...CASE STUDY: HOW HUMANS HAVE AFFECTED THE ANTARCTIC FOOD WEB Although the icy waters around Antarctica may seem an inhospitable environment, a complex food web is found there. The base of the food web consists of microscopic, photosynthetic algae present in vast numbers in the well-lit, nutrient-rich water. A huge population of herbivores—tiny shrimp like krill—eat these marine algae. Krill, in turn, support a variety of larger animals. A major consumer of krill is the baleen whale, which filters krill out of the frigid water. Baleen whales include blue whales, humpback whales, and right whales. Squid and fishes also consume krill in great quantities. These, in turn, are eaten by other carnivores: toothed whales such as the sperm whale, elephant seals and leopard seals, king penguins and emperor penguins, and birds such as the albatross and the petrel. Humans have had an impact on the Antarctic food web as they have had on most other ecosystems. Before the advent of whaling, baleen whales consumed huge quantities of krill. Until a global ban on hunting large whales was enacted in 1986, whaling steadily reduced the number of large baleen whales in Antarctic waters. As a result, of fewer whales eating krill, more krill became available for other krill-eating animals, whose populations increased. Now that commercial whaling is regulated, it is hoped that the number of large baleen whales will slowly increase, and that appears to be the case for some species. However, the populations...
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...August 25, 2005 Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in New Orleans Louisiana, killing 1,836 people third deadliest hurricane in the United States history. A town that sits below sea level never stands a chance of levee embankment not able to withstand the overflow of a flood from a river. When New Orleans Louisiana was founded in construction of the levee along the river began, and more extensive levee was built as the city grew. The barriers were erected to prevent seasonal flooding. Katrina was formed in the Atlantic and had reach a Category 5 status, it was described as the worst disaster of all times, hurricanes are formed in the tropics and required consistent heat to exist. Many scientists believe that global warming was partially responsible for the massive force hurricane Katrina threw out. Although there is considerable argument over how climate change will affect certain ecosystem, it is still believed that climate change causes major shifts in the distribution and ecosystem species. After reviewing the Katrina hurricane situation scientists and engineers research its alignment with national needs, the National Hurricane Research Initiative (NHRI) concluded that the United States must be engaged in a research initiative to expand the understanding of hurricane and determine some more effective’s strategies for dealing with the issue. Presently hurricanes are not obsolete researchers need to understand the complexities between hurricanes and climate. Modern shields...
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...Case-In-Point Analysis Marine algae and krill are very important to the environment in the Antarctic. Raven, P., Berg, L., and Hassenzahl, D. (2010) presents the case study “How Humans Have Affected the Antarctic Food Web” to examine the problem. The purpose of this paper is to identify any unintended consequences of humankind’s activities that have led to environmental problems, describe how scientific or technological activities are exacerbating or improving the existing situation, discuss how a proper application of the scientific method could have helped the problem, and address any alternative solution beyond the scientific method. Unintended consequences There are multiple human activities that have led to environmental problems. The first is the thinning of the ozone layer. This is the cause of man-made compounds, such as halocarbons. The Global Climate Change and Ozone Layer Protection (2005) website states “Halocarbons are formed when halogen gases such as fluorine, chlorine and bromine become attached to carbon. The smaller halocarbons turn into a gas quite easily and are the prime suspects in ozone depletion (What causes Ozone Layer Depletion?, para. 2). The depletion to the ozone layer leads to a global climate change. Raven, P., Berg, L., and Hassenzahl, D. (2010) explain: “As the water has warmed in recent decades around Antarctica, less pack ice has formed during winter months. Large numbers of marine algae are found in and around the pack ice, providing a...
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...MBA 633 “West Point: The Cheating Incident” Case DESCRIPTION- “West Point: The Cheating Incident” case is about cadets that were accused of cheating on a take home exam at the United States Military academy at West Point. Over 100 juniors were involved in cheating scandal which made them in violation of the Cadet Honor Code. Anyone who violates such code is to be expelled from the Academy. 52 of the accused were found guilty and 48 appealed their cases. The cheating scandal brought about the attention of the media, press, and even caused for the involvement of the secretary of the army and congress. DIAGNOSIS- The cause of the problem stems from the vagueness of the Honor Code. The Honor Code simply states: “A cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal nor tolerate those who do.” The fact the Honor Code has a toleration clause makes the system code extremely difficult to enforce. The dilemma that Lt. General Berry, the Superintendent, had was whether to use the Code as a determination of guilt of the cadets or a more detailed and systematic method. During the case some of the accused cadets begin to write affidavits implementing their fellow classmates. They pointed out specific incidents of other cadets lying, cheating, and stealing. If the Honor Code does not allow toleration then that would mean that the other cadets would have to be tried for the violations of the code as well. THEORY- The theory that applies to this case is personal accountability. One of the things that...
