PART A
Question 1
Conflicting impact during the construction of the Three Gorges Dam
Social Impact
Funding for resettlement. This led to corruption and embezzlement where many officials inflated the land value in order to gain more funds from the Government
Many farmers had to switch what they were farming in the past and some farmers were not given land when they were relocated
Floods would claim many lives as the water levels would increase and decrease
The land became less fertile which resulted in grains and rice to be more expensive. Many people were unable to purchase these necessities
Environmental Impact
Sediment and silt contains valuable nutrients necessary for agricultural production, and the blockage from the dam meant that the nutrients needed would not reach fertile farmland
The water in the dam moves slower and the concern with the locals is that the pollution in the water will sit and become worse, decreasing the water quality of the river
Dam is built on an Earthquake Zone
The dam prevents fish to spawn upstream, thus diminishing the population
Loss of farmlands
Economic Impact
The dam would enable the water to be used as a natural renewable resource for energy supply
It would be able to hold more water for irrigation
The dam would allow the transport of goods, as the ships would now be able to go up and down the Yangtze River
The navigation system with enable ships to travel further inland where it will enable a lock system where ships can pass through the dam
Question 2
I believe the Dam has increased the natural resources such as the energy supply and boosted the trade sales for China. The power being used, called Hydropower is clean energy and environmental friendly.
Also after the completion of the dam project, visitors were able to see a wonder in the Yangtze River, and venture more inland to the remote villages. This resulted in a boom of tourism. The dam became beneficial if severe floods were to occur, as the dam can hold the water and discharge the flood, which allows time for transferring people near the river. There are many benefits to the having the dam built, but there are also downfalls. The species that lived in the river such as the Chinese Dolphin were becoming extinct as their natural habitat was being destroyed.
PART B
Section 1
Three external factors that have influenced HP to shift towards a more environmentally and socially responsible practice are Technological, Political and Ecological factors.
The Technological factors consist of the tools that are used to produce HP products, such as the machines and materials. This factor is very important as today’s society has become more tech savvy and the technological change has led management to be in a more competitive cost position.
HP holds quarterly discussions with Ceres, a network of investors, environmental organizations, and other public interest groups working to address sustainability challenges. We seek their input on HP's efforts in environmental sustainability and their advice on furthering employee engagement in this area. HP communicates with Greenpeace on a regular basis regarding topics such as forestry, climate, and ongoing efforts to phase out substances of concern from their products. By participating in the Greenpeace Cool IT Challenge, it evaluates global companies on their leadership in addressing climate change. HP was included in the April 2010 leaderboard, receiving high marks for commitment to reduce the GHG emissions of HP-owned and HP-leased facilities. In January 2011, HP products were featured in five categories in the Greenpeace annual Green Electronics Survey and the HP Compaq 6005 Pro Ultra-slim Desktop PC ranked first in the desktop category.
The Political factors of HP include the government and laws. HP decisions are affected by these groups as every company would be. The government has a vast amount of power in controlling a business thus management must ensure
