this element is so high that a there is very little chance of demand ever surpassing supply. Producing aluminum is a process that needs a lot of energy; in fact, the commercial growth of this metal in the late nineteenth century was predominantly as a result of the development and accessibility of inexpensive and ample hydroelectric power that has remained the key source of energy for the sector. Energy that is used in the production of aluminum is trapped in the metal, thus if aluminum is re-melted in order to make it new metal, only five percent of the energy that was used initially is needed as ninety five percent of the initial investment in energy will remain in the metal. Since the production of aluminum started, used aluminum has remained a significant source of new metal and based on the industry estimates, almost seventy percent of the aluminum in use will be recycled eventually as it is less costly compared extraction of the metal from its ore. Depending on the previous use of aluminum, the life cycle of aluminum products varies significantly. When aluminum is used in packaging in the form of a foil, it might have a life cycle of approximately a few weeks but when it is utilized as a cladding material in buildings, its life cycle may be approximately a century or even longer. This implies that aluminum has a positive profile in regards to its abundant availability, durability as well as tendency to be recycled at very low costs in terms of energy (Green, 2007, p. 125). Therefore, aluminum foil can make a significant positive contribution towards the conservation of other resources in the environment. Aluminum foil is produced from an alloy of aluminum that contains between ninety-two and ninety nine percent of aluminum, and come in numerous widths and strengths since they can be applied to thousands of applications. Aluminum foil used for manufacturing thermal insulations in the construction

Funding a Business Venture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Funding a Business Venture - Assignment Example h Parker’s funding comes with its pros and cons, Wolf found it as the preferred source, considering financing risks and possible help he could get for the promotion of tracker. Investment banking matches the needs of those who have money and those who need it (Wise, 2006). And investment bankers, such as Goldman Sachs, raise capital by underwriting securities or working as an agent to issue them. They also assist their clients with acquisitions and mergers as well as other ancillary services. Their significance lies in their ability to finance huge projects and help their clients with acquisitions and mergers. Stock market facilitates the buying and selling of shares (Fontanills & Gentile, 2001). Shares of those companies that are listed in stock exchanges, such as New York and London, are traded there. Stock market is one of the best sources of raising capital and spreading the company’s ownership widely. McLaney says risk is an important element of all financial decisions and must be considered (2009). Risk financing relates to managing funds for unexpected losses to the company. It is important to make provisions for weathering unexpected losses. Start-ups face more uncertainties than old ones about market, sales, competition, cost of production, and failure. Funding a start-up business is a major challenge. Gary Wolf, a former junior scientist with the General Electric (GE) with several minor but useful inventions under his belt, came to know about it when he wanted to start his own business, Tracker Co., to develop and sell a tracker. The tracker would help viewers to track and record television programs that met the pre-designated specifications, when the viewers were away from television. While recording, the device would skip too violent or sexually explicit scenes. After carefully considering all options, Wolf decided to get funding from a business angel. Wolf needed $50,000 to start. Out of this, $40,000 was necessary to set up a laboratory to

Do pure monopolies exist Essay Example for Free

Do pure monopolies exist Essay â€Å"No firm is completely sheltered from rivals; all firms compete for consumer dollars. If that is so, then pure monopoly does not exist. Do you agree? † (Brue, McConnell, Flynn, 2010). I would have to agree with this statement. I do not believe that there is such a thing as a pure monopoly. There are always alternatives or substitutes available when choosing to purchase products or services from firms. Pure monopoly exists when â€Å"a single firm is the sole producer of a product for which there are no close substitutes† (Brue, McConnell, Flynn, 2010). There are less pure forms of monopoly and near-monopolies, but not totally pure monopolies. There are several main characteristics that must be present in order for a pure monopoly to exist. These are: single seller, no close substitutes, price maker, and blocked entry. A pure monopoly is an industry in which a single firm is the sole producer of a specific good or the sole supplier of a service. Their product is unique in that there are no close substitutes, therefore, consumers who decide not to purchase the monopolized product must do without it. Many people will argue that electric companies are pure monopolies. I disagree because there are alternatives available: oil, propane, natural gas, solar, and wood are substitutes that can be used as sources of light and heat. The pure monopolist controls the total quantity supplied and as a result has considerable control over price; it is a price maker. The pure monopolist confronts the usual downward-sloping product demand curve and can