Essay on Raising Minimum Wage Increases Unemployment

â€Å"Of course, nothing helps families make ends meet like higher wages. †¦ And to everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the minimum wage, I say this: If you truly believe you could work full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, go try it. If not, vote to give millions of the hardest-working people in America a raise.† -–President Obama, State of the Union address, Jan. 20, 2015 President Barack Obama is renewing his call to raise the minimum wage to $10.10. During a speech at a manufacturing plant, President Obama proclaimed, We should be raising the minimum wage to make sure that more workers who have been working full-time shouldnt be living in poverty.... He also called for a wage increase for tipped†¦show more content†¦This means that all tips are placed in a â€Å"pool† that is then distributed amongst each staff member at the end of the shift. Also, restaurants have to pay credit card processing fees. Some restaurants will take a small percentage out of the waiter’s tip to balance out these fees. The waiter still gets a high percentage of the tip but out of that $20 tip, the waitress may only get between $5 and $10 out of it. There are many things that alter a tip worker’s paycheck. A simple wage increase could make a huge difference in how much money they take home each week. Tip workers produce more than what they are paid for, which leads into the minimum wage effects on production. However, regular should not get a pay increase. Employers will have to pay workers more money for the same job, price adjustments will be made to accommodate the wage increases. Employees will be expected to produce more. For jobs that already require a lot of work, this could be very troublesome. Wages have an effect on production. For any job, an increase in pay means the job performance and contributions outweigh the current salary. If employers do not feel as though the increase is warranted, they may expect more from their employees. Also, employees will be fired faster because employers may feel as though workers are being overly compensated for their jobs. Some companies may also retaliate against the wage increases byShow MoreRelatedA Brief Note On Raising Minimum Wage1088 Words   |  5 PagesBrendan Mason Mrs. Scruggs 08/07/15 Raising minimum Wage There is always talk about the problems of North Carolina’s economy, and these problems then become publicized and put throughout the media, informing people on the condition of their state’s economy. A popular topic lately is the state’s minimum wage, and whether it should be raised or if we should keep the current minimum wage. Usually, opinions vary on what to do about minimum wage, however there certainly seems to be a larger group ofRead MoreThe Positive and Negative Effects of Raising Minimum Wage805 Words   |  4 Pagesincome. Many people’s income relies on minimum wage. In 2012, 3.6 million people received an hourly pay at or below minimum wage. There is an ongoing debate in government as to what the minimum wage should be. Stuck at $7.25, Obama has suggested raising the minimum wage to $9.00. Depending on a person’s perspective, raising minimum wage could be positive or negative. Minimum wage has the ability to change lives, and change t he economy. Small businesses and unemployment, teenage demographics, and the costRead MoreThe Effect of Minimum Wage on the American Economy800 Words   |  4 PagesThe Effect of Minimum Wage on the American Economy A sensitive topic for many Americans is their income. Many people’s income relies on minimum wage. In 2012, 3.6 million people received an hourly pay at or below the national minimum wage. There is an ongoing debate in Congress as to what the national minimum wage should be. Currently at $7.25, Obama has suggested raising the national minimum wage to $9.00. Depending on a person’s economic perspective, raising minimum wage could be positive or negativeRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised?870 Words   |  4 PagesShould Minimum Wage Be Raised? Minimum wage has always been a controversial issue. Many politicians use the argument of minimum wage for their own political propaganda. Some may argue minimum wage should be raised, while others believe it will have detrimental effects on our economy if it is raised. Surprising to most people, minimum wage earners make up only a small percent of American workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, minimum wage workers make up about 2.8% of all workersRead MoreRaising The Minimum Wage?1575 Words   |  7 PagesThe issue of raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour is a heavily debated topic. Both sources against or in favor of the minimum wage refer to a â€Å"growing gap† between low-income workers and high-income earners. Sources against the minimum wage believe raising it will increase this gap, whereas those in favor of the minimum wage believe it will decrease this gap. The arguments in favor of the minimum wage rely mostly on ethical beliefs, such a s â€Å"pay should reflect hard work,† to advanceRead MoreMinimum Wage During The Great Depression1419 Words   |  6 PagesThe Minimum Wage Battle In the United States, the minimum wage was passed during the Great Depression in 1938 to protect the buying power of normal workers in a period in which the â€Å"unemployment rate was still a very high 19 percent† (Sklar, 2009, p. 1). Since that