Cross-Border Pollution A Growing International Problem

It’s a natural fact that wind and water don’t respect national boundaries. One country’s pollution quickly can, and often does, become another country’s environmental and economic crisis. And because the problem originates in another country, solving it becomes a matter of diplomacy and international relations, leaving the local people who are most affected with few real options. A good example of this phenomenon is occurring in Asia, where cross-border pollution from China is causing serious environmental problems in Japan and South Korea as the Chinese continue to expand their economy at great environmental cost. China Pollution Threatens Environment Public Health in Nearby Nations On the slopes of Mount Zao in Japan, the famous  juhyo, or ice trees — along with the ecosystem that supports them and the tourism they inspire — are at risk of serious damage from acid caused by sulfur produced at factories in Chinas Shanxi province and carried on the wind across the Sea of Japan. Schools in southern Japan and South Korea have had to suspend classes or restrict activities because of toxic chemical smog from China’s factories or sand storms from the Gobi Desert, which are either caused or made worse by severe deforestation. And in late 2005, an explosion at a chemical plant in northeastern China spilled benzene into the Songhua River, contaminating the drinking water of Russian cities downstream from the spill. In 2007, the environmental ministers of China, Japan, and South Korea agreed to look at the problem together. The goal is for Asian nations to develop a treaty on cross-border air pollution similar to agreements among nations in Europe and North America, but progress is slow and the inevitable political finger-pointing slows it even more. Cross-Border Pollution Is a Serious Global Issue China is not alone as it struggles to find a workable balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability. Japan also created severe air and water pollution as it pushed hard to become the worlds second largest economy after World War II, although the situation has improved since the 1970s when environmental regulations were imposed. And across the Pacific, the United States frequently places short-term economic gains before long-term environmental benefits. China is Working to Reduce and Repair Environmental Damage China has taken several steps recently to lessen its environmental impact, including announcing a plan to  invest $175 billion (1.4 trillion yuan) in environmental protection between 2006 and 2010. The money — equal to more than 1.5 percent of China’s annual gross domestic product — will be used to control water pollution, improve air quality in China’s cities, increase solid waste disposal and reduce soil erosion in rural areas, according to the National Development and Reform Commission. China also made a commitment in 2007 to phase out incandescent light bulbs in favor of more energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs — a move that could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 500 million tons annually. And in January 2008, China pledged to ban the production, sale and use of thin plastic bags within six months. China is also taking part in international talks aimed at negotiating a new treaty on greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires. Before long, China is expected to surpass the United States as the nation most responsible for greenhouse gas emissions worldwide — a cross-border pollution problem of global proportions. Olympic Games May Lead to Better Air Quality in China Some observers believe the Olympic Games may be a catalyst that will help China turn things around — at least in terms of air quality. China is hosting the Summer Olympics in Beijing in August 2008, and the nation is under pressure to clean up its air to avoid international embarrassment. The International Olympic Committee gave China a stern warning about environmental conditions, and some Olympic athletes have said they will not compete in certain events because of poor air quality in Beijing. Pollution in Asia Could Affect Air Quality Worldwide Despite these efforts, environmental degradation in China and other developing countries in Asia — including the problem of cross-border pollution — is likely to get worse before it gets better. According to Toshimasa Ohohara, head of air pollution monitoring research at Japan’s National Institute for Environmental Study, emissions of nitrogen oxide — a greenhouse gas that is the primary cause of urban smog — are expected to increase 2.3 times in China and 1.4 times in East Asia by 2020 if China and other nations do nothing to curb them. A lack of political leadership in East Asia would mean a worldwide worsening of air quality, Ohohara said in an interview with AFP.

