Tag: Comm292

Global Warming. We’ve heard about this topic since we were children, so why is it that young people are so pressured to take care of our Earth whereas adults aren’t?

Climate change has been one of the most controversial and intimidating topics of the last few years. Since ‘Generation Y’ are the first to grow up knowing of this issue, our eyes turn to our political leaders to help change the world. Unfortunately, many leaders have not been on board for helping limit climate change. The newly-elected president, Donald Trump, has transformed the official Environmental Protection Agency website into removing sentences describing the U.S’ efforts to help stop global warming.

There are some heroes leading the change, however, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been an avid campaigner for helping limit global warming. In October 2016, Trudeau announced that they have until 2018 to come up with a form of carbon pricing, or else the federal government will do it for them. This may not be a stretch, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

The connection in all of this is that there are two types of leaders, those that do what’s best for them, and those that do what’s best for everyone. Our generation is steadily becoming the leading generation in the world, and climate change is on all of our minds. Animals are going extinct, sea levels are rising at a rapid rate, and more deserts are being created by the day. All of this is created in large part of us, and we must do all we can to reverse it.

Political leaders need to realize how much of an impact the environment has on our lives. Hiding climate change tags on websites won’t do anything, and it’s our generation that will be the ones that will have to deal with it. In the western world, a leader is voted in. That leader needs to speak and do on behalf of its’ voters, not cower away and fire anyone that’s a threat.

Leaders lead people, and there are some political figures right now who aren’t doing that. Dividing a nation, whether it be through race, sexuality, or through generations, is not what should be done in the first month of presidency. Trudeau has done a fine job of trying to unite everyone. Maybe its’ the same that other leaders followed his example.

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References:

Harris, K. (2016, October 03). Trudeau sets ‘floor’ carbon price of $10 a tonne by 2018, $50 by 2022. Retrieved February 06, 2017, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-trudeau-climate-change-1.3788825

Central, B. K., Lavelle, M., McKenna, P., Gustin, G., John H. Cushman Jr., Lisa Song, Zahra Hirji, Jr., J. H., . . . Staff, I. (2017, February 3). Trump EPA removes climate change information from website. Retrieved from https://insideclimatenews.org/news/03022017/epa-donald-trump-climate-change-science-scott-pruitt

S, P. (2016). Journal of ecosystem & ecography: How to tackle global warming OMICS Publishing Group. doi:10.4172/2157-7625.S5-009

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It seems as if every conversation had right now always turns to the topic of Trump. Before, these conversations were mere jokes, saying things such as “He’s a terrible candidate, but it’s okay because he won’t win” or “Does he really think that people will fall for what he’s saying?”. Now these conversations have become more worrisome, with all of us asking the question “What’s next?”.

Less than two weeks ago, Trump enacted the so-called “Muslim Ban”, preventing entry into the U.S. from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen citizens for 90 days. Not only this, but there is also an indefinite access from Syrian refugees, and a 120 day ban from any other refugees. This political move shocked people all over the world, with protests in various cities.

One main shocker, however, was Trump firing Sally Yates, the federal government lawyer. Yates, on behalf of the Justice Department, said she wouldn’t defend the act on any case, as she believed it to be not seek justice or be right. Right away, she was fired, and was replaced with Dana Boente until Trump’s own pick, Jeff Sessions, gets approved by the senate.

This isn’t just about the Muslim Ban, or Trumps’ campaign promises. This is about looking out for your team and staying true to your teams’ needs. Yes, Trump didn’t pick Yates as an advisor, but when you’re president of the leading country in the world, you have to adapt to changes. Every time something goes wrong, you can’t just fire someone and hope for everything to be better.

A leading team, especially that of a country, should have diversity to better suit the peoples need. Additionally, diversity is good for a team as it allows for better communication and contrasting opinions with the overall goal of, in this case, making peoples’ lives better. The majority of Trump’s White House Council are older caucasian people. The United States is a country of great diversity, so why shouldn’t the people representing them be the same?

Yates was one of the first people in office to take a stand to Trump, and she should not be the last. People who are working directly for the federal government and White House need to realize that they take a stand too. Only then, hopefully, will Trump learn that a leader is one who understands his colleagues, and doesn’t scare them away or order them to do objectives that they find morally wrong.

Trump is digging himself into a rather large hole, with no means of escape. With protests becoming more common by the day, and more regrettable Trump voters speaking up for what they think is right, Trumps’ time in office may be cut short. There may be such a thing as making America great again, but this is not it.

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References:

R., & Reuters News Service. (01/31/2017). Cyprus mail: Fired: Trump dumps top lawyer who defied immigration order Cyprus Mail Co., Ltd.

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Bar reservations are through the roof, commercials are trending all over social media, nachos and wings are on everyones’ grocery lists, and all eyes are set on a certain singer to give the performance of a lifetime. It’s that time of year again: the Super Bowl.

In the last few decades, this football ‘play-off’ has turned into a worldwide event. Whether you’re watching the Super Bowl for the game, the ads, or the halftime show, you’re bound to be amazed. All differences aside, there is a lot of pressure for everyone involved. With over 110 million viewers in the U.S. alone, there’s no space for error. That is especially important for the halftime show, a performance that everyone looks forward to on TV and online.

This years’ halftime show performer, Lady Gaga, has a lot of pressure riding on her to give a performance that will amaze millions. She was announced as the halftime performer back in September, and has been working on it ever since. Recently, she’s been working 24/7 on the project. The question, however, is that if this performance is a good moivator for a singer who understands the pressure, or if it is an immense amount of pressure. Is this too much for one person to handle?

Motivation is the entity that describes our direction, intensity, and persistence towards meeting our goals. These goals could be everyday goals, such as waking up on time, to a large goal, such as performing at the Super Bowl. One’s motivation is determined by their intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. In Lady Gaga’s case, her intrinsic motivator is to conquer the biggest stage in the world. As for her extrinsic motivators, it’s to unite the world with messages of equality, especially after the recent political developments.

Gaga definitely has a need for achievement, as she wants to please
everyone there and put on a good show. The need for power would be to have everyone stop and listen to her performance, and understand any of the messages that she gives. There’s no reason to say that she doesn’t have a need for affiliation, as she has said in various
interviews that her goal is to build relationships with everyone involved in the production and show, and everyone at home.

The answer to whether it is an immense amount of pressure and stress would be yes, but it’s what you do with that pressure and stress that matters. For Lady Gaga, she’s turning that stress into a motivator to give everyone an extravagant show. After seeing many of her behind-the-scenes videos, it’s safe to say that the show is in good hands. Gaga has the credibility and the stamina to not give into the stress, and instead use it to push herself. All in all, it’s guaranteed that she’ll get the applause that she deserves.