time, there has been significant debate about the controversial topic of raising the federal minimum wage. The federal minimum wage law was created to eliminate unfair practices of sweat shops and manufacturing companies during this timeRead MoreMinimum Wage and the American Dream1258 Words   |  6 PagesAchieving the American Dream while earning minimum wage may take a person longer but it is still attainable. Through higher education or hard work individuals can achieve a higher standard of living. What is minimum wage? Minimum wage is the lowest hourly rate (dollars per hour) that employers can pay their employees. According to minimumwage.com Minnesota’s minnimum wage is $7.25 per hour but will be getting raised to $9.00 per hour. Minnesota’s minimum wage is a common rate among many states suchRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised910 Words   |  4 Pagesmaximize the American Dream on the minimum wage† (Benjamin Todd Jealous). In 1938, minimum wage was created by the federal government in order to protect workers by ensuring a minimum of twenty-five cents per hour worked. Though President Roosevelt had the right idea in protecting the workforce, something needs to be done to ensure that Americans are getting a reasonable amount of money for the amount of hours they have worked. As Benjamin Todd Jealous stated, minimum wage is not enough for the averageRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Legal1239 Words   |  5 PagesLisa Valk Kristoffer Martin English Composition Raise Minimum Wage There is not one state in the US where a minimum wage worker can afford a two-bedroom unit at fair market rent, working a standard 40-hour work week(There are a few states where this is not true. Also, the fair market rent is the average cost. It doesn t reflect the super expensive and bottom rent places). The federal minimum wage would be $10.86 [per hour] if it had kept up with inflation over the past 40 years. Instead, it isRead MoreMinimum Wage : Low Skilled And Young Workers1553 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Minimum wage, a program created to help the poor, has every contrary effect to its well intentions. Throughout the history, people who hurt the most during minimum wage hikes are the low-skilled and young workers. Drastically raising minimum wage is meaningless as high inflation usually comes alongside with wage increases. Past economic statistics have shown that the rate of increase in inflation usually outpaced the rate of increase in minimum wage. Thus, the real value wage workers receive

Scene Analysis in A Midsummer Nights Dream - 851 Words

‘Midsummer Nights Dream’ is one of Shakespeare’s most famous and successful plays. The play was part of Shakespeare’s early work. It was written and performed around 1595. ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’ is a romantic comedy play; and that’s what I will be focusing on how Shakespeare creates humour in act 5 scene 1. So how does he create humour? There are many ways as to how Shakespeare creates humour; one of the main reasons is through the characters. There are there sets of characters the fairies, court and the mechanicals in this case it’s the mechanicals. The mechanicals are normal workers that want to become actors. They are uneducated, you can tell this because Bottom (mechanical) says in act 4 scene 2 line 20 â€Å"Where are these lads?†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Theseus comments on the childish actors by saying â€Å"His speech was like a tangled chain, nothing impaired, but all disordered.† Act 5 scene, lines 123-124. This shows that because of Quince’s lack of education he cannot send the right information he wants to send to the audience. Due to the bumpy start of the play the court had already created a comical atmosphere. All of this entertainment and amuses the audience (both in the play and watching the play). The themes of this play are mostly to do with love and magic however the play as a whole is a comedy. The magic scene is the scene that brings the whole play together. Without it the lovers would not be called lovers and there wouldn’t be a marriage. Before Puck put the love potion on them Lysander was in love with Hermia but her dad wanted her to marry Demetrius; and Helena was in love with Demetrius and Demetrius was in love with Hermia. Puck sorted things out by putting a love potion on Demetrius so that he falls in love with Helena. The funny part about it all is when they are all confused when they awake from what they think is a dream which is a dramatic irony because we know it wasn’t a dream but in fact a reality. One of the ways Shakespeare creates humour in the mechanicals performance is with the usage of props. Through Shakespeare’s intelligent writing skills he sends a strong message that there is a man playing a wall. This is funny because Snout(playing the wall) actually has a speechShow MoreRelatedThe Antagonist, S hakespeare1405 Words   |  6 Pagesantagonists can be especially exciting.