Climate Change in Africa and Its Effects

Suggest ways in which climate change might affect Africa’s physical environment? Many things will happen to Africa’s physical environment as climate change happens, however the main ones will be: decreased or no change in crop growing with some even going down over 20%, decreased rainfall in parts where there already is only 1-100mm a year anyway; it contains around 29% of the world’s mammals, birds and plants and also 17% of the amphibians and reptiles, and finally Africa has a lot of low lying coastal areas which are prone to flooding.This leads onto my first point†¦ As the ice caps continue to deteriorate in size and melt into the oceans, they then rise. This directly causes problems to low lying land areas Africa like Tunisia who is right next to the sea. The reasons for this is that flooding will happen and cause the infrastructure to be washed away and also a lot of the population in Africa are of a poor nature and so flooding happens they lose out or at worst perish from malnourishment as a result of the flooding from the sea and decreased rainfall, this links to my next paragraph, As a result of climate change Africa has seen droughts rising especially in the Sahara.The cause of this is most likely the decreased rainfall that in some places is predicted to drop by at least 10-20% a huge amount considering the amount of vegetation and animals supported by this rainfall which by 2050 will largely in part be gone as a result of climate change. In conclusion even though there may be some good benefactors to do with climate change effecting African environment, most however are on the negative side as they are effects like reduced rainfall and flooding to low lying areas, which are easily flooded as they are built next to the sea.Another process that of costal erosion where as the flood water retreats it starts to wear down the vick. Examine the possible economic impacts of projected climate change for the African continent? Firstly there are many economic reasons which will be impacted on the other hand there are a few main ones these include crops getting destroyed by either flooding or droughts, another is rainfall and last is the malaria outbreaks more often.Secondly, droughts and floods have a disastrous effect on the economy, the reason for this is that crops won’t be growing or are washed away. This then directly effects most African nations that are experiencing it as then they will lose out on their crop harvest and also the economy’s there are mostly agricultural. The floods and droughts also will then go onto effect the people. This leads on to my next point†¦ When the rainfall starts to decrease by sometimes up 20% so do the crop harvest.This again creates the same problem as before during floods and droughts this is because again that it affected the food supply and as the economy is agricultural many more people become more bankrupt and put into the poverty cycle. Thirdly Malar ia is a great threat to the economy as, as it gets hotter they begin to migrate to new places around Africa. Because these mosquitos have Malaria the places where they have been spreading to are more than likely not to have a vaccine.This then affects the economy as a lot of people are off of work and so can cost the country millions going into billions of dollars this again creating a poverty trap. In conclusion there are many factors that affect the economy. To start with Malaria is most definitely one as the more people it infects the more people are out of work and so are not contributing to the economy this then links to decreased rainfall as predicted by 2050, which is North Africa and so as that heats up it increases the mosquitos that migrate there and so this creates a Major town.

