One Biosphere, Environmental Advocacy

July 19th, 2009 at 04:37pm Under Environmental Law

Obama & Alternative Energy Sources

It will take several years to approve and fully implement comprehensive new alternative energy policies, however the Obama administration promises a new era of energy and environment policy for the United States. Obama expressed his intention to shift the U.S. away from petroleum as its primary energy source and towards alternative renewable energy sources, advanced biofuels and efficient, low greenhouse-gas-emitting technologies. The key policy initiatives involve caps on emissions such as carbon dioxide and auctioning of greenhouse gas credits to motivate a fundamental shift from high emitting industries to low-carbon energy alternatives. Obama has stated that the policy would be broader than any other cap and trade system proposed or in place to date in the world. In order to implement the policy, renewable energy, natural gas, plug-in hybrid vehicles and advanced electricity transmission are expected to receive substantial incentives. Obama has proposed drawing upon $150 billion from the emissions auction to finance low-carbon alternatives over the next several years.Oil Companies, Windfall Profits Tax & Offshore Drilling The process of reducing emissions would start by targeting the fossil fuel industry. Oil companies are concerned about policies such as windfall profits taxes. Oil industry proponents state that oil companies need to gain access to areas closer to the coastline. Obama has already altered his policy regarding offshore oil and gas drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf due to the recent spike in oil and gas prices. However, Obama has stated that he disfavors extensive new domestic petroleum drilling. The Democratic-led Congress could reinstate portions of the moratorium on offshore drilling that expired in September 2008. To the extent that oil prices have dropped recently, there may be less political opposition to imposing new restrictions.Renewable Energy InitiativePresident Obama Alternative Renewable Fuels It is likely that greenhouse gas-climate change legislation will be introduced in the near term. A renewable energy initiative will be central to reduce human impact on global warming. The president elect has stated goals of reductions of 25% by 2025 and 10% reduction in the near term. Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) are state policies requiring an individual state to generate a percent of its electricity from renewable sources. Each state has a choice of how to fulfill this mandate using a combination of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, biomass, geothermal or other renewable sources. Some RPS specify the technology combination, whereas others permit the market to drive the choices. This is preferable because each state has different renewable resources. For instance, Arizona has substantial solar resources compared to many other states and North Dakota has greater wind resources than many other states. Several wind turbine companies have sought a federal renewable portfolio standard. These wind turbine manufacturers and solar firms will benefit substantially under a renewable portfolio standard. Democratic leaders have stated that incentives to the renewable industry will generate substantial business and employment to help the U.S. recover from its current economic crisis. In the long term, the federal government will spend federal money to pay for carbon capture and sequestration technology.Coal Industry and Clean Coal The coal-fired power generators are the largest greenhouse gas emitters. The investment climate will be much more difficult under stricter environmental regulations. The coal industry is concerned that the focus on stringent greenhouse gas laws will severely curtail their industry. The fear is that the climate change policy would destroy the U.S. coal industry that has been a pillar of energy generation for many years. The cap and trade legislation will motivate carbon capture and sequestration for coal-fired power plants. There is a basic risk that, absent such technology, new construction of traditional coal-fired power plants would not be possible. One critical problem is that long term predictions about submarine or underground sequestration or storage tightness are difficult and uncertain. The CO2 could leak from the storage and ultimately appear in the atmosphere. Clean coal is an umbrella term used in the promotion of the use of coal as an energy source by focusing upon new methods to reduce its environmental impact. These efforts include chemically washing minerals and impurities from the coal, gasification, treating the flue gases with steam to remove sulfur dioxide and carbon capture technologies to capture the carbon dioxide from the flue gas. These methods and the technology used are described as clean coal technology. The coal industry and its supporters use the term clean coal to describe technologies designed to enhance the efficiency and the environmental tolerability of coal extraction, preparation and use, with no specific limits on any emissions, particularly carbon dioxide. Some experts have estimated that commercial-scale clean-coal power stations (coal-burning power stations with carbon capture and sequestration) will not be commercially viable and widely adopted before 2020 or 2025. This time frame is of great concern to environmentalists because there is an urgent need to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. A fundamental question is how the federal government will move the U.S. from petroleum and coal use without slowing the economy. Although Obama has mentioned that the transition to a low carbon economy will create up to 5 million jobs, he has not offered details. Low carbon energy will in all likelihood increase manufacturing, transportation, and material costs because of higher energy prices and place U.S. goods and services at a competitive disadvantage compared to economies that lack these emission standards, including China, India, Russia and South American and Middle Eastern countries. Moreover, it appears unlikely that our government has the capacity to enact expensive climate change policies during this period of severe economic downturn and the need to focus on recovery from the U.S. recession.Next Generation Fuels To the extent that oil and coal industries will have a reduced portion of energy production, it is anticipated that a combination of biofuels, natural gas and nuclear industries could experience rapid growth. In the biofuels segment, next-generation fuels such as cellulose and algae-based ethanol and biodiesel will be advanced under the new energy and environment policies.

One Biosphere  http://www.onebiosphere.com

NRCM Gives Award to Law Firms in Portland and D.C. for River Restoration Efforts

July 19th, 2009 at 10:37am Under Environmental Law

Augusta, ME – Two law firms, Verrill Dana in Portland, Maine, and Wiley Rein in Washington, D.C., have been awarded a 2008 Natural Resources Council of Maine Environmental Award for their tireless efforts to free the Sebasticook River by removing the Fort Halifax Dam in Winslow.

For about 100 years, the Fort Halifax Dam at the mouth of the Sebasticook River in Winslow blocked passage of salmon, striped bass, sturgeon, shad, alewives and other sea-run fish. The dam generated very little power and did not earn enough money to justify the construction of an adequate fish lift.  So, in 2002, Florida Power and Light, which owned the dam, applied to remove it and in 2004, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved removal of the dam, which should have marked the beginning of the rebirth of the native sea run fishery in the Sebasticook River.

But a small group of landowners, who preferred an impounded pond to a free-flowing river, appealed the government’s decision to the Washington, D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Fortunately, attorney Chuck Verrill and his team from Wiley Rein—Evan Cochran, Paul Dame and William Grimaldi—took the lead on that case for NRCM and the other organizations that make up the Kennebec Coalition (American Rivers, Atlantic Salmon Federation, and Trout Unlimited and its Kennebec Valley Chapter). The efforts of these attorneys helped ensure that the court eventually reached a decision to uphold the removal order.

This same handful of landowners also sued the Governor and numerous state agencies for entering into the groundbreaking agreement that required fish passage at Fort Halifax.  The same agreement resulted in the successful restoration of 17 miles of the Kennebec River through the removal of the Edwards Dam in Augusta in1998, and the installation of fish lifts at three other dams in the Kennebec watershed.

