Bristol 2015 Green Capital of Europe, impact report Essay

Bristol 2015 Green Capital of Europe, impact report - Essay Example London, UK: Penguin Books 10 Simpson, R. and Zimmermann, M. 2012. The Economy of Green Cities: A World Compendium on the Green Urban Economy. London, UK: Springer Publications 11 Introduction Following the recent alarming rate of global warming and subsequent climate change, there has been increased calls and even introduction of new national and international policies that aim at ensuring individuals, organisations both for profit and non-profit engage in practices that are environmentally friendly and do not endanger climatic conditions nor increase the rate of global warming (McKibben, 2012). Equally, to promote these initiatives of environmental conservation various awards have been introduced in order to recognize the individuals, organizations, government agencies, and places that promote eco-friendly practices, which greatly contribute towards a reduction of global warming and even the damaging effects of climate change (Simpson and Zimmermann, 2012). One such award is the Eur opean Green Capital Award that is normally awarded to a European city, which has proven beyond doubt that it has promoted and instituted eco-friendly practices within the city and this are demonstrated by the actions of the city residents as well as the organizations that operate within the city including the government agencies and departments. Cohen (2011) added that the European Green Capital Award is normally issued as a reward to the efforts that have been made within the chosen city in improving the economic and environmental conditions, and even the quality of life for the urban dwellers. This present paper is an impact report on the award that was issued to Bristol City for the year 2015 by the European Green Capital Award. The report is divided into a three part series of which the first part analysis the key aspects of corporate social responsibility on a business framework that incorporates economic, social, and environmental issues. The second part details on how McDonal d’s Restaurant, which is located in Bristol show evident of triple bottom line in its practices and how generally the European Green Capital Award encourage business managers to embrace more initiative in keeping with the triple bottom line. The third part of the report details on the operational benefits that are sought and achieved from the evidence gathered from McDonald’s restaurants that have been scrutinized from the parameters of triple bottom line. Part 1 Triple Bottom Line With reference to the writings by Louiseize (2006), he wrote that the triple bottom line was developed as a framework for measuring the concept of sustainability within organizations. Jeurissen (2000) on his part stated that the triple bottom line is an accounting concept that not only measures the traditional accounting figures such as profits, shareholders’ value, and return on investments but rather it spans further to measuring the social and environmental aspects of an organizati on. Savitz (2012) stated that the triple bottom line concept provides a perfect framework for calculating the level of sustainability of a business, which is calculated basing on three factors that are classified as profits, people, and the planet. Whilst calculating the triple bottom line, Epstein (2008) stated that there is no defined standard of measure that is universally accepted, this is

Case study report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Case study report - Essay Example Marie Forsythe is the Operations Director of FCCC. Her function in the company is to ensure smooth running of tasks to achieve set objectives. Forsythe refurbished the call center by purchasing new office facilities and building extra offices. These changes were implemented to increase employees’ performance in work, but the progress has remained stagnated. Forsythe decided to carry out a survey on how to improve the performance of each employees thus contributing to overall output and improving the living standards of all parties. The key issues in the company include organizational change, workforce diversity, motivation, leadership, communications systems and social structures. Organizational change is an important issue in FCCC because of the rearrangement of workforce from the previous setting. The construction of new offices in different floors and new office facilities change employees work stationsby creating an open work station with desks that have wide computer screens. Teamwork is another key issue in FCCC because different teams work in different floors. This arrangement exists because of the new offices that divide different departments into different offices. Communication with other teams in different departments occurs through the telephones thus limiting personal contact or direct communication. Motivation in the call center is through recreational facilities, rewards, bonuses, healthcare benefits and a shopping center. Employees have a recreational facility where they relax during office breaks by listening to music and chatting. The company has a local gym that is designed to meet the needs of employees through exercise. Exercise is essential for the mental health of call center workers that perform under pressure. Workforce diversity is an importance issue in Finance Co Call Center because it improves socialization between male and female employees. The

Promoting Mental Health And Well Being Families Social Work Essay

