...Geoengineering: A global issue Essay Abstract Geoengineering is a set of new technologies which aim to change the environment in human favour. Considering the technology is nascent, the morality, ethics, technological knowhow and the human impact are all uncertain as they relate to geoengineering. This paper argues that on these grounds, the geoengineering issue should be a global issue. Local governments fail to implement this technology effectively. The subsidiarity test should be passed when it relates to the geoengineering issue. Introduction With rising CO2 levels, changing weather patterns and an ever increasing intensity of weather events, governments and environmental groups are trying to address the global warming issue. There are many theories on how to deal with climate change; from a reduction in pollution to carbon capture. Geoengineering is a relatively new idea in the field of science which “describes this array of technologies that aim, through large-scale and deliberate modifications of the Earth’s energy balance, to reduce temperatures and counteract anthropogenic climate change.” (Bracmort et all., 2011: 1) The vast majority of technology is nascent and at a theoretical stage but it has the potential to affect populations and climate on a global scale. (Bracmort et all., 2011: 1) Any issue that has the ability to instigate social, environmental and political change on a global basis should consequently pass a subsidiarity test. Subsidiarity as defined by the Oxford...
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...Analysis of Obamacare ii. CBO iii. Political Climate c. Pros and Cons II. Economic Growth d. Employers Response e. Small Business Survival f. GDP Growth III. Patient Protection Act g. Summary of Provisions h. Patient Bill of Rights IV. Conclusion Is Obamacare the solution to the real world problem of affordable healthcare? The purpose of this research paper is to understand whether Obamacare will be a solution to our growth or a long-term economic downfall. Does it make healthcare insurance less expensive? How will employers respond to Obamacare mandates? Can small businesses survive Obamacare? How reasonable are the projections? Obamacare also known as the Affordable Health Care Act is a new United States law designed to reform the American health care system. The main focus is on providing more Americans with access to affordable health insurance by improving the quality of health care, reducing health care spending, and regulating the health insurance industry (ObamaCare, 2014). Analysis Studies indicate that Obamacare has increased the underlying cost of individually purchased health insurance in the average state by 41 percent (Roy, 2014). This is an estimate average however, much research indicates that many different counties have increased premiums in excess of 200 percent rates. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) it doesn’t expect high premium increases over...
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...USING SOCIAL MEDIA IN NON PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS SUMMARY: This paper will address my observations about the roles of social media, how it affects non profit organizations in term of marketing and fundraising from both negative and positive side BACKGROUND Social media is defined as “group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user generated content” Kaplan, Andreas M.; Michael Haenlein (2010). Bringing organizations the ability to interact with the society, social media has been revolutionizing the way organizations doing marketing. It is obvious that every organization has a great need in in marketing itself, interacting and communicating with its members and society to keep them informed and engaged. For special organizations like non-profit ones, the need of effective communication channels at zero cost is likely greater, especially during challenging economic time today. And social media, currently, is likely the best choices for such organizations. EARTH HOUR-A SUCCESSFUL CASE OF USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR REACHING AND ENGAGING TARGET AUDIENCES According to Facebook early October 2012, Facebook now has more than one billion users each month and its one billion users have been responsible for 1.13 trillion “likes,” 219 billion photos and 17-billion location check-in. Being one of the “top of mind” social net work, Facebook is used by most of non profit organizations...
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...The Importance of Research and Development (R&D) for U.S. Competitiveness and a Clean Energy Future Michael Greenstone June 2011 CEEPR WP 2011-010 A Joint Center of the Department of Economics, MIT Energy Initiative and MIT Sloan School of Management. The Importance of Research and Development (R&D) for U.S. Competitiveness and a Clean Energy Future Michael Greenstone 3M Professor of Economics, MIT Director, The Hamilton Project Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution Thank you Chair Maloney, Ranking Member Brownback and members of the Committee for inviting me to testify today. I believe it is critically important that we give greater priority to new and better research and development (R&D) investments, to help ensure our country’s future competitiveness and to pave the wave for clean energy innovation. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak today about two interrelated challenges that our country faces. The first is the stagnation in economic opportunity for many families that dates back at least three decades. The second is the economic, national security, and environmental risks posed by our continued reliance on fossil fuels. The key purpose of my testimony is to discuss how R&D can enable us to begin confronting these dual challenges by creating new jobs for American workers, and fundamentally altering the way we produce and consume energy. I. CHALLENGE 1: UNITED STATES COMPETITIVENESS Even before the Great Recession’s arrival, there were legitimate concerns about...
