Development and the Environment- Human interventions in forest Essay

Development and the Environment- Human interventions in forest environments - Essay Example This paper will discuss various human activities that currently contribute to the tropical rainforest deforestation and the intensity of their effects specifically in Latin American and Asian regions. The activities that lead to deforestation According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat, the main reason behind deforestation is agriculture. While subsistence farming causes 48% of the destruction, cash crop cultivation or commercial cultivation leads to 32% loss followed by logging and fuel wood with 14% and 5% each. Geist, & Lambin (2002) also report four reasons behind 96% of deforestation; they are permanent cropping, cattle ranching, shifting cultivation and colonization. Shifted cultivators In fact, shifted cultivators are considered the biggest threat to tropical forests and they are the reason behind 48% of the total forest loss. The main reason that forces these people into forests is the unequal distribution of land. For example, in Brazil, 42% of the total cultivated land is owned by 1% of the population. In addition, according to World Rainforest Movement (n.d.), half of Brazil’s total population is landless farmers. ... Logging The role of logging in deforestation cannot be neglected. Big logging companies cut down trees for their commercial uses. However, it is not only the selected trees that are destroyed; the vines, epiphytes and lianas are all destroyed along with the tree which will take many hundreds of years to regenerate. In addition, for the removal of the wood, they construct new roads and the area gets heavily compacted by machinery leading to a further decline in the quality of the land. Furthermore, the roads constructed by these loggers are used by the farmers around the forests to get access to the deep forests. When these farmers start slash and burn to grow food, the impact of the issue grows manifold. Cattle ranching and cash crops Another serious issue is the modern day agricultural practices. The first among them is the monoculture plantations which are solely aimed at making quick money. However, the impact of this agricultural practice is unimaginable. In addition, a lot of ma chinery, fertilizers and pesticides are used to make maximum profit in the shortest possible time. This intensive farming leads to a rapid fall in the quality of the soil in a few years. The severity of cattle ranching practices is more or less the same. Cattle ranching leads to the destruction of more and more land and the land so damaged will not support any plant or animals for a long time. Fuel wood A per reports, about 2 billion people worldwide still depend on wood for cooking and heating. Considering the huge number of the people, one can easily imagine the magnitude of the issue. In addition, according to United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization, 75% of these people

Hospital Birth vs. Home Birth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hospital Birth vs. Home Birth - Essay Example Discussion NCT (2008) states that, â€Å"In the 1950’s the majority of pregnant women in United Kingdom delivered their babies at home† (p.2). The ratio of midwives and women who were knowledgeable in midwifery to the general population was higher compared to the past decade. Most middle aged women had experience in midwifery having assisted in child delivery of a family member of a friend. At the time, home birth was considered reasonably safe and without concerns of overcrowding and fatigue. NCT (2008) continues to state that, â€Å"Trends gradually changed in the 1970’s towards the 80’s as hospital births increased in frequency and numbers. By the 1990’s home births had reduced significantly to about 1% (p.2).† In recent times this percentage has increased to 2.68% as popularity and campaigns for home births have increased. ACOG (2011) notes that â€Å"Most governments require that recommendations be made to pregnant women to have a choic e of their desired place of birthing.† A medical professional can evaluate and examine a pregnant woman and suggest a place of birth for the woman explaining his or her recommendation based on medical grounds to her. The key factors to be considered when choosing between home birth and hospital birth are the safety of the procedure, the sense of security of the mother and the level or sense of control. According to ACOG (2011), â€Å"Women who inquire on planned home births at medical facilities should be adequately informed of its benefits and possible risks.† This information should be based on current and documented evidence. The advising party should clearly note to the mother that although the possible risks associated with home birth may be minimal, home birth is closely associated with increased risk of neo natal death. The risk of neo natal death is two to three fold that of hospital birth. To achieve a successful and reduced-risk planned home birth, the woman r equires selecting suitable candidates for the home birth. â€Å"A nurse certified in midwifery, physician or midwife who is qualified and aptly practices within regulations set by the local medical body should be available† (ACOG, 2011). The intended candidate should also be available for consultations. Safe, easy and timely access to a hospital or medical facility should be possible at the slightest chance of complications occurring. An easy access to hospital should provide contingency in case complications develops and the mother and or infant require emergency medical attention. ACOG (2011) states, â€Å"At present, the United States records an approximate figure of 25,000 home births annually.† From this figure, a quarter of the births is not attended to and is unplanned due to the spontaneity or unexpected labor. On average, the fraction of women who initially plan and intend to deliver at a hospital, those women who fail to make provisions for the attendance of a certified medical professional in midwifery, and unplanned homebirths record high rates and instances of neo natal and pre natal deaths. Women should plan for any eventuality and sudden changes in original or intended plans. The lack of transport to the designated/ planned hospital may warrant a home birth. In case no provisions were made to equip the home or vicinity/ surrounding with equipment and tools of delivery, the woman runs the risk of infection to

