Friday, December 27, 2019

The Extinction Of The Bison - 1836 Words

Imagine walking in your backyard and seeing a dangerous buffalo that is twice the size as a cow eating your grass. That would be terrifying to witness, but that scene would most likely not happen in today’s world because the bison were almost driven to extinction during the 19th and 20th century. The Indians needed buffalo for their primary food source, so they would hunt bison. Then, Euro-Americans came along and disrupted the system for the Indians. There is an argument for who is to blame for the near-extinction of the bison. Some believe the blame all falls on the Indians as they over-hunted. Others may feel that the blame goes on the Euro-Americans who impacted the system by getting involved with bison. Consequently, I believe†¦show more content†¦One would think that a lesson would be learned because â€Å"by the last quarter of the eighteenth century, as the plains nomads accumulated beaver pelts for trade with Europeans, they steadily exterminated the beaver† (Isenberg 50). The Indians would acquire horses, corn, and tobacco for trading the beaver skin, but they took out an area full of beavers. This situation was similar to the shrinking bison population and it was a sign of what could come if they continued to over-hunt and trade with the Euro-Americans. Vulnerability took over the Indians as they continued to trade with the Euro-Americans. The trade consisted of bison or bison parts in exchange for weapons and alcohol. Over-hunting took place because of this trading between the two. The Indians became greedy to hunt, so they needed better weapons and this showed as the bison population was shrinking. Another basic need was alcohol and it took over as a popular trade and once consumed, it did not burden the nomads (Isenberg 104). A gallon of alcohol would sell for five prime bison robes and this showed how much the Indians valued alcohol. Whiskey was needed and it was included in the trade for bison products. Th erefore, hunting for bison became much more important because the Indians would get a reward from supplying bison parts. This looks bad on the Indians as their motives for killing off bison was their need forShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay On Endangered Species1128 Words   |  5 Pagesto move and fast. Extinction of these species can be prevented and our future generations can enjoy this wonderful planet as it once was. The National Wildlife† history goes back 12 years and consists of problems dealing with endangered species of plant and animals. Polluting our environment, developing new cities, and taking habits away causes species to become endangered because of the drastic change. The human race is putting countless species in danger of extinction. Throughout thoseRead MoreThe Elk Island National Park1533 Words   |  7 Pagesthe home to thousands of endangered species such as bisons, moose, elk, whitetail and mule deer, beaver, porcupine, Canadian lynx and other small animals. The park is administered by the Parks Canada Agency. The national park is located 35km east of Edmonton, Alberta by Yellowhead Highway 16. Elk Island National Park contains the ecosystem and is home to the largest population of hoofed mammals in Canada among with many other species. Wood bison were once widespread through Northern Canada and AlaskaRead More Protection Of Endangered Species Essay1069 Words   |  5 PagesSituation). For this reason endangered species deserve more protection than the current regulations provide. Throughout history there have been many different reasons for the extinction of species. The earliest known reason was 64-66 million years ago when scientists believe a meteorite struck earth causing the extinction of the dinosaur and of 85% of the species existing at the time (Sherry, 2). Another major problem is the introduction of species into a new environment. Most introduced speciesRead MoreSummary Of The Episode 1 : Ordering The Land900 Words   |  4 Pagessignificantly reduced the number of bison, and lead to extinction. In other words, with less bison, they hunted less and in turn, caused smaller animals to grow, and then there was less underbrush in the forest. Henceforth, when they removed large quantities of animals, it affected everything in the ecosystem. As the ecosystem is affected not only by the animal system but also the physical land. All in all, these settlers were not only makes the bison nearly extinction, but it also affected the forestRead MoreHuman Involve ment And Human Intervention1225 Words   |  5 Pageslead to the extinction of species, through poaching or the killing of a certain species. This may also occur when individuals cut down trees and destroy ecosystems. However, occasionally, human involvement can greatly benefit a certain species of animal or plant. Human intervention can lead to the growth of a certain species and allow them to thrive and reproduce in their ecosystem, causing the growth of a particular species. The Bison of America’s Prairies More than 200 million bison used to roamRead MoreSummary and Critique1611 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿First Assignment - Summary and Critique Paul S. Martin, Twilight of the Mammoths: Ice Age Extinctions and the Rewilding of America, University of California Press, 2005, Prologue and Chapter 2 Summary The overkill hypothesis stresses the fact that people were the main technicians behind the late pleistocene extinction of fauna in Northern Eurasia and North and South America. Paul Martin of the University of Arizona and others see a subsequent and spontaneous connection between the presenceRead MoreAmeric The Columbian Exchange1180 Words   |  5 Pagesthe tribes food supplies. Instead, of settling down and having land to plant crops, now, many of the tribes opted to hunt bison and follow a more nomadic lifestyle. As a result, the bison population in the great plains area was almost driven to extinction by the American Indians. Another good point the authors of America: A Narrative History make is, â€Å"horses competed with the bison for food, often depleting the prairie grass and compacting the soil in the river valley during the winter† (Tindall ShiRead MoreIs Nurturing Nature Necessary Or Does It Have Negative Consequences?1296 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Audubon gui de series), died. There are and never will be any more. As a species, the Passenger Pigeon was hunted to extinction because they were noisy, messy, and disruptive. They would fly in huge (like blocking-out-the-sun type of huge) flocks, and one could imagine the towns that were flown over. In Charles Roth’s book, Then There Were None, he details how the extinction of an entire species was possible: the trees and forests (the bird’s natural habitat) were destroyed at nesting sites, whichRead MoreDeforestation And Deforestation Of Deforestation973 Words   |  4 Pagesworth the price paid and two ways to fix it is to push the government to support organizations that push for anti-deforestation and reforestation. = The loss of forest cover is a contributing factor to many environmental problems, including species extinction (Unraveling the Economics of Deforestation). Rainforests are home to countless species of animals, many of which are endangered. While in the United States there are laws like the Endangered Species Act. Trees are still being torn down in enormousRead MoreHunting Is Not Only Sustainable1464 Words   |  6 Pageshad a negative effect on the environment was the near extinction of the North American Bison in the 1800s. During this time, there was a high demand for bison hides (Isenberg 130) so â€Å"hunters pushed the species to the brink of extinction† (2) in order to meet the demands of growing industries. Although there were other factors involved such as â€Å"the harsh grassland environment itself† (2), overhunting played a significant role in the near extinction of buffalo in North America. This and other examples

