The Sustainability Revolution of the Twenty-First Century :: Politics Political Essays

The Sustainability Revolution of the Twenty-First Century The direction the world is heading now is unsustainable. We have explored the many facets of this unsustainability throughout our seminar. It is real. And the essence of unsustainability, of course, is that we can not keep it up. There will be change, and as a society, we cannot live in denial of this fact. We must hurry up and figure out how to take control of this change before the change happens to us. What would happen if we let our society continue on its current path without rethinking our values? It is very hard to conceive of our "powerful" nation and fast-paced, glittery way of life ending. I am sure that few Americans really can picture what would happen. It is easiest to assume that we could remain indefinitely in this state of more or less comfortable obliviousness. As long as we have a fresh supply of new products around us, the instantaneous, superficial pleasures can keep us distracted. To try to break through this lazy mindset, I considered looking at similar situations over a larger time scale. There have been many boom civilizations throughout human history that thought they were the pinnacle of existence and could never be defeated. But they all ended, sooner or later. The Greeks, the Romans, the Spanish, the British, etc. etc. etc. (there are plenty from pre-history as well - the more we learn, the more fallen civilizations we find). They are either taken over by another group, are ruined by disease, or because of their inability to change they use up or degrade the resource base that sustained them. To look from a larger scale than just humans, the archaeological record shows the rise and fall of many groups or species in a similar way. Earth was once "ruled" by microscopic organisms, later by dinosaurs, then by megafaunal mammals, and now by us (forgive the major jumps in evolution- I'm just trying to make a point). Current trends towards globalization and thus worldwide spread of materialism and consumption mean that we no longer can consider our fate as an individual "civilization." We now must realize that whatever fate befalls us, befalls humans worldwide. Luckily, more and more people are figuring this out and getting worried. I propose that there will be a cultural backlash against the modern consumptive society, and that the trends will begin to reverse. Just as each generation rebels to some extent against the previous one (and each decade is appalled by the fashion sense of the one before), the next generation or so will be disgusted with the overconsumption and excess of The Sustainability Revolution of the Twenty-First Century :: Politics Political Essays The Sustainability Revolution of the Twenty-First Century The direction the world is heading now is unsustainable. We have explored the many facets of this unsustainability throughout our seminar. It is real. And the essence of unsustainability, of course, is that we can not keep it up. There will be change, and as a society, we cannot live in denial of this fact. We must hurry up and figure out how to take control of this change before the change happens to us. What would happen if we let our society continue on its current path without rethinking our values? It is very hard to conceive of our "powerful" nation and fast-paced, glittery way of life ending. I am sure that few Americans really can picture what would happen. It is easiest to assume that we could remain indefinitely in this state of more or less comfortable obliviousness. As long as we have a fresh supply of new products around us, the instantaneous, superficial pleasures can keep us distracted. To try to break through this lazy mindset, I considered looking at similar situations over a larger time scale. There have been many boom civilizations throughout human history that thought they were the pinnacle of existence and could never be defeated. But they all ended, sooner or later. The Greeks, the Romans, the Spanish, the British, etc. etc. etc. (there are plenty from pre-history as well - the more we learn, the more fallen civilizations we find). They are either taken over by another group, are ruined by disease, or because of their inability to change they use up or degrade the resource base that sustained them. To look from a larger scale than just humans, the archaeological record shows the rise and fall of many groups or species in a similar way. Earth was once "ruled" by microscopic organisms, later by dinosaurs, then by megafaunal mammals, and now by us (forgive the major jumps in evolution- I'm just trying to make a point). Current trends towards globalization and thus worldwide spread of materialism and consumption mean that we no longer can consider our fate as an individual "civilization." We now must realize that whatever fate befalls us, befalls humans worldwide. Luckily, more and more people are figuring this out and getting worried. I propose that there will be a cultural backlash against the modern consumptive society, and that the trends will begin to reverse. Just as each generation rebels to some extent against the previous one (and each decade is appalled by the fashion sense of the one before), the next generation or so will be disgusted with the overconsumption and excess of

Lebron v Kobe

People are always looking forward to basketball season. There are many good players in the league. I think that the two best players are Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. Both players perform excellent on the court. Although the players play well, they are totally different athletes. The attitudes, skills, and passion for the game are expressed in different ways. Although, Lebron James is young in the league of NBA basketball, he has the ability to shutdown most all-star veterans. Lebron’s attitude towards basketball hasn’t changed a bit from his high school career. Even though he is in the pros, his mentality is still teamwork. In a game like basketball you can’t do everything by yourself. Many may think he is a one man team or a ball hog but, his attitude towards the game makes himself stand out. On the other hand, Kobe Bryant has had a few more years of experience than Lebron James. In the beginning of his basketball career his attitude was similar to that of Lebron James’ current one. After a couple of years of playing with the same team and winning a variety of championships, his outlook on the sport began to change. Many in which caused controversy with his fellow former teammate Shaquille O’Neal. Lebron James has very exceptional skills in the level that he plays at. Not only did he get drafted directly out of high school but, he is one of the top players that are recognized when one mentions basketball. James has led his team to consecutive playoff appearances from 2006 through 2009. On offense, Lebron is known for using his size, strength, and quickness to get past offenders. His skills have led to many comparisons to NBA legends like Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, and Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant is considered one of the most complete players in NBA history. Kobe has the ability to create shots for himself and is an effective outside shooter. Aside from this, he is a standout defender, having made the All-Defensive first and second team nine of the last ten seasons. The passion each individual has for the game of basketball is different from one another. Lebron James’ perspective on basketball is it’s â€Å"More Than a Game†. Basketball to him is more like a lifestyle in other words. The teamwork he and his teammates show on the court create a sense of brotherhood. Lebron knows that its not all about him because the game of basketball is a team sport. Kobe Bryant’s passion for the game is different. He started playing the sport at the age of 3 years old. Kobe’s father was in the NBA when he was young and had a big influence on him. On the court, he knows it’s a job to be done and he dominates on a regular basis. There are many similarities between Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. In contrast, there are many differences as well. Each individual has a certain way they present their selves on and off the court. One thing for sure, professional basketball would not be the same without them.

Cross Cultural Differences Problems and Solutions Free Essay Example, 1500 words

In international negotiations, communication style, expectation, issue ranking, and goals will change according to the negotiators countries of origin. If applied properly, the understanding of cultural dimensions should increase success in negotiations and reduce frustration and conflicts. International management: These considerations are also true in international management and cross-cultural leadership. Decisions taken have to be based on the country s customs and values. When working in international companies, managers may provide training to their employees in order to make them sensitive to cultural differences, develop nuanced business practices, with protocols across countries (Hofstede et al, 2010). Marketing: As five dimension model of Hofstede has helped us in communication, negotiation, and management, this model is also equally useful in international marketing too because it defines national values not only in a business context but in general (Hofstede et al, 2010) . Dutch people can do marketing in a way, which is acceptable for the people of Singapore. In the book Riding the waves of culture (written in 1997) Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner mainly focused on clearing up the cultural diversity in term of business. With the help of this seven dimension model, we can easily solve the problem of Dutch employees: Universalism vs. We will write a custom essay sample on Cross Cultural Differences Problems and Solutions or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page