Deforestation in Brazil Research Paper Example

Deforestation in Brazil Paper In Brazil, the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest is a very big issue. In this report I will explain the connections of the deforestation to the Brazilian environment and economic development, and for extra reference I will relate these to the included map. The deforestation of the Amazon seems to be necessary to economic development in Brazil. Along with this, sadly the Amazon rainforest is being demolished at a alarming rate and it is causing major environmental issues including loss of bio-diversity, decreased hardwoods, world climate change and many others. To the indigenous people, the Amazon is a source of incalculable water, carbon sequestering, and it is very bio-diverse. When it is being deforested then all of the resources that it provides get smaller and smaller until there is eventually going to be nothing left. An article in National Geographic states â€Å"During the past 40 years, close to 20 percent of the Amazon rain forest has been cut down, more than in all the previous 450 years since European colonization began. (Wallace) † This fact, along with the shown deforestation on the included map should help you realize the mass of rainforest that is being cut down. We will write a custom essay sample on Deforestation in Brazil specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Deforestation in Brazil specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Deforestation in Brazil specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Deforestation comes with a price though, the environment. Brazil is loosing precious hardwoods, bio-diversity and soil everyday but the largest problem continues to be carbon emissions. â€Å"Deforestation, a critical contributor to climate change, effectively accounts for 20 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions and 70 percent of the emissions in Brazil. Halting new deforestation, experts say, is as powerful a way to combat warming as closing the world’s coal plants. (New York Times, 2009)† Brazils environment is being destroyed by deforestation and the global environment is being effected just as bad. If you look at the checkered areas on the map you will see the parts of the Amazon that are already deforested and no longer there, the spotted areas are old deforestation hot spots and the striped areas are the relatively new hotspots. At the rate that the rainforest is being cleared you can expect all these areas to grow by probably 50% by next year. Geography professor Robert Walker from Michigan State university says â€Å"80 to 90 percent of all cleared land in the region (the Brazilian Amazon) is attributable to some form of pasture or ranching. Cattle ranching is a huge part of Brazils economy and one of the main reasons why deforestation continues at such a rapid pace today. The deforestation of the Amazon rainforest is directly connected to the overall economic development of Brazil. Brazil’s economy depends on the rainforest for things such as medicines, hardwoods, fruits and nuts, food and other resources that are collected and exported all over the world. The logg ing industry is one of the largest reasons that Brazil’s forests are being destroyed. The wood is being collected and shipped off around the world. This is helping the Brazilian economy grow and become part of a global market. In the article Logging in the Amazon the writer tells us â€Å"Huge majestic trees like the Samauma, also known as the Queen of the Forest, are being exploited to make cheap plywood for construction industries in the US, Japan and Europe. (2005)† this is just one example of the many uses of the wood collected from the Amazon. Along with logging another economic reason the Amazon is being destroyed is for cattle farming (beef industry). The forest is being rapidly cleared to make more room for pastures for cattle to graze in. The article Deforestation in the Amazon states that between 1990 and 2001 the percentage of Europes processed meat imports that came from Brazil rose from 40 to 74 percent and by 2003 for the first time ever, the growth in Brazilian cattle production—80 percent of which was in the Amazon—was largely export driven. (Butler) And more cattle means more deforestation. But it is also a huge income source for Brazil and a main factor in their economic growth. An online article by Rhett Butler states â€Å"Brazilian deforestation is strongly correlated to the economic health of the country: the decline in deforestation from 1988-1991 nicely matched the economic slowdown during the same period, while the rocketing rate of deforestation from 1993-1998 paralleled Brazils period of rapid economic growth. † This clearly shows how directly correlated the deforestation of the Amazon is with the economic development of Brazil. There is a major connection between the deforestation of the Amazon and Brazil’s environment and economic growth. Like I said earlier the deforestation is constantly changing Brazil’s environment. The loss of bio-diversity, hard-woods, and the constant carbon emissions coming out of brazil are going to keep on growing effecting the entire world. Although the deforestation of the Amazon is not good for the environment it directly impacts Brazil’s economic development by providing a source of income and trade partners through major industries such as logging and cattle farming. Butler, R. (n. d. ). Deforestation in the amazon. Retrieved from http://www. mongabay. com/brazil. html Butler, R. (2008, July 31). Future threats to the amazon rain forest . Retrieved from http://news. mongabay. com/2008/0801-amazon. html Camill, P. (1999). The deforestation of the amazon: a case study in understanding ecosystems and their value. Retrieved from http://library. buffalo. edu/libraries/projects/cases/amazon. html Cimitile, M. (2009, January 9). Amazon deforestation: Earths heart and lungs dismembered. Live Science, Retrieved from http://www. livescience. com/3201 amazon-deforestation-earth-heart-lungs-dismembered. html Frey, E. (2002). Tropical deforestation in the amazon: an economic analysis of rondonia, brazil. Issues in Political Economy, 11, Retrieved from http://org. elon. edu/ipe/frey1. pdf Rosenthal, E. (2009, August 21). In brazil, paying farmers to let the trees stand . New York Times. Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/2009/08/22/science/earth/22degrees. html Shukla, J. , Nobre, C. Sellers, P. (1991, April 29). Amazonian deforestation and regional climate change Journal of Climate, 4, 957-988. Retrieved from http://weatherdata. org/people/Shuklas Articles/1991/Amazonian. PDF Wallace, S. (n. d. ). Farming the amazon. Retrieved from http://environment. nationalgeographic. com/environment/habitats/last-of-amazon/

