The Ethics of Food Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Ethics of Food - Term Paper Example Ethical considerations with respect to the food industry are a maze of complex questions that pin moral responsibility on any number of different sources, whether consumers, producers, the media, the government, or scientists. In the increasingly intricate food production process, there are many steps in the process where things could be positively changed and such positive changes could be introduced by any of these ethical food sources. Ethics is the philosophical study of moral values and rules. Applied to food, this means a study of what values and rules ought to be embraced as the norm for the production and consumption of food through each step of the process. An ethics of food is particularly important because food is essential to human life. For instance, to deny a person food for any prolonged period will inevitably lead to that person’s death. Although the denial of a specific person food for a time is not subject to ethical debate, millions of people each year die o f hunger that could be prevented in theory. Here, we will examine the sources of ethical duty within the food production process, starting with governments and ending with scientists. This analysis depends, in large part, on an overview of theory with a great deal of empirical application and comparison to real life. When dealing with an applied ethical issue such as the ethics of food, it is particularly important to bear in mind that one’s philosophical conclusions have very real and widespread effects on human life. Sources that serve as a general introduction to the ethics of food often take the form of a series of questions, of which there are always more than there are answers. All of these questions have something to do with the distinction between an ethical and an unethical act. For instance, a question might be â€Å"Is buying ‘local’ food always better for the environment?† (Prince, et al., 2007, p. 2). This question implicates food consumers mo st directly, but also food producers. The explicit moral value is the environment; namely, how does one best achieve what is best for the environment, which is taken to be morally superior to an act that degrades the environment. The moral duty implied for consumers in this question revolves around the issue of how one goes about helping the environment, and an answer to this question (if it exists) would make this moral duty more clear. Additionally, the question presumes some role of producers in helping the environment: namely, that by producing and selling foods locally, food producers can help the environment in ways that previous generations of producers have not been able to. Accordingly, every question posed in the ethics of food should be addressed in this manner: first, identifying to what or to whom the question implies we have a moral obligation to, secondly identifying the nature of that moral obligation, and thirdly specifically who bears that moral obligation. An addi tional preliminary comment is that moral obligations about food choices bear weight. The objection that food choice, or the ethics of food, does not really matter will not work. The majority of Americans deal with obesity, which affects the American workforce, healthcare costs, and a degraded environment. Unhealthy food choices lead to decreased brain function, developmental problems in children, and malnutrition from a lack of vital nutrients. Environmentally, poor diets compromise our resources by increasing the need for pesticides and fertilizers that corrupt lakes, streams, and oceans, creates disease in livestock, and releases greenhouse gases that cause irreversible damage in terms of global warming. At current trends, this kind of diet will lead to even more significant social problems in the future (Young & Leehr, 2009). In this sense, one cannot claim that food choices do not matter, or that ethics does not have a role in which direction Americans take. At this point, as Yo ung and Leehr (2009) contend, it does not matter which side of the debate between agri-business

Agriculture in the next 30 years Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Agriculture in the next 30 years - Assignment Example For quite a long time, researchers have ranked agriculture as the major source of income globally. In this regard, as the main economic activity and many countries’ economic backbone, speculations have always been made in fear of what might happen the next minute.A renowned scholar, Glen Hiemstra, of futurist.com once noted that any individual who does not emprise technology that comes along with agriculture remain a stumbling block to countries economic progress. In support to Hiemstra words, every individual’s effort towards agriculture helps to boost country’s GDP and per capita income.As an activity drawing scholarly interest, several definitions have been brought forth all inclined towards recognizing agriculture as farming or husbandry, a way of animal cultivation, plants and fungi production as well as production of foods and fiber all geared towards human life sustainability (Rosner, 2009). As a study majorly phrased as agricultural science refers to huma n activities. This paper gives an in-depth analysis of the future expectations of agriculture, drawing argument from past and present happenings. Agricultural activities date back thousands of years and it has developed tremendously due to different climates, cultures, and technology. Being the backbone of human life, agriculture had to be developed continuously to sustain the needs of the people in the world. In confirmation of the importance of the activity in generating income, most of the industries worldwide deal with agricultural product in their operations (Li, Liu, & Chen, 2011). Agriculture is thus a core activity to the world and people cannot live without it. The economy has to grow through the help of agriculture as the main activity. In general, as years go by, the need for foods, feed, fibers, biofuels, and fishing will increase significantly thus the need to develop and diversify agricultural sector. This will greatly be attributed by the desire to feed the constantly growing population, creation of employment activities to the citizens, need for a source of income and due to the fact that it is a source of foreign exchange. As such, every individual expects positive development of agriculture in the future. This is from the understanding of the impact it has to a county’s development. Agriculture is a very costly exercise in terms of cost and involvement, like for instance, buying of pesticides, nutrient runoff, excessive water usage and many more. Furthermore, pesticide poisoning, pollution of environment through chemicals emitted by agricultural activities are the major negative impacts by agriculture. Pollution of water by biofuels emitted from industries causes water scarcity hence increased the challenge of producing enough food for the growing population. Thus, the need to fulfill agricultural needs results to environmental degradation and negative implications on peoples lives in terms of high costs and their health and therefore the need for stern measures to be taken to counter the effects. It is expected therefore that in the future, having in mind the increasing living standards, the cost of all the above-mentioned will increase notably (Hiemstra, 2000). However, other scholars are for the opinion that better and cheaper means of farming might be initiated cutting down much of the expenses and hence bettering and increasing the production. The presently initiated biotechnological products will in the future, if not well handled expose human beings to dangerous infections such as cancer, diabetes, and heart attacks. People infected with such disease may even end up dying or developing lifetime complexities (Mundlak, 2000). The need to feed the growing population has called for swift development in crop production and pest control. In future, it is expected that technological advancements will be developed swiftly to curb food shortage and various pest control techniques. Disease prevalence in crops has ho wever remained constant despite all the

