A Humble Proposal for Handling Muslim Immigrants in Germany Essay

A Humble Proposal for Handling Muslim Immigrants in Germany - Essay Example The given paper will prove that Muslims suffer from outrageous discrimination and oppression in German society, which is the blatant violation of human rights established by some United Nations conventions, and propose a solution to the problem basing on German laws. We cannot overlook the fact that compared to other European countries, Germany provides a relatively wide range of opportunities for immigrants’ employment, but Muslim immigrants face barriers in employment related to their religion and ethnicity, which endangers their welfare and ability to earn their living in the host country (Muehe 21). German employers show profound bias in their policy because they would rather prefer to hire a German than an immigrant worker. This unfair policy seems controversial, for â€Å"since the 1990s, analysts have pointed to Germany's ongoing need for immigrants to bolster economic development and maintain a dynamic workforce, given the rapid aging of the country's population† (Oezcan). In other words, do not Muslim workers deserve equal employment prospects after all they have done for Germany? Moreover, Muslims experience vast cultural and religious discrimination in the German environment, which gradually forces them to integrate and assimilate via various sadistic language courses and governmental integration programs. German government first admits Muslim immigrants into the country and then considers five or six million of them a problem that needs to be handled. Muslims experience blatant rejection of their religion and are virtually forced to hide their Islamic centers in unmarked buildings on the outskirts of the cities (Brenner), and the number of mosques in Germany is unbelievably small: Berlin, the great capital if this tolerant state hosts only four big mosques! Muslims are violently persecuted by anti-fundamentalist activists of German descent: for instance, peaceful Salafists, who were earlier seen on their noble mission of patrolling German cities’ neighborhoods, are constantly attacked by Germans.

The Depression and the New Deal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Depression and the New Deal - Essay Example When Roosevelt assumed office in 1933, he displaced a president who had failed to solve the riddle of 20th-century presidential communication: how to mobilize a mass public separated from him by time and space. Indeed, it is unclear that Herbert Hoover even recognized his dilemma. For most of his presidency, Hoover preferred to confine his interactions to Washington elites; he preferred not to address the national public. Throughout his presidency, he held to his belief that the depression of 1929-1939 was a consequence of economic laws and cycles, and that, consequently, his time was best spent making policy rather than communicating with the public1 (Schlesinger 1957 cited in Carcasson 1998). During the presidential campaign of 1932, Hoover rejected a suggestion that he make a series of 10minute radio addresses, saying that it was "difficult to deal with anything over the radio except generalities, without embarrassing actual accomplishments that are going forward" (cited in Abbott 1990). In contrast, Roosevelt was determined to use the new medium of radio to establish a firm relationship with the public. It was during his term as governor of New York, from 1928 to 1932, that Roosevelt developed a rationalized system for using the radio to establish a relationship with the public (Peters 2000). Roosevelt created an efficient, systematic, and predictable publicity system, one that was acknowledged at the time to be the slickest peacetime publicity effort ever seen in U.S. politics to that date (Ward 1999). Besides promoting positive newspaper coverage of the New Deal, an important function of this coordinated activity was the projection of Roosevelt's personality to the public. Its message was that the New Deal was taking positive, effective measures to help people, and the President was firmly in control of, and responsible for, this process. The organized nature of these publicity efforts carried over to the production of the Fireside Chats. According to Fine (cited in Sussman & Daynes 2004), much like radio and movie scripts, the Chats were produced by committee. Various groups of officials, from departmental officials to cabinet members to advisors who held no official government position, participated in their production. Each group produced information that was funneled to a central group charged with putting the pieces together. Fine went on to note that President Roosevelt read each draft, paying careful attention to word length and the number of s's1. He wanted short, simple statements, with no abstractions, or what he called "weasel words." He paid careful attention to the rhythm and timing of each speech, speaking each draft out loud to ensure a proper pace. He often wrote the conclusion himself, so as to end on a proper "high" note. Throughout, he used the public opinion data collected by his staff to fashion h is appeal in ways likely to resonate with his mass audience. The resulting chat, looked much like a "cuesheet for a stage play. All the signals were clearly marked: the pauses by dashes, the word to be emphasized is underlined, the phrase marked for special treatment1". In their structure,

Analysis of the Poem Kubla Khan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of the Poem Kubla Khan - Essay Example The essay "Analysis of the Poem Kubla Khan" presents the analysis of the poem "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Coleridge, one of the widely analyzed poems in history due to its deep, captivating nature and a manner with which it helps in the portrayal of an unconscious mind. The poem describes a place called Xanadu where Kubla Khan resides. The excitement of the narrator about the river (Alph) is seen in the second stanza, where the narrator tells of the canyon through which the river flows. Nevertheless, the romance of the river is exhibited with the narrator making the river a haunted, spooky place where one could find â€Å"a woman wailing for her demon lover.† The poet goes ahead to describe how the river leaps and strikes the canyons, by exploding into noisy fountains initially and then sinks to the underground caves where it is marred with silence. The romance brought about by the imaginative language of the poet concerning the river is interrupted by the narrator focusing again o n Kubla Khan. He describes Kubla Khan, who is listening to the noise created by the river, and thinks about war, as a message the noise transcends. The smooth, beautiful and colorful rhythm of the landscape as painted by the narrator is interrupted in the fourth stanza by the narrator telling about another vision where a woman was playing an instrument and singing. The memory of the song sang by the woman fills the narrator with longing, and the narrator imagines himself singing his own song and using the song to create a vision of Xanadu.

