...Samantha CLN4UI 11/05/14 The Severity of Non-Severe Laws As Robert Redford once stated, “... the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defence of our resources is just as important as defence abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend?” Humans are dependent on the Earth in order to survive, and without it, there would be no life. In order to maintain the environment, governments enact laws and acts that are meant to protect and sustain, but they aren’t always successful. Many large corporations are ignorant of the side effects of not following these laws, due to the fact that they are blinded by materialistic motives such as profit. The environment means little to the greed driven North American corporations of the modern era; their only concerns are the immediate benefits and short term effects. Long term effects are often disregarded and brushed off. These corporations purposely and knowingly break many laws that have been put into place to protect the environment. In order to prevent this lack of obedience and further protect the environment, stricter laws need to be put into place, and one must examine the purpose of breaking protective laws, the specific laws broken, and the effects of breaking the laws. “When a man wantonly destroys one of the works of man we call him a vandal. When he destroys one of the works of god we call him a sportsman.” This quote from Joseph Wood Krutch is an effective example of the injustice that is happening...
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...The economic and social consequences of trade agreements have become a major area of research in recent years. Much of this has to do with regional economic integration, where countries in a geographic region, reduce and remove tariff and non-tariff barriers to the free flow of goods, services and production between each other (Hill, 2005). On the 1 January, 1994, such a trade agreement came into affect between America, Mexico and Canada. This was known as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This removed all barriers to the trade of goods and services within the member countries, the protection of intellectual property rights, application of national environmental standards and the establishment of two commissions with power to impose fines and remove trade privileges when such standards are ignored involving the environment, health and safety, wages and child labour (Hill, 2005). There is a belief that agreements designed to promote free trade within regions will benefit trade for all the countries involved, and also the rest of the world (Abbott and Moran, 2002). While regional economic integration, or foreign direct investment, is seen as a good thing, some observers worry that it could lead to a world in which regional trade blocs compete against each other. We are seeing the formation of many trading blocs continuing today as the need for it has become essential for countries and their firms to compete in the global market place (Seid, 2002). Although...
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...La Senza Corporation is a Canadian fashion retailer based in Dorval, Quebec, Canada, selling lingerie and intimate apparel. Their primary objective is to maintain the quality of their products and identify what their customer needs in order to maintain their competitive advantage. Their goal is high integrity and ethical performance and establishing a positive relationship in the communities in which they are located. La Senza was bought by Limited Brands an American company in 2006. Currently all of its lingerie products are imported through MAST (a Limited Brands ‘network of suppliers located primarily outside of Canada). Since the buyout, it has experienced decreasing sales in Canada and now has fewer than half its original stores count. The challenge for La Senza is to be a good corporate citizen by maintaining and creating positive social relationship, as well as ethical practices, while still achieving their economic and financial responsibilities to their shareholders. Since the change of ownership, La Senza’s annual sales have dropped for more than a year since 2008. In 20013, La Senza made $72.8 million in the first quarter down $ 3.5 million from 2012 and a failing stock value from $52.12 per share to a stock value is currently at $49.79 per share. In 2010 it closed the Canadian La Senza Girl stores due to poor productivity. At the beginning of 2013 La Senza had 158 stores operating in Canada but as today they have 157 stores and it is on the verge of closing another...
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...regulating the field testing of plants with novel traits (PNTs) in Canada. PNTs are defined as a plant variety/genotype possessing characteristics that demonstrate neither familiarity nor substantial equivalence to those present in a distinct, stable population of a cultivated species of seed in Canada and that have been intentionally selected, created or introduced into a population of that species through a specific genetic change. Familiarity is defined as the knowledge of the characteristics of a plant species and experience with the use of that plant species in Canada. Substantial equivalence is defined as the equivalence of a novel trait within a particular plant species, in terms of its specific use and safety to the environment and human health, to those in that same species, that are in use and generally considered as safe in Canada, based on valid scientific rationale. PNTs may be developed using traditional plant breeding techniques or other methodologies such as recombinant DNA technologies. Regulated field testing is necessary when PNTs are: 1) considered unfamiliar when compared with products already on the market; 2) not considered substantially equivalent to similar, familiar plant types already in use and regarded as safe. Before PNTs may be authorized for unconfined release, they must be assessed for environmental safety. Regulatory Directive 94-08: Assessment Criteria for Determining Environmental Safety of Plants with Novel Traits describes the criteria and information...
