Pollinator Partnership Works to Protect Our Future
Nobody really likes bees. Whether they’re of the deadly African variety notoriously panned in the hype-driven media, or simply the buzzing and bumbling ones that provide us with honey, we all shy away from their well-known stingers and do our best to swat, smash, and spray them to death. And yet, these insects (among others) are responsible for the pollination of plants that allows crops to grow and life to thrive on the planet. In short, pollinators are a critical part of the circle of life. Without them, we’d be lost. And this is exactly the attitude that the Pollinator Partnership, a non-profit organization devoted to conservation and the health of pollinators, attempts to promote. And average citizens can do their part, as well. Read more
Change4Life Cutbacks Allude to Larger Problems
The Change4Life program enacted in the UK to address the rising concern over the sorry state of children’s health is like many other government-run initiatives in nations throughout the world. It’s mantra of “eat well, move more, live longer” carries shades of America’s “Let’s Move” campaign, Scotland’s “Healthy Living” campaign, and Australia’s “Go for 2 (fruits) & 5 (veggies)” campaign. But the recent move to decentralize control of the program, turning it over to the private sector, speaks to an issue that is at the heart of the debate over healthy food for kids. By allowing industry (rather than governing bodies) to dictate what is nutritious for children, we’re permitting the almighty dollar to decide what is best for our kids, and that, as we have seen, leads to nations full of children who are malnourished, overweight, obese, and prone to illness and injury. Read more
What Will it Take for Toyota to Put Safety First?
Few can forget the massive Toyota recalls of 2009 that sparked the public to wonder how an esteemed car company could let such a fiasco escalate…and how the Japanese car-maker could possibly recover from such a blow to the confidence of consumers. And yet, despite recalling 4.5 million vehicles worldwide in 2009, it looked like the company was going to somehow get back on its feet. Despite ongoing incidents of “sticky brakes”, they seemed to have found a fix. And with claims that new vehicles were being thoroughly tested and were safer than ever (not to mention massive sales to promote business at just about every Toyota dealership remaining) the public was once again beginning to warm to the automaker, believing that this type of setback would force them to manufacture safer vehicles. And then disaster struck (again) – another recall was issued just last month. Read more
Blowing the Budget: A Common but Shady Practice
If you work for a large corporation, then you are likely part of a department that has its own budget. This type of fiscal compartmentalization is essential for the seamless function of a business organization because it allows disparate parts of the company to function somewhat autonomously in the pursuit of their goals without getting hung up on monetary approvals. However, problems can occur when a department is granted a budget amount that they are unable to use on their scheduled projects before the end of the fiscal year. This lands the department in question with a pretty big predicament. Do they admit that they over-budgeted (often necessary, but still frowned upon) and take a loss on their budget for the following year? Or do they manufacture a need for the additional funds so that they can start the next fiscal year with the same amount of money (or more)? Read more