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...Case-In-Point Analysis (Name Here) SCI/362 February 19, 2012 Michael Eslinger, Ph.D. Case-In-Point Analysis Global warming and food web declines in Antarctica are affecting more than most would have thought. The krill population plays a major role in the cycle of life for many mammals in this area but also for migratory mammals. This paper will expose food web declination in relation to global warming as well as what could have prevented it. This paper will also expose current projects to assist in rectifying the damage done. Icy, frozen, and barren Antarctica seems like the last place humans could affect any food webs on this continent. Impossible as it seems, humans have created an unnatural ebb and tide. Beginning with the large-scale whaling in Antarctica that started in 1904, the overexploitation of whaling projects devastated the whale population in the area. Because whales are the primary krill-eating mammals, reducing their numbers increased the krill population. However, by increasing the krill population and reducing the whale population, other krill-eating mammals increased their numbers creating an unnatural ecosystem. Global climate change has also affected this Hoth like continent. The thinning the ozone layer has brought concerns that the ultraviolet rays are damaging the algae in the area. According to Raven, Berg, Hassenzahl, “Increased ultraviolet radiation is penetrating the surface waters around Antarctica, and algal productivity has declined...
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...Case-In-Point Analysis Geoff Manbeck University of phoenix Environmental Issues and Ethics SCI-362 Brian Hoeft December 31, 2012 Case-In-Point Analysis The Salton Sea, once known as the accidental sea, became a popular tourist attraction which people would travel to for vacations (Ransriggs, 2011). People bought homes, built schools, restaurants, and yacht clubs; it was considered to be a miracle in the desert. Over the years the water at the Salton Sea became saltier than the ocean. Botulism poisoning killed millions of fish, and the heat, which reach the temperature of 120 degrees, made the air unbearable to breathe. A consequence was the sea began to flood (Ransriggs, 2011). The water at the Salton Sea was fed only by agricultural run-off, which increased the salt levels of the Salton Sea to levels that the fish could not survive. The death of 200 million fish had a large effect on the rest of the ecosystem, causing the death of the bird populations who rely on fish for food, increasing severe decaying of the dead fish, and creating a increased number of flies and other pathogens in their rotting carcasses (Ransriggs, 2011). The loss and harm to the populations of wild species at the Salton Sea is critical importance of migrating birds. The sea supports over 90% of the North American population species such as eared grebes, 30,000 American white pelicans, 2,000 brown pelicans, 25,000 snow and Ross’ geese, and 120,000 shore birds, which consist of 44 species (Ransriggs...
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...G4S today became a founder signatory of the new International Code of Conduct for Private Security Providers G4S, the world’s leading international security solutions group, today became a founder signatory of the new International Code of Conduct for Private Security Providers. Representatives from the world’s largest security solutions company were present in Geneva to sign the code, developed by the industry, civil society representatives and the Swiss, UK and US Governments. The Code sets out principles for security operations in so-called “complex environments” – areas experiencing or recovering from disaster or unrest and where governments and the rule of law are weak. It covers recruitment, vetting and training of staff, the use of force by security company staff, including the handling of firearms, health and safety and reporting and complaints handling. G4S CEO Nick Buckles said: “As the market leader, G4S recognises its responsibility to help embed the highest standards in the security industry. That is why we have previously supported many national initiatives to raise industry standards, and why today we are delighted to become one of the founding signatories to the International Code of Conduct. “We take the obligations set out in the Code seriously, and will work determinedly with the rest of our industry, the Swiss and other governments and representatives of civil society to try to develop an effective mechanism to oversee the functioning of the Code and...
