Thursday, November 28, 2019

Quality and Environmental Management

Appropriate management systems ensure quality and safer structures. The purpose of this report is to evaluate Domhus UK Ltd, a manufacturer of high specification prefabricated houses, various aspects regarding its operations.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Quality and Environmental Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More By analysing various construction management books, journals, and websites, the report discusses the company’s significant environmental aspects, suitable objectives, targets and environmental management programmes, and the relevant auditing arrangements for the integrated management system. Company’s significant environmental aspects The fact that the company manufactures most of its components in a controlled environment reduces the waste of materials and lessens environmental impacts on land and the society. The company can integrate wastes into the construction process rat her than being lost on-site and discarded as landfill. The materials, which are mostly organic, have low embodies energy compared to the materials mined from the earth’s crust (Birkeland 2008, p.104). The reuse of components serves to keep the environment clean with the organic materials, which contain fewer petrochemicals, enhancing a healthier environment especially concerning air pollution (BragancÃŒ §a 2007, p.105). Since onsite construction is minimised, various forms of pollutants that might have been introduced into the environment are avoided. In this regard, health and safety are maintained while at the same time avoiding dirt, which could inconvenience local residents. Furthermore, these practices ensure the protection of the habitats, waterways, and other natural features (Howarth Watson 2009, p.35). The minimisation of the consumption of energy during the construction phase is also beneficial. Suitable environmental programmes The design process should involve a detailed assessment of the construction process to eliminate any problematic health and safety issues within the design (Lowton 1997, p.67). The organising and controlling of the work on site should ensure the observance of environmental safety.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More By observing site-specific retrofitting, prefabricated buildings can considerably contribute to reduced land coverage resource flaws (Schaur 2005, p. 78). Furthermore, constructing prefabricated structures in combination with greenhouse aspects of heating, cooling, and ventilation can be beneficial. High concentrations of the interior environment contaminants can be minimised. Adopting more sustainable principles in the materials and production systems will facilitate more environmentally friendly structures. The prefabricated houses can be designed to achieve high-energy efficiency and thus minimise the consumption of non-renewable resources and ensure appropriate management of the renewable and local resources (Mehta et al. 2008, p.32). Such include the minimisation of the extensive use of air-conditioning. The buildings should be energy efficient and utilise energy from renewable sources by specifying recycled materials (Hawkes Forster 2002, p. 197) Materials such as sandwich-structured composite are appropriate in thermal improvement, sound insulation, and air tightness. The company should avoid the use of prefabrication materials that might have adverse effects on the environment. Concerning the external suppliers, the company should undertake consultations in seeking their input for a safer environment and undertake process of identifying, assessing, and controlling the impacts of its activities (Fryer et al. 2004, p. 81). This relationship should deliver high quality products and services that are environmental friendly (Feld Carper 1997, p. 103). It is appropriate to a dopt a continuous improvement scheme that promotes health and safety and maintain an environmental management system that is relevant to environmental conservation (Chitkara, 1998, p. 93). The company should educate and train its staff in matters of environmental preservation. Moreover, the company should comply with all the relevant legislation and regulations that relate to environmental health and safety and any other industry codes of practice in this regard. This entails the improvement of all the aspects of design, manufacture, hire, installation, and service (Smith 1999, p.48). A regular review of the quality objectives and the management system through self-analysis, customer feedback, and third party verification is vital.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Quality and Environmental Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Auditing arrangements Prefabrication requires significantly diverse capital requ irements, logistic skills, and specialized labour. The capital costs include the costs of importing the prefabricated building segments or the costs of erecting an industrial plant to fabricate the building segments (Harris et al. 2006, p. 64). The logistics involve transporting large prefabricated building segments to the construction site. The logistics become more complex with disperse construction sites, considerably large building segments, and poor road networks and transport systems. With poor planning, the complexity involved in prefabricated construction may cause increased costs that exceed the savings expected from reduced time, labour, and materials (Goodchild 2008, p. 82). A company must cater for alternatives to address any disruptions in the supply of materials and fittings. It must also cater for unexpected problems during the construction process. Proper inspection measures will ensure that faults are avoided as the use of specialized components increases the mainte nance costs and delays any remedial work due to difficulties associated with sourcing. Financial allowance is essential for all residual risk items. The frequency of the auditing process should emphasise on the crucial sections of the company such as the production process (Hughes Ferrett, 2011). A well-structured auditing programme in this regard will give a clear picture of the effectiveness of the production process. Thus, the company can control the risks associated with defective products by making informed decisions. Regarding joint venture examinations, the auditing process should consider the unique issues regarding operation of the joint ventures. Each party should be viewed independently. A proper auditing process should facilitated value management so that the company meets the client business needs in matters concerning time, cost, quality and risk constrains. It should also ensure sustainable construction in terms of social, economic, and environmental aspects (Kay et al. 1989, p.53). Conclusion Appropriate management systems facilitate the realization of a company’s objectives. Both its onsite and offsite operations should address environmental preservation in terms of pollution and energy conservation.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More References Birkeland, J. (2008). Positive development: from vicious circles to virtuous cycles through built environment design. Earthscan: London. BragancÃŒ §a, L. (2007). Portugal SB07 sustainable construction, materials and practices : challenge of the industry for the new millenium. Delft University Press: Amsterdam, Netherlands. Chitkara, K. K. (1998). Construction project management: planning, scheduling and controlling.Tata McGraw-Hill Pub: New Delhi, India. Feld, J., Carper, K. L. (1997). Construction failure (2nd ed.). Wiley: New York. Fryer, B. G., Fryer, M., Egbu, C. O., Ellis, R., Gorse, C. A. (2004). The practice of construction management: people and business performance (4th ed.). Blackwell Pub: Oxford, U.K. Goodchild, B. (2008). Homes, cities and neighbourhoods: planning and the residential landscapes of modern Britain. Aldershot, England: Ashgate. Harris, F., McCaffer, R., Fotwe, F. (2006). Modern construction management (6th ed.). Blackwell: Oxford. Hawkes, D., Forster, W. (2002). Energy efficient buildings: architecture, engineering, and environment. W.W. Norton Co; New York. Howarth, T., Watson, P. (2009). Construction safety management. Wiley-Blackwell: Chichester, U.K. Hughes, P., Ferrett, E. (2011). Introduction to health and safety in construction: the handbook for the NEBOSH construction certificate (4th ed.). Routledge: London. Kay, R. S., Searfoss, D. G., Minter, F. C. (1989). Handbook of accounting and auditing (2nd ed.). Warren, Gorham Lamont: Boston. Lowton, R. M. (1997). Construction and the natural environment. Butterworth-Heinemann: Oxford. Mehta, M., Scarborough, W., Armpriest, D. (2008). Building construction: principles, materials, and systems. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Schaur, C. (2005). Improvement of Buildings’ Structural Quality by New Technologies: Outcome of the Cooperative Activities : Final Report, September 2004. A. A. Balkema: London. Smith, N. J. (1999). Managing risk in con struction projects. Blackwell Science: Oxford. This report on Quality and Environmental Management was written and submitted by user Emery Yang to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

