...April 2010 A Skeptic’s View of Global Warming Is global warming really happening? Is it something that we should truly fear, and if so, why? Scientists and other climate experts have been trying to answer these important questions and many others concerning global climate change for decades. Before one can truly delve into the details of global warming, it is important to define the concept. The entire study of climate change is difficult to explain, and is not yet fully understood by scientists. However, global warming can be simply described as the process of the earth’s atmosphere increasing in temperature due to the presence of greenhouse gases, which include carbon dioxide and are produced through the burning of fossil fuels and various other means. These gasses are actually part of Earth’s natural processes, for they trap heat that allows Earth’s temperature to sustain life. The effects of this process can be seen as a blessing and a curse. Just the right amount of them helps the earth maintain a somewhat constant temperature; too much may cause temperatures to rise to frightening heights. Since 1880, when instruments used to precisely measure atmospheric temperatures were invented, the Earth’s surface temperature has risen about 0.36° F for each decade up to the twenty first century (Voiland). This information presents a clear warning about the matter: that global warming is present and cannot be ignored. Most extremists feel that global warming will lead to dire consequences...
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...There is a lot of concern about global warming, all around us changes are occurring and they are effecting things in negative ways. Global warming is melting the ice and glaciers it’s beginning to cause some very negative changes and the sad thing is that everyone is blaming it on humans. Enviromentalist Andrew C. Revkin and Vice President Al Gore warn the dangers of melting ice from global warming, while professor Philip Stott claims that their warning is an overblown myth. I believe global warming is a important matter but a over dramatic topic. In the article “Global warming is not a threat to a polar ice” Philip Stott explains that global warming is not happening because of human activity. He believes this is just a cycle of mother nature. Stott suggests that the world was going to go through global warming anyway but none of it was our fault. I agree with most of what He states because there is natural causes that lead to this thing we call global warming. It should not be blamed on mainly human activity and to be honest we cannot stop global warming we can only slow it down maybe. He states “Those who believe that human-cause global warming is a serious problem often point to change polar ice as proof of their theory. Stott 419. Stott is saying that people who think humans are the leading to cause to global warming Is a problem, he thinks they are just being dramatic and over exaggerating this myth. I agree with Stott’s opinion on global warming. I also have my own...
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...grown exponentially over the past decade, and companies now spend tens of millions of dollars to manage the information streaming in from suppliers and customers. For all the breathless promises about the return on investment in Big Data, however, companies face a challenge. Investments in analytics can be useless, even harmful, unless employees can incorporate that data into complex decision making. Our research offers a succinct warning to managers. At this very moment, there’s an odds-on chance that someone in your organization is making a poor decision on the basis of information that was enormously expensive to collect. To help organizations measure and improve employees’ facility with data-driven decision making, Corporate Executive Board created the Insight IQ, which assesses the ability to find and analyze relevant information. We evaluated 5,000 employees at 22 global companies and sorted them into three groups. “Unquestioning empiricists” trust analysis over judgment, and “visceral decision makers” go exclusively with their gut. “Informed skeptics”— the employees best equipped to make good decisions—effectively balance judgment and analysis, possess strong analytic skills, and listen to others’ opinions but are willing to dissent. They’re the kind of...
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...Hilario Ramos Ms.Kemp Eng 009 Are Solar Roadways the future? In the beginning Scott and Julie Brusaw became open on the subject for creating solar-powered LED roadways, they have encountered an endless amount of doubt and even outright aggression. The reaction was obviously expected given how new this sort of technology is. Not only is it new, but it would quite difficult to execute the dream of electrifying roads and highways with reinforced solar panels. Some questioned question if whether or not solar roadways are even necessary. However, the most important company that governs American roads -- was willing to at least give the idea a shot. Although the idea of solar roadways does sound amazing has many obvious potholes, but its benefits are vastly in numbers. The major advantages of the solar roadway is that it uses its utilities as a refurbishing like source of to create electricity. It has the possibility to diminish dependence on sources of energy like coal and other fuels. Also, the durability of a solar panel last about 20 years, so much better than your common asphalt roads, which last about 12 years. If the time ever occurred of an environmental disaster or military problem occurred, like an emergency, solar roadways are there to lend their power which will most likely be needed. Solar power can be easily renewed, it does not need any outside connection to any sort of power source. Another great perk is that they do not need the development of possibly sensitive...
