Environmental policy Essay Example for Free

Environmental policy Essay Environmental policy cant be based solely on efficiency arguments. Issues of ethics are at least as important. Discuss The above statement is true to a certain extent and in the course of this essay a balanced discussion will be presented in the hope that the outcomes will prove this to be true. To begin, the thoughts of some Russian intellectuals will be put forwards on the subject of Utilitarianism and why efficiency is self-destructive in the long run, thus supporting the statement Environmental policy cant be based solely on efficiency arguments. To lead on from this there will be a dialogue as to the problems faced by old command and control (hence forth referred to as CAC) policies such as direct regulation and emissions fees from an efficiency and ethical viewpoint. Then, these methods of environmental policy and the ideas of Ronald Coase will be highlighted as an example of ethical influence in possible environmental policy as well as from an efficiency standpoint. Following this will be an outlining of the development of the U.S Tradable permits approach to air pollution control and the ethical influences therein. Taking the ethical issues point raised in the title statement one step further then leads onto the idea of ethical considerations. These have been based around an anthropocentric perspective, thus far and so at this point some views from an eco-centric stance will be considered. To do this, A. Leopolds The Land Ethic will be looked at. The rights of nature will be brought under the umbrella of Ethical issues and discussed from a policy perspective. What economists mean by economic efficiency, is that in an ideal economic system, goods worth more than they cost to produce get produced, goods worth less than they cost to produce do not. (D. Friedman. 2004) This holds firm throughout this discussion, along with the idea of efficiency as it is defined as both: The production of the desired effects or results with minimum waste of time, effort or skill, (dictionary.com 2004) and as A measure of effectiveness; specifically, the useful work output divided by the energy input in any system (dictionary.com 2004). In different aspects of environmental policy, these different definitions of efficiency hold true, though it is clear that they all have the same thing in mind when referring to efficiency. As it Stands, Utilitarianism (the theory of Jeremy Bentham) is an example of efficiency if it were to be applied to policy. Valdimir Odoevsky, one of the most brilliant and influential representatives of progressive thought [in Russia] (A. F rolova 1998) of his time, produced a development of the utilitarian theory of J. Bentham, which is illustrated in Alla Frolovas article Ecological reasoning: Ethical alternatives. The utilitarian approach to life as put across by Odoevsky, who states that utility is an essential driving force of all human actions, (A. Frolova 1998) it is said to be the driving force for all laws, legislations, activities and morals. It is also suggested that under the notion of utilitarianism, utility should be allowed to take the place of all notions of so called consciousness, so called inborn feeling, all poetical dreams and fantasies. This is a very powerful tool for the representation of efficiency as the sole driver of any policy decisions, even environmental ones, however it is a valid viewpoint where ethics is not taken into consideration. Odoevsky talks of a civilization called Benthamia where under the concept of utility everything runs in a sustainable way. However it is when a new civilization is founded outside of Benthamia that the problems associated with a system void of ethics emerge. Through the use of political intrigues, deceit, and bribery, as well as organizing quarrels among any rival civilizations that emerge in order to weaken them for the benefit of Benthamia, the Benthamites extend their power. After they have sufficiently weakened a civilization to the point where that civilization is of no further use to Benthamia, the weakened civilization is taken into full possession either by the acquisition of it (at the cheapest efficient price) or by the use of force. All of these points are seen to be ethically wrong in todays world where ethics is A set of principles of right conduct (A. Frolova 1998) and even when there is a call for utilization of deserted islands (A. Frolova 1998) rather than taking over the crushed neighbors of Benthamia, the suggestions are condemned and those who put them forwards are said to be idle dreamers (A. Frolova 1998). In Odoevskys vision of utilitarianism, Benthamia is torn apart from within due to different self interests associated with differing social situations throughout the growing civilization and as it is put by Odoevsky One day glorious Benthamia ceased to exist. (A. Frolova 1998) Odoevsky perceives nature as sensitive and