Practical and Emotional Intelligence

Practical and Emotional Intelligence Tabitha Driskell PSY/201 March 24, 2013 Taryn Fetscher Practical and Emotional Intelligence Practical intelligence is the intelligence related to overall success in living. Emotional intelligence is the set of skills that underlie the accurate assessment, evaluation, expression, and regulation of emotions (Feldman, 2013, p. 385). The difference between the two is that practical intelligence is learned by observing people’s behaviors while emotional intelligence has to do with understanding other’s emotions.Emotional intelligence is the basis of empathy for self-awareness and social skills (Feldman, 2013, p. 385). These both can help you accomplish many things, especially if you are good with both. These both can help you really well when working. Just imagine you are a cashier register and a customer complains about a toothbrush by yelling and calling you bad names. If you are really good at both intelligences then you can deal with this in a calm and mature way. Ask the customer what is wrong with the toothbrush, if the customer keeps shouting at you then you know that you need to get the manager.If you have a low intelligence for both emotional and practical intelligence then you can get fired because you will start acting like the customer. Emotional intelligence can help in this situation by helping you understand what the person is really feeling by their body language, words and facial expressions. It can also help you by knowing how to calm down the customer enough so nothing bad happens by listening to what the customer says and talking in a calm and mature way. Practical intelligence can help because you will be good at observing the person’s behavior.If you are good at only one of these it may help but not as good as both would. You may get too compassionate if you are only emotionally intelligent because you will really feel sad because of what the customer is going through. If you are both th ough, then you can think about it more critically using practical intelligence. One television character that I can think of that uses both intelligences is Bugs Bunny. He is always studying people’s behaviors to see how he can get out of trouble. He also knows how to get to your heart to get out of trouble. Such as with his foe Elmer Fudd who tries to cook him in a lot of episodes.He is able to make him cry by telling him stories that he knows will make him sad. He also dresses up as other people so that he can get out of trouble. With his wit I believe he can get out of any situation. His practical intelligence and emotional intelligence is easy to see through every episode. Another character is Dr. House who plays in the show House. He is able to tell if someone is lying to him by looking at their body language and behavior. He is also very smart and is actually able to diagnose a room full of patients in a minute while walking out of the clinic.He only did this to show pe ople that he can do it. Although he is good at practical and emotional intelligence, he can be mean. He usually acts like he does not care about his patients, but he just does that because he does not like to show his emotions. Critics have called his character sociopathic because of this. Other than his flaws he is really smart and intelligent. The only problem he needs to work on is his social skills. Resource Feldman, R. S. (2013) Psychology and your life (2nd ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw Hill. My memory of characters

Statement of Cash Flows

Statement of Cash Flows Larry D. Abernathy ACC 421/Intermediate Financial Accounting I Richard Burden Statement of Cash Flows The facts contained in the balance sheet and the profit and loss statement is connected by the bridge that is the statement of cash flows. By recording the flow of cash and cash equivalents into and out of the company the statement of cash flow is a good indicator of a company’s health. Thus, the purpose of the statement of cash flow is to reflect in record form the cash balances reflected in the balance sheet.The statement of cash flow has three main sections and each section tells us a unique thing about the company. The operating section tells us how the company is generating and using cash to support its day to day activities. Specifically, it gives information about the payments for the sales of loans, debt or equity instruments in a trading portfolio, the interest payment, tax payment, payments to suppliers for goods and services, dividends on equ ity securities, interest received on loans, receipts received on loans and receipts from sale of goods and services.Also the cash flow statement helps assess the ability of the entity to pay its bills and meet its obligations. The investing section tells us how a company is using its cash to grow long-term. If you see a lot of investments outflow, that means that the company is investing in capital projects that will sustain its earnings in the long-term. It gives information about the investing activities that are used with operating activities. The cash that goes into the investing activity of the firm is disclose by the cash flow statement.This includes loans made to suppliers, assets like and, purchase. Financing sections tells us the equity and debt situation of the company or how a firm is raising money to support its short-term and long-term goals. In detail the cash in financing activities provides information about the proceeds from issuing shares, from issuing short term o r long term debt, from capital leases, repayment of debt principal, payments made for repurchase of shares and payments of dividends. Fundamentally, the purpose of the cash flow statement is to inform about the past sources of cash to forecast the bility of the entity's ability to generate a positive cash flow in the future. The cash flow statement provides information from where the entity's cash is coming from. Is it coming from operations mainly or it is coming from other sources. The cash flow statement also provides information about the effect of investment and financing on the operations of the business. There are three parts of the cash statement namely cash from operating activities, investing activities and financing activities.The cash flow statement gives us the opening balance of cash, the amount of cash received during the operating period, the amounts paid during the period, the net increase or decrease in cash for the period and the final cash flow balance. When asse ssing the financial strength of a business it is important to know the cash flow statement because it gives an idea if the firm will be able to pay salaries and other immediate expenses. The cash flow statement also gives information if the firm will be able to repay its creditor. The cash flow statement also informs the lender or potential lenders if the company is financially sound.The contractors and future employees can assess if the cash flows of the company will be able to pay them salaries. While assessing the financial strength of a business it is necessary to know the time, amount and chances of future cash flows, the cash flow statement provides this information. For assessing the financial strength of a firm it is important to compare the operating performance of different companies, the cash flow statement allows this comparison. Further, it is important to ass the changes in assets, liabilities and equity. The cash flow statement provides such an opportunity.Most import antly, it is necessary to know the liquidity and cash in hand of a firm. Essentially the cash flow statement helps assess the financial position of the company by indicating to an investor how much cash flowed into and out of the company over a period of time and in addition it helps reconcile the income statement with the balance sheet. The accounting assumptions that are used for preparing the income statement and the balance sheet are compared with the hard cash earned. No assumptions are made in the preparation of the cash flow statement, and there are not estimations in the cash flow statement.Finally, by closing observing the statement of cash flow, one can determine the solvency of a company and how liquid it is. Having excess cash is an indicator that a company is very liquid and will likely return money to the stakeholders and is likely to be in sound financial condition. If a company is struggling then it will have very little cash. It will struggle to meet its debt obliga tions and may go into bankruptcy as well. References The accounting process. (2010). Retrieved on December 12, 2012 from http://www. netmba. com/accounting/fin/process