Organisational Politics Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10750 words

Organisational Politics - Dissertation Example In the highly competitive environment, where every individual is concerned about job security, pursuance of self-interest has taken dominance. Managers engage in enhancing their abilities and capabilities to use power, and participate in political activities. In the process, they attempt to exercise coercion and control over their subordinates. This naturally gives rise to resistance which takes the shape of conflicts. However, according to Max Weber, organizations can achieve the coordination necessary for rational, logical and calculable action only through impersonal coercion and discipline of subordinates and clients (McNeill, 1978, p65). Pfeffer (1992, p10) contends that power and influence are social realities and in trying to ignore them, organizations lose a chance to understand these critical social processes and to train managers to cope with them. However, power has been associated with such a negative interpretation that people keep away from it for fear of getting a bad name. Politics in general is also related to negative outcomes; politics is considered to be inherently non-rational and subject to power interactions between diverse interests (Kinicki, 2008) but Vigoda (2000, p1) found weak negative relationship between perception of organizational politics and employees’ performance. ... Allen et al (1978, p78) emphasize that managers must know of the political processes and elaborate on the proactive and reactive behavior of the managers. Lee (1987, p316) identifies sources of power as coalition, expertise, information, rewards, emotional ties, authority and coercion while Varman and Bhatnagar add formal authority, rules and regulations, knowledge and information, counter organizations and informal organizations. However, a person’s actual power is a function of the sources, importance and scarcity of the power available to them (Lee, 1987, p317). Farrell and Peterson (1982, p403) examine individual political behavior within an organization, which they feel has been neglected. Fleming and Spicer (2008, p302) propose that power and resistance in an organization are intertwined. Bureaucratic power is used to exercise control and this gives rise to conflicts in the organization. Thompson (1960, p390) discusses the different forms and sources of organizational co nflicts while Rubenstein (1996) differentiates between conflict management, conflict resolution and conflict settlement. To resolve conflicts power and politics are the facilitators. Most of the literature reviewed here suggests that people are rational and active in pursuit of their goals. They need to influence, they need to manipulate to accomplish goals. This would imply that using tact and manipulation is acceptable as it helps further the interest of the individual as well as of the organization. However, they are seldom conscious of the repercussions of their actions. Imbalance of power can lead to several undesirable consequences such as workplace bullying, harassment and victimization. Several authors such as

Indentured Servitude Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Indentured Servitude - Essay Example The indenture document detailed the specific number of years a servant was required to work, after which they would earn freedom1. Not all servants were willingly sent. There were several cases of kidnapping, especially with the white slaves. In the 17th century, about two thirds of the New World settlers from the Isles of British came as indentured servants. Due to the high rates if death, several servants never lived to see freedom in the end of their terms. In early 19th century and late 18th century, many Europeans did travel to the colonies as the redemptioners, which is a form of indenture (Galenson 1984). Indentures had various restrictions. For example, indentures were not allowed to marry or get married without permission from their owner. They were subjected to physical punishment, and their labor obligations were enforced by courts. The law even lengthened the term of women indentures in case they became pregnant. However, contrary to the slaves, servants were given a guarantee that they would be set free from bondage after their terms elapse. At the end of their term, servants received freedom dues payment and joined the free members of the society. In fact, one could sell or buy indentures contract of servants as well as their right to labor, but not the person per se as a property. Both female and male servants could be at any given point be subjected to violence, sometimes resulting to their death. Generally, indentured servitude was a mechanism of having the number of colonists increased, particularly in the British and English colonies2. Convict labor and voluntary migratio n provided many people, and other means of offering settlement was inevitable because the journey across the Atlantic was somehow dangerous. In the end, contract laborers became a significant group of people and very many that saw the United States Constitution count them in the appointment of representatives (Rosenbloom 2008). Indentured servitude, from 1620s, was a