The lawsuit against the Governor went all the way to Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court, where William Harwood and Nora Healy from Verrill Dana intervened successfully on behalf of NRCM and our coalition partners. Mr. Harwood and Ms. Healy worked tirelessly through this process once again when the same group of landowners appealed the State of Maine’s dam removal permit, and again this case went all the way through Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court. Again, it was the hard work and dedication of these dedicated attorneys that helped ensure a positive outcome in the case.

Yet another battle appeared in the removal of the dam came when an out-of-state hydropower firm got involved.  And, here again, as before, all of these attorneys worked together seamlessly in their efforts. Thanks to their dedication, on July 17, 2008, the Fort Halifax Dam came down.

“We have seen how quickly and dramatically rivers can recover when a dam is removed,” says NRCM Executive Director Brownie Carson. “In the Kennebec, once choked by the Edwards Dam, we see not only our native-sea-run fish returning to spawn, but also thriving populations of eagles and Osprey, mammals, and other wildlife that rely upon healthy rivers. We look forward to seeing this same great change in the Sebasticook, thanks to these attorneys at Verrill Dana and Wiley Rein. NRCM is honored to give them a 2008 Natural Resources Council of Maine Environmental Award.”

Buying An Environmentally Clean Car

July 19th, 2009 at 04:37am Under Environmental Law

The economic meltdown is causing serious difficulties for most Americans. With our investments and retirement accounts decked out in a very un-festive red, most of us cut back on our spending and reign in our shopping sprees and regular restaurant visits. Of course we could never give up a regular latte, it is the only way to start and end the work day.According to many knowledgeable sources though, now is the time to invest. Warren Buffet (investing guru of Berkshire Hathaway) is buying shares, home prices are depressed and interest rates are low and car dealerships have great deals.Maybe now is the right time for us to get a new fuel efficient car. Fuel efficiency is not the only criteria for a cleaner vehicle though, but for most of us finding out what is important and how a car rates environmentally is difficult.A new law took effect on January 1st 2009 in which all new vehicles manufactured after the 01/01/2009 and sold in California must display an Environmental Performance label. This label shows 2 scores from 1-10. A smog score and a global warming score. The higher the score the cleaner the vehicle.The Global Warming score is calculated on the greenhouse gas emissions, based on a CO2 equivalent grams per mile. The Smog score calculates the pollutant elements from the vehicle which include non-methane organic gases and nitrogen oxides. These scores are also calculated relative to other vehicles within the same model year. So think of these scores as a sliding scale test.Battery Electric cars of course get the best scores as well as requiring zero fuel and score 10 for both the smog and global warming. The average new car sold in California has a score of 5 for both. You can get more information on the Environmental Performance label at driveclean.ca.govCalifornia Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been a strong advocate of raising emissions and fuel efficiency standards in California for some time and now President Obama has backed California’s strict policies. California wants automakers to build cars that can get an average of 40 miles per gallon by 2020, while federal requirements are asking for 35 miles per gallon.So there are a few ways we can evaluate the environmental effect of the new car we want to buy. We should look out for the Environmental Performance label and aim to get a car with higher smog and global warming scores. We should look at fuel economy and try to match or beat California’s 2020 efficiency standard of 40 mpg. Finally we will make sure we have a cup holder for a GoGreenMug http://www.gogreenmug.com.

