Can the market solve the ozone problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Can the market solve the ozone problem - Essay Example However, it is not entirely impossible to say that a market solution is not possible to address the ozone problem. Although prices may be high, the market will still be free, with no official obstacles to the depletion of the natural resources or the pollution of clean environment. Since natural environment are consumed on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, contemporaries may be willing to pay a great deal and use these resources rather than trouble with conservation. (p. 135) In light of this, it is fundamental that in order to capture the full effect of pollution, there should be the existence of some link between the present and the future. How can we achieve this? The answer lies not in the agents of the market - the population in today’s generation – but on the firm, which has the capacity to live forever. This starts with the owner of the firms, there is a potential of taking responsibility by looking beyond their lifetimes. An owner is in a better position to see the ozone problem in terms of its long-term effect than what is currently experienced from the perspective of his firm. It is safe to say that, as an owner, he must take care that the firm survives for his predecessors and heirs. The consequences of future environmental damage are reflected in the firm’s price – maximizing value requires consideration of all future effects of today’s actions. The quality of the environment, wrote Partha Dasgupta and Karl- GÃ ¶ran Maler (1997), is part of the capital stock, just like bridges and buildings and that there is every reason to treat the environment along with other capital as relevant input in a firm’s production function. (p. 38) This is one of the major factors in the market solution to the ozone problem. The above argument underscores the uniqueness of the ozone depletion as an environmental problem for businesses. The effect of the ozone has a wider net

Is our election process fair Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Is our election process fair - Essay Example This paper will highlight the unfairness that exists in the election process citing examples. The college vote is one of the critical aspects that determine whether a presidential candidate clinches the top seat or not. Contrary to many emerging democratic nations that rely on the popular vote, the American nation decides the president using the college vote. Apparently, all citizens participate in the popular vote of the president and vice president, but also elect a representative of each state to the Electoral College (Ryden 56). Usually, the individuals chosen as electors in the college are people who express allegiance to a certain party. In other cases, they operate under state laws that vary from state to state. It is worth noting that each of the 52 states has a different number of representatives in the Electoral College depending on their population. The Electoral College then determines who wins the presidential race. The candidate who secures a majority of the 538 college votes becomes the designated president. There is limited fairness in this process as will be discussed below. The popular vote is of little regard in the United States. However, it is of essence to highlight that the popular vote represents the opinion of each American who is eligible and chooses to vote. Despite the fact that the popular vote represents the voice of the majority, the elections system disregards it and relies on the college votes to determine the president. This is an indirect implication that an individual’s vote is irrelevant. Considering the 2000 presidential elections where Gore and Bush were competing for the top seat and Gore won the popular vote. However, the popular vote decided that Bush had won. The irony in this is that the majority voice represented by the popular vote had proved less significant. For the many people who voted in this election, this was unfair (Ryden 56). The Electoral College does not adequately represent the voice of the majori ty of the Americans. The electors are highly partial, and their opinion does not have to reflect the pledges they made to parties. This leaves them with the opportunity to vote according to individual preference. This compromises the level of democracy because 538 people shoulder the responsibility of electing a president for everyone. With the advancing level of understanding and participation in presidential debates, the defense that the electoral colleges serves as a fair opinion because of the level of information that the electors have is no longer valid. Majority of Americans exhibit the potential to hold an independent opinion contrary to buying the opinion of the national media. Although the media expresses its opinion on the preferred candidates, Americans know better than blindly buying the waves on popular media. This explains why the opinion expressed in the popular vote when electing the president needs consideration. The popular vote represents the opinion of 315,000,0 00 votes. Each of the electors in the college does not necessarily vote in conformity to the popular vote in their state (Rush, and Engstrom 66). It would be fair if the United States scrapped off the Electoral College. This would leave the popular vote to determine the candidate who wins the presidential race. The Electoral College superiority denies the people the free will of choice expected in a nation that claims to be a mature