Individuality and Community

Collin College English 1302 Individuality!!! No Wait Community!!!! As far back as time can go there has been the issue of individuality and community. To say the actual words together, individuality and community, the words themselves seem to be a paradox. In an earnest attempt to understand what those words mean in conjunction with race, social constructions, passions, and freedom, along with the intention of understanding the white moderate.As an outsider, I have been lead down a road that inevitably will be a dead end. However, this twisted mess of a road has had many pleasant and informative stops, some felt as if I was being invited to the family picnic on the fourth of July. Yet the next turn led me down a private darkened path. The journey has injured the heart, worn out the proverbial fingers, and enlightened me on several occasions. While I understand these issues, the complexity of it all may be explained by pure definition.The term â€Å"Community† in human communit ies, is intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs, risks, and a number of other conditions may be present and common, affecting the identity of the participants and their degree of cohesiveness. â€Å"Individuality† is the state or quality of being. Example: a person separate from other persons and possessing his or her own needs, goals, and desires. Individualism can be a gift or a curse depending on the context in which it occurs.Because modern society finds it important that people think independently, decide autonomously and take personal initiatives, the concept of individualism has acquired a positive connotation. However, individualism is also linked with the tendency to withdraw from social life and turn in towards oneself. All through history there have been struggles to â€Å"fit in† to be and individual while being part of the inclusive community. Yet to act as an individual, mainstream society will have a person thrown out of a community unless one conf orms to their ways.While in Don Marquis, â€Å"The Lessons of the Moth†, it states that the moth would rather fly straight into the flame even at the cost of his own life for true harmony and happiness verses sitting at a distance and watching. Does this leave the impression that the moth may never find happiness if he doesn’t change to and conform to what the â€Å"Community† wants? To say, one would commit suicide over such painful issues. What a dark dangerous path one must be on to end a life.In Richard Rodriguez’s â€Å"The Chinese in All of Us† He enlightens us all by stating â€Å"to choose or not to choose, and diversity is our strength† left me with the thought that while you have the choice to choose there is always a negative ramification if you choose incorrectly. With the example that in school he is made to speak up and look the teacher in the eye, yet, at home it is seen as disrespect to his father. What choice did he have he was in trouble either way he turned. He was forced to be multicultural, although to an extent he was also forced to hide each side from the other.While there are currently many different opinions about what it is to be an American. The words of our forefathers ring in our heads daily. Children start each school day by saying the pledge of allegiance. â€Å"One Nation under God with Liberty and Justice for All† are these words truthful? Because there has also been talk of the great melting pot of America, what does that really mean? Does it mean that no matter the color of one’s skin or ethnicity that we as Americans are free to make choices to choose whom we want to be? If we choice to be part of the community and be part of the common goal whatever that may be its ok.Whereas if the belief system is not the same as another person’s, this would not be a good fit into this one community. As an individual, one must then search for a new community. America is made u p of many communities and individuals sometimes it would appear that a community shoves an individual out to be the â€Å"Spokes Person† to see how other communities will react, if they react well then arms are open wide in a receptive welcome, as if an exit never happened. However if the words chosen are not receptive to the mainstream community, a person may be ousted or evicted from the community.Begin again, start a new journey. While reading John Hope Franklin’s essay â€Å"Train from Hate† may have started this journey into trying to figure out exactly what community and individuality is all about. Martin Luther King Jr’s â€Å"Letter from the Birmingham Jail† states repetitively that oppression must stop and that all were created equally his intensions are to protest in a nonviolent way, and that he is at his last resort to actually protest. He speaks of self-purification and desegregation all in the name of equality. Placing blame up the â €Å"white moderate†, which asI see to be the leadership of our country. It would be fair to say the moderate of our everyday life has been conformed in some way all for the greater good of community. There is no question that race is a part of the issue as well as stating religion the color of your eyes and your social status play a huge role. Whereas the most prominent sentence off all the stories I have read this past week one in particular has stood out. John Hope Franklins â€Å"Train from Hate† states the words all should live by, â€Å"Under No circumstance should I be upset or distressed because someone sought to demean me†(223).We are in a community of 1000’s of individuals. One could break these up into several categories male/female, black/white, religious or not the list is too long. Only you as an individual can decide what’s best for you either or. Works Cited â€Å"Abjection. † Wikipedia. org. Wikimedia. 20 Jan. 2013. Web. 17 F eb. 2013. â€Å"Community. † Wikipedia. org. Wikimedia. 20 Jan. 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. Franklin, John Hope. â€Å"Train from Hate. † Reading Literature and Writing Argument 5th ed. Eds. Missy James and Alan P. Merickel. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 223-24. Print. â€Å"Individuality. Wikipedia. org. Wikimedia. 20 Jan. 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. King, Martin Luther, Jr. â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail. † Reading Literature and Writing Argument 5th ed. Eds. Missy James and Alan P. Merickel. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 224-35. Print. Marquis, Don. â€Å"The Lesson of the Moth. † Reading Literature and Writing Argument 5th ed. Eds. Missy James and Alan P. Merickel. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 196-97. Print. Rodriguez, Richard. â€Å"The Chinese in All of Us. † Reading Literature and Writing Argument 5th ed. Eds. Missy James and Alan P. Merickel. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 242-48. Print.