Avoid Being Late

Avoid Being Late Lasonya Dawson Grand Canyon University PSY-102 October 24, 2010 Avoid Being Late The act of being late can be avoided by taking certain measures. The first thing you have to be able to do is admit that you had a problem with being on time. The next thing you have to do is be able to identify what causes you to be late. The next thing that you have to be is willing to do is make the necessary changes to correct the issues. The issue can be corrected with acknowledging all of the above and realize that this can be a very career threatening thing.The admittance that you have issue with being on time is the very first step in starting the process is resolving the issue. When you are late the problem starts in the preparation of the day before or the day of. One has to be able to picture in their mind what needs to be the day before and have a backup plan if needed. If one is in denial that they have a problem being on time, then there is little that can be done to correc t the issue. Once you have acknowledged the issue then you can find a solution or set up some type of system to resolve it. One has to be able to identify what triggers or causes them to be late.When you realize the point when time starts to get in a bit of a crunch could be sign of you being late. You have to be able to figure out is it the day before preparation or is it that you may have to try to multitask. Multitasking is the act of doing several things at the same time to get all completed in a timely manner. One should be able to see the pattern and the signs that occur when they are about to be late. When you are able to make the necessary changes to eliminate being late then you will be able to see what a positive effect it has on all things in your life.Once the changes are made to correct the issue you should become a more productive person. The key to being on time is time management. If you are able to manage your time well usually you are always on time. I pride myself on being on time. I start the day before if I know I have to be somewhere at a certain time the next day. I start by doing everything that I can possibly do the day before so that it will not slow me down the next day. I start with the kids. I ironing their clothes, getting their snacks together, and making sure I know how much time I am going to need to get them ready.I can say that I am rarely late to anything that I am expected to be on time to. I accredit it to the fact I feel like I am going to miss something if I am late and I hate to be in a hurry or having to do things at the last minute. The issue will not just be resolved in just one attempt. You have to be willing to try different things over a period of time. You have to be able to set a realistic time frame that you will be able to say that you have the issue under control. One has to set short term goals and follow through with them. You can start as simple as doing some things the day before that you would normally d o the day of to save time.One may follow up next with trying to multitask and take care of several things at once but, do not overwhelm yourself. Finally you can use what you have been training yourself to do on a family outing and set a time that you expect yourself to be there. You can even go so far as to grade yourself. There should also be some consequences for you being late. You can make an agreement with yourself to take away things that you like to do. You should also reward yourself for being on time until you have gotten the issue under control. I could start by taking away television time from you or even internet time from yourself.You can reward yourself by buying something that you like. There should always be penalties for allowing you to be late as well as rewards for being on time. The main thing that one has to realize is the negative effect that being late has on your career. Being late shows signs that you are not dependable. You should think it as if you are go ing to an interview and that if you are late then you are not going to get the job that you so desperately need. If one can place that kind of pressure on themselves then you should be able to always

Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 16

Technology - Essay Example It should be admitted that technology helps people to change the understanding of time and space dimensions (SlideShares, 2012). People are able to connect with each other for a few seconds and transform the information to any distances. For the modern society that is always busy and in need of a quick and easy way of exchanging information it is a huge advantage. Shopping, banking, game playing, messaging is considered to be a highly popular services today, that are used to make people’s life easier and more interesting. On the other hand, all this services may isolate person from a real life. The matter is that technologies may become an enormous part of people’s lives and lead to unpleasant implications (SlideShares, 2012). There are a lot of examples when person spends hours in front of his/her computer and occurred to be isolated from the society and his/her close people. That may cause some psychological problems and evoke a depression. One more important point is people’s communication. Modern society uses messaging, phone calls, e-mails for the sake of quick and comfortable social interactions (SlideShares, 2012). That is considered to be rather convenient way of communication that allows to be connected with family, friends and colleagues whenever and wherever person wants. However, mobile and internet communication leads to the lack of face-to-face interactions. That is remained to be a serious problem in modern society as it may cause problems with family and friends. Communication through technologies may evoke misunderstandings and reduce people’s desire for the face-to-face communication. In addition, it is important to mention the question of getting information from the technological devices. Television and internet are regarded as huge services for the presenting information to the entire world. People may find any data they need and updated the latest news with the help of technologies. That helps people to be

The Relationship Between Politics and Economics Essay

The Relationship Between Politics and Economics - Essay Example Political systems would not have the money or means to decide without the economic systems. For example, the American political system would not have money or means without taxation on the American economic system. The American economic system would not function well without laws passed by the American political system. Thus both of the entities are intertwined by the essence surrounding both systems. The problems occur when production, distribution, and consumption is not managed through proper laws. An example would be the current American banking crisis. Uneven distribution of credit allowed too much consumption without enough production of real money. Banks would loan $100,000 to people that could not afford the mortgage. Then the banks would foreclose. However, banks then became property poor, with no real monetary value. Without proper laws for the balance of production, distribution, and consumption the whole system can crash. That is why there must be a separation between the two systems. So checks and balance system can be in order. The economic system called feudalism is related to the Middle Age economic system. This system included lords, vassals, and fiefs. The lords are possessors of land. Vassals are works of the land. Fiefs are the land or farms. For this system to work, goods were produced for lords by vassals through fiefs allotted them to work. There was little or no money. Goods, livestock, and services were provided by the workers for their bosses on the boss’ land. The feudalism economic system survived until a few factors changed. The Renaissance, the decrease of the profession of being a soldier, and the Industrial Revolution created the decline of feudalism. Each of this reason chipped away at the feudalism economic system.

Economic Factors Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economic Factors - Assignment Example Industry A: 20 firms and a Concentration Ratio (CR) of 30% Name and some of the industry's characteristics An industry with 20 firms and a CR of 30% is called a low concentration industry. This is a type of industry in which its four largest firms control less than 50% of its market. According to Ruffinand Gregory (2000), this type of industry is monopolistically competitive and the market control gained by its four largest firms/industries is moderate. There are many firms producing a similar product. Prices are set through a contestable market model hence the decisions of one firm are not influenced by the decisions of another firm. The above is supported by the fact that in this industry, the key to success is the ability to offer products at a lower price (Weiss, 1989). Even of the sellers were few or even one, they would act as if they were many. Entry and exit from the industry is costless and new entrants are mainly attracted into the industry if a possession of market power i f profitable. The pressures of competition help to prevent monopoly and keep the industry operating at a prices and outputs that are competitive. Expected long-run adjustments in case there was an increased demand for a product that pushed up the price of goods When there is an increase in demand of a product that in turn leads to an increase in its price, all the 20 firms in the industry are going to make positive profits and prosper. In the short-run, marginal costs and marginal revenue will be equal indicating an equilibrium or profit maximization. In the long-run, firms will alter the scale of product and leave or enter the industry. Other firms who want to take advantage of the profit will enter the industry leading to a rise in supply of the product. This will push the market prices of the product down to the long-run equilibrium. What the anticipated adjustment process imply about the CR for the industry The above-mentioned anticipated adjustments imply that there is a relati onship between the CR of the industry and the properties of the industry. For example, when the CR is low as in this case, monopolistic competition takes place resulting to the market exhibiting elements of both monopoly and perfect competition. The reason behind this is that since the industry is monopolistically competitive, each of its existing firms has the power to set prices. They will compete for a control of the market share by lowering their prices and in the end, many of them will charge the long-equilibrium price. This establishes an equilibrium and eliminates incentives for entry. In other words, a low CR eliminates temporary rise in prices and restores the economy to a long-run equilibrium level, a characteristic of a competitive market. Therefore, it is true to say that the lower the CR, the higher the level of competition of the market. Industry B: 20 firms and a Concentration Ratio (CR) of 80% Name and some of the industry's characteristics An industry having 20 firm s and a CR of 80% is called a high concentration industry. 20 firms and a CR of 80% indicate a highly oligopolistic industry. In this type of industry, a significant level of market control is under the power of four of its largest firms (Ruffinand, 2000). The market is dominated by few firms who sell slightly differentiated

