Proposal for a Sustainable Forestry Management Policy
Forests are an invaluable natural resource with multiple conflicting uses. When left to stand, forests help conserve biodiversity, stabilize the environment and control erosion; when logged, they provide building materials, fuel and agricultural land for human use. The challenge is to find an equilibrium between these uses: in other words, to make the transition toward sustainable forestry management.
Unfortunately, poverty has driven people in developing countries to clear-cut large tracts of land, while instability and corruption have rendered developing country governments powerless to stop illegal logging and trade in illegal forest products. The results have been staggering. The World Resources Institute recently reported that tropical regions have been deforested at an alarming rate of 1% annually since 1985; in some countries, the rate has spiraled to over 7% per year (1). Much of this deforestation is linked to the illegal trade in forest products. Greenpeace estimates that up to 80% of all logs cut in the Brazilian Amazon are extracted illegally; the estimate is 70% for Indonesia (2).
In order to fight the problem of illegal logging and trade, I propose the following package of policy actions. First, to change US government procurement policy to prefer timber from sustainably managed forests; second, to provide technical assistance to help developing countries with forestry management; and third, to promote a national eco-certification system for sustainably managed forestry products.
FIRST, the US government shall adapt its timber procurement policy to give preferential treatment to forest products certified to meet sustainable management criteria. In t...
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(6) ISO 14001, 14061: http://www.iso.ch
(7) "ISF Smartwood Certification," http://www.isf-sw.org/cert.htm
(8) Environmental Protection Agency, Climate Protection Division. "The Power to Make a Difference." 1999 Annual Report on EnergyStar. http://www.epa.gov/appdstar/pdf/cpd99brief.pdf
(9) American Forest and Paper Association. "U.S. Forest Products Industry Competitive Challenges in a Global Marketplace." http://www.afandpa.org/legislation/legislation.html
(10) Rotherham, Tom. "Selling Sustainable Development: Environmental Labeling and Certification Programs." In "Environmentally Sound Trade Expansion in the Americas," University of Miami, 2000.
(11) WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade
(12) Dawkins, Kristen. "Eco-Labelling: Consumers' Right to Know or Restrictive Business Practice?" Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, 1996.
In August 2002, President Bush launched his revolutionary campaign against wildfires known as the Healthy Forest Initiative (HFI). The President’s dynamic plan centers on preventing massive forest fires by thinning the dense undergrowth and brush commonly seen in our national forests. The thinning will occur in priority areas that are in close proximity to homes and watersheds. The Healthy Forest Initiative also aims at developing a more efficient response method to disease and insect infestations that sabotage our forests. Finally, if fully enacted, the Healthy Forest Initiative would provide the loggers with what is known as “goods for services”. This will compensate the loggers for the financial burden that will surface as a result of this aggressive thinning (http://www.sierraclub. org/forests /fires/healthyforests initiative.asp). In order to promote the progress of his Healthy Forest Initiative, in 2003 President Bush announced the Healthy Forest Restoration Act. This act took the main issues discussed in the Healthy Forest Initiative a step further. Bush plans to make a collaborative effort with federal, state, tribal, and local officials to protect our woodlands against future infernos. The act also calls for more public participation in reviewing any actions taken in lieu of the Healthy Forest Initiative. Furthermore, Bush wants to restore the land that has already been destroyed by wildfires and help to recover the threatened and endangered species that were affected by the fires (http://www.
agencies set up to find solutions to questions like, "What is the sustainability?" yield of a forest?" These same agencies also decide where taxpayer money goes. within the logging business. In some cases, the money subsidizes the large companies for things such as logging roads in order to keep the cost of paper and other tree products down. These same companies ship their lumber to Japan.
Sex offender legislation has been encouraged and written to protect the community and the people at large against recidivism and or to help with the reintegration of those released from prison. Nevertheless, a big question has occurred as to if the tough laws created help the community especially to prevent recidivism or make the situation even worse than it already is. Sex offenders are categorized into three levels for example in the case of the state of Massachusetts; in level one the person is not considered dangerous, and chances of him repeating a sexual offense are low thus his details are not made available to the public (Robbers, 2009). In level two chances of reoccurrence are average thus public have access to this level offenders through local police departments in level three risk of reoffense is high, and a substantial public safety interest is served to protect the public from such individuals.
Greenblatt, Alan. “Sex Offenders: Will Tough, New Laws Do More Harm Than Good?” Volume 6. 8
Officials say that students feel happier when they don’t have to worry about their clothes. Which would help students focus in class better. Virginia Draa, assistant professor at Youngstown state university took a survey with students with uniforms and students without uniforms. Her results were fascinating, she said that even if their wasn’t that much of an academic improvement. But she said there were better attendance, graduation and Proficiency rates. It is proven that uniforms not only help for graduation and other rates it also helps to gain discipline. Having uniforms in school would help students take school more seriously. Students would feel equal in class because there wouldn’t be any differences in clothing.