†(Hansen) Shakespeare develops his antagonists in a way that makes them interesting to the audience and does so especially well in his plays Othello, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Hamlet. Each play has an antagonist, or something near one in the case of Midsummer Night’s Dream, but the villains can be very different from one another and strikingly alike depending on the situation. Shakespeare’s creation of profound antagonists helps the audience to identify withRead MoreWillima Shakespeares, A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Unbalanced Love835 Words   |  3 PagesEverything is arranged for their escape and all is well until Helena enters the scene. Hermia is overjoyed with Lysander’s brilliant plan to run away and she had to tell someone right away, so when Helena walks in the room, Hermia explains the entire plan to her. Helena expresses her jealousy of Hermia; Helena is jealous of Hermia because Demetrius loves her and she is gorgeous. The famous â€Å"love square† begins at this scene. Both men, Lysander and Demetrius, love Hermia, but Hermia only loves LysanderRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream And Fool1401 Words   |  6 Pageshelp them achieve this purpose? Through an in-depth analysis of Shakespeare’s arguably two most famous fools, Puck (Robin Goodfellow) from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Fool in King Lear; an argument can be made that the scope of the fool goes far beyond being solely a comedic figure. Using a Shakespearean comedy and tragedy as evidence, this essay will make a case that Shakespearean fools can make horrific or potentially confusing or ambiguous scenes more understandable, and serve as a guide to theRead MoreWhy Did Freud Use Oedipis As Basis?1355 Words   |  6 Pagesshe must tell these to keep herself and everyone sage. For example, when Gertrude tewlls the king of Poloniusâ⠂¬â„¢ murder at the hands of Hamlet, she does what she can to protect her son, falsely claiming that he ‘weeps for what is done’ In the opening scenes of Hamlet, a significant change in the family dynamic has just occired with the inclusion of Claudius in place of Hammlet’s father. This causes tension as to become a man Hamlet must takke on the characteristics of his father and he has to chooseRead MoreEssay on A Midsummer Nights Dream: Critical Analysis3103 Words   |  13 PagesMandy Conway Mrs. Guynes English 12 16 March 2000 A Critical Analysis of quot;A Midsummer Nights Dreamquot; William Shakespeare, born in 1594, is one of the greatest writers in literature. He dies in 1616 after completing many sonnets and plays. One of which is quot;A Midsummer Nights Dream.quot; They say that this play is the most purely romantic of Shakespeares comedies. The themes of the play are dreams and reality, love and magic. This extraordinary play is a play-with-in-a-play, whichRead MoreA Midsummer Nights Dream: Bottom1466 Words   |  6 PagesA Midsummer Nights Dream: Nick Bottom In a Mid Summer Nights Dream, the character Nick Bottom is given a rather prominent role in the several scenes he appears in, although he is not a lead character in the play. Bottom is unique from all the other characters of the play not only because of the considerable contribution his character brings to the comedic value of the play, but because he is the only character able to enter fully in to both the human world and the world of the fairies. In thisRead MorePerfect Idealism In Shakespeares Hamlet1631 Words   |  7 Pagesthe condition of Hamlet s soul by viewing him. The play just depicts the many uncertainties in our lives that sometimes make us fail to act appropriately like the case of Hamlet. 2. Mosley, Joseph Scott. The Dilemma of Shakespearean Sonship: An Analysis of Paternal Models of Authority and Filial Duty in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Diss. 2017. Similarly, this article discusses the theme of the complexity of action. This play depicts of how at times the decision to act is usually influenced not only byRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1231 Words   |  5 Pagesplay†, i.e a play where the author stagged, at some time, an other theater play inside this one. Many of his plays can be qualified as â€Å"plays within plays† and espacially Hamlet and A Midsummer Night s Dream. Therefore, it is interesting to study these plays to know – and learn – more about this process. I) Act III scene 2 Hamlet is undoubtly one of the Shakespeare s most famous plays which was written between 1598 and 1601. It relates the story of Hamlet – the eponymous character – whose fatherRead MoreThe Theme Of Homo Eroticism Within The Play As You Like It And How It Differs From Various Other3688 Words   |  15 Pages Within this analysis, I will inquire into the theme of homo-eroticism within the play As You Like It and how it differs from various other plays written by Shakespeare and elaborate on how ground-breaking this play was during the time it was written and when it was performed, the differences in social constructs between then and now the differing views of society in the time it was written and the present day. As You Like Its first performance was in London in 1740, a time when popular literatureRead MoreLeadership Analysis: Dead Poets Society2935 Words   |  12 PagesLeadership Analysis: Dead Poet’s Society Leadership is defined as the ability to guide, direct or influence people, but it is much more than that. There are many ways to merely guide or direct. A leader is someone whose personality helps them to guide a group of people in a direction they believe is desirable. People want to follow the leader, but they are perfectly free not to. A leader guides people by the infectious nature of their vision. Leadership and authority are not the same thing