How a 12 Year Old Mastered the Law of Attraction

July 18th, 2009 at 10:37pm Under Environmental Law

How a 12 Year Old Mastered the Law of AttractionChildren are smarter than most people give them credit for, I’ve met the parent of a 10 year old who is earning $1600 per month on the Internet selling information products, working only a few hours per week whilst having FUN! (I am now signed up to his seminar in February to learn what his 10 year old already knows!). I’ve attended the seminar of a parent who’s 8 year old son is earning over US$2000 per month on EBAY (I used the same techniques as this 8 year old uses to make myself a similar income on EBAY over the past month – Great Extra Cash). Either Children are getting smarter at a faster rate, or maybe personal development techniques have advanced out of sight since most of us where kids (I’m assuming that my readers are aged between 20-40, but with all these super smart kids, my readers might be 8-12 years of age – Hi Kids!)The point of all this is this: If an 8 year old can earn almost as much as the average person doing something that is EXTREMELY FUN, then why can’t most fully developed Adults with PH D’s and University Degrees conquer the combination of making a living whilst having fun? And the answer lies within these two words ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING’S. An Environmental Learning is the information received from our most frequent sources of information such as our parents, our friends, the news, the media, workplace, all things that are a choice as to how often we visit. The theory is that each day you feed the brain with information that is built up from every single thing that you hear or see, the way it works is that if you feed the brain with 2 pieces of negative information and 1 piece of positive information you end up more negative, if you feed the brain with 2 pieces of positive information and 1 piece of negative information you end up more positive. Now of course there are Millions of pieces of information we hear and see each day according to our environment that we choose to place ourselves in, to get more positive information each day simply find an environment that allows you to see and hear that.For example if your typical day consists of Smashing an alarm clock to pieces, rushing out the door to get in your car only to realise that it’s low on petrol and now you are stuck in traffic so you are going to be late to work, then getting to work rushing to your desk sitting down only to find a pile of emails and papers bigger than your right LEG! To which you then freak out about, so you pour yourself a cup of coffee from the machine but spill it all over yourself because you have so much work to catch up on and you are in such a damn rush, so you grab a towel to clean it up and your boss See’s that you are wasting time drinking coffee. Then magically it all settles down for a little bit, you get all the papers sorted on your desk, you pile them from favorite to least favorite, you put a star next to the emails that you should get back to first, and make a quick call to your office mate to say hello… May as well get another coffee and a snack because you skipped breakfast, you feel like you deserve to eat and no-one is going to tell you that you can’t eat, and if you want a damn coffee you can have a coffee so you walk to that coffee machine with your back straight, chest out, you’re the king / queen of the office, no one is going to tell you what to do… Boss walks past again “I’m looking forward to reading the statistical report at 3pm today”, then you look down at your watch and it’s already 1.30pm… The adrenaline kicks in you take a big gulp of coffee only to burn the crap out of your tongue because it was too hot, you rush back to your desk and quickly flick through all the papers to find the stupid statistical report that the boss was talking about, 2pm hits you still haven’t found it. Ah! There it is, perfect, wait… How Many Pages?!? I HATE MY JOB, why ME, why do I always have to keep this office together. No one else ever does a thing, look at Cathy she just sits at her desk on Facebook all day, stupid bitch. 3pm Boss comes to your desk, hows that report going? Almost there Boss! 4pm – Report Done, How good am I, Mr. Mrs. Efficient and Effective BOOM, here you go boss all done for you. Unfortunately (name) that report was due in at 3pm and our largest customer from Asia was on the phone to me at 3.15pm asking me for it, and I didn’t have it. If this happens again, you’re fired. You go back to your desk and replay that moment over and over again until 5pm, then you walk to the car only to get stuck in traffic again for another miserable hour. You get home and grab the fastest thing you can eat, and switch the TV on to relax and check out what the rest of the world is going through today on the news – Man Dressed As Big Bird Kills 6 People on a Bus in France… Recession Hits the U.S… Woman gets head stuck in jewelry box, fireman marries then divorces her on the same day. Guess you weren’t the only one that had a bad day today, you call your best friend who then proceeds to tell you about the ‘worst day of their lives’. You start to feel like maybe you don’t have it so bad after all, you have a large plate of pasta, a large dessert that no one else will ever find out about and then you retire for the day…Now this is an exaggeration but I used to spend time with people that lived similar to this. NEGATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT TO THE MAX! I don’t see them anymore… A positive learning environment can be achieved through networking with the right people, setting goals, having dreams and aspirations, taking action – Even if it’s just something small! A positive learning environment can be achieved through reading personal development books, listening to personal development CD’s in the car on the way to work, choosing a career that you enjoy – Fill your life with a POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. Social Networking Sites are GREAT to find like-minded people, you can find people interested in almost any topic.OK, so far you have heard about an 8 year old, and a 10 year old… Here comes the one you have been waiting for, my cousin George the 12 year old!Today George mastered THE LAW OF ATTRACTION while learning how to ride a bike for the first time and you can use the same techniques in your life just as I have used the same techniques as the above mentioned 8 and 10 year old kids that make money using Ebay and creating information products. George had never ridden a bike in his life before today, and he had a fear that he was going to fall off the bike. He wanted to ride the bike because he knew how much fun the other kids were having riding their bikes, but he was afraid that he wouldn’t be good enough to ride the bike and he would fall off the bike. He asked me if I could help him learn, so I created a map (Just like the maps I create in all muscleguru101 programs that you will receive for FREE simply by reading this blog each week). The map I created had the basic fundamentals of riding a bike, I showed him how to sit on the bike, where to put his feet, how to balance and how to push off with enough force that the bike will accelerate. We began by walking the bike to learn how the bike responds to turns and hills, during this step George wanted to advance and skip a few steps, so I let him but also let him know that if it didn’t work out then we would have to go through the basic fundamentals again. So he got on the bike and gave it his best shot and started off well but the bike veered to the right and George nearly fell. We went through the basic fundamentals again and then he got back on it and did a much better job, he got a little bit further, but then almost fell again. We kept practising and practising and he was improving, but it always ended up with me having to catch him before he fell. During this whole time I had my hands on the bike to help him, so I asked him if he still wanted me to keep holding the bike, he said he didn’t want me to hold on anymore but he was afraid of falling. I said George if you focus on falling then you will fall, if you focus on where you want to go, then you will get to where you want to go. I asked him where he was looking and he said that he was looking at the tyre while he was riding, we then worked on changing his focus from the tyre to the destination that he wanted to get to. He got back on the bike and did his best ride of the day! Only slightly falling at the end but catching balance himself without too much help from me. Why did you fall I asked, George replied that he looked at the tyre again. We were nearly out of time, we went back to the basic fundamentals, we focused on where we wanted to go, but this time we had to say it out-loud and repeat it over and over again while he was riding. GEORGE, WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GET TO? I WANT TO GET TO THAT VAN! GEORGE WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GET TO? I WANT TO GET TO THAT VAN! GEORGE WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GET TO? I WANT TO GET TO THAT VAN! And with the power of positive re-enforced focus George was riding that bike all by himself with a HUGE smile on his face, having the time of his life. Well done George, I’m proud of you.We can all take a lesson from this today and ask ourselves whether we are looking at the tyre, or looking at the destination we want to get to,Thanks for reading,Nick PapaziakasMuscle, Fitness & Life Skils Expert

www.muscleguru101.blogspot.com

Is Aggressive Behaviour Biologically or Environmentally Based?

July 18th, 2009 at 04:37pm Under Environmental Law

Is Aggressive Behavior Biologically or Environmentally based? By Daena V. De Souza

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The nature versus nurture topic has been an unremitting debate for various aspects of human behavior including aggressive behavior. Aggressive behavior is any behavior exhibited verbally or physically with the intention to destroy property or to injure or infuriate another person. There are studies supporting the source of aggression to be innate, indicating links between behavior and biochemical activities, while other studies have considered environmental and societal factors as influences on behavior.

The founder of behaviorism John B. Watson argued that the conditioned response was viewed as the smallest unit of behavior, from which more complicated behavior could be created. Evidence supporting aggression as a learned behavior comes from studies of behavior in experimental and natural settings, social learning theory and the effect of cultural and social variables.

Biological theories propose that aggression may have a chemical, hormonal or genetic component. Scientists have explored various possibilities of behavior. Some of the most compelling evidence comes from genetics, serotonin research and the influence of hormones on aggression.

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the existing theories and research findings that support both the nativist view and the empiricist view and to reveal the relationship between biology and the environment in determining behavior.

Aggression is learned

2.1 Studies of behavior.

Controlled studies of behavior in experimental settings have demonstrated that aggressive behavior is similar to other operant behavior because it is influenced by rewards and punishment. We can use the example of the rat in the “skinner box” to demonstrate the effect of operant conditioning in experimental settings. When the rat presses the bar, it is rewarded with a food pellet. The food is the reward which reinforces the action that leads to the rat pressing the bar again in order to obtain another reward. This concept can be applied in the natural setting. If you give a child a toy to stop him or her from exhibiting temper tantrums, the toy will reinforce that behavior. Children then learn that aggression can enable them to control resources such as toys and gain parental attention. If after behaving aggressively, a subject receives positive reinforcement, they are likely to repeat the behavior in order to gain more rewards. This is a form of operant conditioning where the positive reinforcement encourages further display of aggression, concluding that aggression is learned through reinforcement.

2.2 Social learning theory.

Bandura, (1977), pioneered the social learning theory which emphasized the role of learning by observation of behavior. Bandura disputed that social imitation rather than Skinner’s model of reinforcement was responsible for aggressive behavior, implying that aggression is imitated rather than learned through conditioning. Research such as the Bobo Doll study (Bandura) has shown that aggression can be learnt through imitation. Children learn aggression by imitating adult actions from live experiences or from viewing violence through the media. Bandura concluded that viewing aggression increases the likelihood of the viewer acting aggressively. By demonstrating aggression one can unknowingly encourage aggression in suggestible children. They can learn that aggressive behavior is common and acceptable and can be used to solve problems, attain needs, influence another person or even make them a hero. The media portray the violent model as a hero who is rewarded. Children by imitation learn how to be violent and this behavior is reinforced by learning the “rewards” of violence.

