Corporate Crime †BP Oil Spill

Corporate Crime – BP Oil Spill Introduction Most organizations have strived to carry out their operations within the confines of the law. However, in some instances of, say negligence, has made them be entangled with lawsuits emanating from their operations. Some companies knowingly or unknowingly have committed corporate crimes in the pursuits of profit maximization.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Corporate Crime – BP Oil Spill specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In general terms, corporate crime refers to any crime committed by a company/organization or business entity. Similarly, Yeager (1980) illustrates that corporate crime is â€Å" the conduct of a corporation or employees acting on behalf of a corporation, which is prescribed and punishable by law†. This crime may also reflect the character of the management team as cited by Yeager (1980). BP is one of the respected companies which, in the eyes of many, was involved in corporat e crime. Though it may be argued that crime committed was not intentional, it had far reaching effects on the environment and climate. The crime the company committed occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, which in 2010, fixing environmental and economic issue. These included damage to aquatic life, water pollution and breakdown of businesses among others. It is reported that around 174 million gallons was spilled and spread over an area estimated 25, 000 square miles (Hayward, 2010). BP Oil Company BP is one of the largest oil suppliers of oil on the globe. The organization was engaged in steady operations until 2010, when it experienced lower profits because of the oil spill that happened in the Gulf of Mexico. The Spill happened in April 2010, when the Deep Water Horizon drilling,a company owned by Transocean Ltd, contracted by BP burst and begun burning near the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. The ship began sinking, gushing an estimated 55,000 barrels of oil per day. Efforts to contain the spill was unsuccessful. When it was successfully capped in September 2010, an estimated 205 million gallons of crude oil was already spilled into the ocean. The disaster caused a severe damage and endangered several â€Å"at risk† businesses along the Gulf. These industries included; tourism, recreational and commercial fishing and other businesses tied to natural resources.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More BP Oil Spill Effects Environmental Challenges The BP oil spill had several ethical implications to the organization and the environment as a whole. Some of the effects caused by the spill revolved around the wildlife and the environment. The spill contributed to the disruption of the ecosystem and the wildlife, these included both aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. Similarly, marine and wildlife habitats were extensively damaged, fishing and tourism aff ected as the fish were affected by the oil present in the water bodies. This made their survival a challenge. According to Steiner (2010) environmental and water pollution contributed to both human and aquatic health problems as it led to suffocation of aquatic life besides contaminating the oxygen concentration in water and the environment. Financial Loss Company The BP oil company did not only contribute to the destruction of the environment and wildlife, it incurred financial losses as well. For example, Steiner (2010) indicates that the compensation valuation in physical damages in contrast to actual claims was approximated to be about $20-50 billion. Many authors opine that this figure is one of the grand verdicts ever made compared to the more than $5 billion awarded to Alaska oil spill in American history (Amadeo, 2010). Businesses and Individuals Many businesses and private individuals also suffered financial loss in terms of property and economic damage. These included abou t 13,000 individuals. Among the businesses that suffered hugely included; property owners, the hoteliers, restaurateurs and oyster men. Loss of Life The BP oil pill contributed to loss of life. According to Gardner (2010) eleven people perished and animals and plants died as well. In addition to these deaths, several people were injured, because the spill covered a large surface area, Gardner (2010) notes that sea birds, fish and turtles among others died on a large scale. The coral reefs which add beauty to coastal beaches was also destroyed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Corporate Crime – BP Oil Spill specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Social Fabric The Oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico confronted an environmental disaster never experienced in the American history. Because of the oceanic and geography processes, the ecological impacts of the spill had a greater impact on the coastal areas. Nevertheless, the s pill affected the social fabric and the ecology of the communities residing in these areas. The situation caused the inhabitants to reflect their relationships with the media, industries and government agencies. According to X, the communities residing at the coastlines blamed the regulating agency for improperly monitoring the extraction of the resource and the BP for the technical failure causing the spill. Along with the media, we viewed the