change its product price by changing the quantity of the product it produces. A pure monopolist faces no immediate competition because certain barriers keep potential competitors from entering the industry. Those barriers may be economic (economic of scale), technological, legal (patents and licenses), or of some other type. In a pure monopoly entry is totally blocked. All firms compete with rivals for product sales, whether they control the entire market for a product or not. The control over a market and product does not necessarily mean there is not competition. Even if one single firm were to control an entire market and their product, there is always another firm that can produce a product that holds the same qualities and is closely related to the other. The post office is usually our first choice when we want to send a letter or package, but it also has competition from FedEx, UPS, and DHL. If there were a situation where there was a market that did not have to compete with another market over product sales, there would always be competition when it comes to the amount of money they need to bring in. Many characteristics must be present to classify firms as pure monopolies. There may be less pure forms such as: the water company, the cable TV company, and the local telephone company, and near-monopolies such as: Intel, First Data Corporation, and De Beers, however, I do not believe that pure monopoly exists. All firms compete with rivals for product sales, whether they control the entire market for a product or not. When choosing to purchase products or services from firms there are always alternatives or substitutes available even though they may not be our first choice. References Brue, S. L. , McConnell, C. R. , Flynn, S. (2010). Essentials of Economics (Ashford Custom 2nd ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Analysing Film Adaptations of Shakespeares Macbeth

Analysing Film Adaptations of Shakespeares Macbeth In Roger Manvells Book Peter Hall is quoted as saying â€Å"Shakespeare is no screen writer. He is a verbal dramatist, relying on the associative and metaphorical power of words†¦Even his stage action is verbalised†¦ This is bad screen writing. A good film script relies on contrasting verbal images. What is spoken is of secondary importance.† (Manvell, 1971, p.125) It is certainly true that screenwriting and playwriting are two very separate arts, as is the discipline of acting in the two arenas. A screen actor has the advantage of the camera being able to pick out subtle facial expressions and body movements that will illustrate the characters emotion without the need for dialogue. A stage player must project his or her voice across the expanse of a theatre and cannot rely on the audience members at the back of a theatre being able to witness all the subtleties of their body movement. As such much more needs to be spoken. On the screen expositionary dialogue is redundant and detrimental to the narrative drive. However Shakespeare infuses all his dialogue with rich textual imagery and double meanings. In translating this to the screen some of it is unavoidably lost. This essay will explore the aforementioned contention with reference to three adaptations of Shakespeares Macbeth. It aims to show that although it is very difficult to adapt Shakespeares poetry faithfully it is not impossible. The version of principle discussion will be the 1948 version that was directed by and starred Orson Welles, as well as the 1971 Roman Polanski directed version starring Jon Finch and the 1957 Japanese retelling by Akira Kurosawa, Kumonosu jà ´ (Throne Of Blood.) The opening scene of Macbeth is extremely short yet extremely effective in establishing an atmosphere of mystery and the imagery of light and dark as an analogy of good and evil that runs throughout the course of the play. It opens to the sound of thunder and lighting. The turbulent and dark nature of the weather serves as an apt environment for the turbulent and dark events that unfold and effectively serving to set the tone of the play and the imagery of stormy weather that is used as pathetic falla cy throughout the play. The witches mention a battle and Macbeth but their involvement in these maters is not clear; but what is clear is the atmosphere of mystery that is established. They converse in verse with rhyming couplets and all chant the same couplet at the end of the scene as if they were casting a spell. Fair is foul and foul is fair Hover through the fog and filthy air. (Act I Scene I) The internal rhyme and inversion of values of good and bad warns the audience that something is amiss and is echoed in Macbeths opening line of the play, So foul and fair a day I have not seen (Act I Scene III) The verbal resonance of this line associates Macbeth with the will of the witches and foreshadows his entanglement with the forces of diabolism. The filmic versions of the play also stem their predominant imagery from this opening scene. The opening scene of Welles Macbeth shows the three Witches standing on the edge of a tall jagged rock face. The barren landscape is dark and shadowy and mist swirls in the dark night sky. The production design is minimalist and actually resembles a theatre set rather than a filmic one. It recalls the visual style of German expressionism, which has a tradition within the horror genre. This design continues throughout the film. The lighting and the black and white photography have been composed to cast eerie shadows over the sets and faces of the players, perfectly visualizing the light and dark imagery in Shakespeares text. The film actually opens with lines from Act IV Scene I. Double, double