Organization development Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Organization development - Case Study Example The Nissan Company was experiencing a number of problems after 17 years of exporting its vehicles known as Datsun cars to USA. The companies become the top selling import in the market of US. Even though the sporty datsun gained popularity due to its reputation as the ultimate thrill machine, there were a number of management missteps that led to long-lasting decline of the company from 1980. First there was the change of brand name from Nissan to Datsun which was not popular. Secondly, there was little infusion of innovative in their popular car Z. This led to its decline in popularity hence few people went for it. In addition to its already faced problems, there was even more trouble as Nissan was unable to establish flexible relationships with its suppliers. It was also recorded that, their parts were extremely expensive as ranged from 15 to 20% above domestic competitors. This was obviously the decision of management to set prices high but as it was found out it was a wrong strategy as it led to a decline in sales (Covey 28). Nissan also faced competition that was unfavorable from Honda that led to Nissan having an expense of 1000$. This was a discount offered to consumers who purchased their vehicles. All these challenges forced Nissan to restructure their plans but were not successful since they faced powerful trade unions which were against the layoff of workers. Renault was another company which was facing problems for example in the year 1984; it experienced a loss of $2.4 billion. Among the reasons was how managers or heads of departments turned the separated silos into baronies that made it hard for cross functionality to take place in the company. The company also had embraced a narrow minded culture whose basis of thinking was one that was at the expense of a view that was larger. Renault was also experiencing a problem of additional unnecessary expenses through the operation of some of its plants.

Threats To Forests. A conifer forest in the Swiss Alps Essay Example for Free

Threats To Forests. A conifer forest in the Swiss Alps Essay Mixed deciduous forest in Stara Planina, Serbia A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending on various cultural definitions, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have different classifications according to how and what of the forest is composed. These plant communities cover approximately 9.4 percent of the Earths surface (or 30 percent of total land area), though they once covered much more (about 50 percent of total land area), in many different regions and function as habitats for organisms, hydrologic flow modulators, and soil conservers, constituting one of the most important aspects of the biosphere. Although forests are classified primarily by trees, the concept of a forest ecosystem includes additional species (such as smaller plants, fungi, bacteria, and animals) as well as physical and chemical processes such as energy flow and nutrient cycling. A typical forest is composed of the overstory (canopy or upper tree layer) and the understory. The understory is further subdivided into the shrub layer, herb layer, and also the moss layer and soil microbes. In some complex forests, there is also a well-defined lower tree layer. Forests are central to all human life because they provide a diverse range of resources: they store carbon, aid in regulating the planetary climate, purify water and mitigate natural hazards such as floods. Forests also contain roughly 90 percent of the worlds terrestrial biodiversity. Contents * 1 Etymology * 2 Distribution * 3 Classification * 3.1 Temperate A typical forest is composed of the overstory (canopy or upper tree layer) and the understory. The understory is further subdivided into the shrub layer, herb layer, and also the moss layer and soil microbes. In some complex forests, there is also a well-defined lower tree layer. Forests are central to all human life because they provide a diverse range of resources: they store carbon, aid in regulating the planetary climate, purify water and mitigate natural hazards such as floods. Forests also contain roughly 90 percent of the worlds terrestrial biodiversity. Etymology The word forest comes from Middle English forest, from Old French forest (also forà ¨s) forest, vast expanse covered by trees; first introduced in English as the word for wild land set aside for hunting without the necessity in definition for the existence of trees (James 1981;Muir 2000,2008). Possibly a borrowing (probably via Frankish or Old High German) of the Medieval Latin word foresta open wood, foresta was first used by Carolingian scribes in the Capitularies of Charlemagne to refer specifically to the kings royal hunting grounds. The term was not endemic to Romance languages (e.g. native words for forest in the Romance languages evolved out of the Latin word silva forest, wood (English sylvan); cf. Italian, Spanish, Portuguese selva; Romanian silvÄÆ'; Old French selve); and cognates in Romance languages, such as Italian foresta, Spanish and Portuguese floresta, etc. are all ultimately borrowings of the French word. The exact origin of Medieval Latin foresta is obscure. Some authorities claim the word derives from the Late Latin phrase forestam silvam, meaning the outer wood; others claim the term is a latinisation of the Frankish word *forhist forest, wooded country, assimilated to forestam silvam (a common practise among Frankish scribes). Frankish *forhist is attested by Old High German forst forest, Middle Low German vorst forest, Old English fyrhà ¾ forest, woodland, game preserve, hunting ground, and Old Norse fà ½ri coniferous forest, all of which derive from Proto-Germanic *furχà ­sa-, *furχà ­Ãƒ ¾ja- a fir-wood, coniferous forest, from Proto-Indo-European *perkwu- a coniferous or mountain forest, wooded height. Uses of the word forest in English to denote any uninhabited area of non-enclosure are now considered archaic. The word was introduced by the Norman rulers of England as a legal term (appearing in Latin texts like the Magna Carta) denoting an uncultivated area legally set aside for hunting by feudal nobility (see Royal Forest). These hunting forests were not necessarily wooded much, if at all. However, as hunting forests did often include considerable areas of woodland, the word forest eventually came to mean wooded land more generally. By the start of the fourteenth century the word appeared in English texts, indicating all three senses: the most common one, the legal term and the archaic usage. Forest near