Politics by other means essays

Politics by other means essays In 1990 a new political theory began being argued. It was based upon the idea that elections had become supplanted by other forms of political conflict between contending interests. The 2000 election was the first true fit to this new theory. The post-election, the 5 week period between the times the voters went to the polls and when the Supreme Court ultimately decided the winner. It can be argued that the election was actually less important and represented less than the court case which directly followed the election. Ginsburg and Shefter began their argument by recognizing that American politics had undergone another transformation in the historical line of its existence. They suggested that competitors in the political process no longer sought victory by solely out-mobilizing their opponents in the political arena. Rather, the participants sought to rely on institutional weapons of political struggle as legislative investigations, media revelations, and judicial proceedings to weaken their political rivals and gain power for themselves. They blame this transition on the electoral process and not the combatants. From the 1930s to the 1060s, political power was dependant on winning elections. The powers of the past, such as the Democratic majority enjoyed by Andrew Jackson, the post-Civil War Republican majority, and the Democratic coalition of Roosevelt, owed its authority and power to the voters alone. These coalitions were controlled by self-interested parties which carried across racial boundaries. Once the issues of race and civil rights came to the forefront of American politics in the 1960s, these alliances soon feel apart. There were two parties of equal ability that emerged from the break-up of Roosevelts New Deal coalition. Democrats represented the ideas of organized labor, racial minorities, government employees, and middle class liberals. The...

Entrepreneurship - Creative Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Entrepreneurship - Creative Journal - Essay Example In business, most managers believe that this is the most significant mark of a successful entrepreneur (Mazzarol, 2007). Achievement can also be enhanced by giving rewards, salary increment, bonuses and rises to most successful employees. Employers also play significant roles in developing employees’ skills and talents. They can collude with learning institutions to support and supervise research done by their employees, or through transversal skill development (Mazzarol, 2007). Human resource managers also need to provide clear hiring and exit procedures, but more notable is to retain current employees through a set of institutional benefits like competitive wage, support for international mobility, and supplementary pension schemes (Mazzarol, 2007). Locus of control describes the extent to which a person believes that the outcome results are influenced by their own behaviors, or from their external surrounding. Managers, therefore, need to create an environment that motivate s its employees to work hard towards achieving the organization’s goals (Mazzarol, 2007). Locus of control is usually low when change strategies are being implemented within the organization. In order to solve this problem, managers have to create an effective means of communication that informs the employees on the strategies and processes required for the implementation of that change. As the work environment changes, I realized that I can either contribute to the success or failure of a business. My attitude towards the impacts of external influences on the quality of work and the success of the business is the key factor that influences my contributions to the success of the business. Positive external influences enhance my efficiency and productivity within a short period, as compared to negative external influences that still require consultations and decision making process in order to be resolved. This process involves much time, and this slows down employees’ morale towards achieving the organizational goals and objectives (Mazzarol, 2007). Second Journal Entry Set Small and large firms play ever-increasing roles in innovation. Innovation is mainly driven by market dynamics and technology. Currently, recommendable advancements have been made in several areas that include multimedia, computers and electronic devices. Of all the innovations that have been done, internet is one of the innovations that have significantly influenced my daily life. The internet has changed the way I learn, shop, communicate and conduct my business. In the modern world, internet is the most famous and effective means of spreading information, fact or fiction (Mazzarol, 2007). In the past centuries, people were once limited to news of the local television channels and newspapers. However, anybody can currently search the globe, international markets, foreign products, different cultures, international jobs and so on. Through the internet, it is much easier and c heaper to communicate with friends and relatives more than telephones and letters. The internet has given me an opportunity to meet several friends both locally and internationally. It is possible to directly communicate to distance friends face-to-face, or through chatting. In other words, internet has limited both geographical and political boundaries that earlier

Free Will, Determinism and Moral Responsibility Term Paper

