Thursday, November 29, 2007

Wal-Mart Near Our Living Life

EAP2WW
Chia-Jung Pi
Synthesis EX.

Wal-Mart Near Our Living Life

Wal-Mart is a popular big supermarket in America. “Wal-Mart is one of the most impressive success stories in the history of business” (Locke, 2004, para.4). You can see the sign about Wal-mart everywhere in America, and we all know that Wal-Mart has an important place in the grocery marketing (USA TODAY, 2003). Wal-Mart has the unbelievable low price, and gives more nice value to customers. Moreover, it also brings some issues and problems. Some people don’t agree that low price in Wal-Mart is a good and right thing.

In my opinion, I don’t feel that Wal-Mart gives us negative influences. There are some views to explain my positions.

First, Wal-Mart gives the customers the lowest price to choose the goods (Locke, 2004). It is a good and important thing to the customer. Because of the low price, more people can afford the living requirements, and can have better living quality. No one wants to buy the more expensive goods, and low prices help every family to save more money to do other things or buy the different higher price things that they want or choose (Hoenig, 2004).

Second, the big supermarket also creates a lot of opportunities for working. “In 2005, Wal-Mart created 125,000 U.S jobs, and is continuously adding thousands each month” (Hoenig, 2004, para.16). Big businesses usually give more job opportunities, and it is an optimistic situation to society to make more of the workless to find the jobs. The higher employment rate also can cut down the social security problems. We should pleasure to see this condition that Wal-Mart opens in our town, instead of stopping them and preventing them from being in our life.

Some people may state that Wal-Mart earns much money, and then it still doesn’t help the finance of government (Auxier, quoted in Jacobs, 2005). I don’t feel it is a serious problem and destroys the selling feat. Government can’t just depend on the enterprises to earn money or improve the economic condition. Some people are afraid that Wal-Mart makes other stores have to close and destroys their business (Jacobs, 2005). But I consider that other stores can change their selling pattern to sell something that we can’t find in Wal-Mart. Even though Wal-Mart has a lot of living commodities, there are many special stores and fresh or alien food that can’t be substituted. So not all stores will be damaged.

In my conclusion, I believe and confirm that Wal-Mart gives us a better and more convenient life. Besides, it is also the smart seller to sell this amount of commodities to the residents (USA TODAY, 2003). I think it is a nice thing that there are many Wal-Marts near our living place.

Reference

Hoenig, J. (2004, February). Welcome Wal-Mart. Capitalism Magazine. Retrieved November 26, 2007 from http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=4561

Locke, E. (2004, February). Three Cheers for Wal-Mart. Capitalism Magazine. Retrieved November 26, 2007 from http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=3534

Jacobs, N. (2005, April). Local opposition to future Wal-Mart Supercenter in Murphysboro. Daily Egyptian. Retrieved November 26, 2007 from http://newshound.de.siu.edu/spring05/stories/storyReader$858

Wal-Mart's influence grows. (2003, January). USA TODAY. Retried November 26, 2007 from http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2003-01-28-walmartnation_x.htm

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

The forest’s nightmare-Illegal logging

Argument essay

In the article ”Illegal logging-destroying the last Ancient Forests” (n.d), the author points out that the ancient forests are special and unique habitats for species and home to millions of people. However, there is 80 percent of ancient forests that have been ruined, and much of what remains is threatened by illegal logging. Illegal logging is an overwhelming threat to ancient forests, and illegal logging results in deforestation, the loss of biodiversity, and climate change. In addition; illegal logging makes the legal timber production become weaker and its revenue decelerate quickly. In another article, “Deadly battle with Amazon’s mafia” (2005, para. 8), the author says that “it is estimated that the Amazonian timber trade is worth close to $1bn, and that much of the trade is illegal.” Next, importing and trading illegal logging products is another way to assist the forest crime. In those, the illegal logging problem is not only about the environmental concentration but also related with the global economic damage. In fact, the government also has some achievements in which the deforestation rate of the Amazon rain forests appeared to fall down gradually. Compared to the previous years, the average which was cut has decreased recently.

In “Greenpeace Activists Trapped by Loggers in Amazon” (2007), the author states that “Deforestation is responsible for three quarters of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions, and makes the country the fourth largest climate polluter in the world” (2007, para. 1). First, it damage about environment when illegal logging makes the forests disappear. So we should rebuild the ancient forests and reforest them. Second, illegal logging also impairs the economy; we should stop buying art made by the illegal wood carving, and the governments should develop the policies to protect them, and the more developed countries should help the developing countries to use different energy, and stop using wood for fuel. Third, the government should help the logger find other jobs, and then they will not depend on illegal logging for a living.

First, I think we have enough technological skill to rebuild the forests, and we can help the amount of species become more and prosperity. Stopping the logging is not enough anymore. We should replenish the forests. In Taiwan, the government builds the forest parks; there are experts to care for the ancient forests, and experts also concentrate on fostering the forests. Therefore, if someone wants to enter the forests, they have to get the admission. I think this would be a nice way for Brazil’s forests. The experts also can help the endangered species to survive and live in the Amazon.

Second, the government should stop importing the wood arts or furniture from illegal loggers. And they also should ban the people who buy these. If there is no one who wants or can buy them, mostly loggers will not cut down the trees. And the government can develop the new species for trees that can grow up fast or a new way to improves the growing of trees, and use them to make the necessary wood products.

Third, I think Brazil’s government can help the people change their jobs from illegal logging to other jobs that don’t hurt the environment. If the government helps people to live without depending on logging, the condition will improve fast and easily. And government can also change the energy to let people use, if there is no need for the woods, there will be also no illegal logging.

Some people think we still have many forests; in fact, we don’t. Some people think we can just stop illegal logging, but I think it is not enough, and we have to make up the mistake we did. It is the reason rebuilding is important.

In conclusion, we all know the serious damage done by illegal logging; besides just stopping, we should do more things to compensate. In addition, we still have banned illegal logging totally. We can follow the protection organizations step continually, and the ancient forests should be renewed. Humans can discover ways to make the species exist continuously. After the basic work to forbid illegal logging, I state that we have some advanced work to do.

Reference

Cowell, A. (2005, November 16). Deadly battle with Amazon’s mafia. BBC News. Retrieved October 24, 2007 from
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/this_world/4429612.stm

Holland, L. (2005, December 26). Whose Forest? Newsweek. Retrieved October 24, 2007 from
http://www.newsweek.com/id/51475