Market Research Reports and Analysis †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Market Research Reports and Analysis. Answer: Introduction: The project is based on the operational activity performed by Reef Design Lab (RDL) in the field of construction management. David Lennon, the owner of the company has been operating the construction project to structure the artificial reef designs. The company has captured the leading market position in constructing the reefs in different areas. The major aim of the company is to structure the design for the marine ecology. RDL is the first design lab to produce reef with the help of 3D printing machine. The company has achieved numerous awards for managing the sustainability issues in an appreciable way. David, the owner of the company is thinking of improving the materials and manufacturing methods for confirming the end-product. In order to achieve this objective, the company is looking forward to adopt the most helpful marketing strategies to develop the ideas about the market segment and the competitive scenario. Therefore, it is required to gather the adequate data related to the industrial segments. In addition to this, the project is even focusing on the potential challenges faced by the company during this project span. The aim of this project is to minimize these challenges and established a well-constructed reef design. The emergence of the advanced technologies has transformed the business project activities. Similarly, these advancements have created impact on the construction industry (Cardoso dos Santos Duro et al. 2017). While structuring the project activities, it is essential to address the specific needs of the clients. The list of needs specified by the clients is presented below: The high quality materials for the constructing the reef The effective packaging and shipping is also required. The project needs to be completed within the time provided by the clients. The above information provides the ideas about the clients requirements from this construction project. It is essential for the company to identify the relevant source from which the appropriate information can be collected. It is necessary to mention that the information will be used for managing the construction project is needed to be upgraded (Bryde, Broquetas and Volm 2013). Apparently, it is possible if the sources are authentic. The list of the relevant source for this construction project is as follows: Research through IBIS world would be effective enough in gathering the information about the performance parameter of the overall industry, players, markets and competitive landscape. Link: https://www.ibisworld.com.au The research project would require the information about the detailed information regarding the artificial reef. https://www.reefworlds.com/reef-worlds-news/and https://www.reefballaustralia.com.au/tech_note-shared_principles_of_ars_and_cities_v4.pdf . These sources would provide the details of the reefs all over the world. The information would be much helpful in making more improvements in this project. In order to gather the information about the sustainable tourism, the UNESCO website would be much preferable. Link: https://www.fish.wa.gov.au/Pages/Home.aspx The project deals with the fishery department, which can be a potential source of generating more revenues. It is thus necessary to browse details about the opportunities, market policies, and underwater structures that would contribute to the project. Link: https://www.fish.wa.gov.au/Pages/Home.aspx It is also necessary to identify the informative source of gathering adequate knowledge about the regulations imposed in the fishery sector. agriculture.gov.au/fisheries and https://www.afma.gov.au/ are quite helpful sources to browse data regarding the legal policies. These sources would provide the relevant and sufficient information related to the project subject. The business clients are the fishery department, partners, suppliers, clients, employees, and operations management. It is necessary to understand the basic requirements of the clients to structure the project activities. The following questions can be asked to the stakeholders to follow up with clients. What will be the Preconstruction Services require for the clients? What are the necessary details to be included in the pre-construction services? What will be the time duration for the first project assessment? Where the construction site will be located? Is there the proper connectivity to gather more resources? The project needs to concentrate on these basic questions to follow-up with the clients. The detailed information about the project specifications is essential for undertaking each of the associated functionalities (Hwang and Ng 2013). It will be beneficial for the project manager and the other associates to collect necessary resources and formulate the proper plan to complete the project as per the requirements. Personal Skills, Knowledge and Experience The project outcomes depend on the input of the skilled associates by following a structured plan. I joined this project as a fresher, but ended up being an experienced employee. The extensive information collected from the quantitative analysis and the accounting process provided me the adequate knowledge regarding the marketing principles. The skill audit report signifies the following aspects: I could strengthen my capability in research process, analyzing, and calculating method. However, I have found out that my weakness lies in the presentation session. I become nervous during