Policy Implications from the Montreal Protocol :: Environment Kyoto Essays Papers

Policy Implications from the Montreal Protocol Executive Summary In the mid 1980s, the international community decided to address the issue of ozone depletion. In 1987, the Montreal Protocol was signed, setting out abatement schedules for major ozone depleting substances. Due to several unique factors surrounding the issue of ozone depletion, the Montreal Protocol was, and continues to be, a great success. That being said, there are a number of problems that parties to the agreement have faced over the years, and it is important to learn from these and apply the lessons to future international environmental agreements. For one, trade leakage was a major problem for developed nations under the Montreal Protocol. Moreover, other issues, including illegal trade, technology transfer problems, data collection problems, and conflicts with subsequent environmental agreements have marred the Montreal Protocol, and need to be considered when crafting new abatement policies, such as the Kyoto Protocol. Montreal Protocol Up until the late 1920s, the most common artificial refrigerants were toxic and volatile gases such as ammonia and methyl chloride. It is for this reason that when chemist Thomas Midgley Jr. developed what appeared to be a safe and inert substitute in the form of the family of chemicals known as chlorofluorocarbons in 1930, they were soon widely adopted as coolants for both refrigeration and industrial solvents1. It wasn’t until a few decades later, in 1974, that two scientists by the names of F. Sherwood Rowland and Mario Molina proposed that CFC emissions would lead to the destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer2. At that time Drs. Rowland and Molina suggested that while inert in the lower atmosphere, when CFC molecules reach the stratosphere and are exposed to ultraviolet radiation they release chlorine atoms that will bond with the atmospheric ozone to form chlorine monoxide. Ten years later, in the mid 1980s, Antarctic researchers discovered a large hole in the ozone layer. This finding seemed to be corroboration of Rowland and Molina’s original findings2. With a depleted ozone layer, higher levels of UV radiation will reach the earth’s surface and cause a range of problems3. These problems can include reduced plant growth, which would have extensive implications for the agricultural sectors around the world; higher mortality of phytoplankton, which could affect marine ecosystems and ultimately fish stocks worldwide; and higher rates of skin cancer and melanoma among humans. â€Å"A United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) study [showed] that a sustained 1 percent decrease in stratospheric ozone will result in about a 2 percent increase in the incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer, which can be fatal. With the successful phase-out of CFCs, however, EPA expects 295 million fewer cases of this

Consider the benefits and challenges of social media amongst young Australians Essay

The use of social media by young Australians has become increasingly popular. This essay will show that social media can have many benefits to young Australians by enabling them to engage with peers, the creativeness it brings out and enhanced learning opportunities. Cyber bullying and privacy issues are some of the challenges that can arise with the use of social media. One of the benefits of social media is the ability to connect and engage with others. Keeping in touch with friends and family who live far away can be made a lot easier by communicating through social media by sharing updates, photos, videos, and messages. ’In 2008, Facebook reported having 67 million active users, with more than half of them returning daily and spending an average 20 minutes per day on the site’. Social media provides young people with the right tool to be able to make new relationships as well as strengthened existing relationships. The strong sense of community and belonging fostered by SNS [social networking services] has the potential to promote resilience, which helps young people to successfully adapt to change and stressful events. Social media is a significant tool for enabling creativity and innovation for young Australians. Through social media they are able to develop a diverse range of skills such as editing content, interactive blogging, encourage the creation and sharing of poetry, arts, photography, and video content. A study conducted last year by the University of Minnesota suggested that using social networking sites improved technology and communication skills, boosted creativity and exposed students to new and diverse world views. These students also tended to do better in exams. Education through social media has great benefits for young people. Being able to learn everything from foreign languages to how to write a computer code and everything in between. Social networking services can facilitate learning and skill development outside formal learning environments by supporting peer-to-peer learning of knowledge and skills, collaboration, diverse cultural expression, the development of skills valued in the modern workplace , and a more empowered conception of citizenship. Cyber bullying on social media is a risk for young Australians. Cyber bullying is purposely using social media to communicate wrong, humiliating, or hostile information about another person. The most frequently used nature of harassments are name calling and gossiping. ‘Thirty three percent of youth reported an online harassment in the last year’. Young people usually react by pretending to ignore it, by really ignoring it or by reacting and bullying the bully. Cyber bullying is quite common and can occur to any young person online. Cyber bullying can have devastating effects to a young person including depression, anxiety, isolation and suicide. The improper use of social media by young Australians can put their privacy at risk. The volume and accessibility of personal information available on social media have attracted malicious people who seek to exploit this information. Young people who lack an awareness of privacy issues often post on social media inappropriate messages, pictures, and videos of themselves and others without understanding that it could result in future reputations being damaged. ‘Adults are concerned about invasion of privacy, while teens freely give up personal information’. Sharing too much information on social media can also make young people easier targets for marketers and fraudsters. Communicating and sharing information on social media to someone who you do not know their identity can be very dangerous as this sort of behaviour can attract online predators. To conclude, it is clear young Australian’s are faced with many benefits and challenges when using social media. From cyber bullying and privacy issues social media opens up avenues for problems but along with these challenges come opportunities for young people to learn in many different ways and express themselves creatively. It is up to the user how they want to engage and use social media.