Rajgir, Bihar, India Other terms used to mean an area with a high density of trees are wood, woodland, wold, weald, holt, frith and firth. Unlike forest, these are all derived from Old English and were not borrowed from another language. Some classifications now reserve the term woodland for an area with more open space between trees and distinguish among woodlands, open forests, and closed forests based on crown cover. Distribution Amazon Rainforest in Brazil Temperate rainforest in Tasmanias Hellyer Gorge Forests can be found in all regions capable of sustaining tree growth, at altitudes up to the tree line, except where natural fire frequency or other disturbance is too high, or where the environment has been altered by human activity. The latitudes 10 ° north and south of the Equator are mostly covered in tropical rainforest, and the latitudes between 53 °N and 67 °N have boreal forest. As a general rule, forests dominated by angiosperms (broadleaf forests) are more species-rich than those dominated by gymnosperms (conifer, montane, or needleleaf forests), although exceptions exist. Forests sometimes contain many tree species only within a small area (as in tropical rain and temperate deciduous forests), or relatively few species over large areas (e.g., taiga and arid montane coniferous forests). Forests are often home to many animal and plant species, and biomass per unit area is high compared to other vegetation communities. Much of this biomass occurs below ground in the root systems and as partially decomposed plant detritus. The woody component of a forest contains lignin, which is relatively slow to decompose compared with other organic materials such as cellulose or carbohydrate. Forests are differentiated from woodlands by the extent of canopy coverage: in a forest, the branches and the foliage of separate trees often meet or interlock, although there can be gaps of varying sizes within an area referred to as forest. A woodland has a more continuously open canopy, with trees spaced farther apart, which allows more sunlight to penetrate to the ground between them (also see: savanna). Among the major forested biomes are: * rain forest (tropical and temperate) * taiga * temperate hardwood forest * tropical dry forest Classification Biogradska forest in Montenegro Spiny forest at Ifaty, Madagascar, featuring various Adansonia (baobab) species, Alluaudia procera (Madagascar ocotillo) and other vegetation Even, dense old-growth stand of beech trees (Fagus sylvatica) prepared to be regenerated by their saplings in the understory, in the Brussels part of the Sonian Forest. Trees on a mountain in northern Utah during early autumn. Forests can be classified in different ways and to different degrees of specificity. One such way is in terms of the biome in which they exist, combined with leaf longevity of the dominant species (whether they are evergreen or deciduous). Another distinction is whether the forests are composed predominantly of broadleaf trees, coniferous (needle-leaved) trees, or mixed. * Boreal forests occupy the subarctic zone and are generally evergreen and coniferous. * Temperate zones support both broadleaf deciduous forests (e.g., temperate deciduous forest) and evergreen coniferous forests (e.g., temperate coniferous forests and temperate rainforests). Warm temperate zones support broadleaf evergreen forests, including laurel forests. * Tropical and subtropical forests include tropical and subtropical moist forests, tropical and subtropical dry forests, and tropical and subtropical coniferous forests. * Physiognomy classifies forests based on their overall physical structure or developmental stage (e.g. old growth vs. second growth). * Forests can also be classified more specifically based on the climate and the dominant tree species present, resulting in numerous different forest types (e.g., ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir forest). A number of global forest classification systems have been proposed, but none has gained universal acceptance. UNEP-WCMCs forest category classification system is a simplification of other more complex systems (e.g. UNESCOs forest and woodland subformations). This system divides the worlds forests into 26 major types, which reflect climatic zones as well as the principal types of trees. These 26 major types can be reclassified into 6 broader categories: temperate needleleaf; temperate broadleaf and mixed; tropical moist; tropical dry; sparse trees and parkland; and forest plantations. Each category is described as a separate section below. Temperate needleleaf Temperate needleleaf forests mostly occupy the higher latitude regions of the northern hemisphere, as well as high altitude zones and some warm temperate areas, especially on nutrient-poor or otherwise unfavourable soils. These forests are composed entirely, or nearly so, of coniferous species (Coniferophyta). In the Northern Hemisphere pines Pinus, spruces Picea, larches Larix, silver firs Abies, Douglas firs Pseudotsuga and hemlocks Tsuga, make up the canopy, but other taxa are also important. In the Southern Hemisphere, most coniferous trees (members of the Araucariaceae and Podocarpaceae) occur in mixtures with broadleaf species that are classed as broadleaf and mixed forests. Temperate broadleaf and mixed Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests include a substantial component of trees in the Anthophyta. They are generally characteristic of the warmer temperate latitudes, but extend to cool temperate ones, particularly in the southern hemisphere. They include such forest types as the mixed deciduous forests of the United States and their counterparts in China and Japan, the broadleaf evergreen rainforests of Japan, Chile and Tasmania, the sclerophyllous forests of Australia, central Chile, the Mediterranean and California, and the southern beech Nothofagus forests of Chile and New Zealand. Tropical moist There are many different types of tropical moist forests,although most extensive are the lowland evergreen broadleaf rainforests, for example và ¡rzea and igapà ³ forests and the terra firma forests of the Amazon Basin; the peat swamp forests, dipterocarp forests of Southeast Asia; and the high forests of the Congo Basin. Forests located on mountains are also included in this category, divided largely into upper and lower montane formations on the basis of the variation of physiognomy corresponding to changes in altitude. Tropical dry Tropical dry forests are characteristic of areas in the tropics affected by seasonal drought. The seasonality of rainfall is usually reflected in the deciduousness of the forest canopy, with most trees being