John Grisham Essays - John Grisham, Phi Kappa Phi, Free Essays

John Grisham Essays - John Grisham, Phi Kappa Phi, Free Essays John Grisham Reading 951006 Miller February 5, 2015 John Grisham is a popular novelist best known for legal thrillers. Grisham earned his degree in accounting at Mississippi State University. However he switched to criminaldefense law and received his law degree in 1981. John Grisham practiced law and served as democrat in the Mississippi state legislature. In his first trial case where he observed, inspired him to write his first novel, A Time to kill. Grisham spend three years on this novel and finished it 1987. Rejected by couple of publishers, an unknown publisher agreed to publish his book only five- thousand books were printed. John Grisham books (The Firm, The Client, The Chamber, The Rainmaker etc...) became international bestsellers. When he wasnt writing, Grisham devotes time in charitable causes, including the most recently his rebuild the Coast Fund, which raised 8.8 million dollars when Hurricane Katrina hit (Random House). As a child, he dreamed of being a professional baseball player. He now serves as the local little league commissioner, and he built six ball fields on his property have played host to over 350 kids on 26 little league teams. John Grisham has always been a great writer and will always be successful in his novels.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Module 1 TD- TUX 101 - Earning a College Degree Essay

Module 1 TD- TUX 101 - Earning a College Degree - Essay Example An analysis carried out in 29 countries (mostly industrialized ones) confirmed the long-known impression that college education is universally worth the cost and time. On average, degree holders earn 1.5 times that of adults with diplomas from high-school. Whereas a degree is a good investment in other countries, no other nation rewards it like the US. Nonetheless, a degree has got a higher rate of return than majority of financial investments, and it seems these benefits are rising due to financial crisis. This is because, there is a rising premium on superior skills and the biggest casualties are the low skilled since the work is getting digitized, outsourced, automated etc. Secondly, majority of companies use screening rules while selecting potential employees, one of the first rules being; does the candidate have a degree? On the other hand, pundits think that most of those attending 4 year colleges do not graduate even after 6 years and the dropout rate is increasingly high. Even though graduates from college acquire marketable skills, others earn little more income, but with college debts as well as some lost income accrued while one is unsuccessfully chasing a degree. On average, college graduates earn more, live longer, have h ealthy kids, acquire better social skills and generally happier and for those considering long term career, then a degree is an obvious requirement. Thus college is a worthy investment and college graduates accomplish key milestones in

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Short Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Short Report - Essay Example The major problems encountered by the group include poor recruitment and selection procedure, lack of precision in job description, incompetent leadership approach, lack of effective communication within the operational dimensions of the group, inadequate training and development programs, employee motivational limitations and lack of proper integration of HR strategies with the overall organisational goals. Thus, in order to resolve these challenges and issues, the City of Southbridge has been suggested to restructure its HRD and managerial approach. Addressing the rudimental flaws persisting within the organisation, along with a considerable significance towards identifying the future scope for improvements and opportunities to mitigate the limitations within the HR practices of the City of Southbridge, it is expected that this report shall be helpful for the group’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in taking requisite measures. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 The Role of a Human Resource Department at the City of Southbridge 5 The Arguments for a Strategic Human Resource Management within the City Of Southbridge 6 Identification of Potential Areas of Reform 8 Conclusion 10 Recommendations 10 References 12 Introduction City of Southbridge is a large-sized metropolitan local authority, which employs over 700 people in an array of professional, community amenity and manual roles. Mr. Brian, the recently appointed HR manager of the group, was able to identify several HR challenges during his professional tenure. In this context, Mr. Brian postulated that the group is still burdened with the orthodox HR practice, wherein greater emphasis is allocated to administration and the related transactional functions only. It has been highlighted that the HR structure within the group was principally based on its functional dimensions, including recruitment and payroll section as the primary and the largest sections. Mr. Brian further observed that none of the HR staff possessed adequate understanding regarding the strategic notion or functions followed by the City of Southbridge, which in turn caused misalignments in the execution of the HR strategies in accordance with the strategic notion followed in the City of Southbridge. With due consideration to Mr. Brian’s concern, the primary purpose of this report is to lucidly highlight the role of Human Resource Department (HRD) within the City of Southbridge. The report further strives to explain the need for a strategic approach to resolve HRM issues within the City of Southbridge. Also, the report entails identification of potential areas of scope within the group to accelerate the effective reform of the HR function in a strategic way. Throughout the report, in order to acquire considerable understanding and to draw valid and reliable conclusion, recently published academic journals and peer-reviewed articles have been utilized. Furthermore, journals containing relevant models and th eories have been taken into concern for offering necessary recommendations in respect of the HR challenges identified within the City of Southbridge. The Role of a Human Resource Department at the City of Southbridge Human Resource Department (HRD) plays a crucial role that further imposes significant impacts on the overall