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Organizational Biology And The Information Management

Within Synaptic’s organization, there is a distinct disconnect between the Computational Biology and the Information Management (IM) groups. There is a visible lack of knowledge and information sharing between the two. Drastic measures must take place so they can learn to work together to bridge the gap that is between them. Project governance is desperately needed by both the Computational Biology and IM groups as well as the overall organization. Problem Definition: Cultural Challenges Differences in culture between the scientists and IM is the root cause for disconnect between the two groups. The scientist’s preference is to work alone. They do not see the value of working in a group sharing ideas, successes or failures and think it is a waste of time (Makarov, 2012, p. 1). The IM department is the polar opposite; they need, and rely on, team interaction and make most of their decisions when discussing topics in team meetings. While the scientists â€Å"value innovation, originality and speed†, IM are most concerned with â€Å"stability, business continuity, documentation and long-term planning† (Makarov, 2012, p. 1). With such differences in priority and personalities, it’s no wonder frustration levels are so high. The scientists think that IM works at too slow of a development pace and blame that on all the documentation and governance that is practiced. They believe it to be bureaucratic and a complete waste of time. The fact that th ey are also using technology that is not asShow MoreRelatedsystem theory1652 Words   |  7 Pagestime, made of matter and energy and organized by information. The relationships among things or units in these systems are measurable. History of System Theory: General systems theory has been attributed to the German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Freidrich Hegel (1770-1831). The general systems theory was originally conceived to solve a specific problem; the problem being that there was no analytical â€Å"systems map† to fully explain organic biology. Biology is concerned with subparts and subsystems affectingRead MoreStudy Of All Aspects Of Life And Living Things1377 Words   |  6 PagesBiology provides students with the opportunity to examine â€Å"the study of all aspects of life and living things† (Audesirk, et al. 905). In the classroom that the group volunteered to clean up, the educator teaches environmental science. By organizing papers, filing assignments, and cleaning desks the group helped the educator to effectively teach her students to care for the environment, which saves living organisms. By the classroom being organized and clean, the teacher will be able to have betterRead MoreSynaptic Corporation Essay2815 Wo rds   |  12 Pages200 employees. The two main departments that are of issue are the Information Management (IM) and the Computational Biology department. There are no clear define roles and responsibilities of the Synaptic staff and there is a lack of leadership and organizational culture. Additionally, it is unsure exactly what Synapic’s organizational goals and objectives are. This paper will provide a situation analysis of Synaptic’s organizational problems and will also present recommendations on how to deal withRead MoreWestern International University Is A Small, For Profit College Essay1013 Words   |  5 Pagescollege offers over 160 specialized associate’s, bachelor’s and master s degrees. Western International University maintains a continuous curriculum system that allows incoming students to choose from 16 basic majors like business, accounting, management, psychology and computer science. Western International University is focused on helping working adults achieve professional certifications and degrees, so they keep up with changing technologies, student expectations and education trends. The schoolRead MoreSystem Approach1260 Words   |  6 PagesThe Systems Approach Requirement in Principle of Management Submitted by: Jenine Faye Bernardino Michelle Calles Linden Balaoro Jerome Bereber Spencer Aro BSBA MM 1-2 Submitted to: Mrs. Laila P. Chavez Submitted on: January 12, 2011 Page 1 Table of Contents Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Page 3 Systems Theory †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Page 4 Elements in Business System †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Page 5 The 7-S Model †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Read MoreJohnson University : A Private Higher Learning Institution Essay1072 Words   |  5 Pagescounselors always offer helpful information on government aid, federal loans and private loans to ensure that students are provided with available financial resources. Johnson University’s Christian values of hard work and diligence are demonstrated through their 30 on-campus work-study job programs. This provides money for tuition, valuable on-the-job training and mentoring from experienced Christian leaders. Online Degree(s) Available There are many types of online management and leadership degrees availableRead MoreNcaa Division I Sports Teams Essay1013 Words   |  5 PagesNotable alumni include semi-recognizable figures in sports, music and television. The university has around 4,200 students, which includes 1,000 graduate students, and 19 sports teams. The most popular majors are biology, nursing, marine science, aviation management and business management. Jacksonville University Accreditation Details -Accreditation is through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges. -Jacksonville University’s Davis College of Business is NorthRead MoreCompetitive Advantages Of Competitive Advantage924 Words   |  4 Pagesupper management and those on the front lines, between customer service and product development† (Maxwell, 2012). Management has been practicing as far back as 8000-3000 BCE. The first recorded example of management existing was by Sumerians (part of Iraq) by record keeping. Egyptians also have been recorded to have management needs such as planning, organizing and controlling to help build the great structures of the pyramids. Throughout history, there has been some level of management needsRead MoreOrganizational Theories Of Change Within Human Organizations1320 Words   |  6 Pagesand political environment. In order to help understand the changes the better the management process more effectively, a more comprehensive and dynamic change of management is suggested. By intergrating systems theories, complexity, the fluid process of organizational change and the disruptive, organizational change is better understood. Systems Theory Systems theory originated from the concept of economics, biology and engineering which explores the elements of laws and principles. The behavior hasRead MoreSynaptic Corporation : A Case Study Of Risk1455 Words   |  6 Pages(Makarov, n.d., p. 2). The project failed in part due to the lack of project management, control, and risk practices to address the adverse impacts. Likewise, Synaptic Corporation neglected to utilize its internal Information Management (IM) resources to address and resolve internal software development needs for the scientists in the Computational Biology group (Makarov, n.d., p. 3). The scientists in the Computation Biology group, frustrated with the level support received from the IM group, contacted