responsive in regard to human morals and this representation of efficiency as the sole driver of decision making shows that ethics are important in every aspect of what we do. Less extreme examples of efficiency in environmental policy can be seen when looking at cases such as the policy relating to dealing with the inefficiencies associated with the production of steel. Classic approaches to the problem of the externalities of steel production include direct regulation by the government based on telling the steel industry how much they can pollute, as well as emission fees (called Pigouvian taxes). Emission fees are based around the concept of charging steel companies for the damage done by its pollution. The idea of direst regulation is seen to be an inefficient environmental policy whereas emission fees are said to produce an efficient amount of steel as well as an efficient amount of pollution control. In the real world however emission fees policy is not efficient as it is difficult to measure what the damage caused is as well as it being inefficient to spend time looking for the damage caused. These two policies are based around the idea of efficiency in the steel industry (as an example), though with the insight of R. Coase and the introduction of what many have dubbed Coase Theorem social cost can be associated with efficiency to create a better overall way of viewing the problem of externalities through the introduction of property rights. Rather than a system whereby the government defines the measures that need to be taken by industry or where it is left to the polluter to deal with the control methods as with the previously mentioned CAC policies, the idea of Coases theorem defines a policy where, if transaction costs are zero if, in other words, any agreement that is in the mutual benefit of the parties concerned gets made, then any initial definition of property rights leads to an efficient outcome (D. Friedman. 2004) The way that his argument is put across in the article entitled the Swedes get it right is based around the cost of abatement of pollution in a steel factory Vs. the cost of changing downwind land use from a resort to a timber forest. The article, written by D. Friedman, puts forwards a very efficient environmental policy whereby the distribution of property rights leads to the internalization of externalities and the most cost effective outcome on a social level. Under the notion of Coase theorem, if it is cheaper for the resort to pay the factory for the cost of pollution abatement rather than change his own land use then this should be done, producing a situation where everybody is happy and the overall conditions are more desirable. This efficiency based policy is seen to be an advancement of old efficiency based policy though there are still problems associated with it due to the fact that ethics are not considered. One of the largest problems noted by Coase is the idea of the Public Good Problem (D. Friedman. 2004). If there are many different people living downwind of a factory and they contribute to the abatement of the pollution, then if one person does not pay because doing so wont make a difference to whether the abatement is paid or not and the abatement does go through, then that person is seen to be a free rider (D. Friedman. 2004) getting abatement for free. This is why air pollution in Southern California still persists, as there are millions of people living in the area it is hard to get a situation where everyone pays for the abatement of pollution and it is not possible to re-locate this vast number of people. Coase argues that it is not the externalities that essentially create the problem, but t hat it is the transaction costs. A policy approach to the environment that has taken ethical issues into consideration can be seen in the US formation of a tradable permit approach to air pollution control. In the discussion about the US system ethical consideration is defined in either of two contexts: (1) when the decisions seem to reflect altruistic concerns which transcend self-interest and (2) when the decisions seem to provide special treatment to rights which seem to have a special moral justification (T. Tietenberg. 1998). The emissions trading program is set out as a straight forwards, flexible market based policy where the trading of permits is allowed and efficiency is increased due to the self interests of the participating industries. Through the acquisition of an emission reduction credit (ERC) (T. Tietenberg. 1998) this trading can take place and to acquire this ERC a company must lower its emissions to a point below the required level put forwards by the Clean air act. Further efficiency is establish ed by the way that the ERC system allows new firms to come into the market, thus, by introducing the offset policy EPA [the Environmental protection agency] allowed economic growth to continue whilst insuring progress toward attainment. (T. Tietenberg. 