The article ‘Eating Carbon’ was printed in The Economist on the 13th of November 2008. The link to the article is: http://www.economist.com/research/articlesbysubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid=348924&story_id=12592256
Past methods of carbon dioxide emission reduction include pumping the gas into underground caverns or into old oil fields. However, peridotite, a rock found in the upper mantle of the earth, has a huge appetite for the gas that can be increased with human interference; it therefore presents an alternate method. Though the rock’s original location, 20 km from the surface, would pose a difficulty in reaching it, plate tectonics have forced parts of the mantle, and therefore peridotite, to the surface. This has occurred in, for example, the Omani desert and along the coasts of Greece and Croatia. Peridotite, when exposed to air, reacts quickly with carbon dioxide to form carbonates such as limestone; this has been known to geologists for some time.The application of the use of peridotite has experienced some difficulties. For example, it has been suggested that ground up peridotite could be used to soak up power stations emissions; however, transport would be very costly and create more emissions. An alternative was presented by Peter Kelemen and Juerg Matter, from Columbia University, stating that channeling the emissions from their production site to underground layers of peridotite would be more efficient. Peridotite absorption rates could further be increased by drilling and fracturing the rock. Alone the Omani deserts outcrop could absorb 4 billion tons of carbon dioxide a year, a large fraction of the 30 billion tons that humans produce in a year. Therefore, peridotite has the potential to significantly decrease the carbon dioxide levels in certain regions, though it is limited by the fact that it is only located in a few select locations.
Sonntag, 30. November 2008
Sonntag, 16. November 2008
'Pay the Piper': Article Summary
The article ‘Pay the Piper’ was published on Economist.com on the 10th of November, 2008. The link to this article is: http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12583452
This article deals with Obama’s ambitious plans in regard to improving America’s and, as a result, the World’s environment, though these face certain difficulties. These plans include the goal to, by 2050, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 80% below the rates of 1990, as well as the $150 billion energy overhaul plan. However, three factors also play a role in the future execution of these plans and these are the Congress, the economic crisis as well as the public and their interests.
One would think that since the Democrats are the majority in both houses of congress, Obama would have little difficulty in, for example, passing environmentally friendly bills or in receiving the funding for his projects. However, the Republicans retain enough power to put an indefinite veto on certain bills. In addition, the newly elected democrats have a more moderate stance, rather than a liberal one. The second factor that is hindering Obama’s environmental initiative is the recent economic crisis. Though it is a popular belief that investing heavily into the environmental market will also stabilize the economy, little proof supports this thesis. Big spending to impact America’s rate of emissions or increasing the price of fossil fuels are two options that both would negatively affect the economy or the political image. Therefore it would be easier to tackle one obstacle at a time, starting with the economic crisis. Finally, the economic crisis caused a further decrease in public interest for the environment. The publics worry about global warming is overshadowed by their demand for lower fuel prices.
The best option, it is suggested, is to force polluters to pay for the damage they inflict; however, this repercussion would now extend to the entire American population, not only the large corporations. This contradicts the message that politicians are trying to send; resolving the environmental issue would also relieve the economic situation. Well, you can’t have everything.
This article deals with Obama’s ambitious plans in regard to improving America’s and, as a result, the World’s environment, though these face certain difficulties. These plans include the goal to, by 2050, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 80% below the rates of 1990, as well as the $150 billion energy overhaul plan. However, three factors also play a role in the future execution of these plans and these are the Congress, the economic crisis as well as the public and their interests.
One would think that since the Democrats are the majority in both houses of congress, Obama would have little difficulty in, for example, passing environmentally friendly bills or in receiving the funding for his projects. However, the Republicans retain enough power to put an indefinite veto on certain bills. In addition, the newly elected democrats have a more moderate stance, rather than a liberal one. The second factor that is hindering Obama’s environmental initiative is the recent economic crisis. Though it is a popular belief that investing heavily into the environmental market will also stabilize the economy, little proof supports this thesis. Big spending to impact America’s rate of emissions or increasing the price of fossil fuels are two options that both would negatively affect the economy or the political image. Therefore it would be easier to tackle one obstacle at a time, starting with the economic crisis. Finally, the economic crisis caused a further decrease in public interest for the environment. The publics worry about global warming is overshadowed by their demand for lower fuel prices.
The best option, it is suggested, is to force polluters to pay for the damage they inflict; however, this repercussion would now extend to the entire American population, not only the large corporations. This contradicts the message that politicians are trying to send; resolving the environmental issue would also relieve the economic situation. Well, you can’t have everything.
