The belief that humankind is going to

The belief that humankind is going to, inevitably, reach a dramatic decline is present among many young thinkers today, and even more so seen in the older generations. It is obvious that societies, globally, cant seem to reach out to the next generation. There are many problems present that we humans must face. Some of them are seen as more important than others, and it is all personal bias. I think that three of the most pressing problems are isolation or alienation via technology, the inequality of educational institutions and the systems in which we teach, and the moral decay of society, in general. While there might be, seemingly, simple solutions to these problems, we must look further into the problems we face in order to understand them better. It seems that the more technologically advanced we become the more isolated, or alienated, we become from ourselves, and society as a whole. I am not saying that we should "Take Vermont Back" but that we should be aware of social progress as it relates to how we communicate with each other. I am sure we all can relate to the phone messages that go on forever asking you to push button after button and never once speaking to a person! This sort of useless technology only serves to alienate humankind, as a whole, while saving corporate America the "added expense" of a personal greeting. Computers and all of the related wizardry that has exploded on to the scene in the late 20th century has benefited millions and can only be described as nothing short of miraculous to the needy, such as the disabled, but is used mostly by the young and bored who have further distanced themselves from society. "Supersized" shopping malls versus the village square. The Internet shopping craze versus! the touch and feel of humankind as one makes their way from person to person in their town. "Playstation 2" versus playing with your kids! We all do it and it becomes so easy to withdraw, be alone, beco...

Major Environmental Issues Facing Zimbabwe Essays

Major Environmental Issues Facing Zimbabwe Essays Major Environmental Issues Facing Zimbabwe Paper Major Environmental Issues Facing Zimbabwe Paper It as a long history of biodiversity preservation, through the national parks, forest reserves and innovative community-based sustainable-use schemes such as CAMPFIRE. Nevertheless, the natural resources are under pressure from a growing population with limited economic alternatives. Land quality Zombie has the greatest fraction of its land area in good quality agricultural land. The economy of Zombie has a large agricultural component, and the majority of people are dependent on the land. The distribution of people and productive agricultural resources is uneven, leading to problems of land degradation where large numbers of people and vivisect are concentrated on marginal lands. Freshwater resources The Zambia River in the north is one of the largest rivers in Africa, but does not currently supply water to the rest of the country, which is water-scarce in most parts. The geology is generally not conducive to large groundwater supplies. Climate change Like the rest of southern Africa, Zombie is strongly influenced by fluctuations in rainfall. An improvement in the water balance as a result of climate change would be a great benefit; increase water stress, on the other hand, would be a substantial development challenge. Zombie environmental problems like erosion of its agricultural lands and deforestation. By 1 992, deforestation was progressing at the rate of ha per year, or about 1. 5% of the nations forestland. The confinement of large segments of the population to relatively unproductive lands before independence put severe pressure on these lands, a substantial portion of which may have been irreversibly damaged. Zombies air is polluted by vehicle and industrial emissions, while water pollution results from mining and the use of fertilizers. Zombies cities produce 0. 5 million tons of solid waste per year and a good amount ends up in the rivers. The nation has been estimated to have the highest EDT concentrations in the world in its agricultural produce. In 2001 , nine of the nations mammal species and nine bird species were endangered, as well as 73 types Of plants. Zombie has about half of the worlds population of black rhinoceroses, an endangered species. Rare or threatened species include the cape vulture, black-cheeked lovebird, and brown hyena. For protection, the government has adopted a policy of shooting poachers on sight. Africans freshwater supply is almost stretched to its limit. Less than 10% of Africans rainfall is available as reface water, one of the lowest conversion ratios in the world. The countrys groundwater resources are equally limited. Despite regulations of river waters, in many catchments the need for water exceeds the supply and quality is often below standards. Given the projected growth in population and economic development, Africa faces tough times in meeting water demands in the decades ahead. The shortfall in freshwater is tied to growing demands, but also to other issues such as loss of natural habitat and potentially climate change. Destruction of natural habitats the land of the fine-leaved plants, is one of the worlds most impressive botanical kingdoms a mind-boggling variety of plants that is richer than any other comparable sized area in Africa. An estimated 8,500 species of vascular plants, of which 70% are endemic, are reported here. But because the area has been heavily settled for several centuries, large swathes of natural vegetation, particularly in the lowlands, have been cleared for agriculture and urban development. Similar problems face the Iamb-Karol-Achieved desert, a very distinctive and flirtatiously rich excretion with highly diverse endemic plant immunities. Here, poor land management, conversion of marginal lands for cultivation, dam construction, mining, and illegal extraction of selected succulents for black market trade, pose a suite of threats. Over fishing along the Coast, there is persistent over harvesting of many commercially valuable species and products such as pilchard, anchovy and rock lobster. Further at sea, some fish stocks have been over-harvested, and several species face local extinction. These dangerous trends follow improvements of fishing methods, increase in fishing effort and the establishment of fishing industries. Introduction of exotic species Africans natural habitats are being colonized by alien species at great rates. Introduced species, particularly North American game fishes such as largemouth bass and smoothly bass, are pushing out indigenous species and threaten to lead some of them to extinction. Pollution a high level of traffic associated with crude oil transport from the Arabian Gulf has resulted in contamination from tankers spills and discharge of polluted ballast waters. A strategy that is having impact on environment is the Wildlife Environment Zombie has fought for the conservation and protection of Zombies environment. WEEK has been on the forefront of conservation, lobbying for the establishment of National Parks and protected areas, assisting in the management of these, and spreading knowledge on conservation and environmental issues through our magazine, publications, and different environmental education projects. To encourage and assist all people Of Zombie to understand the importance of wildlife and the environment and to conserve Zombies natural resources for the well being of current and future generations and to ensure that the utilization of these natural resources is fair and sustainable. But Zombie is confronted by critical environmental and ecological problems. This has resulted in environmental degradation, declining population of endangered species, destruction of indigenous forest and wildlife habitats, soil erosion, pollution in all its forms, and ruthless exploitation of our natural resources for short-term profit. Partnership for Environmental Law Education is another strategy thats s working to help prepare for a more sustainable future. Over the past three years, the Zombie Environmental Law Association in collaboration with Environment Africa and the Environmental Management Agency entered into partnership to educate rural and urban communities about their environmental rights and duties. Rural district councils, grassroots organizations, environmental actions groups, traditional leaders and government deep retests were among the groups that were trained. The partnership is driven by the need to address the main impediments to environmental justice, which are poverty and lack of knowledge. At the local level, knowledge about available rights and capacities to claim them are Often limited. It is therefore, the purpose of this project to lid the capacity of communities and locally based organizations to claim those rights and to promote the building of local institutions that can lead to the opening up of opportunities for improved access to natural resources, good health and improved livelihoods. Therefore, environmental law education provides the avenue for people to acquire knowledge and skills that enable them to act within their communities in an environmentally responsible way. To date, ZEAL Environment Africa and the Environmental Management Agency held close to fifteen joint workshops by pooling resources together. The partnership was a way of avoiding the duplication of work by the three organizations. In practice, ZEAL provides the legal advice while Environment Africa brings its experience and contacts with community groups. The Environmental Management Agency as a government agency brings the government perspective and commitment to natural resources management. Through this partnership, ZEAL and Environment Africa are in a better position to make contributions to legal reforms and to influence policy decisions on natural resources management and environmental protection. Tell, ZEAL has been reviewing draft regulations on waste management and indigenous knowledge systems that are being formulated by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. The regulations seek to complement the Environmental Management Act. Another key output of the partnership is the formation of Environment Committees and Sub-Committee at the district level in the ten provinces of Zombie. Hare has witnessed an upsurge in the number of residents forming community based groups to spearhead waste collection efforts. These community groups are formed by people with a passion for the environment and who also want to earn a living from waste recycling and reuse. The formation of waste management groups is also partly due to the increase in the uncollected waste that has been accumulating around the City. However, the groups are just loose groups of individuals especially the youth which do not exist as legal entities. They have been finding it difficult to operate without registration as companies or common law trusts. Through workshops and seminars, the Zombie Environmental Law Association received requests from all the groups for legal assistance. Most of the requests are for their registration either as companies or trusts. ZEAL has agreed with Environment Africa and Practical Action to irk on a plan of action that will result in the registration of the groups. It is noteworthy that the efforts of these groups are a result of sustained education programmers on waste management and environmental protection around Hare by the civil society. Therefore, the formation of the waste management enterprises is one way of implementing the principles of environmental management contained in the Environmental Management Act and other pieces of legislation. The benefits of registration are that the groups can effectively engage the private sector and request for assistance as legal entity with traceable references.