Free Essays on Antigones Battle

Antigone’s Battle Most people look up to heroes, like athletes, actors, fire fighters, or police men. But in Sopholes’ play Antigone, there were two tragic heroes, Antigone was the tragic heroine. A tragic hero is someone who is not completely good or completely bad, someone who falls from tremendous good and recognizes their tragic flaw. In these three ways Antigone was the tragic heroine. There are many ways Antigone proves she is a good person, such as when she wants to bury her brother, Polyneices,† But Polyneices who fought as bravely and died as miserably†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (693). One way that shows she was not as good as we all thought was when she yelled at her sister Ismene. â€Å"And now you can prove what you are: a true sister, or a traitor to your family† (693). And that is why she is neither good nor bad. Pride brought Antigone down throughout the play. For instance when she accepted her punishment for burying Polyneices, â€Å"I should have praise and honor for what I have done. All these men would praise me† (710). Here is another way, her pride got in her way, she yelled at Ismene, â€Å"Yes save yourself, I shall not envy you. There are those who will praise you. I shall have honor too† (711). Antigone’s pride killed her. By the end of the play, Antigone recognized that her pride got her where she was. She realized it when she was going to her death, and when the chorus said she had a choice. â€Å"You have made your choice your death is the doing of your conscious hand.† (724). She recognized her error at the worst possible time. As you can see Antione has all the qualities of a tragic hero. I think she was the tragic heroine because she did what she believed in, which made her a good person. She did something and did not care what the punishment was, which made her proud. She also did what everyone else wanted to do but they did not have the guts to do it, which made her recognize her error. She loved her brother, ... Free Essays on Antigone's Battle Free Essays on Antigone's Battle Antigone’s Battle Most people look up to heroes, like athletes, actors, fire fighters, or police men. But in Sopholes’ play Antigone, there were two tragic heroes, Antigone was the tragic heroine. A tragic hero is someone who is not completely good or completely bad, someone who falls from tremendous good and recognizes their tragic flaw. In these three ways Antigone was the tragic heroine. There are many ways Antigone proves she is a good person, such as when she wants to bury her brother, Polyneices,† But Polyneices who fought as bravely and died as miserably†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (693). One way that shows she was not as good as we all thought was when she yelled at her sister Ismene. â€Å"And now you can prove what you are: a true sister, or a traitor to your family† (693). And that is why she is neither good nor bad. Pride brought Antigone down throughout the play. For instance when she accepted her punishment for burying Polyneices, â€Å"I should have praise and honor for what I have done. All these men would praise me† (710). Here is another way, her pride got in her way, she yelled at Ismene, â€Å"Yes save yourself, I shall not envy you. There are those who will praise you. I shall have honor too† (711). Antigone’s pride killed her. By the end of the play, Antigone recognized that her pride got her where she was. She realized it when she was going to her death, and when the chorus said she had a choice. â€Å"You have made your choice your death is the doing of your conscious hand.† (724). She recognized her error at the worst possible time. As you can see Antione has all the qualities of a tragic hero. I think she was the tragic heroine because she did what she believed in, which made her a good person. She did something and did not care what the punishment was, which made her proud. She also did what everyone else wanted to do but they did not have the guts to do it, which made her recognize her error. She loved her brother, ...