Harvard Business Review Reflection Essay

Introduction The article entitled â€Å"Scorched Earth † written by Elizabeth Economy (senior fellow for Asia with the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations in New York) and Kenneth Lieberthal (William Davidson Professor of Corporate Strategy and International Business, the China director of Davidson Institute, and the Arthur Thurnau Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, senior director of Stonebridge International, a Washington, D.C.–based consulting firm, and the co-author, with Geoffrey Lieberthal, of â€Å"The Great Transition† (HBR October 2003)) was published in the Harvard Business Review of June 2007 on the pages 88 to 96. The article deals with the problem of environmental degradation in China which is of great concern for MNEs that are active in, or are going to be active in China concerning both future opportunities and risks. Summary The authors of this article consider the threat posed by environmental degradation as the greatest risk of doing business in China. The problem is that this topic is barely discussed within corporations. This is a serious mistake. Multinationals may be busy with other problems, but the Chinese government, NGOs, and the Chinese press have been focused squarely on the country’s energy shortages, soil erosion, lack of water, and pollution problems. The authors believe that these problems are so severe they might constrain GDP growth. Moreover, it is from the MNEs expected to play a key role in the protection of the environment. If that does not happen, multinationals face clear risks to their operations, their workers’ health, and their reputations. In implementing environmental issues into their strategies, foreign firms need to be both defensive and proactive. Defensive  here means take steps to reduce harm and proactive means investing in environmental protection efforts. Finally, this problem also brings some opportunities along as MNEs can use innovations that are designed for the Chinese market in the rest of the world. This means that China affects the MNEs performance in other important markets. Review Weaknesses and limitations relating to the content First of all, the article only emphasizes the weaknesses of China regarding environmental issues. Instead of laying the responsibility at the Chinese government, the MNEs are somewhat kept responsible. This is quite unfair and this way, the authors create a problem that in reality is way less extensive. Secondly, we would like to quote a part of the article: â€Å"Despite the challenges, multinationals can’t afford not to do the right thing† (Economy, Lieberthal, 2007, p.96)  We believe that this statement is completely wrong as a lot of companies that are active in China, just do not do anything about it. They are even encouraged to do the ‘wrong thing’ by the local governments. Thirdly, time after time, the authors emphasize how big China’s influence is on the pollution in the world. However, this is quite logical as China is one of the biggest countries in the world. Therefore, this is really annoying and not really useful in the article. Fourthly, referring to the challenges described, there is no clear relationship between, for instance, the spill of water by the Chinese population and MNEs. This because MNEs cannot do anything about this issue. Furthermore, it is not really the MNEs’ responsibility. Therefore we consider this challenge as superfluous. (Economy, Lieberthal, 2007) Finally, the authors do spend enough time on the concept of using their new innovations for China (concerning environmental degradation etc.) in other key markets. This is actually the most important part of the article and therefore more attention should be paid to this concept. (Economy, Lieberthal, 2007) Strengths of the article relating to the content and structure To begin with, the authors have done very well in describing the environmental degradation as a problem among a long of other problems in China. The contrast described in the introduction really attracts attention. (Economy, Lieberthal, 2007) Furthermore, the article  describes that MNEs can actually benefit from these environmental problems as they can use innovations from the Chinese market in other important markets. This is quite a creative consideration we could never think of. (Economy, Lieberthal, 2007) Another strong point is that the article gives advice about how to deal with the Chinese political system. A special segment of the article is dedicated to this subject. Moving on with the subject of structure, the article is quite well structured. As a reader, you can clearly distinguish between an introduction to a problem, a detailed description of the problem(s) and finally a part dedicated to the solutions . However, there are a couple of things that we do not like about the article?s structure. First of all, concerning the discussion of China?s challenges (water, energy, soil erosion etc.), the authors spent too much time on the description of these challenges. (Economy, Lieberthal, 2007) These challenges are extensively described along with a lot of specific data which is unnecessary as the article does not directly describe how managers should cope with these challenges. Instead, the authors move on with discussion another set of risks. Then, eventually, some solutions are given. In general this is a good thing. However, we would rather have seen the solution along with the challenges and risks in order to improve the clarity of the article. And as we said before, the authors could spend less time on describing the challenges as all the specific data has no connection with the solutions given. Relation to the course IIB This article concerns environmental problems in China and that is a problem for all MNEs because of the fact that there is only one environment in the world and we have to make sure that does not cause unrepairable damage to that environment. This because it crosses all borders and is not bounded to a certain location. Therefore environmental damage in China can influence business activities in other markets due to, for instance, a shortage of certain raw materials. Moreover, it can limit the possibilities of MNEs in the future. Moreover, the article discusses the opportunities of China-specific innovations that can be applied in other markets. This implies the creation of a FSA. Conclusion One of the things that we have learned from this article is the fact that Chinese local governments, along with a part of the population play a bigger role than expected in the environmental degradation than expected. We assumed that most pollution derived from MNE activity in China. Another thing that we have learned that you eventually pay a high price for your, initially cheap business activities. After extensively analysing this article, a couple of question came to mind. First of all, the article forecasts that the environmental damage will have a great impact on China?s GDP. Quoting the article: â€Å"China’s environmental problems are reaching the point where they could constrain its GDP growth.† (Economy, Lieberthal, 2007, p. 90) We would like to know if the authors, if they had the possibility, would change this statement to let it match the current circumstances. We ask this question because, in our eyes, the impact has not been that great. In the media, for instance, there is nothing said about the constraining factors on China’s GDP growth. Another question that came to mind is the following: According to the article, the Chinese local governments play an important role in the environmental problematic cases. (Economy, Lieberthal, 2007) Doesn’t this mean that the focus should lay at these governments rather than the organizations? In our eyes, these governments should be punished by international organizations. Such intervention would decrease the MNEs’ challenges significantly. Moving on to our final question, we would like to know if the authors expect that this problem will be completely solved, by either the Chinese government or another institutions, in the near future? Full reference list Economy, E. Lieberthal, K. June 2007. Scorched Earth. Harvard Business Review. P. 88-96