Free Will, Determinism and Moral Responsibility - Term Paper Example The paper tells that on one hand, free will can be defined as an ability that an individual harnesses or on the other, free will can be constructed as a possession inherent in a person. The reasoning faculty of humans facilitates and empowers free will. Causal events are attributed to the exercise and natural outcomes of free will. If rational human actions are assumed to arise from free will, then that would mean that free will is contingent on those events. That position leads to the belief that a person acting freely essentially manifests the working of his or her free will. The implications of free will are moral responsibility, legal accountability and self-determinism. Self-determinism is a principle founded on free will and self-influenced decision and action. In religion, the possession and exercise of free will places man in a position to either follow the divine will or go against it. Free will makes man liable for his choices and answerable to an authority. Free will also frees man to a certain extent from passivity of man, seing that he is characterized an active moral agent who can make changes in his life and that of others. Philosopher Thomas Hobbes asserts this theory by stating that all free-willed actions are based or influenced by external factors compelling an individual to act. However, one might dispute this approach because these actions are spurred by two distinct types of freedom: freedom of will and freedom of action. The disparity between freedom of will and freedom of action in the context of causality is underlined by the fact that agents can have free will but no freedom of action.3 For example, if a person wants to go to the store and buy an item at the mall, he or she is free to do so. However, if the said individual is tied fast to a chair or does not have the money to buy anything, these conditions directly hinder his liberty to act on his free will. The individual still has the free will to steal the item or attempt to break f ree from restraint. According to Hobbes’ theory, external factors such as the person’s pressing necessity for that item or someone else’s request have influenced the individual to come to the decision to go to the mall. In both cases, the individual retains the free will to execute the action, nevertheless agencies outside the individual’s control impacts on the final outcome. The fundamental question here is the leveling of responsibility at an individual for actions arising not from his own free will, but from exterior environmental factors over which he has no control. The simple answer would be these individuals are not responsible for their actions, however unpopular this view may be. If one were to introduce a system of reward and punishment to instigate or control action, then, no one can be praised or blamed owing to the incentive or disincentive. 4 However, an exception to Hobbes’ theory lies in the premise of causal determinism proposed b y the British analytic philosopher Galen Strawson. The premise implies that current events are fixed outcomes since events are actuated by a cause and the cause

Business Ethics In an Organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Ethics In an Organisation - Essay Example TCF has to its credit more than 330 schools to date and it plans to build a total of 1000 schools before it decides to go on the support mode – meaning whereby it would just look after the schools already built and not construct any further. TCF schools are a mark of quality and dedication – built from strength to strength of the organizational employees, its varied stakeholders and the innumerable donors who have done more than they could in such a short period of time. For TCF to remain committed to its cause of providing state of the art and free education there is a dire need to comprehend the fact that TCF remains ethically correct in all its actions, behaviors and talks. For this, there are several departments working within its realms which take care of these facets from time to time. In fact the vision is set on a very proactive level within the lengths and breadths of TCF itself. TCF provides complete financial details and break up of the tasks to it donors on a periodic basis and makes sure that the donors remain on board with the ethical domains of the organization at all times. There is a separate department that looks at the way these donors are managed. It is known as the Resource Mobilization department which essentially takes care of the donors and the resources that are mobilized through them towards the schools that they build in either their own name or of their company’s. Coming to the quarters of understanding the ethical undertakings within the business realms of TCF itself, one finds that TCF has long adhered to the principle of being transparent to all its stakeholders and thus the fact that its annual reports, financial ledgers and other similar resources are shared not only within the organization itself but also with the stakeholders and the general public at large. What this does is to have a proper one-on-one interaction with the people who want to donate just about anything under the banner of

Producers Reaction to Raw Material Price Changes Essay Example for Free

Producers Reaction to Raw Material Price Changes Essay These days all over the world people use products of crude oil. Most of people cannot imagine their life without products such as diesel or gasoline. However, these are only the finished products, which go through specific stages of production. They are made out of crude oil, which sometimes is called „black goldâ€Å". Fuel; however is not the only production made out of crude oil. Lubricants, asphalt, paraffin wax, tar – all these are product made out of crude oil. As stated by US Energy Information Administration (EIA): estimated consumption of oil in the world in 2011 will be 87. 