Internal and External factors at Wal-Mart Essay

In 1962, Sam Walton opened the first Wal-Mart store and the retailing giant has been rising to success ever since. Various factors have played an integral role in the success of Wal-Mart, but without the strong execution of the four functions of management, Wal-Mart would have failed like many others. This paper will discuss in detail the how internal and external factors affect the four functions of management. GlobalizationIn 1993 Wal-Mart formed their International Division which was crucial to their success because they needed to remain competitive with other industry giants. When Wal-Mart entered a new country, careful planning was conducted to meet the demands of that specific country. A recent special on the history of Wal-Mart showed their expansion into China. Wal-Mart’s president did not realize that most families in China do not own a washer and dryer. Therefore, Wal-Mart removed all their detergents designed for machine washing and replaced them with detergent especially for hand washing. Wal-Mart brings thousands of people into their stores worldwide who are looking to begin a new career, as well as, shop. Without the organization of each department within Wal-Mart’s facilities, harmony within the company would crumble. Employees from every department work together to achieve the goals set for each store. Wal-Mart’s goal is to be the largest retailing organization in the world, and has achieved such status by adhering to strict organizing standards. Wal-Mart believes that in order to be a good leader, you must inspire trust and be rewarding. A statement Sam Walton once said is the motto Wal-Mart employees live by: â€Å"It’s more important than ever that we develop leaders who are servants, who listen to their partners – their associates – in a way that creates wonderful moral† (walmartstores.com, n.d.). This way of thinking has been passed down to all employees and has proven to create a productive work environment. Wal-Mart continuously finds ways to guarantee their over-all success by controlling and monitoring the plans they set out. Ideas that work in one  market, may not work in others. In order to find what works best for each market, new ideas are implemented and tracked for success. Ideas that prove to be successful can then be tried in other markets. In order for Wal-Mart to continue to grow, dynamic ideas are required of management frequently. TechnologyTechnology played a big part in the globalization of Wal-Mart. By 1975, Wal-Mart had over 125 stores and $340.3 million in sales. At this time they leased the IBM 370/135 computer system. This system allowed them to maintain inventory control for all merchandise in the warehouse and distribution centers, including prepare income statements for each store. From 1975 to 2004, Wal-Mart experienced a number of changes relating to technology which included in 1983, the company began using the bar coding system which identifies to the system what item the customer is purchasing and its cost. In 1987, they completed the largest satellite communication system that linked the company as whole with two-way voice, data and one-way video communication. (2006)As the company continued to experience phenomenal growth they had to look at newer forms of technology to keep up with the development of so many stores. In 2004, the company announced that it would deploy the radio frequency identification (RFID) technology on January 1, 2005 (2006). This technology allowed their central management system to track new shipments, product purchases, and alerted them when items need to be re-stocked via a wireless communication (Plunkett, 2008). Wal-Mart uses technology to enhance all areas of its business. A one-hour online photo center, for example, allows customers to download photos and pick up the photos at the store of their choice within an hour. In the past, the customer would download the photos and wait for them to be mailed. On the music side, a pilot program involving in-store kiosk at 100 stores lets shoppers buy one song off a CD without purchasing the whole CD. The kiosks let shoppers create custom CDs that can hold up to 100 songs. The finished CD is then picked up at the one-hour photo center. In pharmacy, new technology allows personnel to retrieve a patient’s prescription information at any location simply by knowing the patient’s name and type of medication. The patient does not have to know his or her prescription number, insurance information or at what store the prescription was originally filled  (Wal-Mart Technologies Enhance Visible and Behind-Scenes Services, July 2005). InnovationWal-Mart’s continued drive towards innovation sustains its global footprint. Wal-Mart continues to be a leader in the business world. It’s evident that Wal-Mart strives continually to introduce new and different ways to market their business and uphold competitive advantage and introduce new ways to build relationships with employees, customers, and the humanitarian world. Wal-Mart’s resourcefulness is widely shown in their in-bound logistics. Wal-Mart’s satellite network is the largest private satellite communication