Promoting Mental Health And Well Being Families Social Work Essay According to the World Health Organisation mental health is a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. According to the North Western Health Board (NWHB) mental health affects our feelings towards others and it also effects how at ease we are with ourselves. Mental health also affects some of our everyday skills, such as interacting with others around us; maintain relationships with people, whether it is intimate relationships or family relationships. Mental health can also affect the way we deal with certain events in our lives. Changes such as bereavement in a persons life or losing or starting a job can have different have a different effect on different people at different points in time. According to Barry Jenkins there are three levels at which the protective and risk factors work. These three levels are known as Individual, social and structural. According to the NWHB each level is supported and reinforcing each level, thus strengthening them. By strengthening human beings we are trying to increase self-confidence and develop their abilities and skills, such as interaction with other people and developing skills to help sustain relationships. Protective factors The following protective factors are based on an individual level. Some of the protective factors are having good coping skills, having good social skills Good Coping Skills If a person is good at dealing and handling certain situations in life, this can be a huge help in relation to combatting mental illnesses. If a person can manage to deal with a certain situation which they may be experiencing without getting too worked up or letting it get them down, this can have a positive effect on their life. If a person can be optimistic about a situation and try to look on the bright side of things and realise that they will come out the other end and that things will get more positive and that they may have a brighter future in front of them, this can only have a positive effect on somebodys life. Social Skills A person that has the ability to fit into society and get to know people no matter where they go will hopefully never really experience isolation. Take for example a person moving to a new area that doesnt know anybody that lives in the area. If they have the skills to integrate themselves into that society and get to know the community they will more than likely be welcomed by members of that society. If a person makes themselves known within the community and gets involved in things going on within the community, isolation will not be a problem for them. For somebody that may be experiencing isolation this can have huge knock on effects on their mental health. If a person feels that they are alone and have nobody to turn to, this can lead to mental illnesses such as depression. I will now discuss some of the protective factors which are based on social level. Some of these are positive experiences of early attachment and positive attachment to family. Positive Experiences of Early Attachment If an individual whilst growing up and while they were children had positive experiences throughout their childhood, in relation to how close they were to their parents and if they had a good relationship can have huge effects on a person later in life. If a person has had a bad relationship with their parents this can have a huge knock on effect later in life. If a person feels that they were not accepted by their parents as a child this may lead to somebody suffering from depression as they may not feel wanted or accepted into society. They may feel that nobody is there for them. If they have had a bad relationship with their parents, they may also find it quite hard to develop an intimate relationship with somebody, as they may be afraid of having such a close relationship with somebody, as they have never experienced a relationship like this before throughout their lifetime. Attachment to family How close an individual is to their family is based on a social level according to Barry Jenkins. How close one may be to their family can have effects on one life. If a person knows that they have their family around them no matter what and that they will be there for them through the good times and the bad then the person knows that they are not on their own on life. They know that their family will stand by them no matter what. People experience so many problems in life, so it is good for an individual to know that no matter what they have a group of people around them that love and care for them, and will support them through lifes challenges. Supportive Social relationships Supportive relationships, whether it be family relationships or intimate relationships is another strengthening factor which can protect mental health. If a person knows that somebody is always there for them, through the good times and the bad and to help them carry heavy burdens which they will come across throughout life, is a huge help to them. I think right now throughout society, a large number of people are carrying heavy burdens in relation to unemployment and bills to be paid. If a person knows that they have someone to lean on and to help them along the way in life this can be a huge weight lifted off their shoulders. If a person has somebody that is supporting them, this means that they have somebody to talk to and discuss any problems that they may be experiencing. Something as simple as just sitting down and talking to someone about the problems you are experiencing in life can help protect a persons mental health. A problem may not seem as bad after discussing it with s omeone. As the saying goes a problem shared is a problem halved. I will now discuss some of the protective factors at a structural level. Some of these protective factors are economic security and employment. Employment Economic Security As we all know we are currently experiencing a severe fiscal crisis in this country. A lot of people are currently unemployed. According to the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU) statistics in October of this year 420172 people were unemployed. This is a huge proportion of people in our society that are unemployed. Unemployment is a serious issue and is more than likely one of the leading causes of mental health problems in todays society. For those that are currently unemployed they are struggling to pay bills and meet repayments on mortgages. This can be a very worrying time for people and can lead to mental health problems. It can sometimes lead to people taking their own lives as they are unable to deal with the everyday realities of life and can see no other way out. In a recent article published by the Irish Examiner in June of this year stated that the economy and the current state