Andrew Carnegie an American Hero - Free Essay Example

Andrew Carnegie, a tycoon of industry and tremendous philanthropist, was born in Dumferline, Scotland in 1835. Carnegies family quickly became impoverished due to increasing industrialization making many jobs obsolete and was forced to immigrate to America in 1848. Carnegie and his family ended up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he was forced out of necessity to take up factory labor as a child to help his family subsist. Carnegies work prevented him from receiving a formal education, and instead, books he read in libraries constituted much of his education. Eventually, Carnegie became employed for a telegraph company, and then was able to acquire a position at the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1853. This job allowed Carnegie to gain invaluable experience regarding business tactics, in addition to meeting Thomas A. Scott, Carnegies boss who helped initiate his drive for investing. After this, Carnegie began making investments in many sectors, including in oil and steel, and saw generous returns. In 1865, Carnegie founded the Keystone Bridge Company. Soon after, the civil war began and the demand for iron rose significantly. Carnegie noticed this and entered the steel business with the Carnegie Steel Company. He revolutionized the manufacturing of steel by utilizing the Bessemer process, which created more durable and malleable metal, known as steel. Carnegie employed horizontal integration to build his bus iness into the largest of its kind in the world, helping provide many jobs and stimulating the economy. Carnegie had become astoundingly successful, profiting immensely from his investments, and he eventually sold his share of his company to J.P. Morgan for 480 million dollars in 1901. After this, Carnegie embraced philanthropy, through publishing his article The Gospel of Wealth, which encouraged giving back to society, and devoting the rest of his life and future generations to giving his wealth back to society, ultimately distributing back nearly 90% of his wealth. He did this by funding for almost 2,500 public libraries, establishing colleges such as the Carnegie-Mellon University in 1904, and creating the Carnegie Corporation of New York, which was to be used to endorse education and create peace. Out of all the multimillionaire, titans of industry to come out of the period of industrialization, Carnegie is often heralded as the most philanthropic and provided for the most beneficial changes to society. Primarily, Carnegie made significant contributions back to society, following the philosophy in his article, The Gospel of Wealth, in which he believed it was the moral obligation of the rich to give back their wealth. Over the course of his life, Carnegie gave away almost 350 million dollars, funding nearly 2,500 public libraries, establishing numerous schools and non-profit organizations, and establishing several endowment funds. To this day, the Carnegie Corporation foundation continues to redistribute his wealth back to society and helps to fund education. His new level of philanthropism helped inspire many robber barons of that era to give back some of their wealth and helped set a precedent for the rich of today, to be charitable and use their wealth to benefit society. N ot only did Carnegie give back a vast majority of his wealth that continues to help to improve civilians ways of life, but his evolution of the steel industry provided millions of jobs for many jobless citizens and was able to make steel more affordable to the masses. Lastly, Carnegies success in amassing tremendous wealth as a poor immigrant helped to inspire and give hope to many others that they could too achieve the rags to riches American dream. Although Carnegie is often viewed an American hero, he did have flaws as his business practices were harmful to some. His use of many questionable business tactics, and gaining monopolies through vertical and horizontal integration, prevented the development of many other businesses. Carnegie is also often criticized for cutting his workers wages and providing terrible working conditions, which can be seen as what led to the Homestead Strike of 1892, in which a protest at Carnegies steel plant against lowered wages resulted in violence and death, with many holding Carnegie accountable for it. Lastly, I regard Carnegie as an American hero because he greatly increased the resources available to Americans and helped expand knowledge with his nationwide Carnegie libraries. As opposed to selfishly spending or hoarding his money, Carnegie selflessly gave back almost 90% of his wealth to his community. I believe heroes are people who instigate change or help improve the ways of life of people, and Carnegie fits this description due to his philanthropy. He was determined to make the world a better place and his philosophy on wealth helped inspire many of those that came after him to become charitable as well. Although Carnegie may not have treated his workers the best, he is a hero in my eyes as his development of the steel industry in America helped provide many jobs for those in need and his philanthropic contributions have and will continue to benefit Americans everywhere.

