Saturday, December 28, 2019

Is Deforestation Still a Problem

Interest in specific environmental issues ebbs and flows, and while problems like desertification, acid rain, and deforestation were once at the forefront of the public consciousness, they have been mostly supplanted by other pressing challenges (what do you think today’s top environmental issues are?). Does this shift in focus really mean we solved earlier problems, or is it just that the level of urgency about other issues has ratcheted up since then? Let’s take a contemporary look at deforestation, which can be defined as the loss or destruction of naturally occurring forests. Global Trends Between 2000 and 2012, deforestation occurred on 888,000 square miles globally. This was partially offset by 309,000 square miles where forests grew back. The net result is an average forest loss of 31 million acres per year during that period – that’s about the size of the state of Mississippi, each year. This forest loss trend is not distributed evenly over the planet. Several areas are experiencing important reforestation (the regrowth of recently cut forest) and afforestation (the planting of new forests were none were in recent history, i.e., less than 50 years). Hotspots of Forest Loss The highest rates of deforestation are found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Paraguay, Bolivia, Zambia, and Angola. Large acreage of forest loss (and some gain too, as the forest regrows) can be found in the vast boreal forests of Canada and Russia. We often associate deforestation with the Amazon basin, but the problem is widespread in that region beyond the Amazon forest. Since 2001 in all of Latin America, a large amount of forest is growing back, but not nearly enough to stall deforestation. During the period 2001-2010, there has been a net loss of over 44 million acres. That’s almost the size of Oklahoma. Drivers of Deforestation Intensive forestry in subtropical areas and in boreal forests is a major agent of forest loss. The vast majority of forest loss in tropical areas occurs when forests are converted to agriculture production and pastures for cattle. Forests are not logged for the commercial value of the wood itself, but instead they are burned as the fastest way to clear land. Cattle are then brought in to graze on grasses that now replace the trees. In some areas plantations are put in, notably large palm oil operations. In other places, like Argentina, forests are cut to grow soybeans, a major ingredient in pig and poultry feed. What About Climate Change? The loss of forests means disappearing habitats for wildlife and degraded watersheds, but it also impacts our climate in a multitude of ways. Trees absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide, the number one greenhouse gas and contributor to climate change. By cutting down forests we reduce the planet’s capacity to pull carbon out of the atmosphere and achieve a balanced carbon dioxide budget. Slash from forestry operations is often burned, releasing in the air the carbon stored in the wood. In addition, the soil left exposed after the machinery is gone continues to release stored carbon into the atmosphere. Forest loss affects the water cycle, too. The dense tropical forests found along the equator release phenomenal amounts of water in the air through a process called transpiration. This water condenses into clouds, which then release the water further away in the form of torrential tropical rains. It is too soon to really understand how deforestation’s interference with this process affects climate change, but we can be assured that it has consequences within and outside tropical regions. Mapping of Forest Cover Change Scientists, managers, and any concerned citizens can access a free online forest monitoring system, Global Forest Watch, to track changes in our forests. Global Forest Watch is an international cooperative project using an open data philosophy to allow better forest management. Sources Aide et al. 2013. Deforestation and Reforestation of Latin America and the Caribbean (2001-2010). Biotropica 45:262-271. Hansen et al. 2013. High-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover Change. Science 342: 850-853.