Mini-Project (Second) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mini-Project (Second) - Essay Example All management projects contain risks of one sort or another. These arise from interactions between the project objectives and uncertainty. A risk is â€Å"an uncertain event which, should it occur, would have an effect on achieving the objectives†. (APM PRAM Guide, 1997) The business, technical and project risks are listed below. The impact level of each risk is stated in the table, and these are given ratings and assigned priorities. Important recommendations are given on how the risks should have been managed. 6. Change in production train specification made it necessary to add another five feet to the length of the new building (only discovered when holding down bolts for the new train were laid out on site). Similarly for catalogue descriptions and specifications for other equipment 6. Manufacturing drawings for the critical long-lead equipment sat in a junior clerk’s in-tray awaiting approval and caused a two week delay and contributing to a later construction schedule conflict in tying-in the new services Uncertainty (or probability of occurrence) is classified as either very low (1), low (2), medium (3), high (4) or very high (5). The impact level is graded and scored the same. The two figures are multiplied to give the priority rating. The fact that not all stakeholders’ roles were clearly defined and especially that the project managers were not even aware of the importance of some stakeholders until much later was a great risk. For instance, â€Å"The VP Production and VP Sales and Estimating were important stakeholders who got involved in the project much later than they should have been.† (Group 1) And, the local inspection authority’s latest safety standards were not taken into account for the paint disposal arrangements. This was a potential environmental risk. The inadequate pre-planning was another great risk and an important part of this was project design, budgeting and scheduling.

How Secure is Your Data, Information and Information Systems Assignment

How Secure is Your Data, Information and Information Systems Technology - Assignment Example As the discussion this will ensure that in cases where virus wipe out important information, there can still be a source of reference. In the author's own organization, he believes upgrading our antivirus system as exists in your organization will do us a lot of good. The issue of insider threat is something that we both touched on as part of the trends in security issues. The reporter however did not mention the case of employee negligence. He believes that from the elaboration that you give about employee negligence and how it applies to your organization, having much emphasis on employee training will be a solution to the problem that you currently face. This is because through training, most of the cases of negligence can be dealt with as employees will gain the needed experience to handle all forms of security system cases. In the reporter's own organization, he is going to take a lot of inspiration from your organization on the use of specific employee based rules to ensure tha t all forms of insider breaches are dealt away with.

Reading and Writing with an Attitude Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading and Writing with an Attitude - Essay Example Ultimately, although procrastination can adversely affect all forms of production and output, it is an especially bad habit with regards to the process of writing due to the fact that the writing process cannot be completed in a single sitting. As a function of the reading, planning, outlining, drafting, and revising process, it is necessary to budget a great deal of time for the writing process in order to make sure that it is complete and relevant to the subject matter or requirements that have been set out. Moreover, proofreading the finished product also takes time and seeking to make any last minute additions for relevance takes time as well. With regards to how I acquired this particular shortcoming, it can be simply enough understood that it was acquired as a result of improper time management early in my scholastic endeavors. With regards to the impacts that it has had, these can be understood to be wholly negative. Ultimately, as a means of correcting this habit, it has been necessary for me to seek to meticulously budget my time so that procrastination in the writing process cannot even be a