Monday, November 18, 2019

To what extent are a company's annual report and accounts useful in Essay

To what extent are a company's annual report and accounts useful in understanding and analysing its market, productive and fin - Essay Example This paper discusses the usefulness of annual reports in understanding a company’s market, production and financial performances. Management perspective A company needs to strive to remain in competition within the framework of several internal and external factors like political, economical and social structures. The owners delegate most of their responsibilities to the senior management thus elevating the power of the management to decide a company’s objectives and to design policies for the purpose of realisation of those objectives. It is only with the guidance obtained by studying annual reports and accounts, the management can make operational and strategic reconfigurations of resources for the purpose of consolidating the position of the company in the competitive market. The independent controlling power of the management separate from the owner ensures that the sole objective of profit optimization cannot be realised since the company’s policies and beha viours are also controlled by various other factors. Technically, profit can be maximized if the organisation can detect â€Å"marginal cost, marginal revenues and production output up to a point where marginal cost of the last unit produced just equates to the marginal revenue received from its sale.† (Haslam, et al, 2000, p.4) In fact, a set of rules and regulations of accounting helps the management to identify the production cost and sale price of each unit to determine the company’s performance in the fields of production and sales. The annual reports reflect the performance patterns of a company from one period to the other (Haslam, et al, 2000, pp.4-5). Users of accounts Annual reports and accounts can be defined as means of â€Å"communication of information about the financial position and performance of an entity to interested parties.† (Laidler & Donaghy, 1998, p.1) In any company, every year balance sheet and profit and loss account are published in a document form along with other financial statements, together known as annual reports and accounts. These accounts are useful for both internal personnel like directors and managers, and also external people like investors, creditors, customers etc. Investors are those people who invest their money by purchasing shares of a company thereby taking risks in the hope of getting dividends in due time. For this purpose they need to know the management efficiency of the company in order to determine whether their investments will be profitable. Employees and trade unions study the annual reports to become aware of the financial stability of their company to decide whether they will be continued to be employed at appropriate levels of remuneration. The annual reports are also important for the lenders like banks and individuals who lend money to a company. They need to be aware whether the company will be able to repay their money together with their interest in due time. Similarly, for creditors and suppliers, the annual reports give them the information whether they will be getting their payment at the right time. Then there are customers like other organisations who purchase goods from the company; they need to know the financial stability of the company to remain satisfied that goods and services will be