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Modest Proposal for Solving the United States Economy free essay sample

The United States of America, what more can be said about it? A prosperous country, a country of integrity and honesty, well at least it was before the government started spying on all of us, but it’s okay because it’s the government. Lots of people around the world want to live the American Dream that we are living. You can own a house, make a salary, practice free religion, shoot deer, burn down a forest and work as an informant for the FBI and be able to murder people for several decades. People in places like Toga and Bolivia would kill to have our lives, yet we complain about something pointless like the line at McDonalds or how their boyfriend doesn’t love them. There is a slight problem however. At one point the U.S. was one of the few successful countries around the world. Now countries like China, India, France, Japan, and Canada have grew very rapidly when it comes to their economy. Even though the U.S. still has an advantage as being the true superpower, if economic problems still arise in the country, we might actually lose our grip on being the most successful. How successful are these other countries becoming? The United States per capita income or the average income per person is about fifty thousand dollars which is seventh around the world. The highest ranked country is Qatar, which is about one hundred thousand dollars per person. Granted the population of Qatar doesn’t even come close to the U.S. 315 million, but being able to make over a hundred thousand dollars a year would be dream come true for most people in America. Believe it or not America is not successful as you think it is. For a country to be successful, factors like unemployment and homeless rate should not be an issue. America has an unemployment rate of about 7.3 percent. It has been down from a high 10 percent during Bush and Dick’s administration, but it’s still no t too impressive. Approximately three million people become homeless each year due to the main reason of America’s high living cost and low income lifestyle. Nearly eight percent of America’s working class without jobs and several million people living on the streets does not sound like a country of prosperity to me. Also take into account the amount of kids that dropout of school. The high school dropout rate is about three million students each year. These young people are ineligible for about 90 percent of all U.S. jobs. A good percentage of these young adults either end up homeless, in prison, or dead, so it’s important to fix the economy and get people high paying jobs because it is next to impossible to convince kids to stay in school. The debt our government has to deal with is tremendously overwhelming, about 17 trillion dollars. We all know our government cannot afford to pay any of this back. To solve our economic problem I have a proposal. It’s fairly simple and straightforward. My proposal is to cut the population by having our citizens by kill off one another; Congress has never thought of this idea. In today’s society, the media and pop culture dominates our television sets whether its Kim Kardashian’s fashion, Miley Cyrus’s sexual insecurities, or when the Next Charlie Sheen breakdown is going to happen. If this is the case, why not use it to create a solution? In the past few years, there has been a new movie franchise, The Hunger Games series. The setting of the book-based films follows a bunch of teenagers competing in battles to the death. People always copy what they see in the media; just ask the several young boys who were inspired by Mortal Kombat. If young people can look to movies and video games for inspiration, then the government should be able to also. With this being said, we will solve our problems by a means of having battles to the death. By having Americans kill each other there will obviously be less people, which means less competition for jobs, which means people without jobs can get jobs; people with jobs means people with more money, people with more money means people will be buying more things, people buying more things will stimulate the economy which will allow our country to experience an economic growth. Now this might not make sense so let’s break it down further. When someone gets killed off, the job they have will be available to someone who has the skills necessary to succeed in that job but struggled to find a job in that field or was recently laid off. With one person dead and one person without a job getting his job will mean one less person on the unemployment rate. If that happens with everyone who currently has a job and everyone who doesn’t, unemployment will decrease. A problem that might arise is that too many jobs are being open and cannot be filled quickly enough to the amount of the departed. To address this letâ₠¬â„¢s ask ourselves a question: does Tom Cruise really need to act in movies anymore? Can’t he help put together boxes in a factory or shovel s*** out of a horse’s stall? How about sports teams? We don’t need 400 players in the NBA or a thousand players in the NFL. These people are overpaid, and there is only a few teams in each sport worth watching anyways, so let’s decrease the roster size to about six teams per major sport, and the rest can actually contribute something to society rather than their B-level sports skills. By cutting the population, you’re not only solving a national issue but a world issue will as well. America is in the top five of energy consumption around the world. If half country ceases to exist, then the problems with global warming and other environmental problems will not be fixed entirely but enough to not have to worry much about it. If there is less people in America using energy, the government focus on developing nuclear power and other sources of energy is not as high as it is today which means, more money for the goddamn government. Now this idea sounds very inhumane and savage-like, but we’re human beings; we have to be murderous, aggressive, and angry; it’s in our DNA. Some rich bastard in a suit will probably argue that the government will never sanction the killings of innocent people. The government will do anything to benefit themselves whether a person wants to believe it or not. Don’t believe me just ask Bobby Kennedy about his broth er’s murder. Oh, wait a minute, he’s dead too. How ironic? The brother of the president, which six in ten Americans believe was a conspiracy, was murdered the year he was running for president. Richard Nixon ended up winning the election that year. That is quite strange; we all knew what happened with him; Mr. Dick â€Å"Paranoid† Nixon quit his job before he could get fired for spying on the Democrats, OMG, so I don’t think that the government will have an issue with having people kill each other because they will benefit from it in the long run. Also technically the government isn’t directly killing its people, so it should be fine right? Our democratic, power by the people nation is slowly evolving into government run by the rich and powerful few, so we might as well get our dictatorship in now before the government surprises us in the future. If President Obama and Congress do decide to sign off on this execution bill, then how should it be done? This