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...Other notable events prior include the Korean War and the Cuban Missile Crisis (Lipsitz 159). These conflicts heightened public distress and disarray and were accompanied by diminishing confidence in United States’ involvement. There were those who questioned what the United States could accomplish by intervening in a foreign war, and there were also those who dismissed the skeptics as dissenters. Haggard and Springsteen’s compositions address both sides of the issue. Many publications have dismissed Haggard’s The Fightin’ Side of Me as a jingoistic anthem for American conservative values. His upbeat country song experienced widespread commercial success for its uplifting and reassuring message to the tune of major chords at approximately 100 bpm (Google Music). Haggard’s first words reveal the problem he observes. “I hear people talkin’ bad, about the way we have to live here in this country.” There is no doubt that The Fightin’ Side of Me was written with specific purpose and not pure artistic expression. Haggard’s goal here is to express his stance on a very specific and relevant problem of his time. He follows...
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...GLOBAL WARMING Luis Ormeno Prof, LaShawn Smith SOC 300 Sociology of Developing Countries 03/05/2012 GLOBAL WARMING OUTLINE 1. Introduction………………………………………………………… 3 2. What is Global Warming…………………………………………… 4 3. Causes of Global Warming………………………………………… 5 4. Effects of Global Warming………………………………………..... 6 5. Measures toward prevention of Global Warming ………………… 7 6. Conclusion……….…………………………………………………. 8 7. References …………………………………………………………. 9 Introduction. I decided to talk about this matter because many people do not think that Global Warming is a threat to their life. Global warming is one of the most serious problems that currently exist in our planet, therefore we need to know, analyze, and why not to seek for a solution. There are many people in the planet that still do not believe in global warming, people who state that there is no scientific evidence that there is an increase in temperatures, it is obvious that temperatures are changing and the effects can be disastrous for mankind if we do nothing about, future generations will suffer. We need somehow stop or monitoring closely deforestation, trees are the lungs of our planet...
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...No one can say with any assurance what the dollar value of damages would be from the highly uncertain climate changes that might accompany a planet earth that is steadily warming. Paul Solman: Are headlines trumpeting the fact that carbon dioxide levels in the earth’s atmosphere have now passed 400 parts per million for the first time in something like three million years unduly alarmist? Or are they a timely warning? I asked noted environmental economist Martin Weitzman to address the question. An expert on the Soviet economy in the ’70s and ’80s, Weitzman first made news in 1984 with the publication of a book called The Share Economy, an argument for profit sharing instead of fixed wages. Fourteen years later came his paper Recombinant Growth, which revolutionized how some of us understood the enormous potential of technology. But for many years, Weitzman has also been working on environmental economics and most recently, in a series of widely cited academic papers, on the economics of global warming; the most famous, on the “Economics of Catastrophic Climate Change.” Weitzman’s central idea is not unlike the legendary bet proposed by the 16th century Catholic French philosopher Blaise Pascal. One way to interpret Pascal’s argument: even if you think the likelihood of God’s existence is vanishingly small, the cost if you’re wrong — eternal damnation — is infinitely high. An infinite cost times even a tiny probability is still … an infinite cost. So you make...
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...Watershed Rhonda Seals Excelsior Wabash Watershed Global warming affects all of us. This is not just a "them" thing, or a "they" thing. Everyone on the planet needs to be aware of the consequences of their actions in contributing to global warming or as most people know it, The Green House Effect. Mankind has been contributing to this since the beginning of time in one way or another. Granted, we are doing more damage now than we did 100 years ago, but nonetheless, damage has been done. The proof is the average global temperature increasing expeditiously. "Data gathered from surface weather stations, ships, buoys, balloons, satellites, ice cores, and other paleoclimatological sources indicate that the climate of Earth is becoming warmer." (Hess, 2011, p.91) "Over the twentieth century, average global temperatures increased by more than 0.7°C (1.3°F)." (Hess) This is a remarkable statement, which even the most skeptic person cannot dismiss or ignore. "The increase in greenhouse gas concentration has been accompanied by a slight, yet nonetheless measurable, increase in average global temperature, raising the likelihood that humans are altering the global energy balance of the atmosphere. This important issue generally referred to as global warming". (Hess) Some of the data that scientist, biologist, geographers, and others use in determining the actual effects of global warming are temperature changes, precipitation, evapotranspiration, moisture...