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...National, State, and Local Human Service Organizational Structures and Processes Summary National, State, and Local Human Service Organizational Structures and Processes Summary Team A selected three organizations to analyze and understand their organizational structures and processes, and also to compare and contrast their similarities and differences. The organizations selected include the Red Cross, Arizona Child Protective Services, and Native Connections. Each organization will be examined for their organizational structure and whether the organization is governmental, private, for-profit, or nonprofit. The paper will analyze the departments, divisions, or specific areas of program delivery and how the organization builds community. How building community affects the value of the organization will also be discussed. The organizational culture will be examined and why the culture is important to the organization. The Blake and McCanse’s Leadership Grid and Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Model will be related to the each organization’s human relations model. A relevant strategic plan or organizational chart for each organization will be examined and a summary will be given of the differences between the national, state, and county or local human service organizations selected. Organizational Structure Organizational structure defines how the organization is arranged and operates (Lewis, Packard, Lewis, 2007). The Red Cross is structured in a combination...
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...1. Examine how Congress writes environmental laws and EPA provides the technical, operational, and legal details needed to carry them out. At least 1/2 page summary A number of laws serve as EPA's foundation for protecting the environment and public health. However, most laws do not have enough detail to be put into practice right away. EPA is called a regulatory agency because Congress authorizes us to write regulations that explain the critical details necessary to implement environmental laws. In addition, a number of Presidential Executive Orders (EOs) play a central role in our activities http://www3.epa.gov/region9/enforcement/intro.html Under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), a rule generally cannot take effect until EPA submits a rule report to each House of Congress and to the Comptroller General of the United States (head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office). Rules that are not considered "major" under the CRA, may take effect as they otherwise would under other applicable law once a rule report is submitted. A rule that is "major" may take effect no earlier than 60 calendar days after Congress receives the rule report or the rule is published in the Federal Register (FR), whichever is later. The CRA also provides procedures by which Congress can rescind a rule within a specified period of time using expedited procedures. 2. Go to http://www.epa.gov/. Read the Community right-to-know regulation CFR 40 Section 370 and summarize subpart A-B-C and D. Subpart...
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...The European Union: Questions and Answers Kristin Archick Specialist in European Affairs March 4, 2013 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RS21372 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The European Union: Questions and Answers Summary The European Union (EU) is a political and economic partnership that represents a unique form of cooperation among sovereign countries. The Union is the latest stage in a process of integration begun after World War II, initially by six Western European countries, to foster interdependence and make another war in Europe unthinkable. Today, the EU is composed of 27 member states, including most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and has helped to promote peace, stability, and economic prosperity throughout the European continent. The EU has been built through a series of binding treaties, and over the years, EU member states have sought to harmonize laws and adopt common policies on an increasing number of economic, social, and political issues. EU member states share a customs union, a single market in which goods, people, and capital move freely, a common trade policy, and a common agricultural policy. Seventeen EU member states use a common currency (the euro). In addition, the EU has been developing a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), which includes a Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP), and pursuing cooperation in the area of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA)...
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...The Interplay of Diversity Training and Diversity Beliefs on Team Creativity in Nationality Diverse Teams by Astrid C. Homan, Claudia Buengeler, Robert A. Eckhoff, Wendy P. van Ginkel and Sven C. Voelpel. The journal puts forth the following research question; Does diversity training increase team creativity reflecting in better team cohesion and effectiveness but only for teams with less positive beliefs of diversity. The method in which the research is conducted is through a qualitative study whereas diversity beliefs questionnaires (online) were completed by 192 participants of 41 different nationalities. All of the participants were undergraduate students who were enrolled in an international university located in Germany. One of the gaps in the study was that the study failed to understand the long term effects of diversity training along with addressing the effects of it on individuals who have not been previously exposed to diverse conditions or diverse individuals. Additionally, the diversity training was only conducted for persons within an academic setting and may suggest that people outside of academia would respond much differently to diversity training. The findings of the research suggest and support the idea that a lack of diversity in organizations may be a liability and that providing diversity training to teams and organizations with a little or no diversity can achieve positive results but at the same time, may result in a reduction of creative performance...