leafless for several months of the year. However, under some conditions, e.g. less fertile soils or less predictable drought regimes, the proportion of evergreen species increases and the forests are characterised as sclerophyllous. Thorn forest, a dense forest of low stature with a high frequency of thorny or spiny species, is found where drought is prolonged, and especially where grazing animals are plentiful. On very poor soils, and especially where fire is a recurrent phenomenon, woody savannas develop (see sparse trees and parkland). Sparse trees and parkland Taiga forest near Saranpaul in the northeast Ural Mountains, Khanty–Mansia, Russia. Trees include Picea obovata (dominant on right bank), Larix sibirica, Pinus sibirica, and Betula pendula. Sparse trees and parkland are forests with open canopies of 10-30% crown cover. They occur principally in areas of transition from forested to non-forested landscapes. The two major zones in which these ecosystems occur are in the boreal region and in the seasonally dry tropics. At high latitudes, north of the main zone of boreal forest or taiga, growing conditions are not adequate to maintain a continuous closed forest cover, so tree cover is both sparse and discontinuous. This vegetation is variously called open taiga, open lichen woodland, and forest tundra. It is species-poor, has high bryophyte cover, and is frequently affected by fire. Forest plantations Forest plantations, generally intended for the production of timber and pulpwood increase the total area of forest worldwide. Commonly mono-specific and/or composed of introduced tree species, these ecosystems are not generally important as habitat for native biodiversity. However, they can be managed in ways that enhance their biodiversity protection functions and they are important providers of ecosystem services such as maintaining nutrient capital, protecting watersheds and soil structure as well as storing carbon. They may also play an important role in alleviating pressure on natural forests for timber and fuelwood production. Forest categories A temperate deciduous broadleaf forest, the Hasenholz, southeast of Kirchheim unter Teck, Baden-Wà ¼rttemberg, Germany Redwoods in old growth forest in Muir Woods National Monument, Marin County, California 28 forest categories are used to enable the translation of forest types from national and regional classification systems to a harmonised global one. Temperate and boreal forest types 1. Evergreen needleleaf forest Natural forest with 30% canopy cover, in which the canopy is predominantly ( 75%) needleleaf and evergreen. 2. Deciduous needleleaf forests Natural forests with 30% canopy cover, in which the canopy is predominantly ( 75%) needleleaf and deciduous. 3. Mixed broadleaf/needleleaf forest Natural forest with 30% canopy cover, in which the canopy is composed of a more or less even mixture of needleleaf and broadleaf crowns (between 50:50% and 25:75%). 4. Broadleaf evergreen forest Natural forests with 30% canopy cover, the canopy being 75% evergreen and broadleaf. 5. Deciduous broadleaf forest Natural forests with 30% canopy cover, in which 75% of the canopy is deciduous and broadleaves predominate ( 75% of canopy cover). 6. Freshwater swamp forest Natural forests with 30% canopy cover, composed of trees with any mixture of leaf type and seasonality, but in which the predominant environmental characteristic is a waterlogged soil. 7. Sclerophyllous dry forest Natural forest with 30% canopy cover, in which the canopy is mainly composed of sclerophyllous broadleaves and is 75% evergreen. 8. Disturbed natural forest Any forest type above that has in its interior significant areas of disturbance by people, including clearing, felling for wood extraction, anthropogenic fires, road construction, etc. 9. Sparse trees and parkland Natural forests in which the tree canopy cover is between 10-30%, such as in the steppe regions of the world. Trees of any type (e.g., needleleaf, broadleaf, palms). 10. Exotic species plantation Intensively managed forests with 30% canopy cover, which have been planted by people with species not naturally occurring in that country. 11. Native species plantation Intensively managed forests with 30% canopy cover, which have been planted by people with species that occur naturally in that country. 12. *Unspecified forest plantation Forest plantations showing extent only with no further information about their type, This data currently only refers to the Ukraine. 13. *Unclassified forest data Forest data showing forest extent only with no further information about their type. Those marked * have been created as a result of data holdings which do not specify the forest type, hence 26 categories are quoted, not 28 shown here. Tropical forest types The Fatu Hiva rainforest in Polynesia. 1. Lowland evergreen broadleaf rain forest Natural forests with 30% canopy cover, below 1,200 m (3,937 ft) altitude that display little or no seasonality, the canopy being 75% evergreen broadleaf. 2. Lower montane forest Natural forests with 30% canopy cover, between 1200–1800 m altitude, with any seasonality regime and leaf type mixture. 3. Upper montane forest Natural forests with 30% canopy cover, above 1,800 m (5,906 ft) altitude, with any seasonality regime and leaf type mixture. 4. Freshwater swamp forest Natural forests with 30% canopy cover, below 1,200 m (3,937 ft) altitude, composed of trees with any mixture of leaf type and seasonality, but in which the predominant environmental characteristic is a waterlogged soil. 5. Semi-evergreen moist broadleaf forest Natural forests with 30% canopy cover, below 1,200 m (3,937 ft) altitude in which between 50-75% of the canopy is evergreen, 75% are broadleaves, and the trees display seasonality of flowering and fruiting. 6. Mixed broadleaf/needleleaf forest Natural forests with 30% canopy cover, below 1,200 m (3,937 ft) altitude, in which the canopy is composed of a more or less even mixture of needleleaf and broadleaf crowns (between 50:50% and 25:75%). 7. Needleleaf forest Natural forest with 30% canopy cover, below 1,200 m (3,937 ft) altitude, in which the canopy is predominantly ( 75%) needleleaf. 8. Mangroves Natural forests with 30% canopy cover, composed of species of mangrove tree, generally along coasts in or near brackish or seawater. 9. Disturbed natural forest Any forest type above that has in its interior significant areas of disturbance by people, including clearing, felling for wood extraction, anthropogenic fires, road construction, etc. 10. Deciduous/semi-deciduous broadleaf forest Natural forests with 30% canopy cover, below 1,200 m (3,937 ft) altitude in which between 50-100% of the canopy is deciduous and broadleaves predominate ( 75% of canopy cover). 