agencies/institutions as incapable of conveying accurate information to the public or addressing critical technical aspects during the response process. Pyrrhic defeat theory illustrates that those who have authority to change the system opt not to do so because they benefit in the way it operates. In this case, the institutions which the residents trusted to be their aid did nothing tangible to safeguard their well being (Alario Freudenburg, 2003). Rather than being a center of first stop, the community argued the institutions and the indus try were colluding in efforts to extract the petroleum resource. Similarly, the media, BP and the institutions were believed as promoting their own interest rather than safeguarding the community through failure to properly represent the community and the story. Thus, the residents were convinced that the values bestowed to the institutions were geared towards political and profit making goals. In a nutshell, the institutions failed to implement policies that would have reduced the risk. Why BP Oil Spill is a Problematic Issue BP oil spill is one of the most complex cases ever to have happened in the world history. This is because the spill covered five Gulf States, that is, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana. The spill altered the structures already established. On a larger scale, it destroyed the livelihood of these states rendering the economic and social survival of thousands of people a challenge.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Also, Weiss (2010) illustrates that the compensation in terms of physical damages was at a high of $ 20-50 billions. Among the litigants, this amount was believed to be the grant judgement ever to be delivered. Similarly, the spill brought about many groups and individuals seeking compensation. For instance, groups such as the hotel owners of Florida and captains of charter boats sued the company as a result of losing customers. Also, about 15,000 fishermen in Louisiana sued the company by claiming the oil polluted the habitats of fish challenging fishing activities (Hayward, 2010). Another bizarre issue with this case is that there were both physical and non- physical damages occurring. However, under the Tort law, an appellant suing the organization, claiming for physical damages to property is limited to the economic loss but not on the damages inflicted on him/her. Similarly, under the tort law, all the affected parties have to correctly confirm the exact damages caused so as to facilitate quick recovery of their business (Gardner, 2010). As in the case of a BP oil spill, there were many diverse plaintiffs such as the boat operators, sports fishermen and seafood sellers. There were many ideological positions among the decision makers on how to approach the BP case. However, most arguments were inclined on the due course of the law. For example, the American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicated that it would ban the company temporarily from securing new contracts with the government for it had failed to uphold business ethics in their business operations. Similarly, the ideal of criminal justice was upheld by the US government (Amadeo, 2010). The government pointed out that the BP should compensate all the victims of the tragedy. BP had to abide by the decision of the government; it set aside over 40 Billion in fines and settlements, clean up costs on the oil spill and additional 16 billion demanded by the Clean Water Act (Dyer et al., 1992). Sim ilarly, whereas it is in the public domain that the BP oil rig blew up in the Gulf of Mexico, and everyone admits including the BP company, some people have not believed this argument. They feel that this was not a mere accident. It was their unwillingness to improve safety, hence, an intentional act of conspiracy. Conclusion BP oil spill is considered a corporate crime. It led to a lot of actions that were considered criminal. This contributed to the loss of life, environmental pollution and health issues among others. For instance, the pollution of the environment contributed to the extinction of endangered birds and other aquatic species. Similarly, it collapsed family units as some people migrated to other areas for safety and loss of jobs. On commercial implications, properties were destroyed and businesses lost huge profits and business opportunities. For instance, tourist operators, fishermen and captains had their source of livelihood constrained. References List Alario, M. and Freudenburg, W.R. (2003). Paradoxes of Modernity: Scientific Advances, Environmental Problems, and Risks to Social Fabric? Sociological Forum, 17(2), 193-214. Amadeo, K. (2010). Gulf Oil Spill, US Economy. Web. Dyer, C.L., Gill, D.A., and Picou, J.S. (1992). Social disruption and the Valdez oil spill: Alaskan Natives in a natural resource community. Sociological Spectrum, 12 (2), 105-126. Gardner, D. (2010). Bp Market Plunge Wipes Billions Off UK Pension Funds as Shares In Oil Giant Suffer Fresh Falls. Web. Hayward, T. (2010). BP 2010; Strategy Presentation. New York, NY: BP Corp. Steiner, R. (2010). The Largest â€Å"Accidental Oil Spill† in History; Lessons of Bp’S Deepwater Horizon Disaster. Web. Weiss, D., C. (2010). BP Agrees to Pay $20 Billion into Compensation Fund. Web. Yeager, P., C. (1980). Corporate Crime. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers.

