Population & The Environment Essay Example for Free

Population The Environment Essay Discussions regarding the environmental impact of increasing population densities across the globe never lose their currency. From Thomas Malthus to Paul R. Erlich and onwards, there is a persistent concern that a growing international population may not only reach a tipping point in which the planet’s ability to provide for it is stretched to its limit, but begin to experience detrimental effects in the form of environmental problems. This concern is not simply a matter of numbers, but a matter of how industrial civilizations have consistently failed to curtail anthropogenic impacts. As Donella Meadows (199) opines, â€Å"not only are there so many more of us, but each of us is bigger† when one measures the amount of energy and material we use and the amount of pollutants and waste created by the industries we have created to support our energy and material use. In effect, â€Å"The number of people is not what degrades the earth; its the number of people times the flow of energy and material each person commands. † One of the most frequently cited means by which highly dense populations negatively impact the environment is through intense car use. Alex Steffen (2008) notes that intensive car use within a finite geographic territory is not only a massive contributor to greenhouse emissions that are warming the planet, but they also command a large amount of resource use through the inputs necessary to maintain highway infrastructure, build the actual cars and fuel them. Granted, the resource consumption and greenhouse emissions caused directly by private automobile ownership is absolutely no surprise to anyone, but the less obvious implication that Steffen reports is that exhaust emissions are only a fraction of the environmental impact of the automobile. Over the course of the mid-20th century onwards, the increasing prominence of the automobile as part of modern living has necessitated the construction of massive highway infrastructure. The result is that when you factor dense populations with intense private ownership and use of automobiles is that not only is there a massive amount of greenhouse emissions, but the amount of pavement this infrastructure commands can contribute significantly to the heat island effect which has become a concern among urban planners as of late. Heat islands not only increase the amount of energy expended on indoor air conditioning, but they can worsen air quality. (Steffen, 2008) As such, Steffen argues that no matter the great lengths that today’s automobile manufacturers go to in order to make their automobiles into shiny fuel-efficient emissions-reduced green things to sate the eco-minded consumer, it will not be enough to remediate environmental impacts brought about by car use. Take for example the push towards biofuels, which is essentially, a push for auto manufacturers, in collaboration with energy companies, to make automobiles that run on renewable agricultural products that emit a reduced amount of greenhouse gases. While there is much fuss in the mainstream press about the extent to which the biofuel industry is cannibalizing the food supply, a more overlooked concern is the manner in which the expansion of industrial agriculture to such a massive scale negatively impacts the environment. Simply put, the principal concern is not the ability of agriculture to feed populations, but rather how the expansion of the food supply, combined with the accommodations made for biofuels, has a deleterious effect on the environment. Manning (85-89) notes that the homogenous and unsustainable approach of industrialized corn-based agriculture is detrimental to the health of the soil. As such, there is a possibility that the massive conversion of lands towards the production of corn could recreate the conditions of The Great Dust Bowl, a period in the American heartland which saw hundreds of thousands of would-be wheat farmers plow the soil to death to profit from golden grain. Thus, as civilizations increase in population density, so too do their demands in food and automobile use, effectively exerting a greater toll on the planet’s natural environment. In any case, we must be mindful to remember that the problems inherent with a massive human population should not lead us to conclude that humans have no ecologically acceptable place in the planet. Humanity is not a virus on the operating system of the planet. Rather, what human society should begin to acknowledge is that it must begin to take a more comprehensive look at its impacts in order to correct them thoroughly. REFERENCES Meadows, Donella. â€Å"The Deep Six. † Grist. 12 October 1999. Retrieved online on March 14, 2009 from: http://www. grist. org/comments/citizen/1999/10/12/deep/index. html Steffen, Alex. â€Å"My Other Car is a Bright Green City. † Worldchanging. 23 January 2008. Retrieved online on March 14, 2009 from: http://www. worldchanging. com/archives/007800. html Manning, Richard. Against the Grain: How Agriculture Has Hijacked Civilization. New York: North Point Press, 2004.

