Superfund sites Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Superfund sites - Essay Example Elfring and Gordon (n.d.) generally define the phrase â€Å"superfund program† as a long string of â€Å"interacting issues, conditions, and decisions† (p. 67). By issues and conditions, they mean to speak of the potential number of physical sites that are harmful, in the biological sense, to the surrounding community. Within this stage of in the many series of interacting issues, the data are also gathered in order to determine the state or condition of health and environmental effects of a particular potential superfund site. And by decisions, Elfring and Gorden imply the discretion or judgment of the superfund program management to categorize a specific/potential site for its eligibility or non-eligibility in the inclusion of NPL or National Priority List. That is, if the identified site has a high level of pollution and that it causes great harm to the social environment. Finally, the relatively last part of the series of the interacting decisions heavily comprises the program goals and evaluation criteria. According to the U.S. Congressional Budget Office (1994), the superfund program is tasked mainly to clean-up the waste hazards apparent in a site â€Å"contaminated with hazardous substances† which is administered markedly by the EPA or Environmental Protection Agency (pp. 1-2). A particular example of a superfund site is the Claremont Polychemical (CP) Superfund Site. Located in Old Bethpage, New York, this Superfund Site greatly spans 10 acres of land area (Environmental Protection Agency[EPA], 2002). In Figure 1-1 (Please see Appendix A), Claremont Polychemical Superfund Site is situated at the northern portion of the Bethpage State Park and at the northwestern direction of the Gold Course visible in the said region of New York. At the southwestern side of the Claremont Polychemical Superfund Site is the Old Bethpage Landfill (OBL) Superfund Site. Farther away from the OBL in the southwestern direction is the Nassau County Firemen ’s Training Center. In terms of the hydro geologic setting, the Cretaceous Magothy Formation is placed underneath the CP Superfund Site. The only aquifer found in the Long Island, this formation -- which is located near the Claremont Site -- has the vertical length of roughly 300 feet below the ground surface. As characterized in the Cretaceous Magothy Formation, it is composed of unconsolidated sand, silt, and clay materials (Environmental Protection Agency, 2002). The sand material is largely found in the southern boundary of the site while the silt and clay are situated in its northwestern part. Further, Old Bethpage Landfill has an up gradient slope with respect to the Claremont Site. The Claremont Site was where the Claremont Polychemical Company (CPC) was formerly erected. The CPC was a manufacturing company in the late 1960s that widely produced chemicals or pigments of plastics, dyes, among other substances. Through tank and basin leakage, the company had contaminated the site with VOCs or volatile organic compounds (Environmental Protection Agency, 2002). In particular, tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene are chemical elements that spread out into the landscape. Not just the land mass salient in Old Bethpage, its groundwater was also affected by the sheer operation of the CPC from the 1960s to the 1980s. In 1979, it was discovered that the site was contaminated by hazardous chemicals. The environmental problem was complicated by the fact that Old Bethpage was composed of numerous wells.

Cooling the Lava Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cooling the Lava - Assignment Example In the same period, strange masses of ice drift obstructed harbors and caused wide destruction. Suddenly, a fissure opened in the community outskirts and a lava curtain fountained high into the sky. The crew courageously watered the lava front as a garden. The water reduced the heat of the lava and a chilled lava wall was created to dam the red lava behind. As the lava moved below the air, the skin of glass developed. The skin could be repeatedly broken by the liquid motion under and tinkled (John A. McPhee. 104). Â  The crew used bulldozers to flatten a jagged surface glass and make way for the crew to move heavy pipes. Some individuals could catch fire and cool themselves with water and return to work. There was no any minute to waste as the crew had declared fight against the fatal lava. It seemed like the crew was in combat. The eruption vapors choked the people, but no one dared to put the tools down. They focused to contain the lava and turn it black. The falling ash formed a fog that obstructed visibility but could not deter their effort. They steadily watered and cooled the advancing lava from the summit until they stopped the flow.

