Judaism And Early Christianity Essay

Judaism and Christianity forms part of the Abrahamic religions where Islam is the third. They both believe in ancestral background of Abraham where they believe in the great covenant between God and Abraham. However, Judaism and Christianity posses both similarity and differences. They both follow suit the bible as the holy book. However Christianity has Sunday as their worship day while Saturday is for the Judaism. They both depict a close relationship in theological and historical backgrounds. However they posses substantial distinctions which emanate from the nature of their religious response. The basic similarities born to the Christians is because it came from Judaism. Its breakdown from Judaism however led to a totally different religion though sharing some specific characteristics. As much difference as occurring between the two, they are almost the same believing in the biblical teachings and a divine supernatural being. An important opening comparison between the two is that they belief in Abraham as their founding ancestor. To the Judaism however, they have a basic belief of all the religions as being God’s children whom therefore brings a sense of equality to them all. They have the believe of God’s love for his people but does not campaign on sole conversion towards Judaism for them to have salvation. In the same however, it welcomes those who wish to join this religion without hesitation of what would be their current religions background. (http://www. catholiceducation. org/articles/apologetics/ap0007. html) Generally, both can be argued as monotheistic which means the believe in one powerful God. However, as much as monotheism is a similarity of God, a difference exists between the two on the nature of this God. To the Judaism, God cannot be broken down into other parts. They thus believe in a sole and a full God. However, Christians have the sense of Trinitarian where God exists in God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit. Therefore, though sharing the perception of one God, a sense of incompatibility arises when the existence of God as a whole according to Judaism has a subdivided personality according to Christians. To Judaism, idea of one God brings the essence of unity and the unique nature of his force towards the cosmos. To them (Judaism) God is the sole creator of everything. They refer Trinitarianism as weakening the essence of God’s unity /oneness. (Diane, 1992) However, a contrast of view exists between the two in their view about Jesus. To the Christians, they have Jesus has a Central pillar in their religion. He is part of the God’s trinity. He is the Son of God and gives the revelation of God through the flesh. To then, the belief that Jesus is the incarnate God who existed in flesh and came to save the sins of man through his death. However, a different point of view exists in Judaism about Jesus. To them, Jesus was just a mere Son of God but existed like a general human being to them. He has no power of saving human souls and therefore did not rise from his death. He had no power of absorbing man’s sins. Forgiveness is what removes man’s sins but not atonement of Jesus. To the Christians however, he came to replace the dominant Jewish law which however is contrasted by the Jewish. A contrast also sexists in their view of Jesus as the Messiah. This is true to the Chriatianity. However, the Judaism has the view that Messiah will be unique human being who will bring liberation towards human piece. To them, Messiah exists only when the whole worlds gets into peace. However, Jesus’ era on earth could not provide this. To the Jews however, a different pedigree of understanding about Jesus as man exists. (http://www. catholiceducation. org/articles/apologetics/ap0007. html) A conception into the traditions of the original sin and the doctrine of a free will elsewhere exists between the two. To the Judaism, original sin is a mere mythology. They reject the aspect that people are born with sins, which can only be removed whenever they believe in Jesus in his sacrificial death. To the Christians, salvation is the only way in which human sins can be washed away. However, the Jewish has the view that man is never good nor bad at birth. Consequently, they possess both good and bad inclinations at their birth. However, to them is the aspect of free will from which they choose how to model their conceptions. Their morality is built on ethics, which grants them the opportunity for choosing what best to do at specific times in time. (Diane, 1992) A similarity and difference in life on earth and after death also exist. To both, lives after death is a consequent reality. To the Jews however, an importance should be attached to improving life on the earth, which is important in improving the status of the world. However, they never count on the importance of life after death. They argue on death as a component towards giving life its overall meaning. They belief that whatever life is taken after death is to the best interest of God. They however lack of a clear sense of hell and heaven. To the Christians however, life is death is real and is modeled in response to what extent a person had when a life. They belief on life after death for those who went after God’s teachings while a life. (Richard, 1983) It clear that monotheism, Abrahamism and biblical understanding are the basic ideologies that the two share in common. However, they a plugged into different understanding of how their sacred lives are undertaken. Reference Comparing Christianity & Judaism. Retrieved on 10th May 2008 from http://www. catholiceducation. org/articles/apologetics/ap0007. html Diane, W (1992) Christianity & Judaism. Blackwell Publishers Richard, W (1983) Christianity and Judaism. The Deepening Dialogue. Ridge Row Press

Assessment of overhead costs Essay

If a decision was made to outsource the manifold manufacturing, then the overheads of the Bridgestone Industries will show significant difference and even reductions in the level of overhead costs. The overhead pertaining to the wages and benefits for the non skilled personnel would decrease as the outsourcing of the product line would reduce the need for the non skilled personnel in the capacities of trucks and janitors by a small percentage level. The overhead associated with the salaried personnel, including the benefits would also decrease as there would be no need to hire or pay personnel to work on the manifold line. The production supplies overhead which includes production gadgets, tools and equipment like gloves, safety goggles and packing material etc would also reduce as the manifold line would not require such production supplies if outsourced. The overheads associated with the small technical tools would also reduce as the need for such tools would no longer be presented by the manifold line, if the line is to be outsourced to a third party. The usage of the utilities like coal, gas and electricity used to drive the manufacturing process of manifold would also be eliminated as an expense. Therefore the overhead associated with this expense would also be significantly reduced. On the other hand the wages of the no production employees and the benefits provided to them might not decrease. Any decrease in this overhead would be minimal as the non production employees are not greatly impacted by the outsourcing of a production line as opposed to the production associated employees and personnel. Similarly the deprecation conducted on the property and the taxes would not reduce and can remain stable as the property is shared by all product lines and as long as the other two product lines are operating, the depreciation overhead would still occur at the same rate. The expenses related to constant personnel for the training, travel, and union representation would also considerably reduce as the number of personnel employed will decrease with the outsourcing of the manifold product line. The project expense of the setup and arrangement of new equipment and machinery would not be a reducing overhead as this expense is effect by purchase of new equipment and not by the operation of a product line. The overhead associated with the benefits provided to employees in terms of overtime payment, on an hourly basis, state unemployment and the pension provided to employees and labor at the company would not reduce by a significant amount. Instead this expense can increase as more people are laid off or provided early retirement if the manifold line is outsources. Similarly the benefits of this kind provided to the skilled hourly workers specifically those associated with production will also reduce in the long term due to the outsourcing of the manifold producing. The reduction of this overhead would be due to the reduction in the employee/ labor strength in the production department which would reduce the expenses of benefits for the labor. Estimated Proposed Budget. In order to effectively budget for the year 1991, considering the manifold line is outsourced to a third party for manufacture, substantial assumptions had to be made. These assumptions pertained included adjusting the estimates of the active production lines at Bridgestone Industries with the incremental growth trend for their respective costs. The costs increase form year to year due to inflation and the changes in the CPI index. As a result it is important to adjust any forecasted figures for the respective growth trend of the costs and revenues. It has also been assumed that by outsourcing the manifold production line, the company is able to eliminate the costs associated with manifold production line labor, the direct materials used by the manifold production line and the overheads that were contributed to by the manifold production online. Another assumption that is made in the proposed budget is that even though the company has outsourced its operations for the manifold production line. The company is still selling the products by purchasing them from the outsourcing company and providing them to the automobile manufacturers in the United States. As a result the sales revenue is forecasted even though the costs associated are eliminated and not considered. Moreover the costs associated with outsourcing are not incorporated in the budget as they are no longer part of the manufacturing/ productions department. The following is the proposed budget for the year 1991 which considers the manifold production line to be outsourced while no additional production line is dropped by the Bridgestone Industries. Proposed Budget for the year 1991 USD (‘000) 1991 Sales Fuel Tanks 87,378. Manifolds 97,031 Doors 52,681 Mufflers/Exhausts – Oil Pans – 237,089 Direct Material Fuel Tanks 17,693 Manifolds – Doors 17,414 Mufflers/Exhausts – Oil Pans – 35,107 Direct Labor Fuel Tanks 4,788 Manifolds – Doors 3,084 Mufflers/Exhausts – Oil Pans – 7,872 Overheads 1000 3,093 1500 3,229 2000 1,152 3000 768 4000 4,049. 5000 11,043 8000 2,039 9000 3,261 11000 1,650 12000 8,543 14000 4,418 43,246 The proposed budget that has been drawn up significantly depicts that if the company opts to outsource the manifolds production line in the year 1991, then the company is able to observe significance reductions in its operating costs and overheads. Therefore it can be mentioned that by outsourcing the manifold production line the company can experience cost savings and better revenue levels. The proposed budget for the year 1991 indicates that the Sales forecast increased to $237 million while the direct material based costs are forecasted to be at $35 million. The forecast of the direct labor employed for the active production lines would be at $7 million only while the total overheads for the operation would be equivalent to 2 million only. The overhead burden rate in the year 1991 as a result is reduced to 307 percent with the allocated overhead for the fuel tank’s production line at $26 million while the production line for manufacturing the rear and front doors would be at approximately $17 million.