Friday, November 15, 2019

Ethical issues of Chinas one-child policy

Ethical issues of Chinas one-child policy The Chinese ideal of a family follows the Confucian belief that the family should be big and complex. The father is to have as many sons as possible so that the son can fulfill his obligations to the father and their lineage  [1]  . The family is very important for the Chinese that they even coined the term familism which is the basis of a kind of society distinctive from any other kind in the world  [2]  . This means that whatever the members of the family are doing should be only for the benefit of their family. Because of familism, a Chinese couple feels compelled to have at least one male child. The Chinese believe that having a son will benefit them in many ways and one of these is to ensure that their family line would be continued  [3]  . The family in the Confucian view stresses the significance of hierarchy. Confucius also said that in a relationship, one should command and the other should obey. It is now known that the one who commands is the man or the elder, while the one who obeys is the woman or the younger person. The Chinese family is very paternalistic in a sense that it favors the men of the family more than the women  [4]  . Unlike in the West, children in China were not as treasured by their parents. They were more of necessities for the families especially in the rural areas, so that they could help their parents with work in the fields. Sons were especially valued because of their ability to provide for their parents and to carry on their family name, something that the women can never be capable of doing  [5]  . The men are also the only ones who have direct access to Heaven and they can perform rituals for their ancestors. The one who was in charge of the rituals is called the descent-line heir or the tsung-tzu  [6]  . For the Chinese, having a daughter would not be beneficial to them in any way because daughters would eventually leave them to join her husbands family. She would worship their ancestors and serve his family. Having a son would be an assurance to a family; that the son would care for his parents and stay with them even after he gets married  [7]  . The men of the family would also inherit the property that is left to them, and there is no way that a woman would be allowed to become heir to what has been left by the ancestors. An example of this would be the opposition of Chu Hsi, one of the most influential leaders of the Learning Way Movement, in his Family Rituals that a daughter cannot inherit her parents estate even when she had no (more) brothers. A woman, without brothers, inheriting the property of her parents was a Sung practice, but Chu Hsi emphasized that the males should be the ones inheriting the properties because if it were women, then such property would be obtained inappropriately'  [8]  . Everyone knows about how China is becoming more developed and as a result, the population of China has been growing rapidly. China had to do something about the population growth because the government was not able to meet the needs of the citizens anymore. To add to that, death rates were also declining. The government had different programs to prolong a couple from having a child such as encouraging them to get married late. This policy was implemented to answer the problems of overpopulation. Couples who abided by the policy would receive incentives, while those who decide to have more than one child would have to pay the sanctions  [9]  . Chinas one child policy was launched in the year 1979 by former Premier Deng Xiao Ping  [10]  . The main purpose of this policy is to stop the rapid population growth of the country that was clearly evident during the year 1949, when the population was nearly half a billion, the same time when the Chinese Communist Party was establishing itself and thought that this concern would hinder development  [11]  . The policy was not supposed to be permanent but because it was successful, they decided to continue implementing it. It was also not applied to all places in China. Places that do not practice the policy are Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and in total only about 40% of the Chinese population practice the one-child policy  [12]  . The policy itself is not fully unreasonable since it had a practical purpose of controlling the population growth which was certainly necessary at that moment. The only time it gets out of hand is when the Chinese norm of favoring sons enters th e picture. The fact that a family has to have only one child is absurd. How can the government of China expect to control millions of families in the country? Is this even possible? In the urban areas, people found it difficult to resist this policy because of their social and economic conditions as well as the strict ruling of their leaders during that time. However, this is not the case in rural areas wherein active resistance could be seen everywhere. This is because of their childrens contribution to the typical Chinese agricultural family and for their role in preserving the family line. Because of the unfairness of this policy, a lot of people resisted in three forms: first was when the targets confronted the implementers of the policy; second was the escape from the policy by either deceiving rural cadres or colluding with sympathetic ones; third was to appear to be complying with what the state wanted but defying them at the same time. This means that the state succeeds when the couple would obey the states policy of having only one child (even if they want more), but the same couple would reveal the influence of a counter-discourse that challenges the s tates ideological claim to dominate child-bearing when they practice female infanticide. Couples would then resort to ultrasound technology, wherein a rural or urban couple can engineer the sex of their baby  [13]  . The problem of population growth can be seen mostly in rural areas since 80 per cent of Chinas population is rural and 87.2 per cent of births occur there. The government tried to reason out with the peasants regarding the change in family size but they were not successful in changing their minds. By the year 1970, incentives and penalties were introduced as part of the two-child policy campaign. These were even highlighted during 1979, when the one-child policy was finally launched  [14]  . Why the Chinese peasants preferred to have