Shoeless Joe by J.D. Salinger Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Shoeless Joe by J.D. Salinger - Essay Example Salinger’s interest for games and sports is overwhelming. In the novel, baseball can critically be accounted for in relation to the role played by Salinger (Kinsella 72). The game accounts for the American history, and subsequent evolvement of the game in the American context. This scenario in the case of Salinger is intriguing, in relation to his involvement in the pursuits of the game. He shows special interest in sporting, becoming a primary fan of the game. Salinger’s support for athletes captures the interest of the reader in regard to the highlights made by the novel. Salinger’s social interaction with other people and the society at large is not an outstanding undertaking. The novel outlines his interest for individual autonomy, enjoying individual domain away from public interference (Kinsella 143). The combination of this aspect with his passion and interests leaves so much to be desired, due to the lack of connection that socialization and game pursuits pose. However, Salinger manages his personality and character, as well as his day to day undertakings, to present a wholesome person is less likely to be influenced by parties that he least worries about. Life is highly characterized by dreams, at least as Salinger seems to be believe (Kinsella 168). Dreams constitute the primary activities that Salinger gets engaged in. In other words, his thoughts are highly held and treasured in his life, with or without critical analysis of the inner meaning of the thoughts or even the underlying dreams for that matter. Amid this dream concept and pursuit in Salinger’s life the concept of aging at a personal level is introduced. Aging comes with the lesson that individual efforts can beat advancing age to revitalize personal efforts through persistently enhancing personal creativity. Another interesting item about Salinger is how magic and related acts are captured through the author. He believes in the occurrence of supernatural happeni ngs or the existence of extraordinary forces that act on an individual from time to time. Salinger does not consider his life to be perfect one in an American context, but it is rather better compared to many other places beyond America. The extraordinary forces that Salinger believes in depict scenarios of at time happenings that befall an individual in the pursuit of their daily interests. Magic is part and parcel of Salinger’s life, meaning that he believes in supernatural occurrences, and does not mind experiencing them from time to time. This realization as provided for by the novel is a critical learned aspect of Salinger. The general life of Salinger is rather a complicated one. Starting from his character in the novel to the real life scenario that the novel poses, Salinger has a sophisticated personality. While this aspect is not hard to come by in many individuals around the world, its representation in the novel and the actual life that Salinger leads makes it an i nteresting aspect in relation to what one can learn about Salinger from the novel. He makes moves when least expected to do so. On the same note, when there is an intention to please him, the outcome depicts the opposite. The predictability of an individual following critical analysis of his or her personality aids a crucial determination of how to handle the person in question.

Exploring Fashion, Fit And Affordability Report Analysing Essay

Exploring Fashion, Fit And Affordability Report Analysing - Essay Example The paper "Exploring Fashion, Fit And Affordability Report Analysing" analyzes the fashion availability, fit and affordability in the UK stores. The objective of the research has not been presented clearly and distinctly. If the researchers have a clear perception of the objective and the purpose of the research, it helps to develop the research methods more accurately. It also allows the reader to understand the purpose of the study better. Presenting the purposes as above would make it easier for the researchers to analyse their research and findings more effectively, and achieve what they intended to find. It also makes it easier for the reader to judge whether the findings corroborate with the purpose. Moreover it is easier to refer back to the purpose. The study applied a mix of the quantitative and qualitative research methodology, as one of the prime objectives was to examine the satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the retail experience. This would be difficult in a purely quant itative approach. Quantitative approach is equally essential for this study because it enables distance between the observer and the observed. Moreover, quantitative research is descriptive and such a study requires description. A qualitative approach, on the other hand, allows the researcher to get an â€Å"insider perspective on social action† (Knox, 2004). In the quantitative method the focus is on numbers while the qualitative method has the potential to reveal complexity. Pure quantitative research.

Qantas Financial Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Qantas Financial Analysis - Case Study Example An analysis of Qantas' financial position and business risk has been done with different profitability, liquidity and gearing ratios. Belkaoui (1998, p11) illuminates that "the profitability ratios portray ability of the firm to efficiently use the capital committed by stockholders and lenders to generate revenues in excess of expenses". The following profitability ratios provide an insight into the profit generating capacity and performance of the company over the last two financial years: The rate of return on total assets ratio expounds the ability of a firm in utilizing its various assets towards profit generation. Qantas' rate of return on total assets ratio has declined by about 25% in the year 2006 as compared to 2005. It suggests that the company's profitability has tumbled down significantly over the last two financial years. The net profit ratio evaluates a company's profitability position after considering all the operating costs and interest expense etc (Mcmenamin Jim, 1999). The net profit margin of Qantas again indicates a serious decline in the company's ability to generate profit out of its sales revenue. This ratio has also decreased by about 25% in the year 2006. The worth noting point is that the company's sales revenue, as suggested by its financial statements for the year 2006, has increased by about 8% in 2006. ... The company's short term financial position and business risks can be analyzed with the help of the following liquidity ratios: Liquidity Ratios 2005 2006 Current Ratio 0.74 0.93 Quick Ratio (Acid Test) 0.67 0.87 Average Receivables Collection Period 25.69 25.24 The current ratio measures a company's ability to liquidate its short-term liabilities out of its various current assets (Meigs & Meigs, 1993). The above table shows that Qantas' current ratio has increased by about 20% in the year 2006 as compared to 2005. It suggests and improvement in the company's ability to pay of its short term liabilities. The quick ratio examines the short-term solvency of a company after deducting its stock from the current assets (Mcmenamin Jim, 1999). The quick ratio for Qantas for the year 2006 further shows an increasing trend. This ratio has risen by about 23% in the year 2006 as compared to 2005. It illuminates that the company has acquired more capacity to pay off its short term debt after keeping aside its stock from the current assets. However, the company bears significant short term solvency risks, because it still possesses about $0.93 worth of current assets and $0.87 worth of quick current assets to pay of its $1 worth of current liabilities. T he average receivables collection ratio suggests that it takes the company about 25 days to collect cash from its debtors. This ratio shows a sign of stability in the company's collection policies. Qantas' long term financial position and business risk have been analyzed with the help of the following gearing ratios which illustrate the company's capital structure and its ability to meet its interest