An American Daughter The Construction of Lyssas Character in

An American Daughter The Construction of Lyssa's Character in Wendy Wasserstein was a highly influential playwright and person in general. She was a pioneer of feminism within the theatre as well as non-aggressive feminism outside of it. Her female characters are unlike any seen in theatre previously, and have a life that Wasserstein breathes into them through their dialogue, their descriptions, their actions and their lives. She presents characters that deal with serious issues, and has them respond in ways that are undeniably human, and draw the audience in. This lifelike female archetype is particularly visible in Wasserstein’s An American Daughter. Lyssa, a â€Å"Forty-two-year-old in a cotton shirt and jeans†¦,† (Wasserstein 7) is a sharp, career-focused woman. She is working to become the Surgeon-General, and she faces much to get there. She is not only smart and capable, but she deals with regret, bitterness, and the lack of a filter; flaws which make her life leap from the pages of Wasserstein’s script. Even within the description of the character lies an important break of stereotype. Lyssa is a career-driven woman, but she is not presented in a pantsuit and tie, nor does she wear heels and pearls every day. She is a woman. She wears jeans and a t-shirt, and she faces family issues just like real women do. By starting, at the most basic level, with a fight against diminutive and unrealistic standards, the precedent for honesty is set before anything else. Wendy Wasserstein’s An American Daughter is a prime example of Wasserstein’s presentation of women : smart, strong, capable, and well rounded. Lyssa, as well as her friend Judith and acquaintance Quincy, is presented not as the theatre-standard quiet, demure housewife, but as an independent woman seeking professional achievement. She works very hard, and obviously has a sharp mind and quick wit. What sets Lyssa apart from other female characters like her is not the blatant image of her, but rather the subtext and underlying character traits. In many other stories, there is a strong, witty female character who ‘goes against the grain,’ but Wasserstein’s protagonist (unlike so many others in the same strain) lacks the softer, alluring need for a man. This is the most significant difference between Lyssa and other female leads. Even Jane Austen’s Lizzy in Pride and Prejudice has the wit and the strength, but she boils down to a woman who craves a love interest. Lyssa does not. She has love, she has a husband and kids, but this is not her end goal. She loves her family and her job. She works hard to make her way in the world, and does so without leaning on her father the senator, and without using femininity, meekness, or sexual allure. She is not reduced to a sum of her womanly charm and a tube of lipstick, and this is Wasserstein’s genius. Not only is Lyssa a role model for career-seeking girls, she is also a role model for authors and playwrights alike. She is more than an archetype of the ‘capable woman,’ she seems to be a living, breathing person, someone who could walk out of her Georgetown home and into the lives of any and all of the readers. This is Wasserstein’s biggest influence on the w orld of theatre. She pioneered real, plausible female characters in theatre, and opened doors for equality and feminism within and outside of the theatre. Even when Lyssa catches her husband Walter kissing another woman, she doesn’t melt into the scene we know all too well: woman exits the room with a strong face, finds a place to be alone, sobs, finds her resolve again, and kicks the man out saying something along the lines of â€Å"I have too much potential to waste time on you.† Instead, Lyssa just walks away. She harbors some deep resentment toward her husband, which becomes obvious in the following interactions, but she doesn’t dust herself off and move on with her life. This is why Wasserstein’s characters are so important: they are beautifully, humanly, imperfect. Lyssa handles her husband’s infidelity in a way that isn’t healthy- and that’s important. This is one of the first instances of a character that the women in the audience can look at and say, â€Å"Oh,that’s me. I do that, too.† Much of the validity of Wasserstein’s characters comes from their start in reality. Once again, the truth of her characters stems from the truth in her life. She said what she felt needed to be heard, whether people would like it or hate it ( and most of the time they hated- or at least some did. ) She never presented her ideas as all-encompassing or perfect, instead she celebrated the flaws in all that she commented on: life, women, parents, children, feminism, and society; she commented on them in honesty, rather than trying to brush over issues. Wasserstein devoted most of her adult life to promoting better media presence for women, whether this was through her plays or through her own presentation of herself, her affect was widely experienced. Wasserstein poured (at least) a little bit of herself into each of her characters, and this is what changed the history of American Theatre. Wasserstein’s own life; her difficult childhood; the secrecy in her home; and the intense rivalry between her and her brother ensnared her audience with the fact that at long last- they were watching real women living real lives. One of the major influences on Wasserstein’s writing and, in fact, her life, was her mother Lola Schleifer. Lola was an eccentric woman to say the least. She ran her home and looked after her children, and all the while centered her life around her passion dance. She taught Wendy many important lessons about life, but was also the source of serious strife within the Wasserstein home. Lola demanded perfection from her children and would accept nothing less. This lead to her sending her mentally disabled son Abner to a mental care facility and ceasing all contact. The family never visited him, and soon ceased to acknowledge his existence whatsoever. He did not fit into Lola’s perfect suburban-mold family, so he wasn’t included. This was the type of behavior that put immense pressure of Wendy as she grew up. Wendy was constantly being compared to her brother Bruce, a well-to-do investment banker. Wendy’s accomplishments, however impressive, were held up to t he mold of her brother’s victories, and always seemed to fall short. This search for validity was present in all of Wasserstein’s life, and so it trickled into her writing. It is present in Lyssa specifically. Lyssa seeks her own career and advancement opportunities, and is constantly being compared to her father, which is endlessly frustrating to her. This is a clear link to Wasserstein’s own life, and one of the many reasons Lyssa seems to jump right off the page. Wasserstein also manages to capture a very real vulnerability in her characters. This likely stems from her mother’s influence. Her mother was particularly hard on Wendy as she was growing up and searching for what she wanted to do as an adult. Her mother even said at one point, â€Å"‘Wendy, you make me want to blechhh,’† (Salmon 62). Wendy wanted to win her mother’s favor and approval, but didn’t have a direction for her life, and so was a disappointment to Lola. This type of apathy shows through in the powerful vulnerability of her characters, and gives some insight into the basis of their strife. Aside from just her written works, Wendy Wasserstein was a powerful public figure, and an invaluable voice for women in society. One of the most significant facets of her public persona was the fact that she refused to be the aggressive, hot-tempered stereotype of the feminist. Instead, she lived her life in a way that didn’t allow for misogyny towards herself or her career. In so doing, she led a quiet, well-adjusted opposition to the predominantly-male broadway of the time. The fact that she managed to accomplish so much had everything to do with her public persona. Wasserstein is credited as having one of the first intimate public personas, at a time before Facebook statuses opened a window into people’s lives. Wasserstein published a series of newspaper columns that presented a manicured version of her life to the public eye. She wrote casually, as if she was talking to friends, but still kept the more personal or untidy portions of her life just that personal. This is not to say that Wasserstein shied away from discussing more personal subject matter in her works. In fact, it was just the opposite. She wrote in her plays frank discussions of love, intimacy, sex, and infidelity. Once again, however, she had a distinguishing factor: none of these was used gratuitously. Her female characters didn’t sit around gossipping about boys because what else do women do?. Wives had sex with their husbands not because that was a wifely duty, but because they wanted to. Once again, Wasserstein presented real life, and part of that was real discussion and real relationships. An interesting dynamic is created within An American Daughter when Lyssa brings up the idea that she wouldn’t have lost her nomination had she not been a woman. If a man had done the exact same things (skipping jury duty, making an offhand joke about homemakers), it would have been dismissed as a mistake, but because she was a woman, there was a shift in the power dynamic, and so the public jumped at the chance to have a reason to scorn her. This moment is almost certainly a commentary on our society. Wasserstein is using the reaction to Lyssa as a method of commenting on the ever-present distinction of reactions to mens failures versus womens. This is amplified by the fact that Lyssa is running for a position of power which had a long tradition of being male, and is taking the place of a man. Wasserstein is drawing attention to the fact that men have just as many shortcomings as women, and yet only with women in power roles are those shortcomings thrust into the spotlight. This is another area of feminism in which Wasserstein for many years led the charge: true equality. She did not fight for women to be seen as better than men, she didn’t want to take men down, she simply quietly and reasonably persisted towards her goal of equality. She was a mouthpiece for women across America, and lent a voice to women who wanted to see themselves being accurately represented without forcing a major debate. All of this innovation in the world of feminism in the theatre did not come without debate. Because Wasserstein was unafraid to push the envelope when it came to serious topics, her worked tended to chafe nearly as many people as it encouraged. Wasserstein herself commented on the fact that her plays were breaking through a societal barrier and, in doing so, causing some strife. She mentioned the idea that she was the only woman writing plays for women about women, and so they were expected to be all-inclusive providing representation for all women everywhere. Of course, realistically, this is impossible to achieve. The plays offer much more representation for actual women, but they cannot possibly include characters that everyone identifies with, and so some people will feel that there is still inaccurate and unrealistic representation. This disagreement towards Wasserstein’s works is particularly present against her major success The Heidi Chronicles. This is a work which manages to portray (and sometimes outrightly state) feminist views, but it does so in such a way that seems to undermine the very point she tries to make. The characters in this play may present feminism, but they do not do so without critique. Wasserstein pointed out that feminism isn’t flawless by any means, but that, just like the women it is seeking to further, it is worth it despite the shortcomings. (Barnett 14 15). It is important to note that Wasserstein’s legacy is not only in her feminism, but in her realism as a whole. Wasserstein had a way of writing characters and situations that made her audience believe that the character could live right next door to them. Her characters had real conversations with each other, and rather than trying to force in subtext, Wasserstein seemed to just allow subtext to happen as it would. Characters faced their adversities and responded in ways that people would, rather than grotesque caricatures. This is one of the qualities that created her lifelike characters. One difficulty that Wasserstein faced because of her subtextual messages was being taken seriously. Because much of her agenda was hidden beneath layers of other meaning, many people saw her work as simple comedy, a glimpse at silly interactions. This perception is one that deeply frustrated her. Wasserstein fought to have her work recognized for what it was: a scathing review of societal norms. She is quoted as having said in response to her work being seen as lightweight, â€Å"‘No, you don’t understand, this is a political act,’† (Wasserstein quoted in Dolan 444). Much of this aversion to being underestimated was again attributed to her dedication to honesty. Her characters were created in way that would comment on issues that she felt needed discussion, and so by allowing those conversations to go without being communicated, She was being dishonest to them. By demanding that her work be understood for all of its subtext and hidden meaning, she was once again affirming her stance in truth and honesty, and her position as a mouthpiece for these ideas. From many people, this demand for her works to be wholly understood would come off as haughty and even possibly offensive, but Wasserstein’s calm demeanor and unassuming lifestyle kept this feeling at bay. She lived out the ideas that she wrote in a very genuine way. Because she lived out her ideals, she earned the respect she asked for. Her honesty lived in her characters, their dialogue, their interactions, and their back stories; as well as though her speech, life, family, and work. Another major influence in Wasserstein’s life was her daughter, Lucy Jane. Wendy had Lucy at age 48, and because of the lateness of the pregnancy, she faced severe health problems. Wasserstein was ill almost constantly through the entire pregnancy, and Lucy was born three months premature. She struggled for a time, but ended up surviving, and became a light in Wasserstein’s life. The pregnancy, however, left Wasserstein ill, and she suffered illness based on the complications of birth until her death in 2005. The pregnancy (and the father) were kept secret from the public, and in fact many of Wasserstein’s friends and family as well. Only the people closest to her, the ones she interacted with on a daily basis, were aware of the pregnancy, and knew better than to share the news with anyone. Only after Lucy was born and spent time in the NICU was her birth announced. It was a short article, keeping details about the complications to an absolute minimum and keeping up Wasserstein’s persona. Wasserstein then proceeded to raise Lucy by herself, once again shunning society’s idea of a perfect family in favor of her own version of perfect. The once-solitary woman now travelled with an entourage, including herself and Lucy and usually a nanny and a personal assistant. She spent less time writing and more time doing lectures and answering questions. She gave her effort to her daughter rather than playwriting, feeling that she could now give to her daughter the effort she had given her plays. She worked with many people as she oversaw productions of her shows, as well as the group of people who formed her support system. She referred to the men around her as her ‘husbands,’ and actually had two of them at the hospital when she was giving birth to Lucy. These people became her family, overcoming the image Wasserstein’s mother had left with her of the (so-called) perfect suburban family, in order to create her own little family unit. Six years later, Wasserstein passed away due to lymphoma. This would come as yet another shock to the audience, as the always-private Wasserstein had kept the news of her diagnosis a secret since she had received it. She had continued to appear in the public eye despite her physical ailments, including facial swelling and near-constant discomfort. To the unaware observer, Wasserstein seemed just as put-together as always, even in her last few months. She held lectures and interacted with fans until she was hospitalised in December of 2005. To those who knew her, however, it was clear that she was physically deteriorating. She had been sick since she gave birth to her daughter, and had gone through a string of misdiagnoses and referrals, before finally being diagnosed with lymphoma. Upon her passing, legions of people were shocked and grieving. The lights of Broadway were dimmed in her honor on January 31, 2006, the night after she passed. Wasserstein’s legacy started with her characters and her voice, and will carry on and resonate with her audience for years to come. Despite the social changes that have occurred since her writings, her message remains as relevant as ever. She was a pioneer in the theatrical world for women and their portrayal. Her comments on feminism, relationships, women, and life still hold meaning in our society. Her calm and ordered response to the lack of realistic women in media stands applicable even today, and her heroines are still admirable role models. Wasserstein’s work commented not only on women in theatre, but in the reality of people being depicted in any case. She presented real, vivid characters dealing with real life events, holding a mirror to and commenting on realism in the theatre.