a large family is due to economic reasons. They felt that having a large family would bring more advantages for them, as compared to having only one child. The advantage would be that the family would receive an allocation of grain distributed on a per capita basis. The same goes for the allocation of land that is why people in the rural areas can expand their homes when they expand their families  [15]  . Sometimes, these children would help their parents by gathering materials related to the maintaining of the land such as water and fuel. They would also feed the animals and weed private plots. These tasks could be done even by children, thus it helps the parents prepare for the more rigorous chores. Their children are also the only large-scale investments of the peasants because sons join the work force and they eventually have to provide for their families  [16]  . The preference for sons is also evident in the rural areas because they continue their family line, whereas most of the women get married outside their village, live with their in-laws and join their labor force. This preference is also reflected in a survey conducted during the year 1981. The participants are those couples who had a second child. 42.61 per cent of the 1000 participants had one son and 57.39 per cent had a daughter. When they were asked why they had another child, 50.5 per cent said that they wanted a boy and only 11.4 per cent said that they wanted a girl. This clearly indicates that majority of the respondents prefer a son over a daughter  [17]  . Because they had to, the people from the rural areas used different methods to postpone the creation of children. Some relied on the low cost methods of contraception such as IUD and the second method is sterilization. However, those with only one child have a hard time using this method because they would consider having a second child in replacement of the first one just in case the first one dies or becomes disabled. They do not take pills that much because it is more expensive and supply could be a problem for them. In some rural areas, particularly in Sichuan, vasectomy was used. Both men and women had more complaints regarding the side-effects of this method because the men claimed to be losing their strength. However, this method became very effective because Sichuan was most successful in reducing its birth rate. There was also induced abortion, which was originally just a back up method and was not really meant to be an independent option for contraception  [18]  . Despite the resistance, people still follow because there would be incentives and penalties enforced just to make sure that no one will go against the policy. Among the many incentives are a nutrition allowance, a full adult grain ration and free medical, educational and kindergarten facilities for the child. An example of the penalties on the other hand is the deduction of the couples income by 20 per cent from the time the second pregnancy is discovered but this 20 per cent will be returned to them if they had the child aborted. There are times when a couple is allowed to have a second child. Among these are if the first child suffers from a disability that would hinder him from working or if both are overseas Chinese who have just returned from another country  [19]  . The policy was more successful in the urban areas than in the rural areas. This could be due to the aim of the government that 95 per cent of the married couples in the cities and 90 per cent in the countryside will have only one child so that by the end of the century, China could limit their population to about 1.2 billion  [20]  . As early as 1955, family planning was being enforced in the urban areas of China  [21]  . Chen Da, a pioneering demographer, emphasized that people who received education overseas would more likely have less children because they have a background on birth control  [22]  . The people from the urban areas were more open and accepting of the one-child policy because for one, there were efforts to raise the status of the women by letting them enter into the labor force. Child bearing and rearing are not the only things that a woman is bound to do with all the work that she has  [23]  . The Chinese from urban areas also see children as more of an economic liability because it requires a lot of effort, attention and resources (like money) to raise them but these children contribute little to the lives of their parents  [24]  . Different families have various practices or methods to get rid of a daughter. One of these is female infanticide or the intentional killing of baby girls  [25]  . The couple will resort to female infanticide to try their luck again hoping that they would get a boy the second time around (or kill the girl when the mother gets pregnant with a boy)  [26]  just so they could comply with the policy that was being implemented  [27]  . There are also hospitals in China that have contraceptive technical guidance institutes. These institutes have lower level workers who are trained in the four operations which are tubectomy, vasectomy, insertion and removal of the IUD, and induced abortion  [28]  . IUD and sterilization are widely used in China; in fact, as many as 50 per cent of the Chinese rely on IUDs and sterilization is the second most widely used form of contraceptive method  [29]  . Partly because of these methods, it became possible for China to control its people. Again, the motive of preventing overpopulation is not a bad thing. In fact, it would be helpful to the government so that it could rule the country better. However, is this inhumane policy the only option that they had? Is it really success that they are achieving? Would they call this successful when they know that there are innocent babies killed along the way? The Chinese may have controlled the growth of their population but they are also encountering problems as they go along with their one-child policy. This policy has prevented around 4oo million births, according to Chinese officials  [30]  . Because there are fewer children that are born, there is an expanding population of the elderly. This is a problem because there would be less number of young laborers in the future when the elderly die  [31]  . Another problem is the ratio of men and women because men have been outnumbering women already by about 60 million. This imbalance between men and women would make it difficult for the former to look for