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...discuss the External Environmental Influences on HRM. 3) Outline a brief history of HRM. Discuss the three stages through which HRM has evolved. 4) LIST (!) the main prohibited grounds of discrimination common to all Canadian jurisdictions. Assignment 1 - Answers 1. The book Human Resources Management in Canada briefly defines Human Resources Management (HRM) as “the management of people in organizations”. The Educational Portal, however, offers a more detailed definition of the same subject: “Human Resources Management (HRM) is the process an organization undergoes to manage people in order to achieve goals”. In order to accomplish the aforementioned goals, “HRM involves formulating and implementing HRM systems (such as recruitment, performance appraisal, and compensation) that are aligned with the organization’s strategy to ensure that the workforce has the competencies and behaviours require to achieve the organization’s strategic objectives” (Dessler). In other words, “Human Resources Management includes conducting job analyses, planning personnel needs, recruiting the right people for the job, orienting and training, managing wages and salaries, providing benefits and incentives, evaluating performance, resolving disputes, and communicating with all employees at all levels” (http://www.businessdictionary.com). 2. The external Environmental Influences discussed by the book are: * Economic Conditions: The economic conditions have a direct influence...
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...Section I: Opening Statement “Petroleum production and use is fundamental to our current way of life” (Environment Canada, 2011) We will be arguing in favour of British Columbia supporting the construction of the Northern Gateway Pipeline. Throughout our brief, we will provide several arguments reinforcing our position. In addition to the questions provided by the Hearing Panel, we found it extremely important and pertinent to address economic implications of the construction and functioning of the pipeline. For this reason, these elements will be discussed in Section IV of our brief. We chose to omit a couple of Questions of Analysis in favour of expanding on others that we felt were more relevant and necessary to our argument. We hold the belief that the potential benefits of the Northern Gateway Pipeline outweigh the potential costs; reasons for which will become evident in this written submission. Section II: Questions of Fact: Answered 1. Will the pipeline be running above or below ground? The vast majority of the pipeline will be buried up to a meter underground. The only exceptions will be select water crossings where it is safer to run the pipeline above the water crossing. (Enbridge Northern Gateway Project, 2013) 2. What is the lifespan of the project? The project will have a lifespan of 30 years (Enbridge Northern Gateway Project). 3. What is being transported in the pipeline? There are 2 pipelines. One is the oil pipeline and the other is the condensate...
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...Natalie Cannon Dr. Jana Davis English 1127, 029 18 November 2013 Organic Farming as a Solution to Climate Change Climate change threatens the sustainability of food production. At the same time, conventional food production threatens the sustainability of the climate. In Canada, the agricultural sector is responsible for eight percent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These emissions translate to 56.6 million metric tonnes of carbon equivalents. An extra three percent can be added to that number for “Agricultural fossil fuel and energy use” (Environmental p 111, figure 16-2). Canada needs to take responsibility and remedy emissions. Wonderfully, organic farming has the potential to mitigate climate change with sustainable food production by creating diverse farms that support farmers and soil health; and by drastically reducing GHG emissions by opting for inexpensive, low-energy, natural pesticides and fertilizers. Organic farming will mitigate climate change by protecting against soil erosion. Soil erosion is the removal of valuable topsoil sometimes caused by naturally occurring processes such as wind, rain, and drought. Often, soil erosion is caused by a combination of factors. For instance, if drought occurs topsoil becomes dry. If after the drought large amounts of wind approach that dry land in a storm, the soil will be blown away. Soil is a complex living organism filled with inorganic matter like sand, silt, and clay; and organic matter abundant with worms, microorganisms...