Ethics and Politics of Asylum and Migration Dissertation

Ethics and Politics of Asylum and Migration - Dissertation Example In this regard migration is aligned with abuses of the internal market by criminals and terrorists. Essentially asylum-seekers and immigrants are characterized as presenting a threat to domestic economics and security. 4 On the other side of the argument, it is suggested that many of the asylum seekers and illegal immigrants are from third world countries and are therefore immediately subject to cultural and quite often racial occlusion.5 There is also the concern that stronger border controls merely result in immigrants and asylum-seekers using other more dangerous methods for escaping poverty, exploitation and human rights abuses.6 These opposing views relative to the strengthening of border control raise some important issues. First and foremost, in light of the increase in the threat of international terrorism and international criminal organisations, is cultural occlusion justified? More particularly, is cultural occlusion a deliberate outcome or is it merely a coincidence? This paper provides a critical analysis of these issues and in doing so identifies whether or not there is a resolution to the realistic concerns about international terrorism and international criminal activities particularly human and drug trafficking. The question is therefore, whether or not a resolution could viably filter out would-be terrorists and criminals and at the same time permit legitimate asylum-seekers and immigrants’ entry across borders in such a way that it does not raise suspicions of cultural occlusion and racism. I. Border Control: Definition Globalization has two sides. It not only facilitates the mobility of goods and people, it also facilitates the movement of terrorists, weapons, illegal drugs, illegal aliens and illnesses. It therefore appears that the most viable solution to this dilemma is the strengthening of border controls.7 However, any discussion of strengthening border control is easier said than done since border control involves a number of co mplex issues, particularly conflicting interests of the various stakeholders. In order to understand these complex issues it is necessary to first evaluate what border control is and what it means to the various stakeholders in the wider context of customary international law. In most countries, such as the US, Canada, Mexico and countries within Africa, Asia and the European Union, border control involves four significant points of entry. These points of entry are airports, sea ports, land points of entry and unofficial land and sea ports of entry. The unofficial points of entry, are the points used for the most part by traffickers, smugglers, migrants and quite possibly terrorists.8 The main question is therefore, the feasibility of balancing the interests of the stakeholders in any plan to strengthen border control. Although strengthening border control could conceivably increase the incentive for smugglers, terrorists, and traffickers to use unofficial points of entry it would a lso increase incentives for legitimate asylum-seekers and other migrants to use unofficial points of entry. This is particularly troublesome for asylum-seekers and

Research and recommend environmentally friendly elements to be used in Essay

Research and recommend environmentally friendly elements to be used in the construction of a multi storey commercial building - Essay Example These ensure client satisfaction and deign excellence. The chief task of this paper is to recommend environmentally friendly elements to be employed in the use of the construction of a multi-storey building. Green building is both cost effective and environmentally friendly. Recommendation Wood is among the core materials used in the construction of buildings. In context to multi-storey buildings, the ratio of steel, glass and concrete, is significantly more. However, in green building, this ratio must change. In this endeavor, timber-concrete composite is favorable for this building. It comprises of timber beams being interconnected to slabs of concrete that are then cast on timber members (GLAVINICH, 2008). This introduces cost saving measures and efficient control of building materials. The picture below was taken from a case study of Mossbourne Community Academy in Hackney, east London. It demonstrates the strength associated with timber concrete composite. In context to the roof , clay roofing tiles are the best environmentally friendly option to pursue. Clay is a hundred percent recyclable as such the core rationale for its inclusion as a preferred building material. The durability of clay will lead to significant savings. This will be in terms of cost of repair. An additional factor for clay is that an increasing number of clay manufacturing companies are offering post consumer recycled clay tiles. Thus, the roofing system will always be up to date. The ten storey building is expected to consume a significant quantity of energy. As such, in achieving the sustainability of the building, energy efficiency is imperative. When the appropriate energy efficient solution is found, the rising costs of energy are controlled. The design and construction of the building should capture energy efficiency. Thus, solar energy is reliable since it is incident and available for a larger part of the year (YUDELSON, 2008). In the past, systems for harnessing solar energy we re not efficient in the creation of electrical energy. However, technological advancements have made it possible to source reasonable output from the solar panels. However, solar energy is expected to work in unison with the conventional power source. The picture below is a depiction of a Sandtoft product. The rationale for using Sandtoft rests on the premise that since they produce both clay roofs and solar panels, it would be more economical to buy from Sandtoft. The picture is from a case study conducted in Leeds where the owner reported significant energy savings since dealing with Sandtoft. Painting has been discovered to be among the most toxic chemicals in buildings (RIDER et al., 2011). Therefore, environmentally friendly paint must be used. The paint to be used on the building should be of low or no VOC paint. Natural pigmented paints should be the only paint to be used. As such, Ecosure Matt by Deluxe Trade is the best alternative. A case study conducted on Rimrose Hope CE Primary School explicates on both the sustainability and performance of this natural paint. The normal insulation systems are a product of toxic materials. An environmentally friendly insulation system comprises of blue jean denim (MULVANEY, 2011). It entirely uses recyclable materials. It has almost zero waste materials. Widows and doors form a core element in the energy profile of a building. When these products are

Environmental Scanning Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Environmental Scanning Assignment - Essay Example The problem affects the consumer since the consumer is no longer aware whether the apple products are original or copied from Samsung. Apple needs to have good expertise and prominent lawyers to defend this court case (Gershman, 2014 April 30). The ongoing case has had a bad image to the clients of the business. In order to maintain the customer loyalty there should be proper measures put in place. These measures may include a campaign to convince the customers that they have the unique products and that Samsung is guilty of coping their product. Samsung has sued apple for coping two of its rights and is seeking seven million dollars as compensation. Apple is seeking compensation of 2.2 million dollars compensation from Samsung for coping six of their rights (Gershman, 2014 April 30). In conclusion, this case does not have any benefits to the Apple Company. It has negative effects as the customers begin to doubt the credibility of the Apple products if by any chance they lose the case. The fall in profits is an indication of the negative impacts of the problem at hand. There is also the problem of embarrassment to the Apple Company when Samsung accuses them that they are not the

Common problems in bulidings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Common problems in bulidings - Essay Example These are problems experienced by modern construction as well and building managers aim to provide solutions to them. With more research into the building sector, several solutions have been found that could help in mitigating these problems. Even then, they are still a subject of concern among many. Cracking refers to the disintegration of particles from each other resulting in a line of weakness in the walls and is because of unequal application of force to the particles often in opposite directions. This problem manifests because of the other problems experienced in building and construction. Subsidence means the gradual sinking of a structure to a lower level than the way it was designed on the plan. This can be caused by various reasons. It could be because of settlement of mines below the building over time often at great depth, which results in destruction of buildings. Uneven sinking would result in crack in the walls. Water flowing underground below the building could potential damage the subsoil the repercussions of which would be leaking drains hence creating weakness. The result is a heavy structure pressing down on the soil hence subsiding. Furthermore, decomposition and degradation of the soil, which results in shrinking, and consolidation of the soil fill potential results in long term change in the level of the soil as the weight of the structure presses down on it. Usually this is the case when the soil is above the water table, which gives it room to dry and allow for biodegradation. This uneven movement of the building causes particles to disintegrate hence the walls crack and form crevices. Earthquakes and tremors are the major causes of cracking. One way of combating subsidence and hence cracking is careful construction of houses by isolating them from trees, mines and unstable ground to reduce risk of such uneven forces. Moreover, the construction engineers

The combaination between delphi and scenario methods in future studies Literature review

