Thursday, May 21, 2020

Stuff By Annie Leonard - 1721 Words

In many developing nations across the world, women work in areas known as export processing zones, also known as EPZs. Some of these zones are located in parts of Central America, where women work in factories known as maquiladoras. In Naomi Klein’s book No Logo, she discusses the inhumane issues and mistreatment that goes on in such zones: . . . Employees are kept on twenty-eight-day contracts - the length of the average menstrual cycle - making it easy, as soon as a pregnancy comes to light, for the worker to be dismissed† (Klein 222-223). These zones attract companies like Nike, General Electric, and General Motors mainly because of their cheap skilled labor, minimum regulations and tax free incentives. EPZs usually are restricted areas that provide companies with their manufacturing needs for export. This is only one example that leads to our problem with consumerism. In The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard, she sheds light on the exploitation and mistreatment of our natural resources, like the deforestation of the rainforests due to the demand for lumber. Many Americans today have not come to realize the hidden costs such as: unseen problems like cheap labor that exploits poor individuals, and the harm it causes to third world societies by creating health hazards and violations of human rights as a result with our consumption. Benjamin Barber, from his book Consumed, as well as Liz Stinson, from her web article 12 Hidden Tricks Advertisers Use to Sell You Stuff, bothShow MoreRelatedThe Story Of Stuff By Annie Leonard1315 Words   |  6 Pageselectronics to wardrobes, Americans tune in to the next big thing and feel out of the loop if they do not have it. But quick, cheap updates have a price. Annie Leonard’s colloquial, upbeat presentation of â€Å"The Story of Stuff† examines sustainability issues and how current social and political attitudes contribute to the destruction of Earth. Leonard presents her argument based on interge nerational and intragenerational environmental justice. However, though her argument is persuasive, she provides aRead MorePersonal Essay- Consumerism1014 Words   |  5 Pagesand living quality keep increasing, most of us no longer need to worry about not having enough to eat and wear, so we start to consume in growing numbers. Therefore, a lot of us became so-called consumerists. After reading the book written by Annie Leonard, I got a clearer idea on the consumerist worldview, and I thought about how am I fitting in this consumer society as well. First of all, we need to distinguish well the terms â€Å"consumption† and â€Å"consumerism† , because these are two completelyRead MoreIs The Eternal Life Or Plastic?1024 Words   |  5 Pagescomes from a bottle!† (qt. in The Story of Bottled Water). Are people even aware why this is happening? As much as everyone in the world needs water every day, do they realize where exactly does the water that big corporations are getting it from? Annie Leonard, Rick Anderson, and Adam Smith all want to show the public what these companies are doing to the environment. They don’t know what’s happening outside of their own town. Now, from the looks of the amount of people purchasing plastic bottled waterRead MoreHow Planned And Perceived Obsolescence Invade Our Lives1255 Words   |  6 Pagesother word’s, the engineers designing products do so with the intent of the product to stop working within a set amount of time. Perceived obsolescence is just as sneaky, but completely psychological, it â€Å"convinces us to throw away stuff that is still perfectly useful† (Leonard 11). I believe that these practices are unacceptable and not sustainable indefinitely. They create a massive environmental impact secondary to increased waste (1), put financial strain on consumers (2), and impact the happinessRead MoreFact or Myth: Toxic Cosmetics Essay1597 Words   |  7 PagesThe cosmetic industry in the United States has been under scrutiny concerning whether the chemicals used in cosmetics are safe or toxic. According to Annie Leonard from The Story of Cosmetics, â€Å"The average woman in the U.S. uses about 12 products daily, the average man about six, each product containing a dozen or more chemicals,† but what are these enigmatic chemicals? When a person examines the ingredients list of their shampoo or lotion, one would observe a list of lengthy chemical names; namesRead MoreThe Story of Stuff Review Essay1033 Words    |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Story of Stuff† is a short video created by The Story of Stuff project in 2007. In the video, writers Annie Leonard and Jonah Sachs describe the process of turning natural resources into consumer goods, then into waste. The writers describe a seemingly linear five-step process: extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal. Leonard and Sachs describe a carefully-scripted culture of unsustainable consumption and waste. The extraction phase of â€Å"The Story of Stuff† refers to theRead MoreElectronic Waste1718 Words   |  7 Pagesand VCR and DVD players, among other products. As the demand for newer, more effective and efficient technology increases, the life span of electronic products is becoming shorter and shorter; thus, our consumer society today, which Annie Leonard’s The Story of Stuff describes as a society with a throwaway mindset, discards significant amounts of e-waste worldwide as older and out-of-date electronic items become obsolete. Sound management is imperative to face the challenges that come about as aRead MoreArticle: Personality Psychology1004 Words   |  4 Pageshave fun without expressing any interest in the damage that they inflict on the environment. It is very probable that the fact that they do not actually live there makes it difficult for them to think of nature as of a place that they can call home. Annie Leonards account regarding water makes it pos sible for individuals to see things from the point of view of an individual who actually observes natures suffering. Deforesting has a significant influence on waters adjacent to forests being cut andRead MoreRenewable Energy Is Important For Our Environment1610 Words   |  7 Pagesact because this organization is moving away from relying on fossil fuels. The transition from fossil fuels and coal to renewable energy sources meets the criteria that Annie Leonard outlines for transformational change (â€Å"G.O.A.L) in her video â€Å"The Story of Solutions† (The Story of Solutions Video). In the video Annie Leonard discusses how â€Å"G† stands for giving people more power and taking power back from corporations and transitioning to renewable energy sources meets the â€Å"G† in goal because individualsRead MoreSocial Equality And Political Freedom1563 Words   |  7 Pagesrates in production and consumption. A last, important component of the theory is that environmental protection and corporate profits are dialectic goals. The â€Å"Treadmill of Production† is continuously illustrated in The Story of Stuff. One specific example, discussed by Leonard, which strongly relates to this theory is Chevron’s involvement in Ecuador. Indeed, from 1964 to 1992, Chevron extracted large quantities of oil from a very dense and bio-diverse section of the Amazonian forest. In doing this