Time Value of Money in Economic Decisions Research Paper

Time Value of Money in Economic Decisions - Research Paper Example An Opportunity cost arises when one is made to wait for the amount in future. In this context, Blue jay Manufacturing Company is looking at two options. These options include outsourcing portions of its in house manufacturing or making a capital investment towards expansion of in house manufacturing. Capital budgeting is thus essential in making a financial analysis of the two options presented to make a decision that will have the best outcome. Time value of money uses the present value and the future value of cash flows. In this case Butler wants to keep the manufacturing in house and to do so there is need for a capital investment to be made. Investing this cash denies the business a chance to outsource since the money cannot be realized till the investment pays off. Time value of money is used here to calculate the future value of the money which is then compared to the investment value at maturity. If the investment value at maturity is greater than the calculated future value o f money, then it is considered a good investment. However, if the future value of money is greater than the value of the investment then it is not a good capital investment and Butler would be advised to go ahead and outsource (Crosson and Needles, 2008). This is how time value of money is used in making an economic decision. It helps to calculate the value of money at a future date and compare it with its present value so as to determine a worthy investment. To clearly understand the basics of time value of money, it is important to understand the Net Present value. Net Present Value is the difference between present values of cash outflows and the present values of cash inflows. It is calculated to check the profitability of one alternative over the other. A positive NPV is an indication that it is a good investment whereas a negative NPV shows that it is not a worthy investment (Steven, 1986). In this case, future cash flows estimates of outsourcing are generated. These cash flow s are then discounted to one lump sum present value for example $600,000. If the suppliers are willing to provide their services at a price below $600,000 then management can give the go ahead to outsource for this presents a positive NPV. However, if the suppliers charge more than $600,000 it would be a very costly move and thus management would chose not to outsource. Consequently, the same analysis should be done for the case of in house manufacturing. If the NPV of in house manufacturing is found to be greater than the NPV of outsourcing, then by all means a capital investment should be made to expand in house manufacturing and vice versa. Net Present Value calculations take inflation and returns into account while analyzing the time value of money. In simple terms, it is the present value of future cash flows without accounting for the purchase price (Crosson and Needles, 2008). It is considered the most standard method for using time value of money to appraise long term invest ments during capital budgeting. The Pay Back Period is also another method that is used to determine the time value of money. However, it only measures the risk and not the returns. The Pay Back period measures the time taken for cash inflows to equate to the capital investment made. The shorter the period the more worthy the investment is. Time value of money