system in the United States, this along with its strategic locations for their distribution centers have given them another competitive edge. Unlike other competitors who house less than half of their inventory in distribution centers, Wal-Mart houses over 80 percent in their distribution center; this purpose being more sales space for the stores and 100 percent in-stock position. To cut costs Wal-Mart places distribution centers in locations that allow for no more than a day’s drive between stores. In addition, Wal-Mart’s satellite communication system enables all stores to share information with the distribution center and between the distribution center and its vendors. This communication method allows for an accurate assessment of inventory needs and cuts down inventory overstock. Wal-Mart is now aiming their innovative techniques towards the up-in-coming green trend. The company has created experimental stores that save energy, conserve natural resources, and reduce pollution. Just one example of Wal-Mart’s focus to conserve natural resources and reduce pollution is their efforts to only sell concentrated detergents. This effort is estimated to have an impact that will save more than 400 million gallons of water, more than 95 million pounds of plastic resin, and more than 125 million pounds of cardboard (Walmart.com, 2008). These are just some examples of Wal-Mart’s innovative spirit. Wal-Mart’s clear innovative drive continues to move the company into new and exciting ventures. Diversity Now the internal and external factors that impact the four functions of management (planning, organizing, leading, and controlling) at Wal-Mart come from all parts of the company such as: the board of directors, associates, suppliers, and customers. For example, the Wal-Mart web site states that their â€Å"†¦commitment to Diversity and Inclusion helps†¦Ã¢â‚¬  them â€Å"†¦build and retain a diverse workforce and supplier base† and that commitment is extended â€Å"†¦into the communities where†¦Ã¢â‚¬  they â€Å"†¦work and live through various community outreach programs† (walmartstores.com, n.d.). In addition Bateman & Snell (2007) express that â€Å"†¦you should devote adequate attention and resources to all four functions† of management (p. 18). The Wal-Mart web site indicates that the company values diversity and have made it part of their business plan which is part of their success. Now with that in mind, Wal-Mart has recently been recognized as one of the â€Å"Best Companies for Asian Pacific Islanders† by the Asian Enterprise magazine, which offers a good indication that Wal-Mart has devoted adequate attention and resources to the use of all four functions of management. Now a note from the successful retail giants:As the world’s largest retailer, we value diversity and foster a working environment that enriches the personal and professional experiences of our associates, promotes excellence, and cultivates the intellectual and personal growth of the entire associate population. We make diversity part of our business plan, ensuring we can continue to be a global leader in all aspects of Diversity and Inclusion. (walmartstores.com, n.d.)EthicThe American federation of labor-congress of Industrial suggest that Wal-mart was intended to be sex discriminative to poverty-level wages with the term Wal-mart on their problem to drive some business away and they was hopeful that it was going to be enough to alter the companies policies. This is supported by the center for community and corporate ethics. Wal-mart was tired of this allegation, so they launched a blitz ad in about 100 newspapers, to let everyone know that â€Å"Wal-mart is working for everyone.† â€Å"Spokesperson Sarah Clark denies that the company’s low prices depend on low wages.† Bernstein (2005). The labor leaders believe  that the AFL-CIO wants Wal-mart to look bad with a new publicity campaign. The Wal-mart labor’s plans have stayed the same because of all the negative publicity and it has hurt the employees’ morale of the Wal-mart Inc. Chris Ohlinger, â€Å"CEO of Service Industry Research Systems Inc,† Chris Ohlinger taking a survey on the customers that use to shopper there and do not stop any more because of the public criticism. Wal-mart low prices remain low to help the working poor. â€Å"Wal-mart CEO H. Lee Scoot, asked the employees â€Å"to take the moral high ground† on the further criticism. Wal-mart had just settled with about $11 million on hiring illegal immigrants to clean the stores. This is one the biggest sex discrimination lawsuit in the history of retailer just because the grass-roots organizations do not want this retailer in the area. â€Å"In a five-minute video message to Wal-mart’s workers, Scott told employees that they were expected to do the right thing every time, and he encouraged them to report unethical behavior to superiors or use the company’s ethics hotline, according to spokeswoman Mona Williams.† â€Å"It is a mark of our strength that when we uncover issues, we deal with them, do the right thing and are a stronger company as a result, â€Å"Scott said in the telecast to 1.2 million workers.