Global and regional environmental Essay

People across the globe are being affected by global and regional environmental changes. The drastic environmental problems such ozone layer depletion and climate change are as a result of over consumption, unsustainable life styles and unhealthy patterns of development (Harris, 47). Environmental problems are likely to hit the marginalized and the poor first often with drastic consequences but latter they will also affect the privileged. Unless these environmental problems are curbed they are threatening to cause havoc to the life support systems and the ecosystems. This will therefore lead to an immense and unprecedented crisis for the whole humanity. To achieve sustainable development and the health of the environment it requires drastic changes in the current global order and formulation of the alternative ways of thinking. Within environmental movements there are huge wealth of experiences, ideas and visions of what an alternative environmental sustainable and people oriented societies can look like. Environmental destruction has always been part of the human history (Harris, 48). Throughout time the problems of the environment have been important factors affecting the health of people both at regional and global level. The pressure on the environment has increased enormously as a result of changing scales of the human society increases and development of the technology. This problem is fuelled by the runaway global economic systems which have created over consumption (unprecedented affluence) and enormous level of poverty. The environmental problems now threaten to cause irreversible harm to the ecosystems and increase inequalities on a global scale (Pickering & Owen, 117). Some of the environmental problems are immediate local problems whose their causes can be known and their solutions be identified. On the other hand other environmental problems are incredibly complex and they are often complex to handle. Such environmental problems involve much uncertainty and affect the whole globe and are the result of combined human behavior. These problems are maintained and embedded on the societal structures (Harris, 50). Some critics argue that environmental problems are as a result of the present day population growth especially in the third world countries and natural resources depletion in the highly industrialized countries (Harris, 50). Alarmist argue that the explosive population growth in less developed countries and overexploitation of the non renewable resources by the highly industrialized countries are combining to produce sets of condition which cannot be sustained in the long-run by our finite world. The population problems of third world countries constitute an impediment to social economic development and can pose a threat to depletion of natural resources. However relatively low crude population densities in many third world countries with exception of some few areas they do not produce population pressure on the natural resources (Harris, 52). Most of the third worlds countries have an even population distribution and few urban centers are becoming overcrowded. High rates of population growth in third world countries is as a result of high and constant fertility that have possibilities of reducing mortality due to the improved health facilities. Because of high proportion of children and high patterns of fertility heavy dependence burden is produced within the populations in most third world countries. The heavy dependence implies large expenditures of provision of employment and education for the growing population (Pickering & Owen, 134). Most bureaucrats, economists and political leaders in third world countries especially in Africa argue that third world countries in Africa have abundant resources which have not yet been tapped. They also argue that large area in Africa have not been inhabited and therefore the political question that population growth put pressure on the limited natural resources should not be taken seriously (Harris, 53). There is need for the political leaders, economist and bureaucrats to know the prospect of the third world countries in terms of the resources base that can absorb the population problems of the third world countries (Harris, 54). In comparison to other industrialized countries for example Europe nations the land under cultivation in third world African countries is three times higher per capita, the livestock per capita is two times higher, the grazing land per each unit of livestock is a bout seven times higher while the mineral resources out put of third worlds countries in Africa constitute one tenth of the mineral output of the whole world (Harris, 54). The primary energy resources of the third world countries are enormous which are comprised of natural gas and petroleum product coal and hydro power for example 32 percent of world hydro power which can be exploited, 12 percent of reserves of uranium and 60 percent of thorium reserves are found in Africa third world countries. Despite the abundant resources of the third world countries most countries in Africa are under developed (Harris, 57). It would be a weak argument to suggest that the high population growth in the third world countries is the root cause of their underdevelopment. However the high population growth of the third world countries is an important factor that impedes development. The rapid population growth constitutes pressure on the arable land. Several million hectares of land are being degraded in third world countries (Pickering & Owen, 204). The degradation of land can be linked to population pressure and poverty, values and attitude of people weak tenure systems and land management and drought which often results in over exploitation of the natural resources such as the trees used for fuel wood, overgrazing deforestation and unsustainable agricultural activities. Degradation has decreased land productivity, increased desertification and causes loss of arable land in most third world countries (Pickering & Owen, 206). As a result of degradation in the third world countries there is less food than can be produced in degraded lands and also the availability of biomass is greatly reduced. Land degradation also makes the ecosystems to be less resilient and increases chances of malnutrition and susceptibility of diseases in the local populations. Third world countries like china, Ethiopia, Brazil, Nepal, India and most African countries have caused much of environmental degradation. In recent time the respective government has began to introduce policies to minimize the extensive environmental degradation that their countries are facing (Pickering & Owen, 213). The environmental policies have been developed soon after formation of and applying pressure by several activist groups in the field of environment. Initially before the activist groups applied pressure the governments in the third world countries did not see any needs to develop environmental policies. Environmental degradation is only the problem of the third world countries and most often thirds world countries have make do with what they owns and usually they compete with large populations (Pickering & Owen, 208). Once a natural resource for example water is degraded it become of little use to the people. On the other hand western or industrialized countries have a higher standard of living than third world countries or less developed countries. In developed countries the communities have access to electricity, clean water, housing, employment, refrigeration, clothing, food, heating, hospital, schools, medicines, machinery, manufacturing, communication and road thus in the process they consume much of the resources (Pickering & Owen, 209). The communities of the third world poor countries do not have access to these things and they rely on what they can hunt, gather or grow. People in the third world countries acquire other things if they have surplus produce to sell and therefore are disadvantaged to gain access to power supply, telecommunication, railways and roads thus becomes difficult to access the few schools hospitals etc and therefore third world countries are not degrading the environment as much as the developed nations (Pickering & Owen, 210).