11. Sclerophyllous dry forest Natural forests with 30% canopy cover, below 1,200 m (3,937 ft) altitude, in which the canopy is mainly composed of sclerophyllous broadleaves and is 75% evergreen. 12. Thorn forest Natural forests with 30% canopy cover, below 1,200 m (3,937 ft) altitude, in which the canopy is mainly composed of deciduous trees with thorns and succulent phanerophytes with thorns may be frequent. 13. Sparse trees and parkland Natural forests in which the tree canopy cover is between 10-30%, such as in the savannah regions of the world. Trees of any type (e.g., needleleaf, broadleaf, palms). 14. Exotic species plantation Intensively managed forests with 30% canopy cover, which have been planted by people with species not naturally occurring in that country. 15. Native species plantation Intensively managed forests with 30% canopy cover, which have been planted by people with species that occur naturally in that country. Forest loss and management Main articles: Forestry, Logging and Deforestation Coastal Douglas fir woodland in northwest Oregon Redwood tree in northern California redwood forest, where many redwood trees are managed for preservation and longevity, rather than being harvested for wood production The scientific study of forest species and their interaction with the environment is referred to as forest ecology, while the management of forests is often referred to as forestry. Forest management has changed considerably over the last few centuries, with rapid changes from the 1980s onwards culminating in a practice now referred to as sustainable forest management. Forest ecologists concentrate on forest patterns and processes, usually with the aim of elucidating cause and effect relationships. Foresters who practice sustainable forest management focus on the integration of ecological, social and economic values, often in consultation with local communities and other stakeholders. Anthropogenic factors that can affect forests include logging, urban sprawl, human-caused forest fires, acid rain, invasive species, and the slash and burn practices of swidden agriculture or shifting cultivation. The loss and re-growth of forest leads to a distinction between two broad types of forest, primary or old-growth forest and secondary forest. There are also many natural factors that can cause changes in forests over time including forest fires, insects, diseases, weather, competition between species, etc. In 1997, the World Resources Institute recorded that only 20% of the worlds original forests remained in large intact tracts of undisturbed forest. More than 75% of these intact forests lie in three countries the Boreal forests of Russia and Canada and the rainforest of Brazil. In 2006 this information on intact forests was updated using latest available satellite imagery. Canada has about 4,020,000 square kilometres (1,550,000 sq mi) of forest land. More than 90% of forest land is publicly owned and about 50% of the total forest area is allocated for harvesting. These allocated areas are managed using the principles of sustainable forest management, which includes extensive consultation with local stakeholders. About eight percent of Canada’s forest is legally protected from resource development (Global Forest Watch Canada)(Natural Resources Canada). Much more forest land — about 40 percent of the total forest land base — is subject to varying degrees of protection through processes such as integrated land use planning or defined management areas such as certified forests (Natural Resources Canada). These maps represent only virgin forest lost. Some regrowth has occurred but not to the age, size or extent of 1620 due to population increases and food cultivation. From William B. Greeleys, The Relation of Geography to Timber Supply, Economic Geography, 1925, vol. 1, p. 1-11. Source of Today map: compiled by George Draffan from roadless area map in The Big Outside: A Descriptive Inventory of the Big Wilderness Areas of the United States, by Dave Foreman and Howie Wolke (Harmony Books, 1992). By December 2006, over 1,237,000 square kilometers of forest land in Canada (about half the global total) had been certified as being sustainably managed (Canadian Sustainable Forestry Certification Coalition). Clearcutting, first used in the latter half of the 20th century, is less expensive, but devastating to the environment and companies are required by law to ensure that harvested areas are adequately regenerated. Most Canadian provinces have regulations limiting the size of clearcuts, although some older clearcuts can range upwards of 110 square kilometres (27,000 acres) in size which were cut over several years. China instituted a ban on logging, beginning in 1998, due to the destruction caused by clearcutting. Selective cutting avoids the erosion, and flooding, that result from clearcutting. In the United States, most forests have historically been affected by humans to some degree, though in recent years improved forestry practices has helped regulate or moderate large scale or severe impacts. However, the United States Forest Service estimates a net loss of about 2 million hectares (4,942,000 acres) between 1997 and 2020; this estimate includes conversion of forest land to other uses, including urban and suburban development, as well as afforestation and natural reversion of abandoned crop and pasture land to forest. However, in many areas of the United States, the area of forest is stable or increasing, particularly in many northern states. The opposite problem from flooding has plagued national forests, with loggers complaining that a lack of thinning and proper forest management has resulted in large forest fires.[ Old-growth forest contains mainly natural patterns of biodiversity in established seral patterns, and they contain mainly species native to the region and habitat. The natural formations and processes have not been affected by humans with a frequency or intensity to change the natural structure and components of the habitat. Secondary forest contains significant elements of species which were originally from other regions or habitats. Smaller areas of woodland in cities may be managed as Urban forestry, sometimes within public parks. These are often created for human benefits; Attention Restoration Theory argues that spending time in nature reduces stress and improves health, while forest schools and kindergartens help young people to develop social as well as scientific skills in forests. These typically need to be close to where the children live, for practical logistics.