is what I think, have it be something like the Olympics, occurs every four years. It will be broadcasted on live television on primetime networks like NBC, ABC, and MTV. The death matches will consist of 20 million participants. Each of these 20 million will receive a golden ticket in the mail with the date and location of the battles. Failure to participate in these matches will result in lifetime incarceration in a newly developed labor camp located in Boise or death. The locations of the battles will correspond with the four regions of the United States, the West, the South, the Midwest and the Northeast. States in the Northeast will participate in our nation’s capital, Washington D.C. Michelle and Barrack will get front row seats. Having dinner in the oval office, looking out the window at people slaughtering each other, how much more romantic can you get? Up in the Midwest, people of that region will be fighting in Chicago, Illinois. A prestigious city with a high crime rate; might as well add more crime to the city. What better place to have out West than in Las Vegas. The City of Sin, people can fight from the Vegas Strip all the way out into the desert. To ensure more entertainment, Vegas showgirls will act as cheerleaders. Last but not least, the Southern blood sports will be held in none other than Greenbrier, Arkansas! Each of these regions will consist of five million people, 20 million people across the nation every four years. There will be one survivor from each region; these men will continue on to the Final Four. This final battle will be held in Times Square in New York City on live pay-per-view. The battles will end when 19,999,999 people are dead and there is only one survivor. In eight years there will be 40 million casualties; in 16 years there will 80 million. That is over a quarter of the country. When the United States gets to a reasonable population, below 30 million, then the government will sign off on the bill to suspend the games. The unemployment rate will definitely be next to zero percent. A problem that might happen is that five million people in one city plus all of its residents. These people will be temporarily moved to somewhere in Wisconsin or the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the duration of the war games. To help the homeless out, they will be paid to help pile up all of the corpses and spray down and clean up all of the blood on the ground. Like any other deceased person, family will be called in to identify the body and will decide on whether to bury or cremate them. Now how do we select 20 million people of our nation’s population? There will be certain criteria and other factors that will determine a person’s eligibility. To prevent any backlash from child abuse agencies, only people from ages 18 and over will be selected. Any persons over the age of 18 who is physically, mentally, or unable to work will not participate in these battles; any old people who are retired or no longer looking for work will not participate because they’re not fighting for any jobs; there’s no point to killing innocent people. Also to prevent any feminists from protesting this bill, women will not be participating. Besides, men are the sole reason this world sucks and the reason our country is in this mess, so we deserve to get what’s coming to us. Out of respect for the brave people in our armed forces, any current or retired military personnel will not participate in any battles, but rather they will provide security just in case things get out of hand. Any man who is at the top of the ladder of big businesses and large corporations will not participate because they are already in cahoots with the federal government and will not allow the bill to be passed if they knew their lives were at stake. Instead these presidents and CEOs will sponsor the battles. They will provide weapons, automobiles, first aid kits, and food and drinks. In the end, less people working for big businesses mean the bosses will make more money for themselves. As for myself I will not be participating for the reason that I proposed the idea of these war games. Also killing is against my personal beliefs so I definitely should not be forced to be involved. Men who are eligible will have their names put into a system and the machine will automatically and randomly pick names. Any male not fitting the criteria above will be eligible. As said, failure to compete when one is required will result in imprisonment or death in a number of diffe rent ways: firing squad, burning at the stake, bleeding to death due to slow castration, beaten up by a gorilla or a miniature explosive device shoved up the man’s rectum or planting it inside his scrotum. Any man who has had a history of crime will have a more likelihood of being drafted; any convicted murderers, rapists, child molesters, and terrorists will be have to participate in every single battle for the rest of their lives. People who have any religious views will not be pardoned if they are selected. The question these people need to ask is, â€Å"Would God want me to protect myself?† The answer is â€Å"yes† because technically these games can be mainly about self -defense believe it or not. A man doesn’t need to go up to another man and kill him; he just needs to let people come to him and defend himself. It is quite simple; the only true murderer is whoever draws first blood. There will be rules during these death matches to ensure no cheaters. Rule number one is no firearms or explosives. The battles will be fought like our ancient ancestors, melee weapons only. Every melee weapon is fair game: knives, swords, chainsaws, shovels, crowbars and fruit. Fruit can be a deadly and vicious weapon if a person thinks about it. You know how hard an apple or a melon is? If you had a bunch of apples, you can seriously beat a guy to death. Rule number two is that each person is allowed six timeouts throughout the whole game. If a person needs to take time to catch his breath, sharpen his knife or take a leak, he will be allowed 10 seconds to do so without any harassment. Each person will get some sort of device on their ankle that they will press the button for to call a timeout. The device will record how many seconds you have remaining on your timeout, how many timeouts were taken and how many are remaining. A person going over the limit will result in the bracele t exploding instantaneously. Rule number three is no cheap shots. Any shot below the belt will result in an automatic disqualification and execution. The last rule of the game is no mercy. A man is fighting for his life; he can’t let his conscious get the best of him. If a man is seen having the opportunity to kill someone but refuses, he will instantly be shot by a sniper, no questions asked. To develop some sort of tradition, these games will be formatted exactly like the Olympics. On the first day of the games, there will be an opening ceremony held in Times Square. The performance will be connected to TVs all over the country. America the Beautiful will be sung by Jimmy Buffett, and Michael McDonald and Prince will sing a duet of our national anthem. Actor Christopher Walken will carry a lit torch from Madison Square Garden to the center of Times Square. The passing and lighting of the torch will signify the start of the games. Once the torch is passed, Anthony Weiner will press a button that will simultaneously ring a bell for each of the four regions to declare the start, and the killings will begin from then. Like the Olympics medals will be given to those who come in third, second, and