Free Essay

Local Environmental Issues

In:

Submitted By mstewart1977
Words 281
Pages 2
Discuss an environmental problem that you feel is significant in your town or city. What are some causes? Are any of these causes related to human values and environmental ethics? Explain.

During this week’s discussion, without conscious thought, I realized a major environmental problem within my town. My city council does not think it is necessary for all its citizens to recycle. Though we have a recycling facility in town, and everyone within city limits can elect to have a recycling bin picked up from their home, it is not mandatory nor do people, like me, who live outside the city limits have even the option of having their recycling picked up. To recycle, I would have to sort in my own bins and bring to the facility. I have contacted my home owners association with this problem and was told that the city does not have the resources to pick up recycling in the outer areas of our city. I live in a very rural city, and the trucks, staff, and finical cost are just unavailable.
I think that the issue of not having recycling available to its citizens, my town is showing a lack of environmental ethics. I think that they are not looking out for the environment as they like people to think, or the state mandates, by only allowing certain citizens the resource to recycle. I think that this may also be classified as a lack of human values as well. Making mandated budget cuts to one of the most needed resources in our town while allowing the city’s politicians to receive pay raises, is extremely selfish and could end with detrimental consequences to our environment.

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Limited Effects Theory

...Global Environmental Change 17 (2007) 445–459 Barriers perceived to engaging with climate change among the UK public and their policy implications Irene Lorenzonia,b,������, Sophie Nicholson-Coleb, Lorraine Whitmarshb a School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK b Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK Received 25 August 2006; received in revised form 12 January 2007; accepted 17 January 2007 Abstract This paper reports on the barriers that members of the UK public perceive to engaging with climate change. It draws upon three mixed-method studies, with an emphasis on the qualitative data which offer an in-depth insight into how people make sense of climate change. The paper defines engagement as an individual’s state, comprising three elements: cognitive, affective and behavioural. A number of common barriers emerge from the three studies, which operate broadly at ‘individual’ and ‘social’ levels. These major constraints to individual engagement with climate change have implications for achieving significant reductions in greenhouse gases in the UK. We argue that targeted and tailored information provision should be supported by wider structural change to enable citizens and communities to reduce their carbon dependency. Policy implications for effective engagement are discussed. r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Climate...

Words: 13826 - Pages: 56

Free Essay

Collapse

...Collapse- book is about a history topic about how societies choose to fail or survive. The main characters are historical people and unknown kings of Mayan cities or Easter Island villages. Jared Diamond tells the story of the Viking explorer Erik the Red, who discovered Greeland and Vinland (Terranova, in Canada). Another character is captain Olafsson, a norse sailor who wrote the last news about Greenland in 1410. Another main character is Christopher Columbus, who arrived at Hispaniola in 1492, but now this island is two countries, the Dominican Republic and the Haiti. Diamond studied the politics of two presidents. the dominican Rafael Trujillo, who protected the enviroment and the dictator François, Papa Doc, Duvalier, who decided on politics of deforestatation of his country, Haiti. The author considered the bad politics of another main character, king George II, who was interested in sending merinosheeps from Spain to Australia, an idea which was succesful from 1820 to 1950 but then the farmers understood their lands lost fertility. Another main character is Tokuwaga Jeayasu, a shogun of Japan in 1600, who prohibited Christianity in 1600 and protected his country againt deforestation.  The book takes us to a lot of places around the globe: Mayan cities, Rwanda, Viking colonies of Vinland or Greenland, Haiti and Dominican Republic, Easter Island and Polynesian colonies in Pacific, and the Chaco villages in New Mexico (United States). The time period was from 800 AC, when...

Words: 22095 - Pages: 89

Premium Essay

Decisions in Paradise Part 1

...The issues that our company has to address is setting up a for profit business in a place where there are the many disasters and calamities that are affecting the area. Another issue is that there are environmental elements that cause damage to the island which can in turn jeopardize the economy due to the fact that the majority of the resources that are used to support the country come from agricultural means. Along with the many instances of environmental threats, there are also external and internal disasters that have affected the island. Upon arrival I am greeted with the aftermath of a set of disasters that has recently ailed Kava. The objective of the company is to set up business here and in doing so give some of what has been taken away back to the country. This is easily said than done. There are a lot of things to consider in solving the problem. The main concentration at this point will be organizational processes, human resources, and ethics. The organizational processes of the company are to flow together to do the best thing for the people involved in the company while also making profit. In order for us to be successful, our organizational processes need to aim for the most beneficial way to introduce and do business here in Kava. Having the company here will help to bring in a new additive to the economy. There will be new area of work opened to the people here The decision-maker weights the previously identified criteria in order The various key...