Exxon Mobil Accused for Climatic Alterations Research - 2750 Words

ExxonMobil and Climate Change: A Story of Denial, Delay, and Delusion, Told in Forms 10-K (Coursework Sample) Content: EXXONMOBIL ACCUSED FOR CLIMATIC ALTERATIONS à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ A CASE STUDY[Name of the Student][Name of the Institution]PART AIntroductionAccording to a LVRJ (2016), ExxonMobil has collaborated with the Department of Energy, academics and the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for more than four decades, providing public availability of their researches. However, ExxonMobil has availed their rights of not providing specific conclusions regarding climatic alterations over the years. Moreover, the company raised questions on environmental activists that were accessing corporate archives to convince government for investigation. It was desolate news for various stakeholders, ExxonMobil were successful in keeping government away from investigations. According to First Amendment Rights, company is not obligated to climatic alterations.Analyzing the entire situation chronologically, the perception towards ecology has shifted swiftly in United States of America when peop le started considering environmental pollution as strong concern. The rate of concerned people reached 60% and various surveys were conducted to generate a rationale. The United Nations (UN) was pressurized internationally in the same year when USA was titled as biggest polluter across the globe (CSW, 2016).In 2001, the profitability of ExxonMobil and collaborates were influenced by society due global experiences regarding climate change. There was serious imbalance between demand and supply of energy products manufactured by the company. OPEC has set quotas on activities such as explorations, technological researches, and refining. On contrary, changes in demographics have increased demand for energy products simultaneously (CSW, 2016). * In 2002, ExxonMobil 10-K filing that focuses on risks associated to industry and economy. It specified that changes in weather are influencing demand pattern for energy products. Following the shareholder meeting, approximately 20% shareholders em phasized on adding renewable energy in corporate portfolio, which influenced leaders of developing nations to raise their voice over the issue (CSW, 2016). * In 2003, ExxonMobil joined Shell and BP to address climatic challenge around the globe by developing various strategies such as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Carbon Pricingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬. Scientists such as Michael Mann proposed a research on changing temperature due to pollution (CSW, 2016). * In 2004, 10-K filing focused on impact minimization on air, water and ground, along with emission reduction of nitrogen and sulfuric oxides. Moreover, the threat was focused and worked by numerous nations (CSW, 2016). * Year 2005 initiated Climate Science Watch that explained various factors in elaborative manner (CSW, 2016). * Mr. Rex Tillerson took over ExxonMobil as CEO in 2006 and introduced "risk of global climate change" (CSW, 2016). * In 2007, ExxonMobil focused on climatic hazards and alternate sources of energy to adhere environmental laws (CSW, 2016). * The 10-K report of 2008 provided evidence that upper management is ignoring IPCC AR4 submissions and repeated clauses from prior year filing (CSW, 2016).PART à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ BRisk CategoriesIn context to environment and established principles, "The Precautionary Principle" is among them critically. The principle suggests that if cost is higher than benefit, then action should be avoided. This leads to avoid short-term objectives that ExxonMobil is engaged with their efforts towards climatic adherence. Over the years, there are various climatic risks that are ignored by ExxonMobil, which possess hazardous consequences.In context to short-term environmental objectives, ExxonMobil and various other energy-manufacturing companies such as Shell are compressing gases through hydraulic fracturing. These activities have potential of causing a massive earthquake on broader scale. It must be notified that ExxonMobil is staking millions of lives by using hydraulic fracturing in grounds an d spent wells. The effects may not occur promptly, but does have a probability to cause damage to environment and society in future.It cannot be denied that ExxonMobil is working to find technological resources for risk minimization and control on environmental hazards. However, the pace of discovery is not fitting appropriately with environmental balance. The approach of fossil fuel industry is not adaptable with approaches that energy-manufacturing companies have to offer.The continuous discharge of toxic gases and liquids in environment (available ground-splinters) by fossil fuel industry has raised threat of earthquake. Fracking is a broadly used term for such exercises that involves exploration and exploitation of land without consent of public. Due to intense fracking in search of alternative energy resources, ExxonMobil has