With hurricane Sandy quickly approaching the East coast, it is hard not to wonder why these storms are coming in stronger and later than ever. The Chicago Tribune published an article today examining the factors contributing to these “super storms” and all facts point to global warming.
Amanda Staudt, a climate scientist for the National Wildlife Federation, explains that climate change is not the sole cause of catastrophic weather events, but instead intensifies their damage and severity. She believes that since the Earth has become increasingly warmer, the length of hurricane season has increased, and the numbers support her conclusions. As industrial societies began burning fossil fuels “in great quantities in the late 19th century… the average global temperature has risen between 1.5 and 2 degrees Fahrenheit.” In addition, the water temperate in the Mid-Atlantic is 5 degrees higher than the average. Because of these warmer climates, out atmosphere retains 4% more moisture than it once did 40 years ago. Scientist predicts that by the end of the 21st century “hurricanes could dump 20% more rain than it does now.”
This article relates directly to the ethical and social responsibilities companies have in an effort to preserve the environment. Along with providing ethical working conditions and accurate financial statements, companies should use environmentally friendly resources and dispose of their products in a safe way. It is the manager’s duty to ensure their business is not harming people or the environment in any way.
Alternatively, city officials of New York, New Jersey, and other large cities on the East coast are taking every precautionary measure to ensure people stay safe during hurricane Sandy. Officials have closed down the entire subway system in New York, hired additional electricians from all around the US, and canceled hundreds of flights and trains to and from LaGuardia.
I find this forecasting to be a great sign of successful management by the city officials, but what do you think? Do you feel that they are over-hyping this storm, like many believe happened last year with hurricane Irene? Will the increase of this ‘Super Storms’ encourage companies to become greener?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-na-nn-hurricane-sandy-heads-to-northeast-20121027,0,177959.story
I feel as though they might be over-hyping the storm. However, this is for good reason. Thousands of individuals can potentially be effected by the storm, and so taking no action would be the worst thing they could do. As you stated, they are taking, “precautionary measures.” I guess the motto for this scenario could be, “better safe than sorry.”
I also find it interesting that you discuss the idea of ethics. Which again, I believe they are acting in a very ethical manner here. Lives are potentially at stake and this storm can bring about a lot of damage. I think it would be immoral of them not to warn the people on the east coast.
I really enjoyed the way that you tied in such a current event as Storm Sandy with operations management. It is so important for businesses to be environmentally ethical. Currently, in my PAX Activism class we are discussing the Environmental Movement and commerce industry’s role. Although it is becoming more and more popular for businesses to be “green” and sustainable, some are still struggling from a past of pollution and pesticide use that they can’t seem to give up in the face of profit.
The city’s ability to predict the storm was a great use of forecasting. Hopefully they will be able to use effective operations strategies to minimize the overall impact of the storm on the citizens of the East Coast.
I would like to hope that an increase in “Super Storms” would encourage more companies to become greener, but I still feel like it is going to be a long time before many companies change their wasteful ways. Food companies like Tyson, which is a huge company and have been around for a long time, are one of the worst green companies still. It is unfortunate to say that it may take more than a “super storm” to change these super companies.
I believe that it is important to know about storms and bad weather. This is because storms can cause delay in projects. Also, the companies have to take into account the safety of the employees working on the projects. If there is danger, they should take all the precautions necessary. A dangerous storm like this one gives a perfect example that there will be a delay in the project if there are multiple critical paths. Also, the duration of a storm has to be taken into consideration.