Law Enforcement Should Deter Racial Injustice - 1341 Words

Communities of color are portrayed as drug handlers when in actuality there is an estimate of about 80 million Caucasian drug users compared to 15 million African American users according to the Substance of Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (Fellner 3). Although opposing arguments would argue that the white population is six times greater than the black population, the absolute number of white drug offenders is far greater than that of black drug offenders (Fellner 6). But, with racial dynamics and social media’s part in shaping of what a drug offender would appear like, most would not picture a white middle-class man snorting cocaine. Because of this, â€Å"race has been and remains inextricably involved in drug law†¦show more content†¦The centerpiece of this public relations campaign was a new rhetorical strategy that sought to demonize drugs and ostracize drug users. Presidents Bush and Clinton continued the Reagan administration s anti-drug polici es. President Bush established a national office of drug policy, appointed a drug czar, increased anti-drug spending and intensified drug law enforcement efforts (Beckett 9). President Clinton, for his part, increased the anti-drug budget by twenty-five percent, proposed expanded drug testing rules and intensified efforts toward drug interdiction and prosecution (McCabe 4). No matter who has occupied the executive branch, the United States has pursued the same overall policies throughout the drug war. Anti-drug policies can be separated into two general camps, supply-reduction and demand-reduction’ (McCabe 5). Supply-reduction strategies seek to reduce the availability of drugs by limiting access to drug sources and increasing the risks of drug possession and distribution. Demand-reduction strategies, on the other hand, seek to reduce demand for illegal drugs through drug use prevention and treatment. The rhetoric of war helped shape the strategies that were used to combat the perceived drug threat. The Reagan administration embraced a supply-reduction strategy focusing on interdiction, seizure and criminal prosecution, rather

Power Work and Employment of 4 Pines †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Power Work and Employment of 4 Pines. Answer: Introduction 4 Pines, one of the most successful microbreweries in Australia will be taken as the case organization whose sustainability initiatives will be evaluated. Organizational sustainability indicates an organizations core capability and its initiatives towards expansion through optimal use of its resources (Carayannis, Sindakis and Walter 2015). This report will present the summative component comprising of the complexities of real-life situation faced by4 Pines organization. The entire discussion will be parted in four themes, which are sustainability initiatives identification, sustainability initiatives authenticity, initiative contribution towards social and human outcome enhancement and comparison of initiatives taken by 4 Pines with other organization. Identification of sustainability initiatives their authenticity Sustainability approach refers to the organizational approach, which is intended to maximize shareholders value through embracing opportunities and mitigating the risks towards social, economical and environmental development. According to 4 Pines Beer (2017), 4 Pines Brewing Company has enough capability towards earning adequate profit through increased sales volume. Therefore, the organization is quite capable of providing adequate return on investment to the shareholders. While considering the human resources, the organization has created positive working environment for the employees, which encourage the employees towards enhancing their productivity. Moreover, Aggerholm and Trapp (2014) opined that 4 Pines always provides adequate compensation package and rewards to the employees. Such motivating factors motivate the employees in providing high quality efforts towards achieving organizational success. Apart from that, Schaltegger, Ldeke-Freund and Hansen (2016) stated that 4 Pin es allows the employees towards participating in the charity programs for community development. In this way, it enhances employee value and develops the community around them. According to Herold et al. (2016), 4 Pines allows opportunity to every employee towards getting up to 1 x $500 donation matched by 4 Pines. The employees donate such matched donation to their chosen charity. The employees are allowed volunteering time for being involved in the charity programs and community development. Moreover, the employees are allowed with 1% added annual leaves towards volunteering the selected charity events. On the other hand, Kasem et al. (2015) opined that 4 Pines is also intended towards saving the pines in the country for environmental protection. Furthermore, the organization is intended towards reducing the waste by 95% through their venues. Apart from that, the organization has done their best towards optimum usage of water in preparing brew. 4 Pines uses 4.66L water/per