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...the strong gains amid optimism about plans to recapitalize euro banks. With the gains, the Dow is up 5.6% this month, the fifth- best start to October since 1990. 3) an estimated $10.95 billion was pulled from long-term mutual funds in the last week, according to the investment company institute.as a result taxable funds and tax free funds increased in this week. Oct.14 1) J.P. Morgan stocked new fears about the health of the U.S banking industry as it posted its first year on year drop in quarterly profits since the height of the financial crisis. 4.3 billion was down from 4.4 billion last year. 2) Credit Suisse group is poised to close down its commercial mortgage backed securities divisions just days after a new warning of layoff on wall street according to people familiar with the matter. Oct.15 1) real-estate- investment-trust buy mortgage backed securities, making money on the different between the cost of borrowing and the yield they earn on the mortgage bonds, which borrow rates near historic lows, profit margin have been at near-record levels. Dow Jones U.S total stock markets mortgage REITs...
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...Earth is home to an abundance of astonishing, complex forms of life. We humans are constantly learning more and more about this planet. Earth has been humanity’s mysterious home since the origin of our species, but in the last century or so there has been an alarming trend taking place. We have experienced the Earth’s temperature rising. Global warming is the name of the phenomenon that has taken place over approximately the past 133 years, and according to NASA, it is an un-debated fact that the average temperature on Earth has increased one and a half degrees over this time period (NASA). There is a wide range of thoughts and opinions on the relatively recent issue of global warming. To some people, global warming is out of our hands. Therefore, it is a non-issue. Others feel that the opportunity cost of trying to prevent it is too high, especially because global warming isn’t blatantly causing any suffering on a daily basis. The perspective I have towards global warming is one that is bearing a more inconvenient, burdensome argument. This is that human activity is causing the temperatures of the Earth to rise at an unnatural pace with the widespread emission of greenhouse gases. The purpose of this argument is to raise awareness through scientific and statistical studies that humans are to blame for this trend in climate change, and that there could be significant consequences to not taking preventative measures. To absolutely prove that humans are to blame, we would need a...
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...Thesis statement: One of the most debated topics in America today is Global Warming. Regardless of whether or not it is fact or fiction, the American public needs to pay more attention to growing scientific evidence, and make a greater attempt to ensure a prosperous future. I. The Problem A. The Problems Are Just Beginning B. Man Is Having An Affect II. The Ecosystem A. The Domino Affect B. A Few Degrees Of Consequence III. Not Just Hot Air A. Crying Wolf B. Uninformed Public IV. The Real Problems A. Short Term Ideals B. Selfish Americans C. Religion D. Big Bussiness V. What Can Be Done A. Think Long Term Global Warming: Fact or Fiction? Most skeptics of Global Warming have said and will say again, “The earth has taken care of itself for millions of years. It goes through cycles from time to time. It doesn’t matter what humans do, Mother Nature is stronger than us all.” Although these opinions have some truth and relevance in the argument against the reality of Global Warming and its effects on the planet, it also seems incredibly short sighted to not explore the emerging data that has continued to grow in recent years supporting the idea that humans do indeed have an affect on how the planet and her inhabitants will continue to live and grow in the years to come. With advances in technology measuring these effects more accurately...