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Leadership - Essay Example On the other hand, an ineffective and unsuccessful team may be witnessed from a group of people who are greatly focused on gratifying self-interests and are often engaged in unnecessary arguments with one another. Members of such team assert themselves to no avail and exercise ‘crab mentality’ where individual functions and the task of decision-making seem unclear. For instance, in the event that members keep complaining about not meeting personal expectations yet lack the responsibility to follow the leader and contribute to the productivity of the team, there only emerges poor performance with no sense of fulfillment. Sources: AchieveMarketing. â€Å"Effective and Successful Teams: Is It Teamwork or Performance that Matters?† HubPages. Retrieved from http://achievemarketing.hubpages.com/hub/Effective-and-Successful-Teams-Is-it-Teamwork-or-Performance-that-Matters on July 9, 2012. Hager, Timothy D. â€Å"Effective and Ineffective Team Characteristics.† Enr ichment Journal. Retrieved from http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200304/082_stf04_teamchar_sb.cfm on July 9, 2012. (2) Scenario: Given that I am managing a team of eight members whose major task involves architectural design of a commercial site, I have 4 individuals (group A) assigned to come up with one particular scheme while the other 4 (group B) ought to create an alternative so that our client can decide based on the project design that suits their requirements well. In the process, people consult me for further insights besides their resources and group A consists of members who have tenured as much as my length of stay in the organization, being colleagues who are within my circle of intimate relations. Group B, on the other hand, is composed of members who have just been regularized in the company and compared to group A, they are younger, competitive, more dynamic, and most of all, are highly eager to obtain promotion and pay increase. With the first 2 quarters, the client has consistently expressed satisfaction with the progress report of group B and yet on the third quarter, the client wavers decision between the two designs, rationalizing that they also perceive huge potentials from the work of group A, considering future systems. Both divisions worked hard and persevered creatively in my regular assessment, it is just that while group B delivers optimum results, they rarely share ideas to group A though the latter encourages open communication within the team. Then I am about to evaluate performances per group where only one group is entitled to appraisal and one group to receive award after the site project is through. To resolve my ethical dilemma as a manager, I suppose it would be fair for group B to have the award and for group A to be appraised, thinking that people who are focused on obtaining personal achievements should be rewarded right away whereas those who are greatly concerned about teamwork and are more disposed to keep healthy soci al relations and behavior within the entire organization must be found deserving of appraisal. Source: â€Å"Ethics Dilemmas – Hypothetical Scenarios.† Retrieved from http://www.ccat-ctac.org/downloads/2004_Felter_Juteau_e.pdf on July 9, 2012. (3) Diverse organization, as I see it, pertains to an organization consisting of members of various