wives; therefore they can result to human trafficking of women and children  [32]  . The policy is even crueler because of the inequality between men and women. The government has been addressing this issue saying that men and women must be equal at all costs and that this equality has to be promoted through media. People who commit infanticide, those who neglect or abandon their children or any act that would harm people especially female babies must be punished  [33]  . If the government really means this, then they could already stop with the payment of fines for having more than one child and just have a law against female infanticide, or better yet just abolish the policy. Unfortunately, the Chinese will still be continuing this policy in the coming decades to control the population growth in their country  [34]  . According to the official and minister of the National Population and Family Planning Commission, Zhang Weiqing, China will not make any changes for about another decade because it has been effective in controlling their population growth. Since Chinas population is growing by 17 million per year (according to China Daily as of 2008), abandoning the policy would have major fluctuations in population growth. Officials said that the one-child policy was the only choice that was available and realistic at the time of the construction of the policy, but they are now considering amendments to it, but abolishing it would cause many problems  [35]  . The Philippines is also experiencing an event that is quite similar to the policy that China has implemented on its country for a long time. There may be many people in the Philippines, but they are still able to live their lives normally because the resources are sustaining them. There would be no poor people if only there was equal distribution of resources to all the Filipino people. The church also claims that poverty is not because of overpopulation but is due to the irresponsible and corrupt government that the country has  [36]  , but what exactly is overpopulation? As defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary, overpopulation is the condition of having a population so dense as to cause environmental deterioration, an impaired quality of life, or a population crash  [37]  . The option that the lawmakers are considering is the Reproductive Health Bill that promotes information on and access to both natural and modern family planning methods, which are medically safe and legally permissible  [38]  . The difference of this from Chinas one-child policy is the variation of the Filipino and Chinese mentality; that the former does not favor any gender because Southeast Asian countries tolerate both genders. The cause is the same-which is to control population growth, but the motive is different because while China intends to just control their population, the Philippines aims to eliminate poverty by controlling the population growth. The cause may be reasonable but some parts of the bill are disadvantageous to the lives of the Filipinos, especially the Filipino women. Some institutions are supporting the RH Bill like the National Council of Churches in the Philippines or NCCP, saying that the Reproductive Health Bill does not necessarily promote anything illegal such as abortion  [39]  . However in the bill, it is said that women with post-abortion concerns will not be treated differently  [40]  . Does this mean that the government will still tolerate abortion even if they mentioned in the bill that abortion is illegal? Is what the NCCP saying about the bill not promoting abortion true? Another is the mandatory sex education for elementary students  [41]  . Some parents have a difficult time explaining to their children about how they came to life or even talk about sex with them. Usually parents would wait for the right time to educate them about these things so that the child would understand better. If the law requires mandatory sex education, then these children will be more curious and try to experiment things and be exposed at a very young age. Just like Chinas one-child policy, the RH Bill may have a good purpose but its execution and some of the policies in it are not beneficial. The bill promotes responsible parenthood  [42]  but does this responsibility involve the choice between having the baby and having the baby aborted? If there is the belief that the Philippines is overpopulated, then why not use this to our advantage? Why not use the money for creating jobs instead of spending so much on contraceptives (or letting the corrupt officials keep the money) that will not bring any benefit to a persons life? Our religion is also different from the Chinese. Filipinos do not see their children as economic liabilities because Filipinos are more emotionally attached to their children. The punishments in case of non-compliance stated in this bill will also have a great impact in the lives of the Filipinos who are compelled to comply with the provisions  [43]  . Filipinos must be alarmed that there is so much poor people because the population is rapidly increasing that is why they are assuming that the country is becoming overpopulated and we need to solve this problem. However, the Philippines does not need the RH Bill because the country is not overpopulated. There is the assumption that poverty and overpopulation are connected, and by controlling the population, poverty will be reduced. According to Simon Kuznets, a Noble Prize Winner and author of Population and Capital Growth, there is no clear connection between overpopulation and economic development  [44]  . Places such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan are overpopulated but still flourish. The population density of Taiwan is 1,460 per square mile but CIAs World Factbook 1999 stated that Taiwans per capita gross domestic product is $16,500  [45]   What the Filipinos need is a better and more capable government instead of implementing an unnecessary law. As for China, they are also starting to question their own policy  [46]  and because they are already having doubts, then it is best that they reconsider executing it for another decade. By doing this, China would cease to harm innocent human beings and prevent the Philippines from following the footsteps of China in putting something unethical into practice.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Voltaire and the Beginning of the Enlightment Essay -- Enlightenment of