421 million barrels of oil each day. Obviously, crude oil is an important material in the modern world. It has an important role in economy as well. The cost of crude oil affects economy both directly and indirectly. Nowadays, debates about rising prices of fuel or heating are almost an everyday topic. The price changes of fuel are always mentioned on financial news on TV. Naturally, it is interesting what influences the cost of crude oil. How the rise or fall of price affects the price of fuel, and how businesses deal with the fluctuating prices. 1. Crude Oil as a Raw Material When talking about product price changes it is important to understand how the price of raw material is calculated and how it is affected. The perception of how the price is set for the raw materials gives an opportunity to better understand the price of the final product, and all the fluctuations related to the final products’ prices. Also, it helps to recognize how various political decisions or world-wide events, including disasters or new innovations, affect various markets. As for crude oil prices, the statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy called Energy Information Administration (EIA) has defined seven key factors which have an influence on and each contribute to the price of crude oil. 1. Production. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) consortium provides about 60 percent of all the oil production traded on international markets and 40 percent of the world’s oil production. All actions and statements of this organization can and do affect world oil prices, because of the dominant crude supply market share. Changes of the amounts of crude oil production lead to changes in price. If OPEC cuts the production, it generally means a rise in price of oil. 2. Supply. The other oil suppliers still represent 60 percent of the world’s oil supply. Even though non-OPEC suppliers as a group are 50 percent larger than OPEC, they have almost no spare capacity. Non-OPEC suppliers are considered to be â€Å"Price Takers†, rather than â€Å"Price Setters†. They respond to market prices, not like OPEC, who manipulate them. Consequently, non-OPEC suppliers practically produce near to full or at full capacity. Any fault in production has the effect on increasing oil supplies. As well, it gives OPEC the capability to further manipulate world supplies. 3. Global oil inventories. The supply and demand is balanced by global oil inventories. For example, if more oil is produced than demanded, the excess supplies can be stored. This principle also works in reverse order. If consumption exceeds demand, inventories can be used to meet the growing demand. The bond between oil inventories and oil prices makes corrections possible in either direction. If oil futures rise in comparison with the current spot price for oil, the need and urge to store oil will increase. As well, spot oil prices will drop, if market makers notice an inventory build. That is the response to balance demand with supply. 4. Financial markets. Oil is not only sold by its physical form, but also there are trade contracts for future delivery. This type of sales is called â€Å"futures†. In order to avoid future oil price increases, some major customers, like airline companies, purchase futures. That is because oil price changes have a significant impact on their ability to operate profitably. Also, often oil futures contracts are sold to lock in a price for a specific period of time. 5. Demand. The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is an international organization of U.S., Japan, most of European countries, and other advanced countries. The organization is responsible for 53 percent of the world’s demand for oil. Even though OECD countries consume more than non-OECD countries, the rate of growth in OECD countries is considerably slower. OECD demand went down during the period from the year 2000 to 2010. However, non-OECD countries’ demand went up by 40 percent during the same period of time. 6. Non-OECD demand. For the last decade China together with Saudi Arabia and India had the largest growth in crude consumption among non-OECD countries. There is a direct relationship between the rate at which oil consumption rises and the rate of economic growth. It is not surprising that for China and India, the use of crude oil is increasing at a very fast pace compared to the United States’. Besides that, developing countries also usually have more manufacturing-related industries, which have a tendency to consume higher amounts of crude oil. 7. Spot market. Crude oil is sold all over the world. There are many different â€Å"streams† of crude oil, however they are likely to move in lockstep with one another regarding the prices. All these streams are put in a certain process of production to make product which are used, such as: gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, lubricant and other various petroleum products. All of the financial channels on TV are talking about crude oil prices. However the essential point here is the price of the final products. Any events that have the power to disrupt the flow of crude oil and end products have a significant effect on the price of those goods. Geopolitical events, massive oil leaks, natural disasters like hurricanes or earthquakes, terrorist acts, etc. all are included to the list of event which can and do influence the price. Both supply and demand are rather inelastic, this means that any of the above events, or perceived risk of the happening, usually leads to higher prices, espe cially in the futures market. All these factors clearly show how easily the system of oil trading can be shocked, leading to huge swings in the price of crude oil. Also, it has to be pointed out, that most of the world’s oil supply is located in countries or parts of the world that are politically instable. All this explains why the price we pay for oil product is so volatile. Example how natural tragedies affect the price of crude oil: In 2010 April 20th in the Gulf of Mexico a huge oil spill took place. It was one of the biggest oil spills in history. Without a doubt it had a significant impact on the oil prices. Figure 1. History of oil prices. Clearly, the chart shows that the price of oil rose when the clearing begun. This proves, that certain events have influence on oil prices. 