I was very surprised when I read Muieen Cader’s Blog, to find out that companies who make Hybrid’s are actually losing money from them rather than gaining a huge amount of profit. I found this piece of information and Muieen’s blog very useful because of the previous class we did have about ethics being an important aspect in a corporation. First I was skeptical to whether or not firms were being ethical for the right reasons, I definitely thought ethics were an important aspect of a company but firms would mainly have them because of their image and too draw in consumers who will eventually generate more profit. But according to Muieen these companies did lose money and are only now creating profits because of the new technology that has developed. I found this very interesting because I did know already that Hybrid’s are priced increasingly higher than a normal car, so I assumed this created higher profits for the company. But, Muieen also mentions that although they are higher priced, some companies, like Toyota, are still losing money due to the extensive price of parts they need to put these environmentally friendly vehicles to work.
Monthly Archives: November 2012
RE: Chloe Hronopoulos’ Blog: Is UrtheCast too optimistic?
After reading Chloe’s blog, it did arise some questions of my own about this future world changing product, UrtheCast. She goes on to mention the twitter aspect of the company and how we would be able to see the exact location of where our friends are tweeting. She mentioned the question of how Urthecast will be able too decipher between an “important” tweet over a less important “just had a sandwich” type of tweet. Will our UrtheCast map be filled with arrows all over the area because of these random useless tweets? In addition, I do use social networking, but am also conscious of the creepy cyber world that does exist. I do imagine that their will be high privacy settings set in regards to the location aspect, but sometimes for me personally it does start to get weird when you constantly know the whereabouts of a friend you rarely spend time with or vice versa.
Edmonton, an example of what type of picture UrtheCast will provide
Another look of what the twitter aspect will look alike on UrtheCast
That being said, UrtheCast’s idea, as stated by Chloe, is fascinating. They are creating a Google Street/Map on steroids and are innovating a new technology that has the potential to be used just as often as google does. Another positive aspect I did like was their future plans to join teams with businesses in the food industry, by pinpointing the closest local Starbucks or Mcdonalds consumers will find it easier to find these locations while on vacation or in places they are not familiar with. This idea is very smart because by creating these ties with huge well-known corporations, it only will attract more and more people to dive into this ingenious idea. So yes, they may be reaching for the stars in their hopes to get this product up and running, but the optimism is coming from an idea that could change the way we see technology.
A closer look into UrtheCast
Sources:
http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Urthecast+Earth+Video+Camera/6019348/story.html
www.urthecast.com
RE: Wendy Vaz’s Blog, TOMS: one for one
Wendy Vaz mentions the waste of the purchase of TOMS, and how people buy TOMs solely on the idea that they provide a pair of shoes to a child in a third world country but will later fail to get its maximum use and thus it becomes a waste. I would like to say I do agree on the point she has given and would like to elaborate on the issue that TOMs provides.
On a blog I found (http://apersonaldiaspora.blogspot.ca/2011/04/toms-discussion-on-bad-aid.html), they mention the down fall of this charitable cause.
For children who would normally be walking on bare feet, they are creating an adaption to their surroundings and are becoming immuned to some of the diseases. By giving a child a pair of shoes we forget that they will eventually grow out of them and then what? They will be forced to walk on the ground barefoot, without the immunity they would’ve had obtained. Additionally, a quote mentioned in the book When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself:
“Avoid paternalism. Do not do things for people that they can do for themselves. Memorize this, recite it under your breath all day long, and wear it like a garland around your neck.”,
explains that by giving them shoes they are growing a new dependency to them they would have never needed, one they will not be able to forever supply which will, in the long run, create more damage than good. Conclusively , I love the idea that TOMs brings too the table, but it is not a long term answer to the issues that do occur in these third world countries and I do believe that the negative effects could really outweigh the positive ones.
“A Day without Dignity” (a video further explaining the negative effects)
A new way to better the environment while saving money
We are constantly forgetting the little everyday appliances that we keep on before we leave the house. These appliances, although we are unaware, consume energy while just sitting there collecting dust. Energy Aware, a product created by Janice Cheam, Sauder graduate, is a “user-friendly PowerTab” which gives house owners a measurement in watts of how much energy they are consuming. This PowerTab will be able to create a new perspective on the way we save energy, but also how we save money. By being able to see exactly how many watts of electricity we are using we can unplug energy eating appliances and consume less and less energy, which will end up saving us money when the hydro bill comes in the mail.
The Energy Aware PowerTab had been part of the “Sustainability” theme the Olympic Village was trying too portray. They were able to install a PowerTab in each condo that housed the olympic athletes and by doing these they were able to create a strong brand name for themselves. Although they are unable to sell to the public, they are in negotiations and are currently working on that aspect of their business.
For more information: Energy Aware
Joe Green, former dorm mate of Mark Zuckerberg (creator of Facebook) will forever have to live with the decision his father had encouraged him to make. When Zuckerberg presented the idea of creating a new social network, Joe Green looked to his father for advice, who is a professor at UCLA. Of course, the suggestion of dropping out of University and innovating a product that was not a 100% guarantee of being successful was a risky choice if he said yes, so his father told him not to join Zuckerberg and to continue with his studies. This decision proved to become a $10b mistake and will forever hang over Green as one of the biggest mistakes of his life.
Personally I would have probably made the same decision. Considering the fact that he went to an Ivy League school (Harvard), it seemed pretty normal that his father was not impressed with him wanted to leave the infamous school and create a website that could’ve easily failed. So yes, I would’ve stayed put in school and tried to make something of myself, WITH a university degree.
Bloomberg Business Week Video Clip
From “Me” to “We”
“Mark and Craig Kielburger Do-Gooding Social Enterprise”
Free the Children, an organization created for compassionate youngsters who have the desire to help those less fortunate then they. Having built more than 65- schools and schools rooms in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and have provided health care, clean water and sanitation facilities to one million people, at first glance this is just another charity, but in reality Free the Children is a business designed to create a sustainable difference in these underprivileged countries.
(Founders of Free the Children, Mark and Craig Kielburger)
Free the Children donates half of it’s profits to the “charity” aspect of the organization, last year it was $380 000 in cash and $600 000 in the use of its buildings and donated labour. The other profits go to administrative costs and are reinvested into the company, thus creating its sustainability.
Mark and Craig Kielburger, social entrepreneurs and founders, are both inspiring and driven to create a better world and help educate young minds in the bigger picture we all seem to forget. I have personally participated in Me to We clubs as well as have been involved in We day 2010-2012. These brothers never fail to inspire me and provide me with the courage to want to change the world.
(Martin Sheen at the 2010 We day, “One heart with courage is a majority”) (Click for speech)