first. The bronze and silver medals will be placed upon the lifeless bodies of third and second place winners. The sole survivor will receive the prestigious gold medal, and will be handed a bouquet of flowers from former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. Lionel Richie will sing a song in honor of the man’s victory. After the celebration ceremony, the games will be held off for another four years where the victor will defend his title of being the last man alive. Until then life will resume as it was before. Imagine the aftermath of the battles. Decomposing organisms are everywhere, dead bodies and blood all over the ground. Cities will smell like John Wayne Gacy’s house, and millions of people will be crying. Sounds very sad but look on the bright side millions of jobs are open; people who have been without jobs will be able to work, and people who still have a job will continue to work. Unemployment, homeless, and crime rate will be dramatically low. There are no more environmentalist freaks complaining about recycling and wasting resources because there will be bunch of dead people. Everything will be better once half the population is gone; people don’t have to worry about their children’s future because they’ll have a higher paying jobs; no one cares about global warming, just like no one does now. A person has no idea the impact these war games will have on not only our country but our world as whole. Who knows, maybe these games will become popular aro und China, and some other countries want to participate and make it a world-wide event. Imagine that, hundreds of millions of people killing each other every four years. Boy this world would be so much better wouldn’t it? One might think that this violence won’t solve anything and will make our planet even worse but ask this question: would you kill a man to save a babyExactly.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Strategic planning analysis the New Orleans Fire Department and the New York City Fire Department

Introduction Strategic planning is a management tool that serves various purposes in organizations. It provides a framework for developing appropriate courses of action in organizations after an analysis of current organizational operations and outcomes. Strategic planning also helps organizations adapt to changes in the face of complexities and diversification of factors.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Strategic planning analysis: the New Orleans Fire Department and the New York City Fire Department specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In order to determine the suitability of plans to their purpose, an analysis of the plans is necessary in case the plans need modification or require the organization to abandon them and rethink its position. Goodstein, Nolan, and Pfeiffer (1993) provide a detailed explanation of nine necessary aspects for the creation of an effective strategic plan for an organization. These as pects include planning to plan, values scan, mission formulation, strategic modeling of business, performance audit, gap analysis, integrating action plans, contingency planning, and implementation (Goodstein, Nolan Pfeiffer, 1993). This paper looks at two organizations, viz. the New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) and the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) in relation to their strategic planning dynamics concerning emergency preparedness and disaster response within the larger U.S. government as an organization in itself. In the case of the FDNY, the paper analyzes details of the New York City’s governance, its effects on the fire department coupled with how these aspects, in turn, affect the station’s strategic planning for emergency response by using Hurricane Sandy as a case study. For the New Orleans case study, the paper analyzes the NOFD’s involvement during and after Hurricane Katrina, changes in the fire department’s strategic plans, and effect of New Orleans’ government strategic plans on the department’s plans. It also provides a comparison between the two departments by indicating similarities, differences, and lessons available for each of them from the other. Disaster management Disaster management forms part of the core functions of most disaster-response units in most countries, including fire departments. The uncertainty and the unexpectedness of disaster make disaster management techniques an incredibly difficult subject, as they mostly strike when least expected (Abbott, 2005). Disasters expose people to both primary and secondary effects.Advertising Looking for term paper on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Varghese (2002) notes that natural disasters have â€Å"immediate impacts on human health, as well as secondary impacts causing further death and suffering from floods causing landslides, earthquakes resulting in fi res, tsunamis causing widespread flooding, and typhoons sinking ferries† (p.102). Responding appropriately to disasters require embracement of concepts such as disaster preparedness, disaster recovery, disaster relief, and disaster prevention. Disaster preparedness entails all activities designed to ensure that damages and losses of life reduce should a disaster strike (Smith, 2006, p.13). These activities include â€Å"removing people and property from a threatened location and facilitating timely and effective rescue, relief, and rehabilitations† (Hansen Schramm, 1993, p.56). Disaster relief refers to multi-agency coordinated responses to enhance the mitigation of the effects of disasters coupled with their results in the long term. Some of the relief activities the agencies conducted in the event of a disaster include repairing the vital utility lines that the disaster destroyed, foods provision to the affected, and relocation of people (evacuation) in the effort to escape the ramifications of disasters. Others include provision of health care, provision of temporary shelter until the disaster is passed on, and rescue of the affected people among other activities. Disaster recovery efforts, on the other hand, encompass activities such as rehabilitation and reconstruction of the destroyed infrastructures. Once disasters strike, measures for protection from exposure to similar disasters in the future is necessary for all affected people, which calls for the development of strategies for disaster prevention. These strategies include â€Å"activities designed to provide permanent protection from disasters† (Nicholson, 2003, p.67). Considering the concerns of disasters management, disaster management organizations should execute their roles to restore normalcy amongst people. New York City overview In order to understand the significance of FDNY’s strategic plans, it is important to explore some facts on the city of New York that impa ct on the government and fire department’s strategic planning process and possible outcomes. The city lies on one of the world’s largest natural harbors and is home to the United Nations headquarters.