towards saving water and protect valuable natural resources. However, Fakoya (2015) argued that 4 Pines does not have any initiatives towards promoting greenery in the community. Furthe rmore, the employees of the organization face quite much work pressure in their workplace, which hamper their work-life-balance. Authenticity of sustainability initiatives The authenticity of the sustainability initiatives of 4 Pines can be assessed though the report and median B score provided by B-Corporation over the sustainability initiatives of the organization. As per 4 Pines sustainability report, the organization allows employee volunteering time towards working for charitable purpose (4 Pines Beer 2017). Moreover, the organization provides adequate value to the employees at their workplace. However, as per the report of B-Corporation, the 4 Pines Company has gotten quite low median B score in regards to employee benefits. As per this score, 4 Pines do not provide adequate sense of ownership to the employees at their workplace. The score also signifies that the work environment of the organization is not quite flexible to the employees (Bcorporation.com.au 2017). According to Klovien? and Speziale (2015), the new production system of 4 Pines can save up to 150T of CO2 emission in the environment. However, Bcorporation.com.au (2017) opined that 4 Pines does not have any genuine effort towards saving the energy of the environment. Furthermore, as per the report, the organization does not also have genuine effort towards reducing the emission produced from the production process of brew. Therefore, sustainability initiatives for energy saving and reducing carbon emission seems to be unauthentic in 4 Pines. Jamali, El Dirani and Harwood (2015) pointed out that 4 Pines Brewing Company offers adequate compensation package to the employees as per the standard of other similar types of organizations. However, Bcorporation.com.au (2017) argued that 4 Pines do not have enough career advancement scope for the employees. Furthermore, the median score of B-Corporation also indicates that 4 Pines do not have adequate training and development programs towards developing and upgrading the skills and knowledge level of the employees. Furthermore, Watne and Hakala (2013) opined that 4 Pines always maintains high level of transparency ethics with the suppliers and distributors for making long-term relationship with them. On the other hand, Bcorporation.com.au (2017) opined that 4 Pines is always not ethical and transparent with the suppliers and distributors. However, genuine efforts can be seen in the organization towards maintaining transparency with the shareholders and community. Contribution of initiatives to enhancing positive social human outcomes for the case organizations human resources Sustainability initiatives of 4 Pines Brewing Company have huge level of contribution towards enhancing the positive social and human outcomes for its human resources. According to 4 Pines Beer (2017), 4 Pines provides standard salary package to the employees, which is competitive to other organization in the same industry. Therefore, the employees feel it quite worthy to work in this organization for long term basis. In this way, the organization has become able to enhance its retention rate. Furthermore, Gmez?Bezares, Przychodzen and Przychodzen (2017) opined that 4 Pines also provides lucrative rewards to the employees based on their contribution in the organizational success. Such lucrative rewards motivate the employees towards enhancing their level of performance in near future. Adequate rewards encourage the employees to work harder in getting overall organizational success. In this way, sustainability initiatives for human resources have actually enhanced the human outcome of the organization. Herold et al. (2016) opined that 4 Pines Brewing Company allow employee volunteering time, where the employees are allowed with extra time off towards contributing their effort for charitable purpose. Moreover, the organization provides charity for youth development, mitigating crisis of any region occurred from natural disaster and others. Such volunteering time enhances employee value, as the employees can get 1% of annual leave and work for charitable purpose. Such practice also enhances the motivation and performance level of the employees. On the other hand, Fakoya (2015) stated that sustainability initiatives of 4 Pines have also enhanced its social outcome through increased social engagement. Moreover, charity events and community engagement activity has enhanced the social image of the organization in the community it serves. Moreover, the employee volunteering time has both enhanced the human outcome of the employees and social outcome through increased corporate image in th e society. Furthermore, such sustainability initiatives have actually enhanced the performance level of the employees with increased employee value. The employees of the organization are also involved insaving the pines for saving the environment and society from pollution. Such initiative has also enhanced the