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...H 9B12C047 FOOD FOR THOUGHT: THE 2008 CHINA MILK SCANDAL1 Vivien K.G. Lim, Rashimah Rajah and Smrithi Prasad wrote this case solely to provide material for class discussion. The authors do not intend to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The authors may have disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality. Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation prohibits any form of reproduction, storage or transmission without its written permission. Reproduction of this material is not covered under authorization by any reproduction rights organization. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, contact Ivey Publishing, Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 3K7; phone (519) 661-3208; fax (519) 661-3882; e-mail cases@ivey.uwo.ca. Copyright © 2012, National University of Singapore and Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation Version: 2012-11-14 In 2007, Sanlu, a Chinese milk manufacturing company based in Shijiazhuang, was recognized as a formidable force by its competitors as it had topped the list of local dairy producers for more than a decade. It was also the second biggest dairy producer in the world. Sanlu was the number one bestselling milk brand in China, responsible for 18.3 per cent of total national dairy sales in 2007.2 A year later, however, a scandal unfolded that brought not only Sanlu...
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...9-306-002 REV: JUNE 19, 2006 DAVID A. GARVIN LYNNE C. LEVESQUE Strategic Planning at United Parcel Service We fully recognize that it is not possible to develop a true strategic plan more than a few years out and that business plans should have an even shorter horizon. But we are convinced that it is possible and wise, indeed necessary, to develop a set of very long-range scenarios that can form the foundation for our future strategic plans. — Michael (Mike) J. Eskew, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, United Parcel Service (UPS) As Mike Eskew walked through the long, open atrium of UPS’s corporate headquarters late in March 2005, he thought about his upcoming lunch meeting with Vice President of Corporate Strategy Vern Higberg. Higberg was preparing a presentation for the senior management strategy committee, the Strategy Advisory Group, on improvements to the strategic-planning process. While the company had made major progress in planning for the future over the past 10 years, Eskew had charged Higberg and his colleagues with developing recommendations for moving forward, citing one of his predecessors, who had said, “The future of our company will be no better or worse than the quality of planning we do to prepare for it.” Company Background History In 1907, 19-year-old Jim Casey borrowed $100 from friends to start the small company that eventually became UPS. From its humble origins delivering messages for the city of Seattle, Washington, UPS...
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...Soybean Exports to China Purpose Trading has largely improved over the existence of China as restrictions and wars have been very prominent in China’s history. This paper looks at soybeans and how they have been a part of China’s importing history. China has become a vital export market for United States soybeans and without those customers, prices would be much lower than those seen in today’s market. Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………4 Situational Analysis……………………………………………………………………….5 Country History……………………………………………………………………………6 Cultural Overview…………………………….……………………………………………7 Political Environment………………………………………………………………………8 Export Marketing Plan……………………….……………………………………………..9 Economic Development…………………………………………………………………….10 Purchasing Power…………………..……………………………………………….10 Wages………………………………….……………………………………………11 Infrastructure………………………………………………………………………..11 Summary……………………………………………………………………………………11 References………………………………….……………………………………………….13 Appendix A………………………………………………………………………………….15 Appendix B………………………………………………………………………………….16 Abstract The soybean has been traced to the eastern half of North China in the eleventh century B.C. Soybean production was localized in China until after the Chinese-Japanese war of 1894-95, when the Japanese began to import soybean oil cake for use as fertilizer. A worldwide shortage of feed protein in the early 1970's led to the initiation of large-scale soybean production in several South American...
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...production during photosynthesis, by taking in carbon dioxide as waste material and producing oxygen, which of course we all need to survive. Scientists predict that the daily addition of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, combined with daily removal of large portions of the world’s forests, will raise the earth’s average temperature by several degrees in the next century. This in turn will raise the level of the sea and potentially create significant changes in weather patterns on a global scale. As we move into the future, many climatologists expect that most of the United States will warm. What we do not know yet is how to scientifically predict which parts of the nation will become wetter or drier. We do know there is likely to be an overall trend toward increased precipitation and evaporation, and more intense weather systems, in the form of violent rainstorms, blizzards and sun-baked, drier soils. The Facts—What Do We Already Know About Changing Global Conditions (Global Warming)? Global temperatures are rising. Observations collected over the last century suggest that the average land surface temperature has risen 0.45-0.6°C (0.8-1.0°F) in the last century. Precipitation has increased by about 1 percent over the world's continents in the last century, with more rain in high latitudes and less rain in many tropical areas. Sea levels have risen approximately 15-20 cm (6-8 inches) worldwide in the last century, due to melting mountain glaciers and ocean expansion...
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