† Grant (2005)In conclusion people should not always believe what is told to them in the public room, people have to evaluate for themselves and stick to their ethic believes. Reference: Wal-Mart (n.d.). Servant Leadership. Retrieved June 21, 2008., fromhttp://walmartstroes.com/AboutUs/289.aspx(2006). 45 Years of Wal-Mart History: A Technology Time Line. Academy of Information & Management Sciences. Plunkett, J. W. (Last updated February 21, 2008). Retail Technologies Leap Ahead. [Electronic version]. Retail Industry. Retrieved June 21, 2008 from http://www.plunkettresearchonline.com. Wal-Mart Technologies Enhance Visible and Behind-Scenes Services. (2005, July). Retail Merchandiser, Retrieved June 21, 2008, from Business Source Complete database. Govindarajan, V. & Gupta, A. (1999). Taking Wal-Mart Global: Lessons From Retailing’s Giants, Retrieved June 21, 2008, from http://www.strategy-business.com/press/16635507/13866Walmart Completes Goal To Sell Only Concentrated Liquid Laundry Detergent, Retrieved June 21, 2008, from http://walmartstores.com/AboutUs/7603.aspxBateman, T.S., & Snell, S.A. (2007). Management: The New Competitive Landscape. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text]. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Retrieved June 10, 2008, from University of Phoenix, MGT330 Web site. Diversity. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2008, from http://walmartstores.com/Diversity/

Institutional investor double standards led to 'new economy' Essay

Institutional investor double standards led to 'new economy' businesses receiving near limitless funding for investment whil - Essay Example This current scenario appears to point to a deep change in the way investment institutions think with shifts from traditional approaches and a new economy. However, it is not a certainty that these new economy businesses will lead to an economic heaven. The dawn of the new economy threatens the values that were inherent in the old economy. To investors, it now seems that all companies need to be new economy businesses or no businesses at all. This has been deciphered as a challenge to all companies to move towards new economy businesses via lowering costs, redefining supplier and client relationships, as well as entry into new markets (Edison & Slok, 2011: p22). Institutional investor double standards led to ‘new economy’ businesses receiving near limitless funding for investment while ‘old economy’ companies restricted investment. This paper seeks to show how the difference in funding has distorted the corporate strategy and performance of these economies I t is obvious that strategies that were successful in the old economy are no longer successful in supporting the new economy. In the old economy, businesses relied on growth and development as currency to attract investment for companies like manufacturing with significant plant capacities (Keha & Singh, 2009: p44). Businesses defined their economy by their infrastructure and the way they could accumulate old capital like lending capacity, land, and equipment. Potential employees, therefore, followed the jobs. Due to the high outlay of capital and the planning involved, which was a long term, to establish business facilities, the communities were able to keep the economic activities that they possessed. In old the economy businesses, keeping business costs low was a vital strategy since low wage communities and minimum taxes were more competitive (Keha & Singh, 2009: p45). The oversight of companies and people were based on the notion of control and management. The employee market wa s regional with community competition also being low, as was the talent market. However, the new economy has turned the old economy strategies on its head. Talent as economic growth’s major currency has replaced manufacturing plants. This talent is fungible; it is exchangeable like currency. Talent is driven by various factors, including diversity and tolerance, as well as innovative environments. Sustainability is also more embedded in the new economy business than it was in the old economy (Keha & Singh, 2009: p52). Therefore, economic development in the new economy does not come, necessarily, at the expense of social inequity and depleted resources, unlike the old economy. The new economy businesses are founded on the recognition that success and economic competition is now determined on a global scale. While the elements of the new economy businesses are not all global, the ones that will have the greatest importance in coming years are. For instance, most of the employme nt opportunities lost in the State of Michigan have been lost to the service industry. The service sector seeks to meet local needs, employee services, as well as resident care (Keha & Singh, 2009: p52). Some reasons exist as to why investment institutions are looking towards the new economy business, as opposed to the old economy businesses. The double standards in funding have seen the new economies shift to digitization, which requires higher capital