social image of the organization. How outcomes might differ for the similar initiatives in a different business context Considering a different business context, Bulla Dairy standouts to be one of the most successful private sector dairy product manufacturer in Australia. Fund donation as a form of charitable purposefrom employees of Bulla Dairy will not have any considerable effect on overall capital management and cash flow for the organization. This is because this organization is financially quite strong and has the ability to support NGOs through fund contribution (Bulla.com.au 2017). However, considering waste reduction technique as adopted by 4 Pines, it can be said that Bulla Dairy will not be able to deal with such strategy because the organization still operates using the old and traditional machinery for manufacturing products. Incorporating new batch production machine that might reduce and recycle waste will require huge fund and even more budget will be required for human resource training, which cannot be implemented. On the other hand, environmental protection if compared with 4 Pines, it can be said that the organization is trying to protect Pines and limit operational optimization so that same resources (Pines) can be utilized in future for extraction (Kasem et al. 2015). Similarly, if Bulla Dairy tries to protect the cows by not injecting synthesized drugs for more milk production, then animal welfare will be justified and eventually environment will be protected. Finally, while considering the water consumption factor, it can be said that Bulla Dairy can similarly reduce water consumption rate by repairing water trough leaks, recycling plate cooler, adjusting line feed soakers and plugging evaporative cooling system leaks. All such techniques will incur a minimal expenditure which can be easily beard by the company. Conclusion While summing up, it can be said that 4 Pines sustainability approaches have not only let to the cultivation of corporate image in the society but also increased the motivational level of employees. It has been found that management of human resources through flexibility and fringe benefits direct performance growth and simultaneously initiatives for community development helps in boosting corporate image. However, the real situation has indicated that the organization has failed to justify carbon emission and environmental sustainability but at the same time has able to reduce water consumption and waste generation. Finally, it has been found that Bulla Dairy organization will be able to use most of the sustainability approaches that of 4 Pines and there will be very less differences in terms of outcome. References 4 Pines Beer. 2017.4 Pines Beer. [online] Available at: https://4pinesbeer.com.au [Accessed 6 Oct. 2017]. Aggerholm, H.K. and Trapp, N.L., 2014. Three tiers of CSR: an instructive means of understanding and guiding contemporary company approaches to CSR?.Business Ethics: A European Review,23(3), pp.235-247. Bcorporation.com.au. 2017.4 Pines Brewing Company | B Corporation Australia. [online] Available at: https://bcorporation.com.au/community/4-pines-brewing-company [Accessed 3 Sep. 2017]. Bulla.com.au. 2017.Cream, Ice Cream, Yoghurt, Cheese in Australia | Bulla Family Dairy. [online] Available at: https://www.bulla.com.au/#/ [Accessed 6 Oct. 2017]. Carayannis, E.G., Sindakis, S. and Walter, C., 2015. Business model innovation as lever of organizational sustainability.The Journal of Technology Transfer,40(1), pp.85-104. Fakoya, M., 2015. Improving Waste Reduction Decisions through Resources Efficiency and Cost Effectiveness in a Brewery.J Hum Ecol,50(2), pp.153-160. Gmez?Bezares, F., Przychodzen, W. and Przychodzen, J., 2017. Bridging the gap: How sustainable development can help companies create shareholder value and improve financial performance.Business Ethics: A European Review,26(1), pp.1-17. Herold, D.M., Manwa, F., Sen, S. and Wilde, S., 2016. It's the yeast we can do: Untapping Sustainability Trends in Australian Craft Breweries.Journal of Asia Entrepreneurship and Sustainability,12(2), p.82. Jamali, D.R., El Dirani, A.M. and Harwood, I.A., 2015. Exploring human resource management roles in corporate social responsibility: the CSR?HRM co?creation model.Business Ethics: A European Review,24(2), pp.125-143. Kasem, E., Trenz, O., H?eb?ek, J. and Faldk, O., 2015. Key Sustainability Performance Indicator Analysis for Czech Breweries.Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis,63(6), pp.1937-1944. Klovien?, L. and Speziale, M.T., 2015. Sustainability reporting as a challenge for performance measurement: literature review.Economics and Business,26, pp.44-53. Schaltegger, S., Ldeke-Freund, F. and Hansen, E.G., 2016. Business models for sustainability: A co-evolutionary analysis of sustainable entrepreneurship, innovation, and transformation.Organization Environment,29(3), pp.264-289. Watne, T.A. and Hakala, H., 2013. Inventor, founder or developer? An enquiry into the passion that drives craft breweries in Victoria, Australia.Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness,7(3), p.54.