2.3 Aggression is influenced by cultural and social factors.

Cohen and Nisbett (1994) attributed the existence of regional subcultural differences in aggression in the United States to different local norms for aggressive behavior. Society plays a fundamental role in influencing behavior. Poverty and crime has become an intrinsic part of society; which unfortunately molds the behavior of people through imitation and reinforcement. The residents of a high crime area such as Laventille, Trinidad form a social order where their lifestyle reinforces criminal activity as a means for survival. Members of this society know who the criminals are and do not report them. When residents of these communities commit crimes or aggressive acts such as robberies, their actions are reinforced when they escape the law and obtain positive reinforcement such as material possessions. The children in these communities learn aggression through social imitation. They also become desensitized towards aggression and view it as common and acceptable behavior in their community.

Aggressive behavior can also be a function of national culture. Residents of some countries show a more pervasive tendency to think of violence as means of solving problems than persons living in other nations (Archer & McDaniel, 1995). In some cultures, ones religious view is expressed aggressively with the subject sacrificing his or her life (in some cases risking the lives of others) for the sake of their god. In other cultures, aggressive behavior is influenced by sports. American football, Wrestling, Ice Hockey and Boxing promotes behavior that is intended to physically injure another person. I am by no means diminishing the sport to a mere exhibition of rough play but simply stating that some sports disguise aggressive behavior as part of the art.

Biological Perspectives

3.1 Electrical stimulations

Electrical stimulations and lesion in specific parts of the hypothalamus can influence one’s tendency to behave aggressively (Moyer, 1976). When a cat’s hypothalamus is stimulated using implanted electrodes, the animal hisses and would strike at any object that is placed in its cage. However, electrical stimulation of a different area of the hypothalamus causes the cat to act in a different way. Similarly, a laboratory rat bred in isolation from other rats and has never seen the aggressive behavior of a wild rat can live in harmony with a mouse. However, when the hypothalamus is electrically stimulated, the rat will attack and kill the mouse by using a similar technique that its untamed kin uses. By injecting the rat with a neurochemical blocker in the same area of the hypothalamus that was previously stimulated, the rat then becomes temporarily peaceful. These responses provide proof that animals have an innate aggressive drive that can become active or inactive with the right stimulus.

3.2 Neurotransmitters and behavior.

A neurotransmitter is a chemical that diffuses across the synaptic gap and stimulates the next neuron. Neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine are three of the most common chemicals found in the brain and are associated with aggressive behavior.

Serotonin, or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), is produced in the brain from an amino acid tryptophan and is involved in inhibiting impulsive responses to frustration such as aggression. Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) is an enzyme that controls the rate of synthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin. It can limit the production of serotonin since it is the only catalyst in the reaction producing serotonin. Therefore, serotonergic activity is linked to the deficiency of TPH. Serotonergic activity can be determined by measuring the levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the cerebrospinal fluid. Individuals who exhibit abnormal low levels of serotonin are said to suffer from serotonin depletion and were found to be more violent or impulsive than those who had normal serotonergic activity. Studies done by Linnoila and colleagues (1983) have found that men imprisoned for violent crimes have lower levels of serotonin than nonimpulsive violent offenders. Decreased serotonergic activity may produce some symptoms such as irrational behavior, anger, and obsessive worry; which can be treated by drugs such as Prozac. Prozac is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor that manipulates serotonin levels. It inhibits the reuptake of serotonin into the neurons, enabling serotonin to remain active in the synapse for a longer period of time and therefore controls impulsive behavior.

Dopamine is used to regulate emotion and is also converted to norepinephrine which is affected by stress and moods in the brain. The release of norepinephrine and dopamine can be stimulated by the drugs classified as amphetamine. Prolonged use of amphetamines can result in hallucinations, paranoia and violent behavior. Scientist suggests that schizophrenia results from excess dopamine activity in certain brain regions or as a result from an abnormal sensitivity to dopamine. Evidence supporting this claim comes from the antipsychotic drugs which reduce psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia by blocking brain receptors from dopamine.

3.3 The influence of hormones on aggression.

The male sex hormone testosterone is associated with aggressive behavior in both humans and animals. Testosterone contributes to antisocial behavior in some women especially during the premenstrual period. The imbalance of the estrogen-progesterone ratio during the premenstrual period triggers both physical and psychological impairments such as changes in mood, depression, irritability and aggression. These elevated levels of aggression and irritability is associated with the hormone testosterone. Research has found that a significant number of females imprisoned for aggressive criminal acts were found to have committed their crimes during the premenstrual phase, and female offenders were found to be more irritable and aggressive during this period. Reinisch (1981) found that girls whose mothers were treated with a hormone similar to testosterone while pregnant grow up to be more aggressive than comparable control subjects. Research done by Olweus (1988) has also shown that adolescent boys who have more testosterone behave more aggressively when provoked. To control aggressive behavior in stallions, horse owners usually remove the testes of males that will not be used for breeding. All these studies have provided a link between testosterone and aggressive behavior.

3.4 The frustration-aggression hypothesis

Aggression, according to the drive theory, is created by some innate human need. The frustration-aggression hypothesis assumes that whenever a person is inhibited from reaching their goal an aggressive drive is induced that motivates behavior that causes the person to injure the person or object that is causing the frustration. This basic drive is like behavioral units of ability that are switched on or off as an appropriate challenge or task presents itself. In animals, this drive tells them when to migrate, when and how to court one another, when to feed their young, and so on. Animals like humans know what to do instinctively. For instance, if a person is being attacked by someone, their initial response may be to retaliate; frustration stimulates an inner drive that leads the victims to respond aggressively. This aggressive instinct or drive is what has allowed human beings to survive and protect their interest. Even though aggression is not a guaranteed response to frustration, it is certainly a frequent one. Laboratory studies have shown that animals behave aggressively in response to stressful situations. Caged animals respond aggressively to each other when they are shocked and the behavior then stops when the shocking has ended.

3.5 Psychoanalytic theory

Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, asserts that human behavior is motivated by sexual and instinctive drives. When expressions of these instincts are repressed, these urges are displayed as aggression. Examples of expression of aggression are explained by Freud in his studies of childhood aggression and the Oedipal complex. A young boy begins to develop an intense sexual desire for his mother because she is the ultimate provider of love and food. The desire for his mother causes the boy to reject and display aggression toward his father because he views his father as a competitive rival for his mother’s affection. The boy later recognizes his father’s superiority and learns to reject his mother as a love object and eventually identifies with his father. The Oedipal complex relates to childhood aggression in girls. The theory is similar, in which the girl develops penis envy while trying to relate to her father and rejects her mother. The girl eventually realizes that her father is an inappropriate love object and identifies with her mother instead. These examples reveal the idea that aggression is an innate personality characteristic in all humans which is motivated by sexual drives.