2. Gasoline usage Gasoline is the most popular Transportation Fuel in the U. S. Gasoline is one of the most popular fuels consumed in the United States and the main product made from oil. Usage of petrol in 2010 was approximately 132 billion gallons, which means about 360 million gallons a day. Gasoline used as energy for transportation stands for more than 64%, 48% of all petrol consumption and more than 18 % of all consumed energy in U.S. Petrol is mostly used in cars and light trucks. It is also consumed by owners of boats, recreational vehicles ran by fuel and landscaping, farm, construction equipment. Benzine is made year-round, however, the highest demand and the biggest imported quantity is seen in the summer. The graph shows the amount of gasoline consumed in U.S. 1950-2010: Over 260 million vehicles on the streets Nowadays, in the United States, gasoline is the fuel used by most passenger engines. There are more than 260 million vehicles that use gasoline, the amount of them increases each day and they manage to travel over 12,164 miles per year. There are around 170,000 fueling stations that ensure comfortable refueling for users. Above two-thirds of fuel consumed for moving is in the form of petrol. Each benzine station usually sells three types of petrol: * Regular * Midgrade * Premium 3. Determining gasoline prices The changes of gasoline prices affect all the countries and their economies. Each person that owns a vehicle run by petrol is affected individually. Every day the retail price of gasoline changes, but only few people know what exactly makes the prices fluctuate. There are several different factors that has sway on fuel prices. The first and also the biggest reason that influences the price of petrol is the cost of crude oil from which it is obtained. In 2000, average retail price of gasoline was only 2.37$ per gallon and the total price included only 55% of crude oil. After more than 10 years the costs of it grew and the percentage of crude oil now seeks over huge 66%. In the last few years the consumption of petrol fuel grew so rapidly that the producers of these had many difficulties succeeding to fulfill their cutomers needs. The growth of demand of fuel is another huge factor that has affected the cost of petrol. The demand isntantly grew up and the supplies went down. This made a huge influence on petrol price. In addition, another great reason of gasoline price growth is refining costs and profits. In 2000, it made approximately 15% of total price of fuel. After 10 years, the percentage of those costs consisted over 12%. The percentage reduced, but it still remains high and definately makes a huge impact on retail fuel price. Crude oil price change influence on producing gasoline The price of crude oil is one of the main factors that influences the cost of retail gasoline. The cost of crude oil changes each day. The price depends on many different factors. The change of the crude oil price hugely affect the retail price of gasoline. When the price of crude oil grows, eventually the cost of petrol also rises. The growth of crude oils price reduces the production of gasoline, diesel, gas. Producers lowers the production of petrol and fuel and also increases the retail prices of them. When the price reach highest point, the demand of fuel, gas and gasoline reduces. After the price and demand stabilizes, price starts to reduce and demand begins to grow. Conclusion First of all we can say that prices of oil production generally are set by OPEC. They provide crude oil all over the world, so generally they can control prices of oil. Moreover, other suppliers still represent 60 percent of the world‘s oil supply, however they don‘t set prices, they are more like „price takersâ€Å". So OPEC certainly manipulates the power they have. Global oil inventories help to balance supply and demand; the excess supplies are more likely to be stored, when growth of the prices is forecasted. OECD is mainly responsible for the demand of oil. Even though OECD countries consume more than non-OECD countries, the rate of growth in OECD countries is considerably slower. Crude oil is the main material which is used to make gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, lubricants and other various petroleum products, but it doesn’t set the total price of fuel, the main thing is the final product. Moreover, the price of crude oil can be affected if the system is disturbed, because of natural disasters like hurricanes or earthquakes, terrorist acts, etc. Talking about gasoline, it is the most popular fuel consumed in the U.S. and the main product made from oil. Petrol is used in almost all cars, light trucks and boats. Usage of petrol in 2010 was approximately 132 billion gallons, which means about 360 million gallons a day. Gasoline used as energy for transportation stands for more than 64%, over 48% of all petrol consumption and more than 18 % of all consumed energy in the United States. Furthermore, there are around 260 million vehicles that use gasoline, the amount of them increases each day and they manage to travel over 12,164 miles per year. To sum up, the main things which fluctuate prices of fuel are: the fluency of crude oil supply system and the actions and statements made by OPEC. All in all, raw materials’ prices change and influence producers’ behavior. In the case of crude oil production, prices tend to go up, because of relatively inelastic supply and demand. Yet, more efficient technologies are created to minimize or replace use of crude oil products.

