...In my life there have been many occasions to get absolutely whiskey bent. You know, to wake up and essentially set the goal to get black out drunk with nothing but bourbon and cheap smiles in mind. Knowing my whiskey habit, my 21st was set to be a momentous day in whiskey drinking’s fantastic history. On my 21st I blacked out at 930 and didn’t get home till 2am (last sighting at least). Apparently in my stupor (like I said, it was a great day for whiskey drinking and I put on a clinic) I invited two different girls over to my house on my walk home with my friends from the bar. It really was a great birthday, I got really drunk all day all over the place so I remember very little in nothing but fragmented blurs. And oh yeah, the only bad part was that my house got robbed latter that night. This is what I do remember: I woke up wide-awake at 7:30 am so dehydrated that I could barely move or open my eyes. I’m fully dressed with my shoes still on, laying face down on top of the sheets with my contacts in and everything on my nightstand had been thrown across the floor. Jolted awake by the harsh reality of morning, I began to try to remember what happened the night before but I can’t get past that familiar yet fine taste of bourbon that has come to welcome me in the morning as often as the sun’s light. My next move seems obvious. I should go down stairs, get wicked high and chug water to recover and start to piece together the night. Once I got downstairs I saw that my bong...
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...Bovine Growth Hormone Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone or BGH is a drug manufactured by the Monsanto Company. This drug was produced to increase milk production in cows. The FDA approved BGH in 1993 for use in dairy farming, the usage of BGH began in 1994. After the first batch of milking it was seen that cows began to die (Wade, 1). The BGH was forcing the dairy cows to create milk faster then they could eat. This was causing their milk producing glands to extract calcium from the bones of the cows. This caused the cows to become weakened and fall down. It is also noticed that an increased occurrence of mastitis, which is an infection of the cows utters. (Wade, 1) The infection is cured by a regime of antibiotics, which make it into our milk. It is also seen that there is no legitimate use to BGH. In the United States there is a surplus of dairy products, meaning that with the use of BGH small farmers will be run out of business by the factory farms. They can produce larger quantities of milk and be able to sell them at lower prices. The production of the Bovine Growth Hormone in order to help the dairy industry has become a controversial issue since its usage approval. In today’s world being a socially responsible company is not only a trending fad but also it is almost a requirement by the consumers. Many companies have labels stating things like “dolphin free” or “BGH free.” The merchandisers use these labels to increase their sales with the socially responsible consumers...
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...Communications in Business Critical Essay Monsanto A Review of Performance of Monsanto On Genetic Modified Planets to Environment and Mankind Boyang Xu 16004593 Semester Two 2012 Bentley Campus Tutor: Wisdom Jo Tutorial Time: Thursday 14:00-16:00 Email: xby_remind@msn.cn The past century saw huge changes in the business world. The challenge of business is changing rapidly over time. Nowadays, companies are attaching greater importance to their Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) instead of focusing on seeking greatest profits only. Customers are becoming more and more concerned with large multinational companies' performance in respective of their social responsible manner,especially those multinational companies such as Monsanto.The Monsanto Company is an American based multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation,the world's leading producer of the Genetically Modified seeds (Monsanto, 2012a) This paper will review the social performance of Monsanto's various products to mankind, and analyze the impact of these performances on two key stakeholders: the communities Monsanto conducting business operations in and shareholders of the company. An on-balance conclusion about the company's performance in society will be provided at last. With regard to its social performance, Monsanto has always been devoted to the sustainable development of human beings. People around the world rely heavily on agriculture and the farmers working hard to satisfy their...
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...Policy #2 The history of the American economy has been greatly impacted by the industrial revolution. Life as the people of this time knew it would have a big change ahead of them. The normal life of using your hands to produce products would become more of machines doing the manual work. There was a boom in population and income stemming from the economy becoming more efficient. The Industrial Revolution increased the supply of goods dramatically from the invention of a mass-production technique that was represented by Henry Ford. The majority of the increase of supply was largely seen in mining, steel, oil, transportation networks, communications networks, industrial cities, and financial centers, but also consumer goods. The concept of people not having to use their hands as much anymore was an important advancement. The time being saved was significant not to mention how efficient these steam powered machines were in production. Now the overall work time is being cut dramatically considering they could now have settings for machines to produce the work. At the same time, the workers needed to realize this meant there would be less jobs available for employees. There would be less work to manage, but this led to creating a bigger profit since there was not as much man power needed in the factory. This idea of having the machine do the dirty work sparked the importance of profits for the business leaders, which over time has arguably led to the greedy business leaders we...