Effects of Globalization on Business

Effects of Globalization on Business Introduction Globalization indicates to the entire exertion towards making the world worldwide group as a one town. Products that were just found in western nations can now be found over the globe. Presently immature ranges can appreciate the advantages of experimental advances and mechanical advancement accessible in created nations for the change and development of their regions. Because of globalization the economies of the world are as a rule progressively coordinated, illustration cellular telephones and web have brought individuals closer. The world is turning into a littler spot. Work can be outsourced to any piece of the world that has a web association due to changes in activity base one has the capacity achieve one's destination in a brief while. Globalization can likewise be characterized as a progressing process by which local economies, social orders and societies have ended up coordinated through a globe spreading over system of correspondence and exchange. The procedure of globalization incorporates various variables, which are fast innovation advancements that make worldwide interchanges conceivable, political improvements, for example, the fall of socialism, and transportation advancements that make voyaging speedier and more continuous. For sure, globalization has positive and negative effects on business, education and society. Below are discussed briefly about the effects of globalization on business. Globalization increases the competition among the international companies No wonder that globalization is very effective in the right time and the exact place when activated according to the proper mechanism. It plays an effective role in the competition between many companies. Now, it is easier if you are in China and selling your products in the US market. Here is the sense of competition. A standout amongst the most noticeable beneficial outcomes of globalization is the enhanced nature of items because of globe competition. Client administration and the 'client is the ruler' ways to deal with generation have prompted enhanced nature of items and administrations. As the local organizations need to battle out outside competition, they are constrained to raise their guidelines and consumer loyalty levels to make due in the business. In addition, when a worldwide brand enters another nation, it comes in riding on some goodwill, which it needs to satisfy. This makes competition in the business sector and a survival of the fittest circumstance. The beneficial outcomes of globalization on society are numerous! Not every great practice were conceived in one human advancement. The world that we live in today is a consequence of a few societies meeting up. Individuals of one society, if responsive, have a tendency to see the defects in their way of life and get the way of life, which is more right or tuned in to the times. Social orders have ended up bigger as they have invited individuals of different human advancements and foundations and made an entire new culture they could call their own. Cooking styles, dialects and traditions have spread all because of globalization. The same can be said in regards to motion pictures, musical styles and other fine arts. They too have moved starting with one nation then onto the next, leaving an impact on a society which has embraced them. Globalization can lead to high investment in the world One of the major attribute is the high and intensive market investment domestically and globally. Globalization plays a massive role in encouraging investors to give in their capitals in order to gain higher and expandable revenues. A standout amongst the most noticeable constructive outcomes of globalization in India is the stream of remote capital. A considerable measure of organizations have straightforwardly put resources into India, by beginning generation units in India, yet what we likewise need to see is the measure of Foreign Investment Inflow that streams into the creating nations. Indian organizations, which have been performing admirably, both in India and off the shores, will pull in a considerable measure of remote investment, and subsequently pushes up the store of outside trade accessible in India. This is likewise one of the beneficial outcomes of globalization in America and other created nations as creating nations issue them a decent investment suggestion. Administrators' targets may not be the same with those of stockholders in a few circumstances. The more perplexing the partnership the more troublesome it is for shareholders to screen administration's activities whereby it gives the administrators more flexibility to act in their own self enthusiasm to the detriment of shareholders. Multinational firms are more unpredictable than national firms are. Supervisors may support global enhancement because it diminishes firm particular hazard or adds to their glory. These objectives may be of minimal enthusiasm to shareholders. This dissimilarity of hobbies in the middle of shareholders and chiefs may lessen the estimation of multinationals with respect to residential firms. Globalization can help company open new branches in new branches in the world For sure, globalization has been the key factor recently in the last few decades. It all started in the late years of the past millennium where big developed countries called for globalization. The markets are now open and extremely expanding. The sole company can be operating in many markets around the world. As a small business owner, you can start domestically and later open branches in the very close future in different countries. This way you are making extra profits and a global admired brand. With the existence of internet and satellite, people are no closely monitoring the best products in terms of quality and affordability. Now also you can do your shopping online from the Far East countries and receive it at your doorstep. Best developing markets in created nations are an aftereffect of privatization of state claimed commercial enterprises. All together for these commercial ventures to expand customer interest a significant number of them are endeavoring to grow and extend their worth bind to a universal level. The effect of globalization on business administration is seen by the sudden increment of number of exchanges over the outskirts. In ensuring yields and looking after intensity, businesses are keeping on developing an extensive variety of their foot shaped impression as it brings down expense and appreciates economies of scale. Multinational partnerships is a consequence of globalization. They possess a focal part inside the procedure of globalization as confirm through worldwide remote direct investment inflows. Their fixations inside Europe in western economies has prompted size limitations, thusly there is a requirement for new topographical ranges to work whereby they will confront a considerable measure of competition in the business sector. Through this they will augment their business sector and appreciate economies of scale as globalization encourages time space pressure, economies contend at all levels including that of pulling in financial specialists. Conclusion To sum it up, globalization has the marvelous positive effects on business in terms of flexibility and free trade between countries and markets. Considering every one of these components, it can be inferred that globalization has positive effect on business advancement for a few reasons. These elements incorporate expanding competition that brings down costs and expand nature of items. The following is expanded investment opportunities, which prompt quicker advancement of business. In conclusion, it offers access to the new advancements that can support to businesses to get higher benefit. It is accepted that globalization is an advancement, which is not going to be ended, and this procedure presumably will keep on widening.