1998) The efficiency of the tradable permits system can be seen by analysis, which concluded that the proposed 0.01 g per leaded gallon (gplg) standard would result in $36 billion ($1983) in benefits (from reduced adverse health effects) at an estimated cost to refining industry of $2.6 billion. (T. Tietenberg. 1998) As well as being implemented at a national level. Tradable permit systems have also been applied at a regional scale, with air pollution in California being an example of this. RECLAIM (Regional Clean Air Incentives Market) shifts the burden of identifying the appropriate control strategies from the control authorities to the polluter (a point that made direct regulation an inefficient policy based solution, as previously mentioned), and thus the system again proves to be effective due to the fact that now, pollution prevention is given an economic underpinning. Along with these examples off efficiency, the tradable permits system, when compared to emissions charges and emissi on standards comes out as a far more effective environmental policy. Ethics can be observed in the Tradable permits approach however, and evidence seen in the paper Ethical influences on the evolution of the US tradable permit approach to air control suggests that ethical considerations have played a role in shaping the environmental objective, the choice of instruments, the definition of the tradable commodity, the treatment of shutdown credits, the relationship to traditional regulation and the rules governing permit trades. Thus it is the opinion of the author T. Tietenberg, that ethical influences on the evolution of the US tradable permit approach have been blended with pragmatic and political concerns to forge a compromise approach (T. Tietenberg. 1998). This means that even if ethical issues are considered they do not hold as much weight as efficiency arguments and result in efficiency bias compromises. This can be seen in the case of shut down credits. Among the various ways of creating credits this has been the most controversial point. It is controversial, ethically, because the economic incentive should be targeted at positive actions to reduce pollution through the investment of new control equipment and not through shut-down (which is where a factory is shut down to create a large number of tradable ERCs). As a result the compromise has produced a situation whereby all shut-down credits either revert to the control authority or they could be freely transferred to buyers (T. Tietenberg. 1998). This is a result that doesnt stop the process of shut-downs (as would be ethically acceptable) but allows the process to continue but with efficient outcomes rather than hoarding of ERCs. The ethical issues that have been represented in the case study of Tradable permits in the US have been examples of human-centric ethics focusing on welfare. Some environmentalists, such as A. Leopold focus more on eco-centric ethics and present an argument that through social evolution the land itself should be considered as a member of the community which is taken into account in environmental policy. Leopold, in his article, The Land Ethic explains his concept and the problems associated with achieving this goal. It is said to be the case that our educational and economic system is heading away from, rather than towards an intense consciousness of land (A. Leopold. 1949) . Leopold shows through the use of specific examples how there are essentially two different types of conversationalists, as Leopold puts it there are the economic value grabbers (A. Leopold. 1949) and those that see land as biota (A. Leopold. 1949) and worry about the secondary functions of things such as forests . Leopold gives a good illustration of this through the use of sport and meat. Group A, the economic value grabbers, when presented with the idea, will think efficiently about the subject, being satisfied with the thought that these are things that come from nature. Group B however, worries about biotic side issues, for example the cost in predators of producing a game crop. Whereas the ideas associated with Coases theorem are related to the health issues and other things that affect humans living downwind of the factory, it is the conclusion of Leopold that, A land ethic, then, reflects the existence of an ecological conscience, and this in turn reflects a conviction of individual responsibility for the health of the land (A. Leopold. 1949). This view holds that the land is to be conserved or protected as some sustainability policies are currently leading towards. It is the opinion of Leopold that sustainability policy should be based around ideas of eco-centric ethics rather than being based around the idea that it is a necessity to promote sustainable polici es from a human centric point of view. To conclude it can be said that efficiency is still the main focus of environmental policy making however over time the emergence of ethics in policy has emerged, though ethical issues are not considered to be at least as important as efficiency arguments. It has been said that without some kind of ethic (a theory of right and responsibility) and some kind of axiology (or value theory) we lack guidance and direction for tackling problems, whether global, environmental, or otherwise (R. Attfield. 