The combaination between delphi and scenario methods in future studies - Literature review Example In doing this therefore a variety of models are used. Two basic models are used on which this discussion is going to be based on: the Delphi technique and scenario planning. The Delphi technique and scenario planning The Delphi technique is a kind of survey that makes use of the intuitive knowledge of experts in a given field. This technique is therefore flexible and provides a wide range of both qualitative and quantitative results which are important for planning. The technique involves rounds of surveys in which experts are asked questions concerning a given topic. Their varied opinions are then analysed and extremes are generated. The experts with these extreme opinions are asked to explain the reasons as to why they settled for the opinions (Armstrong, 2001, pp. 127-129). The rounds continue in this manner until a consensus is achieved. Feedback is very important in the whole process which must take place at the end of each round. Scenario planning on the other hand has also rec eived a lot of attention from scholars with very little consensus on the exact meaning of the term. Cutting across the major definitions of scholars it is possible to say that scenario planning is seen as a strategic management tool that is used to describe sets of future environmental conditions which are uncertain and upon which decisions have to be made to address them. However there is a strong agreement among scholars that scenario planning is not a prediction but rather a tool that makes visible the large scale forces that are usually uncertain due to the ever changing nature of the world so that a planner can recognize them and act on them on the verge that they do happen (Lindgren & Bandhold, 2003). Combining the Delphi technique and Scenario planning It is of great importance that before combining the techniques a thorough understanding of the various design approaches is made of both techniques to find out how the Delphi technique can fit into the approach used by the scen ario planning method. The scenario planning method has various approaches and this is because of the various schools of thought that are in existence. The technique actually involves a number of approaches each with stages that range between six and ten. There are three approaches that have been used widely and these are: the intuitive logic, trend impact and cross impact approaches. However later on, the last two approaches were combined by Bradfield et. al (2005) into one method called the probalistic approach and introduced the la prospective school as the third school in scenario planning (Bradfield, 2005, pp. 795-812). A closer examination of these approaches reveals they have varied stages that could be seen to serve the various interests of the authors with very little consensus on what should be the common approach. Each of these approaches is seen to work in the same manner with the other though there exist slight variations. Nowack, Endrikat & Guenther (2011: 1606) in thei r research identify one generic approach that cuts across all the three schools and which was built on the generic foresight approach proposed by Bishop et. al. The approach is divided into six stages for it to be complete and includes two main phases of scenario planning which are: scenario development and scenario transfer. In the first phase the planner sees various states of the future while in

Write a 500-750 word essay using exemplification as a method of

Write a 500-750 word using exemplification as a method of development. Include a title page and outline with your - Essay Example Of all the things that I value most, I would say that my own physical wellbeing and the health of my family members would come pretty near the top of my list. If a person is ill, or in pain, then enjoyment of any other benefit is meaningless, because suffering takes away the ability to concentrate on anything else. As the government keeps telling us, medical provision, education, fresh air, clean water and all the trappings of modern society are expensive commodities, and they need to be in place if people are to enjoy good health. Alex is lucky, because he relies on the social support systems that were in place in his environment from the moment when he was born. This inheritance is, however, very far from free because millions of American taxpayers have worked hard to provide them. Alex, on the other hand, is a great believer in getting something for nothing. He is not too proud to rummage in garbage cans, or gatecrash parties and he often turns up when there is food around. He thinks that this is a fine way to avoid the expense of paying for his own existence, and claims that free food tastes better because of the satisfaction he gains from not having paid for it. He is, however, mistaken if he thinks that there is no cost involved in his scrounging strategy. There are people who no longer count him as their friend, because they resent being used as a meal ticket by someone who only takes and never gives anything in return. Real friendship is not free: it costs time, effort, and yes, money, to maintain positive relationships with people. Alex is unwittingly excluding himself from the much richer benefits that committed relationships can bring. Nowadays people need gadgets in order to begin and maintain relationships. Things that used to happen in face to face situations now take place across the internet, often using mobile broadband frequencies. Alex knows very little of this new world because he is too busy mocking the â€Å"geeks† who

Unilever AxeDove controversy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Unilever AxeDove controversy - Case Study Example Unilever AxeDove controversy The company has a large work force of more than 180,000 people in the world with revenue of more that US$58 billion. The company was established from Roternd and London companies which also act as the mother companies for all other branches in the world. Recently the company has been engulfed in one of the most heated controversy in the history of business world arising from its advertisement. The company has been engaged in a various criticisms before but the recent one seems to have attracted the attention of unlikely quarters from politicians to the human reign activists. It has become a subject to social conversation all over the world due to its mode of advertisement. There have been many blogs in the internet that have been used against the company and its advertisement strategy especially the recent one Axe/dove advertisement which has attracted most criticism even before they make their impact on the market. The market of the two brands Axe and Dove have attracted the advocacy groups who have been campaigning for the need to have commercial-free childhood advertisements. The dove product advertisement has been used as a marketing strategy that is said to be promoting real beauty. In the advertisement there is a dove that is promising the girls a good care if they use the products. In this regard no one can understand how a dove can promise the girl a good care. The company has however described the advertisement as showing the need to have real beauty rather than acting as an advisement to encourage girls to use the products and has therefore started a campaign that is aimed at funning projects for girl child. But this is contradicted by another advertisement of its products Axe deodorant which has been described as having an effect of 'epitomizing the sexist and degrading making that has been undermining girls'. This has been shone to be a potential harm to the health development of grid as contradicted to the other advertisement of the Dove which promotes health self-image for all women. (Newman, 2007) The company has been on the defense saying that the Dove brand is meant to show women the need of feel beautiful always which has been expressed by wide way in the today's stereotyping of beauty and it is meant to inspire women to be taking car of them. For this reason the company has created Dove Self-Esteem Fund that is meant to educate and act as inspiration to girls. On the other hand the Axe campaign shows 'the mating game' and expressed the desire of men to get noticed by women. (High, 2007) The above advertisement has been casusign a lot of criticisms for the company not only from the civil activists but also from political arena. It has been descried as the higher hypocrisy in marketing and there have been threat of taking of civil action by not allowing the Dove Fund to take seminars to school unless the Axe advertisement is changed. Let us analyze the effect of the advertisemen

The Belize Barrier Reef Essay Example for Free

The Belize Barrier Reef Essay The Belize Barrier Reef Andrea G. Milbourne SCI 230 June 20, 2010 The Belize Barrier Reef is the second largest barrier reef in the world next to one found in Australia. The reef is Belizes number one tourist attraction. It is home to many different ocean life forms. The reef is in danger of being destroyed. Humans and the rising temperature of the ocean are factors of the reefs danger. There are many conservation groups that are trying to help preserve the reef and its habitants. The barrier reef is 186 miles in length and is 1,000 ft off-shore in the north and 25 iles to the south of the country of Belize. The Belize reef has particularly high species diversity for the region, with about 65 coral species and over 300 fish species. The fish species include sharks, sea turtles, finfish, sponges, tuna, and many more Just to name a few. These species coincide together to produce the reef. Many of the species need one another for food to survive. Larger species tend to feed of smaller ones and the left over materials from the fish are ingested by the smaller species. The Reef is still yet to be fully explored by humans. It is said that there is still ninety percent of the Belize Barrier reef that has yet to be explored by humans. The greatest damage comes from sedimentation, agrochemical run-off, coastal development, tourism and overfishing. Humans destroy the natural habitat of the reef by disturbing it and leaving trash and toxic materials in and around the reef. The reef also sustains damage from overfishing and large commercial fishing boats that try to fish in the shallow parts of the reef. Some large corporations dump oxic chemicals near the reef threatening the wildlife of the reef. There are banana farms near the reef that are quite large. They use fertilizer that helps the bananas to grow. The run off of fertilizer used to grow these bananas is going to the reef and killing the species in it, as well as, the reef itself. The development of hotels and housing affects the reef by cutting into it and disturbing the natural state of the reef. When the country builds developments like this next to the reef it brings more humans to the area to disturb the reef even more. Another reason for the reef being in danger is the fact that the ocean temperature is rising. This causes bleaching of the coral and other parts of the reef. Hurricanes provide damage to the reef every year and it takes time for the reef to naturally repair itself from these damages. While the reef is repairing itself from these natural disasters, the humans cause damage that is irreversible and the reef cannot fully restore itself to normal. The country of Belize does not want to destroy this amazing reef, but it uses the reef for income. The same things that are helping countrys economic system are destroying the reef right before their eyes. The country of Belize tries to educate the visitors and its public as to how to try to help keep the reef clean. There are foundation is a group that is trying to help the Belize government in preserving the Belize Barrier Reef. They have Joined Belize in educating the country and the tourists about the reef and how to protect it. They also educate the businesses around the area to help them take steps in preserving the reef. The UN foundation accepts onations from the public and businesses to give them the resources for the conservation effort. They also help with trying to get legislation passed to protect the reef and the countrys economy. The country of Belize and the conservation groups have already made parts of the reef national parks. Some areas of the reef have also been closed to the public and are considered land preserves so no one is allowed to enter these areas. These steps have helped save portions of the reef from destruction. The reef still needs help to survive. As an individual person you could elp by donating time to the conservation effort. Or by visiting the reef, take care not to disturb the natural habitat of the species living in it. These conservation groups dont want to stop tourism, they Just want educated tourists enjoying one of the worlds amazing places and keep around for many years to come. I think we could all voice our opinion about how we could do our part in the preservation of the reef. If you cant visit the reef or donate to the preservation, you can Join conservation groups and help from you country. There is always the internet. You can give your support to a conservation group of your choice through the internet. There is always something you can do to help the effort. If the barrier reef is not preserved then it will be destroyed. All of the species will not be able to survive and it will affect the area around the reef. The country of Belize will not have the reef for economic purposes. The country may not survive itself without the reef and its species. The fishermen who fish the reef would not have employment. There may be some ocean ife that can only survive in the reef that will be destroyed that we may not even know about. There also will not be a tourist attraction to visit anymore. This would be a big loss to the country and the world around us. I myself have never heard about the Belize Barrier Reef until I received this assignment. I would like to visit the reef one day. I would also like to look for a conservation group that I could Join and do my part to preserve one of the worlds amazing places. References Terracurve (2009) Help protect the Belize Barrier Reef with the support of the United