Show, Dont Tell How to Show Not Tell in Writing With Examples

Show, Dont Tell How to Show Not Tell in Writing With Examples Show, Dont Tell: How to Show Not Tell in Writing With Exercises When you start writing a book, it’s as if everyone around you becomes the expert. They tell you to show dont tell, start with action, or even embellish your stories to sound â€Å"better.† But how do you know what advice to takeand what do those writing tips even mean in the first place?Were here to help you understand showing versus telling and how that will actually help you write better and stronger.It’s safe to say that the idea of showing not telling is one all writers should pay close attention to.Show don’t tell in writing is a piece of advice that’s been around for longer than you might realize. Even if it didn’t have a phrase attached to it yet, the best authors out there have been using it for the duration of their careers (and even before, most likely).Heres how to show dont tell in writing:Understand what show dont tell meansLearn from examples of showing versus tellingCut the sensing words to show dont tellAvoid emotional explain ing when showing not tellingDescribe body languageUse strong verbs to show dont tellFocus on describing sensesPractice showing not telling every dayIn fact, it’s why they’re known as the best writers of all time.But although these writers knew how to bring their writing to life instinctually, not all of us are so lucky. We have to learn the process of show don’t tell, which can be tricky if you don’t know where to start.NOTE: We cover everything in this blog post and much more about the writing, marketing, and publishing process in our VIP Ficiton Selfs:These examples are pretty basic but that’s the best way to gain an understanding of what this looks like. Keep in mind that your sentences may be more complex than these examples, but still full of tell words or phrases. Be on the lookout for the details.Show Dont Tell Example #1:Tell: I heard footsteps creeping behind me and it made the whole situation scarier.†Show: â€Å"Crunching hit my e ars from behind, accelerating the already rampant pounding of my heart.†Why this showing example is better:In an instance such as this, you want the reader to feel what you did: the surprise and the sense of urgency, the fear. Describing the crunching that hit your ears even through the pounding of your heart not only creates a powerful visual, but it also tells the reader the state your body was in during that intense moment. The first example is weak and does little to explain how you actually felt in that moment. Show Dont Tell Example #2:Tell: â€Å"She was my best friend. I could tell her almost anything.†Show: I met her at the town square, running in for our usual hug that carried on for far too long as we gushed about our lives with smiles lighting our faces.† Why this showing example is better: The first example of telling is shorter, but it doesn’t do a great job of really showing the impact you have on each other. Anyone can think of â€Å"best f riend† and form an overall thought about what that looks like. But this isn’t just â€Å"anyone.† This is your best friend. Showing your relationship with one another is vital to forging that deeper connection.Why should you show don’t tell in writing?The entire point of showing versus telling in writing is to make a stronger emotional connection with your readers and hook them.They already picked up your book for the killer title and eye-grabbing cover, but they need a reason to stay.The idea behind this writing technique is to put the reader in your shoes. Make them feel, hear, and sense the situation as you did.It’s about creating an experience for the reader instead of just a recount of events.Doing this makes the reader want to root for you. They want to hear your whole story and in turn, theyll read your whole book.Why is showing not telling also important for non-fiction?If you write fiction, you hear this advice all the time. However, all of you non-fiction writers out there, this piece of writing advice might be new to you.Show don’t tell isn’t always the first thing a non-fiction writer thinks of when it comes to adding more intrigue to your story.But it is the most vital for pulling your reader in and not only hooking them, but keeping them with you throughout the duration of your book.Many fiction writers hear this writing advice often because it’s one of the best ways to make real people feel deeply for fictional characters.When it comes to writing a story about your life and something you went through, the idea is the same. By showing and not telling, you’ll be able to guide them through your real-life situation as an experience and not just some book they’re reading while the kids are yelling at their video games and the oven alarm is blaring in the distance.If you can show don’t tell the right way, the reader won’t even notice those distractions.How to Show Donâ €™t Tell in WritingSo now you know what it is and why it’s important, but how the heck do you actually do it? The process of taking a single story and crafting it to create more emotion can be difficult.Thankfully, we have some of the best tips for showing not telling in writing.#1 Get rid of all basic sensory wordsPhrases like, â€Å"I heard,† â€Å"I felt,† and â€Å"I smelled,† are all very weak. These are â€Å"telling† words and phrases (also commonly referred to as filters) that force the reader further away from you and your experience.That’s exactly what you want to avoid.Instead, you need to pull them into your world and into your psyche the very moment you were encountering the situation.This is done through using strong verbs and other visual language.Show Dont Tell Exercise #1:Step 1: Read through your writing and circle every telling word you can find. Anything that explains one of the 5 senses.Step 2: Then write down speci fics for each. If you heard someone creeping up behind you, how did you hear it? Was it crunching on gravel? Was it the shuffling of shoes against carpet?Once you have these, rewrite those sections by explaining how the senses manifested to you and not just what you sensed (detailed below in the next writing exercise).