the presentation. I have gained knowledge in the field of accounting and classical economies. I grabbed the necessary skills in the financial accounting part and eventually became capable of controlling the outflow, budget, and sponsors. I became much efficient in forecasting the sales ratio and eventually involved in the sales marketing department as well. The experience gathered from the project activity has strengthened my ability to establish the effective interpersonal skills with the associated teammates. The project helped me in understanding the necessity of adopting the effective communication process. The interactive session with the other teammates helped me in strengthening the communication skills. I have gained the cohesiveness in working in a group and sharing knowledge with others. Learning Development Plan It is notable that I need to develop some of my personal skills that would be helpful for me in performing the project activities and ensuring career growth. The target goals for my personal skill development is structured further: The semester provides us the significant opportunity to enhance our skills to improve certain career goals. However, some of the probable obstacles can create the limitation in achieving the learning goals. These probable challenges are listed further: Lack of adequate information related to the construction management project would be limiting the learning course development. Lack of proper expertise may affect the entire learning program. I have the capability in calculating and financial accounting process. Working on any subject out of my expertise level would create obligations in the learning development process. In order to establish the extensive knowledge in this field, it is necessary for me to create the self-motivation. I should persuade myself with enough motivation for achieving significant professional and personal skills. The time constraints would be the major limitation for achieving the learning goals. Lack of sufficient capital for conducting the extensive research would also affect the learning program. Focus on these aspects is quite necessary for fulfilling my career goals. Mitigating these challenges would help me to step ahead towards achieving the significant learning goals. Measuring Success in Achieving Success The activities associated with the learning development program are helpful enough in leading towards achieving the personal goals. However, while performing these activities, it is essential to measure the progression report to ensure whether I will be succeeded in achieving my learning goals. It is essential to develop the set of activities to measure the progress. for example: The continuous monitoring of the performance checklist would be beneficial in measuring the success. Keeping track of the daily targets Tracking the weekly target Receiving responses and feedbacks from the other associates Internal survey among the other employees Monthly review of the performance The activities mentioned above are quite helpful in measuring the performance progression. It will be helpful for me to derive the feedback from the other associates to understand the areas of improvements. Accordingly, improving these areas would signify my capabilities of achieving the learning goals associated with this project activity. Hence, at the end, I shall be able to gain success by improving these concerned areas. References Afma.gov.au, 2017.Home - The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA). [online] Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA). Available at: https://www.afma.gov.au [Accessed 27 Aug. 2017]. Agriculture.gov.au, 2017.Fisheries. [online] Agriculture.gov.au. Available at: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/fisheries [Accessed 27 Aug. 2017]. Bryde, D., Broquetas, M. and Volm, J.M., 2013. The project benefits of building information modelling (BIM).International journal of project management,31(7), pp.971-980. Cardoso dos Santos Duro, L.F., Di Favari Grotti, M.V., Minetto Maceta, P.R., Zancul, E., Berssaneti, F. and Monteiro de Carvalho, M., 2017. A review of the soft side in project management: concept, trends and challenges.Revista GEPROS,12(2), p.157. Cottrell, S., 2015.Skills for success: Personal development and employability. Palgrave Macmillan. Fish.wa.gov.au, 2017.Department of Fisheries. [online] Fish.wa.gov.au. Available at: https://www.fish.wa.gov.au/Pages/Home.aspx [Accessed 27 Aug. 2017]. Hwang, B.G. and Ng, W.J., 2013. Project management knowledge and skills for green construction: Overcoming challenges.International Journal of Project Management,31(2), pp.272-284. Ibisworld.com.au, 2017.Market Research Reports Analysis | IBISWorld AU. [online] Ibisworld.com.au. Available at: https://www.ibisworld.com.au [Accessed 27 Aug. 2017]. Lejeune, C., Raemdonck, I. and Beausaert, S., 2016. An electronic Personal Development Plan (PDP) as learning practice fostering. Inthe 8th EARLI SIG 14 Learning and Professional Development Conference. Reefworlds.com, 2017.Artificial Reef News. [online] Reef Worlds. Available at: https://www.reefworlds.com/reef-worlds-news [Accessed 27 Aug. 2017]. Sharp, A., 2013.Ecological purification in the captive reefnatural approaches to water quality management. Urban, M., 2016. Differences between self-and other-rating and the influence on the probability to take personal development actions.Ad Alta: Journal of Interdisciplinary Research,6(2).