Mittwoch, 12. November 2008
Annotated Bibliohraphy
"About Altria Overview." Altria. 2008. Altria Group Inc.. 3 Nov 2008
This website is a resource that provides insight on what type of public image the Altria Group is trying to promote and maintain. It does so by giving information on what companies Altria owns, the people it employs and the conditions they work in, the Groups philosophy and goals as well as the financial stance of the group. Though the site clearly aims to manipulate the viewer by emphasizing the positive aspects of the company, such as the diversity in employment, and keeps the negative aspects extremely vague, this in itself is of value since it demonstrates the Altria mindset. Overall, the information the site provides in addition to it illustrating the real aims of the Altria Group make it a valuable source.
"Altria Group." Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. 31 October 2008. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. 3 Nov 2008
This site gives the general idea of what the Altria Group is by touching on the group’s holdings, its history, the corporate governance and the tobacco brand names it owns. Its main focus is on the tobacco component of the company, only mentioning the company’s interests in the food industry in the history. The author of the page is clearly more concerned with the tobacco aspect of the company, though the page strives to be objective in its detailed history. Nonetheless, the detailed history of Philip Morris as well as the information given on the group’s brand name holdings and board of directors proves to be very useful. All in all, the site is a good starting point to the research, though its focal point and biased bibliography could manipulate the reader’s opinion.
Dresler, Carolyn.Marks, Stephen P., 1943- The Emerging Human Right to Tobacco Control
Human Rights Quarterly - Volume 28, Number 3, August 2006, pp. 599-651
This article explains the human right to tobacco control that, in addition to other efforts to control the morbidity and mortality rates related to the tobacco industry’s actions, should be implemented more vigorously in today’s society. The Section dealing with the public perspective on tobacco control discusses the effects of tobacco today on public health, the environment and work conditions, in addition to making bleak predictions on worldwide conditions in future. It relates these problems back to the tobacco industry’s relentless aggressive expansion and marketing. The authors focus clearly rests on the health and societal issues caused by smoking and the tobacco industry, which, it can be argued, are largely responsible for these effects. However the author fails to mention the factor that people do make the conscious decision to smoke even though they are fully aware of the consequences. Overall, this article provides valuable statistics and information on the tobacco industry, even if it fails to mention one fact that cannot be blamed on the tobacco industry.
"ETS Strategy: Corporate Affairs PM -USA." Legacy Tobacco Documents Library. University of California. 4 Nov 2008
This document, a corporate affairs report of Philip Morris USA, deals with the ‘problem’ of ETS (also known as second-hand smoke) and how to alter and manipulate public opinion on it. The document shows several plans of action to alter the public opinion, which include shifting the blame on general bad indoor air quality, giving credibility to funded research with respected members of the academic community and by using all possible resources to bring ‘research’ results to the public. This document clearly illustrates Philip Morris’s awareness of the public’s concern and the health issues regarding second hand smoke as well as its strategy to eliminate all public doubts. Though the document was created in 1989, it is still an excellent example of the tobacco industry’s initiative to manipulate the public opinion, providing deeper insight on the steps that are taken to pacify the public.
K. Jackler, Robert. "Not a cough in a Carload." Stanford University: School of Medicine. Stanford Universtiy. 4 Nov 2008
This site provides visual proof of the history of consumer manipulation conducted by the cigarette industry by using tobacco ads of the late 1920’s to early 1950’s and supplementing these with short explanations. Visuals illustrate that advertisements used ‘medical’ authority, targeted women and younger generations, made claims to purity and mildness and generally manipulated the consumer in a seemingly obvious fashion long before social awareness had been raised. Though the site solely focuses on the history of consumer manipulation, since the creator of the site, with the aid of several family members, created it to commemorate another family member’s death due to lung cancer, it still provides good primary sources . The subjective view on the cigarette companies misleading the consumers of this site is compensated by the quality of the visuals it supports its explanations with.
McDaniel, Patricia. "Philip Morris’s Project Sunrise: weakening tobacco control by working with it." University of California Postprints. 2006. University of California. 4 Nov 2008
This document deals with the analysis of Philip Morris’s ‘Project Sunrise’ that aimed to ensure the social acceptability of smoking and the company’s existence itself mainly by weakening its opponents by working with them. It gives a detailed analysis of the strategies Philip Morris developed to modify public opinion (for example, the creation of ‘truth squads’, that promoted the Philip Morris point of view in the media), its ‘counterattacks’ targeting tobacco control activists public image and the overall success of this campaign. Though this document uses overly negative terminology to describe Philip Morris’s strategy of public manipulation, all the information given was taken primarily from formerly private documents of the company itself. Overall, the strong bibliography that cites a spectrum of resources as well as the mostly objective analysis of Philip Morris’s strategy to alter public opinion from 1995-2006 make this document a very valuable source.