3.6 Genetic contributions.

Behavior genetics combines the methods of genetics and psychology to study the inheritance of behavioral characteristics. Genes are the basic unit of heredity that determines the traits of human characteristics ranging from intelligence to height to emotionality. Selective breeding and twin and adoption studies have provided evidence for an association between genetic makeup and behavior. Selective breeding studies the inheritance of particular traits in animals. A study done on the inheritance of learning ability in rats provided evidence that intelligence is hereditary (Thompson, 1954). Rats that did poorly in learning to run the maze were mated with similar dull rats and those that did well (bright rats) were mated with other bright rats. After a few rodent generations, bright and dull strains of rats were produced. It is complicated to perform selective breeding studies on humans; however similarity in biological traits can be shown using twin and adoptive studies. In most studies of twins, the degree of consistency between the criminality of identical twins is approximately twice that of fraternal twins. In adoptive studies most cases reveal that criminality of the biological parent is a better predictor of the child’s criminal involvement than the criminality of the adoptive parents. Research has shown that there is a hereditary predisposition for schizophrenia, since the risk of developing the illness is higher if an individual is genetically related to a schizophrenic person. In all the above studies subjects shared the common characteristic of genes, showing the relationship between non typical traits and genetics.

Links between biological and environmental factors

4.1 The Link between the frustration-aggression hypothesis and social learning

According to the frustration-aggression hypothesis, frustration stimulates a drive that leads to aggression. However, frustration is not the only variable that causes aggression. The response to frustration may differ depending on the kind of responses a person has learned to use in coping with frustrating situations. If a person has learnt (through imitation or social learning) that aggression can elicit a desired result, then they would respond to frustration with aggressive behavior. For example, people in poorer communities become frustrated when their physiological needs cannot be met and some are motivated to acquire these needs through crime. This is where social learning plays a role. When a person becomes frustrated they are motivated to react in a way that they learnt would produce results. People can learn that crime pays. Therefore, while frustration and aggression seem to be closely linked, the mere presence of frustration does not seem to suggest aggression, social learning is also an instigating factor.

4.2 The Link between aggressive behavior and people in poor communities

People in poorer communities may exhibit more aggression; not only because of frustration but their monetary limitations may hamper their ability to have proper diets, particularly one high in protein. The link is serotonin. Serotonin is produced in the brain from the amino acid tryptophan which is derived from foods high in protein. Tryptophan hydroxylase enzyme is the only catalyst in the reaction producing serotonin and can therefore limit its production. Therefore a person’s diet may control the levels of serotonin that their body produces. People with low serotonin levels are more likely to act aggressively.

4.3 The relationship between genetics and environment

Genetics may influence both development and behavior however, it fully determines neither. Genes are hereditable and are not affected by environment factors such as rearing conditions however rearing conditions can influence gene expression. A person’s genes may predispose them to mental illness, diabetes or aggressive behavior however environmental factors may cause the emergence of these conditions. Someone may carry the gene for diabetes and may never develop it however, obesity increases their risk. There is a hereditary predisposition for schizophrenia and the risk of developing it depends on how closely a person is related to someone with schizophrenia. Conversely, environmental stress can also trigger schizophrenia in a person that is predisposed to the mental illness. Although some children may be biologically inclined to behave aggressively, their behavior can be controlled by the environment. Instead of rearing an aggressive child in an environment that fosters more aggression, it is better to provide an environment that reduces the inclination for the child to act aggressively. Parents who promote hitting as a means of discipline and often quarrel in the presence of their children encourage their children to resolve conflict by using aggression. The probability of aggressive behavior transpiring depends on the situational factors. Sometimes the same stimulation that causes a person to react aggressively to one person may not trigger the same reaction towards someone else. These reactions are controlled by the cortex and are influenced by previous experiences and social influences. Aggressive behavior in monkeys can be induced by electrically stimulating certain areas of the brain. The final behavior depends on the monkey’s position in the hierarchical structure of the monkey colony. Dominant monkeys will exhibit aggres¬sive behavior when electrically stimulated in the presence of a submissive monkey but would suppress the aggressive behavior in the presence of another dominant monkey.

4.0 Freedom of choice

Unlike animals, humans are equipped with a large cerebral cortex that allows for reasoning, consideration, creativity and behavior control. Humans are not hard wired like computers, where given a fixed command or stimulus results in a fixed response. We have the ability to choose our course of action and our decisions are preceded by will and thought. This capability has enabled us to survive and stand greater than animals. Because of our ability to consciously choose the values we instill in our children, our species can influence the outcome of our children’s behavior. Choice is the ability to select from a number of alternatives. When frustrated an individual has the choice to react in a certain manner. They can think about something else, distance themselves, suppress their anger or even laugh it off. The magnificence of human complexity is our ability to choose from an infinite amount of possible reactions.

Conclusion

Is aggression biologically or environmentally based? The answer is simple. Aggression cannot be credited to just one origin. Biological and environmental factors are complementary in understanding the origin of aggression. The traditional phrase for the debate nature versus nurture should be re-phrased as nature being nurtured. A normal person must be provoked and aroused to act aggressively. A person may have a genetic predisposition to aggression but the act would not occur unless certain environmental influences are present. It is best to approach the nature nurture debate from a position that embraces both view points in order to truly understand the basis of aggression. Biology provides the instrument for aggression but environment teaches us how to use them.

REFERENCE LIST

1. MORE THAN TWO AUTHORS

Atkinson, Smith, Bem & Nolen-Hoeksema. Hilgard’s Introduction to Psychology (13th edition)

Taylor, Stout, & Green. Biological Science one and two (2nd edition)

2. NO AUTHOR / EDITOR GIVEN

Does media violence really influence human behavior?

Genes and aggression: Is the propensity for violence inherited?

3. INTERNET ARTICLES

D’Orban, P.T. & J. Dalton. Violent crime and the menstrual cycle

McCawley, S. The nature of aggression (or is it nurture?)

Silvis, D. Brain-behavior and nature-nurture: Two interacting scientific debates.

4. WORKS IN SEVERAL VOLUMES

Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2003

5. DOCTORAL DISSERTATION (PUBLISHED)

Fishbein, D. Biological Perspectives in Criminology. Published Doctoral Dissertation, University of Baltimore, Baltimore.

6. ARTICLES

Geen, R. The importance of learning in aggression. University of Missouri- Columbia

Rowell Huesmann, L. How biology influences human aggression. University of Michigan.

