A List of Arguments For and Against Zoos

A List of Arguments For and Against Zoos Not all animal rights activists love animals. Some respect them because they understand animals have a place in the world. Zoos, especially the ones that are doing everything right, present a special challenge to the animal-loving advocates because they would like to see and interact with the animals. Zoos and Animal Rights Zoo advocates argue that they save endangered species and educate the public, but many  animal rights activists believe the costs outweigh the benefits, and the violation of the rights of the individual animals is unjustifiable. Roadside zoos, petting zoos, and smaller animal exhibitors tend to offer inadequate space for the animals, keeping them in pens or cages. Sometimes, barren concrete and metal bars are all a tiger or bear will know for their entire lives. Larger, accredited zoos try to distance themselves from these operations by touting how well the animals are treated, but to animal rights activists, the issue not how well the animals are treated, but whether we have a right to confine them for our amusement or education. grass-lifeisgood / Getty Images Arguments For Zoos By bringing people and animals together, zoos educate the public and foster an appreciation of the animals. This exposure and education motivate people to protect the animals.Zoos save endangered species by bringing them into a safe environment, where they are protected from poachers, habitat loss, starvation, and predators.Many zoos also have breeding programs for endangered species. In the wild, these individuals might have trouble finding mates and breeding.Reputable zoos are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and are held to high standards for the treatment of the animals. According to the AZA, accreditation means, official recognition and approval of a zoo or aquarium by a group of experts.A good zoo provides an enriched habitat in which the animals are never bored, are well cared for, and have plenty of space.Zoos are a tradition, and a visit to a zoo is a wholesome, family activity.Seeing an animal in person is a much more personal and more memorable experienc e than seeing that animal in a nature documentary. Some would argue that humans have little, if any duty to non-human animals because humans are more important, and if keeping animals in zoos serves any educational or entertainment purposes, it serves a purpose to the humans, even if that purpose is not beneficial for the animals.Some zoos help rehabilitate wildlife and take in exotic pets that people no longer want or are no longer able to care for.Both accredited and unaccredited animal exhibitors are regulated by the federal Animal Welfare Act, which establishes standards for care. Long Zhiyong / Getty Images Arguments Against Zoos From an animal rights standpoint, we do not have a right to breed, capture and confine other animals, even if they are endangered. Being a member of an endangered species doesnt mean the individual animals have fewer rights.Animals in captivity suffer from stress, boredom, and confinement. Intergenerational bonds are broken when individuals get sold or traded to other zoos, and no pen or even drive-through safari can compare to the freedom of the wild.Baby animals bring in visitors and money, but this incentive to breed new baby animals leads to overpopulation. Surplus animals are sold not only to other zoos, but also to circuses, canned hunting facilities, and even for slaughter.Some zoos just kill their surplus animal outright.The vast majority of captive breeding programs do not release animals back into the wild. The offspring are forever part of the chain of zoos, circuses, petting zoos, and exotic pet trade that buy, sell and barter animals among themselves and exploit animals. Ned the Asian elephant was born at an accredited zoo, but later confiscated from an abusive circus trainer and finally sent to a sanctuary. Removing individuals from the wild will further endanger the wild population because the remaining individuals will be less genetically diverse and will have more difficulty finding mates.If people want to see wild animals in real life, they can observe wildlife in the wild or visit a sanctuary. A true sanctuary does not buy, sell, or breed animals, but takes in unwanted exotic pets, surplus animals from zoos or injured wildlife that can no longer survive in the wild.If zoos are teaching children anything, its that imprisoning animals for our own entertainment is acceptable.The argument that children will have more compassion animals they can see life does not hold water. Not one of todays children has ever seen a dinosaur, yet kids are crazy about them.At least one study has shown that elephants kept in zoos do not live as long as elephants in the wild.The federal Animal Welfare Act establishes only the most minimal standards for cage size, shelter, health care, ventilation, fencing , food, and water. For example, enclosures must provide sufficient space to allow each animal to make normal postural and social adjustments with adequate freedom of movement. Inadequate space may be indicated by evidence of malnutrition, poor condition, debility, stress, or abnormal behavior patterns. Violations often result in a slap on the wrist and the exhibitor is given a deadline to correct the violation. Even a long history of inadequate care and AWA violations, such as the history of Tony the Truck Stop Tiger, will not free the animals. Sanctuaries also rehabilitate wildlife and take in unwanted exotic pets, without breeding, buying and selling animals like zoos do.Animals sometimes escape their enclosures, endangering themselves as well as people. There have even been incidents of zoo animals eating other zoo animals. In the case of zoos, both sides will argue that their side saves animals. Whether or not zoos benefit the animal community, they certainly do make money. As long as there is demand for zoos, they will continue to exist. We can start by making sure that zoo conditions are the best possible for the animals who are confined to them.

Critically consider the challenges and opportunities that social and Essay

Critically consider the challenges and opportunities that social and community enterprises face in their chase to affect social change - Essay Example In contrast to other socially/community-oriented organizations, social enterprise combines two important aspects: entrepreneurship and social-orientation. Even though the concept of social entrepreneurship is a relatively new, the number of social enterprises has increased substantially during the past decades (Nkala, 2009). Today there exist both threats and opportunities that social enterprises face with. The aim of this paper is to analyze what challenges and opportunities social and community enterprises face in their chase to affect social change. There exist many different interpretations of the concept of â€Å"social entrepreneurship†. Despite the variety of definitions of the term of social entrepreneurship, some researchers believe that more unified definition is still to be developed (Short, Moss, and Lumpkin, 2009). Bornstein and Davis (2010) define it is a process by which individuals transform or create institutions in order to solve or help to solve various social problems, including poverty, illiteracy, illness, environmental destruction, corruption, and human rights abuses. Thus, these organizations aim to improve life for many people and broader society. In order to achieve their mission, social enterprises undertake various commercial activities. Thus, the value of social enterprise is measured not only in terms of its contribution to social, environmental, or cultural life but also in terms of its financial sustainability (Social traders, 2011). There are identified three major categories of motivations for establishment of social enterprise. These categories include: employment; service innovation, and income generation. In terms of employment motivation, social enterprises provide employment opportunities, support and training for marginalized groups. These enterprises are also motivated by an opportunity to maintain or create services, which enable to satisfy economic or

PepsiCo Team-Board of Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PepsiCo Team-Board of Governance - Essay Example The board of directors is tasked with the responsibility of overseeing the activities of a company. The activities of the board of directors are only delegated powers that are outside the organization itself, which have authority given to it by the bylaws of the organization (Malline 82). The board often faces challenges, and at this team company’s board, the most crucial governance issue is the compliance of public policy issues. There are countless issues that are put across that try and restrict the movement and actions of the board, which tries as much as possible to comply with these policies. In this firm’s case, by bringing in public persons, there is a chance for the organization to find a clear-cut channel to address the compliance of certain policies. It also creates transparency that the firm really needs. Conscious capitalism is what may be used to refer to the philanthropic activities that a firm is willing to undertake (Malline 87). This is in order to help the surrounding external environment benefit and also assist the firm benefit. The firm often participates in different sports activities for some of the different organizations that exist in the area. This is often done as a means to have donations for the groups involved, and also build awareness for the group in question. The skills and capabilities that the firm boasts of make it possible to have different activities in different areas, which also help in fostering exceptional relations between the firm and the people in the external environment.