Woodlands & forests Essay Example for Free

Woodlands forests Essay Forests and woodlands provide many social, economic, and environmental benefits. In addition to timber and paper products, forests provide a wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities, prevent soil erosion and flooding, help provide clean air and water, and contain tremendous biodiversity. Forests are also an important defence against global climate change. However, huge areas of the richest forests in the world have been cleared for wood fuel, timber products, agriculture, and livestock. This is why we must take extreme measures to conserve these natural resources. We can conserve forests and woodlands by careful management of the woodlands and forests, also by limiting deforestation and by adapting good forestry practices and to encourage woodland owners to help sustain their land. New by-laws have been implemented in which if a heavy fine and/or prison sentence may follow if a person breaches their conservation agreement. Britain is a good example of an industrialised country that is adapting strong conservation methods to help retain their native woodland. This involves special areas being designated National Parks or ESA’s etc. National Parks allow total protection of an area under law and is cared for by the National Trust aswell as the private landowners. Environmentally Sensitive Area’s (ESA’s) are to maintain areas of natural beauty and to allow habitats to be protected from destruction. Brazil in the developing world is home to the Amazon rainforest which is under constant exposure to deforestation. The cause of this large scale destruction is purely for economic reasons for timber and minerals etc. An estimated 3 hectares of forest is destroyed every minute and this must stop. The developing world must take action and adapt new ways of ensuring they protect their forest from exploitation. There are many ethical and aesthetical reasons for why we should conserve woodlands and forests is because everything has the right to live including trees. The environment is also the target of pleasure seekers and therefore it is needed to continue as a source of pleasure for people to enjoy and appreciate. Example: People like to escape the cities at the weekends or for holiday breaks to feel escape and to enjoy beautiful scenery aswell as watching wildlife. Ecotourism will be benefited by tighter conservation laws and will allow more people to be able to enjoy the natural environment without spoiling/ruining it in the process. There are many other ecological reasons of why we must conserve forests and woodlands. Plants are essential for regulating the atmosphere, the water cycle and is also a vital part of both the the nitrogen and carbon cycles. They form the soil and are a source of dependency for many plants, animals, birds and insects. One of the most important reasons to conserve is the potential for discovering wonderful new medicines that could hold the cures to the worlds worst diseases, this would also have enormous economic benefits for the country where discovered. E. g. a discovery in the developing world could bring billions of investment into the country and could help eliminate poverty. The conservation of forests and woodland is essential as the world’s forest contain great biodiversity and is a major habitat to millions of species. The threats of logging and urban expansion are jeopardising the world most valuable resource. Discuss the ways in which â€Å"afforestation† may influence: Climate, Soil, Water Cycle Afforestation can bring great benefits to the world. The effect on the climate can be dramatically greater when compared to deforestation. Afforestation has had many success stories throughout the world. E. g. in Finland during the 1960’s a massive area of 200,000hectares was planted. The results showed that after a scenic beauty assessment all the areas afforested now had a higher scenic beauty rating. And many animals returned to a new habitat that they had previously lost. Afforestation has many climatic impacts in relation to the greenhouse effect. The trees take in more Carbon Dioxide which is allowing negative feedback to occur, therefore resulting in a reduction in Carbon Dioxide levels. Due to the way C0 2 is an insulating gas, the removal of this gas actually lowers the temperature, so afforestation can actually help control the temperature and prevent the enhanced greenhouse effect. Afforestation can also affect winds by acting as a windbreak and can help in preventing soil erosion it acts as a saltation. The planting of more trees will help improve the humidity particularly in dry areas where the atmosphere and air is very dry and lacks moisture for further plant growth and vegetation. The gain of deep rooted plants can prevent land from being degraded. The deep roots can reach deep down to find the groundwater and will transport its up from the ground and up into the atmosphere as part of the hydrological cycle. The roots help bind the soil. It also affects salinity by transpiring water it helps keep the water table well below the surface and prevents salinisation from occurring. Trees also intercept some rainfall from reaching the ground and this helps prevent the soil from becoming waterlogged. Other climatic factors are influenced by forest cover. An article in New Scientist magazine shows that new climate models have found that forests help cool the atmosphere as the water evaporating from leaves absorbs heat, it also stated that the location chosen to afforest is important as if you chose to plant a forest to take in C0 2 it could actually lead to warming if it was planted in a region where snow falls, as this would change the lands albedo value and would reflect less sunlight. The forest has major influences on the hydrologic and carbon cycles, regulating the conversion of precipitation to runoff, CO 2 fixation, and evapotranspiration. It also influences the hydrologic cycle on the ground surface and maintains the production of biomass and vegetation. Areas of large forest cover will have high precipitation levels and high humidity related to the amount of water present in its local atmosphere due to the forests water holding system. Afforestation will affect the water cycle in a positive way by helping areas with low rainfall have more precipitation for its local crops etc.