Threats to Bioreserves free essay sample

If any one of the eight interactive crises passes a tipping point, it will probably act as a threat multiplier for the remaining crises. Both politicians and the average citizen believe that priorities can be established for these interactive crises, but such an option is not viable for a highly interactive system. Polls indicate that most people place economic growth as the highest priority for human society, even though the highest status should be given to the master biospheric life support system to which all other systems are subordinate. Key Words:Resource depletion, Energy, Environmental refugees An age is called Dark not because the light fails to shine, but because people refuse to see it. James Albert Michener The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers; he’s the one who asks the right questions. -Claude Levi-Strauss 1. Tipping Points Most complex ecological and social systems have one or more tipping points beyond which change is irreversible (e. We will write a custom essay sample on Threats to Bioreserves or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page g. , Catton 1982). Passing a tipping point in any one of the eight, complex systems (human economy, climate change, exponential human population growth, ecological overshoot, biotic impoverishment and reduction of biodiversity, renewable resource depletion, energy allocation, environmental refugees) would produce a ripple effect in the other seven and probably throughout the entire biospheric life support system (Solomon et al. 2009). Reducing risk in the context of the eight interactive global crises would be a difficult undertaking even if the task only involved scientific evidence. Mixed into the responsibility of reduction of risk and avoiding tipping points is the general public’s assessment of important issues for the planet. Gertner (2009) quotes a poll, conducted by the Pew Research Center two days after President Obama was sworn in, that ranks the issues Americans said were the most important priorities for this year [2009]. At the top of the list. . . jobs and the economy. . . Farther down, well after terrorism, deficit reduction and energy . . . was climate change. It was priority No. 20. That was last place. Economic growth has both provided many benefits to humans and been a major forcing factor in the eight interactive global crises discussed in this manuscript. Perpetual material (i. e. , physical) growth is simply not possible on a finite planet, which was recognized over 30 years ago by Economist Kenneth E. Boulding (1972) in his Ballad of Ecological Awareness. It was published as the conference summary for Farvar and Milton’s volum e The Careless Technology. The conferees were seated in alphabetical order at a huge round table at the 1968 conference, so I had the honor of sitting next to Boulding. I still remember his asking me: what rhymes with schistosomiasis? I gave an inadequate reply, but found out later that he was writing a ballad. The ballad is as useful today as the year it was written. No growth (i. e. , steady-state) economics has been espoused by Daly (1991, 1994) and Daly and Townsend (1993). The economics of climate change is also discussed in the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change (Stern 2009). If natural resources were used within the biosphere’s regenerative capacity, the probability of crossing tipping points would be significantly reduced. 2. The Human Economy Hawken et al. 1999) note that an economy needs four types of capital to function properly: . . human capital, in the form of labor and intelligence, culture, and organization financial capital, consisting of cash, investments, and monetary instruments . manufactured capital, including infrastructure, machines, tools, and factories . natural capital, made up of resources, living sys tems, and ecosystem services The industrial system uses the first three forms of capital to transform natural capital into the stuff of our daily lives: cars, highways, cities, bridges, houses, food, medicine, hospitals, and schools. Natural systems (fisheries, forests) are usually regarded as subsets of the human economy. However, in fact, the human economy is a subset of the biosphere (aggregate, global, natural systems). The human economy is substantially different from the economy of natural systems. The genus Homo was spread thinly over the planet in small tribal groups for most of 4 million years. Upon the emergence of H. erectus and with the transition to H. sapiens, when an animal was killed, it was eaten and the hide was used for clothing or other purposes. Hides and human wastes nurtured the biosphere. The rate of growth of the human population was trivial. After the Industrial Revolution, wastes were often harmful to the biosphere because they could not be assimilated into the environment or they exceeded the biosphere’s assimilative capacity for them. The human economy is in crisis because it wants more of everything for ever more people. Practices to increase material goods in one area of the world by using natural resources often has effects on other parts of the planet. China’s impressive economic growth is fueled by coal: In