Human Services 322 Ideology and Policy Evolution (Rev.C2) Assignment

Human Services 322 Ideology and Policy Evolution (Rev.C2) - Assignment Example People learn from the society on what to believe and what to say and even how to act. When the society holds the belief that the disabled in society do not need to be accorded any justice or treated fairly because they are not the same as the rest of the people, then everybody else in society will follow suit in the oppression. The societal beliefs are also what makes the rest of the society consider the people living with various forms of disabilities as deserving to suffer whether from humiliation, being treated with hostility or being condemned and especially to those suffering from mental disabilities and do not have the power to fight for their rights (Lightman, 2003). The other cause of oppression to the disabled in society is brought about by a misunderstanding. This misunderstanding is spread through propaganda by the media which depicts the disables as being lazy and hence slow in doing their work. This is clearly a misunderstanding and a misconception because the disabled are slowed down by their significant impairment. A crippled man using clutches for example cannot be expected to work at a faster rate as a normal and abled individual. Some of these people with disabilities also suffer constant pain and hence have to rest every now and then. These are the signs that are misconstrued and regarded as being laziness and slowness while they are indeed trying out their best. The other disabled on the streets seeking assistance are another reason for being regarded as lazy but they are simply seeking help but this does not mean they are lazy (Tomlinson & Trew, 2005). The other cause of oppression is simply dislike for the disabled people because they are different from the rest of the people. The dislike is in such excess as to cause people to make the disabled suffer. The dislike is usually brought about by the fact that the disabled get the welfare assistance, are exempted from

Affirmative Action Policies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Affirmative Action Policies - Essay Example Only in the late decades of the last century the federal government and the Supreme Court, Republicans and Democrats, and various human rights organizations implemented systematic approach to resolve the problem of discrimination in employment and education, but the results were usually inconsiderable. Racial conflicts and discrimination persisted as well as attempts to eliminate them. In the second half of the 20th century the latter were labeled as 'affirmative action' policies. The origins of these policies dates back to 1961, when President John F. Kennedy issued Executive Order number 10925 proclaiming the 'affirmative action' policy the central axis of the US employment and educational policies. The Civil Rights Act became the next step toward elimination of discrimination in the United States. After its approval in 1964, the necessity emerged to change a number of traditional policies and official procedures, such as seniority status and aptitude tests, which included discriminatory provisions. In 1965 President Lyndon Johnson signed his Executive Order number 11246 stating that all government contractors and subcontractors were obliged "to take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin". The order was immediately followed by a series of lawsuits that supported the policy of affirmative action. Thus, the Supreme Court ruling in Griggs vs. Duke Power Company case invalidated i ntelligence tests and several other discriminating criteria in employment. The newly created governmental institutions, the Office of Federal Contract, had to implement the order (Encyclopedia Americana, 1985: 241). The contemporary meaning of the term 'affirmative action' has not changed over years. The initial purpose of affirmative action also remained unchanged: elimination of racial, sexual, ethnic, disability, or any other discrimination. In 1996, President William Clinton defined affirmative action as "an effort to develop a systematic approach to open the doors of educational, employment, and business development opportunities to qualified individuals who happen to be members of groups that have experienced long-standing and persistent discrimination" (Clinton, 1996: 131). In the recent years the affirmative programs has become one of the most widely discussed domestic issues in the United States. A number of analysts tend to consider the affirmative action policy a very effective tool that significantly reduced discrimination against non-white and female population of the United States. However, there is also an opinion that the affirmative efforts have been nothing but a great illusion from the very beginning: the positive results were made up to justify huge sums of money spent on implementation of affirmative programs. Although both standpoints have seemingly strong arguments, it will be closer to the truth to state that affirmative action policies largely failed. Main Discussion First of all, there are credible data that demonstrates the increase in well-being of some representatives of racial minorities was achieved not at the expense of the white majority, but at the expense of other representatives of the same minority: "The civil rights movement, anti-discrimination