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...As natural earth grown resources become usurped by thousands of companies competing in the market place, a shift towards making more sustainable synthetic solutions finds its way into consumer products. Monsanto a leader in the dairy product industry developed the Bovaine Growth Hormone (BGH) to help cow’s produces more milk. This product is marketed for farmers to buy and use it on cows to increase profit potential. To make this all happen Monsanto got every necessary approval including the FDAs’ to bring this product to market. With minimal research data collected the product was able to pass testing either because Monsanto misrepresented the findings of the safety of BGH or the FDA did not appropriately evaluate the potential safety concerns that may arise. Thus we have in society large corporations pushing aside possible human health concerns in order to make a considerable return on investment. Well according to a Kantian perspective this does not justify the means to an end nor would this pass under a “veil of ignorance” according to John Rawls. Canada had found conflicting results with those reported from the studies and banned the use of BGH as a result of their findings. So in turn, Fox News reporters Jane and Steve decide to do an expose of this story. In the process of writing it up Monsanto sends a letter saying that Fox News station would face ‘dire consequences’ if they aired the story. The threats eventually were able to crack senior management at Fox and they...
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...Blake Rudloff Professor Burns English 102:611 24 November, 2015 Big Ag: The Roots are Tainted “GMO efforts may have started out with good intentions, but they ended up in crops that were better improving profits” (Ostrander). This statement by Jonathan Foley in an interview by Madeline Ostrander perfectly summarizes just one of the many concerns the scientific and agricultural community has with the seed giant Monsanto. Not only has Monsanto abused its power as a big Ag corporation to advance its profits through unethical business practices, but also strengthen its stranglehold on farmers. Being a monopoly of the seed industry, Monsanto’s work in GMOs raises concerns as to the effects they have on land, animals, and humans. Monsanto is utilizing GMOs in an effort to stem the tide of world hunger, but because GMOs have only been implemented since the early 80’s their impact on human, animals, and the environment have yet to be determined. The long term effects caused by herbicides, pesticides, and hormones aren’t fully known by society yet. However, we use Monsanto’s roundup weed killer almost every day in America. This weed killer is what GMO seeds are modified to resist, giving them the ability to grow under such harsh conditions. Little is known about the effects of these roundup ready seeds, “The future of the company may lie in seeds, but the seeds of the company lie in chemicals” (Barlett and Steele). Monsanto’s roots were in chemicals far before they were planted...
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...Introduction Founded in 1993, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has expanded from a local favorite consisting of a single location in Colorado to an international chain with over 1500 locations today. There are countless example of various corporations that experience growth trends similar to that of Chipotle’s, however, as a result of the rapid expansion and gains in sales, most of these corporations tend to neglect their corporate social responsibilities (CSR). Chipotle, on the other hand, does not fall susceptible to this trend. Through a complete examination of Chipotle’s CSR initiatives and activities, as well as detailed explanations of Chipotle’s contributions to the three “pillars” of sustainable development, one is able to see that Chipotle is a leader and an innovator in its industry regarding the corporate management of ethical dilemmas and moral responsibilities. A thorough comparison with a similar corporation in the same industry, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Inc., provides further evidence that Chipotle places immense value corporate transparency and quality morals in addition to being a genuinely ethical and responsible corporation. Following the major comparison are explanations of possible underlying motives and “market nudges” leading Chipotle to participate in particular CSR activities. Lastly, a discussion of government initiatives and potential upcoming regulations has been included to indicate the possible future direction of every firm’s corporate social responsibilities...