Ethical Management Essay Example for Free

Ethical Management Essay This essay seeks to identify the study of ethical management on a broad scope, and to specifically sieve out the issues which are common within the banking sector. This would include a case study on UBS and ethical problems which UBS have faced. As ethics cannot be divorced entirely from the study of sustainability and corporate social responsibility, this essay will also feature a look at banks, and their decisions which might be been unethical. The Study of Ethical Management While there might be many reasons why unethical behaviour happens, this essay would be looking at three of them in particular: 1) Personal Gain, 2) Strong Organisational Identification, and 3) Personality. . To examine the relationship between organizations and why ethical issues occur within them, we first define the term â€Å"Business† and â€Å"Businessperson†. The book, â€Å"Business Ethics†, written by William(2008), states that a business can represent and range from a start-up venture by some students, to a multinational corporation. Businessperson might be a sole proprietor running a business for themselves, or a CEO responsible for a multinational corporation. To take a broader view, we view the businesspeople under the personal point of view, and couple them with the other individuals who are within the organization. This would allow us to see why unethical behaviour can derive not only from the top management, but from every aspect of the organization. To expound on the individual, we refer to the book written by Schminke(2010), â€Å"Managerial Ethics†, where he identified â€Å"four individual decision-making styles†. The first belongs to an individualist mentality, this mentality ignores the stakeholders. The second mentality is altruistic, where the benefit of others is of the essence. The third group is the pragmatists, and lastly, the idealist, whose decisions are governed by principles and rules. Common Ethical issues faced in the Banking sector 1) Insiders Trading Insider trading, defined by Cornell University Law School, is when company’s stocks or other securities are traded by individuals who have access to undisclosed and confidential information. These individuals are known as insiders. To better comprehend the concerns of insider trading, we refer to the paper by Yulong Huey-Lian(1998). Two things must first be addressed. First, who do these insiders refer to? Secondly, how is insider trading illegal? By definition from the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission(S. E. C. ), insiders are, â€Å"chairmen, directors, officers, etc. , and principal shareholders with 10 percent or more of their own firm’s common stock†. People in these positions are likely to be able to gain access to the firm’s undisclosed information. However, not all insiders trading are illegal. For example, managers of firms can often purchase its own firm’s stocks to increase their own individual share and voting power within the firm. This train of thought also believes that the more stock of the firm the manager holds, the greater their ownership and thus a higher work morale is derived from it. Insiders are still allowed to purchase its own firm’s stock, if they truly believe that it is a good investment. Insider trading becomes illegal however, when trades are made by insiders with the prior knowledge of an announcement for the investor’s personal gain. When an act as such is committed, insider trading becomes illegal. This action is deemed unethical as it is unfair to investors who do not possess the material information. Other transgressions can include the handling of undisclosed firm’s information from a firm’s insider to a public investor. For a trade to occur under the basis of the privileged information, and for the recipient to have personally gained from the trade, both parties can be charged under the S. E. C. ’s regulation of Fair Disclosure. An example of illegal insider trading within banks can be seen from as recently as January 16, 2014, where David Michael Gutman from J. P. Morgan colluded with Christopher John Tyndall from Meyers Associates. As â€Å"long time close personal friends†, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority(FINRA) discovered that Gutman had shared material, undisclosed information with Tyndall over a span of 19 months. This information included pending corporate mergers and acquisition transactions, which allowed Tyndall to make informed, no-risk trading using personal and family accounts. Quoting from Cameron K. Funkhouser, he said, â€Å"David Gutman had the keys to the kingdom through his position at J. P. Morgan as a gatekeeper.. †, we can see to how unethical behaviour driven by an individual in the position of power, can taint the image of the firm. Enforcements have been put in place to prevent and to deter insiders from carrying out such behaviours. The SEC has instituted new rules, 10b5-1 and 10b5-2 under the code of Federal Regulations, and the enforcement of these regulations being made global just recently in 2013 after the insider trading inquiry regarding the acquisition of H. J. Heinz Company. 2) Profits before Ethics The relationship between business ethics and profits can be complicated at times. Profits values will sometimes conflict with ethical values which will lead to unethical business behaviour in the manager’s bid to raise profits within the firm, consequentially affecting the firm’s stakeholders. Watkins (2011) brings about the argument that for those who ethics concerns, the chase of pecuniary values creates a potential compromise between social ethics and profitable opportunities, a factor that links to the Goldman Rule. The rule states that the greater the profitable opportunities, the higher the opportunity cost for the firm to consider ethical behaviours. This is further described by Weber (2006), as he states that companies are not evaluated on their success based on â€Å"their reputation for ethics†, but on the basis of profitability. It is plausible now to see why banks are driven by a sole concern for profit and to raise the value of their stock. With that in mind, what are some ethical boundaries a bank could trespass upon? As a corporation whose sole objective is to increase profit, they carries the potential turn a blind eye to internal ethics; explained in the book by Reynolds (2011) titled, â€Å"Ethics in Investment Banking†, which defines internal ethics as ethical considerations in regards to their employees’ welfare and the considerations in the use of the shareholder resources. These transgressions can range in forms of overworking employees, to an audit coverage of losses to portray a higher stock market price. As individuals looking for greater profits either for self or the firm, especially under the investment wings of banks, individuals can turn rogue and make unauthorised transactions which goes beyond the risk limits of the banks in hope of a greater profit. Jerome Kerviel’s case in 2008; where even the hierarchy turned a blind eye to his risks due to the profit he was generating, and Nick Leeson’s famous collapse of Barings Bank in 1995 are two such examples. Investments in environmentally harmful industries Environmentally harmful projects have been a major factor against Global Warming Awareness efforts. Such investments are being funnelled by banks who are less ethical in the area of sustainability. There have been numerous campaigns to counter banks from investing into unethical projects, some of which protestors even boycotted such banks. Citigroup the world’s largest project finance bank has been known to grant loans to these projects, which are harming the environment. Citigroup was indirectly related to the Camisea pipeline in Peru which has at least 5 spillages along the pipeline to date. Which not only damages the local ecosystems, but also detrimental to the livelihood of people around the world and threatens the well-being of mankind via climate change (Hogue, 2002). A glimpse of such unethical activities reveals something prevalent. It destroys our natural environment, by means of deforestation and the release of harmful gases from the burning of fossil fuels. However, Citigroup has yet see that their funding of major oil drilling and pipe laying companies not only worsens the global warming situation but also encourages environmental insecurity. Several other big-scale European banks, such as Dutch Bank and ABN Amro, came up with a policy which prevented funding of these industries. According to (ABN Amro’s) sustainability policy, â€Å"limited to financing of companies or projects related to timber, paper, agricultural plantations, mining and/or oil and gas. The bank would consider exceptions only â€Å"when extractions are delicately prepared, and holds responsibility on issues of national forest management. † A positive example of how banks can fund environmentally friendly projects can be seen from analysing the Banking Environment Initiative (BEI), it aims to lead the banking industry in directing bank investments towards environmentally and socially sustainable economic development. The objective of the BEI is to also unravel ways to invest in clean energy and soft commodities. As quoted from (CPSL, online), â€Å"the group, currently comprises of 10 global banking institutions which stretches across Asia to Europe, the United States and Latin America. † The best way of creating a united force amongst them was if they were acting on behalf of their clients. Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) has the intention to eliminate deforestation from their supply chain. As such they would prefer to form alliances with banks and work together to counter and ultimately eliminate deforestation. Banks have got to find ways to come up with a significant source of funding to finance the journey to sustainability. 4) False Accounting Frauds False accounting fraud, defined by the United Kingdom’s police, is the practice where a business, works in tandem with an accounting firm to overstate or understate company’s asset or liabilities with the intention of making the business appear financially stronger or healthier than it really is. As there are a multitude of reasons to commit false accounting fraud, we will not be listing all. False accounting allows for a corporation to gain higher credit ratings, report unrealistic profits, and hide losses to appeal to potential shareholders with an inflated share price. Some extraordinary cases which occurred regarding the falsification of accounts are such as the Enron scandal in 2001; where the audit and accountancy firm, Arthur Andersen was involved and convicted of assisting in audit fraud and subsequently dissolved. Enron was declared bankrupt and new laws were instituted to increase the accountability of firms who are auditing to remain independent of the clients whom they audit. Didn’t the code of conduct promise proper handling of UBS’s assets? He first began his illicit deals in late 2008, doing it for personal gains while covering his tracks with false accounting to the back office. This led to the back office being ignorant of the unauthorised trades as the regular books did not show it, instead, the profits were filed into a secret account called his Umbrella. Adoboli’s desk colleagues admitted to being in the know of the secret accounts, and his two bosses did not enquire into the suspicion despite the daily trading maximums being exceeded. This breakdown in corporate beliefs at the managerial level led to the unethical trading arising within the ranks of the department, and it going by unnoticed. While the integrity of the individual must be questioned, the work culture of UBS could be a factor to encourage the individual to behave unethically. Since the incident, UBS has taken a few measures to facilitate the new risk management practices. Firstly, the bank has taken step to refrain from proprietary trading. A bank would engage in proprietary trading as it benefits firms to make extra revenue. However, the disadvantage of engaging in this form of trading is that with high returns, often comes high risks. Conclusion In summary, how ethical management is derived has no hard and fast rule. However, implementations such as a Code of Conduct, or a company policy helps in setting the tone right within an organization. Through the paper, it is seen how ethical dilemmas can arise on an individual level or an organizational level. If one were to follow the many trains of thoughts regarding ethical management, they would get lost in the plethora of unions and activist fighting for ethical beliefs.