Diversity in Gender and Governance

Diversity in Gender and Governance Tuan Pham   Anh Quynh Nguyen INTRODUCTION In the past, women could only be at home and do the household chores while the majority of men went to work. They did not have the rights to work. However, this orthodox view has been changed. In todays society, more and more women are going to work than ever before. The figures from Statistics Canada (2017) show that more than 9 million women in Canada have jobs at the end of 2016. As it can be seen, the number of females in the labor force increased substantially. Not only do women work as employees but they are also employers as well. They hold many important positions in companies such as chiefs, managers, members or the chairman of boards. In Canada, women hold 21.6% of board seats in the Financial Post 500 in 2016 (Catalyst, 2017). According to Catalysts research, it shows that the percentage of women directors in many developed countries has been increasing significantly. For example, in Australia, it represents 23.4% of women on boards in June 2016, which almost tripled than that of 2009. Growth in the number of women allows companies to grow faster and become more successful. As a business student, we are interested in the contributions of women to the economy. They play an important role in developing the firm values. Dr. Mijntje Lu ¨ckerath-Rovers (2011) has investigated that enterprises with female managers run better than those with men only. Moreover, women can bring their unique skills, which male counterparts cannot, to diversify a wide range of the boards expertise (Kim and Starks, 2016, p. 270). They suggest that diversity in gender enhance higher firm values. Even though society makes an endeavor to fight for gender equality, there is no sign that this controversial issue will disappear. In this paper, we provide more in-depth evidence that the presence of women on boards develops companies performance actively and effectively based on personal research and surveys. We will also answer one of the fundamental questions: Will gender dive rsity be encouraged in the future? How would it change: in a good way or bad way? DEFINITION The Dictionary of Business in 1996 (as cited in Walt and Ingley, 2003, p. 219) indicates that diversity in boards is a mix of human capital, where human capital is represented as the skills and knowledge absorbed by a person through the process of learning and experience. In the context of governance, diversity is described as the composition of the board and the combination of the different qualities, characteristics and expertise of the individual members in relation to decision-making and other processes within the board (Là ¼ckerath-Rovers, 2011, p. 493). Therefore, one of the aspects of diversity is gender on boards. This paper only focuses on gender diversity for several factors. First, gender diversity is one of the major topics which has been fiercely debated for a long time. Secondly, gender is the most easy distinguished demographic characteristic compared with age, nationality, education or cultural background (Là ¼ckerath-Rovers, 2011, p. 493). Eventually, our research aims to show that diversity in gender makes all the difference in firm performance. BACKGROUND According to a 2017 statistical analysis conducted by Statistics Canada, among women in the labour force, approximately 94% of them are employed (full-time and part-time). This proves that the labour force changed rapidly and there are more rights for women than ever before. European countries now appear to take the lead in the number of women directors (Catalyst, 2017). This survey also shows that many countries, such as Norway, Iceland, Finland and Sweden, are using quotas and setting targets to expanding the number of women on boards. However, in some Asian countries, there are only a tiny number of female directors. Catalysts research series, The Bottom Line, indicates that the more women on boards a company has, the better financial results they receive.   For example, Companies with the most women board directors had 16% higher Return on Sales (ROS) than those with the least, and 26% higher Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) (Catalyst, 2017). WOMENS CONTRIBUTIONS TO CORPORATE BOARDS According to the research in 2013 on gender diversity in SP 1500, which is a stock market index of US stocks made by Standard Poors, about a quarter of its firms still have no female directors. With data from the ISS RiskMetrics and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, other smaller firms include SP 600 SmallCap, SP 400 MidCap, and SP 500 indices, the proportion of women on their boards just makes up by a small percentage (only 37%, 21% and 7% respectively have no women on their boards). However, surveys report that women are rated higher than men on the emerging leadership qualities of many aspects. As reported by the 2009 SEC Final Rule No. 33-9089 Proxy Disclosure Enhancements, there are in total 16 functional types recommended as critical skills: Financial, Mergers and Acquisitions, Accounting, International, Operations Technology, Marketing, Risk Management, Human Resources, Research and Development, Sustainability, Corporate Governance, Regulatory/Legal/Compliance, Political/Govern ment, Strategy and Leadership. Results show that adding women directors can enlarge diversity in corporate boards. Women are found to possess more uncommon expertise than men, which are four out of five least reported board skills (Research and Development, Human Resources, Risk Management, Sustainability, and Political Government). This shows that female directors can contribute both unique skills and expertise that are currently in distinction in the corporate boards, which can develop the heterogeneity of board skills. As a result, women directors can increase the value in corporate boards and enhance boards advisory effectiveness by adding these skills. Gender diversity is therefore related to higher firm value, and better director heterogeneity of expertise can increase the development in corporate boards.    DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN AS DIRECTORS Although some studies have found that men and women as directors and leaders do not differ in the way of thinking, orienting tasks and other people, women actually learn how to be a leader more easily than men. The reason for which is that girls are likely to be raised with a more egalitarian way than boys, this could affect the way they participate in their life. Also, as stated above, women have more unique skills than men, which translates into their relatively greater use of participative leader style. Another reason could be that gender stereotypes have somewhat affect female leaders to be more competitive in firms. They would care more about follower expectations and be more interested in complying with it. There are differences between men and women as both board directors and top leaders. As top leaders, men and women tend to have no difference in ages and qualifications. Nevertheless, female directors are more independent due to their better multi-directorships. According to research in Norway, 45% of female directors and 37% of male directors are outsiders. While female directors with an average age of 47.16 years and an average of 1.63 qualifications, male directors hold only average 52.7 years have 1.18 qualifications (Wang and Kelan, 2012, p. 456). The result shows that women are not only younger but also more educated than their male colleagues. It also reports that one female director in firm has 10 qualifications in average, while that number of other directors is just 3. Men as directors do not have as many resources through serving multiple boards as women, and are less likely to be outsiders than women. Female directors are reported to be younger and have more qualification s than male directors, while there is no significant difference between male and female as CEOs in some specific aspects such as age, qualifications and experience within the boardrooms and the corporations. The gender gaps and the differences between female and male leaders and directors are also affected by gender quota. As stated in www.wikigender.org, gender quotas are used to create equal representation among gender within legislation contribute to the promotion of gender equality, and ease the access of women into positions of government. Gender quotas were first introduced in some public sector entities in the 1980s and were extended in 2003 under legislation requiring at least 40% of women on boards of public limited companies (known as ASA), inter-municipal and state-owned enterprises (Sorsa, 2016). The enactment of the mandatory gender quota became one of the researchers studies since its introduction in Norway in 2005 (Wang and Kelan, 2012, p. 451). According to Ahern and Dittmars report in 2011, even though the increasing number of women was found to boost the boards strategy and effectiveness, this has led to the surge in the number of inexperienced women in corporate boards , which could damage the firms performance. However, Matsa and Miller (2011) found that there are positive effects of gender quota on firms, especially on the reductions of workforce and the rise in relative labor costs, compared with a matched sample in Scandinavia countries without gender quotas. The outcome shows that the gender quota in Norway created only a few experienced women as top leaders on their boards based on a number of proxies for influence, such as leadership and multi directorships, though this country has been increasing a large number of women in their firms (Seierstad and Opsahl, 2011). Despite the fact that there are no specific differences between the way women and men lead, gender diversity is still an important factor on boards and it may influence female directors contributions to board decision-making processes (Nielsenand and Huse, 2010). At the same time while having a female leader in the boardroom can make female directors easier to feel comfortable about expressing their opinions, male leaders show respect and openness towards views raised by women (Wang and Kelan, 2012, p. 451). They also report that female leaders not only enhance the effectiveness of board decision making but also benefit the operation of the organization. Female board chairs had more qualifications than their male counterparts during the pre-quota period, but this difference vanished after the gender quota had been enacted. This shows that female and male board chairs have similar levels of interlocks and are equally like to be foreigners (Wang and Kelan, 2012, p. 451) during the post -quota period. However, compared the pre- with the post-quota period, female board chairs seem to be more likely to have independent qualifications, more experience and less board interlocks, while male board chairs are older and more experienced after the full compliance of the gender quota in 2008. The average tenure of female board chairs in the pre-quota period, which is 2.04, is significantly lower than the one in the post-quota period (2.98), and female board chairs are more likely to be foreigners in both periods (Wang and Kelan, 2012, p. 451). This shows that Norwegian firms have talented female top leaders locally, not importing them from other countries. Results shown in these tables indicate that female directors are likely to be more independent and younger and have more qualifications than their male counterparts. Differences in independence status, age and qualifications between men and women as directors did not change after the full compliance in Norway in 2008. Women in the post-quota period are more experienced, have more board interlocks and are more likely to be foreigners than those in the pre-quota period, while male directors seem to be more independent in the pre-quota period than in the post-quota period. The differences between male and female directors also result from gender quota. After the legislation for gender quota in Norway was enacted in December 2005, the Norwegian seemed to be under the pressure of hiring more female directors and therefore it resulted in the large number of inexperienced and low-educated female directors in corporate boards. Figures in Table 2 indicate that the average