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...Leona Razdrih 9/23/2013 MONSANTO I chose to write about Monsanto, they are a company who has sued and have been sued. I thought I would pick out and would choose one major lawsuit and write about that in my final paper. Now, I am going to give you a brief summary of the history of the company. Monsanto was founded by John Francis Queenie in 1901, in St. Louis Missouri. He named the company after his wifes Maiden name Monsanto , John was a 30 year veteran in the pharmaceutical business. He invented quite a few things One of his first products was artificial sweetener called saccharin. That was sold to Coca-Cola. By the 1940’s the company was a major producer of plastics which included polystyrene and synthetic fibers. The scientists from Monsanto had a breakthrough research on catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation and they were the first company to mass produce LED lights. Monsanto Company is headquartered in Missouri. It is a leading producer of genetically Engineered seed and the herbicide glyphosate, which is marketed under the brand name of Round-up. This is what I’m generally concerned about, I use this product Roundup for my weeds and have heard that glyphosate is safe and non-toxic, from the research I have been doing that’s not the case. Glyphosate is an active ingredient in some common herbicides used in farming and gardening. This chemical is sprayed on the roadside when people are driving, schoolyards and sports Fields, exposing kids...
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...the 1940s it was a major producer of plastics, including polystyrene and synthetic fibers. Monsanto has become the world leader in genetically modified organisms. Present in 46 countries, leader in biotechnology produces 90% of GMOs grown worldwide (soybean, rapeseed, cotton, corn, etc..) and became one of redemption by the first seed of the planet that could ultimately control the entire food chain. Notable achievements by Monsanto and its scientists as a chemical company included breakthrough research on catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation and being the first company to mass-produce light emitting diodes (LEDs). The company also formerly manufactured controversial products such as the insecticide DDT, PCBs, Agent Orange, and recombinant bovine somatotropin. On their official website this company looks like a perfect and respectable agricultural society. Their principal slogan is “Monsanto a sustainable agriculture company”. The website also shows advertisement such as "Our innovations helps farmers produce more food using less natural ressources" , "Monsanto is playing a key role in helping farmers adress the challenge of water", "Monsanto company named one of CR' magazine's 100 best corporate citizens", or “learn how Monsanto is connecting the dots to a more sustainable future”. A big part of the meal we eat contains some technology from Monsanto. However, the company has been and continues to be the subject of investigations and lawsuits relating to both chemicals and genetic...
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...he British tend to assume that something "American" is either odious, or new and improved. In the case of genetically modified foods, the public thinks the former, the Prime Minister thinks the latter. But how are "Frankenfoods" seen in America itself~ In most cases, they aren't seen at all. Estimates vary as to how many cows in the US are regularly injected with the genetically engineered growth hormone "Posilac", or bovine somatotropin (BST). Monsanto couldn't tell me. It might be 7 per cent, it might be 15, it might be 30. Anywhere from 700,000 to three million cows receive it, and their milk is not labelled, nor is the cheese or yoghurt that's made from it. An estimated 45-50 million acres of GM crops (ofthe 69.5 million planted globally) now grow in the US. These, too, go unnoticed by the average citizen. They are grown on huge, isolated farms and then sold in bulk to distributors and processors from where they slip undeclared into all manner of products - as soy beans into sauces, as potatoes into chips at McDonald's, as corn into tins of minestrone, as cotton into garments. According to Monsanto, this is because GM crops are safe and desirable. According to their detractors, they do so because of decades of political cosiness between government and agri-business. Both sides agree, though, that Monsanto won the first round of the battle in 1993, when BST became, in Monsanto's words, "the first product of biotechnology approved for commercial...
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...parent to child, or they can arise spontaneously. Prion diseases are called transmissible spongiform encephalopathy - transmissible because they can infect others, spongiform for the sponge resemblance, and encephalopathy, which is the general term for brain disease. When the abnormal protein is ingested or accidentally gets into the blood, it can cause a severe disease. Even a small dose of abnormal prions can infect an entire organism. Prions are not counted as bacteria or viruses and are not recognized by the body as something dangerous and that is why they do not cause an immune response. An example of a Human prion disease is variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob which is believed to be caused by a prion which typically infects cattle, causing Bovine spongiform encephalopathy or commonly called as mad cow disease and is transmitted through infected meat. Prions can cause diseases to humans by building up materials that cause cell death. When this happens in the central...