that it is in is interconnected to the rise in young men taking their own live s. The newspaper article took figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) from 2009. The report stated that 443 males took their own life in 2009. This figure had increased by 15% from 2008. Approximately 40% of these men were out of work and 32% of them had previously worked in the building industry, according to Ella Arensman from the National Suicide Research Foundation (NSRF). It is clear to see there is a strong connection with men taking their own life and unemployment. I will now discuss some of the risk factors in relation to mental health. Some of these risk factors are school failure, social isolation and abuse and violence. School failure According to Barry Jenkins School failure is one of the risk factors in relation to mental health. School failure is based on a structural level. School failure can have negative impacts on people lives when it comes to looking for employment later in life. School achievement may not seem important but as people get older they realise how important it is. If a person fails again and again when it comes to trying to get a job this may have huge effects on their mental health. Social Isolation If a person is experiencing social isolation it can have huge effects on their mental health. Take example an elderly person that may have lead a very independent life ends up in long term care. This may lead to loneliness. If a person is in long term care they may be very dependent on someone to look after them and help them with their everyday lives. This can be a big change in a persons life and could possibly lead to depression in the long run. Abuse and Violence Abuse and violence can have a huge effect on a persons mental health. Emotional abuse such as bullying as we have seen over the last few weeks can have severe effects on a persons life. Over the last few weeks numerous young people under the age of eighteen have taken their own lives because of bullying. Obviously the bullying had a huge effect on their mental health and they could see no other way out. Conclusion From my essay it is clear to see that there are numerous strengthening and risk factors in relation to mental health. We as a nation and as individuals should be concentrating on the protective factors. In a report published by the Health Service Executive (HSE) it mentions that the World Health Organisation stated in a report that General Practitioners spend 30% of their time with patients that are dealing with a mental illness. This makes it clear to us that there are a huge number of people are dealing with a mental illness. According to the HSE Ireland has tried to increase peoples awareness of mental health and change their attitudes towards it. They have done this by developing documents such as A Vision for Change 2006 which is based on mental illnesses and mental health. A document titled Reach Out 2005 has being developed in relation to preventing suicide. These documents may change peoples perception of mental illness and they may not look at it in such a negative light. Th ere is a huge stigma attached to mental illness, so hopefully in time this stigma will no longer exist. Mental health can have serious effects on peoples lives. People should not feel ashamed if they have a mental illness. They should not have a stigma attached to them because of this mental illness. People need to be more open minded and not look down on people who are experiencing an illness in relation to their mental health. Hopefully in time the supports that people need will be readily available to them when they need it. A mental illness can be life changing, so for people to know that they have supports available to them on their doorstops can make a huge difference and can help them overcome their mental illness. Reference List Health Service Executive (2007) Mental Health in Ireland: Awareness and Attitudes, Dublin: Health Service Executive Margaret M. Barry and Rachel Jenkins (2007) Implementing Mental Health Promotion, Philadelphia: Elesevier The Irish Examiner (2012) Suicide rise is linked to economy, says study, [Online], Available: http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2012/0602/ireland/suicide-rise-is-linked-to-economy-says-study-195996.html [Accessed 21st November 2012] The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (2012) Live Register, Figures for the Year 2012 to date by gender, [Online], available: http://www.inou.ie/policy/statistics/liveregister/_figures=national_year=2012 [Accessed 21st November 2012] The North Western Health Board (2005) The North western Health Board Strategy Action Plan for the promotion of Mental Health, Dublin: The North Western Health Board The World Health Organisation (2005) Promoting Mental Health, Concepts, Emerging Evidence and Practice. Switzerland: World Health Organisation Tom, OG. (2012) Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing, SPL308: Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing in Families, National University of Ireland Galway, Unpublished

Virgin Atlantic Essay -- essays research papers

Virgin Atlantic Market The airline industry was affected more than most by the tragic events of September 11th 2001. There was an immediate and significant reduction in passenger demand, particularly across the North Atlantic, and a number of airlines became bankrupt. 