USInvasion Of Cambodia Essay -- American History

â€Å"The banyan tree grows throughout Cambodia. It may reach a height of over 100 feet, and as it grows, new roots descend from its branches, pushing into the ground and forming new trunks. The roots grow relentlessly; many of the ancient temples of Angkor have toppled as these roots have become embedded in the cracks and crevices between their massive stones. A single tree might have dozens of trunks, and it is often impossible to tell which is the original. This is Cambodia today: a thousand intertwined branches, a thousand stories woven together, a thousand currents of history swirling in different directions. To understand Cambodia in the present, it is necessary to look at Cambodia in the past.† http://www.mekong.net/cambodia/banyan1.htm This paper will begin by given a cursory overview of Cambodian history that sets the stage for the rule of Norodom Sihanouk, then, in more detail, specific events that happened between 1953 ( the date of Cambodian Independence from France) through 1973 when Sihanouk was overthrown in a coup. With the background set, I will then discuss the version of events as describe by William Blum in his work â€Å"Killing Hope.† It is my hope that an objective look can be given into the role that the United States played during the 1950’s, 60’s and early 70’s in Indochina and more specifically Cambodia. History The area that is present-day Cambodia came under Khmer rule about 600, when the region was at the center of a vast empire that stretched over most of Southeast Asia. Under the Khmers, who were Hindus, a magnificent temple complex was constructed at Angkor. Buddhism was introduced in the 12th century during the rule of Jayavaram VII. However, the kingdom, then known as Kambuja, fell into decline... ...playboy† attitude of Sihanouk. Secondly, I believe that the change in Presidency between Johnson and Nixon and the change in values that came with it lead to decisions to violate a neutral state. Lastly, I believe that Sihanouk’s attempt to always play both sides caught up to him and the people of Cambodia were the one’s to pay. Although Sihanouk has been a leader to the Cambodian people, closer observation reveals an underlying theme of protecting himself and his family. Works Cited Chandler, David P. History of Cambodia. Boulder: Westview P, 2000. Igout, Michael. Phenom Penh Then and Now. First ed. Thailand: White Lotus, 1993. Osbourne, Milton. Sihanouk: Prince of Light, Price of Darkness. Honolulu: University of Hawaii P, 1994. Shawcross, William. Sideshow: Kissinger, Nixon and the Destruction of Cambodia. Revised ed. Cooper Square P, 2002.