caused threats of earthquake on areas and regions that had least expectancy.In simpler words, the company is highly neglecting possible precautionary meas ures that can provide people with clean and safe energy. Instead, ExxonMobil is creating a long-run dispute with multiple governments around the globe that can halt their core operations in matter of years.Since "Precaution" is considered as test for balancing benefits of alternative energies and environmental alterations, fracking has disturbed the metaphor completely. Another threat raised by this activity is groundwater toxicities and availability of water adequacy in future. Due to fracking, there are leakages in pipelines and water storages that are majorly utilized by households. With contaminated water flowing in residential pipelines, ExxonMobil can start counting number of bodies they might be responsible due to their actions.Since ExxonMobil is acting as negligible figure towards environmental codes, there are three critical risks involved towards their survival. First, there is a severity in climatic change towards hotness that minimizes the usage of fuel consumption amon g people. The pace of fracking adapted by company has hardly left a piece of land without disturbance. Moreover, the intensity of their actions has released immense amount of greenhouse emissions, which is a significant threat towards ecology, particularly air.Second, ExxonMobil is expected to face various suit files due to communication of their products. It must be noted that the company has factual ambiguity when promoting their products and services to consumers. They do not specify, or eradicate, most essential piece of information regarding energy product. While promoting, the company does not disclaim the harm caused by fossil fuels that is clearly welcoming legal and detailed investigation. Lastly, the company clearly disregards cost of externalities that is harming health and environment of people. This indicates that taxes paid by ExxonMobil are inadequate due to ignorance or inclusion of public costs.PART CSection 1 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Risk AppetiteThe entire scenario of environm ental accusation initiated when Mr. Lee R Raymond misinterpreted the environmental fact sheet at Annual General Meeting (AGM) in 2000. It was considered highly questionable for shareholders, as misinterpretation to save industrial reputation was an immature maneuver made by representative of upper management.Analyzing background of the problem, Dr. Lloyd Keigwin conducted a research using temperature data of Sargasso Sea. The research highlighted that surface temperature of earth is rising sharply, which is a reason for intense global warming in 1998. The global representatives of UN conducted a meeting in Kyoto, Japan, with objective to restrict and minimize released greenhouse gasses and carbon dioxide into ecology. This objective was clearly limiting the organizational likes of ExxonMobil and Shell from their objectives of finding alternative energy through hydraulic fracturing and related land exploration activities (Packard and Reinhardt, 2000).The issue of global warming start ed targeting enterprises and energy-manufacturing companies when Mr. Raymond pulled a disaster at shareholder meeting in 2000. He presented the chart as description of earthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s definite temperature, which was one-sided picture actually. Raymond strictly supported the impression that fossil fuels are not responsible for global warming. Instead, the human activity across the globe results in inclining earthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s temperature. However, the author, Dr. Keigwin denied the fact later, stated that his work represents on piece of entire earth, and should not be considered as definite yardstick.In the investors meeting of 2000, Mr. Raymond misled investors and public through various means. Firstly, investors were misguided over the consensus related to global warming and reasons for inclining temperature. He strictly emphasized that human activity is responsible for disturbing ecology rather industrial activities and explorations that company/ies are conducting in search of a lternative energy (Glasgow, 1999).Second, Mr. Raymond misguided investors through obsolete scientific findings, which were temperature data extracted from satellite. After accusing human activity, he attempted to convince shareholders that global temperature is falling. The data was unreliable since it was outdated and even rectified by author (Glasgow, 1999).Third, the company misled the worldwide audience through advertisements and mass marketing. ExxonMobil invested on this campaign lucratively in order to convince people regarding global warming. The advertisements telecasted on worldwide television and published in reputed newspapers such as New York Times (NYT) were designated as mischaracterization of scientific findings, deceiving statements, and misguiding (Glasgow, 1999).Lastly, the public was deceived by ExxonMobil when affiliated organizations were formed to conduct explorations. The...