9/11 was quickly followed by further challenges of SARS and the effects of the Gulf War. The industry is slowly rebuilding passenger confidence and recent traffic figures show signs of a recovery from 9/11. However, it is clear that in order to survive and compete in this challenging environment, it is vital for airline companies to adapt and evolve, focusing on capturing the market with an ever-improving range of services. Airlines with strong brand leadership, like Virgin Atlantic, should be most likely to emerge from the challenge strengthened. Achievements The brand's achievements have been recognised by a number of prestigious award schemes. In recent years the airline has won a huge number of well respected awards including the Best Long Haul Business Airline at the Business Travel Awards and FX and Design Week awards for the Upper Class Suite. In 2003, Virgin Atlantic won the Business Superbrands Awards for 'the brand that most values its employees'. In 2002, the airline won an array of awards including Best Business airline at Condà © Nast Traveller Awards; The Guardian and Observer Awards; Best Transatlantic Airline at the Travel Weekly Awards and in 2001 Virgin Atlantic won OAG Airline of the Year. In addition, the brand has been consistently voted as a Superbrand and in 2001 was given Cool BrandLeader status by the Superbrands organisation. Despite tough trading conditions in 2003 Virgin Atlantic achieved a turnover of  £1.4 billion and carried almost four million passengers. History In the early 1980s, transportation - rather than customer care - appeared to be the top priority of the airline industry. When Virgin Atlantic burst on to the scene offering not only better service and lower costs for passengers but a commitment to put the customer first, the effects were radical. The company was set up in 1984 when an Anglo-US lawyer called Randolph Fields approached Richard Branson - the young and unorthodox chairman of the Virgin Group -with an idea for a new airline that would fly between the UK and the US. Better known at the time as the leading light in the world of pop and rock mus... ...the airline had limited marketing budgets and by attempting (and setting) a number of marine and aviation records Virgin Atlantic was put firmly on the map. Brand Values Virgin Atlantic strives to provide the best possible service at the best possible value. It is a distinctive, fun-loving and innovative brand, which is admired for its intelligence and integrity. Judging from the results of a poll conducted by research agency NOP the public also associates it with friendliness and high quality. Virgin Atlantic also recently won an NOP World Business Superbrands Award for the 'brand most perceived to keep its promises'. Things you didn't know about In 1999 Richard Branson received a knighthood for his services to entrepreneurship. Virgin Atlantic employs over 200 Inflight Beauty Therapists to give Upper Class passengers beauty treatments in the air. Virgin Atlantic serves approximately 2.5 million ice cream bars and 120,000 bottles of champagne each year. The average age of Virgin Atlantic's fleet is around five years old - one of the youngest fleets in world aviation. Virgin Atlantic has recently spent two years and  £50 million developing its award-winning new Upper Class Suite. Virgin Atlantic Essay -- essays research papers Virgin Atlantic Market The airline industry was affected more than most by the tragic events of September 11th 2001. There was an immediate and significant reduction in passenger demand, particularly across the North Atlantic, and a number of airlines became bankrupt. 9/11 was quickly followed by further challenges of SARS and the effects of the Gulf War. The industry is slowly rebuilding passenger confidence and recent traffic figures show signs of a recovery from 9/11. However, it is clear that in order to survive and compete in this challenging environment, it is vital for airline companies to adapt and evolve, focusing on capturing the market with an ever-improving range of services. Airlines with strong brand leadership, like Virgin Atlantic, should be most likely to emerge from the challenge strengthened. Achievements The brand's achievements have been recognised by a number of prestigious award schemes. In recent years the airline has won a huge number of well respected awards including the Best Long Haul Business Airline at the Business Travel Awards and FX and Design Week awards for the Upper Class Suite. In 2003, Virgin Atlantic won the Business Superbrands Awards for 'the brand that most values its employees'. In 2002, the airline won an array of awards including Best Business airline at Condà © Nast Traveller Awards; The Guardian and Observer Awards; Best Transatlantic Airline at the Travel Weekly Awards and in 2001 Virgin Atlantic won OAG Airline of the Year. In addition, the brand has been consistently voted as a Superbrand and in 2001 was given Cool BrandLeader status by the Superbrands organisation. Despite tough trading conditions in 2003 Virgin Atlantic achieved a turnover of  £1.4 billion and carried almost four million passengers. History In the early 1980s, transportation - rather than customer care - appeared to be the top priority of the airline industry. When Virgin Atlantic burst on to the scene offering not only better service and lower costs for passengers but a commitment to put the customer first, the effects were radical. The company was set up in 1984 when an Anglo-US lawyer called Randolph Fields approached Richard Branson - the young and unorthodox chairman of the Virgin Group -with an idea for a new airline that would fly between the UK and the US. Better known at the time as the leading light in the world of pop and rock mus... ...the airline had limited marketing budgets and by attempting (and setting) a number of marine and aviation records Virgin Atlantic was put firmly on the map. Brand Values Virgin Atlantic strives to provide the best possible service at the best possible value. It is a distinctive, fun-loving and innovative brand, which is admired for its intelligence and integrity. Judging from the results of a poll conducted by research agency NOP the public also associates it with friendliness and high quality. Virgin Atlantic also recently won an NOP World Business Superbrands Award for the 'brand most perceived to keep its promises'. Things you didn't know about In 1999 Richard Branson received a knighthood for his services to entrepreneurship. Virgin Atlantic employs over 200 Inflight Beauty Therapists to give Upper Class passengers beauty treatments in the air. Virgin Atlantic serves approximately 2.5 million ice cream bars and 120,000 bottles of champagne each year. The average age of Virgin Atlantic's fleet is around five years old - one of the youngest fleets in world aviation. Virgin Atlantic has recently spent two years and  £50 million developing its award-winning new Upper Class Suite.