Words: 662 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Moral Issues in Business

...* Moral Issues In Business * Environmental Protection Why Is The Issue of Environment Crucial To Us Today? The resources of this planet are finite and limited – as also its capacity to absorb and dispose of all the waste and garbage we generate. ‘Growth’ ‘Progress’ and ‘Development’ have spelt out one thing: increased consumption of material goods. Increased consumption of material goods has led to irreversible exploitation of natural resources: wood, fossil fuels, water to mention only a few. Rapid industrialization and global trends ↓ Grave problems of ecological imbalance and environmental degradation Environmental destruction is the result of man’s interference with Nature. We all require clean air, fresh, unpolluted water and a healthy habitat. But we also want large houses, all the latest gadgets, big cars and all other material amenities. Modern industry has provided us with unprecedented material prosperity. It has also created unparalleled environmental threats to us and our future generations. Modern technology has enabled us to manipulate and control nature – e.g. quick yielding seeds, artificial rain, BT vegetables and cereals, multiple crops etc. But this has led to increased pollution and severe depletion of natural resources. - Pollutants are pumped into the air - Toxic wastes are produced and dumped into soil, water and seas Major problems facing the world in the 21st century: - Population growth - Global...

Words: 1049 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Aeronautical Term Paper

...Name: Jacob ZumBrunnen Date: December 8, 2014 M8 Module 8 – Aviation National and International Laws and Regulations, and Environmental Issue LOB 4 Explain the impact of environmental issues and environmental laws in the aviation industry Web Support link: http://www.nbaa.org/advocacy/issues/environment/ Minimizing the industries environmental impact. The aviation community has led the way in promoting advances aimed at reducing its environmental footprint for many years. Aviation emissions only make up a fraction of all of the transportation emissions, while business aviation makes up an even smaller fraction of that. As an example of something to reduce emissions and optimize aircraft performance and flight range over a decade ago winglets were introduced into general aviation. This equipment also contributed to more efficient fuel burn and is now in place on a large number of general aviation aircraft. In addition, the industry continues to reduce engine emissions by applying new technologies, which means that today’s aircraft engines are cleaner, quieter, and more fuel-efficient than ever. Operational improvements advanced by business aviation also have resulted in national airspace system efficiencies that help the environment. Over two years ago, NBAA members began equipping aircraft, at their own cost, with cockpit technology allowing for reduced vertical separation minimums (RVSM), effectively doubling the system’s airspace capacity. In spite...

Words: 311 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Current Trends in the Shipping Industry

...Current Trends in the Shipping Industry 1. Introduction 2. Practical Application 3. Conclusion 4. References 1. Introduction “On the high seas, majority of shipping companies are nowadays replacing the full speed ahead with slow and steady speed to maximize profit”. With the intention of cutting costs of fuel, ocean shipping companies are instructing their Captains at sea to throttle back the engines and this phenomenon is what is being called as “Slow Steaming”. In most of the cases, the vessels are taking as many as 15 days to make an Atlantic crossing that used to take just 10 days. 2. Practical Application According to Asaf Ashar, the head of the National Ports and Waterways Institute in Washington “Companies are more focused on reducing costs, not speed of delivery, and the trend will continue even after the global economy comes back." Nearly all of the world's shipping lines are using slow steaming at least part of the time, he said. I sail onboard crude oil carriers, managed by Wallem Shipmanagement and Stena Bulk, and this practice of throttling back on engine to save fuel was used in all voyages we made in 2011. One of the companies which has recently reported huge savings with this practice is the Copenhagen-based A.P. Moeller-Maersk, the world's biggest ocean cargo line. Maersk, which has a fleet bigger than the U.S. Navy, swung to a 639 million dolar profit in the first three months of the year 2010, the most recent quarter reported...

Words: 570 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Environmental Issues and Schools of Thought

...Environmental Issues and Schools of Thought An environmental issue greatly affecting the Florida Gulf Coast counties are the protection of the shores and beaches. Through recent years there have been oil spills in the gulf that have threatened numerous environments, endangered species, as well as hurt the tourism industry. The most threatening spill was the famous BP oil spill of 2010. This spill devastated numerous species of wildlife and hurt businesses for years. Although this is an ongoing threat, the greedy oil industry is still pushing for more offshore drilling which is forcing activists of all organizations to step up and fight their plans for more drilling. There two schools of thought that should be taken into account for people dealing with this issue. The first is pluralism. The state's elected leaders need to see both sides to this issue so they can vote and make an elected decision. If they were to see both sides to this environmental problem then they could come up with a strategy to have both sides agree to the plan. Without the idea of pluralism there would be no way to understand all aspects of this issue. The other school of thought relative to this issue is ethical extensionism, which means that all things in nature should be extended moral standing. People with this view will this these animals that have no say in the matter, but should be thought of in any decisions made. They are just as important to Florida's coast as humans are to the boating...