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

John Stuart Mill s Utilitarianism - 1642 Words

Happiness in terms of logic is considered to be a vague expression, meaning it has a wide range of interpretations, as well as having no clear meaning. John Stuart Mill, an English philosopher, based his controversial sentiments of happiness on Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarianism, believing that goods are the means to greatest happiness for the greatest number of peoples. Epicurus, an Ancient Greek philosopher, who similarly encouraged people to follow his pleasure based philosophy to obtain happiness. Unlike Mill, Epicurus’ philosophy is based on individualistic hedonism, which often may seem more practical and acceptable. Although, Mill’s utilitarianism is indeed a form of social hedonism rather than individual pleasure-seeking, the†¦show more content†¦However, unlike Jeremy Bentham, the father of utilitarianism, Mill was able to clarify misinterpretations and controversies by additionally incorporating his own social, political and moral theories that se emed fit with the philosophy. Epicureanism belongs in the same hedonistic category as Mill’s utilitarianism, but unlike utilitarianism, Epicurean principles are not commonly used in American government and politics. From afar, Epicureanism may seem the most practical and relatable because one may look and assume that it is simply about indulging in pleasures as long as it makes you happy. However, that is a naive interpretation, as Epicureanism promotes pleasure, but only the natural and necessary ones. Along with only following the natural and necessary pleasures, it also highlights the importance of suppressing desires that cause one to long for pleasures that aren’t necessary. In Epicurus’ â€Å"Principal Doctrines,† he writes, â€Å"on a basis of power sufficient to afford supports and of material prosperity arises in most genuine form the security of a private life withdrawn from the multitude†(2), meaning that wealth should not be a good that contributes to happiness. This may be relatable and useful for certain individuals who devalue material goods, however, this would not be plausible for the American