A literature review about the role of nutrition information in Research Paper

A literature review about the role of nutrition information in influencing consumer choice - Research Paper Example The pieces of information are inclusive of brand name, price and search attributes that are within a store. There is also set levels of importance given to the visual aids within the product as well as the factual information given. It has been found (Degeratu et al, 55: 2000), that the factual information, such as fat levels, nutritional levels and other measurements, are the most important determinant of what consumers decide to buy from a supermarket (Degeratu et al, 55: 2000). While the nutritional value that is available through information is known as the most important aspect for those buying food, there are also differences in the decision making process. The demographics and expectations from different sets of individuals determine what the most popular items are in supermarkets. For instance, young adults often consume snacks that don’t have the same levels of nutritional values. The decision to choose the snacks is based on the taste, satisfaction and trends that ar e a part of the snacks. It was found through a recent study (Cranage et al, 125: 2003), that there wasn’t a difference in nutritional value when choosing different snacks. Two snacks were given, one with higher nutritional value than the other. ... From these two studies, it can be seen that the nutritional information depicts choices between various types of groups. However, there is a difference in whether the responses are positive or negative as well as what influences consumers with the enjoyment of the food. Through another study (Edwards et al, 332: 2005), there was a question of how negative or positive information influenced those that were deciding to take specific types of nutritional foods. A group was assisted with the purchases that they made by being given information on the food. The information was specifically designed to cause a positive, negative or neutral statement about the food. After eating the food, the participants were given a survey to define the quality of food with nutritional value as well as taste and satisfaction. It was found that the negative information or beliefs about the food caused the participants to be influenced by the food chosen. However, if the food was chosen, despite the negative comments, it didn’t create a negative response after eating the food in satisfaction or the taste value associated with the food (Edwards, et al, 332: 2005). This particular study shows that the information before giving individuals a type of food can influence their decision to buy the food. However, it doesn’t influence the responses that are given after eating the food and making the determination necessary for their own understanding of quality. The attitudes and behaviors that are created from quality have some dependence on the nutritional information. However, there are also cultural and societal trends that begin to influence the choices of those that are buying different types of food

The Holy Grail Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Holy Grail - Essay Example Nevertheless, they would say the Holy Grail was not only a mystery, secrecy, or adventure but it also required much valuable knowledge from people if they shared the same historical background. A brief discussion on the historical background of the Holy Grail however, may be of some help in understanding the thesis. In the modern day, a majority will agree that the Holy Grail is a cup or a goblet that is related to Christ. However, we should not assume that the Holy Grail is merely an object. People also have other ideas about the Holy Grail that it could be a Blood Line, figure of Christ, or even Christ himself. The Holy Grail is a symbol of blood from Christ and that it was also the cup used while they were drinking wine. In addition, it was also used to gather the blood of Christ while he was hung on the cross. Some people believe that this cup has lots of miraculous powers.. For instance, it has the privilege to communicate with God, which, some believed, might bring them treatme nt, recycling, even immortality. There is also testimony to the assumption that the Holy Grail is the Blood Line of Christ. The word Holy Grail has changed a couple of times and Sangreal is just one of the words which referred to Christs cup before the advent of the word Holy Grail. The word Sangreal connotes a word San Greal that also suggests the meaning of Blood Line of Christ. The evidence of this theory is comes from the belief of some people that a baby was actually born to Christ and Mary Magdalene. Some theorists proclaim that this royal bloodline still remains today. The theory that we can finally come to about the Holy Grail is that the Holy Grail is just a cup, which simply symbolizes Christ. This is what the Catholics believe. In Catholicism, it is believed that Christ is sanctity, therefore, he did not marry Mary Magdalene nor did he have any children or any sort of bloodline.

Analyzing Literature with The Method(E) Assignment

Analyzing Literature with The Method(E) - Assignment Example Play, playing, dolls appear severally a clear indication that the narrator enjoys playing, but she feels stupid/weird for having played with a toy; â€Å"I felt stupid for having played with a toy that day† (Katie N.p). Play and bleeding- â€Å"I’ve been bleeding monthly for more than 20 years now and I figure I’m allowed to play with anything I want† (Katie N.p). The author states this when we very well know that she is already an adult and should not engage in childish plays. Contrasts; Play and bleeding- the narrator states that she is allowed to play after bleeding monthly for over 20 years yet the bleeding signifies ‘menstruation periods’ growing up thus should not be playing with toys. Step 5: one of the most important aspects that I can take from step 4 is play and bleeding. The narrator states that she is allowed to play after bleeding monthly for over 20 years yet the bleeding signifies ‘menstruation periods’ growing up thus should not be playing with toys. This indicates the narrators love for play and dolls. Even as an adult, she still plays with dolls, ironically. Moreover, the narrator repeats the playing concept to emphasize and reiterate her love for

TLMT313 WEEK 3 FORUM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

TLMT313 WEEK 3 FORUM - Assignment Example The approach promotes substitution of methods and materials with cheaper alternatives, without altering the functionality. Value engineering lowers operational and management costs, improves efficiency of resources, simplify procedures and minimizes paperwork. Value engineering helps to reduce staff costs as well as achieving optimum balance between function, performance, safety, quality and cost (Mukhopadhyaya, 2009). Value engineering and value analysis effort should be led by designers, manufacturing and production engineer, purchasing specialist and executive staff. The designers help in making decisions at an early stage of the product concerning product design, specifications, equipment required and the effect of the product to another department. Production and manufacturing engineers determines how the product is to be made, and they manage the production process. Purchasing specialists help to convert design elements into material specifications. Operational staff makes the product and deliver service. They also provide the necessary information about production problems. Supply management supports the process by converting design requirements of the product to material specifications. They source materials required to develop the product and suggest suppliers of the materials to the