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...Prion Disease BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) also known as Prion Disease, is a disease many are still trying to understand as to why it happens. “Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a rare progressive neurodegenerative disorders that affect both human beings and animals” (Aguzzi, 2001). They are known to follow a long incubation period, along with substance like a spongiform changes related with loss of neuronal, and a lack to be able to show inflammatory response. The organism description, is the causative agents of TSEs are believed to be prions. “The term "prions" refers to abnormal, pathogenic agents that are transmissible and are able to induce abnormal folding of specific normal cellular proteins called prion proteins that are found and seen the most in the brain. The functions of these normal prion proteins are still not completely understood.”(Aguzzi, 2001) “The abnormal folding of the prion proteins leads to brain damage and the characteristic signs and symptoms of the disease. Prion diseases are usually rapidly progressive and always fatal. It is known that the likelihood of obtaining prion disease is by age. The older you are the more prone you are to it. Several mathematical models proposed over the past years predicted that the frequency of the disease would level off to zero around the turn of the century.”(Aguzzi, 2001) Most deaths occurred after being contaminated with this disease if usually one year after...
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...McDonald’s Expands Globally While Adjusting Its Local Recipe McDonald’s is one of the most valuable fast-food providing companies in the world. The most reputation gaining points of McDonald’s are: inexpensive food with consistent taste, quick service and clean and familiar environment. Besides, strong adaptability of the company in operation of chain stores in other markets of different cultures and market condition have contributed in making McDonald’s a successful quick service restaurant. Aligned to that, McDonald’s typically spent about twice as much on advertising as Burger King and Wendy’s. Even under environment of intense competition, McDonald’s has proved to stay firm on its high position in the market. Some examples of good adaptability to market of McDonald’s include: having separated food preparation area in Indian market to accommodate the high number of vegetarian customers; using as much as 95% of food ingredients produced locally to encourage trust within customers; serves lamb-based Maharaja Mac instead of beef in India with majority of Hindu; substituting imported beef at its British restaurants in respond to the mad cow disease concern of consumers; developing new restaurant designs and reimage its French operation when the local bistro operations neutralizing McDonald’s advantage of fast service and low prices. There are also instances where McDonald’s showed their capability of recognizing new market opportunities, and capturing them, McDonald’s decision...
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...Competency 208.5.2.F F. Explain how bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) works at a molecular level by doing the following: 1. Explain the role of prions in BSE, including each of the following: * how prions are formed * the connection between misfolding and aggregation * how prions lead to the disease A prion is a protein where the amino acid sequence or primary structure remains unchanged from that of a normal protein but the conformation has been changed by misfolding at the secondary and tertiary levels of protein structure. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy or BSE is a disease caused by prions. The prion which causes BSE is called PRPSC. It is the misfolded variety of the native protein PRPC. Prions are contagious. When the abnormally folded protein comes in contact with the native protein, it will cause the normally folded proteins to change their conformation to the misfolded form. The BSE prion’s changed shape or conformation causes it to be hydrophobic and therefore insoluble. The prion’s hydrophobic nature causes it to clump together or aggregate with the other hydrophobic BSE prions. These insoluble proteins aggregate or build up in the tissue and form a plaque. The plaques form on the cell membrane leading to cell death. In BSE, the cells affected are the neurons of the brain and nervous system. As the prions aggregate on the cell membrane, the neurons of the brain die leaving holes in the brain tissue that give it a sponge-like...
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...Bovine Spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) occurs at a molecular level by infectious proteins also known as Prions. Prions can form by changes in DNA or mutations which result in a change of protein conformation. Chaperones provide an environment so proteins fold properly, bad chaperones influence the good chaperones to take form as harmful proteins. Eventually aggregates of these harmful proteins form and these aggregates lead to cell death. “The prion hypothesis suggest that diseases like BSE are caused by the misfolding of a protein known as PrP that most cells contain. Once a few copies of protein become misfolded they cause PrP’s to misfold, leading to accumulation of insoluble proteins in the cell. These misfolded proteins cause cell death and damage to the nervous system.” A country without regulations in place can help reduce risk of transmitting BSE by properly discarding possibly contaminated cattle feed. Brain and spinal cord matter should be discarded, and watching cattle with possible signs of BSE should not be introduced into the feed. One possible sign of BSE in cattle is not being able to walk, some may demonstrate aggressive behavior. The following statement is another possible way of introducing safe ways to discard contaminated cattle in a country without regulations: “According to Dr. Lisa Ferguson, a senior staff veterinarian at the Agriculture Department, said the department favored dissolving carcasses in tissue digestors, are essentially giant pressure cookers...
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