Whistleblowers Have Powerful Laws On Their Side

July 18th, 2009 at 10:37am Under Environmental Law

Those who report fraud, known in legal terms as “relators” and commonly as whistleblowers, have some of the most powerful and effective laws in the country on their side.
Whistleblowers may identify and report actual theft, false claims, over billing, up coding, unbundling, kickbacks, false certifications, violations of governmental regulations, destruction of company records, workplace violence, safety hazards or unsafe working conditions, environmental concerns, substance abuse, general conflicts of interest, release of proprietary information and other types of fraud or occupational concerns.
Some of the governmental agencies and laws that protect whistleblowers include:
* Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
* Civil Rights Act of 1866 (since amended numerous times)
* Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
* Federal False Claims Act
* Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970
Under the OSH Act of 1970, employers may not discharge or in any manner discriminate against any employee because an employee has filed any complaint, or instituted or caused to be instituted, any proceeding under or related to this Act. Additionally, the employer may not terminate an employee who has testified, or is about to testify, in any such proceeding.
Under the Act, an employee who believes that a work hazard exists, whether or not they have filed a claim, has legal protection to refuse to work if all of the following apply:
* The employee faces death or serious injury and the hazard is so clear that a reasonable person would agree with the seriousness of the hazard.
* The situation is so urgent that there is not time to eliminate the hazard through regulatory channels.
* The employee has tried to get the employer to correct the dangerous condition and they have not complied.
OSHA also administers the whistle blowing provisions of thirteen other statutes, protecting employees who report violations of various trucking, airline, nuclear power, pipeline, environmental and securities laws.
The Federal False Claims Act provides the legal framework for claims alleging fraud against the federal government, and it does several important things for a whistleblower:
* Provides specific protection for the whistleblower from discharge, demotion, suspension, threats or other harassment or discrimination that the whistleblower may encounter due to lawful actions taken in the furtherance of a whistleblower claim, if the employee is still works for the employer.
* Provides for filing a whistleblower complaint under seal, which means that no one other than the government, not even the defendants alleged to have committed the fraud, can know of the complaint until after the government has investigated the claims.
* Allows the whistleblower to share in the government’s successful recovery, from 15% and up to 25% of the entire recovery, in some cases.
Eleven states and the District of Columbia also have their own false claims acts that closely resemble the Federal Act.
Whistleblower laws allow for the contingent fee representation of whistleblowers. The Federal False Claims Act also provides that a whistleblower’s attorney’s fees be paid by the entity that committed the fraud in the event of a government recovery. Therefore, there are no costs/fees/expenses to the employee if the case is successful.
Anyone who knows of fraud against the government can become a whistleblower. Typically, individuals who know about fraud are employees or former employees of the companies committing the fraud these individuals often have the best evidence to support their knowledge.
There can only be ONE whistleblower claim based on certain information. The first to file based on specific information about a particular fraud preempts other whistleblowers and their claims. In addition, an employee cannot bring a whistleblower complaint if information about the fraud becomes public before bringing a claim.

Fundamental Techniques to Augment the Effectiveness of Your Environmental Lobbying Organization

July 18th, 2009 at 04:37am Under Environmental Law

Environmental advocacy is a diverse area. It involves both safeguarding the public from environmental hazards and protecting the resources of nature. As gains have been secured at the local, state and national level, there is a growing awareness in the field that further gains will be contingent on developing the same professional skills as private and government organizations that encapsulate best management practices.

When you read about successfully launching an environmental lobbying organization you might find some good advice in the literature. Yet the ongoing actual management of such advocacy groups is another matter. That is why many environmental lobbying groups labor to effectively manage. This article shares several insights from the field.

Collaborate with other environmental lobbying organizations

The State of New York alone has over 400 environmental advocacy organizations listed by the Environmental Conservation Department of Environmental Conservation. And in the last five years, there has been increasing levels of collaboration between geographically diverse environmental lobbying groups.

One underlying reason for this trend has been lower air travel costs – a trend that may now be reversing with skyrocketing fuel costs. A separate driver is the availability of free conference calling services such as Rondee.com.

All of these companies work on the same central principle: they provide you a personal access number and a toll number to dial. If all participants dial the same number and enter the same PIN code, they are put into the call together.

Involve academic experts

A frequent erroneous conception is that campus curricula is too far removed from the realities of environmental politics to be meaningful. However, programs such as that offered by New England School of Law provide graduate level training in environmental advocacy as wells as organizing. Indeed, they train young campus leaders for careers as advocates and community organizers.

Students at these programs are great candidates to be inspired as volunteers or leaders for your organization. Also consider seeking the involvement of a faculty or staff member who can offer perspective and advice to your group. While students arrive and depart as the years go by; faculty tend to remain.

Stay well focused

The most effective environmental organizations are ones that stay clearly focused on their mission and do not allow members or leaders to get enmeshed in peripheral goals. Virtually all environmental lobbying organizations operate under significant time limitations. Focusing on three goals with total effort will generally yield superior results compared to going after nine goals at 33% effort.

Augment your network

The most successful lobbying organizations create networks of supporters who share their philosophy and goals. While the word networking frequently gets a bad connotation, the simple fact is these networks can provide substantial support and members can keep connected more effectively through conference calling systems. Indeed, associations provide the emotional support which is so critical to maintaining enthusiasm among group officers and members.

Use technology strategically

Some environmental advocacy groups have distributed leadership teams, and it is impractical to expect in person meetings. One solution is to use an application for desktop sharing.

Whether it’s sharing a PowerPoint presentation illustrating the group’s fundraising initiatives or a spreadsheet showing the tracking of volunteer participation, desktop sharing can be extremely useful for not a few advocacy groups.

The silver lining in all this is that these suggestions are not expensive. Environmental advocacy groups can improve their performance through these techniques.

Labour Law’s Existence

July 17th, 2009 at 04:37pm Under Environmental Law

     Labour Law’s Existence.

                                             The Labour Law protects the rights and lays down certain duties over the workers, where the law creates such a condition in order to maintain decorum of the work place with the specific protection and regulations for the employers as well as for the employees. Under such conditions there comes up certain acts like the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923, Factories Act, 1948, Payment of Wages Act, 1936, Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 and many other more act in order for the proper working setup of the industry.

1-          Section 3 of the Minimum Wages Act lays rule for fixation of minimum rates of wages, which empowers the appropriate Government shall be empowered to fix the minimum wages in the manner prescribed by the act. Section 4 of the act lays basic rates of fixed wages. Whereas section 5 lays a proper procedure for the fixing and revising the minimum wages. Section 10 of the act lays extra payment for overtime works.

2-          Section 13 of the act fixes appropriate working hours per day    and such working shall be in consideration of humanitarian approach, as per the provisions of the act.