Moskowitz, Michael, Robert Levering, and Michael Katz. Everybody's Business: A Field Guide to the 400 Leading Companies in America. 1st Ed. New York: Doubleday, 1990.
The book not only summarizes Philip Morris’s company structure; it also explains Philip Morris’s history, global influence and social responsibility in the years leading up to 1990. It focuses specifically on the company’s tendency to strive for the ‘first place’ in all areas, as illustrated by the purchase of General Foods and Kraft, leading food companies in the U.S. In addition, it cites the work conditions of the company, which are exemplary in regard to minority groups, as well as its policy of non-acknowledgement of the blatant health issue regarding smoking. Though the book presents a fairly balanced image of Philip Morris, placing the company under the chapter named ‘Sin’ illustrates the author’s bias. Nevertheless, the book is a good source since it provides insight on the corporate philosophy, its stance in the world market in the late 20th century and its general public image, however vague some of the statements made in the book may be.
"News from the schools, February 2008." Economist.com. 27 Feb 2008. The Economist Newspaper. 4 Nov 2008
This article, though it deals primarily with the controversial issue of the usefulness of MBA degrees, also touches on the tobacco industry’s involvement in these schools. It illustrates Altria’s strategy of reaching the younger demographic by, for example, funding student groups and research programs, apparently to aid the educational system. The article uses the example of the McCombs School of Business, who stopped funding by Altria due to ethical reasons, to illustrate the tobacco industry’s false intentions. Though the article may be biased since it doesn’t consider the fact that the tobacco industry may have a genuine interest in supporting the youth of today, it still provides an excellent example of the tobacco industry’s involvement in many areas to expand its market.
Smith, Elizabeth A., and Ruth E. Malone.. "Philip Morris's Health Information Web Site Appears Responsible but Undermines Public Health." Public Health Nursing 25.6 (Nov. 2008): 554-564. Advanced Placement Source. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 5 Nov. 2008
This document deals with the false or incomplete information placed on the internet that can mislead consumers of the tobacco industry. It states that Philip Morris’s website from 1999 to 2008 had undergone important changes, from at first hardly mentioning the health issues related to smoking, to acknowledging the existence of scientific consensus on the risks of smoking to, finally, agreeing to the blatant health issue that cigarettes present (though stating this in a hardly comprehensible manner). Through the use of vague language, contradictory statements and association with health organizations whose tobacco control initiatives Philip Morris has repeatedly undermined, this website was created to mislead the consumer. The detailed analysis of the aspects Philip Morris tries to manipulate on its website is what makes this source valuable.
"Some of the "Most Wanted" Corporate Human Rights Violators." Global Exchange. 02 Dec 2007. Global Exchange. 4 Nov 2008
This website provides information on the corporations that are known to for their violations against the human rights. The site states that the Altria Group’s crime is the aggressive selling and marketing of cigarettes, which is the second major cause of preventable death in the world. The site makes certain allegations against Philip Morris and Altria in general that it does not support with sufficient examples or backed up statistics. In addition, the human rights abuses taking place in the tobacco production business are not mentioned. However, the site still provides useful information on Altria’s actions and their effects as well as information on who is working to counteract the company’s behavior.
"Tobacco Advertising Gallery." Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. 4 Nov 2008
This site provides examples of tobacco ads from all over the world. Its main purpose is to illustrate visually the massive amounts of money that goes into the promotion of cigarettes per year. It also shows, in sharp contrast, the miniscule amount of advertisements that campaign against smoking. Of course the site could be falsely portraying this balance since it obviously cannot illustrate all the advertisements for and against smoking that currently exist in the world. Nevertheless, it still is of value since it provides visuals of the presence of the tobacco industry in many forms, not only in posters.
Tozun, Ned . "Philip Morris USA and Philip Morris International." Students for Informed Career Decisions. 14 July 2000. Stanford University. 5 Nov 2008
This site gives a company profile of Philip Morris up to date to 2000, clearly illustrating its pro’s and con’s as well as providing financial information. The website focuses mainly on the company’s position in regard to the environment and its policies of advertising towards the youth. The author is clearly opposed to the tobacco industry, since although Philip Morris also is involved in Kraft foods; the environmental issues of Kraft are not mentioned. The site illustrates that the primary concerns of college students today in regard to future employment lie in the environmental and social scope. However, this site still proves to be valuable since it clearly distinguishes the pros and cons of Philip Morris.