toil and trouble Fire burn and cauldron bubble. The film then cuts to a close shot of the cauldron mouth as the witches mix a potion and continue to chant Shakespeares words as if casting a spell. From the cauldron a clay doll is formed and as it is fully formed the word Macbeth is spoken as the films title appears on the screen. Although tonally much of what Shakespeare had written is retained within the visual style of the film, in this version of the scene the emphasis on the witches is changed from agents of diabolism to enforcers of it. Lady Macbeths soliloquy of Act I Scene V bares none of the visual flair that Welles opening scene does. To momentarily go back to the source material this is the scene where she has just been informed in a letter from her husband about the fulfilment of the witches first prophecy. Her immediate concern is that her husband does not have the necessary character to murder Duncan for the crown. I fear thy nature, It is too full of the milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way (Act I Scene V) Her conceit is interesting as it is clear in the play that Macbeth struggles a little with his conscience he is quite easily persuaded to commit murder. She also calls to the spirits to Come to my womans breasts, and take my milk for gall. (Act I scene V) The inference here is that she wants to replace Macbeths milk of human kindness with her own diabolically polluted milk. She allys herself with the forces of evil in order to give her the strength of purpose to kill Duncan. Her words are about her adopting evil into her own nature and becoming one with the malevolent forces. †¦Come you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty†¦ †¦Come thick night And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell. (Act I Scene V) The line from to the crown to the toe is at once a statement that she wishes to become engulfed with evil and a reference to the royal crown. The soliloquy also includes the images of dark ness associated with evil. The words unsex me here recall Banquos comments on the ambiguous sexuality of the three witches. You should be women Yet your beards forbid me to interpret That you are so. (Act I Scene III) In the play the scene establishes Lady Macbeths ambition for her husband as another factor in his downfall by associating her with imagery of diabolism. The majority of the scene in Welles film is played out in a medium shot of Lady Macbeth in a bare bedchamber whilst the soliloquy is delivered in voice over. Jeanette Nolans deliver of the lines is extremely theatrical in tone and the back drop is unusually expressionless. The scene looks and plays as if it has been recorded at a theatre performance As such the scene is visually static and the power of Shakespeares words carry the scene as opposed to any cinematic elements. Polanski dilutes the immediacy of Lady Macbeths turn to evil by having her deliver the first part of the soliloquy before Macbeths return to the castle and then the second part, where she calls upon evil spirits, after Malcolm is named successor and it is clear that murder is the only way for Macbeth to ascend the throne. Although this changes emphasis, like Nolan s performance Francesca Annis delivers the soliloquy in voice over and a theatrical tone. Whilst Shakespeares words and imagery are retained there is nothing cinematic about the scene itself Act I Scene VII suggests that Lady Macbeth was right about her husbands willingness to perform the act of murder. In a soliloquy Macbeth talks himself out of the deed; he reasons to himself that it is evil and that he does not have the necessary character. †¦I have No spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which oerleaps itself. (Act 1 Scene 7) Macbeth effectively talks himself out of the deed by considering the ramifications of killing Duncan. He employs imagery of heaven to illustrate Duncans virtue and the legitimate claim to the throne. ,Or heavens cherubin horsd Upon the slightest couriers of the air, Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye That tears shall blow down the wind. (Act I scene VII) In Welles film this same speech in the film is relocated to a religious ceremony that precedes the battle. Orson Welless creation Holy Father reads through a post battle service. In the background there are men holding huge Celtic crosses. This symbol of early Christianity illustrates an uneasy balance between Christian ethics and pagan mysticism. Again the expressionist set retains the constant presence of the forces of evil; the religious context of the scene emphasizes the conflict with the diabolical influence. We are allowed inside Macbeths mind as he rationalizes what he is planning on doing and the evil nature of it, but the I have no spur passage has been omitted. The scene plays out in a close shot of Macbeths face which remains resolute. There is no suggestion of a moral struggle in Welles delivery, merely an acknowledgement of the immorality of his intentions. However on the Heaven cherubin horsd line there is a cut to a wider shot of Duncans subjects genuflecting before him. This reinforces the notion of Duncan as the model ideal for king. The Polanski version of the scene is fantastically captured on screen. Once again we hear Macbeths thoughts in voice over, this time in the full original text. The scene starts with a close shot of Macbeths pensive face, then tracks backwards to reveal the festivity and frivolity of all the others at the feast. This reiterates Macbeths position as Duncans kinsman and host, whilst placing Duncan within the context of a happy and prosperous kingdom. On delivery of the line weld jump the life to come, there is a roll of thunder and the curtains are violently blown into the hall disrupting the festivities as if to disturb Macbeths train of thought. This scene at once retains Shakespeares poetry and accompanies it visually in cinematic terms. The final soliloquy of the play comes in Act V Scene V after Macbeths learning of his wifes demise. In is a dramatic pause before the arrival of Birnam wood to Dunsinane to allow Macbeth to mourn for his dead wife and contemplate his actions. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time; (Act V Scene V) The repetition of the word tomorrow gives verbal resonance to a sense of inevitability of Macbeths death and the inevitability of death as a universal truth. The word creep also has connotations of the subterfuge of malignant forces. Macbeth sees that he is backed into a corner and that his plans have been his own undoing . Lifes but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. (Act V Scene V) The walking shadow that Macbeth speaks of hear exists between light and dark and is also an intangible and temporary thing. The reference to acting suggests that Macbeth feels as if he has been directed by some unknowable source, and the words sound a fury recall the lightning storm that heralded the arrival of the witches. This soliloquy is rich and full with imagery and perfectly captures the mind of a man whose purpose has left him. After this point in the play all Macbeth has is an instinct of self-preservation. In Welles film the scene is at once strikingly visual and completely verbal. Although the two sets of imagery do not properly resonate. A close up of Macbeths face is cross faded with an image of swirling mist as the soliloquy is started then delivered in full by Orson Welles in voice over. The association between Macbeths face and the fade places the viewer firmly within Macbeths mind and indicates that we are privy to his innermost thoughts. The fact that there is very little to look at gives added gravitas to Macbeths words and makes the viewer reflect upon them more. The imagery evokes a sense of inner-turmoil that reflects the mind of a man who has been corrupted by power and stricken with grief. However it evokes other thematic and narrative elements such as a sense of mystery that recalls the witches, a sense of foreshadowing that herald on the stage. In this scene the verbal essence of the play is completely retained by the visuals of the film. The end of the play restores a natural order to the kingdom of Scotland. Malcolm ascends to his rightful place on the throne. He is given a rhetorical speech in rhyming verse which serves as epilogue to the play. And what needful else That calls upon us, by the grace of Grace, We will perform in measure time and place: (Act V Scene VII) Unlike the opening scene were rhyming couplets were used to mimic the casting of spells, in this speech the rhymed words produce a comforting and familiar sound. The phrase measure time and place suggests that the rightful order has been restored and reference to Grace alluding to the grace of god tells us that the forces of evil are no longer at work. The ending of Welles film does not include Malcolms speech. As Macduff holds Macbeths head aloft and proclaims Malcolm king the rest of Malcolms subjects join in and repeat the cry of â€Å"Hail king Malcolm† this continues as the subjects hold aloft burning torches that visually symbolise the light returning to a darkened kingdom. There is then a cut to a wide shot of the castle no longer enshrined in darkness but in the pale morning light. However Welles undercuts any sense of the restoration of order by placing the three witches silhouetted in the middle ground of the shot. Polanskis film goes even further as we see Donalblain seeking out the witches council. He is presumably the next heir until Malcolm has a son and the suggestion is that he too will consult the powers of evil to aide his own bloody ascension. As discussed earlier in the essay, these films place much more emphasis on the external factors that exert their influence over Macbeth. The play itself is more concerned with one mans decision to succumb to evil whilst the films of Orson Welles and Roman Polanski suggest that the force of the witches will is insurmountable. What is clear from the Polanski and Welles versions of the Play is that although both films manage to translate certain passages from the play and retain the verbal essence they are not entirely successful. However they are interpretations of the play as well as adaptations emphasis on theme and narrative has been shifted. By far the most satisfying film version of Macbeth is Akira Kurosawas Throne of Blood. However this version has been relocated to feudal Japan and falls within the context of a different cultural setting. Kurosawa has done the best possible job in translating the text into a foreign context whilst retaining the essential essence of the source material. There is an attempt to retain a sense of the poetic within the dialogue. Kurosawa approximates Shakespearian dialogue with a Japanese equivalent of Noh. At certain key moments of the film the dialogue slips into Noh verse such as the end of the film when a chorus is summarising the story of Washizu (The Macbeth Character.) Lived a proud warrior Murdered by ambition His spirit walking still. Still his spirit walks, his fame is known, For what once was is now yet true Murderous ambition will pursue†¦ This technique is used sparingly throughout the film so as not to seem forced or alienate contemporary audience, but what it does do is infuse the film with Japanese storytelling