Internet Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Internet links people together via computer terminals and telephone lines (and in some cases wireless radio connections) in a web of networks and shared software. This allows users to communicate with one another wherever they are in the â€Å"net." This Internet link began as the United States military project Agency Network Advanced Research (ARPANET) during the Vietnam War in 1969. It was developed by the United States Department of Defense’s (DOD) research people in conjunction with various contractors and universities to investigate the probability of a communication network that could survive a nuclear attack. For the first decade that the Internet was in existence, it was primarily used to facilitate electronic mail, support on line discussion groups, allow access to distant databases, and support the transfer of files between government agencies, companies and universities. Today over 15 million people in the United States and approximately 25 million people worldwide access the Internet regularly, including children. Many parents believe that depriving their children of the opportunity to learn computer skills and access the knowledge available on the Internet would give them a distinct technological disadvantage as they enter the twenty first century. Portelli and Mead state by the year 2002, the reported number of children who access the Internet from home is projected to increase from the current 10 million to 20 million (6). In addition to home access, Poretelli and Meads further stated that as of 1997 the percentage of United States schools that offered Internet access as a part of their regular curriculum was over sixty percent. There were over nine thousand public libraries across America in 1997, sixty percent of these offered on-line access to its users (7). In view of this information, one can concluded that the on-line percentage for both schools and libraries has increased notably since 1997 and the number continues to grow as more of these facilities â€Å"plug in and log on." Whether at home, at school, or at the public library, children are accessing the Internet. The word â€Å"children† is somewhat ambiguous considering the range of ages that it encompasses. For instance, eighteen is the normally accepted age at which a child reaches legal adulthood; therefore, â€Å"children† would refer to any age between birth and seventeen. Porterfie... ...n. February 1999. 2 Cummins, H. J. â€Å"War Games - Are Video Games No Different Than Military Training Simulations? Are We Teaching Our Children To Kill ?† Minneapolis Star Tribune. January 1999. 1E Denerstein, Robert. â€Å"Into the Heart of Darkness - Two Killers Lived in Suburbs, But Inhabited Their Own Twilight World.† Denver Rocky Mountain News. April 1999. 31A Durkin, Keith F. â€Å"Misuse of the Internet by Pedophiles: Implications for Law Enforcement and Probation Practice.† Federal Probation. September 1997. 14-18 Groves, Howard. â€Å"Conduct of Life†. Christian Science Monitor. 16 March 1999: 24 CD-ROM. UMI- EBSCOhost. April. 1999 Madden, Lisa. â€Å"What Dangers Lurks Behind that Screen†. New Hampshire Business Review. 15 August 1999: 14 CD-ROM. UMI- EBSCOhost. April. 1999 Sources Cited Portelli, Christopher J. And Mead, Coralie W. â€Å"Censorship and the Internet - No Easy Answers.† Contemporary Women’s Issues. October 1998: 4-8 CD-ROM. UMI- EBSCOhost. April. 1999 Porterfield, Deborah. â€Å"Ask Parents Why They Want a Computer and You’ll Hear...† Gannett News Service. June 1997. CD-ROM. UMI- EBSCOhost. April. 1999 Rushkoff, Douglas. â€Å"Are ‘Screenagers’ Wiser Than Adults ?† USA Weekend. June 1999. 12

Ethical Considerations Project

Ethical Considerations Project Ethical Considerations I believe the ethical considerations in Brownfield v. Daniel Freeman Marina Hospital is for all hospitals to provide all information and access to emergency contraceptives to sexual assault and rape victims. In the defense of Brownfield, emergency contraceptives, Plan B, and oral synthetic hormones is the most common type of emergency contraceptives that should have been disclosed to her upon her request. These contraceptives are often called the â€Å"morning after pill or Plan B†.Some legal considerations are the Principles of Informed Consent. What this principle imposes is it allows a competent individual to advance his or her own welfare. This right and responsibility is performed by freely and willingly consenting or refusing consent to recommended medical procedures, based on a sufficient knowledge of the benefits, burdens, and risks involved. The ability to give informed consent depends on: 1) adequate   disclosur e of information; 2) patient   freedom   of choice; 3) patient   comprehension   of information; and 4) patient capacity for decision-making.By meeting these requirements, three necessary conditions are satisfied: 1) that the individuals decision is voluntary; 2) that this decision is made with an   appropriate   understanding of the circumstances; and 3) that the patients choice is deliberate insofar as the patient has carefully considered all of the expected benefits, burdens, risks  and reasonable alternatives. (â€Å"Ethical issues consent,† 2012) This becomes a matter of a legal issue when the Principles of Informed Consent can be proven in court that the victim was not given such information or allowed to exercise this principle.Supporters of this act argue that emergency contraception is a medically accepted way of preventing pregnancy and does not represent an abortion. A group specifically formed to make sure access to emergency contraception for rape, incest, and domestic violence victims, state that victims of sexual assault should have access to the best available treatment. Other's stressed the importance of giving victims of sexual assault medically, accurate and unbiased information and the choice to prevent an unintended pregnancy.Even though the American Medical Association’s medically accepted standard of care includes administering emergency contraception, only some hospitals unconditionally provide emergency contraception to rape victims. Access to emergency contraception has been a heavily debated issue because there has to be a balance between protecting health care provider’s religious and moral beliefs on one hand, and providing a uniform standard of care and maintaining patient rights on the other.This principle gives an important approach to the analysis of ethical questions arising from the general obligation to preserve human life and the limits of that obligation. Among other questions, the princi ple addresses whether the forgoing of life-sustaining treatment constitutes a physician-assisted suicide in certain circumstances and it guides individuals and surrogate decision-makers in the weighing of benefits and burdens. I truly agreed with the judge in his decision against the Catholic hospital.His decision in ruling the Catholic hospital to be in the wrong simply clarifies and justifies the importance and reasons of a hospital, which is to provide medical services to those in need. Just because it was against the Catholic principles in life, they should have still abided by the Principle of Informed Consent. There are thousands of Catholic churches worldwide in which the Catholic church has their own opportunities to preach and teach their beliefs.However, within a medical facility, I just do not believe in allowing them to preach their beliefs there. It is not the place for it. References Emergency contraception: More than a morning after pill. (1996). Medscape Today News. Retrieved from http://www. medscape. com/viewarticle/718161 Ethical issues consent. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. ukcen. net/index. php/ethical_issues/consent/legal_considerations1