"WHO REPORT on the global TOBA CCO epidemic, 2008." World Health Organization. 2008. World Health Organization (WHO). 4 Nov 2008
This site, in addition to providing statistics and information on the tobacco epidemic as well as on what is being done/should be done against it, clearly states reasons as to why all this is to be blamed on the tobacco industry. Since this site mainly deals with world health, it focuses on smoking related statistic and aims to promote health by reducing smoking effectively. It also states that the tobacco industry’s policy of aggressive marketing and expansion is to blame, the exploitation of workers being an additional problem to this. Although it doesn’t mention that a person’s choice to smoke also plays a role in this epidemic, the information given is factual. Therefore this site, though it doesn’t mention other faults of the tobacco industry, such as its effect on the environment, is very reliable since its sole purpose is to provide accurate world statistics and health information.
Dienstag, 11. November 2008
'Green, easy and wrong'; Article Summary
The article ‘Green, easy and wrong’ was published in The Economist on the 6th of November 2008. The link to the article is: http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?source=hptextfeature&story_id=12562343
The article ‘Green, easy and wrong’ deals with two of the critical issues of today, the economic crisis and global warming, and the solution that has been proposed to eliminate the both of them. To solve these two problems governments have to invest in green technology which will, in turn, boost the demand for it while easing the world’s dependence on fossil fuels. Though this theory has become popular worldwide, it has gained most attention and momentum in America, where billion dollar proposals for ‘green investment’ are being pushed, in the hopes of creating millions of new workplaces. From the historical viewpoint, the solution should work since past synergy between two goals had been successful. However, one consequence of similar plans including subsidies was increasing food prices affecting the developing countries, due to overinvestment in the ethanol business. It seems that, though commitment to climate change and giving the economy a boost as separate entities are good proposals, combining the two by funding renewable energy will not succeed. Instead, a system similar to the European model, which makes polluters pay for their CO2 emissions and by reduces the cost of clean energy, should be developed.
Personally, I don’t think two problems that span the entire globe can a) be solved by one countries initiative alone and b) be solved by such a seemingly simple solution. Granted, the above stated solution does not consider all possible deciding factors that would be involved in the elimination of these problems, though I am sure they are where the decisions for ‘Green New Deal’ are being made. However, chances are that the environment alone needs a lot more than just change in energy sources in order to slow or even halt the effects of global warming. Then again, the easiest solutions are known to be the right ones.
The article ‘Green, easy and wrong’ deals with two of the critical issues of today, the economic crisis and global warming, and the solution that has been proposed to eliminate the both of them. To solve these two problems governments have to invest in green technology which will, in turn, boost the demand for it while easing the world’s dependence on fossil fuels. Though this theory has become popular worldwide, it has gained most attention and momentum in America, where billion dollar proposals for ‘green investment’ are being pushed, in the hopes of creating millions of new workplaces. From the historical viewpoint, the solution should work since past synergy between two goals had been successful. However, one consequence of similar plans including subsidies was increasing food prices affecting the developing countries, due to overinvestment in the ethanol business. It seems that, though commitment to climate change and giving the economy a boost as separate entities are good proposals, combining the two by funding renewable energy will not succeed. Instead, a system similar to the European model, which makes polluters pay for their CO2 emissions and by reduces the cost of clean energy, should be developed.
Personally, I don’t think two problems that span the entire globe can a) be solved by one countries initiative alone and b) be solved by such a seemingly simple solution. Granted, the above stated solution does not consider all possible deciding factors that would be involved in the elimination of these problems, though I am sure they are where the decisions for ‘Green New Deal’ are being made. However, chances are that the environment alone needs a lot more than just change in energy sources in order to slow or even halt the effects of global warming. Then again, the easiest solutions are known to be the right ones.
Montag, 10. November 2008
'Forest-friendly Farming': Article Summary
The article ‘Forest-friendly farming’ was published in the economist on the 6th of November 2008. The link to the article is: http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12551566
This article deals with the subject of how there is a possible variation to farming, which could lessen the negative impact of farming on the environment. It is common knowledge that all around the world, species are endangered or disappearing because their natural habitat is turned into farm land; this is especially applicable in the tropics. However, a team of researchers of Stanford University have discovered a method of farming, employed in the Western Ghats (mountain range in south-west India) that, although the area has been cultivated for over 2,000 years, still sustains its biodiversity. This is because the locals mainly cultivate areca palms, which are large, free standing trees, providing a habitat for the regional forest birds. These palms are usually grown alongside other species such as vanilla and bananas, which makes the plantations structurally complex therefore making them, like the forest, compatible for many species. Moreover, these plantations rely on mulches made of leaf debris coming from the forest, therefore making this form of agriculture dependent on an intact ecosystem.