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Strategic planning analysis: the New Orleans Fire Department and the New York City Fire Department specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The city’s architecture comprises some of the most famous buildings in the world, including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and the Statue of Liberty. As at 2012, the city’s population was 8.4 million over an area of seven hundred and eighty-three square kilometers. Additionally, the metropolitan area population is approximately 19.8 million. An interesting fact is that more than fifty percent of the city’s dwellers do not own personal transportation as the same would be counterproductive, given t he city’s population. New York’s government structure has remained the same since 1898. Although the government has made a few changes concerning some rules of governance such as direct management of the city’s budget by the mayor, the composition has remained the same. The city’s government is central and comprises a mayor and a governor, who both form part of a fifty-one member council in charge of the city’s policymaking. In order to cater for the population’s needs, the council has enacted policies that support public transportation through the introduction of the New York subway system, one of the most intricate rapid transit systems in the world. It provides for the city’s transport needs while easing traffic on city roads. It is also cheaper for most of the residents in terms of income expenditure. The establishment of law enforcement, healthcare and first responder service centers in the city has also eased the pressure on the residents in the metropolitan area. The New York Fire Department (FDNY) The New York Fire department is one of the many basic service delivery institutions that the government established to ensure efficiency in dealing with the residents’ needs as part of its strategic planning process. Although the city has one fire department, the department has various stations throughout the city for effective service delivery. Its organizational structure consists of a central department with divisions according to function, which responds simultaneously as a unit. FDNY has 10,725 uniformed firefighters, over 2,000 paramedics, more than 100 fire marshals and approximately 200 fire inspectors.Advertising Looking for term paper on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Although the city’s population is large, having a single department centralizes operations and makes it easier to coordinate operations throughout the entire city according to need and availability. The FDNY offers first responder services for fires, public safety and medical emergencies and disasters, both natural and fabricated. For instance, the department played a key role during the September 9, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, in conjunction with other departments such as the New York Police Department and the National Guard. One of its core duties is to ensure the protection of lives and property of New York residents and visitors and advance public safety. It achieves these goals through public safety education programs, investigations on possible fire hazards, installation of preventive measures such as fire alarms, responding to distress calls and providing aid during the recovery process after disasters (The New York Fire Department, 2013). In ensuring that the department accomplishes its goals and objectives, mainly in relation to disaster preparedness and response, the FDNY formulates and implements various strategic plans, one of which is the centralization of the department’s operations. Other plans include continuous firefighter training, contingency plan formulation in the face of disasters, civilian education, coordination with other government agencies and setting up recovery programs for victims and department personnel. Continuous training of fire fighters enhances endurance and adaptability to new environments and techniques, a property that makes up numbers. Although the department does not have enough fire fighters in relation to the city’s population, proper training ensures that they are able to deal with emergencies appropriately. Central administration also plays a crucial role as it enables the department evaluates situations and determines priority in dealing with emergencies. It also ensures that commu nication links remain intact, increasing efficiency during disaster response. Coordination with other state departments provides the fire department with enough workforces in instances of proportionate disaster response. An example of these strategies in application is evident in the department’s response to Hurricane Sandy, one of the most devastating natural disasters to hit the city. Although the hurricane hit a number of states along the Gulf Coast, New York and New Jersey experienced most of its wrath. The presence of inland rivers and large coastline made the city susceptible to flooding. Shortly past midday on October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit New York’s coastline with a storm surge consisting mostly of ghastly wings with significant precipitation. The storm surge caused flooding of the New York subway system, most of the streets, almost all road tunnels going into Manhattan and severe destruction of property. At least forty people lost their lives during th e storm, with thousands of others losing their homes and businesses. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) suspended trading for two consecutive days and most Hospitals in the city closed down. Heavy winds disrupted electricity supply as trees and debris from buildings fell on power lines. The damage on electricity lines and gas leaks also resulted in fires that destroyed millions of dollars worth of property. In Breezy Point, Queens, over ninety homes went up in flames leaving families stranded. On October 28, 2012, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for the entire state of New York, including a pre-disaster declaration that came into effect after hurricane Katrina, as a measure to mobilize federal finding to deal with Sandy’s aftermath. The FDNY disaster preparedness procedure coupled with central administration, provided firefighters with pertinent information, enabling the department evacuate thousands of residents, especially in areas near the coas tline and those with low altitudes such as lower Manhattan, much of Staten Island, City Island and areas north of Route 25A, to higher altitude areas. By the evening of October 28, most of the railways and bus services had suspended their operations and bridges had closed until October 30. The fire department’s main obligation arose after the disaster on October 30, as firefighters had to put out more than fifty fires in areas all over the city, most of which arose at Breezy Point. The department also helped clear debris blocking roads and remove trees and other obstructions from electricity lines. The presence of a paramedics unit also made it possible for the department to cater to medical emergencies including recovery of people from the rubble and transportation of the injured to hospitals all over the city, supplementing efforts by Homeland Security. The government set up support centers around the city including areas of Coney Island, Rockaway and Staten Island to help displaced people access food, water, gas and mobile phone connections. The fire department helped deliver the supplies to areas where victims needed them most and attended to simple medical procedures at the centers. The department was also helpful in collecting data on the number of injured people and populations at the support centers, enabling the government to respond appropriately. An analysis based on these facts proves that the department’s strategic plans were sufficient in addressing disaster preparedness and response, with fluid execution leading to the desirable outcome in terms of the department’s primary objective to safeguard life, health and property. The plans present efficiency with regard to service to the