3-          Section 11 of the Factories act lays provision for cleanliness that every factory shall be clean and free from effluvia from drain, privy or other nuisance. Section 12 provides importance of disposing of waste and effluents. Section 13 of the act provides rules for conditions of ventilation and proper temperature for every worker. Section 14 and 15 provides that there shall be no dust, fumes and no kind of humidification in the working place for the workers respectively.

4-          Section 16 of the act prohibits overcrowding in the working place, where the sub-section 1 says that no room in any factory shall be overcrowded to an extent injurious to the health of the workers employed therein. Sub-section 2 lays down that there shall be in every work room of a factory in existence on the date of the commencement of this act at least 9.9 cubic meters and of a factory built after commencement of this act at least 14.2 cubic meters of space for every worker employed therein. The section further says that no account shall be taken of any space, which is more than 4.2 meters above the level of the floor of the room, for the purpose of this act.

5-          Section 17 and 18 of the act lays provisions for proper lighting and drinking facilities for the workers. Section 19 provides for proper latrine and urinal services by the factory. Whereas section 20 lays down that in every factory there shall be provided a sufficient number of spittoons in convenient places.

6-          Section 21 of the act lays provision for fencing of machinery by safeguards of substantial construction of protection of machinery. Section 23 says that no young person shall be allowed to work on dangerous machines as per two sub-section lays exception to this rule. Section 27 prohibits employment of women and children near cotton openers.

7-       Safety provisions as comes under sections 33, 34, 35, 36, 36-A, 37 etc., where the protection of the human body and its parts are needful. Whereas the company shall appoint even safety officers as per section 40-B.

Judicial Trend.

                                Government should make efforts to create a consensus for ‘global             consumer policy.’

Judicial activism should be increased in consumer related issues also and the Supreme Court for consumer redressal agencies should play parental role.

Administrative advocacy should be encouraged in order to reduce the burden of consumer redressal agencies.

Indian consumer suffers from lack of political willingness to enforce consumer rights emphatically. V.R. Krishna Iyer, former Chief Justice of India, expresses himself more stridently:” The country’s greatest enemy is GATT and the pro-MNC politics…leading to decolonization of India…Their capacity to corrupt, terrorize, propagandize, destabilize, colonies and subvert…has been the disaster of our country and of many others. And who invites them into our hallowed Bharat? The greats who have taken the oath of office under the secular socialist constitution and worship Gandhi as the Father of the Nation.

                                         Problem of pollution is the outcome of urbanization, overpopulation and industrialization. In modern times, therefore, it needs more effective legal opinions to counter the above. Accordingly Indian parliament passed The Environment Protection Act’1986 to safeguard the environmental degradation. The Indian Penal Code has few provisions on the subject, but they are ineffective when faced with the problems of an industrialized society. The first problem to attract the attention of certain state legislation in India was water pollution. But it was only in 1974 that a Central Act was enacted on the subject to be followed by The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act’1977 and thereafter most drastic law had been enacted as Environment (Protection) Act’1986. India first got the taste of environmental disaster by two catastrophes that befell India – the Bhopal disaster in 1984 and Sri Ram Fertilizer Plant leak in 1985.

The Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster (Processing of claims) Act’1985 gave the Central Government the sole authority to represent (in litigation) the victims of Bhopal for compensation claims against the Union Carbide Company. Sri Ram gas Leak did not generate legislative activity but prompted Mr. M.C.Mehta (On behalf of Hindustani Andolon) and certain other organizations to start to use the effective legal tool in the form of Public Interest Litigation (PIL). This gave the Supreme Court an opportunity to enunciate certain important doctrine on tort law, corporate law (particularly the civil liability of directors for wrongs committed by the corporate body).

Recently, Supreme Court has broadly and liberally interpreted the Article 21 and transgressed into the area of protection of environment and held that the protection of environment and citizen’s right to live in eco-friendly atmosphere interpreted as the basic right guaranteed under Article 21. Recently to mitigate the needs of environment related litigation, “Green Benches” had been constituted in many High Courts in the Country.

Environmental Literacy

July 17th, 2009 at 10:38am Under Environmental Law

ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY

With the intrusion of environmental problems in every walk of life, it has been become the most common and fashionable topic to talk about for everyone. Therefore, environmental study no more remains the domain of only environmentalists, environmental scientists, environmental engineers, environmental geographers and bio-geographers rather it became the general knowledge for all people, irrespective of their race, age, and professions. Moreover, the growing environmental problems in day-to-day life in the form of global warming, ozone depletion, sea level change, environmental pollutions, etc., lead towards man-made environmental hazards. All these things not only threat people’s lives but also develop many uncurable and chronic diseases. Hence, it is very necessary to disseminate environmental education through master plan.

However, it is quite difficult to define the term environmental literacy because it incorporates many disciplines in itself. Nevertheless, David Orr in his book “Ecological Literacy” defines – “the crisis of sustainability and the problems of education are in large measure a crisis of knowledge. But is the problem as is commonly believed, that we do not know enough? Or, that we know too much? Or, that we do not know enough about some things and too much about other things? Or, is it that our scientific methods are in some ways flawed? Is it that we have forgotten things we need to remember? Or, is it that we have forgotten other ways of knowing that lie in the realm of vision, intuition, revelation, empathy, or even common sense? Such questions are not asked often enough…”

Why necessary?

Our natural environment due to over exploitations and negligence lost its ecological balance

Disappearance and about to disappear many flora and fauna which were/are key elements of ecosystem

Disappearance of ecosystem which has been fasten the process of desertification, salinization etc.

Due to this, the remaining ecosystems are constantly changing, either rapidly or slowly and it has been affecting the life cycles and alters the relationships among the species

It is mainly humans who have changed the earth’s ecosystems and disrupted ecological balance and ultimately affected global climate

How to literate:

    Environmental study also nexus with other disciplines very frequently and hence demands the incorporation of other disciplines such as ecology, bio-geography, ethics, law etc. Though, due to this interdisciplinary nature, environmental study becomes a challenging task. But the growing complexities of environmental problems insinuate us to acquire the basics of environmental knowledge. Environmental problems are disseminated in this fashion that it could not be solved by simple plan made and partly implemented by government. It is no more only the problems of public at large, but every individual concerns with it. Therefore, now every individual need to literate with environmental literacy whereas he/she could take care of this dying environment, because this is one of the best solutions to overcome the situation from the root level.

There are following methods to diffuse the environmental literacy viz…..