tradition and give the film an added quality of timelessness. Throne of Blood can also be considered as retaining the best qualities of Welless Macbeth in terms of its expressive production design. Kurosawa has spoken of the use of wide interiors with low ceilings and squat pillars to enclose the interior space and visualise a sense of oppression. This symbolises the forces out of Washizus control that are compelling him along his murderous and treacherous path. The exterior world of the forest is also expressionistic; the tangled treacherous forest is an inhospitable place where the witch and the hostile forces of nature conspire against the will of man. It also reaches out towards Washizus castle that has been made from the resources of the forest and is itself part of the forces of nature. Again the visua l style has been interpreted in such a way to try to capture the essence of the tone of the source material. Like Polanski and Welles, Kurowsawa has interpreted and adapt the play as he saw fit. The significant changes to setting and cultural changes mean that Throne of Blood has been scrutinised, studied and approached as a film in its own right and discussed in its own terms without the direct comparison to Shakespeares exact words. As mentioned at the outset of the essay the arts of screen and play writing are very different and that which has been written for the stage does not necessarily translate to the screen. Critics argue rightly that Shakespeares poetry has been in places mutilated to bring the plays to the screen. However as this essay illustrates; certain passages have been successfully translated into cinematic terms retaining the imagery and the poetry of original play. To say that the verbal essence of a Shakespeare play is essentially non-cinematic is untrue. To say that it is extremely difficult to translate into cinematic terms is entirely fair. Bibliography Anderegg, M.A. Orson Welles, Shakespeare and Popular Culture (New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.) Bazin, A. Orson Welles (London: Elm Tree Books, 1978) Davies, a Filming Shakespeares Plays: The Adaptations of Laurence Olivier, Orson Welles, Peter Brook and Akira Kurosawa. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988). Davies, A. Wells, S. (Eds) â€Å"Shakespeare and the Moving Image: The plays on Film and Television† (London: Cambridge University Press, 1994.) Jackson, R. (Ed) â€Å"The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film† (London: Cambridge University Press. 2000) Manvell, R. Theater and Film: A Comparative Study of Two Forms of Dramatic Art (Rutherford: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1979.) Manvell, R. Shakespeare and the Film (London: Dent, 1971) McBride, J. Orson Welles (London: BFI, 1972) Films Kumonosu jà ´ (Dir Akira Kurosawa, 1957 Japan) Macbeth (Dir Orson Welles, 1948, US) Tragedy of Macbeth, The (Dir Roman Polanski, 1971, US/UK)

Screening Ticks from Different Counties and Comparing Them Essay

Ticks will be collected from areas in the five counties in the state where Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections are prevalent. Trapping sites will be set in known tick habitats in the five counties to help in trapping and collecting small animals, including the target pests. Sherman live-traps baited with oatmeal and peanut-butter will be set at the sites to ensnare the ticks. All captured animals will be regularly and carefully examined to allow the researchers to extract as many ticks as possible. The trapping of animals and extraction of ticks from the captured animals will take about four weeks. All ticks collected will be placed in vials containing 75% ethanol and sent to parasitology laboratories. The screening process will be done through MasTag polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a multiplication method, which is known for its fast and economic screening of tick-borne pathogens. PCR is also known for efficient and accurate screening of ticks for polymicrobial contagion. Before beginning the PCR procedure, the ticks will be removed from the vials, washed with saline containing phosphate buffer, and then homogenized with Tri-reagent LS. The next step will involve nucleic acid extraction, where total RNA will be suspended in about 30ml of H2O. The generation of cDNA will then follow where 20ml of the solution and 15ml of total RNA will be reacted using Superscript 11 Reverse Transcriptase as a catalyst. The MassTag PCR procedure will then be done using the tick panel, with primers added to the reactants to help detect the Borrelia species responsible for relapsing fever and the Powassan virus. All the MassTag PCR assays that will be done in the experiment will utilize 3ml of cDNA. The final PCR products wi... ...tology 140.1 (2006): 143-147. Print. Koch, KR, and JG Burg. â€Å"Relative Abundance and Survival of the Tick Amblyomma americanum Collected from Sunlit and Shaded Habitats.† Medical and Veterinary Entomology 20.1 (2006): 173-176. Print. Teel, Pete, HR Ketchum, DE Mock, RE Wright, and Otto Strey. â€Å"The Gulf Coast Tick: A Review of the Life History, Ecology, Distribution, and Emergence as an Arthropod of Medical and Veterinary Importance.† Journal of Medical Entomology 47.5 (2010): 707- 722. Print. White, Stephan, and Donald Mock. â€Å"Ixodus scapularis (Ascri: Ixodidae) in Kansas: A New Distribution Record.† Journal of Medical Entomology 28.6 (1991): 872-873. Print. Williams, Christopher, William Davidson, Scott Lutz, and Roger Applegate. â€Å"Health Status of Northern Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginiaus) in Eastern Kansas.† Avian Diseases 44.1 (2000): 953-956. Print.