Friday, December 20, 2019

Uncle Toms Cabin Criticism - 1016 Words

Harriet Beecher Stowe tells stories of different slaveholders apathetic, abusive, and hypocritical actions towards various slaves in her beautifully written novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, during the 19th century in order to help convey the true evil behind slavery- no matter the circumstance. The author allows readers to view slavery from seemingly safe environments to hostile settings, and continually shows the bad in every situation. The reality of slavery is shown to anyone willing to read this novel, and Harriet Beecher Stowe does a good job of combining various stories that tie together in order to complete her goal. The friendliest of environments in the south proved to be apathetic in situations when it came to a slave owners and†¦show more content†¦Harriet Beecher Stowe gives readers insight on situations where masters went unpunished when they physically and mentally abused their slaves. One example of how this trauma was present in the novel was when Prue, slave to Augustine St.’s neighbor, explains her past experience with a slave owner that caused her to lose faith in the Lord and become an alcoholic. When Uncle Tom, the main character, seeks to install faith within Prue and attempt to end her terrible drinking habits, Prue informs him that drinking is her way to the cope with the horrors she has been through. She was physically abused by a former master to breed children that would be sold at the market. (pg. 129) After one of her births, she fell ill while caring for the master’s wife, and Prue was no longer able to provide milk to her newborn. Without any sympat hy towards Prue, her master did not give her milk to feed the child, and he forced her to allow the child to die. The poor woman describes how she had to hear the cries of the child and watch the child become nothing but skin and bones until the child took its last breath. She explains how she couldn’t stop hearing the cries of the baby, even after the baby had passed away. She resorted to drinking in order to drown out of the cries of the child, and lost faith in the Lord. Prue claims that if there was a Heaven, that it would probably be filled with whites, and she would rather go to hell, for theShow MoreRelatedSource Evaluation of Uncle Toms Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe1263 Words   |  6 Pagesreaders? It could be the criticism surrounding the novel? Whatever the criterion for a good novel is Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe may well be one of the critical controversial novel of its time. Regarding Uncle Tom’s Cabin, I collected sources about the critical controversy about the novel. In my findings, there is Norton Critical Edition, A Routledge Literary Sourcebook on the novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet B. Stowe, lastly â€Å"The Little Cabin of Uncle Tom† by Egbert Oliver. I classifiedRead MoreUncle Toms Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe1144 Words   |  5 PagesUncle Tom’s Cabin has been explained as being a history of harmful acts towards Blacks in America for a period of a hundred and thirty years (Stowe, â€Å"Nineteenth†). 51).The book Uncle Tom’s Cabin was one of History’s favorite books (Stowe, â€Å"Nineteenth† 1). It talks about how Tom would do anything for the white man (Stowe, Uncle 1). The southerners did not give Harriet Beecher Stowe and credit for writing the book (Piacentino 1). Uncle Tom showed a lot of Christianity in this book, but the masterRead MoreAnalysis of Uncle Toms Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe Essays791 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, is arguably the most influential novel in American History. Stowe’s sentimental writing style seized the imagination of her readers and Uncle Tom’s Cabin became the standard of the abolition movement. Uncle Tom, one of the protagonists, spreads Christianity and dies for his faith, like Christ. By equating Uncle Tom with Jesus Christ, Harriet Beecher Stowe deliberately provokes her audience to socialRead MoreEssay on Modern Criticism of Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin1403 Words   |  6 PagesModern Criticism of Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin It is extremely difficult for the modern reader to understand and appreciate Uncle Tom’s Cabin because Harriet Beecher Stowe was writing for an audience very different from us. We don’t share the cultural values and myths of Stowe’s time, so her novel doesn’t affect us the way it affected its original readers. For this reason, Uncle Tom’s Cabin has been heavily scrutinized by the modern critic. However, the aspects of the novel that are criticizedRead MoreUncle Toms Cabin1320 Words   |  6 PagesIn the year 1852, nine short years before the civil war began in 1861, Harriet Stowe published arguably the most influential, groundbreaking, and controversial books in American history, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The novel drew widespread criticism for the depiction of African Americans and slaves in a time when the United States of America was teetering on civil unrest due to the strength of the opposing views between the North and the South. The rapid e xpansion and growth the United States throughoutRead MoreEssay about The Publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin4044 Words   |  17 PagesThe Publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, has been widely identified as the most influential American novel in the country’s history. Books have, of course, always had the power to bring about great social change, and the widespread distribution of Uncle Tom’s Cabin gave a vivid image of Southern life, particularly the mistreatment of slaves, to the entire country. While slavery was previously