number of females qualifications decreased than that of male directors. This means that the female directors in sample firms need to have a wider range of qualifications to achieve the fixed gender quota. The effects of gender quota on characteristics of directors in Norwegian firms have reflected that there was no difference between male and female directors, with respect to independence, age and qualification in 2001 and in 2010 (which was 5 years before and after the enforcement of gender quota). However, the differences in age and qualifications seemed to have widened over the period fr om 2003 to 2005, while that in independence seemed to be narrowed over the same period. Firms may have recruited younger but less independent female directors with more qualifications when they had the choice of voluntarily increasing the number of female directors on their boards. Therefore, age and qualifications somewhat have contributed to help corporate governance because the newly nominated female directors would have lacked the experience and independence to monitor firm management well (Wang and Kelan, 2012, p. 460). CONCLUSION With gender equality, having females on boards is an indisputable fact. The heterogeneity among companies is related to higher firm value. The profits women can make for companies are much higher than those without women on boards. We can see that the relationship between gender diversity and governance are likely to be positive. There are several journals, articles and research that show the contributions of women to developing firm value. However, diversity in gender on boards has both positive and negative effects on governance. The question of the relationship between gender diverse boards and firm value has generated considerable debate as well as analyses with conflicting findings and conclusions (Kim and Starks, 2016, p. 270). For example, the impact on decision-making and financial performance related to gender diversity is complex because there are other factors that affect the firms conduct. Moreover, getting companies to commit and change their perceptions would be no easy task. In many countries, their thoughts have not changed since feudalism. For instance, it is difficult to put up with the presence of female directors in Asian companies. They think that having women on boards can waste their money, which leads to a reduction of their productivity because of several reasons: maternity leave, lower retirement age, etc. From our study, we emphasize the mechanism through which director heterogeneity improves firm performance. More female directors on boards can make female employees dedicate themselves to work and improve the performance of the firms (Là ¼ckerath-Rovers, 2011, p. 507). She also proves that companies are more successful in making use of the whole talent pool for competent directors instead of only half of the talent pool. As a consequence, the increase or decrease in the firm value depends on companies choices. REFERENCES Adams, R. B., Ferreira, D. (2009). Women in the Boardroom and Their Impact on Governance and Performance. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.1107721 Ahern, K. R., Dittmar, A. K. (2011). The Changing of the Boards: The Impact on Firm Valuation of Mandated Female Board Representation. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.1364470 Catalyst (2017). Quick Take: Women on Corporate Boards Globally. Retrieved from http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/women-corporate-boards-globally Kim, D., Starks, L. T. (2016). Gender Diversity on Corporate Boards: Do Women Contribute Unique Skills? American Economic Review, 106(5), 267-271. doi:10.1257/aer.p20161032 Là ¼ckerath-Rovers, M. (2011). Women on boards and firm performance. Journal of Management Governance, 17(2), 491-509. doi:10.1007/s10997-011-9186-1 Matsa, D. A., Miller, A. R. (2011). A Female Style in Corporate Leadership? Evidence from Quotas. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.1636047 Sorsa, P. (2016). Gender quotas for corporate boards do they work? Lessons from Norway. Retrieved from https://oecdecoscope.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/gender-quotas-for-corporate-boards-do-they-work-lessons-from-norway/ Statistics Canada (2017). Full-time and part-time employment by sex and age group. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/labor05-eng.htm Statistics Canada (2017). Labour force characteristics by sex and age group. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/labor05-eng.htm Walt, N., Ingley, C. (2003). Board Dynamics and the Influence of Professional Background, Gender and Ethnic Diversity of Directors. Corporate Governance, 11(3), 218-234. doi:10.1111/1467-8683.00320 Wang, M., Kelan, E. (2012). The Gender Quota and Female Leadership: Effects of the Norwegian Gender Quota on Board Chairs and CEOs. Journal of Business Ethics, 117(3), 449-466. doi:10.1007/s10551-012-1546-5 Wikigender. (n.d.). Debate on Gender Quotas. Retrieved from http://www.wikigender.org/wiki/debate-on-gender-quotas/

Essay --

Kaylee Miller ENG 2413, 3 period C. Windham 10 December 2013 Helping Hand Mary Shelley was not an ordinary nineteen-year-old. She was the daughter of major novelist William Godwin and woman activist Mary Wollstonecraft, and the wife of one of the primary second-generation poet. In life, Mary had to face many situations without her mother, because she was only eleven days old when she passed away. Throughout Mary’s life, she lost three of her four children prematurely. Her only surviving child was named Percy Florence, and she was born in 1819. Frankenstein was released when Mary was twenty-one years old. The central idea came to Shelley in a dream where she saw a student placing parts together of a male’s body and working through an engine to animate it. In Mary’s Shelley’s novel, the Creature goes from being innocent, to a harmful individual, and results in being a kind hearted helping hand. The Creature had a tough life to begin with, and he was an innocent creature. He was forced to provide for himself with knowing nothing and without a leading hand. He describes his first expe...