Nike Market Analysis Essay

There are many companies offering similar but not identical products, this is called Monopolistic competition market, and there are also many buyers that perceive differences between these products like service, features, design and quality, so they are willing to pay different prices for them. Therefore, each firm influences each other on the extent of the product prices or has some control over some. For instance, exists different marketing tools that firms use for competition, such as branding and personal selling to differentiate their offerings and advertising. Nike is located at Bearverton, Oregon. The company was founded in 1978by Bill Bowerman and Philip Knight, named Nike and become the number one sports manufactures in the world design by Nolan Breitbarth in the 1970’s.This company sells sports products worldwide. Nike sells a huge range of products, including shoes and apparel for sports activities like volleyball, cycling, golf, athletics, American football, tennis , combat sports, basketball and football. Nike is a company that has attained success in the market thanks to the excellence of its products and the passion for everyone to use its brand products that create the Nike Just Do It feeling for the competition. The proven strategy of the company is to create a consumer’s perception of brand influences their buying decision in sports industry by athletic expectation that is endorsed by real athletes, technique that has revolutionized the sports marketing. Nike recently teamed up with Apple Inc. to produce the Nike + product which monitors a runner’s performance via radio device in the shoe that communicates with the iPod nano. American brand Nike is number two in terms of name recognition among foreign consumers and is a sponsor of different players, events and sports teams, among others, and is the number one sports brand in the world. The direct competition of Nike has always been the sports brand Adidas. Adidas is a German worldwide firm that also produces different sporting goods, founded in 1949 in Herzogenaurach, Germany. Adidas’ market capitalization is 18.09  billion, well below the capitalization of Nike. Adidas is considered the second sports brand in the wor ld, competing with Nike since this American company was founded. Adidas has never been able to pass or improve the figures of Nike. Adidas recently began to make very similar decisions to Nike; this allows the competition to grow. Adidas decide to use marketing strategies similar to those of Nike in the moment that they decide to invest a large portion of their capital in advertising and celebrity sponsorships, the strategy used by Nike since its inception. Adidas, after ups and downs in the market against Nike, recently decided to acquire the Reebok firm, a sustitute brand of sporting goods, this decision was made in order to topple the market leader Sports, Nike, based on a â€Å"partnership†. Adidas competes strongly with Nike, but Nike still has this kind of monopoly because it makes better things with much less production factors than Adidas. Another example of substitute brand in the sports market is the signature Puma, with a market capitalization of 3.46 Billion dollars. Puma does not compete strongly with brands like Nike or Adidas, their products are also substitutes but it does not has a wide range and variety. Similarly, Reebok products, before the firm was acquired by Adidas, were competing in the sports market with these two giant. Although often substitute products could be better than those of the two big firms, people prefer the big firm’s products for the fact that marketing and advertising is way much better and people get carried away by the image that firms are selling them, beyond quality. Similar examples are for companies like Converse, New Balance and Under Armour, among others. Nike’s market capitalization is 57.58 Billion dollars and the company spends millions of dollars annually in promoting events, celebrities and numerous flashy ads that catch the attention of consumers and promote the culture of sport as a benefit to the world. Nike has managed to remain world leader in sports products since the 90’s and even when there are many other sports brands in the world, Nike is kind of a monopoly in this market thanks to the market strategies used that have allowed this firm to place and especially, remain, well above their competitors, that is why this firm falls into the category of monopolistic competition. Nike has many strengths and weaknesses as a consolidated company in a market that is competitive by nature, as are the sports. One of its strengths is that it is a world class company that has the facility to  sell their products anywhere in the world. Nike has more than 700 production factories around the world. Other two major strengths of the company, as already mentioned, is their slogan and symbol, which have allowed, through their marketing that this brand can become increasingly known. Nike is a well established company that has managed to get out of economic crises and demands, which also represents a threat to the assets of the company. Nike risk much as any brand with celebrities sponsoring by the fact that they may be involved in scandals, but it still retains its credibility as a firm around the world. Moreover, Nike is a company that is dedicated to their customers; it does not neglect any part of the business and react properly to any changes in the consumer behavior by taking steps that allow them to maintain a leading position in the market. This company is a leading innovator, they are alw ays looking to offer the best and satisfy consumer tastes even when the population is different. In conclusion, consumers are always going to prefer products from companies like Nike or Adidas because they have sold them the idea that their products are at the top of the market, and indeed, they are. Nike has an inelastic demand since the variation in the prices of their products does not affect the number of consumers that the brand has, again thanks to their marketing and advertising techniques. The countless ads that Nike publishes around the world are not specifically to view them, Nike have managed to create images that consumers hardly forget, innovative images. Consumers are always changing by the products they promote the more. Nike dominates and will continue to dominate the global sports market as its products are accessible and because they offer many promotions and discounts to their customers around the world, if Nike dominates this market nowadays is all thanks to its marketing beyond the quality or accessibility of its products. Source: http://nikesports.wikispaces.com/Finance â€Å"This chart demonstrates just how much of the market share for shoes Nike currently owns.† http://www.socialbakers.com//storage/www/daily-fan-growth-nike-vs.-adidas-originals-from-apr-01-2012-to-apr-30-2012.png This graph shows the ups and downs in demand for different brands of competition in the sports market from April 02 to April 30 that are not very different from nowadays. References: 1. Nike Inc. (NKE) -NYSE. [ONLINE] Available at: http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=NKE. [Last Accessed 5/15/13]. 2. Dmitriy Kha. Monopolistic Competition.   Available at: http://mail.beaconhill.org/~dkha/data/Micro%20Lectures/Lecture%2011.pdf. [Last Accessed 5/14/13]. 3. Paige Adams, Haley Smith, Laura Freeman, Dan Lawson, Hayley Jacobs, Gage Mitchell. NIKE Industry and Company Analysis. Available at: http://kimboal.ba.ttu.edu/MGT%204380%20Fall%202012/001/NIKE%20Industry%20and%20Company%20Analysis.pptx. [Last Accessed 5/13/13] 4. John B. Taylor, Akila Weerapana, (2009). Principles of Microeconomics. 6th ed. Boston, MA, U.S.A.: Houghton Mifflin. 5. Avinash K. Dixit, Joseph E. Stiglitz. Monopolistic Competition and Optimum Product Diversity. Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1831401. [Last Accessed 5/14/13].