an issue between slaveholders and abolitionistsRead MoreDeconstruction of the Theory of White Supremacy in Uncle Toms Cabin1104 Words   |  5 PagesDeconstruction of the Theory of White Supremacy in Uncle Toms Cabin In the novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe unmasks the unjust and unfair treatment of blacks by whites during the time in which she lived. Stowe goes on to criticize American slave owners for their irrational justifications of slavery. They use racial superiority and sub-human categorization of blacks as means of justifying slavery. She deconstructs the theory of white supremacy in her emotional and thoughtRead MoreHarriet Beecher Stowe And Sojourner Truth1297 Words   |  6 Pagesminds of Americans, by producing a controversial text named, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Uncle Tom’s Cabin was her very own insight on the infamous dark and immoral topic, of which the country as a whole had once had once gone through. While reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin It is indeed very easy to view Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel as if it is promoting racial stereotypes, rather than challenging them. As seen in chapter 1 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, slavery seems to be glorified amongst the slave owner, and theRead MoreHarriet Beecher Stowe : An Abolitionist1645 Words   |  7 Pageswill not be silent. Shortly thereafter, in June 1851, when she was 40, the first installment of Uncle Tom Cabin was published in the National Era. She originally used the subtitle The Man Who was one thing, but soon changed to life among the lowly. Quotas were published weekly from June 5, 1851, to April 1, 1852. For the newspaper serialization of his novel, Stowe was paid only $ 400. Uncle Tom s Cabin was published in book form 20 March 1852, by John P. Jewett with an initial print run of 5,000Read MoreHarriet Beecher Stowe And Sojourner Truth1439 Words   |  6 Pagesminds of Americans, by producing a controversial tex t named, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Uncle Tom’s Cabin was her very own insight on the infamous dark and immoral topic, of which the country as a whole had once had once gone through. While reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin It is indeed very easy to view Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel as if it is promoting racial stereotypes, rather than challenging them. As seen in chapter 1 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, slavery seems to be glorified amongst the slave owner, and the

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Swot Analysis on Nestle - Free Sample @Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theNestle for a Situation Analysis. Answer: Introduction There are times when one has to analyze how the present business strategies in a company are operating, for evaluating these one needs to begin the study with an analysis of its strategies. Initially, in such a study one first gathers information about what is the competitive approach of the company. An example of a competitive approach can be whether the firm is striving to achieve low-cost leadership techniques, efforts are being made for standing out from its rivals or competitors or concentrating on specific niches or specific group of consumers. (Frank, 1990) Today here I am choosing Nestl, headquartered in Vevey Switzerland, Australia who is the worlds prominent packaged goods and beverage manufacturer and exporter. The organization founded by Henri Nestl today can be said to be the largest manufacturer of food products in the entire world. It operates in around 197 countries with the proud owner of over 2000 brands. (Anton, 2015) For the current fiscal year, Nestl reports to be fetching revenue of around $99.09 billion with approximate sales of $92.62 billion. The entire market capitalization of the organization is $245.71 billion as reported by various researches. As a matter of fact like any other company based on the US, Nestl is not required to report its value since it is based on Switzerland. (Anton, 2015) Industrial analysis and competitive analysis both can be calculated to find out the external performance of a company. Here we will today discuss how Nestl has used its strategic situation in an external environment in a SWOT analysis to hold its market strength. (Frank, 1990) External Analysis Nestle Industry analysis- Brands dealing with food processing industry deals in transforming finished food items from its raw ingredients and giving these products a long shelf life keeping the standards for health and hygiene in place. Intense competition is faced by companies in this industry like Nestl. The company has opted for a diversified competitive strategy by spreading out and adding new products similar to what already exists. One of the primary challenges faced by the company is price enhancements of raw materials, factors like health affecting the choice of food products, allergens, growth in interest for quality ingredients. (Nestl, 2013) Market analysis- Every business encompasses the four Ps product, price, placement and promotions for its strategic marketing and so does Nestl. Nestl is proud manufacturer of varied products like beverages, dairy products, chocolates, finished products and side dishes. Prices for these products are kept depending on what the market for these individual products demand. The company faces competitive pricing and hence one can often find its prices similar to other relevant brands. Placement is also made strategically by the company in a two way channel. Their channels are well known for marketing their products and sales. A unique feature about the promotional technique followed by Nestl is its tune which is popular all over the world. (Bhasin, 2011) Competitor