Child Beauty Pageants Essay Example for Free

Child Beauty Pageants Essay Sparkling tiaras, beautiful gowns, glamorous hair and make-up; One would believe that this would be every little girl’s dream. Unfortunately this dream often turns into a horrible nightmare. The popularity of child beauty pageants seems to be rising every year causing more and more controversy. There are many different views and concerns that people seem to have on these types of pageants. Many of them do not agree with children being forced to fulfill their parents dream by taking place in a beauty pageant. The history of beauty pageants became part of the American society around the 1920’s. They originated as a marketing tool in 1921 by an Atlantic City hotel owner who was trying to attract tourist. Since then, pageants have become a major event in the lives of Americans. The online article written by Kareen Nussbaum exclaims that it wasn’t until the 1960’s when child beauty pageants really began. Back then, child pageants consist of modeling sportswear, evening attire, dance, and talent. The judging was based on the individual’s looks, talent, poise, perfection, and level of confidence. Pageants were conducted at political, educational, and entertainment venues. Many were scholarships were being offered through pageants, and beneficial programs were being facilitated. The pageantry world helped introduced a face to the faceless troubles of racism, handicaps, and illnesses. Since that time, a lot in the pageant industry has changed. Nowadays, they are anything buy conservative. Beauty pageants, like the ones on the show Toddlers and Tiaras, are not about natural looks but are based on such superficial things such as who has the most make up and best tan. Parents have a major role in most child beauty pageants. There are very few children who participate in pageantry without their parents. They are the ones who provide the money and connection into the pageant world. Several families who start their child in beauty pageants have generations of competitors that include grandmas, mothers, kids, and grandkids. Many believe that the mothers of children that are involved in beauty pageants live vicariously through their children. Too often, pageant moms have only one thing on their mind and that is for their child to win! Having their own mother/parent as their role model, the child will most likely have that same kind of attitude causing many problems throughout their life. There are many other reasons why child beauty pageants are unnecessary in today’s society. As children, they are most likely forced into the beauty pageants. Being too young to say no, the parents take control. Beauty pageants also sexualize young girls too early. They are exposed and become familiar with â€Å"womanly† items such as padded bras, high heels, and make-up. Instead of acting like their own age, the little girls believe to think they are older than they really are. High heels aren’t made for small feet. They needlessly push the child’s weight forward causing lower back pain and hindering proper development of their feet. Sometimes younger girls are forced to wear heels outside of pageants, because their feet have grown in a way that makes wearing other shoes uncomfortable. Hairspray is the most common widely used product in child pageants. Unfortunately, too much hairspray can actually stunt growth. The Psychology Corner claims that it contains certain chemicals that act as hormone disruptors that could be harmful to the body, and is linked to stunted growth and even lung cancer! If child beauty pageants weren’t allowed, these kinds of troubles wouldn’t be so prevalent. Cognitive and emotional problems are probably the most dangerous problems that beauty pageants can cause. They are capable to leading to many different kinds of disorders that could ruin a child’s life. A 2007 report by the American Psychological Association found that the hypersexualization of young girls is strongly associated with eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression. Psychologists and psychiatrists largely agree that pageants reinforce negative female body image issues that result in eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Beauty competitions emphasize the barbie doll image of what a beauty queen should look like. The problem with having that image is that there is no way for a person to be able to look like that. Even 25 years ago, top models and beauty queens weighed only 8% less than the average woman, now they weigh 23% less according to the Oprah Winfrey Network. Although Zinzi Williams states that many of the beauty pageants take part in community service, delivering a social message and help in bringing up funds for charity, numerous of them are exaggerated and mess with a young child’s mind. For about fifty years, beauty pageants have been teaching children to behave as young adults rather than acting their own age. Rather than focusing primarily on the idea of competition, pageants for younger children should be created to concentrate on the child’s talent, intelligence, poise, and confidence. While there can be some positive aspects of children beauty pageants, the physical and mental health of the participants will only continue to exacerbate. Works Cited 5 Facts about Beauty Pageants. Oprah Winfrey Network. Harpo Productions, 2012. Web. 2 Dec. 2012. Nussbaum, Kareen. Children and Beauty Pagaents. Beauty Pagaents. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2012. Toddlers and children beauty pageants – Risk factors for severe psychological turmoils. Psychology Corner. Psychology Corner, n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2012. Williams, Zinzi. Beauty Pageants and its Effects on Children. Purduecal. N.p., 6 Dec. 2010. Web. 3 Dec. 2012.