Conviction on Economic Stability Essay Example for Free

Conviction on Economic Stability Essay One of the best renowned authors of the 21st Century, Adam Harmes – a foreign policy instructor bumped in an idea of analyzing the mishaps which is seemingly occurring in today’s era. Upon producing the book The Return of the State, he cited numerous instances and reasons why the International Business Propagandists must think of ways to expunge the ascending clash between the level of intervention implemented by the economic and political scheme, which he was able to sought as the primary problem on why the country has been departing from the reality of the immediate. Furthermore, he stated the major inevitable state of free-market trade mishaps are that by which denotes â€Å"supreme power† on America, which he, and Paul Martin believes as the root of all fault and that America should not only swallow the benefit out of the concept of trade alone, but rather share the Supremacy along with the other developing states since that as for the moment, they are considered as that which is vested with the pre-dominant influence over all the countries in UN and thus must make a move to improve the welfare of the general masses. He also mentioned numerous convictions on globalization’s effect in the economic realm, Unitarianism in America, G-20 series – as a cure to the rivalry in the economic basis and the expansion of the elite powers’ support over those who need such (Harmes). Concluding the totality of the book, Harmes’ enthusiasm and devotion on racial and international equilibrium and social welfare serves him a ticket on gaining the sympathy of those cosseting on prose historical books. In addition to that his arguments may have seemed opinionated in some certain circumstance, however, it illustrates the need of higher rationality and thus giving the â€Å"elites† in the world of globalization a tickle in their higher sense of rationality that the world is but a web of inter-related active countries and such voices and needs must be well taken care of (Harmes). The Return of the State is grandeur of Harmes in uplifting the banner of humanitarianism and concern for global economic stability. Reference: Harmes, Adam. The Return of the State. Vancouver: Douglas McIntyre, 2004.