Toyotas Ethical Issues

Toyotas Ethical Issues Business ethics, guiding decision-makings and policies, is concerned with good and bad or right and wrong behaviors and practices within business context(Carroll and Buchholtz, 2008, p242). Based on its great influence on the thinking and acting of all economic entities, whether private companies or state-owned enterprises, business ethics has become a real hot business principle. It appertains to relations between stakeholders and shareholders, between employees and employers, between customers and corporation; it dedicated to product quality, customer satisfaction as well as social responsibility. With the imperative consensus on the reconstruction of social values, business ethics is bound to be pivot and prerequisite for business. However, Carroll and Buchholtz (2008) stated actual business ethics seems to be improving but not at the same pace as public expectations are rising(Carroll, 2008, p242). Furthermore, the economic globalization piles increasing pressure on international business ethics. From the case of Toyotas recall problem, it is drawn that business ethics is ubiquitous and affects a companys development and prosperity strongly. For the purpose of this essay, it is essential to identify its significance and implementation in enterprises. This essay will firstly elaborate Toyotas ethical dilemma involved in its recall. Following this, it will analysis the origin that creates Toyotas ethical dilemma, with a combination of some related theories about business ethics, such as Stakeholder Model, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Finally, some considerable recommendations for Toyota to address this problem will also be made. 2.0 Toyotas Ethical Dilemma General Background of Toyota Toyota Motor Corporation is a multinational corporation headquartered in Japan. Through tremendous development, it currently boasts about 183 billion in annual sales and is the worlds largest automaker, which has the business of which covers many countries and territories including America, Europe, Africa and Asia (Pride et al, 2009, p243). Since its foundation, Toyota continuously conducted business activities under the guiding principle of contributing to the development of a prosperous society through the manufacture of automobiles. The guiding principle, as well as Toyotas CSR policies, serves as the foundation of its business (Toyota Official Website, 2010). However, now Toyota faces a series of embarrassment caused by its vehicle recall. In the beginning of 2010, due to a defect in its accelerator pedals, the company recalled eight million cars around the world (The Times, 2010). The global large-scale recall focalized Toyota once again. Ethical Problem Involved in Toyotas Recall Apart from its quality defect, more and more people began to accuse of Toyotas loss of ethics as a big business before and during its recall. Despite under multi-accusation and criticism, lacking initiative, Toyota did not respond timely. Originally, it attributed the safety issue to the floor mats and denied defective vehicles design; subsequently, its quality problems can not be covered up any longer. Nevertheless, in order for protecting its own business interests and corporate image, Toyota still took the chances and did not recall involving vehicles. Even when appearing in the U.S. Congressional hearings, Toyoda firmly insist that electronic throttle control system has nothing to do with the safety issue, throwing the issue of pedal safety to Toyotas suppliers. More specifically, according to U.S. lawmakers, Toyota hid internal test data in its secret book and refused to hand over evidence of safety defects involving its cars. At the same time, documents obtained by the Congress ional Oversight and Governmental Reform Committee demonstrated that Toyota deliberately withheld key information of crash victims (The Times, 2010). Finally, Toyota could not quibble about its intention to try to conceal the defect or reduce the recall range, which is also a direct challenge to its reputation. Clearly, Toyotas approach is not a right one that a responsible company should adopt when problems exist. To some extent, this is not a blunder of its decision-making but the lack of business ethics. Effects of the Ethical Problem to Toyota At present, Toyotas recall problem seems not to be curbed but ever-widening. Having recalled a wide scope of vehicles, Toyota still has to face the U.S. criminal probe and litigation. What is more severe, with its market having been seriously affected, Toyota also suffered a crisis of confidence worldwide, which is undoubtedly a deadly threat to the worlds top-ranked automaker. It is considered that Toyota has paid a terrible price due to ethical dilemma rather than quality problems. 3.0 Analysis and Discussion There are multiple reasons that caused Toyotas recall crisis, including supply chain mismanagement and its stringent cost control etc. While, the root on ethical dimension should not be neglected. Toyota Attach Great Importance to Economic Benefits but Neglect Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Toyota exceeds General Motors in 2008 as the worlds largest automaker. It is in this process that Toyota introduced a relentless cost control and simultaneously reduces its concern for quality. Toyoda acknowledged that in the past decades, Toyota was committed to expanding business scale and economic benefits, elevating market share and lowering costs; while giving up priority to product safety. In the harsh reality of competition, Toyota gradually goes away from the traditional Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) it has been proud of in a sense. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a business concern for societys welfare; a capacity to treat the stakeholders of the firm ethically or in a responsible way, and it is interpreted by managers who consider both the long-range best interest of the company itself and its harmonious relationship to the surrounding society (Lamb, 2008, p66). As for its wider aim, Hopkins(2007) suggested that it is to create the higher and higher standards of living for people both within and outside a certain company, while preserving the profitability of this focal corporation (Hopkins, 2007, p16). Corporate Social Responsibility is comprised of three concepts, including Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR1), Corporate Social Responsiveness(CSR2) and Corporate Social Rectitude(CSR3). Banerjee (2007) defined CSR2 as the ability of a corporation to respond to social pressures. Compared to CSR1, which has a normative basis to instruct a company what should to do, CSR2 provides a more strategic and managerial focus; that is, it is about what issues a firm choose to address and its policies and actions to address the issue (Banerjee, 2007, p20). CSR2 can be reactive, defensive or responsive. Unfortunately, Toyota adopted the reactive one; it did not make an active response, let alone an effective one. It was not until the crisis went beyond control that Toyoda appeared to apologized to the consumer and explained the situation. To our knowledge, CSR2 is a part of social policy process, whose concentration is on the organizational process for determining implementing and evaluating the firms capacity to anticipate, respond to and manage the issues and problems arising from claims of stakeholders (Sims, 2003, p51). The undisputed is that in its CSR2 process, Toyotas reac tion is passive and slow all the time, which also illustrated its attitude as prevaricated, procrastinative and arrogant. When it comes to CSR3, it refers to the moral correctness of the policies or actions taken (Carroll and Buchholtz, 2008, p56). Frederick in 1987 indicated CSR3 involved a pervasive sense of rightness, respect and humanity that would put publics values and ethics at the center of the companys concern, policies and main decision-makings (Scherer, 2008, p57-58). However, in its recall process, Toyota treated consumers in different regions in significantly differentiated way. As can be seen from Figure3.1, compared to the large amount of recalled vehicles in U.S. and European markets, the number of those in Japanese, in particular Chinese market is very small. In China, the worlds fourth largest market of Toyota in 2009, the recalled number is only 75,552, only accounting for one-tenth of Toyotas total sales in China, and one-third of the quantity recalled in Japan. What is more, type recalled is only the RAV4, while others are excluded. However, they belong to the list of Camry, Crolla and Highlander that has been recalled in U.S. market. Meantime, observant people have found such a delicate situation. In the U.S., in addition to apologizing, Toyota would also pay a high cost, which is comprised of not only the huge recall loss and kinds of fine, but also claims from U.S. consumers. Yet for Chinese consumers, Toyota is unwilling to provide alternatives, let alone financial compensation. Undeniably, Toyota is quite familiar with the hidden rules in Chinese auto market, where a comprehensive recall system has not been established, and it is adopting an appropriate way in accordance with Chinese law to deal with the recall. However, for Toyotaa company who always seek excellence, not breaking the relevant laws and regulations is not enough to convince people. In the CSR3 context, Toyota did not serve Chinese customers who are the same important to it equally. Although within the law, its discrimination against Chinese consumers is not an ethical behavior. Source: China News (up to 10 February, 2010) -Toyota Puts its Focus on Shareholders but not Stakeholders From a general view it seems that corporate stakeholders show the trend of proliferation and diversification. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify and thus effectively balancing the interests and needs of various stakeholders. To achieve this, it can draw reference to the Shareholder and Stakeholder Model. The Shareholder Model, known as an external and independent orientation, is to improve the wealth prospects of investors. On the contrary, firms who adhere to the Stakeholder Model promote an internal control focus and will promote its performance and thereby offer favorable returns for stakeholders who share an interest in the company. This will stimulate a supportive and positive environment for the company (Kakabadse, 2004, p234). In the recall, the stakeholders facing Toyota is not just consumers, but also government, regulators, competitors and media etc.. Hence, Toyota should not only be quick to solve problem in recall, but also be cautious to balance its stakeholders expec tations and needs. Kakabadse (2004) also pointed that the pursuit of profit for shareholders may become secondary when aim of Shareholder Model sharply conflict with the broader stakeholders requirements. Put in another way, Stakeholder Model should be preoccupied with wealth creation for shareholders; if not, there will exist great contradictions between corporates economic benefits and stakeholders interest, leading enterprises into ethical censure. Toyotas recall problem is just a typical. Toyota, addicted to the competition with General Motors, has been expanding its global scale. However, its proud Lean Manufacturing