David Cronenberg's A History Of Violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

David Cronenberg's A History Of Violence - Essay Example The family, its struggles and its entirety are the focus of the story. Millbrook, Indiana, and the Stall residence are the structure in which Tom establishes his identity. The mise en scne is alive with little embellishments that suggest good nature and an ingenuousness of being. A History of Violence depicts the life of a small-town diner owner, Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen), and his close-knit family of four. After defending their lives, killing two thugs during a robbery attempt, Tom becomes a local hero and, in turn, finds himself at the receiving end of some real trouble. The action is brutal, fast and sloppy but in many ways it gives the audience what they expect for the two wicked fellows. Tom's newfound celebrity brings Philadelphia mobster Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris) to Millbrook insisting that Tom is actually a man named Joey Cusack who Fogarty clearly has some unfinished business with - bringing you to a dimension where sudden burst of extreme violence takes place out of domestic tranquility. A History of Violence has an interesting technique. Most violent movies have a steady stream of violence spread throughout the film. Occasionally the violence will go over the top in an attempt to shock the audience, but the shock effect usually isn't strong. When the audience knows violence is coming, they can be somewhat prepared for it whether it is mild or extremely graphic. Peter Suschitzky's cinematography is definitely the b... Peter Suschitzky's cinematography is definitely the best. Colors come out rich and bright and brilliant; images are sharp, concise and clear, black's are dark and contrast comes out as it should; this is because Cronenberg and Director of Photography Peter Suschitzky have used a 27mm lens. A standard lens is 50mm focal length, so 27mm is very much a wide angle lens. To create 'normal' framings, the camera has to be placed closer and care is needed to avoid distortion. The effect is unnerving although a scene looks conventional, it feels wide of the mark SOUND English Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby stereo soundtracks are presented. The 5.1 makes great use of the set up as needed. Music comes through in all speakers but doesn't overwhelm. Sound effects come through sharply as does the dialogue, mostly pumped through the center channel. There was no noticeable distortion anywhere. New Line has presented a fine audio mix to accompany a fine video transfer. Sound adds life to the story as to signify the intense feeling of the characters, and the extremes of every scene, especially the extremely distressing violence. ASSESSMENT While it's just right, the film skillfully draws its audience into the graphic nature of violence and the way it later affects the film's protagonists. Some people might ignore the drama developed by Tom's actions, but Cronenberg handles the drama in such a way that is very effective; it doesn't come across as melodramatic. Everyone closely associated to Tom is changed or, at the very least, forced to look the consequences of their actions. The idea that violence breeds more violence and whether or not the vengeful and unforgiving instinct for destruction is imbedded in human DNA is in the heart of almost every scene. The