Should Marijuana Be Legalized - 1457 Words

Centuries ago, marijuana, a drug cultivated from the flowers of the cannabis sativa plant, has been used for both folk medicine and also recreational use for centuries. The oldest known cache of marijuana was found in a grave that’s over 2,500 years old. Today, there are federal laws enacted prohibiting the possession, distribution, and cultivation of marijuana. However, states are beginning to challenge marijuana prohibition by legalizing and regulating the sale of this widely used substance medically and recreationally. This legalization movement will greatly benefit the United State’s economy and provide a medicine that is available for those in need. Marijuana has been a part of our history ever since the 1600’s. When the colony of Jamestown was established in Virginia, one of the laws enacted by King James I demanded that all farmers grow Indian hempseed. Hemp is a part of the marijuana plant and is one of the most strongest and durable of all natural fiber s. Over the next couple centuries, many other laws were passed ordering even more hemp to be grown. In times of hemp shortages, you could be persecuted for refusing to grow hemp. In modern times, growing or possessing marijuana could possibly land the victim life in jail. Today, instead of implementing laws to grow hemp or cannabis, there are laws that make those who possess cannabis criminals. The government spends tax money to prohibit the use of cannabis instead of collecting tax money from the sale ofShow MoreRelatedShould Marijuana Be Legalized?849 Words   |  4 Pageswhether marijuana should be legalized. Around 23 states have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use. In the state of Illinois, medicinal use of marijuana has been passed on April 17, 2013. Since January 2014, patients are able to obtain marijuana with a doctor s recommendation. The new debate is whether marijuana should be legalized for the general public as a recreational drug. Although some belie ve that marijuana is harmless, and that it has beneficial medicinal uses, marijuana shouldRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1715 Words   |  7 PagesMarijuana in Society Cannabis, formally known as marijuana is a drug obtained from the tops, stems and leaves of the hemp plant cannabis. The drug is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Only substances like caffeine, nicotine and alcohol are used more (â€Å"Marijuana† 1). In the U. S. where some use it to feel â€Å"high† or get an escape from reality. The drug is referred to in many ways; weed, grass, pot, and or reefer are some common names used to describe the drug (â€Å"Marijuana† 1). Like mostRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1489 Words   |  6 Pagescannabis plant or marijuana is intended for use of a psychoactive drug or medicine. It is used for recreational or medical uses. In some religions, marijuana is predominantly used for spiritual purposes. Cannabis is indigenous to central and south Asia. Cannabis has been scientifically proven that you can not die from smoking marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized to help people with medical benefits, econo mic benefits, and criminal benefits. In eight states, marijuana was legalized for recreationalRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1245 Words   |  5 PagesMarijuana is a highly debatable topic that is rapidly gaining attention in society today.   Legalizing marijuana can benefit the economy of this nation through the creation of jobs, increased tax revenue, and a decrease in taxpayer money spent on law enforcement.   Ã‚  Many people would outlaw alcohol, cigarettes, fast food, gambling, and tanning beds because of the harmful effects they have on members of a society, but this is the United States of America; the land of the free and we should give peopleRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1010 Words   |  5 PagesThe legalization of marijuana became a heated political subject in the last few years. Twenty-one states in America have legalized medical marijuana. Colorado and Washington are the only states where marijuana can be purchased recreationally. Marijuana is the high THC level part of the cannabis plant, which gives users the â€Å"high† feeling. There is ample evidence that supports the argument that marijuana is beneficial. The government should legalize marijuana recreationally for three main reasonsRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1350 Words   |  6 Pagespolitics in the past decade would have to be the legalization of marijuana. The sale and production of marijuana have been legalized for medicinal uses in over twenty states and has been legalized for recreational uses in seven states. Despite the ongoing support for marijuana, it has yet to be fully legalized in the federal level due to cultural bias against â€Å"pot† smoking and the focus over its negative effects. However, legalizing marijuana has been proven to decrease the rate of incrimination in AmericaRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1231 Words   |  5 Pagesshows the positive benefits of marijuana, it remains illegal under federal law. In recent years, numerous states have defied federal law and legalized marijuana for both recreational and medicinal use. Arizona has legalized marijuana for medical use, but it still remains illegal to use recreationally. This is absurd, as the evidence gathered over the last few decades strongly supports the notion that it is safer than alcohol, a widely available substance. Marijuana being listed as a Schedule I drugRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay1457 Words   |  6 PagesSHOULD MARIJUANA BE LEGALIZED? Marijuana is a drug that has sparked much controversy over the past decade as to whether or not it should be legalized. People once thought of marijuana as a bad, mind-altering drug which changes a person’s personality which can lead to crime and violence through selling and buying it. In the past, the majority of citizens believed that marijuana is a harmful drug that should be kept off the market and out of the hands of the public. However, a recent study conductedRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1596 Words   |  7 Pages But what needs to be known before a user can safely and completely make the decision if trying Marijuana is a good idea? Many do not want the drug to be legalized because they claim that Cannabis is a â€Å"gateway drug†, meaning it will cause people to try harder drugs once their body builds up a resistance to Marijuana, because a stronger drug will be needed to reach a high state. This argument is often falsely related to the medical si de of the debate over legalization. It is claimed that this wouldRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?985 Words   |  4 PagesLegalize Marijuana Despite what people believe about marijuana, it hasn’t once proved to be the cause of any real issue. It makes you wonder what the reason as to why there is a war on drugs. Why is marijuana the main concern? Since the time that alcohol and tobacco became legal, people wonder why marijuana isn’t legal yet. The fact that marijuana is illegal is mainly caused by the amount of money, jobs, and pride invested in the drug war. Once the government starts anything, they stick to it. At