Of course the solution here isn’t to start planting areca palms instead of rice; it is the cultivation of multiple crops, in addition to being slightly dependent on natural resources. This would, potentially, allow for benefits both economically and environmentally. Although this method may work in the given environment, I don’t believe it can be applied to all regions in the world. Firstly, certain regions may depend solely on one crop, which of course is potentially devastating in economic terms; however, changes to this system would probably do more harm than good. Secondly, the climate has to be right for a variety of plants to grow in. Moreover, this step does not really solve the problem for the need of farmland. It is a good step towards preserving the biodiversity in certain areas, yet it isn’t applicable to the entire world.
This article deals with the subject of how there is a possible variation to farming, which could lessen the negative impact of farming on the environment. It is common knowledge that all around the world, species are endangered or disappearing because their natural habitat is turned into farm land; this is especially applicable in the tropics. However, a team of researchers of Stanford University have discovered a method of farming, employed in the Western Ghats (mountain range in south-west India) that, although the area has been cultivated for over 2,000 years, still sustains its biodiversity. This is because the locals mainly cultivate areca palms, which are large, free standing trees, providing a habitat for the regional forest birds. These palms are usually grown alongside other species such as vanilla and bananas, which makes the plantations structurally complex therefore making them, like the forest, compatible for many species. Moreover, these plantations rely on mulches made of leaf debris coming from the forest, therefore making this form of agriculture dependent on an intact ecosystem.
Of course the solution here isn’t to start planting areca palms instead of rice; it is the cultivation of multiple crops, in addition to being slightly dependent on natural resources. This would, potentially, allow for benefits both economically and environmentally. Although this method may work in the given environment, I don’t believe it can be applied to all regions in the world. Firstly, certain regions may depend solely on one crop, which of course is potentially devastating in economic terms; however, changes to this system would probably do more harm than good. Secondly, the climate has to be right for a variety of plants to grow in. Moreover, this step does not really solve the problem for the need of farmland. It is a good step towards preserving the biodiversity in certain areas, yet it isn’t applicable to the entire world.
Samstag, 1. November 2008
'How green was my valley?' : Article Summary
The article ‘How green was my valley?’ was printed in The Economist on October 23rd 2008. The link to the article is: http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12480378
Kashmir valley has been regarded as one of the most beautiful places on earth; this is all due to the Kolahoi Glacier, located in the Himalayas, which is a frozen reservoir of fresh water that keeps the valley fertile. However, due to decades of human conflict and apparent climate changes, it is melting away at an alarming rate. Though the environmental issue has not been the focus of attention, due to the fact that the area of Kashmir has been disputed by India and Pakistan for decades, making it dangerous to even establish regular monitoring of the glacier, the looming environmental disaster has finally been acknowledged.
The disappearance of this glacier not only threatens to make Kashmir a water stressed area; it would also threaten the livelihood of millions. Though the beauty of this valley, due to its fertility, is a causal factor for the dispute over it, losing it would mean that no water supplies would be available during May and June. The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) accused the government of treating environmental issues as afterthoughts to politics. Without any preventative measures, the Kolahoi glacier could be gone within 10 years, making Kashmir a very undesirable place to be.
Kashmir valley has been regarded as one of the most beautiful places on earth; this is all due to the Kolahoi Glacier, located in the Himalayas, which is a frozen reservoir of fresh water that keeps the valley fertile. However, due to decades of human conflict and apparent climate changes, it is melting away at an alarming rate. Though the environmental issue has not been the focus of attention, due to the fact that the area of Kashmir has been disputed by India and Pakistan for decades, making it dangerous to even establish regular monitoring of the glacier, the looming environmental disaster has finally been acknowledged.
The disappearance of this glacier not only threatens to make Kashmir a water stressed area; it would also threaten the livelihood of millions. Though the beauty of this valley, due to its fertility, is a causal factor for the dispute over it, losing it would mean that no water supplies would be available during May and June. The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) accused the government of treating environmental issues as afterthoughts to politics. Without any preventative measures, the Kolahoi glacier could be gone within 10 years, making Kashmir a very undesirable place to be.
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