#2 Don’t use â€Å"emotion explaining† wordsThis might be a bit tricky and you certainly don’t have to follow this one 100% of the time, but if you can get this right, it’ll make showing versus telling so much easier to grasp.Think of any word to describe an emotion. I’ll help you out a little:HappySadAngryFrustratedExcitedGiddyLoveAnxiousJoyDisgustI could go on, but I think you get the idea.These are all great words to describe how someone felt. However, theyre also very weak, unexciting ways to do so.If you need your readers to understand how excited you were at any given time, show them. Don’t just tell them, â€Å"I was s o excited!†Show them the sweat beading your forehead as you raced to your destination. Show them the lifting of your cheeks as your lips parted way for an uncontrollable smile.Show Dont Tell Exercise #2: Skim through your writing and circle every word that’s an emotion. Then, for every emotion-explaining word you find, write down physical reactions of feeling that way.Once you have a small list for each circled word, use it to craft a couple sentences to describe (and show!) just what that looked like.You can see the difference alone between these two paragraphs. By replacing all of the â€Å"telling† words and phrases, it develops into an experience for the reader and not just a retelling of what happened.#3 Describe body languageOne of the best ways you can show not tell in writing is to use strong descriptive language when it comes to body language.A person’s actions are really a gateway to their mind and how they feel.You can tell if another person ha s a crush on someone just by paying attention to the way their body adjusts when in that person’s presence, right?Showing versus telling in writing is exactly that. You want to show the reader what is happening and allow them to form a conclusion about how you or others in your story felt based on what they look like.In all honesty, a lot of this one is about having faith that your audience can put two and two together.Oftentimes, we tend to over explain in an effort to make something obvious when really, the emotion is in the guesswork; it’s in allowing someone to draw their own conclusions. That over-explaining is what comes across as â€Å"telly† and not as emotionally compelling. And honestly? Its also pretty boring and flat.If you do a great job of showing what you want readers to see, they’ll understand how someone feels and they’ll even feel that way themselves.That’s the power of showing not telling.#4 Use strong verbsShowing itsel f can be extremely impactful, but using strong language and verbs in specific situations is even more powerful for adding depth to your story. The way you make someone else actually feel how you did as you were going through the experience is to make sure the words you’re using directly reflect the emotions.This can be a difficult task for those who aren’t sure what â€Å"strong language† looks likes, but I’ll make it easier for you.Show Dont Tell Exercise #3: Think of a situation you want to explain in your book (or maybe something you already have written out).Now imagine what feeling you want to convey through that scene. What do you want your readers to take away from that specific moment in your story? List those emotions so you can see all of them.Take that list and start writing ways in which you can bring those emotions to life. What do those things mean for you? How would these emotions manifest during that specific time?Now take those stronger v erbs and words that depict a deeper emotion and craft your sentence or paragraph with those to reflect how you truly felt.How does this sentence make you feel? Do you feel comfort, relaxation, and a sense that I love being there?That was the purpose. It’s about taking one specific idea or vibe or feeling and using what you know to transform it into something that’s showing not telling.This specific example for show don’t tell can be a little time-consuming at first, but you will get the hang of it and these methods will soon become second nature to you.#5 Focus on describing sensesWe told you to cut sensing words in tip #1, and thats true, but with this comes the fact that you still have to describe what your character is feeling and sensing.Showing versus telling is largely about allowing your readers to interpret what your characters are going through without just telling them.This often means using all the senses you can to depict a scene.Instead of saying, She hated it there. you can use her senses to show the readers that emotion.For example: writing with showing like this The faint scent of stale cigarette smoke met her nostrils, pulling her face into a familiar grimace. allows your readers to understand that she finds where she is distasteful, without having to just say so.#6 Practice showing not telling every dayTo master the tip of show dont tell in writing, it takes time and practice to get it right. Theres a fine line of using showing versus telling in your writing.With regular practice (by writing every day, we suggest), youll learn when to use telling and when to use showing in order to give the reader the best reading experience they have.You can even practice by reading other books and your own writing. Recognizing areas of showing can help you do it more in your own works.Whatto do Next?Show don’t tell can be difficult to master unless you’re constantly thinking about it. But because this specific writing sk ill is vital for building strong emotional connections, you have to implement this information.Here’s what you can do going forward.#1 Join your FREE trainingYou can’t have too much knowledge when it comes to writing and publishing.