Achieving Sustainable Development In Developing State Of Grenada Tourism Essay

Achieving Sustainable Development In Developing State Of Grenada Tourism Essay In order to adequately address the question of why Sustainable Development is important in the context of the Small Island Developing State of Grenada it is important to first understand what Sustainable Development is and what it entails. Secondly, the characteristics of Grenada must be described in terms of the most viable approach for achieving Sustainable Development. According to the Brundtland Report (1987), sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs The commission also emphasizes that whether a country is considered developed or developing (in the context of Grenada) the goals of social and economic development must be defined in terms of sustainability. According to the CIA World Fact Book (2010), Grenada relies heavily on tourism as its main means of foreign exchange. The tourism industry contributed 72.98 % of Grenadas overall GDP in 2008 (World Bank Statistics, 2008), which underpins the importance of this industry to the economy. Therefore, sustainable development as it pertains to Grenada should be examined within the framework of tourism since it is Grenadas principal income generator and in essence what fuels the economy. However, it must be noted that tourism is not the only industry that can be looked at in terms of sustainability in Grenada. Agriculture, construction, textiles and food and beverages are also other industries. However, these also feed into the tourism sector. According to Joseph (2010), tourism utilizes the historic, economic, socio-cultural and environment to grow and develop. The concept of sustainability as it relates to tourism put forth by McKercher (2003) further strengthens this point since its approach is very holistic and encompasses four main pillars; economic, ecological/environment, cultural and local. All four pillars are recognized as being paramount in order to achieve any form of sustainability. Therefore each pillar will be examined in the in the context of Grenada. According to McKercher (2003) economic sustainability is geared at profiting the country in both the immediate and long term. Tourism affords the Small Island Developing State of Grenada the opportunity of improving its economic well-being (Joseph, 2010). Grenada derives many economic benefits from the tourism industry. The tax revenues collected as a result of accommodation, restaurant taxes, airport and sales taxes all provide the government with much required tax revenues. The jobs created are spread across the economy, such a retail, construction, manufacturing and communications (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 1999). Additionally, it earns the country valuable foreign exchange. This new money which is brought into the country in turn creates a multiplier effect, thus circulating many segments of the economy (Joseph, 2010). Tourism also attracts additional businesses and services as a means of support. Grenada is currently experiencing tough economic times as a result of the global financial crisis. As a result, unemployment and poverty levels are increasing creating the need of employment opportunities for locals. According to the International Monetary Fund (2010), the Gross Domestic Product of Grenada is estimated to have declined 7.7% with a 13% drop in tourism. Therefore, one of the economic concerns for tourism in Grenada that this brings to the forefront is the diversity of the local economy. According to McKercher (2003) the diversification of the products by developing a wide range of tourism activities is part of economic sustainability. This should be taken into consideration since the tourism sector in Grenada is seasonal thus being unable to provide steady streams of income. Also, Grenada is susceptible to natural disasters particularly hurricanes which have a devastating effect on tourism infrastructure. Therefore, the adoption of sustainable tourism development could serve to create diversity and thus mitigate against economic vulnerability in the tourism sector. Another economic consideration that pertains to sustainable tourism in Grenada is the minimization of leakage. McKercher (2003) promotes the formation of partnerships throughout the entire supply chain from micro-sized local businesses to multinational organizations. A major form of leakage in the context of Grenada is that many of the profits generated from the industry are exported since many of the major tourist operations are owned by foreigners. For Example, many villas are being built in Grenada by foreign investors who later sell these villas to individual owners, thus not significantly contributing back to the local economy. The Port Louis project is a perfect example. Although the lagoon is much more picturesque than it was before Peter De Savary invested in it. Grenadians havent directly benefited from this development since Mr. De Savary has made his profit by selling the pr operty to Camper and Nicholson, another foreign