1999). The discussion in this essay has led towards an outcome that supports the statement to a certain degree. It has been shown through the use of the utilitarian argument and some CAC policy methods that efficiency is not the only thing that has to be considered in environmental policy making, and the US case-study supports the notion that a certain amount of ethics has to be involved. But the nature of the ethics that is applied is essentially Human-centric and to consider ethical issues in environmental policy to be as important as efficiency the idea of a land ethic is an important one. As Leopold says himself the idea of a land ethic is not yet public opinion and in fact is only being kept alive by a minority who has revolted against modern trends of efficiency and human-centric ethics. Ethical issues are not as important as efficiency arguments in environmental policy though if the land ethic were to become a popular opinion through re-education and a shift in social thinking then there is a hope that in time the statement will be completely justified. References A. Leopold (1949) The Land Ethic. In: A Second County Almanac. Oxford University Press. Oxford. Alla Frolova (1998) Ecological reasoning: Ethical alternatives. Ecological Economics, 24. p.169-182. Dictionary.com (2004) http://dictionary.reference.com/ David Friedman The Swedes get it right. http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Libertarian/The_Swedes.html (2004) Robin Attfield (1983) The Ethics of Environmental Concern. Basil Blackwell. Oxford. Robin Attfield (1998) Existence value and intrinsic value. Ecological Economics, 24. p. 163-168 Robin Attfield (1999) The Ethics of the Global Environment. Edinburgh University Press. Edinburgh. Robert Elliot (1995) Environmental Ethics. Oxford University Press. Oxford. Tom Tietenberg (1998) Ethical influences on the evolution of the US tradable permit approach to air pollution control. Ecological Economics, 24. p. 241-257. Student no. 00020854702E

How computer viruses work :: essays research papers

How computer viruses work Computer viruses are not understood very well, but they get your attention. Viruses show us how vulnerable we are, but they also show how open and worldly human beings have become. Microsoft and other large companies had to shut down all their e-mail systems when the â€Å"Melissa† virus became a worldwide event.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A computer virus is passed on from one computer to another computer. A virus must ride on top of some other program to document in order to perform an instruction. After it is running, it can then infect other programs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Viruses were first seen in the late 1980s; the first factor was the spread of personal computers. Before the 1980’s home computers were non-existent or they were used for toys, and the real computers were very rare and they were locked away to only be used by the â€Å"experts.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second factor was the se of the â€Å"bulletin boards†; any one could get to a bulletin board if they had a modem and download programs. Bulletin boards led to the precursor of the virus known as the Trojan Horse. It is a program that sounds really cool when you read it, so then people download it, and when people run the program, however, it does something uncool like erasing your disk, so people think that they are getting something neat, but it wipes out their system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The third factor to viruses is the floppy disk. Programs were small and they could fit the operating system, or a word processor onto the floppy disk, and then turn on the machine and it would load the operating system and everything else off the disk. Viruses took advantage of these three facts to create the first self-replicating programs!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Early viruses were pieces of code attached to programs like games or word processors. People could download an infected game from a bulletin board and run it, and a virus like this is a small piece of code embedded in a larger, legitimate program. The virus loads its self to memory and looks around to see if it can find any programs on the hard disk. When it finds one it modifies it to the virus’s code to the program. Then the virus launches the â€Å"real program,† and the user has no way of knowing that it is infected. The next time this program is executed, they infect other programs, and the cycle continues.