Regulation of Political Speech

Can governments regulate political speech of corporations through restrictions on independent corporate expenditures? Over the course of the past twenty years, the U. S. Supreme Court constantly increased constitutional protection of corporate speech under the First Amendment and repeatedly struck down regulations on commercial speech as violating the First Amendment. Although the Supreme Court recently held statutory restrictions on corporate expenditures for electioneering communications to violate the right to free speech, it is still controversially discussed whether such restrictions can be upheld under the First Amendment. However, supporters of such restrictions ignore that the First Amendment is written in terms of speech and not of speakers and does not distinguish between different classes of speakers. Thus, restrictions on political speech cannot be justified solely based on the speaker’s corporate identity or its financial ability and inconsistent with the objective of preserving the integrity of the political process. Introduction TTThe freedom of speech is understood as an essential mechanism of democracy, for the free and public discussion of governmental affairs enables citizens to make informed choices among candidates for office. Owing to fundamental changes in society political views are increasingly expressed through organizations and corporations. In this respect, the protection of corporate speech under the First Amendment is widely recognized. Restrictions on corporate expenditures for political speech reduce the quantity of speech and thus restrict political speech itself. Along these lines, in Citizen United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court struck down statutory restrictions on corporate expenditures for electioneering communications as violating the First Amendment. However, this decision was widely criticized, in particular President Barak Obama blamed it as â€Å"open[ing of] the floodgates for special interests [†¦] to spend without limit in [United States] elections† and contended that American elections should not be â€Å"bankrolled by America's most powerful interests†. Notwithstanding the governmental interest in preventing corruption in the electoral process, the First Amendment does not distinguish between different classes of speakers and grants a corporation the same political speech rights as a natural person. To that effect, I intend to assess whether restrictions on corporate expenditures as imposed by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA) can be justified under the First Amendment. The paper has three main parts. To begin with, I quickly analyze in how far the provisions on corporate expenditures contained in the BCRA restrict the right of corporations to free speech under the first amendment. In part II, I examine the main arguments to justify such restrictions on corporate speech and raise some objections against them and finally, in the last part of the paper I examine to which extent the restrictions imposed by the BCRA are narrowly tailored to and consistent with the objectives they intend to achieve. I. Analysis of the Restraint The BCRA, prohibited the use of corporate general treasury funds for electioneering communications and only allows expenditures by segregated corporate funds through political action committees (PACs). As PACs are burdensome and expensive to administer they reduce the quantity of speech, for the quantity of speech is limited by financial resources available for the expression of political ideas. Consequently, expenditure restrictions function as a barrier to corporate speech and thereby prevent corporate voices from reaching the public and advising voters and deprive the public of its right to decide which speech and speakers are worthy of consideration. Therefore, restrictions on corporate expenditures also restrict political speech itself. Such restrictions can only be justified if they further a compelling interest and are narrowly tailored to achieve this interest. II. Compelling Governmental Interest In line with Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, it is argued that restrictions on corporate expenditures serve a compelling interest in preserving the integrity of the electoral process. As corporations, unlike individuals, possess more power and financial resources than most individuals they can exercise a greater influence on public political debates. To that effect, restrictions on corporate expenditures are claimed to be necessary to avoid quid pro quo corruption, namely to prevent corporations from exercising undue influence on officeholders inducing them to