Francis Marie Arouet was born on November 21, 1694 in Paris, France. As a child, Arouet grew up in an atmosphere that strictly obeyed the rules of the church. During this time, faith in the church was an obligation for everyone in society and the authority of the church was never questioned, for this would definitely mean instant death. Meanwhile, Arouet enrolled at the Jesuit College of Louis-Le-Grande where he excelled in academics especially his skills in writing. After his schooling, Arouet became noticed by much of the aristocracy for his writing and eventually was imprisoned for supposedly composing two offensive works, the Puerto Regnanto and J’aivu.1 While serving his confinement, he assumed the name de Voltaire. After choosing the new name, Voltaire said, "I was very unlucky under my first name. I want to see if this one will succeed any better."2 Upon his release from the Bastille, Voltaire was exiled to England, a country he grew very fond of. At this time, freedom of speech was continuously exemplified throughout the country of England; Voltaire found this toleration very advantageous to the beginnings of his opinion. While in England, Voltaire decided to redirect his purpose of writing; he now decided to fight for the right of human liberty. From the time Voltaire moved to England through the remainder of his life, he marked the beginning of a new period, the Englightment, a time where he would continuously mock the idea of religion and reinforce the idea of human liberty and opinion fearlessly through his many plays, literature, and essays. Furthermore, Voltaire remained in England for three years while publishing an English version of the La Henriade, an essay concerning the defense of religious toleration.3 Aft... ...zes Voltaire the best when he comments, "Probably no man ever lived who assailed the Church and the State with the same wit and keenness that always at Voltaire’s command; and yet in spite of this he managed to live comfortably, accumulate rich and die in peace."13 Notes 1. "Francis Marie Arouet de Voltaire." http://www.ericjonas.com/ /features/candied/Voltaire/default.asp (20 Feb. 2000). 2. Darrow, Charles. "Voltaire." http://www.aracnet.com/~atheism/hist/ darrow5.htm (20 Feb. 2000). 3. "Francis Marie Arouet de Voltaire," 1. 4. Darrow, 6. 5. Darrow, 9. 6. Darrow, 9. 7. Darrow, 13. 8. Darrow, 17. 9. Darrow, 11. 10. Wendy McElroy, "Voltaire vs. Intolerance," Free Inquiry, Winter 1999, 61. 11. Darrow, 15. 12. Darrow, 16. 13. Darrow, 4.