Toms Character in the Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

Tom Buchanan’s moral character can be quesitoned due to his dispicable and patheic nature when it comes to his actions throughout the novel. Even though he was born into a wealthy family and thus inherited the wealth he has in the novel, no signs of moral teachings by his family were evident. The actions he took in the book were due to him being a conceited and ignorant man. His ignorance was a result of the easy access he had to power and wealth. He feels that because he has wealth and power in society, he is given the acquiescence to be as arrogant and immoral as he so chooses and society cannot do anything about it. Because of this he looks down upon people that he feels are lower in the social and financial ladder. An example of this is when Nick is talking to tom about his accomplice in adultery and Nick says â€Å"Doesn’t her(Myrtle Wilson) husband object?† and Tom replies with â€Å"Wilson? He thinks she goes to see her sister in New York. He’s so dumb he doesn’t know he’s alive† (Gatsby 26). This indicates that Tom is very cocky and ignorant. Tom’s immoral acts in the novel stem from his overconfidence and ignorance due to his wealth and power. This is further proved by the fact that when his first and only child was born, he left Daisy without any support only one hour after the birth of their daughter. This is shown in the novel when Daisy says â€Å"Well she was less than an hour old and Tom was God knows where† (Gatsby 22). For most, the birth of a child would be a joyous occasion and a reason for celebration but as for Tom’s case, he had no love for Daisy at that time. If he had love for her, he would not commit a sin and perpetrate adultery with Myrtle Wilson. A man with strong morals would never commit the sin of betraying their spouse and then cause the other person to do the same in the process. Moreover, he uses his accomplice in the adultery as an object and has no care or consideration for her whatsoever. An example of this is an altercation between Myrtle and Tom : â€Å"Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!† shouted Mrs. Wilson. â€Å"I’ll say it whenever I want to! Daisy!

Consumer product safety act :: essays research papers fc

Consumer Product Safety Act   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Consumer Product Safety Act states that any company that receives numerous complaints about a products defects must report these claims to the CPSA. According to the CPSA reporting responsibilities belong to manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers of consumer products. Each is required to notify the Commission if it obtains information which reasonably supports the conclusion that a product fails to comply with a consumer product safety standard or banning regulation. Also if the product contains a defect which could create a substantial product hazard, creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury, or death to the consumer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Commission's interpretative regulation explains the company's obligations and those of the Commission.. This requires manufacturers of a consumer product to report to the Commission if a particular model of a consumer product is the subject of three civil actions that have been filed in Federal or State court, each suit alleges the involvement of that model in death or serious injury to the body. Then at least three of the actions will result in a final settlement involving the manufacturer; or in a judgment for the plaintiff within any one of the two year periods specified. The first two year period began to run on January 1, 1991 and ends on December 31, 1992. The second two year period starts on January 1, 1993; the third, on January 1, 1995; and so forth. Manufacturers must file a report within 30 days after the settlement or judgment in the third civil action to which the reporting requirement applies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Why is the reporting required? The intent of Congress was to encourage widespread reporting of potential product hazards. Congress sought not only to have the Commission uncover substantial product hazards, but also to identify risks of injury which the Commission could attempt to prevent through its own efforts, such as information and education programs, safety labeling, and adoption of product safety standards. Although CPSC relies on sources other than company reports to identify substantial product hazards, reporting by companies is invaluable because firms often learn of product safety problems long before the Commission does. For this reason, any company involved in the manufacture, importation, distribution or sale of consumer products should develop a system of reviewing and maintaining consumer complaints, inquiries, product liability suits and comments on the products they handle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If a firm reports to the Commission it does not necessarily mean there is a substantial product hazard.