owner, and left with his money. Consequently, the occurrence of leakage results in the local population bearing the environmental and cultural costs of tourism while retaining relatively little of the economic benefits and thus reducing the multiplier effect. Over the last few years Grenada has experienced a tremendous amount of development as a result of tourism. However, many of these developments were not executed in an economically sustainable manner. Bhola (2010) emphasizes that economically sustainable tourism should ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed, including stable employment and income, earning opportunities and social services to host communities and contributing to poverty alleviation. The Brundtland Report (1987) further stresses the integration of economic and ecological considerations in decision making because these concerns need no necessarily have to be in opposition. McKercher (2003) purports that when it pertains to ecological/environmental sustainability that any form of development must be compatible with the maintenance of essential ecological processes, biological diversity and biological resources. However, in the context of Grenadas tourism industry, according to Kelly (2008) the Grenadian government is sacrificing the islands pristine [environment] to the fast buck of resort development. The Mount Hartman estate development is one such project identified as a potential threat to a tract of pristine dry forest and swampy mangroves and also the Grenada Dove which Mount Hartman happens to be a nesting site for. According to Dr. Clare Morrall (as cited by Kelly, 2008) Grenadas mangroves are incredibly important to the ecosystems of the surrounding area and what is happening in Grenada will have an impact on fishing stocksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦which are at the point of collapse. The environmental characteristics of Grenada are one of the main reasons that it is such an attractive tourist destination. These include the lush green vegetation, white sandy beaches and exquisite marine and terrestrial life. However, tourism puts added strain on these resources through excess demand and unbalanced economic development (Bhola, 2010). Some of the environmental problems associated with tourism are deforestation, water and air pollution, poor solid waste management practices and coastal destruction of coral reefs, mangroves etc (Joseph, 2010). The development of hotels, marinas and harbours along our coastline has served to damage shoreline ecosystems, coral reefs and mangrove systems. According to Burke, Greenhalgh Prager et.al (2008), the valuable goods and services provided by ecosystems such as coral reefs are often overlooked or underappreciated in coastal investment , development and policy decisions, resulting in short-sighted decisions that do not maximize th e long-term economic potential of coastal areas. Therefore, not only is the environment affected but the viability of Grenada as a tourist destination is also compromised which in turn threatens economic well being since these resources are depended upon to support Grenadas main industry. World Bank Statistics (2008) shows that Grenada currently has 3 mammals and three plant species that are threatened. The Caribbean region and by extension Grenada has been listed as one of the top hotspots for endemic species worldwide, yet the Caribbean retains only 11.3% of its primary vegetation (Myers et al, 2000). This exemplifies the lack of concern for the environment and how development has been allowed to significantly contribute to the reduction of our natural resources. According to Gardiner (2009), ever form of life on this planet does not stand on its own but is supported by, and supports, other living things. He further goes on to state that to lose one species is equivalent to losing an important part of the ecosystem. This therefore underscores what is at stake if these mammal and plant species identified by the World Bank as being endangered in Grenada are allowed to become extinct. As a result, both environmental and economic vulnerability of Grenada is being exacerbated by unsustainable development. Another very important aspect of sustainable development is cultural sustainability. According to McKercher (2003), cultural sustainability increases peoples control over their lives and is compatible with the culture and values of those affected and strengthen the community identity. Grenadas history of colonialism has created a very unique and diverse culture and history which serves to enhance its marketability as a tourist destination. Colonialism has facilitated a movement of people to the Caribbean and by extension Grenada from Africa and Asia with has greatly influenced the formation of the culture through the mixture of experiences from these different Diasporas (Smyth, 2010). Carnival, Parang, Maroon festival, Folklore, string band music, big drum dancing and patois are a few of the cultural aspects of Grenada that adds to the attractiveness of the tourism product (Joseph, 2010). Although