All My Sons by Arthur Miller

Larry’s letter is instrumental in forcing Keller to realise his fault. Discuss (20M) All My Sons a play by Arthur Miller was staged at the coronet theatre in January 1947 and ran for 328 performances. The play was well constructed and realistic in nature, and it was extremely popular among the audiences. All My Sons started in the middle of things and spends most of the play uncovering the facts of the past so that the audience can see the last act consequences in the present.The play actually deals with the fate of Joe Keller, an uneducated self-made man who has committed an atrocious act during World War II. The play ends with the suicide of the Joe Keller who repents after being exposed with the content of his son Larry’s letter. As mentioned earlier, Joe Keller is an uneducated self-made man who has committed an atrocious act during World War II. Keller has as partner Steve Deever and their factory manufactures cylinder heads for aircrafts. During the war, they rece ive a contract from the army to supply cylinder heads on an urgent basis.However the cylinder heads had hairline cracks in them and Keller is immediately informed by Deever. But Keller asked Deever to get the cylinder heads welded and that he would take full responsibility of the damaged products. Unfortunately those damaged cylinder heads cause twenty-one planes to crash killing their pilots. However at the trial Keller denies responsibility and is exonerated, and the blame shifts to Steve Deever who is imprisoned. Following that Joe Keller lives in total impunity with his family.However when he is confronted with the content of his son Larry’s letter, he is forced to realise his fault. In fact Larry’s letter was intended to his fiancee Ann, in which he reveals that he was shamed by his father’s involvement in fraud and profiteering. Consequently he committed suicide by allowing his plane to crash. However the content of the letter was kept secret by Ann becaus e of her selfish motive to get married to Chris who is Larry’s brother. Moreover she did not want to break the harmony of the home of her would be in laws.But finally the content of the letter is revealed to Kate Keller by Ann because the former is still refusing the union of Ann and Chris. Consequently Ann uses the letter as her trump card to save her future union with Chris and the letter forces Kate to accept to accept Larry’s death and her husband’s crime of killing twenty one pilots. Moreover Chris is also made aware of the content of the letter and is unwilling to forgive his father. Consequently Joe Keller is confronted by Chris and based on the content of Larry’s letter, Joe keller is compelled to reveal the truth of the case to Chris.Joe Keller tries to justify his acts by arguing that he had worked in the interest of his family. But Chris being an idealist condemns the act of his father. Finally Joe Keller realises his fault and understands the disastrous implications of his actions. In order to escape from guilt and repay for his crime, he commits suicide. To conclude, it can be said that the Larry’s letter is indeed of prime importance in making Joe Keller realise his fault, but who unfortunately has a tragic end.

Discussion and Application Questions Essay

1. (a) The mission statement should be a clear, short, and to the point representation of the companies purpose for existence. It should incorporate socially meaningful and measurable criteria addressing concepts such as the moral/ethical position of the enterprise, public image, the target market, products/services, the geographic domain and expectations of growth and profitability. The intent of the Mission Statement should be the first consideration for any employee who is evaluating a strategic decision. The statement can range from a very simple to a very complex set of ideas. (b) Medtronic gives a strategic direction to its organization by committing to the research, design, manufacturing, and the sale of their product. (c) My career mission statement: Obtain my degree to position myself for future advancement within the organization I work. Exceed expectations by persistence, professionalism, and integrity. 2.(a) Empire State competencies is providing adult education through individualizes degree programs, distance learning, and flexible independent studies. (b) My favorite restaurant competencies are customer service and a large variety of beer and soups. (c) Dell’s competencies are customer service and technology. 3.The main result of each of the three phases of the strategic marketing process. (a) Planning: Marketing plans (or programs) that define goals and the marketing mix strategies to achieve them. (b)Implementation: Results (memos or computer outputs) that describe the outcomes of implementing the plans. (c)Control: Corrective action memos, triggered by comparing results with plans, that (1) suggest solutions to problems and (2) take advantage of opportunities. 4. Select one strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat from the SWOT analysis for Ben and Jerry’s shown in Figure 2-6, and suggest a specific possible action that Unilever might take to exploit or address each one. Strength: Prestigious, well-known brand name among U.S. consumers and Unilever can expand its growth globally as is a market for quality ice cream. Weakness: Need for experience managers to help grow. Unilever is the world’s largest ice cream company and has the resources Ben and Jerry need. Opportunity: Unilever can help Ben and Jerry react to the demand for frozen yogurt and other low-fat desserts by using their knowledge and experience. Threat: Pillsbury and Haagen-Dazs brands are their competitor’s and Unilever being the largest ice cream company would help them increase their market share.

