Sustainable Resources Are the Only Way forward Essay

Sustainable Resources Are the Only Way forward - Essay Example The Island was a landmark of God's magnificence but due to large deforestation by local inhabitants and changes in climatic patterns causing rains to stop resulted in forests being wiped off from the island's face. The inhabitants thus had nothing to feed on and in the end, they started feeding on other humans. Thus man became an animal. The present deforestation in the Amazon is leading a path to a similar future because at the current rate it is predicted that in a couple of decades the forest will reduce by 40% in size. This will cause a dramatic shift in the carbon-absorbing pattern of the area and consequently, the temperatures there will rise to make it harder for the rest of the 60% of the remaining forest to survive (Wright & Nebel, 2007). The decline will, therefore, be at an exponential rate consequently resulting in the elimination of the Amazon from the face of the earth. The fact that government laws allow such developments to take place is most alarming. It is legally allowed to clear the forest by any means if the intention is to grow crops (soybeans in this case) and this results in the ownership of the land furthermore, cleared land is worth more and forested land so owners who wish to keep their property in good value, do not let the forest reclaim ‘their’ place naturally. This shows a sense of heightened selfishness in the local population of Brazil. Clearly, the concept of alternative resources is not a very popular practice and the locals are bent upon destroying the forest without being aware of the disastrous consequences just like the old tribes of Easter Island.

The Literary Merit of Animal Farm Essay -- Animal Farm

The Literary Merit of Animal Farm      Ã‚  Ã‚   The year of 1945 marked a great turning point in world history.   The end of the Second World War, the detonation of the atomic bomb, the beginning of the Cold War took place during that year.   Also in 1945, George Orwell published Animal Farm, The book drew wide interest due to its scathing commentary on the Russian communist movement at a time when Britain and Russia were still allies.   The body of criticism relating to the novel is among the greatest of twentieth century literature.   Attacking the work from a variety of angles, every detail has been poked and prodded, but the consensus is still out on how best to judge Orwell's book.   By analyzing the usage of simple themes, comparisons to the Russian communist movement, and the usage of animal allegory in George Orwell's Animal Farm, its overall literary value may be evaluated.      Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the hallmarks of Animal Farm is its thematic simplicity.   Set on a farm in rural Britain, the book chronicles the history of the farm's animals and their revolution against humans.   From its chaotic beginnings, the revolution is able to defend itself against its enemies and make technological leaps.   However, a rigid hierarchy is soon forged which so resembles the ante-bellum totalitarian leadership of Farmer Jones that "the creatures outside looked from pig to man... but already it was impossible to say which was which," (Orwell 128).   Orwell's smooth and simple narrative is clear-cut and easy to understand, which adds to the overall appeal of the book.      Ã‚  Ã‚   However, some critics interpret this very simplicity as a weakness.   They hold that by making such broad generalizations of very complex situations, the merit of Animal Fa... ...asured in the years to come.    Works Cited: Alldritt, Keith. The Making of George Orwell. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1961. Meyers, Jeffrey, ed. George Orwell: The Critical Heritage. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1975. Orwell, George. Animal Farm. Signet 50th Anniversary Edition, Harcourt Brace & Company, 1996. Zwerdling, Ales. Orwell and the New Left. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1974.    Works Consulted: Bloom, Harold, ed. George Orwell's Animal Farm. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999. Davison, Peter. George Orwell: A Literary Life. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1996. Fowler, Roger. The Language of George Orwell. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1995. Gross, Miriam, ed. The World of George Orwell. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1971. Williams, Raymond. Orwell. London: Fontana Press, 1991.

