Summary Of The Value Of A Shepa Life

If people are being paid and employed to take risks they are less likely to consider the potentially lethal consequences they face. In “The Value of a Sherpa Life”, Grayson Schaffer outlines the issues Sherpas face and how they are not as valued as they should be. “Sherpas...would lose jobs that pay between $2,000 and $6,000 per season, in a country where the median income is $540 per year” (Schaffer 217). Sherpas are forced into these dangerous situations because they have a monetary obligation to fulfill their job.. They are dependent on this job to ensure they can support their families, so their employers need to be the people ensuring that they are properly educated and making safe decisions. There are other groups and industries that

already have programs in place that impact the safety of their employees. The United Mine Workers of America is a labor union that regulates mining conditions, and health and safety in the mines. “It includes access to such things as affordable life insurance, loans, legal services, and travel clubs” (“United Mine”). This union is an example of how employers or groups of people could use their larger power to impact the conditions in these dangerous workplaces. If more industries, such as the Sherpa industry, had programs in place to ensure benefits and safety, than there would be less casualties and dangerous situations, as the mining industry has shown. Employees in dangerous situations have less control over their situation , and are less concerned about it, so employers and larger groups need to ensure their employees are kept safe.
Preparing and taking precautions for potentially dangerous situations can ultimately save lives - and eliminate rescue costs. Jim Y. King, the president of the World Bank group, outlines how governments can prepare and react in order to survive natural disasters in “Seven Steps to Surviving a Disaster”. “Just $1 invested in early-warning systems can save as much as $35 in damages-and protect untold numbers of lives” (Kim). Governments have a responsibility to ensure citizens are protected, so preparation is vital in establishing a safe and cost effective way to deal with disasters and dangers. There is no reason for governments to avoid preparation and accountability, because it not only benefits the citizens lives that it impacts, but it also saves government money. Disasters aren’t the only danger that could be improved by more government interaction; the position of citizens in survival situations could be greatly improved by more government engagement in spreading awareness about potiental dangers. In “The Cost of Survival”, Theo Tucker examines the financial accountability of those in survival situations. A family was sailing at sea when their child fell ill, and their rescue cost $663,000 (Tucker 127).These costs could have been minimized or eliminated if the family was more aware of the risks they faced in their situation, or if the government and first responders were more prepared for this type of danger. Costs of survival could be greatly reduced if the governemnt better prepared and for and educated citizens about survival situations.