loses control after rapidly spreading all over the world, with the balance between minimum cost and optimal products being broken. In order to maintain constant revenue, Toyota place cost reduction overwhelmed, largely abandoning stakeholders interests; therefore its product quality problems are boomed to arise. In a sense, it is because Toyota ignored a balance of interests of stakeholders that contributed to its present ethical dilemma. Recommendations Restore the Situation Now the primary task for Toyota is to contain the intensified situation. It has been found that product recall has become one of the recognized best practices to maintain corporate reputation when quality problem and crisis emerged. So it is acceptable that Toyota recall all of its defective vehicles regardless of their amount. Although great expenditure on recall is unavoidable and the brand may be frustrated severely, but consistent large-scale recall will allow consumers to experience Toyotas sincerity and faith; that is, its ethical commitment as a responsible big business, which will enable Toyota to win more loyal customers. From the viewpoint of long-term, it is still beneficial and adoptable. At the same time, compared with that about its vehicle defects, the criticism is more about Toyotas passive attitude. So Toyota should lower its profile to actively cooperate with all involved stakeholders including those investigation departments to expect a clear description of the inc ident. Re-establish Image and Credibility To a certain extent, Toyotas original good image in the minds of consumers has been subverted because of the recall. If Toyota had made sincere response to consumers, the product problem may not turn into todays huge crisis. So it is urgent for Toyota to take positive actions and re-establish its image and credibility. Some practical ways to be considered are as follows. Firstly, Toyota must re-win consumers confidence and support. On the one hand, it could modestly listen to customers opinions and feedback to effectively address their concerns; on the other hand, Toyota may visit its clients frequently to show its stick to quality and safety; last but not the least, it must act in a moral way to treat every consumer fair. Overall, Toyota should spare no efforts to get customers understanding and continued support. Secondly, Toyota could actively corporate with some powerful media who act as the governments mouthpiece to publicize its correct behaviors. With positive publicity or pro motion of those media, it is feasible for Toyota to re-create its image as a noble company and to restore consumers confidence to it. Revise its Vulnerabilities Business ethics, as the same as a companys commercial objective, can be achieved by management. Among them, communication plays an essential role. Besides, the reason why Toyota fell into troubled water is not just confined to those ones stated above; it is also because Toyota failed to meet the expectations of international media and consumers to handle problem crisply. Because there exist flaws on the respect of its communication management. In fact, as a multinational corporation, Toyota still followed the traditional Japanese-style communication, which is often procrastinative and burdensome. Meanwhile, as far as the balance between the interests of stakeholders is concerned, the issue worthy to review for Toyota is still its management of communication with its stakeholder. However, it is never too late to correct. The lessons drawn from this crisis is that Toyota should stress and enhance its communication management. Moreover, for Toyota, strategic communication should be emph asized, which should be used not only as a means or method of conflict resolution, but also as a tactic from the strategic perspective. To establish strategic communication, it is far enough to launch kinds of internal and external communication mechanisms; what is more important, various communication methods, such as international public relations, lobbying and advertising etc. should be made the most of. On the basis of communications great importance for multinational company to solve or eliminate ethical conflict, Toyota should pay attention to it. Conclusion Laura Hartman (2003), past president of the Society for Business Ethics, said that business ethics, whose focus is on corporate citizenship and ethical management behaviors, recognizes principled leadership, moral awareness and participates in social changes (Vega, 2007, p648). However, in the process of business internationalization, the biggest challenge facing a company derived not only from its business objective, profit, the strategy and the technology; but also from the lack of business ethics, which support its ongoing survival. Toyota is one that suffered ethical crisis caused by its vehicle recall. It attaches much more importance to economic benefits than Corporate Social Responsibility, and also focus on shareholders but not stakeholders; all these produced its current ethical dilemma. As can be seen from the Toyota case, an enterprise, even a big one, must respect ethical issues. In this regard, an effective communication, as a tactic or a strategy, can help to solve ethi cal conflicts and balance interests of stakeholders. In short, business ethics is going from the edge to the center of management and becomes the strategy of corporation. So any corporation should value ethics and regard it as the starting point of any decision-making and action. Only when its wealth objective is consistent with the expectations and request of both the public and society, it can get enough support and achieve further success.