Vietnam War and American Pop Music Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Vietnam War and American Pop Music - Term Paper Example Feminism, African-American Civil Rights Movement, Anti-Vietnam War Protests and even Sexual Revolution occurred in the Sixties. But there is no revolution in that era that has had the profound effect like the one the Vietnam War had. The Vietnam War has left a huge mark in America’s social psyche, and subsequently made an impact in the collective consciousness of the American people. Many films have been made, songs, books and even TV shows that echoed the sentiments of the people during that time. This era changed the people’s view on media, politics, the government and other institutions. If the people in the other eras before trusted the government with its actions, this era saw that the people did not trust the government as much because it deployed their sons to another country, in what the Americans viewed as a futile war. The Vietnam War actually started in 1955. As an offshoot of the Cold War between the Communist Russia and the Democratic United States, the Vie tnam war is also about the battle of communism and democracy. It was between the communist Vietnam (North), controlled by the Viet Congs and the democratic Vietnam (South). The US, as a protector of liberty, tried to protect the democratic Vietnam from the communists who were trying to unite Vietnam by making the country a wholly communist one. Because of this threat to democracy, America rounded up its troops, mostly composed of young men. In 1960, the first massive recruits occurred, doubling up in numbers in 1962, and in 1963, the world saw that the American troops have tripled in number. These young troops were to be deployed in Vietnam. This happening, along with other socio-cultural movements in the 60s, spurred a massive protest movement. It has to be noted that this era saw the African-Americans being granted equal rights, the women equality with men, the environment being taken importance, etc. This war added to the agenda that the people were so keen to push. The people di d not want to wage war, unlike the government. The people pushed for peace and focusing on the environment, not having their sons, brothers and husbands killed. This conflict between the people and the government spurred the people’s disillusionment on the American government. This event, the Vietnam War, challenged their views pertaining to their leaders and their heads of state. It was inevitable anyway, the troops were sent to fight in the war. For nineteen years the United States has been deploying troops over at the Asian country. They lost the war. This fueled the masses’ discontent for the government. This discontent permeated through the pop culture. It has made its way in the people’s everyday lives, especially with the movies and music. Art is a reflection of reality. Music and movies are art forms and they do reflect reality in whatever form they can, intentionally or not, since the creators’ consciousness also reflects the events that happen a round him, through the art he has been making. This is especially true in protest music that made its way into the lives of the Americans in the 60s. Protest music is a result of a musician’s conscious effort to be heard. The rise of protest music in the United States was seen during the time of the Vietnam War. True, protest music existed way before, ever since man started to sing, but the Vietnam War, with the

Managing Human Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Managing Human Resources - Essay Example gement in an international organisation involves a combination of activities that maintain, develop and attract an effective workforce required to achieve the company’s objectives (Mathis & Jackson, 2007). International human resource management (IHRM) deals with managing the expatriates and deals with how the expatriates adjust to the foreign culture and the management of a diverse workforce (Cieri & Et. Al., 2005). Organisations need to put in place an effective performance appraisal system to develop the global and expatriate managers. Global performance appraisal is a strategic process that helps the multinational corporations to continuously improve their global operations through their employees by matching up to certain pre set objectives. International Performance Appraisal (IPA) sets the basis for compensation, rewards and promotions (Shen, 2010). The subsidiaries of the MNCs have different employees of different nationalities which makes performance appraisal a criti cal task. Employees in the subsidiaries are the Parent Country National (PCN), Third Country nationals (TCN) and the Host Country National (HCN). TCN and PCN together are known as expatriates. Parent Country Nationals are the citizens of the country to which the organisation belongs and they have the same cultural background as the employees in their corporate headquarters. They do not have any knowledge about the host country’s culture, social and political conditions (Denisi & Griffin, 2005). Host Country Nationals are the residents of the host country in which the company operates and they are aware of the local culture, social and economic conditions (Denisi & Griffin, 2005). Third Country Nationals are people who neither belong to the parent country nor to the host country. They bring diversity in the organisation and the organisation benefits from their experience (Denisi & Griffin, 2005). Hiring a mix of these nationals enables greater integration, control and mobilisa tion of

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion - Essay Example We find our identity in our families and families are there to fulfill our hopes and aspirations. It is quite possible that at times, family becomes a disappointment. Nevertheless, it can be said that in current form, they are more like proving equality rather than erstwhile happy families where members were tied with some bond of belonging. Person# 3 Response It can be said for sure that global changes are making more equal families but not with certainty that it makes happier family too. Kids don't get enough time from their parents. Ever since women are working in the offices, men have to also work at home. Women across all communities and classes are involved in business. Cross marriages between members of different religious and ethnic groups have created families with multi ethnic and multi religious backgrounds. Obviously, kids are likely to pick multi cultural values from their parents. Old cultural values are dying and new sets of cultural values – rather mixed set of cultural values are taking shape. If the new set of cultural values does not suit to either members and further since women are not dependent on men, divorce is a quick fire solution. New value system has made families smaller with mostly single kid and even without kids. Old cultural values are surely on the path of decay replacing it with new phenomena.