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...Mining Industry Case Analysis | Business Ethics in a Global Context | Presented To: Dr. Jang Singh | | | | Executive Summary This report will examine the Mining Industry via ethical perspectives. This report includes a brief overview of the industry followed by an evaluation of the Mining industry’s value chain; including an environmental analysis of a mining company, as well as an evaluation of the industry’s corporate social responsibility, corporate social responsiveness and finally the corporate social performance. The Mining Industry is one of the World’s largest industries. The ‘idea’ of mining dates back to the beginning stage of civilization. Some examples of early mining can be found in Egypt, Europe and the Philippines. As of now, top mining countries are South Africa, Russia, Australia, Ukraine and Guinea. This industry faces constant technology advancement, consequently it is an expensive investment, with large profit. The Mining Industry can be controversial when looked through an ethical lens. This Industry is analysed through four perspectives. * The utilitarianism perspective, an act is morally right if the outcome benefits the greatest amount of people; * The rights perspective, basically, important entitlements that should be respected and protected in every action; * The justice perspective, fair treatment of individuals in a situation where everyone is involved and gets what they deserve to; * The virtue perspective, morally...
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...Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt llp Doing Business in Canada Doing Business in Canada Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt llp first produced Doing Business in Canada in 1997 and this guide continues to be one of our most popular and respected publications. Laws change and evolve and to ensure the information is current, we review the guide regularly. Doing Business in Canada Doing Business in Canada is designed to give business executives, counsel and potential investors from foreign countries a concise overview of Canada’s legal and economic framework and key business legislation. For those looking to pursue business opportunities in Canada, this guide outlines several unique aspects of doing business in Canada, including French language requirements in the province of Québec as well as overlapping regulatory jurisdiction among various levels of government in certain areas of the law. With few exceptions, the same considerations apply to Canadians who live, work and conduct business in Canada. Despite the ongoing harmonization of many areas of Canadian business law with those of our major trading partners through international agreements, addressing distinctly Canadian business law requirements is a crucial consideration when entering the Canadian marketplace. Each chapter is designed to assist you with an overview of that particular subject and the laws most likely to affect your business decisions. Beginning with an introduction to Canada’s legal system as it applies to businesses...
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...Inter-jurisdictional Coordination of EA: Challenges and opportunities arising from differences among provincial and territorial assessment requirements and processes Report for the Environmental Planning and Assessment Caucus, Canadian Environmental Network East Coast Environmental Law Association Deborah Carver, Robert Gibson, Jessie Irving, Hilary Kennan, Erin Burbidge November 20, 2010 ______________________________________________________________________ Summary.........................................................................................................................................3 I Inter-jurisdictional coordination of EA........................................................................... 4 II Basic principles for upwards harmonization through inter-jurisdictional EA coordination.............................................................................................................................. 6 III Immediate and underlying concerns driving attention to improved inter-jurisdictional coordination.............................................................................................................................. 8 IV Provincial EA regime differences as a challenge and an opportunity for coordination and harmonization ..................................................................................................................11 V Key characteristics of the provincial and territorial EA regimes ..................................13...
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...| NAFTA and Environmental Protection: Falling Short of the Mark | | | 4/11/2011 | A Look at Some of the Lasting Consequences of Investor Protection Measures | | After the negotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1992, there has been an increase in the use of Chapter 11 to defend foreign investor rights. The poignant question remains whether these rights do and should take precedence over environmental considerations. This Paper looks at the treatment of investor protection measures and environmental protections contained within NAFTA with a view to their application within international arbitration cases. | NAFTA and Environmental Protection: Falling Short of the Mark A Look at some of the lasting consequences of investor protection Measures Contents Introduction 2 NAFTA Investor Protection Measures 3 Article 1102: National Treatment 3 Article 1103: Most-Favored-Nation Treatment 6 Article 1104 & 1105: Domestic & International Minimum Standards 7 Article 1110: Expropriation and Compensation 8 The Basis for Legal Challenges 11 NAFTA Environmental Protections 13 Article 104: Environmental and Conservative Agreements 14 Article 1114: Environmental Measures 16 Language across all Environmental Provisions 17 Enforcement of Environmental Protections 18 Cases of NAFTA Chapter 11 Arbitration 19 Ethyl Corporation v. Canada 20 S.D. Myers v. Canada 21 Concluding Remarks 22 Bibliography 26 Introduction In Canada, we are proud of our...