population, even with the low number of firefighters available at the department. As part of the recovery process, the department set up the Fire Safety Program in November after the disaster, with the aim reducing vulnerability of the elderly to di sasters, because most of the people who died during the disaster and in fires after the disaster were above seventy years. This age bracket formed more than forty percent of deaths from fire during and after the disaster. The program’s funding came from the Department of Homeland Security. New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) The New Orleans provides a comparison to the FDNY in terms of strategic planning for disaster preparedness and response. Unlike the FDNY, the NOFD’s strategic plans comply with policies that go further back in history, creating a problem in terms of adaptation to population changes and the environment. Although New Orleans is a much smaller city then New York, the ratio of firefighters in the department to the existing population is much lower than that in New York, making it difficult for the department to accomplish its goals and objectives. Although the department’s choice to enroll and train volunteer firefighters as a strategy to increas e the department’s workforce works, lack of creativity and adaptability in strategic planning creates problems for the department, limiting its ability to serve the people effectively. A.A. look at some facts about the department and its effectiveness during and after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 proves the department’s inefficiency in strategic planning and implementation in disaster response and recovery. Contrast with the New York Fire Department further enhances the planning problems and the need for drastic improvements. The New Orleans fire department’s history runs back to 1829, when a group of people came together with the aim of fighting fires within the city. This group referred itself as the Firefighters’ Charitable Associations (FCA). The group engaged in voluntary fire fighting activities and the title of the group existed until 1891. After 62 years of existence, the FCA changed to the New Orleans Fire Department, abbreviated as NOFD, following the introduction of paid service. The main reason for the existence of the New Orleans Fire Department is to ensure ardent provision of fire fighting and protection services within New Orleans. Ryan (2006) approximates that NOFD serves â€Å"approximately 340,000 people in a 350.2-square-mile (907 km2) area, 180.6 square miles (468 km2) of that is on land while the rest is water† (p.23). Just like the NYFD, the NOFD’s administration is central, providing ease in communication and operational processes throughout the organization. The New Orleans Fire Department’s organizational structure comprises three levels, which include the special operations and planning, fire suppression, and fire administration. The assistant superintendent acts as the commander of the fire suppression. It is the largest division of the NOFD. The central priorities of the fire suppression departmental division include ensuring life safety and stabilization of various emergencies related to fires coupled with preservation of property. According to the City of New Orleans Fire Department, â€Å"fire suppression members regularly participate in daily inspections, fire safety educational programs, and numerous other fire-related duties† (2006, p.18). For effective communication in emergency response processes, administration is important for an emergency response organization. The fire administration departmental division of the NOFD is responsible for executing communication tasks. Under the leadership of the deputy chief, the fire administration also commands investigation on fires and fire prevention coupled with ensuring that training in subdivisions takes place. The division is also responsible for ensuring timely coordination for the responses for all situations involving non-emergency responses. Other coordination activities of the division include functions such as payrolls preparation, processing of data ensuring timely supplies, budgeting, and administ ration of personnel, among other tasks. In the effort to enhance disaster preparedness of the organization, the administration departmental division of the NOFD engages in tasks such as coordination of fire equipment and vehicles purchases coupled with repairs. Special operation and planning divisions of the NOFD are under the command of the special and operations deputy chief. The division plans various anticipated future operations and activities of the New Orleans Fire Department. The deputy chief is in charge of training within the departmental division. Hurricane Katrina was the deadliest cyclone that hit the region in 2005 during hurricane season. Katrina hit New Orleans on August 28, 2005, leaving unfathomed destruction and loss of lives in the city. Although the U.S. government had warned of the hurricane’s possible impact on the city, a large proportion of the population was unable to leave the city. Some of the reasons people gave included their belief that their ho uses could withstand the hurricane’s impact as they had in previous storms, fear of leaving property behind, and lack of personal transportation with which to leave the city. Although ninety percent of the city’s inhabitants complied with the mandatory evacuation, the government had to intervene and provide last-resort shelter for residents still stranded in the city as the hurricane approached. The Superdome in the center of the city is one of the emergency centers that got the media’s attention owing to the fact that it housed more than twenty thousand people for several days. The most notable impact of the hurricane was extensive flooding throughout the city owing to poor infrastructural planning and slow completion of levees in a city with a high percentage of water as part of its overall area. More than 1,400 people lost their lives and property worth billions of dollars was lost to floodwater and fires. In addition, oil and other industrial chemicals turne d floodwater toxic, causing diseases. Unlike New York, the city government lacked the capacity to cater for needs such as food, clean drinking water and medical assistance, causing unrest. Most of the police officers that form part of the New Orleans police department abandoned their posts, some taking government-issued police vehicle and fleeing the city to avoid the aftermath. The combination of these occurrences made it nearly impossible for the fire department to deal with the effects of the hurricane independent of other government departments. Before the occurrence of the hurricane in 2005, the goal of the NOFD was to ensure evacuation of people from disastrous areas and ensure safety of citizens and property. After the occurrence of the hurricane, the goal was to rescue the affected people and put off possible raging fires to protect property and lives. The two goals reflect the missions and purposes of the organization. The organization seeks to achieve these goals through i ts human resource and interventions of various response equipment. Although the evacuation exercise was successful, since accomplishing of the task took place before striking of the hurricane occurred, the hurricane-affected the recovery and rescue mission enormously. Destruction of the equipment of the NOFD occurred; hence, deterring the realization of the goal of rapid response. However, this does not mount to total failure on the department’s end. Considering