What Is Man Doing To The Earth Religion Essay

What Is Man Doing To The Earth Religion Essay THREE HUNDRED years ago, man lived much closer to nature. For the most part, he was not threatened by man-made changes to the global environment in the way he is today. The industrial revolution had not begun. There were no power stations, factories, automobiles, or other sources of widespread pollution. The thought of mans ruining the whole earth may have been hard for him to imagine. Yet, even back then, a warning about global ruination was in wide circulation. That warning was found in the last book of the Bible, and it foretold a time when God would intervene in mans affairs to bring to ruin those ruining the earth.-Revelation 11:17,  18. How comforting for all who are concerned about modern mans mismanagement of the earth to know that the Creator of our magnificent planet will save it from ruin! But, you may wonder, have we really reached such a critical situation that Gods intervention is needed? Well, consider some of the facts and judge for yourself. Forests beautify the earth and provide food and shelter for several million different species. As trees grow and manufacture food, they perform other vital services, such as absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing precious oxygen. Thereby, National Geographic says, they offer one antidote to the global warming that threatens life on earth as we know it. But man is ruining his forest heritage. North American and European forests are dying from pollution. And the demands of industrial nations are decimating tropical forests. An African newspaper explained that in 1989, 66 million cubic metres [of tropical wood were] expected to be exported-48  percent to Japan, 40  percent to Europe. Also, in some lands, farmers burn forests to create farmland. Soon the fragile forest soil becomes exhausted, and the farmers have to burn more forest. It is estimated that in this century alone, nearly half the worlds forests have vanished. Oceans Earths oceans also play a vital role in cleaning the atmosphere, and mans activities are ruining them. Vast quantities of carbon dioxide are absorbed by the oceans. In turn, phytoplankton absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen. Dr.  George Small explains the importance of this life cycle: 70  percent of the oxygen added to the atmosphere each year comes from plankton in the sea. Yet, some scientists warn that phytoplankton could be seriously depleted because of ozone reduction in the atmosphere, which is believed to be caused by man. Also, man dumps garbage, oil, and even toxic wastes into the ocean. While some countries agree to limit the wastes they allow to be dumped at sea, others refuse. One Western nation even reserves the right to dump nuclear wastes at sea. Famed ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau warns: We must save the oceans if we want to save mankind. Drinking Water Man is ruining even his drinking water! In poor lands, millions of people die each year because of contaminated water. In richer nations, water sources are contaminated by, among other things, fertilizers and pesticides that wash into rivers and seep into groundwater. In 1986 the world production of pesticides was 2.3 million tons, and the rate of increase is reported to be 12  percent per year. Another source of pollution is chemical dumps. The metal drums containing the chemicals, explains Scientific American, are nothing less than time bombs that will go off when they rust through. This type of pollution, the journal adds, is happening worldwide in thousands of chemical waste dumps. The result? All over the earth, once pure rivers are being turned into industrial sewers. It is estimated that 20 million Europeans drink water from the Rhine, yet this river is so polluted that sludge dredged from its bed is too dangerous to use for landfill! Farming Practices Alarmingly, man is even ruining his farmland. In the United States alone, 20  percent of the land set aside for irrigation has been damaged, according to Scientific American. Why? Because overirrigation adds too much salt to the soil. Many countries have ruined much valuable land in this way. As much land is now being taken out of production due to salinization as is being brought into production through new irrigation projects, states The Earth Report. Another widespread problem is overgrazing,  which may be contributing to the spread of deserts. Too Many Motor Vehicles So much for our planets land and water. But what about its air? This too is being ruined, and the culprits are many. To mention just one, consider the automobile. Following are warnings from three influential scientific journals: Motor vehicles generate more air pollution than any other single human activity. (New Scientist) There are currently 500 million registered automobiles on the planet .  .  . Filling their tanks consumes about one third of the worlds production of oil. .  .  . The number of automobiles is increasing more quickly than the population. (Scientific American) Petrol [gasoline] in all phases of production, use and disposal is a major source of environmental degradation and disease.-The Ecologist. Yes, our planet is being abused, ruined. Its seas, drinking water, farmlands, and even its atmosphere are being polluted to an enormous extent. Surely, this alone would suggest that the time is near for God to intervene and bring to ruin those ruining the earth. (Revelation 11:18) However, there are other, even worse, ways in which the earth is being ruined. Let us see just what they are. A World Government The only way to combat the  greenhouse effect and other emerging  environmental  disasters is a world government, says Dr.  Kenneth Hare, renowned geographer and  climate-change expert. Humanity is mounting a deadly assault on nature, Hare warned. The planet is threatened not just by a nuclear holocaust but by ecological misuse, reports the Calgary Herald, a Canadian newspaper. Hare claims that three billion tons of carbon are spewed into the atmosphere annually by automobile exhausts and industrial smokestacks. Computer studies show that even with moderate economic growth, carbon-dioxide levels would double by the year 2075. Weve created a global problem, and without regulation of the environment on a global scale, well be in trouble, said Hare. What Dr.  Hare recommends is indeed logical. Still, can man ever hope to establish a global government that would be able to do such things as regulate economic growth, develop nonpolluting energy sources, and convince humankind to embark on a program of worldwide environmental care? Hardly! Gods Word clearly says: To earthling man his way does not belong. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step. (Jeremiah 10:23) However, this does belong in the hands of God. As the Prince of Peace, his Son, Jesus Christ, will administer a world government that will rule in justice and righteousness. Under his heavenly rulership, mankind will not imperil the environment.