analysis- Primarily, Nestl has tough competition from three brands Hershey, Cadbury and Unilever. The company however has numerous competitive advantages. Firstly it leads the market and has a significant scope and scale in marketing, manufacturing and administration of its products. The R D capabilities of the company have given birth to numerous innovative products. (Dutta, 2010) Customer analysis- Consumers prefer products which provides them and engaging, emotional and outstanding experience. Nestl has partnered itself strategically with Kanjoya who are famous for enhancing customer experience based on emotions. By carefully deciphering human emotions, expressions and expectations the company has successfully launched promotional campaigns and products that touch the hearts of users worldwide. (Altherr, 2014) Macro environment Nestls macro environment can be categorized into varied ways as follows: a) Social forces/Cultural forces- Safe raw materials and safe eco-friendly techniques are opted by Nestl for producing b) Technological environment- Due to the strong technical know-how the company uses it is competitively ahead of many others. c) Economical environment- Nestl Business Cycle can be affected by the inflation happening in Pakistan as per speculations. d) Political Forces/Legal forces- Proper measures are taken by the company ensuring protection of the environment. e) Demographic environment- Nestl has each and every person on this Earth in its target consumers scope. Internal Analysis Nestle Operational Analysis There are four factors which define the strong operational success of Nestl. These are: a) Innovation and Renovation in their thought process b) Their mantra of being wherever, whenever and however. c) Their strong consumer management d) Their strength in operational efficiency. (Barnay, 1991) Financial Analysis- With excellent managerial know how Nestl improves its financial reports like no one else. The EIS or executive information system of the company gathers information from its subsidiaries and provides the top managerial executives with all financial, operations and strategic information. It thus helps the company make forecasts, sensitive analysis, simulations and optimizations and then integrate financial practices for better revenue generation. (Oggier, 2005) Product Analysis - The strength of the brands Nestl has given it a competitive edge and a position which is unparalleled in the entire globe. The company has six primary corporate brands namely- Nestl, Nescafe, Nestea, Maggi, Buitoni and Friskies. Around 70% of the total sales is generated by the summation of these products. The Nestl brand itself contributes 40% solely. The consumers all over the world chooses Nestl as their first choice of products. Swot v/s Twos SWOT analysis is a traditional yet modernized way of analysis what are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of anything. On the other hand the TWOS methodology is a very effective way in which one combines a) internal strong points with external threats and opportunities and b) internal weak points with external threats and opportunities for developing a strategy. Swot Analysis of Nestle Understanding Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Strength- Nestl is a company which has the capability of leveraging on its strong brand name and generates sales by personalizing its products based on local market conditions. By the various strength in its global operations the company has set up a diversified based for revenue generation. Its strong research team keeps presenting the world with innovative products. Weaknesses- Sometimes increased launches of product instances or closely connected hampers productivity and sales. Opportunities- Nestl has successfully grabbed the opportunity of being the most prominent nutritious and wellbeing supportive company focusing on making products that aids in good health. Threats- Some of the threats faced by the company are macro-economic factors, penalty payments due to compliance problems and allegations about non ethical business operational practices. (Bar, 2004) Technically, situation analysis not only just helps understanding an organizations strategic planning but also helps know what are the various internal and external factors that helps or hinders achieving the goals and objectives of an organization. One can gather information from wide perspectives using such methodologies. (Turner 2010) References Frank, T. (1990). The Strategic Planning Management Render. Retrieved from https://www.montana.edu/brester/agbe445/readings/Firm%20Evaluation.pdf Anton, D. (2015). SWOT analysis of Nestl. Retrieved from https://pestleanalysis.com/swot-analysis-Nestl/ Nestl, (2013). Nestl Health Science. Retrieved from https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/mgt4880Nestl/2013/04/03/Nestl-industry-analysis/ Bhasin, H.(2011). Marketing mix of Nestl. Retrieved from https://www.marketing91.com/marketing-mix-Nestl/ Dutta, M.(2010). Competitive Advantages of Nestl. Retrieved from https://www.scribd.com/doc/46511099/Competitive-Advantages-of-Nestl Altherr, T.(2014). Customer Experience Insights and Analytics. Retrieved from https://www.kanjoya.com/news_press/kanjoya_Nestl-press_release_2-29-14.pdf Bar, D.(2004). The Future in the Food Markets. Retrieved from https://www.rodenberg.nl/publications/publications/CI-NestlvsUnilever%20v3.00.pdf Turner, P.(2010). Strategy Skills. Retrieved from https://www.free-management-ebooks.com/dldebk-pdf/fme-swot-analysis.pdf Barnay, J.(1991). Journal of Management. Retrieved from https://imba.tjufe.edu.cn/kechengxuexi/suibi/renli.pdf Oggier, C.(2005). Nestl improves its financial reporting with Management Science. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220249852_Nestl_Improves_Its_Financial_Reporting_with_Management_Science