Essay --

Hikmat Hikmat: Hikmat adalah sikap yang bijaksana dalam menghadapi suatu masalah. Orang yang memiliki hikmat dapat menyelesaikan masalahnya dengan baik. Tidak semua orang yang dapat melakukan hikmat karena ketika orang ketika menghadapi masalah kebanyakan diantara mereka mudah menyerah dan putus asa, mereka memilih untuk mundur dari pada tetap mempertahankannya. Orang yang memiliki atau mempunyai hikmat maka ia dapat mencapai keberhasilan dan mendapatkan apa yang ia mau. Dengan perjuangan orang dapat melakukan apa yang tidak bisa. Saya memilih salah satu orangyang memiliki hikmat yaitu Jackie Chan, karena ketika ia menghadapi masalah ia dapat menyelesaikannya dengan baik dan tidak mudah untuk menyerah. Jackie Chan memiliki bela diri atau kung fu yang baik ia selalu berlatih dengan keras dan tidak mudah untuk menyerah atau mundur. Ia adalah orang yang terkenal dalam bela diri. Ia orang yang terkenal dan ia main di beberapa film, ia adalah pemain yang ada di layar lebar dunia. Saat film dimainkan selalu ada perjuangan dan semangat untuk menolong orang, ketika ia mendapat missi ia selalu member hasil yang baik dan memuaskan. Ia selalu melatih bela dirinya agar ia dapat menguasainya dengan baik. Jackie Chan pernah membuat beberapa lagu dan pernah memainkan beberapa musik. Orang yang memiliki rasa hikmat ia tidak mudah untuk mundur begitu saja karena dengan ia meneruskan apa yang ia inginkan maka ia akan mencapai tujuannya. Orang yang mudah menyerah atau putus asa maka ia akan undur dan tidak dapat mencapai apa yang ia mau dan semua usahanya akan terlewat begitu saja dan gagal. Orang yang memiliki rasa hikmat memiliki semangat juang yang tingi untuk menhadapi masalah. Seberapa besar masalah yang ... ...ihat agama, suku, ras, dan budaya mereka. Marilah menjadi rakyat yang anti-rasis. Jika kita menginginkan negara yang aman dan damai, marilah wujudkan impian itu bersama. Jangan hanya bergantung kepada satu pihak. Semua orang termasuk kita, semuanya bertanggungjawab untuk menjaga kedamaian negeri ini. Jangan sampai kita menyia-nyiakan usaha Gusdur yang luar biasa itu. Milikilah hikmat seperti Gusdur yang dapat mengubahkan negara. Mungkin kita berpikir ,†kita kan bukan pemerintah, bagaimana bisa membawa dampak?† Sebenanrya bisa saja jika kita mau. Jika kamu merasa terlalu berat untuk membuat negara ini damai, ubahlah lingkunganmu supaya menjadi damai. Jika kamu merasa terlalu sulit untuk mengubah dunia, ubahlah negaramu. Jika hal tersebut masih terlalu sulit, coba ubahlah lingkunganmu. Jika itu masih terlalu sulit, cobalah ubah dirimu menjadi seseorang yang lebih baik

“Notes of a Native Son” by James Baldwin Essay

The point of Baldwin’s essays is not so much to make his readers aware of racial prejudice in the States as it is to attempt to look at that prejudice, analyze it, understand where it comes from, and decide how to deal with it. In this essay, James Baldwin explores the complexities of both race relationships and familial relationships. Concerning his relationship with his father, Baldwin admits toward the beginning of the essay: â€Å"We had got on badly, partly because we shared, in our different fashions, the vice of stubborn pride.† This admission sets the tone for the rest of the essay, an idea of both opposition and similarity in this relationship. Also, Baldwin begins the title essay in Notes of a Native Son with a statement of death and birth. He mentions that â€Å"my father died. On the same day, a few hours later, his last child was born.†(p,52) This theme of death and birth also works itself out on a larger scale, eventually encompassing the entire ess ay. At the end of the essay Baldwin begins with his father’s funeral. Then he goes into reminiscing the times when his father was alive, realizing that they hadn’t talked much. Then back to the funeral, â€Å"The casket now was opened and the mourners were being led up the aisle to look for the last time on the deceased.† (p.65) Baldwin takes a last look at his father’s face.Baldwin is able to see his father in a different light, one that includes both his negative and positive characteristics. In doing so, Baldwin is also able to see himself more clearly. By examining his relationship with his father, Baldwin experiences several revelations, which culminate in a type of symbolic death and spiritual rebirth by the end of the essay.