-Isaiah 9:6,  7; 11:9; Daniel 2:44. Oh, for Some Fresh Air! BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN BRITAIN WHEN you breathe, do you inhale fresh air? Present-day air pollution is a bigger enemy than smoking, claims a doctor quoted in The Times of London. In England and in Wales, contaminated air kills an estimated 10,000 people every year. Worldwide, especially in large cities, the situation is serious. Many blame the automobile industry for polluting the atmosphere. To reduce dangerous exhaust, new vehicles in many countries now come fitted with catalytic converters, which reduce pollution. The hydrocarbons in exhaust gases have dropped to 12 percent of the 1970 levels, with similar reductions of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. Babies in strollers are particularly vulnerable because they ride at the level that cars spew out fumes. But air pollution threatens car occupants as well. Reportedly, the contamination is three times higher inside cars than outside. Further hazards come from inhaling benzene fumes from fuel as you fill your cars fuel tank. Now the most prevalent form of air pollution worldwide is Suspended Particulate Matter, says a 1993-94 United Nations environmental data report. Apparently, tiny bits of soot, or particulate matter, have the ability to penetrate deep into the lungs and there deposit damaging chemicals. The depletion of the ozone layer high above the globe attracts much press comment. At ground level, however, sunlight acts on the nitrogen oxides and other volatile elements of air pollution to produce high levels of ozone. These levels have doubled in Britain during this century. These gases damage paint and other building materials, cause disease in trees, plants, and crops, and appear to trigger respiratory problems in some people. Although most of the ozone pollution occurs in towns, surprisingly it is the rural areas that suffer the worst effects. In the urban areas, nitrogen oxides mop up the excess ozone, but where these oxides are sparse, the ozone has free rein to wreak damage. Additionally, air pollution is up to 70 times higher inside homes than outdoors, reports The Times. Here the fumes from air fresheners, mothballs, and even dry-cleaned clothes pollute the air. Cigarette smoke likewise adds to health risks indoors. What, then, can you do to protect your family? The Times of London offered the following suggestions. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reduce your use of the car. If possible, share transportation with others. Drive smoothly. If stuck in a traffic jam or otherwise stationary for more than a couple of minutes, switch off the engine. If possible, on hot days park your car in the shade to reduce pollution produced by fuel evaporation. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Choose to exercise in the early mornings when ozone levels outdoors are generally low. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Outlaw smoking in the home. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Keep bedroom windows slightly open at night to lower humidity and move allergens outside. No doubt you agree: Oh, for some fresh air! Warning! This Water May Be Hazardous to Your Health CAN you imagine turning on the water tap at your kitchen sink, holding a lighted match to the faucet, and witnessing a horrifying eruption of flames? Can you imagine a freshwater river that bursts into flames at the drop of a lighted cigarette? Would you be appalled if your bathwater was too thick to drink but too thin to plow and piling up in one end? Does it boggle the mind to think of river water that can develop a picture from a negative before your eyes? What would be your reaction if your tap water came out with a head on it, looking like bock beer? Do you have to open the window at your sink so as not to stink up the house when water is drawn from the faucet? Does your marriage mate leave the morning pot of coffee untouched because of its unusual strength, only to discover later that no coffee had been added yet? Or is your water crystal clear, pure in taste, but your family repeatedly suffers from headaches, dizziness, dysentery, or skin rashes after drinking it? Or would the suffering of tremors, blindness, and impairment of the central nervous system best describe the symptoms? Did you know that not long ago one third of humanity was in a perpetual state of illness because of impure water and that ten million people were dying each year, not for the lack of it, but because of it? Can all of this be the figment of a wild imagination-the stuff of science-fiction movies? Unfortunately, the scenarios are true. It has become obvious that man today has the awesome genius to poison completely every living thing on the face of the earth and in the waters below. Most of this has come about through his efforts to make life easier-mitigating pain and disease, bringing the world closer to his living room through communication, pursuing his quest into outer space, and making  destructive  implements of war. Most of this is caused by mans creation of new but deadly chemical compounds. Six years ago, over 60,000 such chemical concoctions were on the market-35,000 of which were classified as either deadly or extremely hazardous to our health, with thousands more being formulated each year. From these chemical cocktails have come equally dangerous and highly toxic wastes that are disposed of by dumping them into the earth, rivers, and streams, with little thought of the consequences it would have on people or environment. A Boon to Farmers, a Bomb to Earths Waters Pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers have been a boon to the worlds farmers, but they have been a bomb to earths waters. For years farmers in Californias San Joaquin Valley sprayed their grapes, fruit, and tomatoes with the pesticide DBCP, only to discover in recent years that it can cause cancer and sterility in humans. Although the spraying has stopped, the poison hasnt stopped percolating through the layers of the earth and into the underground water system. Thirty-five percent of the wells in the valley have DBCP, said a spokesman for the health department. In one county in California, 250,000 people run the risk of DBCP contamination, reported Newsweek magazine. Other pesticides affect the nervous system. Still others are suspected of causing various other illnesses. Some herbicides have been discovered to have serious effects on the brain, rendering the victim immobile. In many agricultural areas, fertilizers have raised nitrate concentrations above health standards set out in some countries. These chemicals, too, have infiltrated aquifers. Detergents, solvents, dry-cleaning fluids, septic-tank cleaners, to mention a few, have been highly developed through chemistrys progression. The result has been marvelous benefits to mankind. However, as these products percolate through the earth, the result has been a contamination of earths pure waters for generations to come. We are poisoning ourselves and our posterity, said one environmentalist. Many of the millions of underground gasoline storage tanks at the service stations dotting the highways and city streets leak, as reports show, and their highly explosive contents seep into the ground and percolate through the well-water systems. They can cause houses and barns to burst into flames when the fumes reach a lighted match. Flames from a water faucet are all too common as a result of this underground witches brew of death-dealing chemicals oozing into the water system. It was thought that the earth itself would purify these chemicals as they trickled through the layers of the earth, rendering them harmless. In the past decade, however, it has been discovered that many of these dangerous chemicals have not been filtered out but go right through to the aquifers, contaminating them for generations to come. Ground-water contamination is the result of sins committed a long time ago, said James Groff of the American Water Works Association. Nobody had the foresight to predict it. The sins, however, continue to be committed to this date. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that in the United States alone 1.5 trillion gallons of hazardous waste leak into the underground water system each year. Much of it is deliberately dumped by unscrupulous and greedy men without regard to the terrible, terrible damage to mans water and health. Just 1 gallon of solvent will contaminate 20 million gallons of ground water to exceed safe levels set by most states, said one scientist. When one thinks in terms of a trillion gallons of waste, then the expression, water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink, looms up as being a potentially frightful reality. A Time Bomb, Slowly Ticking Away Ground water and its contaminants, said the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Environment, Energy and Natural Resources, represent a potential time bomb, slowly ticking away. Theres a growing belief that this problem will be the next great crisis of the 1980s. The New York Times reported: There is wide agreement, however, that the contamination of ground water is by far the most serious and difficult problem affecting the quality of drinking water and now constitutes a subterranean time bomb. Theres no doubt we have a time bomb on our hands, warned a University of Arizona scientist. The question is how big the bang will be. A person does not have to put his ear to the ground to know how big the bang will be. Already the world shudders in fear of the coming explosion. For example, it has been estimated that by the year 2000 a fourth of the worlds water supply could be unsafe for drinking. A third of the water in Chinas major rivers is polluted beyond safe limits for human consumption, said Worldwatch Institute. According to Thane Gustafson, a specialist on Soviet Union affairs, that country will face a greater demand for water by the year 2000 than its waters can supply because of water pollution today. South America faces a similar crisis-a water supply too contaminated for its people to drink. Either we manage to limit the waste of water or by the year 2000 we shall be dying of thirst, proclaimed the United Nations World Conference on water. Without being guilty of exaggeration it is easy to foresee that in the very near future the world will be literally dying of thirst, either as a result of pollution or present wasteful usage, the conference said. People in all parts of the earth experience the devastating effects of the time bomb that appears to have exploded on the world scene already. When one considers, for example, that 70 percent of Indias drinking water is polluted and is the cause of much of the countrys illness, it becomes no exaggeration to say that its waters and all life dependent on them cry out for a cure. And what can be said of the Third World countries and the dying people looking for clean water? Truly, the world faces a dilemma of unprecedented proportions. Water-borne diseases kill 30,000 people every day, said Swiss water-treatment expert Dr.  Maarten Schalekamp. Only a third of mankind possesses what he called irreproachable drinking-water facilities, while another third of earths inhabitants is drinking contaminated water. The remaining third has very little water of any kind. And so it goes. Poisoned waters percolating through the earth, rushing through its rivers, meandering down its streams, cascading over its falls, while a great portion of mankind inevitably drinks to its death. Truly, a time bomb of mans own making! Jehovah God, the Creator of earth, man, and all life-giving waters, has set ticking his own time bomb by which he will bring to ruin those ruining the earth. (Revelation 11:18) It is set to go off at his appointed time, and those who have ruined the earth, the air, and the water will not be able to defuse it or to escape its destructive forces. The year 2000 continues to be pointed to by man as being a critical time. Whether the guilty live to see that feared year remains to be seen. Only Jehovah knows. Following the destruction of those whom God now holds accountable, the earth will be restored to a paradise, and rivers of waters of life, clean and pure, will be abundant for every living thing. Our Beautiful Earth-How Much of It Will We Leave Our Children? ACCORDING to published reports, 1.7  billion children have been born into the world since the year 1970. If they constituted a nation, it would be the worlds largest. Is it not fair to ask, What kind of world are we leaving them? Over 25 years ago a prominent doctor of the U.S. Public Health Service observed: We all live under the haunting fear that something may corrupt the environment to the point where man joins the dinosaurs as an obsolete form of life. In the intervening years, that fear has intensified. Last year a national forum, addressed by nearly a hundred biologists, warned that coming was a wave of mass extinctions such as wiped out the dinosaurs, only this time it would not be by a natural development but by human activities. This year Worldwatch Institute released its report State of the World 1987. It said: A sustainable society satisfies its needs without diminishing the prospects of the next generation. By many measures, contemporary society fails to meet this criterion. Questions of ecological sustainability are arising on every continent. The scale of human activities has begun to threaten the habitability of the earth itself. The Institutes report said that the demands of over 5  billion people-and their numbers are increasing by 83  million a year-are overwhelming the regenerative capacities of earths biological systems. Chemical pollution is thinning the atmospheric ozone and may lead to causing more skin cancers, impairing human immune systems, and retarding crop growth. If acid rain continues, not only will more lakes and forests die but soils will acidify further and may take decades, if not centuries, to recover. Intensified farming practices have pushed the rate of topsoil loss beyond that of new soil formation. Deforestation reduces the amount of carbon dioxide used from the atmosphere, and the burning of fossil fuels releases more carbon dioxide than the remaining plants and the oceans can take in. The result is an increase in the warming greenhouse effect that may ultimately melt glaciers and flood coastal cities. The loss of tropical forests means less recycling of water for rainfall and may lead to the creation of deserts. Toxic chemicals, raw sewage, crude oil, nuclear accidents, radon, microwaves, asbestos-on and on could go the listing of mans sins against the environment. State of the World 1987 warns: Never have so many systems vital to the earths habitability been out of equilibrium simultaneously. New environmental problems also span time periods and geographic areas that stretch beyond the authority of existing political and social institutions. No single nation can stabilize the earths climate, protect the ozone layer, preserve the planets mantle of forests and soils, or reverse the acidification of lakes and streams. Only a sustained international commitment will suffice. This commitment is dragging its feet, and time is running out. Hundreds of billions are spent in the arms race; a mere pittance is spent on preserving the environment that sustains us and the neglect of which can kill us. Since 1983 the United States alone has committed $9  billion to the Strategic Defense Initiative research and wants $33  billion more for it from 1986 to 1991-but turns stingy on the environment. The other industrialized nations do likewise. The State of the World 1987 puts the crisis in a nutshell: The time has come to make peace with each other so that we can make peace with the earth. A sustainable future, this report states, calls upon us simultaneously to arrest the carbon dioxide buildup, protect the ozone layer, restore forests and soils, stop population growth, boost energy efficiency, and develop renewable energy sources. No generation has ever faced such a complex set of issues requiring immediate attention. Preceding generations have always been concerned about the future, but we are the first to be faced with decisions that will determine whether the earth our children inherit will be habitable. The following article shows the crisis developing over toxic chemicals. The Ugly Side of Industrial Chemicals IT WAS just after midnight on a cool December evening in 1984 that the worst industrial accident in history happened. A world away from the Republic of India, few people were familiar with the name Bhopal, an industrial city with a population of more than 800,000, located almost at the center of the country. Its sleeping residents were unaware of the death-dealing events developing a stones throw away. At the U.S. Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, a storage tank holding 45  tons of methyl isocyanate (MIC), a deadly chemical used in making pesticides, began building up dangerously high pressure. Suddenly, from a malfunctioning valve, a cloud of poisonous gas began spreading death and agony over the quiet city. It snuffed out the lives of more than 2,500 men, women, and children. It maimed more than a hundred thousand others. The death of thousands of animals-water buffalo, cattle, and dogs-caused the countryside to be littered with dead bodies that clogged the roads and city streets. Bhopal became a giant makeshift crematory, burning the dead around the clock. Seventy funeral pyres, with bodies stacked 25 high, consumed the dead in their flames. Others were buried in hurriedly dug mass graves-scores of bodies at a time. Later another catastrophe hit Europe and was called Bhopal on the Rhine. A chemical spill from an industrial plant above Basel, Switzerland, dumped 40  tons of poisonous waste into the Rhine. It killed hundreds of thousands of fish and eels as it drifted downstream along the German-French border, into the Rhineland and then through the Netherlands to the North Sea. One newspaper editorialized: The Swiss used to be considered clean, their industry safe, and that included the chemical industry. That is all past now. The residents of Bhopal and communities along the Rhine River had become the victims of a technological age that boasts the compounding of more than 66,000 chemical concoctions. Many are formulated to make life easier for man, yet, ironically, a vast number are highly toxic and can cause fatal and devastating side effects, both to humans and to the entire biological system. One expert classified these chemicals as biocides. Many are the chemicals with long names that few people can pronounce and that for convenience bear letters such as PCB, DDT, PCDD, PCDF, TCDD. This alphabet soup of toxic chemicals is a deadly hazard both to humans and to earths resources on which man must rely to live. Thousands upon thousands of releases of toxic substances into the environment occur each year, said a spokesman for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Such releases pose a threat to the quality of air, surface water, and underground drinking supplies, and poison the soil for decades to come. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that in the United States alone, 1.5  trillion gallons of hazardous chemical wastes find their way into the underground water systems each year. Knowing that just one gallon of solvent will contaminate 20  million gallons of groundwater to exceed safe levels, it is staggering to compute what catastrophic damage 1.5  trillion gallons of poisonous chemicals are doing. Because of hazardous chemicals and wastes and the careless dumping of them, rivers and streams are being polluted. Fish are dying. As the rivers and streams enter the oceans, the death-dealing chemicals pour with them, and in some places where ocean life was once plentiful, today, according to famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, fish can no longer be found. Bird and animal life is also threatened by the contamination. Even wildlife sanctuaries prove to be no haven. Ten national wildlife refuges are contaminated by toxic chemicals and another 74 may be in danger. .  .  . Agricultural runoff containing selenium and other chemicals has killed large numbers of waterfowl in the refuge, reported The New York Times of February  4, 1986. World experts do not paint a promising picture for the future. The rapid diminishment of earths resources does not end with the loss of soil and the pollution of air and water. What about earths great tropical rain forests that for millenniums have raised their leafy arms hundreds of feet into the air? Are these too in danger of going the way of other resources that are diminishing before our eyes? Whether we realize it or not, our lives are affected by these luxuriant handiworks of Jehovah, as the next article will show. What Future for Us and Our Children? A FAMILY cannot spend more than it makes and remain solvent. A nation cannot pay out more than it takes in and still prosper; nor can we continue our deficit spending of the environment. We cannot squander more soil than is formed, create more carbon dioxide than plants can use, cut down more trees than we replace, pollute more air and water than earth can recycle. Environmental deficits, like national deficits, will demand an accounting. They will be paid, either in money and international cooperation or in lives-ours and our childrens. Modern technology has made the ruining of the earth possible. It could be used to prevent it. Why isnt it? Love of money. It would cost billions. This world cannot see-or in its selfishness will not see-beyond its own shortsighted materialistic desires. Since it refuses to pay in money, it will pay in loss of topsoil, loss of forests, loss of aquifers, hothouse atmosphere, poisoned water, mounting sickness, human lives. And to hold onto its money, this world is selling off its childrens future. Will it wake up in time? Historys answer is not reassuring, but Gods answer is. Jehovah God himself says that he will step in and bring to ruin those ruining the earth. (Revelation 11:18) He will remove from earth those ruining its environment and destroying its beauty, for he created it to be life-sustaining and beautiful. The heavens are my throne, and the earth is my footstool, he says, and: I shall glorify the very place of my feet.-Isaiah 66:1; 60:13. He created it to be inhabited by people who love righteousness-and it will be, by millions who once lived in the past, by millions who are living now, and by millions of children yet to be born. This he has recorded in his Word, the Bible, and you can read it for yourself at Isaiah 45:18 and John 5:28,  29. Then, cared for by those who love it, the earth will regenerate itself into the beauty with which our Creator originally endowed it. Then righteously disposed persons and their children will have a future, a glorious one: Just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; and you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be. But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace. The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.-Psalm 37:10,  11,  29. And never die? And never die! God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away. (Revelation 21:3,  4) Too good to be true? No, this present wicked world is too bad to remain.-Daniel 2:44. But you and your children can remain. Jehovah God makes it possible through the sacrifice of his Son. To learn of Jehovah and of his Son will mean everlasting life for you and your children-life in a new world wherein righteousness is to dwell. (John 3:16; 17:3; 2  Peter 3:13) This can be the happy future for you and your children. Whether it is or not is up to you. Pollution-Who Causes It? THIS island is government property under experiment. The ground is contaminated with anthrax and dangerous. Landing is prohibited. This sign posted on the Scottish mainland opposite Gruinard Island warns off would-be visitors. For the past 47 years, since an experimental explosion of biological weapons during the second world war, this beautiful island has been contaminated by the disease agents of anthrax. Gruinard Island is an extreme example of pollution. But milder forms of ground pollution are a problem that is widespread and growing. Ground Pollution on the Increase One cause of this ground pollution i