Actuellement Is a French False Cognate

Actuellement Is a French False Cognate Mistakes will always be made in French, and now you can learn from them. French and English have hundreds of cognates, which are words that look alike or are pronounced the same in both languages. There are true cognates (similar meanings), false cognates (different meanings) and semi-false cognates (some similar, some different meanings). The French adverb actuellement looks an awful lot like the English word actually, but looks can be deceiving.  Its really the  case of a  false cognate, because these two words mean completely different things: Actuellement means at the present time and should be translated as right now or currently.  Actually means in fact and should be translated as  en fait,   vrai dire  or vraiment. Still, many people have not assimilated this lesson, and  actuellement  is mistakenly used to mean actually so often that  you  have to read the sentence two or three times to decide what the person actually means. How to Remember Which Is Which If you need a memory device, keep this in mind: Actualità ©Ã‚  refers to a  current event.  If you can remember this, you shouldnt have trouble remembering that actuellement and actually are false cognates with different meanings. Or you can remember the etymology. The root word of actually is actual, which means real or true. (Depending on the context, actual can be translated as  rà ©el,  vrai,  và ©ritable,  positif, or  concret.)  By extension then, actually means in fact. Meanwhile, the French root word for actuellement is the French adjective actuel, which means current or present. So actuellement  naturally refers to time as well and, by extension, means currently or right now. Examples of Correct Usage Je travaille actuellement. (I am currently working.)Le problà ¨me actuel (The current/present problem)Actually, I dont know him. (En fait, je ne le connais pas.)The actual value (La valeur rà ©elle)

Critically analyse the link between open frontiers and the p essays

Critically analyse the link between open frontiers and the p essays Non-harmonisation of indirect taxes within the EU is a problem Brussels appears to be having much difficulty dealing with. Taxation upon fuel, tobacco and alcohol, as well as Value Added Tax (VAT) are but some of the categories that fall under the banner of indirect taxation, and with each respected sovereign state within the EU currently adopting their own policy on such matters it can be easily understood how in a proposed free market problems are arising. Open frontiers can be linked to the problem as it is widely acknowledged and viewed on a daily basis that by visiting various countries within the EU, citizens can make savings upon products they would have previously bought at home, costing their respected governments vast amounts in lost revenue from the taxation, whilst at the same time benefiting the country where the products were purchased. The differences are negatively affecting business throughout the EU and are clearly a barrier to free trade that needs to be addres sed. Open frontiers and the principle of free movement go hand in hand. Free movement is part of the social charter and a success story for the European Union, citizens have the right to work or create a business in any EU state, and therefore open frontiers are necessary. Perhaps, the lack of harmonisation is a fault not caused by open frontiers, but one that is merely exploited while such discrepancies exist. Harmonisation of not just indirect, but all taxes is clearly the aim for the Union, as then more barriers to trade will have been cleared, creating a level playing field for the whole of Europe, and thus allowing further economic potential to be filled. VAT levels throughout the EU vary from as little as 15% in Luxembourg, to as high as 25% in Denmark, with all other states residing in the area between. Many throughout Europe abuse these differences. It is naturally beneficial for a businessman to buy his goods from a country tha...