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...Species Richness in Lake Victoria Until very recent, the second largest freshwater lake in the world, in East Africa, Lake Victoria, was the home of approximately 400 kinds of cichlids. Cichlids are fishes that are colorful. The species of cichlid that was in Lake Victoria had very different eating habits. Some nibbled on algae; others eat organic material that was dead at the deepest part of the lake; while others ate the insects, shrimp, and all the species of cichlids. These Cichlids blossomed all through the lake ecosystem and supplied protein to feed over 30 million people living in the area. Presently, the aquatic community in Lake Victoria has changed from 50 years ago. Native fish species and more than half of the cichlids are no longer in existence. More than half of the cichlids and other native fish species are now extinct. Because of the vanishing of most of the cichlids that eat algae, the population of algal has increased tremendously. When these algae pass on, their putrefaction uses up the disintegrated oxygen in the water. The area at the bottom of the lake, which was once filled with cichlids, is now empty because the dissolved oxygen is not enough. When any fish attempted to venture into the zone oxygen-free they are unable to breath and die (Raven, Berg, & Hassenzahl, 2010, p. 83). During the time when the population of the cichlid population declined, the growth of the algae increased tremendously further exhausting the level...
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...Daktronics In 2006, Daktronics had increased production capacity by: * Replicating existing operations * Adding facilities, equipment, or people, or the combination of these three Lean goal: cost reduction Product families: in the digital signage industry and dominated the high end of the market. Major product families: * Sports products, including scoreboards, sound systems and related computer-controlled hardware and software * Automated rigging and hoist products used in sports facilities and theatres * Video display systems * Commercial products, including message centers and time and temperature displays-----26.8% * Transportation products used for road management, parking, mass transit, and aviation to direct motorist and traffic-----5.9% Sales vacillated----seasonality in sports markets. Primary components: the display and the controller Display: incandescent lamps to LEDs and LCDs. Controller: manage each of the pixels that formed the message or visual image A digital billboard: 1) The display module 2) The controller 3) The power supplies 4) The cable harness to connect the components 5) A cabinet to house the aforementioned Manufacturing: Component manufacturing and system manufacturing Subcontractor---metal fabrication and loading printed circuit boards Lean Journey: 1. Goals of the lean initiative: Problems: inefficiencies in manufacturing processes and relatively little standardization Goals:...
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...Description: Lt. General Sidney Berry, Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point has been faced with a series of difficult decisions after being notified of underclassmen at the campus where caught cheating, a violation of the Cadet Honor Code with the Academy. All cadets that are found guilty by the Honor System are subject to expulsion. The decisions Berry is faced with raises issues concerning ethics, organizational adjustment and change, and action planning to tackle the arising conflict. Through acting in the best wishes of West Point’s standards, Lt. General Berry must also heavily consider the interests of the Department of the Army, Congress, West Point alumni, current cadets on campus, and the public with the gaining acknowledgement of the incident. Diagnosis: Throughout the incident, questions arised in a variety of avenues regarding West Point’s standards and the possibility of misalignment of the discipline displayed versus the objectives of the Academy. Questions such as whether the Honor Code was to general to the extent of not being able to evenly and fairly enforce conduct or whether constitutional guarantees of due process were considered during the adjudication of disputes arising under the Honor Code. This incident could also be simply a result of cadets pushing the limits of the Academy of what they are and aren’t able to get away with; much like a child is with his or her parental figures. Nevertheless, the integrity of not...
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...West Point Case Analysis Bellevue University Description “A Cadet will not lie, cheat or steal nor tolerate those who do”, reads West Point’s honor code, allegedly violated in 1976. The West Point Cheating Incident revolves around an incident from 1976, where over 100 juniors were alleged to have cheated on an electrical engineering exam. Cheating on an exam can have damning ramifications at any school, but when it comes to West Point; it is a direct violation of the schools highly held honor code. The honor code is a West Point tradition, and has helped mold military leaders with high integrity and strong values. Due to the sheer number of individuals, who were alleged to be involved, and where the scandal was happening, the event garnered national attention. Due to the uproar in the press and across the country, more pressure was placed on General Sidney Berry, Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy by bureaucrats and politicians alike. Diagnosis West Point is not your ordinary school setting. It is a breeding ground for training our nation’s best and brightest future military leaders. In the United States Military, it is imperative for soldiers to lead with character, while remaining calm under fire. It seems West Point, at the time of this event, concerned itself more around punishing for crimes than it did developing character. If West Point was truly interested in developing leaders with high character, it would not utterly dismiss individuals...