Even though the above is a total fabrication, it still rings true. According to the Charleston Gazette, in 1994, seven-year-old Megan Kanka was kidnaped and killed by a twice convicted sex offender who lived in her neighborhood. People in her neighborhood did not know of his past (Internet: Don't...). This brought about the spread of the so-called 'Megan's laws', states must now keep registers of sex offenders. Some states go a step further with these laws. Janet Reynolds of the Hartford Advocate reports that, in addition to the registry, California legislature voted to make che...
Sex offenders have been a serious problem for our legal system at all levels, not to mention those who have been their victims. There are 43,000 inmates in prison for sexual offenses while each year in this country over 510,000 children are sexually assaulted(Oakes 99). The latter statistic, in its context, does not convey the severity of the situation. Each year 510,000 children have their childhood's destroyed, possibly on more than one occasion, and are faced with dealing with the assault for the rest of their lives. Sadly, many of those assaults are perpetrated by people who have already been through the correctional system only to victimize again. Sex offenders, as a class of criminals, are nine times more likely to repeat their crimes(Oakes 99). This presents a
Two of the sex offenders from the Worley study reported that during Halloween they are told by law enforcement to not answer the door or have outside lights on. Also, local television networks broadcast their picture to warn others of their sex offender status. This then leads to much embarrassment and shame, having their picture televised every year (Worley, R. M., & Worley, V. B., 2013). Today, anyone with Internet access can view and search the sex offender registries and this leads to the direct violation of privacy of these sex offenders. Not only are they tormented but their family members are as well. Their children are bullied at school and their spouses may be forced to quit their jobs (“US: Sex Offender Laws May Do More Harm Than Good,” 2007) As discussed earlier, the sex offender faces harassment and abuse constantly when they are placed on the sex offender
Roberts, Paul. "Spoiled: Organic and Local Is So 2008." Mother Jones 1 (2009). https://blackboard.syr.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-3188122-dt-content-rid-8212178_1/courses/33750.1142/Spoiled.pdf (accessed March 25, 2014).
“Recidivism of Sex Offenders”. (2001). Center for Sex Offender Management. Retrieved on October 19, 2003 from
Uniforms are worn for many different reasons such as being in jail or going to work, and you can see them today almost anywhere in the world. Now uniforms are becoming a popular trend amongst schools. The question is should students be forced to wear them? Some parents and teachers say that uniforms keep the students focused on academics and not fashion. Opposers believe that kids should have the freedom to choose what they wear to school. Although, uniforms do limit the student’s choice to wear whatever they please, which is the con to having the enforcement, uniforms are supposed to be looked upon as a positive thing. They eliminate bullying, help students focus only on academics, combine social classes and gives the school campus a professional
If it was a requirement to wear a uniform to school, there would be many more kids paying attention in classes. Looking around the classroom at what other kids are wearing is a great way to make time fly by. If everyone was wearing the same things, then the distraction of different clothing would be eliminated. Many people worry that uniforms would take away the opportunity for kids to be who they are or who they want to be, but I feel as though wearing uniforms would simply force kids to show their individualism in ways outside of fashion and appearance. When looking at an Opinion Board on the internet I came across the idea that visually uniforms result in a more equal and adult treatment of students, eliminating any idea that one student i...
.... Students should be required to wear uniforms. Simply adding uniforms to all schools can improve because of the many benefits, safety, and statistics proven behind wearing uniforms. Call any local school’s principal for them to start considering uniforms.
The Australian Rainforest Memorandum, which recognizes the rights of traditional land owners is endorsed by over 40 NGO’s. Working Towards an end to foreign debt is yet another crucial role to ending deforestation. The condition imposed by the International Monetary Fund often forces heavily indebted countries to sell their national resources far in excess of sustainable exploitation.
The more experience you have putting these tips into practice, the more they will become instinct. And by making informed decisions and ensuring that the product’s claims are accurate, you can feel good about the choices you make and their positive impact on the environment. If more greenwashing means that marketers are increasingly responding to the demand for sustainable products, this could be a positive trend. If left unchecked, greenwashing creates significant risks. Consumers will give up on marketers and manufacturers, and give up on the hope that their spending might be put to good use. Recent developments suggest companies should be prepared for the new wave of measures. Greenwashing has become a buzz word for consumers and the media. Unfortunately, the rules are not always clear when it comes to responsible environmental marketing.