BUSINESS ETHICS ASSIGNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

BUSINESS ETHICS ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example ny name, Kenneth Lay was made the Chief Executive Officer and he wanted to expand Enron’s market share as well as the type of markets Enron was in since he had a very different vision for the new shape of the company (Welch, 2005). Houston Natural Gas had previously been in the business of making their money from junk bonds which were also used in the formation of Enron. At the same time, Kenneth Lay wanted to become the biggest player in the energy sector through successful trade earnings from futures contracts (NPR, 2006). To his advantage, Spectrum 7, an oil-well concern welcomed a partnership with Enron a year after its creation. Spectrum 7 was headed by George W. Bush, son of the then-Vice President George H. W. Bush. With falling gas prices in the mid 1980’s, Enron and other gas firms vigorously lobbied for deregulation to get benefits for themselves (Thomas, 2002). It has been known for many years that ethically dubious political connections can help a business but such situations often come to light if the business is unsuccessful (Medawar, 1976). The deregulation action came into effect when buyers switched to the fuel oil as the cheaper alternative. Fluctuating gas prices allowed Enron to start marketing gas futures; securing gas prices at a later date promised to their stakeholders. Similarly, the company lobbied once again for electricity just before selling electric power futures contracts (NPR, 2006). From then on, Enron was aggressive in expanding its services in other sectors such as the water utility sector by creating a company named Azurix which partly collapsed on the NYSE in 1999 and finally shut down operations in 2001 (Thomas, 2002). Concurrently, Jeffery Skilling who had been hired in 1990 to lead the financial side of Enron’s operation became a major personality of the energy trading businesses and became the president and COO for Enron. He built wealth reserves for the company by trading in thirty different industries and was

Critique essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critique - Essay Example After perusing her points and arguments, one may be left scratching one’s head because the author appears out of touch. Here is the idea: Ms. Ehrenreich has painted two pictures, that of a man and a woman. In her depictions, the man is aggressive, go-getter, tough and brazen. One could hardly dispute that since men do tend to be boisterous, insensitive, loud and forceful. But there is something wrong about the way women were articulated in the article. Essentially, the writer was admonishing women to toughen up: that being tough is the most important lesson she and most women should learn from men. To rationalize this she cited many arguments that - in the process - depicted an idea of women from the author’s perspective. She first used a personal experience as an example. In a convention, she met a prestigious professor who invited her to his room. The invitation was supposed to be for the purpose of meeting of the minds or something to that effect. Ms. Ehrenreich obli ged, so she found herself with the professor in his room - in a conversation that turned out to be more than intelligent discourse. The man made several passes and sexual innuendos. From a simple and rigid perspective, the conclusion one would get would be, of course, repulsion. The author was properly disgusted, as the professor grew more and more lecherous by the minute. But there is more than what meets the eye in this situation. When a man - who is still virtually a stranger - invites a woman to his room, there is some sexual undertone to that gesture. It is going to be an intellectual discourse, so why not a more casual setting like a cafe or the bar? The room is an intimate place and the invitation should already hint something more than simply â€Å"meeting of the minds†. If Ms. Ehrenreich has helpfully provided the exact invitation, her readers might have no difficulty identifying it as a pick up line. The author accepted, so in principle she is accommodating the init ial overtures. And to think that she still stayed for 20 minutes. She must have perplexed the professor immensely. It is very difficult not to think about the author as naive and that is saying something because she stated that she is already thirty years old. She actually blushed while recounting the episode. Later in her article, Ehrenreich would claim that â€Å"we (women) tend to assume that it is our responsibility to keep everything â€Å"nice†. Unfortunately, she did not provide factual basis or empirical evidence to back this claim. But the question begs to be asked: Is it really the case? That women assume that role? It is perhaps part of her argument that women are trained to be ladylike all their lives. She defined â€Å"ladylikeness† as a persistent servility masked as â€Å"niceness†. One is hard pressed to disagree with this point. It is unfair to claim that this is the case in the American society when women are accepted across all positions and roles that are unladylike in the author’s book. There are women in the police force, in the army, in politics. There are female CEOs who most assuredly have climbed the corporate ladder not by being ladylike. It is also unfair to claim that American women are weak and that they need to toughen up. It is not uncommon for women to be aggressive these days, to be ambitious and to get and do what they want. Gender equality has been institutionalized in America. Even a sexually