An Ethical Dilemma Essay

There exists a strong link between the way and pace of life in a society and eating habits of the individuals. No matter how diverse and sophisticated the cuisine of a certain culture might be, today’s hyper moving tempo necessitates cheaper and faster food. That is where the fast food sector steps in, saving the day. At first glance, they appear to be life savers with their affordable menus. However, when we take a closer look and observe the long-term effects of fast food on individuals, we are faced with health problems such as obesity and heart diseases. Nevertheless, fast food firms also do a very good job in marketing their products to carefully targeted audiences, especially children. This paper will focus on the case of McDonald’s and argue how ethical it is for them to advertise for children directly, examining the issue from the perspective of social responsibility. The spread of McDonald’s in other parts of the world creates mixed feelings in some countries, and people even claim that the McDonald’s and the distorted image of Americanization is harmful for their culture and societies. This opinion is especially valid in Europe, but surprisingly McDonald’s is welcome in Asia. What is a common reaction in all countries hosting McDonald’s, including its homeland America, is the attitude taken towards the effects of McDonald’s on eating habits and the following negative consequences. There are plenty of fast food advertisements in North America and this industry has especially become a part of the life of families with children. Starting from very little ages, children are used to eating this good-tasting, well-marketed and fun menus which usually come along with a toy for free; and their tastes and eating habits are influenced. Even though fast food companies have started to offer â€Å"light† menus and food with less fat and calories, they do not offer the best menus for children. They continue the habit of eating fast food as they go into adolescence and adulthood, and become another candidate for an obese person with various diseases resulting from being overweight. â€Å"Overweight children do tend to become obese adults, putting themselves at a much greater risk, and at a much earlier age, for chronic illnesses such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease† (Dalton, 2004, p. 2). One out of three children in the United States is either overweight or at serious risk of becoming so. The number of overweight children ages six to nineteen has tripled within three decades; the rate of overweight preschool children is nearly as great. The accelerating rate indicates that the current generation of children will grow into the most obese generation of adults in history. (Dalton, 2004, p. 2) Although parents are aware that food sold at McDonald’s is not very healthy, they are misled by the fact that it is affordable and makes their children happy. What is more, some parents do not have very healthy eating habits either; so one should not be surprised in seeing their children liking McDonald’s menus. Moreover, it is not easy to resist the tempting advertisements. â€Å"Some might say that no one is forcing parents to buy these products or foods for their children. But, these ads position the products as ‘must haves’. Even if their parents do not buy them the products, children are influenced† (How to Prevent Childhood Obesity. com, 2009). â€Å"Experts name Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald’s franchise and Walt Disney as the pioneers of child-focused marketing, since they first recognized children as a separate marketing demographic from adults in the 1960’s† (Veracity, D. , 2008). Today, we cannot help but wonder how the managers of McDonald’s feel about the harsh criticisms that the company gets for advertising and promoting unhealthy food for children. From a business point of view, the company has done a great job since it was founded by Ray Kroc in 1955, generated enormous profits and even became a better known brand than Coca-Cola (Veracity, D. , 2008). Competition in the fast food sector is harsh, so McDonald’s heavily invests in high quality advertisements aimed at targeting the right audience, using celebrities and partnerships with other brands, or cartoon characters in their campaigns if possible. They build playgrounds in their stores, which serve as a socializing place for children to meet other kids and have fun. McDonald’s not only influences American children and families, but also exports its food, image and advertisements to the rest of the world. They have opened branches in almost all parts of the world, and keep expanding despite the economic recession. They are â€Å"optimistic about business prospects in China and plan to open about 500 stores in the country in three years† (Yan, F. & Li, H. , 2009). This gives an important hint about the tastes and habits of the growing generation of children and it is not difficult to foresee that the global influence of McDonald’s will intensify in the coming years, despite all criticisms that it is unethical to promote unhealthy food to children. How ethical is the advertising strategy of McDonald’s really? Are the managers of McDonald’s actually guilty, or is everyone being too harsh and oversensitive? Even though it is normal for a company to hold its own rights and benefits before everything, if it is as influential and global as McDonald’s, it also has some moral and ethical responsibilities and should consider the social consequences of its actions as well as making profits and opening new stores. One of the most important causes of childhood obesity is lack of exercise, so it might not be totally fair to blame McDonald’s and other fast food chains for obese children. On the one hand, the McDonald’s culture heavily contributes in a bad way to developing irregular eating habits. But on the other hand, they cannot be the only ones to blame, as children and their parents are increasingly becoming computer and TV addicts, engaging in very little physical activity. When coupled with fast food consumption, health problems become inescapable. What is the solution to this moral problem then? It is obvious that a company this successful will not quit this business or abandon its strategy. However, McDon can at least modify its advertising approach slightly and recommend doing exercises as the underlying message after having a good McDonald’s meal. They can include famous sportsmen in their advertisements and encourage children to engage in sports. They can give out toys associated with sports brands, even organize sports competitions for children with awards, sponsored by major brands like Nike or Adidas. These are just a few suggestions, and there is no doubt that professionals designing McDonald’s marketing strategy can work wonders with this idea if they want to. This way, children can learn to associate the consumption of fast food with exercise in their minds and be convinced that they must be physically active in order to burn those calories taken at McDonald’ and be healthy. In conclusion, if McDonald’s and other fast food chains would alter their advertisement campaigns so as to include the theme of more exercise and sports, they would have been more socially responsible. This way, even though they do not sell the most healthy meals, their customers, especially children would know that they have to pay a price for eating a high calorie and high fat meal by doing more exercise. They would also associate fast food meals with the energy and dynamism of sports, which also makes individuals happy. Therefore, this can be a very good formula for McDonald’s to keep its happy customers all over the world and appease an angry crowd of protesters who argue that McDonald’s advertisements are unethical. References Dalton, S. (2004). Our Overweight Children: What Parents, Schools, and Communities Can Do to Control the Fatness Epidemic. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Should there be Ethical Issues with Fast Food Companies Advertising to Children?How to Prevent Childhood Obesity. com. Retrieved March 25, 2009, from http://www. howtopreventchildhoodobesity. com/ethicalissues- fastfoodadvertisements. html Veracity, D. (2008, July 13). America’s Fast Food Giants Perfect the Art of Selling Junk Food to Children. Organic Consumers Association. Retrieved March 25, 2009, from http://www. organicconsumers. org/articles/article_1092. cfm Yan, F. & Li, H. (2009, February 18). McDonald’s eye 500 stores in China in 3 years. Reuters. Retrieved March 25, 2009, from http://www. reuters. com/article/ousiv/idUSTRE51H13F20090218