Carbon credit

Carbon credit Carbon credits is a mechanism adopted by national and international governments to mitigate the effects of Green House Gases(GHGs). One Carbon Credit is equal to one ton of Carbon. Greenhouse Gases are capped and markets are used to regulate the emissions from the sources. The idea is to allow market mechanisms to drive industrial and commercial processes in the direction of low Greenhouse Gases(GHGs). These mitigation projects generate credits, which can be traded in the international markets for monetary benefits. There are also many companies that sell carbon credits to commercial and individual customers who are interested in lowering their carbon footprint on a voluntary basis. These carbon offsetters purchase the credits from an investment fund or a carbon development company that has aggregated the credits from individual projects. The quality of the credits is based in part on the validation process and sophistication of the fund or development company that acted as the sponsor to the carbon project. This is reflected in their price; voluntary units typically have less value than the units sold through the rigorously-validated Clean Development Mechanism. Background Fossil Fuels are the major source of Greehouse Gas Emissions. Industries such as Power, Textile, Fertilizer use fossil fuels for their high volumes of operations. The major greenhouse gases emitted by these industries are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), etc, all of which increase the atmospheres ability to trap infrared energy and thus affect the climate. The increasing awareness about the environmental degradation gave rise to the concept called Carbon Credit. The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has observed that: Policies that provide a real or implicit price of carbon could create incentives for producers and consumers to significantly invest in low-GHG products, technologies and processes. Such policies could include economic instruments, government funding and regulation, while noting that a tradable permit system is one of the policy instruments that has been shown to be environmentally effective in the industrial sector, as long as there are reasonable levels of predictability over the initial allocation mechanism and price. The mechanism was formalized in the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement between more than 170 countries, and the market mechanisms were agreed through the subsequent Accords. Emission Allowances The Protocol agreed caps or quotas on the maximum amount of Greenhouse gases for developed and developing countries. In turn these countries set quotas on the emissions of installations run by local business and other organizations, generically termed operators. Countries manage this through their own national registries, which are required to be validated and monitored for compliance by the UNFCCC. Each operator has an allowance of credits, where each unit gives the owner the right to emit one metric tonne of carbon dioxide or other equivalent greenhouse gas. Operators that have not used up their quotas can sell their unused allowances as carbon credits, while businesses that are about to exceed their quotas can buy the extra allowances as credits, privately or on the open market. As demand for energy grows over time, the total emissions must still stay within the cap, but it allows industry some flexibility and predictability in its planning to accommodate this. By permitting allowances to be bought and sold, an operator can seek out the most cost-effective way of reducing its emissions, either by investing in cleaner machinery and practices or by purchasing emissions from another operator who already has excess capacity. Since 2005, the Kyoto mechanism has been adopted for CO2 trading by all the countries within the European Union under its European Trading Scheme (EU ETS) with the European Commission as its validating authority. From 2008, EU participants must link with the other developed countries who ratified the protocol, and trade the six most significant anthropogenic greenhouse gases. In the United States, which has not ratified Kyoto, and Australia, whose ratification came into force in March 2008, similar schemes are being considered. Kyotos Flexible Mechanisms A credit can be an emissions allowance which was originally allocated or auctioned by the national administrators of a cap-and-trade program, or it can be an offset of emissions. Such offsetting and mitigating activities can occur in any developing country which has ratified the Kyoto Protocol, and has a national agreement in place to validate its carbon project through one of the UNFCCCs approved mechanisms. Once approved, these units are termed Certified Emission Reductions, or CERs. The Protocol allows these projects to be constructed and credited in advance of the Kyoto trading period. The Kyoto Protocol provides for three mechanisms that enable countries or operators in developed countries to acquire greenhouse gas reduction credit. Under Joint Implementation (JI) a developed country with relatively high costs of domestic greenhouse reduction would set up a project in another developed country. Under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) a developed country can sponsor a greenhouse gas reduction project in a developing country where the cost of greenhouse gas reduction project activities is usually much lower, but the atmospheric effect is globally equivalent. The developed country would be given credits for meeting its emission reduction targets, while the developing country would receive the capital investment and clean technology or beneficial change in land use. Under International Emissions Trading (IET) countries can trade in the international carbon credit market to cover their shortfall in allowances. Countries with surplus credits can sell them to countries with capped emission commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. These carbon projects can be created by a national government or by an operator within the country. Emission Markets One allowance or CER is considered equivalent to one metric tonne of CO2 emissions. These allowances can be sold privately or in the international market at the prevailing market price. Each international transfer is validated by the UNFCCC. Climate exchanges have been established to provide a spot market in allowances, as well as futures and options market to help discover a market price and maintain liquidity. Carbon prices are normally quoted in Euros per tonne of carbon dioxide or its equivalent (CO2e). Other greenhouse gasses can also be traded, but are quoted as standard multiples of carbon dioxide with respect to their global warming potential. These features reduce the quotas financial impact on business, while ensuring that the quotas are met at a national and international level. Many companies now engage in emissions abatement, offsetting, and sequestration programs to generate credits that can be sold on one of the exchanges. Managing emissions is one of the fastest-growing segments in financial services in the City of London with a market now worth about â‚ ¬30 billion, but which could grow to â‚ ¬1 trillion within a decade. Louis Redshaw, head of environmental markets at Barclays Capital predicts that Carbon will be the worlds biggest commodity market, and it could become the worlds biggest market overall. Setting A Market Price For Carbon Energy usage and emissions should be kept under constant check else they will only rise over time. Hence the number of companies needing to buy credits will increase over the period of time. This Supply-Demand for credits will determine the price of the Carbon which will in turn encourage companies to go cleaner. An individual allowance, such as a Kyoto Assigned Amount Unit (AAU) or its near-equivalent European Union Allowance (EUA), may have a different market value to an offset such as a CER. This is due to the lack of a developed secondary market for CERs, a lack of homogeneity between projects which causes difficulty in pricing. Additionally, offsets generated by a carbon project under the Clean Development Mechanism are potentially limited in value because operators in the EU ETS are restricted as to what percentage of their allowance can be met through these flexible mechanisms. Raising the price of carbon will achieve four goals. First, it will provide signals to consumers about what goods and services are high-carbon ones and should therefore be used more sparingly. Second, it will provide signals to producers about which inputs use more carbon (such as coal and oil) and which use less or none (such as natural gas or nuclear power), thereby inducing firms to substitute low-carbon inputs. Third, it will give market incentives for inventors and innovators to develop and introduce low-carbon products and processes that can replace the current generation of technologies. Fourth, and most important, a high carbon price will economize on the information that is required to do all three of these tasks. Through the market mechanism, a high carbon price will raise the price of products according to their carbon content Criticisms Environmental restrictions and activities have been imposed on businesses through regulation. Many are uneasy with this approach to managing emissions. The Kyoto mechanism is the only internationally-agreed mechanism for regulating carbon credit activities, and, crucially, includes checks for additionality and overall effectiveness. Its supporting organisation, the UNFCCC, is the only organisation with a global mandate on the overall effectiveness of emission control systems, although enforcement of decisions relies on national co-operation. The Kyoto trading period only applies for five years between 2008 and 2012. The first phase of the EU ETS system started before then, and is expected to continue in a third phase afterwards, and may co-ordinate with whatever is internationally-agreed at but there is general uncertainty as to what will be agreed in Post-Kyoto Protocol negotiations on greenhouse gas emissions. As business investment often operates over decades, this adds risk and uncertainty to their plans. As several countries responsible for a large proportion of global emissions (notably USA, Australia, China) have avoided mand atory caps, this also means that businesses in capped countries may perceive themselves to be working at a competitive disadvantage against those in uncapped countries as they are now paying for their carbon costs directly. A key concept behind the cap and trade system is that national quotas should be chosen to represent genuine and meaningful reductions in national output of emissions. Not only does this ensure that overall emissions are reduced but also that the costs of emissions trading are carried fairly across all parties to the trading system. However, governments of capped countries may seek to unilaterally weaken their commitments, as evidenced by the 2006 and 2007 National Allocation Plans for several countries in the EU ETS, which were submitted late and then were initially rejected by the European Commission for being too lax. A question has been raised over the grandfathering of allowances. Countries within the EU ETS have granted their incumbent businesses most or all of their allowances for free. This can sometimes be perceived as a protectionist obstacle to new entrants into their markets. There have also been accusations of power generators getting a windfall profit by passing on these emissions charges to their customers. As the EU ETS moves into its second phase and joins up with Kyoto, it seems likely that these problems will be reduced as more allowances will be auctioned. Establishing a meaningful offset project is complex: voluntary offsetting activities outside the CDM mechanism are effectively unregulated and there have been criticisms of offsetting in these unregulated activities. This particularly applies to some voluntary corporate schemes in uncapped countries and for some personal carbon offsetting schemes. There have also been concerns raised over the validation of CDM credits. One concern has related to the accurate assessment of additionality. Others relate to the effort and time taken to get a project approved. Questions may also be raised about the validation of the effectiveness of some projects; it appears that many projects do not achieve the expected benefit after they have been audited, and the CDM board can only approve a lower amount of CER credits. For example, it may take longer to roll out a project than originally planned, or an afforestation project may be reduced by disease or fire. For these reasons some countries place additional restrictions on their local implementations and will not allow credits for some types of carbon sink activity, such as forestry or land use projects. Carbon Tax Carbon tax is a form of pollution tax. It levies a fee on the production, distribution or use of fossil fuels based on how much carbon their combustion emits. The government sets a price per ton on carbon. Carbon tax also makes alternative energy more cost-competitive with cheaper, polluting fuels like coal, natural gas and oil. Carbon tax is based on the economic principle of negative externalities. Externalities are costs or benefits generated by the production of goods and services. Negative externalities are costs that are not paid for. When utilities, businesses or homeowners consume fossil fuels, they create pollution that has a societal cost; everyone suffers from the effects of pollution. Proponents of a carbon tax believe that the price of fossil fuels should account for these societal costs. Benefits The primary purpose of carbon tax is to lower greenhouse-gas emissions. The tax charges a fee on fossil fuels based on how much carbon they emit when burned (more on that later). So in order to reduce the fees, utilities, business and individuals attempt to use less energy derived from fossil fuels. An individual might switch to public transportation and replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). A business might increase energy efficiency by installing new appliances or updating heating and cooling systems. And since carbon tax sets a definite price on carbon, there is a guaranteed return on expensive efficiency investments. Carbon tax also encourages alternative energy by making it cost-competitive with cheaper fuels. A tax on a plentiful and inexpensive fuel like coal raises its per British Thermal Unit (Btu) price to one comparable with cleaner forms of power. A Btu is a standard measure of heat energy used in industry. The money that is raised by carbon tax can help subsidize environmental programs or be issued as a rebate. Many fans of carbon tax believe in progressive tax-shifting. This would mean that some of the tax burden would shift away from federal income tax and state sales tax. Economists like carbon tax for its predictability. The price of carbon under cap-and-trade schemes can fluctuate with weather and changing economic conditions. This is because cap-and-trade schemes set a definite limit on emissions, not a definite price on carbon. Carbon tax is stable. Businesses and utilities would know the price of carbon and where it was headed. They could then invest in alternative energy and increased energy efficiency based on that knowledge. Its also easier for people to understand carbon tax. The Logistics of Carbon Tax The carbon content of oil, coal and gas varies. Proponents of a carbon tax want to encourage the use of efficient fuels. If all fuel types were taxed equally by weight or volume, there would be no incentive to use cleaner sources like natural gas over dirtier, cheaper ones like coal. To fairly reflect carbon content, the tax has to be based on Btu heat units something standardized and quantifiable instead of unrelated units like weight or volume. Each fuel variety also has its own carbon content. Bituminous coal, for instance, contains considerably more carbon than lignite coal. Residual fuel oil contains more carbon than gasoline. Every fuel variety needs to have its own rate based on its Btu heat content. Carbon tax can be levied at different points of production and consumption. Some taxes target the top of the supply chain the transaction between producers like coal mines and oil wellheads and suppliers like coal shippers and oil refiners. Some taxes affect distributors the oil companies and utilities. And other taxes charge consumers directly through electric bills. Different carbon taxes, both real and theoretical, support varying points of implementation. The only carbon tax in the United States, a municipal tax in Boulder, Colo., taxes the consumers homeowners and businesses. People in Boulder pay a fee based on the number of kilowatt hours of electricity they use. Like Boulder, Sweden also taxes the consumption end. The national carbon tax charges homeowners a full rate and halves it for industry. Utilities are not charged at all. Since the majority of Swedish power consumption goes to heat, and because the tax exempts renewable energy sources like those derived from plants, the biofuel industry has blossomed since 1991. Even though the tax is toward the top end, companies can, and probably will, pass on some of the cost to consumers by charging more for energy. Its easier to tax consumption than production. Consumers are more willing to pay the extra $16 a year for a carbon tax. Producers are usually not. Taxes on production can also be economically disruptive and make domestic energy more expensive than foreign imports. Thats why existing carbon taxes target consumers, or, in the case of Quebec, energy and oil companies. Carbon tax has a patchy history around the world. Its widely accepted only in Northern Europe Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden all tax carbon in some form. Carbon Tax Vs Carbon Credit Carbon Tax is better alternative than Carbon Credit mainly because of the following six reasons Energy Prices are easily predictable by the mechanism of tax than by the mechanism of Cap and Trade. The high volatility of the carbon credits that are generated by the mechanism of Cap and Trade has consistently discouraged energy efficient schemes. Tax system can be quickly implemented than Cap and Trade. Since the environment is getting polluted at a faster rate, it is high time that necessary actions are taken quickly and efficiently. Tax system Carbon taxes are transparent and easily understandable, making them more likely to garner public support than complex Cap and Trade. Carbon taxes cannot be easily manipulated and hence cannot be easily exploited whereas the complexity of Cap and Trade always provides room for exploitation for special interests Carbon taxes address emissions of carbon from every sector, whereas some cap-and-trade systems discussed to date have only targeted the electricity industry. Carbon tax revenues would most likely be returned to the public through dividends or progressive tax-shifting, while the costs of cap-and-trade systems are likely to become a hidden tax as dollars flow to market participants, lawyers and consultants. Carbon Taxes Will Lend Predictability to Energy Prices. With carbon taxes ramped up through a multi-year phase-in, future energy and power prices can be predicted with a reasonable degree of confidence well ahead of time. This will make it possible for literally millions of energy-critical decisions — from the design of new electricity generating plants to the purchase of the family car to the materials used in commercial airframes — to be made with full cognizance of carbon-appropriate price signals. In contrast, a cap-and-trade program will worsen the volatility of energy prices since the price of carbon allowances will fluctuate as weather and economic factors affect the demand for energy. The vaunted advantage of cap-and-trade — that future levels of carbon emissions can be known ahead of time — is mostly notional. And even certainty in future emission levels is of questionable value, since there is no agreed-upon trajectory of emissions for achieving climate stability and preventing disaster. Carbon Taxes Will Provide Quicker Results. The taxes themselves can be designed and adopted quickly and fairly. Cap-and-trade systems, by contrast, are highly complex and will take years to develop and implement. Disruptive issues must be addressed intellectually and resolved politically; the proper level of the cap, timing, allowance allocations, certification procedures, standards for use of offsets, penalties, regional conflicts, the inevitable requests for exceptions by affected parties and a myriad of other complex issues must all be resolved before cap-and-trade systems can be implemented. During this time, polluters will continue to emit carbon with no cost consequences. Carbon Taxes Are Transparent and Are Easier to Understand than Cap-and-Trade. A carbon tax is transparent and easy to understand; the government simply imposes a tax per ton of carbon emitted, which is easily translated into a tax per kWh of electricity, gallon of gasoline or therm of natural gas. By contrast, the prices for carbon set under a cap-and-trade system will vary with market fluctuations and be impossible even for big to predict. A cap-and-trade system will require a complex and difficult to understand market structure in order to balance the many competing interests and ensure that the trading system minimizes distortions and maximizes real carbon reductions. A Carbon Taxs Simplicity prevents it Against Incentives and Potential for vested interests that Will Accompany Cap-and-Trade. In contrast to the simple and straightforward process of implementing a carbon tax, the protracted negotiations necessary to implement a cap-and-trade system will provide constant opportunities for the fossil fuel industry and other invested parties to shape a system that maximizes their financial self-interests as opposed to an economically efficient system that maximizes societal well-being. If allowances are allocated based on some type of baseline reflecting past pollution (which has been the practice with NOx and SO2trading programs), rather than being auctioned, polluters will have perverse incentives to maximize emissions before the cap-and-trade system goes into effect in order to â€Å"earn† those pollution rights. Carbon Taxes Address All Sectors and Activities Producing Carbon Emissions. Carbon taxes target carbon emissions in all sectors — energy, industry and transportation — whereas at least some cap-and-trade proposals are limited to the electric industry. It would be unwise to ignore the non-electricity sectors that account for more than 50% of CO2 emissions. Carbon Taxes Can Produce a Far More Equitable Result than Cap-and-Trade. As discussed in our Issue Paper, Managing the Impacts, carbon tax revenues can be returned through dividends or can be used to fund progressive tax-shifting to reduce regressive sales taxes. The costs of cap-and-trade systems, both implementation and the costs incurred as more expensive technologies replace older and less expensive coal-fired combustion, are far more likely to be imposed upon consumers with less possibility of rebating or tax-shifting. Moreover, because cap-and-trade relies on market participants to determine a fair price for carbon allowances on an ongoing basis, the complications involved are severe with economists, lawyers and politicians getting involved constantly.