HSBC Bank Development Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

HSBC Bank Development - Case Study Example This paper is a review of its strategic planning and resulting growth along with a brief history of the company. The original Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation was started in 1865 by a visionary Scottish businessman called Thomas Sutherland to facilitate growing trade between China and India and the Europe. The company began rapid expansion in Europe and USA even though the main focus was expansion in Asian countries. The company at that time grew large enough even to fund government projects in many developing countries in Asia. World War II saw many of its operations in Asia being closed down. The bank realised that focusing only on Asia was risky and began a expansion program mainly through acquisitions in Europe, Asia and the formation of a organization in the USA. The prominent acquisitions include the Hand Seng Bank, the Mercantile Bank and the British Bank of the Middle East (all in the Asia-Pacific region), the Marine Midland Bank (USA) and the Midland Bank (UK). "The formation of HSBC Holdings plc in 1991, creating a holding company for the entire Group with its shares quoted in London and Hong Kong, showed that the Group viewed Europe and the London market in particular, as a vital part of its future development." (Group History 1980-1999. 2009). A typical departmental structure is explained here. ... It should be noted that the structure is based on its policies of customer service policies and other strategies. The head of the structure is the CEO followed by nine departments. They are legal and financial control, Operations, Human resources, Commercial Banking, Internal Audit, Marketing, Treasury and Personal Financial Services. There is an administrative department under the financial control department. Under the Operations section, there are seven departments, namely IT, Support services, Property and security, Credit operations, Credit cards, Projects and Cash. The ATM department comes under Cash section. Under Commercial Banking, there are the Trade Services and Credit departments. Under the Personal Financial Services Department there are Customer Service, Teller Area, Consumer Finance and Loan Approving Department (for personal financial services). (Organization Chart. 2008). Group structure of HSBC Holdings Plc: Considering the size of the company, the organisational structure of the bank is extremely complex with seven major division and many other divisions formed under each of the seven ones mentioned above. The seven major divisions are HSBC Latin American Holdings (UK) Ltd, Grupo Financiero HSBC SA de CV, HSBC Investment Holdings Plc, HSBC Finance (Netherlands), HSBC Overseas Holding (UK) Ltd, and HSBC Bank Plc. As the name suggests, HSBC Latin America bases its operations in those countries while Grupo Financiero operates in Mexico. HSBC Investment Holding operates in UK and Taiwan. HSBC Finance headquartered in the Netherlands has operations in several countries (mainly in Asia) like Malaysia, Panama, Middle East, Hong Kong, China, Bermuda and Japan. It has control over the original Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking

Realism and Emotion in Gothic Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Realism and Emotion in Gothic Art - Essay Example The term maintained its deprecating association until the 19th century. During this period, a positive critical revaluation of Gothic architecture took place. The term Gothic remains a standard one in study of art history even if modern scholars have long realized that Gothic art has nothing to do with the Goths. 2. Gothic Art and Architecture The most important and original art form during the Gothic period is architecture. Its principal structural characteristics began out of medieval masons’ efforts to solve the problems connected with supporting heavy masonry ceiling vaults over wide spans. An example of the earliest Gothic sculptures which is said to be a revolution in style is the Western (Royal) Portal at Chartres Cathedral (ca. 1145). These jamb statutes affixed to the columns next to the doorways are tall, slender standing figures of kings and queens from whom the Portail Royale derived its name. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, these figures were erroneously identified as the Merovingian monarchs of France. 3. Gothic Painting Gothic painting did not emerge until the beginning of the thirteenth century. This became visible nearly 50 years after the start of Gothic architecture and sculpture. The transition from the Romanesque art to Gothic is very vague and inaccurate. However, beginnings of darker and more emotional styles were seen as deviating from the previous period. Paintings during this period were practiced in four primary crafts such as frescos, panel paintings, manuscript illumination and stained glass. Simone Martini is one of the most original and influential artists of the Gothic era. He painted many frescos and altarpiece panels such as the Virgin and Child (1320) for the Church of Saint Catherine in Pisa. He added refined contour of line, grace of expression and serenity of mood in his paintings. 4. Trend to Realism and Emotion The growing concern for realism and emotion can be traced across Gothic art forms. The two majo r and important arts forms during the Gothic era are sculpture and painting. The trend toward greater realism and emotion can be said to have been entrenched from the era. The general effect of the development of the Gothic style is now shown on the west front of the Chartres Cathedral (c. 1140-50). This is the first impulse of Gothic art towards realism. One can see the development of sculpture during this early period of Gothic art which is towards increased realism and that deviates from the wooden feel of Romanesque sculpture. This was achieved in a series of stylistic impulses and not by continuous evolution. The figures in the sculpture on the west front of Chartres are barely â€Å"real† and their forms are strongly aligned with the architectural composition. The work of the goldsmith Nicholas of Verdun showed the second creative impulse of Gothic art. His artwork is marked by graceful, curving figures and soft Greek-like ridged-and-troughed drapery or the so-called Mu ldenstil. A third impulse towards realism in Gothic sculpture, based on 10th century Byzantine prototypes, seems to have originated at Notre-Dame, Paris (c.1200)2. This style is characterized by figures with a