Words: 377 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Shipping Industry

...SHIPPING TRENDS Capt. S. Pullat BA, MCIT, MCIArb, FICS AUMNI Shipping Consultants In the midst of technological developments, its application and futuristics, the Customers seem to be relegated to the back seat. Beware, if one does not treat them like a King or at least a la Prince, they could be King makers, and any case has a decisive role to play in all our endeavours for success. For, if we are driven by technology alone –as predominantly this forum is- we must ensure that it is affordable, safe, has redundancy and environmentally and user friendly as well. Technology per se does not solve problems, it enables problem solving and must be proactive too so that obsolescence can be planned and replacement provided for. Perhaps there is a lot to learn from the Computer industry, software sector in particular, as to how upgradation or newgradation is to be effected frequently. A cyclical and capital-intensive industry such as shipping has been slow to change and innovate, so much so it is driven by regulators and not industry itself. Such hindsight methodology has considerable time lag before ushering in corrective measures and in the interim the industry’s image and perception has suffered in the eyes of users and the public at large. Handful are the cases where ships are built to higher specifications than the bare minimum that Class calls for. A major operator recently citing experience criticised the need to shell out huge sums to overcome the cost saving nexus...

Words: 1659 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Quality Management

...QUESTION 1 : WHERE DOES THE FLAG STATE AND PORT STATE JURISDICTION COMPLIMENT & CONTRADICT WITH EACH OTHER. GIVE A FEW EXAMPLE TO STREGTHEN YOUR CASE In an effort to enhance broader security issues, especially good governance, anti-trafficking, anti-corruption and counter-SALW proliferation, Port States take measures to prevent unwanted vessels, including those with armed security teams, from entering and disembarking at their ports. Port State control complements the obligation of Flag States to inspect and control vessels by undertaking investigations or verification of vessels calling at their port to ensure compliance with international obligations or standards. In the event of transgressions, violators can be forced to pay reparations to the Port State, which can arrest or even blacklist their vessels. Flag State maritime security regulations, however, generally only cover issues such as the types of weapon systems that can be brought onboard, how many guards can be embarked, certification requirements and background credentials for embarked PCASP and, in some circumstances, application procedures to gain Flag State approval for taking a security detail onboard. However, these Flag-State restrictions do not address other pertinent issues such as embark and disembark procedures for PCASP, which frequently take place in countries other than the Flag State, Rules for the Use of Force, oversight and reporting protocols, and code of conduct. QUESTION 2 : HOW COULD...

Words: 1032 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Mito

...citations to that material. Use 12 point font, normal 1.15 inch margins, and 1.5 line spacing for your paper. Length of paper will vary with the detail of your answers but it should be at least 8-10 pages. Instead of being designed as a management decision-making exercise, this case places you in the position of environmentalists as you decide what course of action to initiate evaluating both ethical and economic issues. Harvard Business Review Summary: In July 2009, Vale NL began building a $2.17 billion nickel refinery in Long Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador. The refinery would bring economic prosperity by creating 1,600 to 2,000 jobs during construction and 400 to 500 permanent jobs in an area of high unemployment. The project's environmental assessment process began 2006 and the company had successfully completed the required environmental impact statements for the government. A major environmental issue was the disposal of tailings from the refinery, and the approved solution was to store them in a natural lake known as Sandy Pond. Members of several environmental NGOs had opposed the use of the lake as a...

Words: 774 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Cib100

...CURTIN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS 100 ASSESSMENT 2 SUBMISSION TO LOCAL NETWORK SUBMISSION TO LOCAL NETWORK CHOI CHAN YEOU SIME DARBY SINGAPORE HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS Our Mission At Sime Darby, we believe that “Developing Sustainable Futures” means integration and balance of economic, environmental and social issues in the way we plan, execute and monitor our various businesses is critical to the further growth to be a leading multinational corporation delivering sustainable value to all stakeholders and success of the Sime Darby Group (Sustainability Report 2011) We are committed to making the Global Compact and its principles part of the strategy, culture and day-to-day operation of our company, and to engaging in collaborative leading others corporations to follow. This submission shows that we express our intent to advance principles one and eight of the ten principles of the UN Global Contract comply within our sphere of influence local network (Sustainability Report 2011). Principle 1: “Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights.”(United Nation Global Compact, 2010). Principle 8: “Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility.” (United Nation Global Compact, 2010) We have defined below two recommendations to sustainability goals to compliance principle one and eight 1. Increase awareness...