Collective Bargaining Essay -- Labor Unions

Collective Bargaining Unions provide a vital service for employees and management by negotiating contracts, ensuring workplace safety, and representing employees in grievance hearings. While there are hundreds of unions in the United States, this paper focuses on three major unions, the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Furthermore, this paper will compare and contrast these agencies, summarize their roles in optimizing employee relations with organizations, describe four challenges management and union officials face, and evaluate privatization as a means of breaking public employee unions. Compare and Contrast Three Unions The NTEU started in 1938 as the National Association of Employees of Collectors of the Internal Revenue (NAECIR) to reflect their expanded membership they changed their name to NTEU in 1973 (History of NTEU, n.d.). The NTEU is an independent organization whose mission is "to organize federal employees to work together to ensure that every federal employee is treated with dignity" (Who We Are, n.d.). While the AFSCME started in 1932, in response to the depression and out fear of the reestablishment of the spoils system their mission "to promote, defend, and enhance the civil service system" (AFSCME: 75 Years of History, n.d.). Whereas the AFT started in 1916 Chicago as part of their mission, they sought to increase wages for all members including women and minorities (AFT History, n.d.). Consequently, the AFT and the AFSCME full under the AFL-CIO and the NTEU remains independent. While the AFT focuses on educators, the AFSCME centers on state and local employees and... ...s, R. S. (2011). Blue-collar public servants : How union membership influences public service motivation. The American Review of Public Administration, 41(6), 705-723. doi:10.1177/0275074010392367 Kearney, R. C. (2011). Randi Weingarten, the American Federation of Teachers, and the challenges of policy leadership in a hostile environment. Public Administration Review, 71(5), 772-781. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6210.2011.02418.x Masters, M. F. (1998). AFSCME as a political union. Journal of Labor Research, 19(2), 313-350. Perry, J. L., & Wise, L. R. (1990). The motivational bases of public service. Public Administration Review, 50(3), 367-373. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/976618 Tobias, R. M. (2004). The future of federal government labor relations and the mutual interests of congress, the administration, and unions. Journal of Labor Research, 25(1), 19-41. Collective Bargaining Essay -- Labor Unions Collective Bargaining Unions provide a vital service for employees and management by negotiating contracts, ensuring workplace safety, and representing employees in grievance hearings. While there are hundreds of unions in the United States, this paper focuses on three major unions, the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Furthermore, this paper will compare and contrast these agencies, summarize their roles in optimizing employee relations with organizations, describe four challenges management and union officials face, and evaluate privatization as a means of breaking public employee unions. Compare and Contrast Three Unions The NTEU started in 1938 as the National Association of Employees of Collectors of the Internal Revenue (NAECIR) to reflect their expanded membership they changed their name to NTEU in 1973 (History of NTEU, n.d.). The NTEU is an independent organization whose mission is "to organize federal employees to work together to ensure that every federal employee is treated with dignity" (Who We Are, n.d.). While the AFSCME started in 1932, in response to the depression and out fear of the reestablishment of the spoils system their mission "to promote, defend, and enhance the civil service system" (AFSCME: 75 Years of History, n.d.). Whereas the AFT started in 1916 Chicago as part of their mission, they sought to increase wages for all members including women and minorities (AFT History, n.d.). Consequently, the AFT and the AFSCME full under the AFL-CIO and the NTEU remains independent. While the AFT focuses on educators, the AFSCME centers on state and local employees and... ...s, R. S. (2011). Blue-collar public servants : How union membership influences public service motivation. The American Review of Public Administration, 41(6), 705-723. doi:10.1177/0275074010392367 Kearney, R. C. (2011). Randi Weingarten, the American Federation of Teachers, and the challenges of policy leadership in a hostile environment. Public Administration Review, 71(5), 772-781. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6210.2011.02418.x Masters, M. F. (1998). AFSCME as a political union. Journal of Labor Research, 19(2), 313-350. Perry, J. L., & Wise, L. R. (1990). The motivational bases of public service. Public Administration Review, 50(3), 367-373. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/976618 Tobias, R. M. (2004). The future of federal government labor relations and the mutual interests of congress, the administration, and unions. Journal of Labor Research, 25(1), 19-41.

The Apprenticeship of duddy Kravitz :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In society, most people have an obsession to some extent, these may include such things as a hobby – collecting antiques; or even as simple as having to have things a certain way. For others though, obsession has a different meaning, they might become obsessed with one special object, or possibly attaining a certain goal. They might go about achieving this goal no matter what the consequences to others might be. Mordecai Richler’s book the Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, illustrates one such case of obsession, the title character, Duddy Kravitz becomes obsessed with his grandfather’s saying, â€Å" ‘ A man without land, is nothing.’†, thus starting Duddy on his quest to attain a piece of land. Throughout his quest, Duddy has no regard for the feelings or the relationships he destroys in the process, weather it in his family relations, business relations, or even his personal relations to those that are closest to him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Duddy was not born into money, his father, Max, was a taxi driver, and pulled in a low income. Max’s brother, Benjy had money and always played favourites with Duddy’s brother, Lennie by giving him money and opportunities. Duddy always had to struggle for his money, and in one his many struggles he borrows his father’s taxi cab, which is his only source of income, but does not return it for three days. He was delivering pin ball machines that he had sold. When he returns he finds his father is furious at him just taking off with the cab without permission. â€Å"They found Max at Eddy’s, and he was furious, ‘who do you think you are?,’ he said ‘that you can run off with my car for three days? Just like that.’† (Richler, 213). Duddy has a way of burning bridges with the people that he most needs, he only thinks of himself, and has no consideration for the feelings of others, even those who does not want t o hurt the most. Duddy’s grandfather, also known as the Zeyda, is Duddy’s mentor and the only person Duddy really looks up to, and the one he does not want to hurt, but ends up hurting him the worst. â€Å"‘Yvette came to see me.’†¦. ’she told me what you did,’ Simcha said, ‘And I don’t want a farm here.’ †¦. ‘I can see what you have planned for me, Duddel. You’ll be good to me. You’d give me everything I wanted. The Apprenticeship of duddy Kravitz :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In society, most people have an obsession to some extent, these may include such things as a hobby – collecting antiques; or even as simple as having to have things a certain way. For others though, obsession has a different meaning, they might become obsessed with one special object, or possibly attaining a certain goal. They might go about achieving this goal no matter what the consequences to others might be. Mordecai Richler’s book the Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, illustrates one such case of obsession, the title character, Duddy Kravitz becomes obsessed with his grandfather’s saying, â€Å" ‘ A man without land, is nothing.’†, thus starting Duddy on his quest to attain a piece of land. Throughout his quest, Duddy has no regard for the feelings or the relationships he destroys in the process, weather it in his family relations, business relations, or even his personal relations to those that are closest to him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Duddy was not born into money, his father, Max, was a taxi driver, and pulled in a low income. Max’s brother, Benjy had money and always played favourites with Duddy’s brother, Lennie by giving him money and opportunities. Duddy always had to struggle for his money, and in one his many struggles he borrows his father’s taxi cab, which is his only source of income, but does not return it for three days. He was delivering pin ball machines that he had sold. When he returns he finds his father is furious at him just taking off with the cab without permission. â€Å"They found Max at Eddy’s, and he was furious, ‘who do you think you are?,’ he said ‘that you can run off with my car for three days? Just like that.’† (Richler, 213). Duddy has a way of burning bridges with the people that he most needs, he only thinks of himself, and has no consideration for the feelings of others, even those who does not want t o hurt the most. Duddy’s grandfather, also known as the Zeyda, is Duddy’s mentor and the only person Duddy really looks up to, and the one he does not want to hurt, but ends up hurting him the worst. â€Å"‘Yvette came to see me.’†¦. ’she told me what you did,’ Simcha said, ‘And I don’t want a farm here.’ †¦. ‘I can see what you have planned for me, Duddel. You’ll be good to me. You’d give me everything I wanted.

cyborg performance :: essays research papers

Explore the relationship between the body and technology in the work of Orlan and Stelarc A performer is essentially composed of two entities: the self and the representation of the self. The human body is the physical manifestation of this represented self and is interpreted by the observer depending on its gender, age, colour, attractiveness, adornment and perceived disabilities (these perceptions often being culture-bound as well). In addition to this, the performer uses make-up and costume, and interactions with the performance space to affect the interpretation. For the focus of a performance space, what better place to start with than this powerful physical signifier? In performance, there is a tendency to perceive the actor and the body as a very separate entity to the concrete, technological elements of the stage. Orlan and Stelarc, contemporary performance artists, challenge this perception - Mcclellan (1994, para.14) describes them as â€Å"the post-human Adam and Eve†, suggesting that they are heralding in a new ‘breed’ of performer, inextricably related to, and even created by, technology. This certainly reflects the role of the body and technology in current Western society - medical technology can create life in vitro and, defying nature, can alter its intrinsic genetic makeup, and internet technologies can allow a person to project a fabricated disembodied persona onto the ‘net’ to interact with others over vast distances. Orlan and Stelarc embrace technological integration as a prerequisite to their work – the questions lie in what it means to the self if the way in which it is represented (the bod y) is altered. In combining aspects of endurance and durational performance art, Orlan presented the alteration of her own body in the surgical theatre. ‘The Reincarnation of Saint Orlan’ is her most well-known piece of work, begun in 1990. However, she did begin performing in the 1960s when, even then, she demonstrated a subversive attitude towards the body. In 1964 she used her own body as †a unit of measurement (‘Orlan-corps’)† to measure public buildings (Flande [ed.], ‘Biography’, www.orlan.net). This project continued into the late 1970s. The reduction of her body to a tool of measurement was the less extreme forerunner to the reduction of it as a canvas in ‘The Reincarnation of Saint Orlan’. In both pieces, she objectifies her body, however in ‘The Reincarnation of Saint Orlan’, the implications on herself and her audiences are far more controversial. A surgical textbook defines ideal beauty as â€Å"[that] of a white woman whose face is perfectly symmetrical in line and profile† (Balsamo cited in Auslander, 1997, p.

Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibilty Essay

Business ethics and corporate social responsibility Introduction Anglo American is one of the world’s leading mining companies. It is a UK public limited company and operates on a global scale. Anglo American operates mainly in the primary sector of the world economy. This, as the name suggests, covers industries involved in the first stage of economic activity, such as mining and agriculture. Anglo American operates throughout the world. It has extensive operations in Africa, where 76% of its employees live. It is also a major employer in Europe. Its Tarmac aggregates and construction products business employs nearly 7,000 people in the UK. As a primary producer, Anglo American plays an important role in the world economy. Anglo American produces five main types of raw material.†¢ Business ethics †¢ Corporate social responsibility †¢ Effects of ethical behaviour †¢ Benefits of ethical behaviour Public limited company: a company whose shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange, denoted by the initials plc. Primary sector: the first stage in producing goods. Pressure group: an organisation formed by people with a common interest who get together to further that interest, for example, nongovernmental organisations. Ethics: moral principles or rules of conduct and behaviour accepted by members of society. Corporate social responsibility: the responsibility of an organisation to wider society, to a range of stakeholders including the community and society at large. Mining operations can have a big impact on the environment and on the societies where they work. Since most mineral resources belong to nation states, mining companies largely depend upon a licence to operate from governments. This allows them to extract and process minerals in return for investment and the payment of taxes and royalties. Increasingly it is also important to get the consent of local communities to mining development – a ‘social licence’ to operate. Like all businesses, mining companies are under increasing scrutiny from pressure groups as well as the general public. Anglo American seeks to adopt fair and sound business practice. The company believes that it has an important role to play in building the capabilities of the communities where it works. Issues such as combating corruption and promoting revenue transparency are high on the company’s business agenda. This case study shows how Anglo American seeks to make ethical choices in its business practice. What are business ethics? Business ethics are moral principles that guide the way a business behaves. The same principles that determine an individual’s actions also apply to business. Acting in an ethical way involves distinguishing between ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ and then making the ‘right’ choice. It is relatively easy to identify unethical business practices. For example, companies should not use child labour. They should not unlawfully use copyrighted materials and processes. They should not engage in bribery. However, it is not always easy to create similar hard-and-fast definitions of good ethical practice. A company must make a competitive return for its shareholders and treat its employees fairly. However a company also has wider responsibilities. It should minimise any harm to the environment and work in ways that do not damage the communities in which it operates. This is known as corporate social responsibility. ANGLO AMERICAN 25 www. thetimes100. co. uk The law is the key starting point for any business. Most leading businesses also have their own statement of Business Principles which set out their core values and standards. In Anglo American’s case, this is called ‘Good Citizenship’. A business should also follow relevant codes of practice that cover its sector. Many companies have created voluntary codes of practice that regulate practices in their industrial sector. These are often drawn up in consultation with governments, employees, local communities and other stakeholders. Anglo American has played an active part in initiatives such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, the United Nations Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative. GLOSSARY Code of practice: written guidelines governing business behaviour. This could take the form of a voluntary code or a legally enforced set of regulations. Universal Declaration of Human Rights: a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948 outlining human rights that should apply to all people. Engagement: the process of involving others in the decision making process. Anglo American has also contributed to the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. This code sets out principles and practices for ensuring that a company’s need to ensure the security of its employees and operations in volatile countries does not adversely impact upon the local population. Thus the Principles provide guidance on how both private and public security forces assigned to protect a mining operation or an oil and gas facility should be vetted, trained in human rights, monitored and controlled. Anglo American also aims to ensure that it plays a role in protecting the human rights of its employees and local people in countries in which it operates. The company supports the principles set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. All companies need to make a profit. However, Anglo American recognises that this objective must take account of ethics as shown in its statement on corporate responsibility: ‘Though providing strong returns for our shareholders remains our prime objective, we do not believe that these can or should be achieved at the expense of social, environmental and moral considerations. Indeed a long-term business such as ours will only thrive if it also takes into account the needs of other stakeholders such as governments, employees, suppliers, communities and customers. ’ An important process used by Anglo American is that of stakeholder engagement. This enables it better to understand the perspectives and priorities of external groups that are affected by its activities and to factor them into its decision-making processes. To support this work at a local level, Anglo American has developed a Socio-Economic Assessment Toolbox or SEAT process. This ‘toolbox’ helps managers to measure the impact of activities on the company and communities. It also helps to improve a mine’s contribution to development through, for example, using its supply chain needs to generate new businesses or to improve the water or electricity infrastructure. They use this toolbox to engage with stakeholders including community representatives. 26 Sometimes communities have to be resettled, with government sanction, in order for important mineral deposits to be accessed. This can cause controversy and divisions in the communities concerned. International best practice sets out a number of key stages in such a process including the need for structured consultation, fair compensation and the importance of restoring and enhancing the livelihoods of people in their new locations. Recently Anglo American has had to undertake two such relocations in South Africa at the villages of Ga Pila and Motlhotlo. These were undertaken with the support of the provincial government and local tribal leadership and after consultation with local people lasting for several years leading to agreement with each householder. New villages have been built with better houses and infrastructure and more land for farming. The relocation programme was voluntary. The relocation programme at Motlhotlo is still under way but at Ga Pila 98% of those living in the old village took up the offer to move to the new village. www. thetimes100. co. uk GLOSSARY Empowerment giving responsibility for making decisions to lower levels within the organisation or community. Indigenous: naturally existing in a place or country rather than arriving from another place. Why should a business act ethically? Businesses have great potential to transform people’s lives and to alleviate poverty through generating economic growth. They produce goods and services that customers want and they create jobs. Through paying taxes, they contribute to government revenue that can finance schools, hospitals and other public services. However, a business must keep in tune with the wishes of the societies it serves or it runs the risk of alienating its shareholders, stakeholders and customers. This would be bad for business, reducing growth and potentially affecting profit. Anglo American has to deal with many different levels of interest when setting up a new project. This includes, for example, the owners of the land and the people and services in the area. The current South African government has a policy of transferring a share of the ownership, management and benefits of the country’s mining industry to people previously excluded from the economy. Anglo American is backing the South African government in this process. This includes supporting black economic empowerment deals (BEE). Through this process, Anglo American has sold (usually at a small discount) 26% of its assets in South Africa to BEE groups. For example, Anglo American was instrumental in the creation of Exxaro. This is now the largest black-owned and managed mining company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. It also aims to have at least 40% of its managers drawn from the ranks of previously disadvantaged ethnic groups. Governments in the developing world face many challenging social and economic problems. They need companies that are ready to be part of the solution. Anglo American believes that it can support governments in reducing poverty and inequality and in improving health and welfare. In South Africa, the company has been a major campaigner for AIDS education. It was the first major company in South Africa to announce that it would provide free anti-retroviral drugs to its HIV-positive employees. It now has the largest workplace HIV/AIDS education, voluntary testing and treatment programme in the world. After running the programme for five years studies have shown that the programme has become self-financing through reducing deaths and the attendant loss of skills and cutting absenteeism rates by boosting the health of infected workers. What are the effects of acting ethically? Most business activity incurs financial costs such as equipment and labour. Non-financial costs include noise and impact on the environment. There is a financial cost to acting ethically. To engage stakeholders takes time and money. Mining in ways that minimise environmental impacts is more expensive than extracting resources regardless of impact. An ethical business also recognises its responsibility for minimising the non-financial costs. The Pebble Project in Alaska is a good example of the way that Anglo American takes account of non-financial costs. This is a gold and copper mining project in the early stages of assessment. This could provide new jobs and revenues for the Alaskan economy at a time when oil and gas revenues have been falling. However, some people are concerned that the mine could damage fish stocks and wildlife. Therefore, Anglo American has been consulting widely and through a structured process with local people, politicians, businesses and especially indigenous people. 27 ANGLO AMERICAN Anglo American has made it clear that it will only seek to proceed with the project if it can be done without damage to the local fisheries. It will also give priority to the recruitment of local people. www. thetimes100. co. uk The benefits of ethical behaviour Anglo American establishes goals each year for sustainable development. These goals include: †¢ working without fatal accidents †¢ eliminating occupational diseases †¢ increasing diversity in the workplace †¢ increasing the benefits of mining for local communities †¢ increasing energy efficiency. By working towards these goals, Anglo American hopes to gain a competitive advantage. By demonstrating a more caring and sustainable approach, the company is able to differentiate itself from rival mining companies. It makes Anglo American more likely to be the partner of choice for many governments and communities in the developing world. It also helps with its position on the stock market. Most long-term investors, such as pension funds that run investments for millions of ordinary people in the UK, believe that it is important for a company to consider social and ethical issues and not just the financial bottom line if a business is to be sustainable. Anglo American sees shareholder returns and social and environmental responsibilities as complementary activities. This puts the company in a stronger position. All stakeholders benefit – shareholders, employees, governments, local communities and suppliers. GLOSSARY Sustainable development: development which meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to achieve their own needs and aspirations. Competitive advantage: a strategic element that enables an organisation to compete more effectively than its rivals. Governance: the process of making decisions and governing. Conclusion Anglo American is a multinational organisation with a high profile in the primary extractive sector. Because many new mineral deposits are to be found in developing countries, some of which have weak governance, Anglo American recognises that it must be rigorous in observing local laws, even if they are not always enforced. It has a significant role in supporting good governance initiatives and boosting the opportunities available to the communities associated with its mines. The company is involved in a range of initiatives to help these communities, such as AIDS testing and provision of new local services like schools and clinics. Its socio-economic assessment toolbox helps it measure its impact and engage with local communities to resolve issues and to underpin initiatives like small business development or partnerships with local farmers. The Times Newspaper Limited and  ©MBA Publishing Ltd 2008. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of information, neither the publisher nor the client can be held responsible for errors of omission or commission. The financial and non-financial benefits to the company and shareholders are shown in several ways. Anglo American is trusted as a business partner that takes into account social and environmental issues. It has licence to operate in countries like South Africa, Brazil or Chile, where it is playing an important part in encouraging local business development. Questions 1. What are business ethics? Give two examples of business practices that stakeholders would regard as ethical and two that might be considered unethical. 2. The benefits of ethical business behaviour affect the business itself and the wider community. Taking an example of an Anglo American business project, identify the benefits to the local community and to the company’s shareholders. 3. How is Anglo American’s reputation enhanced by engaging with local communities in decision-making? Why is it important for this engagement to be an ongoing process? 4. Some business decisions involve a careful balance of social, economic and environmental considerations. Evaluate how Anglo American achieves that balance, using examples from the case study.