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...permission to reproduce materials, contact Ivey Publishing, Ivey Business School, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada, N6G 0N1; (t) 519.661.3208; (e) cases@ivey.ca; www.iveycases.com. Educational material supplied by The Case Centre Copyright encoded A76HM-JUJ9K-PJMN9I Order reference F269684 Copyright © 2013, Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation Version: 2015-03-19 It was January 27, 2011 and Trevor MacDonald, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Global Remediation (Global), was facing a decision that could forever change the future of the firm. Global had been founded seven years earlier in Fredericton, New Brunswick to exploit a new technology for cleaning soil and water at previous industrial sites. As the company’s capabilities became more widely known, firms were starting to ask Global to partner with them in remediation of increasingly large projects. As a result of these opportunities, MacDonald had to evaluate how to raise the funds necessary to build the capacity to take part in the new projects — Global was already operating at very close to capacity. This was a refreshing problem. After years of working to demonstrate its technology and obtain the necessary government approvals, Global was finally starting to be recognized as a leader in the area of soil and water remediation both inside and outside Canada. Consequently, MacDonald needed to determine the best way forward: Should Global raise capital to finance an expansion...
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...secondary social stakeholder with high interest and high power is the government. Governments hold high power as they set out the regulations and need the businesses to do well in order to maintain a strong economy. Consequently, they hold great legitimacy, urgency, and power. The Canadian government are particularly interested in the Athabasca Oil Sand Project because oil sands development not only benefits all Canadians through employment opportunities but also contributes to the highest rate of economic growth in Canada over the last 20 years. “The Tar Sands are now the biggest capital project anywhere on Earth and the biggest energy undertaking anywhere.” The government sees this as an excellent opportunity for a growing economy, thus supporting the project. The government also holds great power, as they are the ones enforcing the laws and regulations upon a business or organization. However, in this case, the government “fails to enforce its own environmental laws; and it is even engaging in cover-up when people blow the whistle on how the Tar Sands have harmed our health and our environment.” The Canadian government gives tax breaks to oil sands companies such as Shell, whom are the worst polluters, and refuses to force the industry to clean up. They have also covered up the situation when the people of Fort Chipewyan tried to appeal the issue of strange illnesses afflicting residents, and further denied any toxic problems....
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...Globalization has had far-reaching effects on our lives. Globalization has led to the rapid rise in urbanization and industrialization, resulting in economic prosperity and progression in many countries. While globalization may have significant positive effects on economic growth, the negative impacts on the environment should not be downplayed (Goldin, 2009). The precipitous rise in global consumerism due to globalization has resulted in an unsustainable consumption of the earth’s natural resources in which the rate of depletion outpaces that of replenishment (Rajkobal, n.d.). Besides that, the increase in consumption has also raised several environmental concerns, particularly the aggravating global-warming phenomenon which seems to undermine the benefits of globalization. Thus, this paper seeks to examine the impacts of globalization on the environment that leads to climatic changes and how these problems can be alleviated through international cooperation and the use of new media. First, globalization has contributed to the rise in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Globalization causes an increase in cross-border interactions as well as the demand for production of goods, which in turn places tremendous stress on the environment. Individuals and businesses migrate from country to country in search of better prospects. This has certainly put pressure on existing land resources. As the amount of land available decreases, forested areas are encroached upon to pave way for...
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...history of mining goes as far as the Neolithic era. The mining value chain presented demonstrates the formation of a mining company to the extraction of the natural resources. Further investigation shows that the mining structure is an oligopoly. Methods of analysis include an environmental analysis using PEST and a stakeholder map, which focus on the performance of a world-renowned mining company TransAlta. The finding is that management’s role is to have efficiency and productivity while maintaining ethical practices. Ethical theories are then used to look at the social, environmental and economical impacts of the Canadian industry. It is concluded that each ethical theory presents a favorable solution to each impact. Social corporate responsibility is evaluated in the last ten years in Canada and around the globe. It is found that the industry has become one of the most safety-conscious industries within Canada. The companies still have a prospective future as technological advancements, a major key to a sustainable industry, are increasing. Recommendations given include: ■ Mining companies should be accountable for their duty of care to their surrounding communities as they have large environmental and economical impacts. ■ Corporate responsibility should continue to be at the core of every mining company based in...
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