Government-Fostered Ownership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Government-Fostered Ownership - Essay Example The so called concentration of media is a term given to the concentration of ownership rights into the hands of few individuals or entities which control the major chunk of the media including radio. The question of whether the US government allowed the concentration of ownership into the monopoly or oligopoly ownership structure with the radio industry is question of great debate because over the period of time, radio industry has been subject to various regulations. The FCC’s verdicts also indicated that the US government was more than willing to consolidate the ownership of radio industry in few hands apparently for reasons which may not be fully understood. (Compaine, 2005). The radio and other allied industries such as railways as well as TV in US evolved under the private ownership as against in UK and elsewhere. The fact that the radio industry evolved under the private ownership has provided much flexibility as well freedom to operate. It is also important to note that the radio as a private invention and as such the ownership of broadcasting also remained within the hands of the private owners. The policy of the US government has been to allow the flourishing of the radio industry under the private ownership. It is also however, critical to note that the US government has over the period of time regulated the industry in a bid to keep it under the tight control however, the ownership of the industry remained within the private owners, and as such it was also gradually culminated into the monopoly or oligopoly. One of the reasons for this which is often cited is the assumption that the strict government control over the radio may be a barrier to entry and as such the freedom of speech as well as other fundamental rights may be subjugated by the government. Further, the government control might have resulted into the barriers to creativity as strict government control could have resulted into

Gun control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Gun control - Essay Example Arguments against gun control include the assumption that possession of a gun would offer protection through self-defense, defense of another, or through scaring an attacker who has a gun. Arguments for gun control however notes that limiting access to guns through regulatory measures is the solution to safety against gun based violence. Your arguments against gun control as a measure to controlling gun-based violence is convincing but has attracted my attention on a number of issues that I believe may not be very true. You offer a rich background of the problem through historical cases of gun based attacks such as the Aurora and Columbine shootings and the battle between proponents and opponents of gun control and this seems to have informed your position of anti-gun control as a solution to controlling gun based violence. I concur with you that the violence is a concern and preventive measures are necessary. Your position that increased level of infiltration may help in managing the rate of violence may further be valid and should not be regarded unless there is sufficient evidence to prove otherwise. I further believe that your conscience to the position of increasing infiltration levels as a solution to gun-based violence is clear and I respect your opinion and desire to save people from gun based attacks (Goldberg 68- 78). Your argument identifies with my opinion that gun based violence is a significant problem in the society and reported cases of public shootings and crimes that are committed with aids of guns supports this. We further share the opinion that a solution that focuses on gun ownership will be the ideal approach to resolving the current problem. The fact that previous efforts to ensure strict policies against gun ownership, experience of people who were affected by Aurora gun incident and reaction from political

Communication Ethics and Society Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Communication Ethics and Society - Assignment Example The truth of the matter is there are many people who have college degree and have become successful in life. There are also other people who never attended college and have also become successful through the method Stephen advocates for. Moreover, not everyone can be successful as entrepreneurs. There are people who can only perform well as profession and as such they need a college education. It is unethical for Stephen to inspire young people to educate themselves using the Newspaper media. This is because according to the Journal code of ethics, Journalist should act independently and only look out for the interest of the reader. However, in this case, it is obvious that Stephen has some interest of promoting Thiel Fellow, an organization that he benefitted from. Being a beneficiary of this organization, he is seen to write these journal with the intention of encouraging students to forfeit going to college and joining this organization. These journals have also broken the first code of ethics which requires journalist to seek truth and report it. It is the work of the journalist to discern reporting and advocacy. These journals do not report but advocate for dropping out of school. The journals are therefore unrealistic and