â€Å"act contrary to their obligations of office by the prospect of financial gain† – or in other words to prevent corporations from â€Å"buying† favors from a candidate. Opponents of expenditure restrictions contend that independent expenditures are not as dangerous as contributions, for they are not prearranged with candidate and might even turn out to be to the detriment of the candidate for such lack of prearrangement. However, I am not prepared to agree with this contemplation. As corporations usually inform candidates about their conduct, independent expenditures can have the same effect as direct contributions. On that note the court emphasizes in McConnell v. Federal Election Com’n that independent expenditures can be even more effective to induce then-elected officials to exercise their duties in favor of their corporate care-givers, because candidates know very well who their friends are. Notwithstanding the desirability to prevent corruption, the First Amendment does not distinguish between powerful and less powerful speakers, but stands against attempts to disfavor certain subjects or viewpoints and protects an open marketplace of ideas where speakers can engage in ‘vigorous’ advocacy. Therefore, it is inconsistent with attempts to restrict the speech of some to enhance the speech of others and the right to free speech cannot be made dependent on a person’s financial ability to engage in public discussion. In line with this, the Supreme Court held in Buckley v. Valeo that individuals and unincorporated groups are free to spend unlimited amounts to promote a candidate or his views. In this light, the potential for corruption cannot be said to be higher than in case of expenditures by individuals and there is no reason why corporate expenditures should be limited while a billionaire can lawfully spend millions to promote a candidate and exercise the same potential influence on the public debate. In addition, expenditure restrictions are claimed to be justified by a compelling interest to protect shareholders from being compelled to fund corporate speech, although their investments in the corporation only reflect economic choices, but not necessarily support for the corporation’s political ideas. Unlike individual speakers, corporations only operate to make profits and their participation in elections is transactional rather than ideological as they usually give money to candidates from both sides. At that, the special advantages of the corporate form – like limited liability and favorable treatment of the accumulation and distribution of assets – improve a corporation’s abilities to attract capital. Therefore, it is argued that resources a corporation acquired in the economic marketplace provide an unfair advantage on the political marketplace, because State law only allows corporations to be dominant in the economy, but not in politics. Although shareholders are free to sell their shares and cease the support of a corporation, they might be reluctant to withdraw their investment as this might force them to sacrifice profits from the corporation’s nonpolitical operations. However, this approach ignores that all speakers, even individuals, use money amassed on the economic marketplace to fund their speech. For instance, political speech might be funded through speakers’ salaries although their employer does not necessarily support their views or might be financed by loans from creditors who do not necessarily support the speakers’ views. III. Are Expenditure Restrictions Narrowly Tailored? Even assuming that the aforementioned interests could be considered compelling, the provisions of the BCRA are not narrowly tailored to achieve those interests. They are overinclusive because they include small corporations that do not possess the financial ability to exercise a dominant influence on the political debate and non-profit organizations. On the other hand, they are underinclusive for they exclude media corporations, although in particular modern media empires amass immense wealth and unreviewable power and are equally if not better equipped to influence the public political debate than other corporations. Many media corporations are owned or controlled by corporations that have diverse and substantial investments and participate in endeavors other than news. As a result, a corporation owning a media business and a non-media business could exercise its control over the media to advance its overall business interests whereas other corporations would be prohibited from promoting the same issue. Lastly, political speech is so integrated in this country’s culture that speakers will always find a way to circumvent campaign finance