Shanxi, filthy coal is a part of daily life, providing a cheap, readily available source of energy that won’t be replaced by renewables or reduced via conservation efforts anytime soon (Minter 2010). By one estimate, China was responsible for 85 percent of the world-wide growth in coal demand last year, and what it didn’t obtain from the world’s third-largest known reserves, it imported (Pearse 2010). Much of China’s coal comes from Australia, which is paying a climate change price: The driest inhabited continent has just endured its warmest decade on record and its worst drought in history. It’s finally started raining again, but not before the 10-year Big Dry cost a quarter of all farm jobs (Pearse 2010). In short, Australia is both feeling and fueling climate change: Australians unwilling to see the irony of the situation sometimes have it forced on them. In 2007, cyclonic winds washed a coal tanker up on an iconic surf beach in New South Wales. Greenpeace seized the moment, projecting the words COAL CAUSES CLIMATE CHAOS onto the beleaguered ship’s hull (Pearse 2010). 3. Global Climate Change Humans have evolved and flourished in the present climate – an alternative climate will probably be less favorable. Combustion of fossil fuels during the Industrial Revolution produced more carbon dioxide than the biosphere could assimilate, and anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions began to change the climate. Reduction of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions is possible by switching to alternative sources of energy (e. g. , solar, wind). Although remarkable increases have been made in the development of wind power (Sawin 2010) and solar power (Liu 2010), fossil fuel production is still increasing (Russell 2010) and anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are still rising. As a consequence, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide is still growing, as are world carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning (Mulrow 2010). This situation has already caused glaciers to begin melting and has shifted rainfall patterns that cause both droughts and floods. Obviously, humans have affected the climate and vice versa. If emissions of anthropogenic greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, continue to increase, more climatic tipping points will probably be passed. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2007) presents a number of detailed reports that contain scenarios based on the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The reports summarize a vast body of literature that is analyzed by thousands of climate scientists. The IPCC reports tend to be conservative since many governments influence the executive summary but not the supporting scientific evidence. Also, no body of evidence exists in human history on the rate of climate change being experienced. Although some evidence on global warming was published in the 1800s, most of the literature is from the last three decades, and the amount is breathtaking. The scientific process is designed to correct errors and generally does so quite well. However, when the number of printed pages is large, the probability is greater that some small errors will be found. In the context of climate change in the news media, these errors are pounced upon and given a great deal of attention. The errors typically have little or no impact on climate science and are usually corrected promptly. However, these small errors have left some doubt in the public mind about scientists and the scientific process, which is regrettable since the preponderance of evidence on climate change becomes more persuasive as the amount of evidence increases. 4. Exponential Human Population Growth In 1927, the global human population was 2 billion; in 2010, it is nearly 7 billion, which is over a 3-fold increase in a single human lifetime on a finite planet. In 2009, the number of starving people and the number of malnourished people each exceeded 1 billion. In addition, billions of people lack potable water, adequate housing, education, and medical services. If every individual on the planet lived as individuals in the United States live, five planet Earths would be needed. No substantive discussion has been forthcoming on whether humankind’s goal is for a populace living at subsistence levels or for a much smaller population leading a quality life. If humankind decided on a smaller population leading a quality life, then how could the population be reduced in a humane way? To achieve any goal, a free and open discussion is essential, but religious beliefs and ideology have blocked even the beginnings of such a discussion on exponential human population growth. Climate change is already having adverse effects upon agricultural productivity in many parts of the world, which will probably reduce the global carrying capacity for humans. Major adaptation to new conditions will be essential if civilization is to survive. Sustainable use of the planet will be a distant dream as long as humankind thinks that the natural laws of physics, chemistry, and biology can be ignored as applied to exponential human population growth. The human population is still growing exponentially. How did one species become so dominant that it could compete successfully with all the other animal species for resources and space? This achievement is accompanied by considerable risk because humans are damaging their biospheric life support system by both sheer numbers and environmental destruction (Ehrlich and Ehrlich 2008). Diamond (2005) has analyzed how human societies choose to succeed or fail. Some past societal collapses were not fatal to the human species since isolated events affected only one or a few societies. Globalization may have ended isolation; however, since humankind depends on cheap, abundant resources and regeneration of natural resources, regionalization may soon return. 