Euthanasia As A Deliberate Act - 1728 Words

â€Å"Euthanasia is defined as a deliberate act undertaken by one person with the intention of ending life of another person to relieve that person s suffering and where the act is the cause of death.†(Gupta, Bhatnagar and Mishra) Many people believe this as a mercy killing. Euthanasia may be voluntary, non voluntary and involuntary. When a terminally ill patient wants to end his or her life, it is called voluntary euthanasia. Non voluntary euthanasia occurs when the suffering person never wanted nor requested to end their life. Non voluntary euthanasia happens when a patient is in a persistent vegetative state, comatose state, or has mental conditions. Involuntary euthanasia is conducted when treatments of such are against the will of the patient. Euthanasia can be either passive or active. Passive euthanasia means life sustaining treatments are not given and nothing is done to keep the patient alive. â€Å"Active euthanasia occurs when a physician does something by giving d rugs or substances that ends a patient’s life†. (Medical News Today) All humans have different ideas, values, opinions, and beliefs depending on what culture, religion and the society we come from. These differences also change our beliefs whether we allow ourselves to go to the doctor and get a simple influenza shot, and also adults will not let doctors perform unnatural acts or artificial medical injections nor surgeries. People who are against euthanasia view it as murder and that we must respect the value ofShow MoreRelatedTaking a Look at Euthanasia1733 Words   |  7 PagesEuthanasia, also commonly referred to as ‘mercy killing’, and ‘assisted suicide’, has been and continues to be the subject to moral, legal, religious and political debates around the world. 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