Educational Goals Essay

I am working toward a Bachelor’s degree in Interactive Media Design. I chose this because it combines two things that I am highly interested in – technology and creativity. I also researched the percent increase in jobs in the field over the past few years, which was higher than several other programs I looked into. After taking a few classes at Eastern Illinois University in Management Information Systems, I decided that computer programming and networking was not for me. I was not very good at networking and I did not enjoy programming. However, there was one class that seemed to be a lot different than all the other ones I was taking. It was an Information Presentation class where we worked with programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Google Sketch up, and Windows Movie Maker. Another reason I chose this program is because technology, as we all know, is always changing and growing. I feel like there will always be jobs in this area and new ones being created. I know I will not receive any immediate benefits after obtaining my Bachelor’s degree because I work for a non-for-profit company mostly funded by the state of Illinois. However, with that degree I will have the opportunity to apply for other jobs in other places as it is typically a requirement for the type of job I want. There are about 12 classes I need to take to complete the program since I’ve already transferred in all of the general education requirements. I am just taking Learning Strategies for the summer to brush up on some things and get used to taking a class completely online. It is also a prerequisite for all the other classes I need to take. In the fall, I will take the first two required classes. I am a bit cautious to take more than 2-3 a semester right away since I work full time, have a 5 year old daughter, and haven’t had any classes since 2009. I assume it will take me roughly two years to finish this program. That includes taking classes in the summer. I am not trying to finish it quickly I just want to finish eventually in order to secure my daughter’s future.

Outline the development of Britain's relationship with the Essay

Outline the development of Britain's relationship with the Commonwealth and discuss whether this organisation still has any relevance today - Essay Example Except Mozambique and Rwanda, all of the Commonwealth member countries were once part of the British Empire. The Commonwealth member states operate within a framework of common values and goals like the promotion of democracy, human rights, better governance, individual liberty, free trade, etc as outlined in the Singapore Declaration. Even though the member countries have diverse social, political, economical, and cultural backgrounds, all members enjoy equal status in Commonwealth. Even Britain enjoys the same status only like the other member states even though, as a courtesy, the member states give the opportunity to inaugurate commonwealth events to the British monarch. It should be remembered that the recently concluded Delhi commonwealth games 2010 was inaugurated by Indian president and the British monarch, Charles jointly. Commonwealth activities were carried out by the commonwealth secretariat headed by a secretary general. Even though Britain and its allies succeeded in winning the second world war, the after effects of that war was so profound so that the British empire started to show signs of exhaustion. Anti-Colonial movements and their agitations against Britain attained momentum after the Second World War. India, the largest colony of Britain succeeded in getting independence from British colonial rule in 1947. Apart from the Asian region, Britain forced to give independence to the African countries also in the 1960’s. The granting of independence to Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), the New Hebrides (Vanuatu) in the 1980’s marked almost the end of the decolonization process started after the Second World War. The British national identity started to exhaust after the decolonization. Earlier, British people have shown immense pride of ruling the world, in their approaches, attitudes and dealings. After decolonization, they have realized that Britain has not much role in the global