laws. Conclusion Restrictions on corporate expenditures for electioneering communications can no longer be upheld under the First Amendment. Likewise, no other restrictions on free speech can be imposed solely based on the corporate identity of the speaker. Nevertheless, I do not believe that the special interests of powerful corporations are likely to take over control of the electoral process, since disclaimer, disclosure and reporting standards ensure the integrity of the political process and allow voters to make a sophisticated choice. However, if Congress considers corporate expenditures to pose a threat to the integrity of the electoral process it is free to limit expenditures of all speakers, including individuals, or to impose heightened disclosure or reporting standards, provided they can identify a compelling interest for such restrictions. ——————————————- [ 1 ]. Darrell A. H. Miller, Guns, Inc. : Citizens United, Mcdonald, and the Future of Corporate Constitutional Rights, 86 NYUL. Rev. 887, 899 [2011]; First Nat. Bank of Boston v. Bellotti, 435 US 765, 98 S Ct 1407, 55 L. Ed. 2d 707 [1978]; Citizens United v. Fed. Election Com' n, 130 S Ct 876, 900, 175 L Ed 2d 753 [2010]; Id. 130 S Ct at 925-926; United States v. Playboy 529 U. S. 803, 813, 120 S. Ct. 1978, 146 L. Ed. 2d 865 [2000]. [ 2 ]. Kusper v. Pontikes 414 US 51, 56, 57, 94 S Ct 303, 307, 38 L Ed 2d 260 [1973]; Citizens United 130 S Ct 876, 885; Id. t , 899, 905, 913; Bellotti, 435 U. S. , at 783-784; Alex Osterlind, Giving A Voice to the Inanimate, at 275; Breanne Gilpatrick, Removing Corporate Campaign Finance Restrictions in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 130 S. Ct. 876 (2010), 34 Harv. JL & Pub Pol'y 405, 416 [2011]. [ 3 ]. Mills v. Alabama 384 US 214, 218, 86 S Ct 1434, 1437, 16 L Ed 2d 484; Bellotti at 777; Citizens United at 898-899; Buckley v. Valeo, 424 US 1, 14-15, 96 S Ct 612, 46 L Ed 2d 659 [1976]. [ 4 ]. Bellotti, at 777-778; Time, Inc. v. Firestone, 424 U. S. 448, 96 S. Ct. 958, 47 L. Ed. 2d 154 [1976]; Doran v. Salem Inn, Inc. , 422 U. S. 922, 95 S. Ct. 2561, 45 L. Ed. 2d 648 [1975]; Southeastern Promotions, Ltd. v. Conrad, 420 U. S. 546, 95 S. Ct. 1239, 43 L. Ed. 2d 448 [1975]; Cox Broadcasting Corp. v. Cohn, 420 U. S. 469, 95 S. Ct. 1029, 43 L. Ed. 2d 328 [1975]; Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo, 418 U. S. 241, 94 S. Ct. 2831, 41 L. Ed. 2d 730 [1974]; New York Times Co. v. United States, 403 U. S. 713, 91 S. Ct. 2140, 29 L. Ed. 2d 822 [1971] (per curiam); Time, Inc. v. Hill, 385 U. S. 374, 87 S. Ct. 534, 17 L. Ed. 2d 456 [1967]; NAACP v. Button, 371 U. S. 415, 428-429, 83 S. Ct 328 9 L. Ed. 2d 405; Grosjean v. American Press Co. , 297 U. S. 233, 244, 56 S. Ct. 444, 80 L. Ed. 660 [1936] [ 5 ]. Buckley, 424 U. S. 1, 19; Citizens United at 898. [ 6 ]. Citizens United v Fed. Election Com'n, 130 S Ct 876, 175 L Ed 2d 753 [2010]. [ 7 ]. Alex Osterlind, Giving A Voice to the Inanimate, 76 Mo L Rev 259 [2011]; Bradley A. Smith, President Wrong on Citizens United Case, NAT'L REV. ONLINE, Jan. 27, 2010, http://corner. nationalreview. com/post/? q=ZTVkODZiM2M0ODEzOGQ3MTMwYzgzYjNmODBiMzQz=. [ 8 ]. Bellotti, 435 US 765; Citizens United at 900, 925-926; Playboy 529 U. S. 803, 813; Kusper v. Pontikes 414 US 51, 56, 57, 94 S Ct 303, 307, 38 L Ed 2d 260 [1973]; Citizens United 130 S Ct 876, 885; Id. at , 899, 905, 913; Bellotti, 435 U. S. , at 783-784; Alex Osterlind, Giving A Voice to the Inanimate, at 275; Breanne Gilpatrick, Removing Corporate Campaign Finance Restrictions, at 416. [ 9 ]. Pub. L. No. 107-155, 116 Stat. 81 (codified in scattered sections of 2, 8, 18, 28, 36, 47 U. S. C. ). [ 10 ]. Pub. L. No. 107-155, 116 Stat. 81; Citizens United, at 887 (citing 2 U. S. C.  § 441b(B)(2) (2006)). [ 11 ]. Citizens United at, 897; McConnell v Fed. Election Com'n, 540 US 93, 330-333, 124 S Ct 619, 630, 157 L Ed 2d 491 [2003] overruled by Citizens United; Fed. Election Com'n v Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Inc. , 479 US 238, 253-254, 107 S Ct 616, 619, 93 L Ed 2d 539 [1986]; Buckley, 424 U. S. 1, 19. [ 12 ]. Citizens United at 899; Bellotti, at 791-92; Kingsley Intern. Pictures Corp. v Regents of Univ. of State of N. Y. , 360 US 684, 689 [1959]. [ 13 ]. Citizens United, at 898; Fed. Election Com'n v Wisconsin Right To Life, Inc. 551 US 449, 464, 127 S Ct 2652, 2657, 168 L Ed 2d 329 [2007]. [ 14 ]. Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, 494 US 652,659- 660, 110 S Ct 1391, 1395, 108 L Ed 2d 652 [1990] overruled by Citizens United; Fed. Election Com'n v Natl. Conservative Political Action Comm. , 470 US 480, 500-501 105 S Ct 1459, 84 L Ed 2d 455 [1985]. [ 15 ]. NCPAC, 470 US 480, 496-497. [ 16 ]. McConnell, 540 US 93, at 143-144; Id. at 150, 152-15 4, 297; Fed. Election Com'n v Colorado Republican Fed. Campaign Comm. , 533 US 431, 441, 121 S Ct 2351, 150 L Ed 2d 461 [2001]; Nixon v Shrink Missouri Govt. PAC, 528 US 377, 389, 120 S Ct 897, 145 L Ed 2d 886 [2000]. [ 17 ]. Buckley, 424 US 1, 45-46. [ 18 ]. Citizens United at 926; McConnell, 251 F supp. 2d at 555-560, 622-625; Playboy at 804-805, 813; WRTL at 478; Buckley at 45. [ 19 ]. Mcconnell, 540 US at 129. [ 20 ]. United States v Intl. Union United Auto. , Aircraft and Agr. Implement Workers of Am. (UAW-CIO), 352 US 567, 597, 77 S Ct 529, 1 L Ed 2d 563 [1957]; Citizens United at 883; Playboy at 803, 813; Bellotti at 784. [ 21 ]. Citizens United at 907. [ 22 ]. Buckley at 47-48 CU; New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 US at 269, 84 S. Ct at 721 (quoting Bridges v. California 314 US 252, 270, 62 S. Ct. 190, 197, 86 L. Ed. 192 (1941); NACAP at 419. [ 23 ]. Kusper v. Pontikes 424 us at 48-49, Buckley, 96 S. Ct at 648-649. [ 24 ]. Buckley, 424 US 1, 48; New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 US at 269; NACAP, 371 us at 419. [ 25 ]. Buckley at 45. [ 26 ]. Austin at 497-498; 500-501; 105 S. Ct at 1468-1469; NCPAC, supra at 500-501. [ 27 ]. Austin, 494 US 652, 685. [ 28 ]. Id. at 659; MCFL 479 US at 257,258, 263; FEC v. National Right to Work Committee 459 US 197, 208, 103 S. Ct. 52, 559, 74 L. Ed. 2d 364 (1982); Pipefitter v. United States 407 US 385, 414-415, 92 S. Ct. 2247, 2264, 33 L. Ed. 2d 11 (1972); Bellotti 98 S Ct 1407, 1431 [ 29 ]. McConnell 540 US at 148. [ 30 ]. Austin 494 US at 658-659. [ 31 ]. Austin 494 US at 658-659. [ 32 ]. Id. at 710. [ 33 ]. MCFL, 479 US 238, 260, 264, 107 S Ct 616, 629, 631. [ 34 ]. Citizen United, at 904; Austin at 660. [ 35 ]. Citizens United, at 905. [ 3 6 ]. Citizens United, at 905. [ 37 ]. Citizens United at 906. [ 38 ]. Citizens United at 906. [ 39 ]. Citizen United at 911-13; McConnell 540 US at 176-177.

Becky

The government, business, and consumers all have an important role a play in the field of environmental protection. The three components should form an interrelated system in which the government and consumers exert pressure upon businesses to act ethically in environmental matters, and business executives are committed to the issues of sustainable development that forms part of corporate social responsibility.Alan Larson in his remarks on corporate social responsibility addressing the National Policy Association Conference noted that although he believed in profit maximisation as the CEO’s primary objective, â€Å"in a global marketplace where reputation matters deeply, shareholder value depends more than ever on corporate values† (Larson 2001). Thus, corporations cannot be interested in profits as the only priority; instead, they should be interested in the situation on the planet in general.Just as â€Å"sustainable development† is an appropriate measure for s ocial progress, so â€Å"sustainable profits† should become part of the accounting vocabulary indicating that the corporation can â€Å"increase shareholder value by communicating to shareholders, employees, customers, regulators, and the general public how it is practicing environmental stewardship and social consciousness in its operations† (Larson 2001). Thus, business has an independent incentive to act ethically. However, Larson notes, the government can enhance this incentive by offering, for instance, the Award for Corporate Excellence only to environmentally conscious companies.Another way is to include the government regulations into guidelines of state structures, for instance, OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises or guidelines of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Consumers in the 1980s and later decades became aware of the influence of their purchasing choices upon the environment. Their responsibility to the environment , among other things, was included for discussion at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio under Agenda 21 (Yu ). Their role in sustainable consumption has to be defined through a range of consumer initiatives.Thus, the three parties can cooperate in enhancing environmental protection. References Larson, A. (2001, June 11). Role of the U. S. Government in Promoting Global Corporate Responsibility. Remarks to the National Policy Association Conference. Retrieved November 25, 2005 from http://www. state. gov/e/rls/rm/2001/3526. htm. Yu, N. (n. d. ). The Green Consumption Movement: The Roles of Government, Business, Academia, NGOs and Consumers. Retrieved November 25, 2005 from http://www. apo-tokyo. org/gp/e_publi/gsc/0315RES_PAPERS. pdf.