5. Ecological Overshoot Ecological overshoot refers to using Earth’s resources faster than they can be regenerated, which is due to both exponential population growth and excessive resource consumption. Sustainability requires living within the regenerative capacity of the biosphere (Wackernagel et al. 2002). The last Earth Overshoot Day was 25 September 2009 – the day on which humankind exceeded the regenerative capacity of the biosphere for that year. In economic terms, this circumstance is a huge ecological deficit, which goes beyond unsustainable to madness! Worse yet, ecological overshoot is not a recently discovered crisis – Catton (1982) published on this crisis years ago. By exceeding the biosphere’s regenerative capacity for resources, humankind is using natural capital (and the ecological services it produces) at a rate that probably will result in passing a biospheric tipping point in the near future. A tipping point may already have been passed, but inadequate monitoring systems have not detected it. Other species also depend on the biosphere’s regenerative capacity. Ecological overshoot is also an important component of intergenerational equity and violates both eco-ethics and sustainability ethics. Finally, without adequate resources, the human economy will collapse. 6. Biotic Impoverishment A major study has confirmed that the world’s governments will not meet their internationally-agreed target of curbing the loss of species and nature by 2010 (Black 2010). Since many of the planet’s species have not yet been named, calculating the precise extinction rate is difficult; however, the current extinction rate is estimated at 1,000 times the background rate and may climb to 10,000 times the background rate if present trends continue. This loss would easily equal those of past great extinctions. A major report – the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Report (2005) – summarizes this crisis, and Benn (2010), the UK’s environmental secretary, believes The decline in the world’s biodiversity is approaching a point of no return. . . The big challenge will be for the real benefits of biodiversity and the hard costs of its loss to be included in our economic system and markets. Fischetti (2010) notes that a team of 30 scientists across the globe have determined that the nine environmental processes [biodiversity loss, land use, freshwater use, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, stratospheric ozone, ocean acidification, climate change, chemical pollution and aerosol loading in the atmosphere] must remain within specific limits, otherwise the ‘safe operating space’ within which humankind can exist on Earth will be threatened. . . . the world has already crossed the boundary in three cases : biodiversity loss, the nitrogen cycle and climate change. Immediate steps must be taken to avoid further reduction of biodiversity (e. g. , Myers et al. 2000). The general public and its political representatives might be more concerned with biotic impoverishment if they understood that species are the basic components of the biosphere, which serves as a planetary life support system. Lovelock (2009, p. 33) states that the Earth system, which he calls Gaia, is in trouble, and the climate war could kill nearly all of us and leave a few survivors living a Stone Age existence. But in several places in the world, including the UK, we have a chance of surviving and even living well. This statement is clearly a worst-case scenario, but does drive home the point that humans are part of Gaia and, when it suffers, humankind suffers as well. The biosphere is clearly a functional system that is more than a collection of millions of species. The charismatic species receive the most attention, but as Louis Pasteur stated: The role of the infinitely small in nature is infinitely large. The little species ran the planet without humans for billions of years, and humans cannot currently do without them. However, most of humankind lives in cities and has little opportunity to develop a relationship with nature – referred to as biophilia by Wilson (1984). 7. Renewable Resource Depletion Wastes from Homo sapiens, including industrial wastes, are often deleterious to natural systems. Wastes can be a threat to the regeneration of natural resources instead of being nurturing, as is the case for the wastes of the majority of species. Moreover, in 2009, humankind used natural resources at 140% of Earth’s regenerative capacity (http://www. footprintnetwork. org).