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...***AFF*** ***1AC*** Inherency – 1AC Contention one: Inherency The new FAA bill cut funding for the AIP, which will cripple our airport infrastructure – rapid investment is critical PRINCIPATO ‘12 - president, Airports Council International-North America; M.A. in International Relations from University of Chicago; International Trade and Transportation specialist, Hunton & Williams (Greg, “Why we should invest today in 'Airports Inc.'”. March. http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/labor/218525-faa-why-we-should-invest-today-in-airports-inc) With the latest Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) forecast predicting a doubling of passengers and cargo by 2030, the current funding system is not up to the job of ensuring airports will have the infrastructure they need to handle such dramatic increases in traffic. This will have far-reaching consequences. Commercial airports are powerful economic engines, generating 10.5 million jobs and $1.2 trillion for the U.S. economy, according to a new Airports Council International-North America study. Across the country, workers and businesses count on local airports to attract investment and move people and goods around the world. Since 2001, the total number of jobs associated with airports has increased by more than 50 percent. Despite unprecedented growth and clear evidence of the economic benefits of infrastructure investments, airports expect to have $80 billion in unmet needs through 2015 because of the flawed system...
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...Open Journal of Accounting, 2013, 2, 8-15 http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ojacct.2013.21003 Published Online January 2013 (http://www.scirp.org/journal/ojacct) Sarbanes-Oxley and the Accounting Profession: Public Interest Implications Sara Ann Reiter1, Paul F. Williams2 2 1 Binghamton University, Binghamton, USA North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA Email: sreiter@binghamton.edu Received October 31, 2012; revised December 1, 2012; accepted December 12, 2012 ABSTRACT The US accounting profession was caught up in, and some say responsible for, the whirlwind of accounting and business scandals that rocked the US markets in 2002. To restore investor confidence in financial information, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act created a new Public Company Accounting Oversight Board with the authority to set standards for auditors of publicly traded companies, thus ending a century of professional regulation of auditing. In this analysis we employ sociological theories of professionalism [1-4] to help understand the implications of the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation for the accounting profession and for the public interest. We explain why professional self-regulation is important for retaining valuable economic franchises. We also explain why the public interest orientation of the profession is important and how government take-over of auditing standards potentially erodes the public accounting profession’s commitment to the public interest. Self-control over professional work, a key characteristic...
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...Association’s Conference, and the University of Colorado Environmental and Resource Economics Workshop. ∗ 1 The Al Gore Effect: An Inconvenient Truth and Voluntary Carbon Offsets Abstract This paper examines the relationship between climate change awareness and household behavior by testing whether Al Gore’s documentary An Inconvenient Truth caused an increase in the purchase of voluntary carbon offsets. I find that in the two months following the film’s release, zip codes within a 10-mile radius of a zip code where the film was shown experienced a 50 percent relative increase in the purchase of voluntary carbon offsets. During other times, offset purchasing patterns for zip codes inside the 10-mile radius were similar to the patterns of zip codes outside the 10-mile radius. There is, however, little evidence that individuals who purchased an offset due to the film renewed them again a year later. This research has implications for how information campaigns, which are commonly used by policy-makers to address market failures, affect the behavior of households. Keywords: climate change, voluntary carbon offsets, al gore, an inconvenient truth, awareness campaign 2 1 Introduction Awareness campaigns that promote behavioral change exist across a wide spectrum of concerns, including health (e.g., National Breast Cancer Awareness Month events that encourage screening), political...