Communications Studies - Analysis of the structural and cultural Term Paper

Communications Studies - Analysis of the structural and cultural forces that shape a particular media artifact - Term Paper Example ‘Fruitvale Station’ represents an American drama, which released in the year 2013. Ryan Coogler is the director and the writer of this particular story. Oscar Grant, the protagonist of the story did not deserve to have died. This statement pertains to be the central message of the movie. The film primarily dramatized the real case scenario of a young black man, who was shot dead by a white police in the year 2009 at Fruitvale Station. "Racism – and anti-black racism in particular – is the belief that there's something wrong with black people† is the cultural belief portrayed in the movie (Amnesty International, â€Å"USA's Record on Racial Discrimination under Scrutiny†). Oscar Grant as a protagonist reflects three dimensional characteristics of a black male. This is the reason that it can be regarded as one of the rarest artifacts within the American culture. The plot states that Grant was on a train returning to Oakland. Subsequently, he indu lged in fighting after encountering an enemy. Following this scenario, the police detained Grant at the Fruitvale Station and when Grant tried to confront the police regarding their abusive nature, one of them fired Grant on the back. This reflects the cultural dimension pertaining to racial discrimination. This movie conveys an apparent and uncalled for picture of racial discrimination in the United States. ... In the age of 21st century as well, the non-US nationals have been treated harshly on the grounds of discrimination by the US military. Moreover, on the grounds of disparities, it has also been noted that healthcare access and voting rights among others are also affected by racial discrimination amidst blacks and whites. Therefore, Ryan Coogler, the director has clearly been able to show the picture of discrimination within the US through his movie. This particular movie depicts the still prevalent scenario of racism in the US culture especially within the system and psychology of the people (Amnesty International, â€Å"USA's Record on Racial Discrimination under Scrutiny†). According to critics, the killing of the African-American men as depicted in the movie i.e. ‘Fruitvale Station’ conveys the politics, law, violence and racism prevailing within the US. Furthermore, the movie as an artifact aimed to show the world the real picture related to class, masculinity and also the relation existing between various people. It has been very strongly proclaimed in the movie about a black man irrespective of being a common person or a President gets affected by the popular culture and the psychology being practiced in America (Brevet, â€Å"The Tragedy that Inspired Fruitvale Station†). Social along with economic gaps have been greatly visualized within the blacks and whites, which is imbedded in the US culture since ages. Correspondingly, it has been observed that despite the implementation of civil rights and discrimination laws, race-based injustice and disparities continue to persist within the societal system of the US. This movie also relates the apparent inequality being shown by the US military over the non-US

The Financial Perspective bus 499 case 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Financial Perspective bus 499 case 3 - Essay Example As an initial step to solve the issue, new personnel were appointed at the top level of the organization. The newly appointed chairman, Bob Sleelert put forth the new strategy to be followed whereas the new Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Roberts played the crucial role of implementing the new strategy. The balanced scorecard was set up which was led by the CompaSS director, Paul Melter. The goals were set up by the new management team with a finance perspective. The main objective was to grow the revenue base better than the market. Target was also set to convert 30 percent of that increase as the operating profit and to increase the earnings per share. A detailed strategy was set up by the management in order to achieve the goals and objectives. Though the company was working efficiently, the different business units were not adding value to the company from the finance perspective. Hence a vision for the new strategy was set up that the company has to be creatively brilliant and financially secure. But the management also knew that the company has to give careful consideration to the needs of its client base, both new and existing, as it was impossible to achieve the targets without the continued support from the customers. A ‘lead’, ‘drive’ and ‘prosper’ strategy was applied to segregate the business units based on the value of the units to the company on the whole. The ‘lead’ group was the leading revenue and value generators for the company, followed by drive and prosper in that order. This was mainly in the finance perspective, as identifying the lead business units will enable the company to focus on these units. The management can then aggressively look for investment opportunities in these business units. As these were the main revenue generating units and had high potential for growth, the management believed that focusing and investing in these territories will help attain the company’s financial