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...Case-In-Point: Hurricane Katrina Environmental Issues and Ethics February 18, 2011 Case-In-Point: Hurricane Katrina I remember hurricane Katrina like it just happened yesterday. I watched awe struck half horrified and half amazed by the power of this storm and the extent of the flooding that occurred. I watched as people were plucked from their roof tops as their houses were completely engulfed by the flooding. I watched as The United States was unprepared for this magnitude of flooding and unaware this was going to happen. My first thought as I was watching this unfold was how this could have happened and what caused this amount of flooding. Unintended Consequences According to According to Raven, Berg, and Hassenzahl (2010), there are a number of unintended consequences from humankind’s involvement in the development of New Orleans. In the development of the city of New Orleans, engineers constructed a system of canals and levees. In doing so, they have disrupted the delta building process and build-up of coastal wetland (Raven, Berg & Hassenzahl, 2010). The wetlands would have helped absorb some of water and provide a natural protection against flooding. In addition, the effects of global warming from changes to the carbon cycle and rise in CO2 levels have caused melting of the polar ice causing a rise in sea level, desalination of the oceans changing the currents, and an increase in ocean temperatures causing increase frequency...
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...Shipping corridors are crucial to trade and the transportation of goods. However, they also negatively affect the ocean environment and surrounding ecosystems. This is highlighted at Point Cartwright as it is neighboured by a shipping corridor. The day-to-day use of the corridor has many impacts on the biotic and abiotic factors of the surrounding ecosystem. The movement and anchorage of boats is a contributing factor to this impact. Propellers disturb the sea bed, increasing water turbidity and creating noise. Anchors also disturb the sea bed, creating furrows in the sand. Increasing water turbidity affects light dependent species such as coral and seagrass, the producers upon which the ecosystem relies. This changes the feeding behaviours...
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...10/11/12 Du Pont Proposed Capital Structure for Du Pont Corporation Uploaded by settypr on Jun 7, 2006 | | | Proposed Capital Structure for Du Pont Corporation The Du Pont Corporation was founded in 1802 to manufacture gunpowder. After nearly two centuries of operations, the company has greatly diversified its product base through acquisitions and research and development,, and is one of the largest chemical manufacturers in the world. In 1995, Du Pont had revenues of $42.2 billion and net income of $3.3 billion. In this same period, 50 percent of the company's sales were outside the United States. Du Pont operates in approximately 70 countries worldwide, with about 175 manufacturing and processing facilities that include 150 chemicals and specialties plants, five petroleum refineries, and 20 natural gas processing plants. The company has more than 60 research and development labs and customer service centers in the United States, and more than 20 labs in 10 other countries. Currently, Du Pont is the thirteenth largest U.S. industrial/service corporation (Fortune 500). Until the 1960's, the company's capital structure had historically been very conservative, with the corporation carrying little debt (Figure 1). This was possible primarily because of the enormous success of the company. However, in the late 1960's, competition for Du Pont had increased considerably, and the company experienced decreased gross margins and return on capital Figure 1. The capital structure of...
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...Case description ChoicePoint, a Georgia-based corporation and 1997 spin-off from Equifax Inc., provides risk-management and fraud-prevention data. Traditionally, ChoicePoint provided motor vehicle reports, claims histories, and similar data to the automobile insurance industry, but in recent years it broadened its customer base to include general business and government agencies. ChoicePoint collects, stores, and sells the personal information of consumers (e.g., social security numbers, birth dates, employment information, criminal histories and credit histories) to more than 50,000 businesses and agencies. The company also offered data for volunteer and job-applicant screening and data to assist in the location of missing children. In 2004 ChoicePoint had over 4,000 employees, and its revenue was $918 million. In the fall of 2004, ChoicePoint was the victim of a fraudulent spoofing attack in which unauthorized individuals posed as legitimate customers and obtained personal data on more than 145,000 individuals. According to the company's Web site: “These criminals were able to pass our customer authentication due diligence processes by using stolen identities to create and produce the documents needed to appear legitimate. As small business customers of ChoicePoint, these fraudsters accessed products that contained basic telephone directory-type data (name and address information) as well as a combination of Social Security numbers and/or driver's license numbers and, at...
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