the fact that most of the department’s personnel receive training in fire-related response and not much on medical emergencies, it is safe to say that the firefighters and volunteers did their best in adapting to existing circumstances. Evans and Drabek (2004) posit that managing disasters gives rise to formidable challenges to the government’s emergency and disaster management apparatus since they present a requirement for making difficult decisions on service delivery systems for the affected people (p .45). Therefore, the affected jurisdictions source aid from other jurisdictions not affected by the disaster. In the absence of a disaster, a given state cannot place diplomatic call for help should an emergency or a disaster occurs in the future. This assertion implies that the internal emergency and disaster management apparatus only have resources adequate for development of emergency and disaster preparedness strategies, but not for relief, rescue, and recovery. Drawing from the above arguments, the New Orleans disaster management systems could not have prevented Hurricane Katrina from striking the Gulf coast. Hurricane Katrina rendered the Gulf coast roads impassable and destroyed communication networks. The City of New Orleans Fire Department (2006) posits, â€Å"There were hundreds of hazardous material incidences such as overturned tanks cars and runaways barges and ships† (p.6). The entire city of New Orleans also went without power supply accompanied by various inci dences of gas leaks in the area where gas supply lines had not drained. This aspect caused several rages of fire across the city of New Orleans, thus prompting the need for fire management and response services of the NOFD to come for the safety of the city. As water levels continued to rise, the NOFD service personnel got into action to save lives in an environment lacking communication networks. The NOFD lost vital equipment including fire stations, communication equipment, and vehicles among other facilities required for ardent response. However, with the aid from firefighters based in Louisiana, Illinois, New York, and other places rebuilding of the NOFD was possible. In the process of rebuilding, the NOFD realized that it needed strategic plans for the recovery process. In the process of making effective strategic plans, an organization has to engage in planning to plan as the first stage of the planning process. During this step, the NOFD sought the help of the U.S. fire admin istration coupled with International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) to help in the development of a recovery plan from the events of Hurricane Katrina. The City of New Orleans Fire Department (2006) reckons, â€Å"The NOFD officers and staff aided by many fire services professionals from around the country have formulated a blueprint of recovery for the NOFD† (p.6). Through strategic plans, the NOFD believes that a clear blueprint for responding to disaster enhances aiding the organization to achieve its aim of protecting and rescuing people and property. In the pre-planning phase, the department addressed several interrogatives based on the model for strategic planning. These interrogatives included questions seeking to establish the current position of the organization, future anticipated position of the organization, and the mechanisms of ensuring that the NOFD would reach its anticipated position in the future. These departments identified areas of focus and made plans to addresses them through the mission, values, goals, and the visions of the NOFD. Significant similarities and differences between FDNY and NOFD The main similarity between the FDNY and the NOFD is that both departments share a central structure in their administration that increases efficiency in communication and prioritization of incidents to which they respond. Secondly, both departments serve a wide area and a larger population in comparison to the sizes of their personnel. Additionally, they base their strategic planning on government funding for their operations, their goals and objectives. For instance, preference of public modes of transportation formed an essential consideration when mapping out plans on how to evacuate areas that proved most vulnerable to the effects of the hurricanes. Both cities also have water bodies running through the inland area, an aspect that increased chances of flooding proportionately. The main difference between the two lies in the creativit y of their organizational models. While the NOFD chooses to base its model on fire emergencies, the New York model embraces creative diversity, choosing to incorporate medical emergencies as part of its areas of expertise. Another notable difference between the two departments in terms of strategic structuring for emergency responses is that the FDNY applies convergence, incorporating other government departments to increase the workforce available, especially in emergencies. In sharp contrast, the NOFD uses volunteer firefighters as an extension of their workforce, creating uncertainty on the exact number of respondents available at any time. Regarding responses from the two departments in relation to the respective hurricanes, New York had an advantage over New Orleans as it applied lessons from Katrina to enhance its preparedness for disasters. However, the NOFD learned valuable lessons from the disaster and has since made arrangements for better plans, including incorporation of community sensitization programs. Conclusion Although it is difficult to prepare adequately for any disaster owing to unpredictability, especially for natural disasters, it is possible to develop measures that make the recovery process easier and reduce damage to property while safeguarding lives. Assessment of business models, adequate training, diversity in areas of operation, creativity in organizational arrangement and adaptability to circumstances are some of the important elements the true hurricanes brought out as part of the essential components in disaster preparedness and response for both fire departments. Reference List Abbott, B. (2005). A legal guide to Homeland Security and Emergency Management for State and Local Governments. Chicago, IL: American Bar Association. City of New Orleans Fire Department. (2006). Strategic Recovery and Reconstitution Planning Process for the City of New Orleans Fire Department Decimated by Hurricane Katrina. Web. Evans, J., Drabek, E. ( 2004). Theories Relevant To Emergency Management versus a Theory of Emergency Management. Denver, CO: University of Denver. Goodstein, L., Nolan, T., Pfeiffer, W. (1993). Applied Strategic Planning, How to Develop a Plan that Really Works. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Inc. Hansen, R., Schramm, D. (1993). Aim Scope of Disaster Management. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons. Nicholson, W. (2003). Emergency Response and Emergency Management Law: Cases and Materials. Springfield, IL. Charles C. Thomas Ltd. Ryan, P. (2006, September 20). Mississippi burning: pollution hells as fires, explosions oil spills follow hurricane. The Daily Mirror, 23. Smith, F. (2006). Budgeting for disasters—part I: Overview of the problem. The Public  Manager, 35(1), 11-19. The New York Fire Department. (2013). About FDNY. Web. Varghese, M. (2002). Disaster Recovery. Boston, MA: Course Technology. This term paper on Strategic planning analysis: the New Orleans Fire Department and the New York City Fire Department was written and submitted by user Cain Bradford 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.