tourism could serve to reinforce the preservation and conservation of heritage and trad itions, it can also degrade the cultural environment through the commercialization of the culture, religion and arts (Joseph, 2009). Many observers believe that tourism has negatively impacted the Grenadian culture and society. According to McKercher (2003), cultural sustainability should guarantee the protection of nature, local and the indigenous cultures and especially traditional knowledge.One of the key ways in which tourism negatively impacts society is through the conflicting lifestyles and ideas between the tourist and the locals. In the Grenadian context, the locals try to imitate these lifestyles and ideas which lead to a dilution of the culture and value systems on the island. This in turn increases social problems such as theft and prostitution, and increased alcohol and drug use. In addition, the divisions between the tourist and the local population can cause a lot of tension. This tension arises from the fact that small communities where poverty, unemployment and overcrowding are pervasive are sometimes located near to hotels and other developments specifically designated for the tourist. As a result, locals become aggravated since they feel a sense of inequality in their own country. Sometim e locals are even displaced in order to accommodate a tourist. This was exemplified during the development of the Port Louis project where many of the locals were relocated to La Sagesse in St. Davids in order to make room for the villas. In this case the new development was once where the locals depended on their livelihood through fishing. Local sustainability is also a key aspect of sustainable development. According to McKercher (2010), local sustainability should be designed to benefit the local communities and generate and retain income in those communities. The provision of quality employment to community residents and the equitable distribution of financial benefits throughout the supply chain are identified as being important aspects of local sustainability. Local industries such as farming and fishing should employ sustainable practices, which should also be developed to meet the needs of the tourist. This could in turn minimize the effects of leakage. Many of the goods used by the tourism industry are bought outside of the country because many times the local suppliers cannot adequately meet demand or provide the right quality. A locally sustainable approach would provide incentives and training to local suppliers (farmers, craftsmen, fishermen etc.) to improve their standards and also to find other avenues to benefit from tourism. The Gouyave fish Friday is an example of how a local fishing community was able to benefit from tourism not by directly supplying to the hotels but through their own initiative and thus directly benefiting. However, Tourism puts added strain on local industries such as fishing and farming, therefore, a sustainable approach must be employed in order to ensure that the locals continue to benefit. The Levera turtle protection group is another example of how the locals were diverted from exploiting the turtle, by killing them for meat, to protecting them. This is more sustainable because a protected turtle will be around for a longer period to generate income for the locals, whereas the previous approach would have eventually resulted in them becoming extinct. The importance of sustainable tourism in the context of Grenada must be emphasized since the benefits that can be derived from it are numerous. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (1999) further underscore this point by stating that the sustainable development of tourism is of importance for all countries, in particular for Small Island Developing States. The economic, environmental, cultural and local security of Grenada is at stake if sustainable development is not adequately adopted in Grenadas approach towards tourism. If a sustainable approach is not employed there is much at stake. The cost of repairing damages to the marine as well as the terrestrial environment could put added strain on the economy. Also, at stake is possibility of loss of endangered plant and mammal life and biodiversity. The country will also continue to experience and increased state of vulnerability towards the effects of climate change since according to AOSIS (2009), climate cha nge poses the most serious threat to our survival and viability and that it undermines our efforts to achieve sustainable developmental goals and threatens our very existence. Also at stake is the degradation of Grenadas culture and traditions. Nettleford (1977) emphasizes the importance of culture by stating that the issue of cultural identity is of great significanceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and as such should be treated with the same level of importance as economic self sufficiency. In addition, the welfare of the local population could be significantly compromised since there is a possibility of increased poverty. The Brundtland Report (1987) stresses that poverty reduces peoples capacity to utilize resources in a sustainable manner which intensifies the mount of pressure placed on the environment. Therefore, every aspect of life in Grenada can be affected if a sustainable approach to tourism in not immediately employed. Therefore it can be concluded that, since tourism is such an integral part of Grenadas economy, if a sustainable approach is adopted it can significantly contribute to environmental protection, conservation and restoration of biological diversity and the sustainable utilization of natural resources (UNEP, 2003). A sustainable approach to tourism in Grenada should employ a holistic approach encompassing the economic, environmental, cultural and local aspects since all these different segments of the country serve to benefit. The adaptation of a sustainable approach in the economic sense would improve the diversity and functionality of the sector while at the same time providing a wide range of economic benefits. The goods and services provided by the environment will be preserved through ecological sustainability. Cultural sustainability would serve to promote the preservation and celebration of the local culture and beliefs. And, local sustainability provides the locals with rewardin g and immediate work and income opportunities. Consequently, ever aspect of life would be positively impacted and the Small Island Developing State of Grenada could secure a more viable future.

Are We Illiterate Essay -- Essays Papers

Are We Illiterate Literacy throughout history has been defined and redefined nearly as rapidly as new generations emerge. As we tread into the twenty first century, our generation moves to redefine literacy once again. However, unlike generations past, we are taking literacy and rapidly spanning it over new mediums that had been, until recently, unavailable. Advances in technology within the past twenty years have been so immense that the human race has literally packed up centuries of research, data, history and other information and moved it into the digital world, spawning a new necessity to have a general working knowledge of computing technologies. Mainstream society as a whole has concluded and accepted that in the twenty first century use of computers and application software will dictate most aspects of everyday life, therefore all but requiring the citizen of the new millennium to be literate in at least the most basic of computing technologies. In it’s earliest forms literacy was purely the processes of interpreting symbols or hieroglyphics. Many ancient writings have been recovered and interpreted, undisputedly proving that literacy has, in some form, always existed. As time passed new forms of language and literature surfaced and literacy became known as â€Å"the ability to read and write.†1 Or, more specifically, one’s ability to convey one’s thoughts onto a medium understood by others. At first these mediums took the form of nearly anything: mankind has used anything from rocks to canvas. Eventually, with inventions such as the printing press, the mediums used by people became standardized and the definition of literacy was in no need of revision. With the onslaught of technology brought on by the twentieth century, society began to accept new mediums over which to express themselves. Multimedia, the use of several different forms of media, has been becoming commonplace in everyday life since the advent of the internet, a world-wide conglomeration of computers networked together via telephone lines, optical wires, and satellite connections (among other forms of digital communication). Content of seemingly boundless quantities is available in nearly every household in the US thanks to the so-called â€Å"Information Super Highway.† To capitalize on such a useful resource requires that people of all ages be able to knowingly operate the appli... ...be â€Å"productive† to be literate, as a person who understands the use of an application used for browsing the internet may also be literate while remaining completely unproductive. Furthermore, if one was to separate, in a fittingly binary manor, the computer literate from the illiterate, who is to say which group is better off? Obviously being computer literate in the early twenty first century is not completely necessary, however, if ratios of computer literate to illiterate increase at so much as half the rate they have in the past twenty years it will not take long before society has firmly and implicitly declared that being computer literate is a necessity of everyday life. Will we ever see a time when those who are computer illiterate will be looked upon by the literate as ignorant, just as those who can not read are looked upon today? Perhaps it will be a generation not far in the future that decides that â€Å"literate† is ready to be redefined. Bibliography: Webster’s II New Riverside Dictionary, (c)1978 Houghton Mifflin Co. Ask.com, (c) 1995-2000 CNET Networks, Inc. College of Education, University of Houston: http://www.coe.uh.edu/insite/elec_pub/html1995/092.htm