Words: 1145 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Aes and Global Values Case Study

...between using expensive technology, meeting U.S. environmental standards, or a cost cutting technology meeting local and less stringent standards yet allowing for contributions to other community needs surrounding the projected plant. “Although many people at AES felt that the company would be “selling out” if it did not maintain its strict commitment to the environment in the narrow senses, others felt that AES should expand its concerns to include people and their quality of life” (AES Global Values, 2000). This presents a major ethical dilemma of whether or not the company should continue its traditional focus on meeting “social responsibility” values through CO2-offset programs as the company expands worldwide. Summarize the various issues regarding AES’s commitment to social responsibility There are many issues regarding AES’s commitment to social responsibility, a core part of AES’s culture is the commitment to their shared principles or “corporate values.” These principles describe how the individuals at AES endeavor to commit themselves to the Company’s mission of serving the world by providing “safe, clean, reliable and inexpensive energy.” The first and largest issue of AES’s commitment to social responsibility is that team members “felt that accepting a lower environmental standard in India - even one consistent with local and World Bank requirements - would be abandoning everything AES stood for.” The second issue is that AES, as a global company, should “maintain...

Words: 1637 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Savons Protav Case

...Bio-Vert products in Canada and U.S. External analysis & issues • 2007 Environment Quality Act (EQA) in Quebec province demanded low-phosphorus and phosphorus-free laundry and dishwashing • “EcoLogo” certification on green cleaning products and high certification cost • Blue-green algae crisis effects • Inevitable “spring cleaning” of industry consolidation in the eco-cleaning products • International brands held 95.3% of market share of household cleaning products; They have invaded into green products market Uncertainty in this industry; highly susceptible to new regulations; increased competition from multiple-size competitors External analysis & issues • Customers’ shifting preference towards green products for their minimal environment effects and less health concerns • Confusing information in the media surrounding green cleaning products impeded consumers’ abilities to make informed purchasing decision • Stereotype towards common green cleaning products regarding inferior effectiveness/performance • “ value-action gap” • Media advocated for green products • Environment products were “not yet in fashion” Customers’ perception decides the future of green cleaning products Internal analysis & issues • Products: Differentiated from competitors in the market for “EcoLogo” certification and superior product efficiency; recommended by Quebec-based consumer protection organization • Positioning: local small manufacturer which lacked the economies of scale • Price:...

Words: 940 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Kingfisher

...Department of Economic and Social Affairs Commission on Sustainable Development Seventh Session 19-30 April 1999, New York TOURISM AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THE GLOBAL IMPORTANCE OF TOURISM Background Paper #1 Prepared by the World Travel and Tourism Organization and International Hotel and Restaurant Association The Global Importance of Tourism prepared by the World Travel & Tourism Council and International Hotel & Restaurant Association A. Introduction Creating jobs and wealth 1. Travel & Tourism is the world’s largest industry and creator of jobs across national and regional economies. WTTC/WEFA research show that in 2000, Travel & Tourism will generate, directly and indirectly, 11.7% of GDP and nearly 200 million jobs in the world-wide economy. These figures are forecasted to total 11.7% and 255 million respectively in 2010. 2. Jobs generated by Travel & Tourism are spread across the economy - in retail, construction, manufacturing and telecommunications, as well as directly in Travel & Tourism companies. These jobs employ a large proportion of women, minorities and young people; are predominantly in small and medium sized companies; and offer good training and transferability. Tourism can also be one of the most effective drivers for the development of regional economies. These patterns apply to both developed and emerging economies. Contributing to sustainable development 3. The 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED),...

Words: 6841 - Pages: 28

Free Essay

Eia Tools

...GREEN GUIDE TO 3 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES GREEN RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION: TRAINING TOOLKIT FOR HUMANITARIAN AID The Green Recovery and Reconstruction Toolkit (GRRT) is dedicated to the resilient spirit of people around the world who are recovering from disasters. We hope that the GRRT has successfully drawn upon your experiences in order to ensure a safe and sustainable future for us all. GREEN GUIDE TO 3 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES Jonathan Randall, World Wildlife Fund Emma Jowett, Consultant A NOTE TO USERS: The Green Recovery and Reconstruction Toolkit (GRRT) is a training program designed to increase awareness and knowledge of environmentally sustainable disaster recovery and reconstruction approaches. Each GRRT module package consists of (1) training materials for a workshop, (2) a trainer’s guide, (3) slides, and (4) a technical content paper that provides background information for the training. This is the technical content paper that accompanies the one-day training session on environmental impact assessment tools and techniques. Cover photo © Brent Stirton/Getty Images/WWF © 2010 World Wildlife Fund, Inc. and 2010 American National Red Cross. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second...

Words: 21593 - Pages: 87