Debate on the causes of global warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Debate on the causes of global warming - Essay Example While a dialectic method is used, it is used poorly, and there are almost no attempts at synthesis. The main topoi used by all sides are scientific data, but they are used poorly. There are three separate arguments made in the debate. One group of scientists claims that global warming is not occurring, another group claims that global warming is occurring because of natural changes in the earth's climate such as an increase in the level of solar radiation reaching the earth or changes in the patterns of winds, ocean currents, or volcanic activity, and another group claims that global warming is occurring because of an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to the large scale combustion of fossil fuels by humans that started during the time of the first industrial revolution and continues up to the present day. There are several different types of arguments used by scientists that deny the existence of global warming. The three main scientific arguments used by that side of the debate are claims that temperatures in the upper atmosphere have fallen in the last few decades, an argument that meteorological data from the last century is inaccurate because of the heat island effect, and a claim that differences in the way that average temperature is measured today cause average temperatures today to appear higher than they were in earlier decades. The claim that the temperatures in the upper atmosphere have fallen in the last few decades is the weakest of the three because there is no scientific proof that temperatures in the upper atmosphere have any correlation with ground temperatures. The temperature data was also slightly modified for scientific reasons in the survey, and scientists who claim that global warming is happening say that it was modified incorrectly. The argument that the heat island effect; or the effect of thermometers in weather stations being in highly developed areas where there are many heat-retaining ground coverings, such as buildings, concrete, and asphalt; is the cause of the observed rise in temperatures is a better argument, but there have been no attempts to analyze the effects of increasing urbanization quantitatively or show the exact levels of new development around each weather station. The claim that average temperatures appear higher because temperatures are now taken four times each day instead of twice is an even better argument, because the temperatures taken at the two other times are usually closer to the daily high than the daily low, and that causes the average daily temperature for each day to appear higher. However, it has been claimed that average highs and average lows have both risen in the past few decades, making this argument seem less convincing. Nonscientific arguments made by scientists and others that claim that glob al warming is not occurring include an argument that there is a global conspiracy against capitalism or the United States by socialists or internationalists using environmental junk science and the argument that most environmentalist scientists thought that there was a pattern of global cooling and the risk of a new ice age in the 1970s. Both arguments are ad hominem attacks. While many of the scientists that support the theory of human-caused Global Warming are extreme environmentalists, there is

Small Business Management Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Small Business Management - Scholarship Essay Example † Before embarking on the study’s specifics, it is essential to have a look at the overall advantage of owning and starting a business in New Zealand. Recent surveys have been carried out globally and these have come up with various findings and conclusions. As per the World Bank’s survey of 2006 where around 150 economies were focused on, New Zealand took the number one spot in terms of ease of carrying out business. The World Economic Forum put New Zealand in the 16th ranking out of 100 economies in terms of competitiveness and besides that, public institutions of New Zealand ranked top in judicial independence, tax collection, corruption absence, organised crime and property rights. Ethically, New Zealand’s situation put it among the most ethical areas of doing business in the world and this considered the corruption undertakings. Transparency International rated it second together with Finland after Iceland. This is as per 2005’s study of 159 cou ntries using CPI- Corruption Perceptions Index. New Zealand was also considered stable, open as well as competitive economically, has a business oriented governance, and cost competitive structures with low policy in inflation, flexible labour market and low rates of corporate tax. (wellington.govt.nz, 2011) According to Oliver and English, in their book, a small business refers to a business that is personally owned or managed. It may also be taken to be that entity which is void of managerial staffs that are specialists or does not form part of a bigger entity. Also, the definition says that such a business should be employing a maximum of 50 workers in manufacturing, a maximum of 10 employees in services and not exceeding 25 workers in the remaining sectors. If this definition is something to go by, then the sector of small businesses in New Zealand consisted of approximately 297,000 firms as at 2007. Of the 297,000, about 280,000 businesses are often known as ‘microâ€℠¢ enterprises since their employees are less than 5 persons. The ‘micro’ enterprises are usually common in retail trade, construction, property, finance as well as business services industrial sectors. Setting up a small business in New Zealand is not without merits. Among the merits of starting such a business are; one can become his or her own boss, exercise own talents, be in state of independence; remove dependence upon a fixed salary or wage; one has a chance to make his/her own money; one is at a vantage point in realising accomplishment, recognition and personal worth; one can come up and implement own products, services and ideas; and one is given a chance at enjoying work than he/she finds satisfying and successful. Having a sole proprietorship can make a person attain a level of family economic security as well as self and lastly, one may be in a position to provide valuable things to the community. Disadvantages of setting up a small business are that one may fail in business and lose all the borrowed and own capital. One may also be forced to work hard, sometimes up to 15 hours in any given day which results to lesser time spent with friends and family. Income may vary and behave in a volatile manner due to factors beyond oneself control. Also there is the very huge pressure arising especially while making decisions and solving problems of the business and these may call for