Focused on the sport Essay

â€Å"This is perfect! Just like I had dreamt of it; the lush green grass, the beautiful uniforms, a brilliant coach and a team full of exuberance. This is my day; I am living my dream to be the best soccer player! † Andi could not control his ecstasy of being at a soccer practice club on this bright day under the clear sky after finally having convinced his father after months to let him excel in this field of sport. With the whistle of the coach, the boys started chasing the ball and striving to get to the goal by saving their moves very closely from their competitors. Andi, a tall and lanky 16 year old boy with tanned skin and hair falling at his forehead, was one player that stood out of the team because of his incredible swiftness and strategic positioning while he was tackling players. The soccer coach named David has immediately pointed him out in his head as somebody who could even be the captain of the team. After the practice, David approached Andi and asked, â€Å"Wow! You were brilliant out there at the field; great work, Andi! What inspires you to be so focused on the sport? † Andi responded beaming, â€Å"My grandfather. In my opinion, he was the best soccer player alive on planet earth – and that’s what I want to become. One day, I will show the world what I have in me. I would love to talk to you, coach, but I have to rush home because my homeroom teacher is waiting to prepare me for my final exam next month. See you tomorrow! † As Andi walked out of the club, David watched him with a gratifying smile on his face and said to himself, â€Å"The future of soccer looks bright with these little hero around† After a short walk home, Andi was engrossed into his books in no time and listening intently to whatever his teacher, Mr. Jeremy was explaining along with questioning actively whenever he was baffled by the complications of mathematics. The teacher was genuinely impressed by Andi’s concentration and complimented Mr. Budiman, â€Å"If all parents groom their kids the way you did, sir, no power on earth can stop this country from prospering. † This left Mr. Budiman’s chest heavy in pride for the rest of the two weeks, when things were perfect and he was happy that he let Andi go for soccer practice 5 days a week. After the two weeks of perfection had passed, Andi returned home after furious, intense and extremely tiring soccer practice and slumped on couch without being bothered about Mr. Jeremy waiting for him. â€Å"Aaaaah, can’t I get a day off today? I am in no state of solving math problems or understanding scientific theories. The practice left my entire body aching; it’s horrible, sir! † Before Mr. Jeremy could respond, Mr. Budiman glared at Andi with his face turning red and fists clenched and before even he could say something, Andi shot up from the couch within a millisecond and sat across Mr. Jeremy on the study table. â€Å"I better watch out for daddy; he will jeopardize my soccer practice if I fail this stupid exam,† Andi mumbled under his breath while opening his books. Andi managed to put up a straight face and seem interested with lines on his forehead but clearly, he was sleeping with his eyes open. Not only did he manage to fool Mr. Jeremy, but also David, when he lost focus and concentration on the game but pretended to be vigorous about it. It would not have been this disappointing if the entire team was not suffering because of his performance. The radiance from his face had vanished and was replaced by constant yawning, heaving and frequent â€Å"Oh god, when will this practice end? † expressions. While running towards the soccer ball, Andi ran out of breath and slowed down and eventually bent with hands on his knees to catch his breath and regain his strength. During the act, a team member came running passionately towards the ball and bumped into Andi with such an impact, Andi toppled over twice. David blew the whistle instantly and the team members gathered around Andi in no time to find a sprained ankle. David came running with a sprain spray and held Andi’s Ankle, â€Å"Ouch! Don’t touch it, it hurts! Oh no, not this spray, it burns like no tomorrow! Don’t! STOP! DAVID! NO! † But David was wise enough to ignore Andi and spray on his ankle. David lifted Andi in his arms and took him to the first aid corner of the club and laid him on a bed. â€Å"Sssh! Just stay right here. Rest until you think you can go home, I will call your father till then and ask him to get you† said David sternly. â€Å"Don’t call my dad; you will put my soccer career on stake! † blurted Andi. â€Å"What are you talking about, young man? Injuries are part of sports† said David calmly. â€Å"You don’t get it! My dad didn’t want me to play soccer because my grandfather was a soccer player himself and got paralyzed during a match injury. My father will never let me play if he hears about this† expressed Andi exasperatedly. Listening to his plea was definitely not what a good coach should do, thus, David called Mr. Budiman explaining the entire situation; he also added, â€Å"I’m very worried about Andi personally; he doesn’t seem to be the same fire starter Andi anymore. He’s losing his concentration and is always exhausted; in fact, he is not as fit as he used to be, which means his health is also suffering. He should take time off and rest till he’s fresh and ready to be back on the field† The next week was tense – the air around the house was tough on Andi; suffocating at instances. Andi’s vibrant face was melancholic and he would just stay in his room and