Rio Tinto Financial Analysis Essay - 3095 Words

Executive summary The report consists of three major parts, which are firstly divided into providing background information of Rio Tinto and its biggest competitors BHP and Vale in the mining industry. A SWOT-analysis takes into consideration the external factors of the market as well as the internal factors which may have an impact on the financial statements of Rio Tinto. Secondly, the main purpose of this paper is to compare Rio Tinto’s financial ratios to its biggest competitor BHP. Investors may consider them as good predictors of failures or advantages in the business and may predict if a company can survive in the future. The results illustrated in this paper, show that there are some differences between the two companies in†¦show more content†¦Rio Tinto’s strongest competitors are BHP Billiton Ltd. and Vale. Together with Rio Tinto they hold 65 per cent of the entire iron ore section (Mining Australia 2013). BHP Billiton Restricted (BHP) has the most diversified portfolio of high quality resources in the entire world. All companies have in common the generation and dissemination of minerals and their products, but BHP is the only company which focuses also strongly on petroleum. Therefore BHP has a competitive advantage against rising costs, which have in total a negative effect on the companies’ earnings (BHP Annual report 2013). Contrastingly Vale is the second biggest mining company on the planet, likewise Vale represents to be the world’s largest producer iron mineral and -pellets. Logistic frameworks such as railroads, airports and harbours in Brazil are another big operating factor. Also several joint-ventures gives the company the opportunity to invest in steel and energy sections. Vale also operates in different countries than Rio Tinto and BHP do that gives them another competitive advantage. (Vale Annual Report 2013). 3. SWOT-Analysis of Rio Tinto Due to recent announcements in the mining industry and changes throughout the globe, a SWOT-Analysis provides Rio Tinto with supporting information and data of which problems can arise and how the positionShow MoreRelatedRio Tinto Financial Analysis4151 Words   |  17 PagesContents 1. Executive Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..3 2. Financial Ratio Analysis a. Short Term Solvency Ratio†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4-5 i. Current Ratio†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦4 ii. Quick Ratio†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...5 b. Long Term Solvency Ratio†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..5-6 i. Debt To Equity†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.5 ii. Times Interest Earned†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 c. Asset Utilization Ratio†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦.7-8 i. Average CollectionRead MoreRio Tinto Touts Coal Future over Climate Idealism by A. 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Influenced by its economic resources, net assets, financial structure and capacity to adapt to changes, so it is becoming increasingly clear that balance statements play a significant role in defining the growth of a company, as the search for adding more valueRead MoreEssay on Theoretical Analysis of Restoration Liability Accounting2712 Words   |  11 PagesI. Theoretical Analysis of Restoration Liability Accounting Firms in the extractive industry usually follow a general pattern of evaluation exploration, development, production, and finally rehabilitation of the site. 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Then, in the end of 2007, BHP Billiton tried to buy Rio Tinto Group their major rival in mining and the third largest iron ore producers in the world. The purpose is to accelerate their business growth and market capitalization in iron ore. BHP Billiton tried to buy Rio Tinto group in all share-deal with the bid of US$ 3.34 of each share of Rio Tinto group and it was rejected and considered as â€Å"undervaluing† the company. At last, in the end of yearRead MoreBhp Billiton Ltd Essay1356 Words   |  6 PagesQueensland, and also nickel uranium in Western Australia. Then, in the end of 2007, BHP Billiton tried to buy Rio Tinto Group their major rival in mining and the third largest iron ore producers in the world. The purpose is to accelerate their business growth and market capitalization in iron or e. BHP Billiton tried to buy Rio Tinto group in all share-deal with the bid of US$ 3.34 of each share of Rio Tinto group and it was rejected and considered as â€Å"undervaluing† the company. 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According to ASX data, BHP Billion has the largest business scales in the Australian market, AU$166 billion of market capital and AU$71 billion of annual operating revenue in FY13 (Australian Securities Exchange, 2014). Over 128,800 employees and contractors work in 26Read MoreStrategic Position, Strategic Choice and Strategic Action (Implementation) for Bhp Billiton6294 Words   |  26 PagesCurtin Business School School of Management 313418 Business Analysis for Management 542 February 2012 This unit is managed by School of Management/CBS Page 16 of 20 CRICOS Provider Code WA 00301J, NSW 02637B SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT Research Report COVER SHEET | GROUP Name: Group 9 | ASSIGNMENT: Written Report | Unit Name | MANAGEMENT 542 (Business Analysis) | Unit Index No. | 313418 | LECTURER | A/Prof Chris van Tonder | SEMINAR Day/Time | WED: 11h00 – 14h00 | Dong Liang ID:14095278