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...INTRODUCTION Nowadays, tourism is the world’s largest industry. Tourism is a major area of academics, government, industry and public concerns. The rapid pace of tourism growth and development, the nature of tourism and the corresponding absence of single agency responsibility for tourism – related development have often meant the public sector responses to the impacts of tourism on destination have been ad hoc, rather than predetermined strategy oriented towards to developing objectives. Tourism Planning and development at all levels is essential for achieving successful tourism development and management. The experiences of many tourism areas in the world has demonstrated that, on a long-term basis, the planned approach to developing tourism can bring benefits without significant problem, and maintain satisfied tourist markets.. Places that have allowed tourism to develop without the benefit of planning are often suffering from environment and social problems. These uncontrolled tourism areas cannot effectively complete with planned tourist destination wherelse. We are the fourth year students of Lyceum of the Philippines University Batangas taking up Bachelor of Science in International Travel and Tourism Management from 4B have a planned to develop an Eco-Park in the Municipality of Lemery, where we will construct recreational activities which are suitable for touth camps, families and also for the admitting tourist who are ventured in those outside...
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...General Motors Corporation Restructuring Plan for Long-Term Viability Submitted to Senate Banking Committee & House of Representatives Financial Services Committee December 2, 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................4 2. BACKGROUND .............................................................................................................6 3. THE PROBLEM ..............................................................................................................7 4. CONSEQUENCES OF FAILURE ..................................................................................8 5. TEMPORARY FEDERAL LOAN ..................................................................................9 5.1 Capital Structure Considerations ...........................................................................11 5.2 Stakeholder Considerations ...................................................................................13 5.3 Loan and Funding Protocol ....................................................................................14 5.4 Taxpayer Protections .............................................................................................14 5.5 Shareholder and Management Sacrifices ...............................................................15 5.6 Corporate Aircraft .......................................................................................
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...In Brief: Clean Energy Markets: Jobs and Opportunities April 2010 Update [Type text] In Brief: Clean Energy Markets: Jobs and Opportunities Executive Summary This brief discusses how investment in clean energy technologies will generate economic growth and create new jobs in the United States and around the globe. The United States stands to benefit from the expansion of global clean energy markets, but only if it moves quickly to support domestic demand for and production of clean energy technologies through well-designed policy that enhances the competitiveness of U.S. firms. Clean energy markets are already substantial in scope and growing fast. Between 2004 and 2007, global investments in renewable energy more than doubled. Forecasts of investment totals over the next few decades vary according to assumptions made regarding the nature of future global climate agreements. Annual investments in global renewable energy markets could reach $106-$230 billion a year in 2020 and as much as $424 billion a year in 2030 (in year 2000 dollars). Over the next decade, assuming strong global action on climate change, cumulative global investment totals for clean power generation technologies could reach nearly $2.2 trillion. Recognizing the potential of these markets, China, Europe, and other nations are moving to cultivate their own clean energy industries and position them to gain large market shares in the decades ahead. In 2009, China invested more money in clean energy...
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...state and Washington DC, June 2011 trends of the 2011 state and trends of the 2011 Environment Department This report was prepared by a World Bank team comprising of Nicholas Linacre, Alexandre Kossoy and Philippe Ambrosi, with important contributions from Manelle Aït Sahlia, Veronique Bishop, Benoît Bosquet, Christophe de Gouvello, Taisei Matsuki and Monali Ranade. 2 | State and Trends of the Carbon Market 2010 New Approach for the 2011 Report With the goal of providing a comprehensive discussion of the issues that most affected the carbon market in 2010, the authors of last year’s report have restructured State and Trends of the Carbon Market for 2011. The report still provides an overview of the size and reach of the carbon markets, as well as the evolution of the Kyoto flexibility mechanisms, and offers potential supply/demand scenarios for coming years. However, it no longer includes a detailed breakdown of carbon transactions, as in previous years. Instead, the report provides a more in-depth analytical discussion of the regulation and policy issues that will guide future carbon market development. The findings and opinions expressed in this report are the sole responsibility of the authors and should not be cited without permission. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Bank Group, its Executive Directors, the countries they represent or of any of the participants in the carbon funds or facilities managed by the World Bank. The World Bank does...
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