Business Ethics Reflection Essay

In any organization workers can face ethical dilemmas. On a daily basic people are posed with ethical dilemmas and have to decide to making the correct or the wrong choice. Some may not realize but we make ethical work choices at times and may not even realize it. For instance you are late to work and they have already been given a final warning. When we come in no one is there to notice that you are late. Do you get in and start working as if you were on time, or do you clock in where your time will be documented and recorded that you were late. This situation is one that my fellow coworkers face on daily basics. I have noticed that when posed with this ethical choice they choose to do what is correct for them, not necessarily what is correct by the organization. We may see if as covering our own behind, but it actually violates ones business ethics. What some may not realize is that business ethics and personal values mirror each other very closely. In business they ask the same as society, no lying, stealing or cheating. Take responsibility and do what is correct, make the correct decision. The only question is who do you make the correct decision for, you or the company. In that situation most have choose to look out for self. When it comes down to making ethical choices that may put one self at risk people chose themselves over the business. This is when personal values may come into play. To do correct by whom, yourself or the company that you work for? In most personal value one would say to always look out for self first. So in their book the decision to not let anyone know that they were late does just that. Moral concepts are very similar to values, its one innate ability to do what is correct with in. The same is with virtue, Virtue-based ethical theories place less emphasis on which rules people should follow and instead focus on helping people develop good character traits (Cline). There are many external pressures that could have influenced the decision to cover ones behind and not tell anyone that they were late such as the current economical status. If the country is not doing well economically and people find it hard to obtain a good job within a reasonable amount of time. Then one would defiantly choose to violate business ethics. Other external pressures could be their current financial state. People that are in better than average financial positions or are financially stable. I could continue to list other external situations that could affect a person’s ability to make what they may view as the correct business decision verse the best moral decision for one self. If placed in a similar situation I would choose to look out for self. When I reflect on my bringing and what I was taught I was always taught to do what is best for me and my family. Regardless of who may be affected, making sure that my family was always taken care of came first. Although it may not be the best choice for all involved, it is the best for me and mine. At the point that I am in life I make my decision very wisely. I first think about who is going to be affected by the choice that I make. If I would choose to tell that I was late and face being terminated and that would put my family at risk for some financial instability. I know that many choice that we are forced to make in our business life can be unethical when it comes to work. But in our personal life they are considered to be ethical as well as morally correct choices. When it comes to decisions they will never be what is best for all. All members in the party want to make the choice that is best for them. Virtue, value and moral concepts are what people choose to live by to help them guide them in their personal and professional lives.