only come out for meals (which he would skip at times) and when Mr. Jeremy came for lessons. Mr. Budiman naturally did not like the state his son was in, so he entered Andi’s room one day, sat besides him on the bed and after relieving a long sigh, said, â€Å"Look son, I want the best of the future for you. The decisions I make for you are all based on what’s best for YOU. Just concentrate on your exam for the time being. Things will be better soon. † Andi nodded lightly. Andi worked hard for the exam with Mr. Jeremy but could not take his mind off the green fields and the smell of victory, so he went and watched his team play at times. The soccer competition has 8 teams, if Andi’s team can go through to the finals, they will have 4 games in totals (Huddleston, N. D). Andi’s team clears the first two rounds despite facing challenges and hurdles due to Andi not being present. Andi’s depression grew when he imagined the semi finals and finals without him even after knowing that his recovery had been quick and smooth. But something inside of him rekindled the fire and passion for soccer and he decided to speak to his father. â€Å"Dad, you have seen me work hard for the exam; I did what you wanted. Can’t I deserve another chance? Soccer is my dream, dad! How can I just let it go? † After a long discussion, Mr. Budiman agreed but on the condition of Andi clearing the finals with good grades. David had a hard time deciding too, because a new player cannot enter the match at this stage, but thinking in favor of the team, he knew it was sensible to let Andi play. Before he knew it, Andi was in the team once again with the zeal and fervor doubled! The big day was here and the entire team was pumped up to get the cup; the audience was cheering loudly for Andi’s team on the bright sunny day of Sunday. Mr. Budiman was also surprisingly very charged up for the match and was waving a banner that said â€Å"Go Andi! † in the air. The next 50 minutes for which the match lasted were extremely magical; Andi was like a rocket on fire and his performance kept soaring higher like a bird; expectations grew and the crowd was fanatically cheering for Andi who very shrewdly, strategically and athletically earned goal after goal. Mr. Budiman could not help but jump on his seat and sing victory songs for his son with face shining and a permanent smile. To nobody’s surprise, Andi’s team won the finals before the competitors could even gear up. Andi, the best player, was summoned in the air on the team’s shoulders after which the players hugged each other so tight that the bond seemed to be unbreakable. Mr. Budiman could not control and he ran into the field and hugged his son teary eyed saying, â€Å"You played just like your grandfather, like a true hero! I’m so very proud of you, son! † Celebrations were inevitable but Andi focused on making his dad even more proud by taking a great final; which he clearly managed to do. He got an A grade on his exam and announced it proudly with a â€Å"I did it, dad! †, which resulted in a father-son relationship that was incredibly beautiful. Andi and Mr. Budiman both realized the importance of balancing life between studies and sports, taking up challenges, risking life, living for each other and most importantly, loving life! Works Cited David and Kay Huddleston (Copyright 1999-2009) From www. soccerhelp. com

Theory Description And Key Terms - 2452 Words

Theory Description and Key Terms Gender identity is one’s personal sense of identity within their own gender, which in most societies consists of membership in two groups: males and females (Carlson Heth, 2009). In Western societies, gender binary exists, classifying gender and sex into the opposite, disconnected structures of masculinity and femininity (Garber, 1997; Rosenblum, 2000). This division of genders creates a barrier, discouraging individuals from crossing society’s idea of normal gender roles. All societies have individuals who do not personally identify with all aspects of their biological sex, and in 1965 these individuals were first classified as transgender (Oliven A, 1965). Transgender individuals are those who†¦show more content†¦Though many changes have occurred for the LGB groups, modifications for transgendered students are rare (Schneider, 2010). Even the LGBT groups established on college campuses fully accommodate transgendered students, and each group has vastly differing experiences. What might be accommodating for one group is not necessarily accommodating for another. Even the transgender term serves as an umbrella, covering a vast number of gender identities (Schneider, 2010). Literature focuses on the following four subgroups for the transgender identity (Jourian, 2014): 1. Transsexual and Female-to-male (F-T-M) Men- This subgroup includes those whose biological sex is female but identify as men. 2. Transsexual and Male-to-female (M-T-F) Women- This subgroup includes those whose biological sex is male but identify as women. 3. Cross-dressers- These individuals are biologically male but present themselves in feminine clothing or vice versa. 4. Gender Queer- These individuals are fluid or non-binary regardless of biological sex. Most higher education institutions lack faculty, staff, or professionals who understand transgender experiences (Beemyn, 2005a). With so many identities falling under the transgender term, many transgendered students in higher education may go without proper education and support, making their understanding of their identity much more difficult. Transgender students