Incorporate it with the stream line syllabus right from the first class

Run various programmes such as drama, documentary, advertisement through radio, television, newspaper, magazine etc., specifically for remote and illiterate people

Promote social and agro-forestry

Promote to use natural and bio-degradable things and avoid the artificial and non-biodegradable things such as polythene, plastics etc

    Above discussion of course, suggests us to acquire environmental literacy and also to teach others and make understandable the environmental problems in order to analyze, synthesis, and evaluate the situation properly which will ultimately protect the environment. Environmentally literate people will have the knowledge with sensitivity to address the environmental problems comprehensibly. Therefore, environmental literacy is the sound knowledge of practices, activities, and feelings familiarity with the environment. Subsequently, it engenders not only the underlying scientific principles but also infuses value systems, spiritual, aesthetic, ethical, and emotional responsibilities which eventually help people to interpret and act ideally to the environmental problems.

10 Reasons Why You Must Improve the Environmental Performance of Your Business

July 16th, 2009 at 10:37pm Under Environmental Law

1. You are wasting moneyBetween 2006 and 2008 I carried out simple half-day environmental health checks in 26 businesses ranging from catering through printing, engineering and construction to major pharmaceutical companies. I identified an average saving in waste, raw material, energy and water costs of £175,000 per annum, per company. And those health checks barely scratched the surface.One of my favourite definitions of waste is ‘anything you buy that you cannot sell’ . Savings from cutting waste (whether that is wasted materials, energy or water) comes straight off your bottom line. If your profit margin is 25%, every £1 saved in this way is equivalent to £4 worth of new sales. And unlike cutting staff, cutting waste costs improves rather than detracts from your ability to deliver value to your customers.2. The true cost of your waste can be immenseI despair at the number of businesses who go to great lengths to manufacture a high value product and then reverse a forklift truck into it or spill it on the floor during packaging. Most businesses know how much waste costs to dispose of, but the true cost of this type of waste is much higher as it includes:• Disposal costs;• Raw material costs;• Energy and other utility costs for manufacturing;• Labour costs both from the original manufacturing and the clean up;• The cost of the disruption required to fulfil orders including knock-on effects on other orders;• Opportunity costs of not being able to sell that product;• Opportunity costs from poor customer satisfaction (eg lost future orders).3. Your energy, water and waste costs are risingEnergy costs doubled between June 2007 and 2008. Waste costs continue to rise as landfill tax escalates and the type of materials that can be landfilled are restricted. Indications from the government are that it will continue increasing the Landfill Tax by £8 per tonne each year up to a level of at least £48 per tonne (from £32 per tonne today). In areas such as the South East of England, water resources are becoming ever more scarce so costs are rising. Doing nothing on environment performance means going backwards rather than standing still.4. Your customers or clients demand itIf you sell to the public, certain markets are going solidly green. The proportion of white goods rated A for energy efficiency sold has risen from 0 to 76% in the ten years to 2006. 70% of baby food sold in the UK is now organic.If you sell to other businesses, then your environmental performance becomes their environmental performance. Increasingly larger organisations are demanding information on suppliers’ performance and Local Authorities and other public sector bodies are turning to ‘green procurement’ to meet Government targets.5. Your compliance costs are risingThere are literally hundreds of pieces of environmental legislation being drafted in the EU and the UK Government. Continually shifting incrementally to keep ahead of the law is an expensive hobby whereas eradicating problems completely is cheaper in the long run and keeps you miles ahead of the lawmakers.Regulators such as the Environment Agency are increasingly taking a risk based approach to enforcement. If you routinely store hazardous materials, or they regard your practices as poor, they’ll be knocking on your door much more often than if you have eradicated the hazards and have tip top housekeeping.6. You may be risking prosecutionEvery three years the Environment Agency surveys small business’ attitudes to the environment. In 2005 only 18% could name one piece of environmental legislation that affects them, even though every company must comply with several pieces of legislation, for example, waste management regulations .And it is not just small business who are at risk. In the last year, I have had several arguments with major household names who have misunderstood the scope of the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE). I really had to browbeat them into accepting that they were breaking the law, faced prosecution and the resulting PR fall out.7. You are missing out on a great PR opportunityWith all the media attention on environmental issues, good environmental performance gives you a great opportunity to get good news stories into the media and advertising. Good solid green PR will impress the public, the pressure groups, your clients and customers and the regulators.8. Pressure groups may give you a nasty surprise In 2007, Apple Computers had it all. From their stylish iMac and MacBook computers to the revolutionary and must-have iPod and rumours of a phone abounding, their fashionable, cutting edge image appeared unassailable. That was until Greenpeace put them bottom of an environmental league table of electronics companies and set up a parody of Apple’s website to detail their environmental infractions . Apple’s legendary CEO Steve Jobs at first dismissed the campaign, but only instigated a stronger backlash . Jobs then realised the precarious position he was in, with Apple’s hip image at serious risk. He did a swift u-turn, launching a radical programme to improve environmental performance and publicised it on the company’s home page for a month.If you are a high profile business (eg a high street retailer, an energy company, a major construction company, a motor manufacturer, a producer of household goods or in the primary sector – mining, oil, gas, forestry etc), then you are at direct risk from environmental and human rights pressure groups. These groups need high profile campaigns like the Apple example to make the mainstream media take notice and are always looking for a ‘tall poppy’ to target. If you are a smaller business, but you do business with a high profile client, then pressure groups will hold them responsible for your environmental sins. This is a very easy way to lose a major customer.9. Your staff want you to do itEnvironmental and CSR initiatives are a determining factor in employee retention and engagement rates according to the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD). In the US, a survey of over 4,000 people carried out by recruitment job site MonsterTRAK found that 80 per cent of young professionals are interested in securing a job that has a positive impact on the environment. Meanwhile, over 90 per cent claimed they would prefer to work for an environmentally friendly employer. In the UK, a survey of 5,000 job hunters showed that 43% would not work for a firm which had no ethical or environmental policies, even if they were offered £10,000 a year more than to work for a business with a sense of corporate social responsibility.10. Your competitors are doing itThe 2005 NetRegs survey found that 71% of businesses had made at least one practical step to improve their environmental performance . Some sectors have seen green issues come right to the fore eg the current great green supermarket wars where Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Sainsbury’s are fighting it out to get the best green image. Sir Timothy Leahy went on the record this year to say that Tesco’s plans would not be affected by the ‘credit crunch’ as he believed consumers’ values would not change . He sees this as a serious part of maintaining Tesco’s competitive advantage over its rivals.If your competitors have a better environmental performance than you, then compared to you they will:• Have lower operating costs and either a higher profit margin or a more competitive pricing structure;• Be more robust to future change: new legislation, green taxation, and customer demand;• Have better PR and marketing opportunities;• Have better motivated employees and will be attracting the best new recruits;• Have less risk of prosecution, NGO campaigns and a lighter touch from the regulators.Well, they’d be mad not to, wouldn’t they?