Financial Analysis of Lockheed Martin Free Essays

A Financial Analysis of Lockheed Martin Corporation Colby Scott LeTourneau University A Financial Analysis of Lockheed Martin corporation The world of finance in today’s market is one of numerous ups and downs. With the global economy in constant flux, it is more important than every for companies to examine their financial status and compare their position to that of the relative market as well as their fellow competitors. In order to better understand the ways in which today’s managers examine their position on the market and evaluate their current value as a company we will examine the financial data of Lockheed Martin Corporation and perform a detailed financial analysis on the company. We will write a custom essay sample on Financial Analysis of Lockheed Martin or any similar topic only for you Order Now In this analysis we will examine financial rations of Lockheed Martin and in turn compare these rations to that of fellow market competitors. Upon completion of our financial analysis we will be able to understand the financial position of Lockheed Martin as well as the position of Lockheed Martin in their respective market, and in turn we will be able to fully comprehend the methods and data used by companies in order to evaluate their company. Before going into an in depth analysis of our company, let us first examine the history behind Lockheed Martin. The Lockheed Martin Corporation traces its roots all the way back to the earliest days of flight. In 1909 aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin organized a company around a small airplane construction business and transformed it into a major airframe supplier to U. S. military and commercial customers. In 1961 the Glenn L. Martin Company became the Martin Marietta Company after the completion of a merger with American-Marietta Corp. , a leading supplier of building and road construction materials. In 1982, Martin Marietta was subject to a hostile takeover bid by the Bendix Corporation which bought the majority of Martin Marietta shares and in effect owned the company. However, Martin Marietta’s management used the short time separating ownership and control to sell non-core businesses and launch its own hostile takeover of Bendix (known as the Pac-Man defense). The end of this extraordinarily bitter battle saw Martin Marietta survive and forced Bendix to be sold off. In 1913, Allan and Malcolm Loughead (name later changed to Lockheed) flew the first Lockheed plane over San Francisco Bay. The brothers later established their own corporation known as the Alco Hydro-Aeroplane Company which was later renamed the Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Company. In 1926, following the failure of Loughead, Allan Loughead formed the Lockheed Aircraft Company in Hollywood, California. In 1929, Lockheed sold out to Detroit Aircraft Corporation. The Great Depression ruined the aircraft market, and Detroit Aircraft went bankrupt. A group of investors headed by brothers Robert and Courtland Gross, bought the company out of receivership in 1932. The syndicate bought the company for a mere $40,000. Ironically, Allan Loughead himself had planned to bid for his own company, but had only raised $50,000 which he felt was too small a sum for a serious bid. The first successful aircraft built in any number by the Lockheed Corporation was named the Vega and was best known for its use in several first- and record setting flights by, among others, Amelia Earhart, Wiley Post and George Hubert Wilkins. In the 1930s, Lockheed spent $139,400 to develop the Model 10 Electra, a small twin-engine transport which sold 40 units in the first year of production. Amelia Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, flew this plane on their failed attempt to circumnavigate the world in 1937. The Lockheed Model 12 Electra Junior and the Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra expanded their market. The Model 14 also formed the basis for the Hudson bomber, which was supplied to both the British Royal Air Force and the United States military before and during World War II. In 1995 the these two companies, Lockheed and Martin Marietta, joined together in a merger which created the modern Lockheed Martin corporation, and further expanded with the acquisition of Loral, a defense electronics and systems integration business, in 1996. Today, the Lockheed Martin Corporation is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland and employs 126,000 people worldwide. The company is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems. Lockheed also serves both domestic and international customers with products and services that have defense, civil, and commercial applications, with their principal customers being agencies of the U. S. Government. In 2011, 84% of their $45. billion in net sales were made to the U. S. Government, either as a prime contractor or as a subcontractor. Lockheed’s U. S. Government sales were made to both Department of Defense (DoD) and non-DoD agencies. Sales to foreign governments (including foreign military sales funded, in whole or in part, by the U. S. Government) amounted to 15% of net sales in 2011. The remainder of net sales was attributable to commercial and other customers. In 2011, net sales at Aeronautics of $13. 2 billion represented 29% of their total net sales. Aeronautics has three principal lines of business and the percentage that each contributed to its 2011 net sales was 68 percent combat aircraft, 20 percent air mobility, and 12 percent in other aeronautics programs. At December 31, 2011, we operated in 545 locations (including offices, manufacturing plants, warehouses, service centers, laboratories, and other facilities) throughout the United States and internationally. Of these, we owned 43 locations aggregating approximately 30 million square feet, and leased space at 502 locations aggregating approximately 26 million square feet. We also manage or occupy various government-owned facilities under leases and various other arrangements. The U. S. Government also furnishes equipment that we use in some of our businesses. We operate in four principal business segments: Aeronautics, Electronic Systems, IS, and Space Systems. Lockheed organizes their business segments based on the nature of the products and services offered. The following table presents net sales and operating profit of their four business segments. Net sales exclude intersegment revenue, as these activities are eliminated in consolidation. Intercompany transactions are generally negotiated and accounted for under terms and conditions similar to other government and commercial contracts. Operating profit of the business segments includes the equity earnings or losses from investees in which certain of their business segments hold equity interests, because the activities of the investees are closely aligned with the operations of those segments. In Millions |2011 |2010 |2009 | |Net Sales | | | | |Aeronautics |13,235 |12,201 |11,473 | |Electronic Systems |14,363 |13,532 |12,803 | |Information systems Global Solutions |9,959 |9,608 |9,069 | |Space Systems |8,246 |8,654 |8,027 | |Total 45,803 |43,995 |41,372 | | | | | | |Operation Profit | | | | |Aeronautics |1,502 |1,577 |1,433 | |Electronic Systems |1,712 |1,660 |1,583 | |Information systems Global Solutions |890 |895 |919 | |Space Systems |972 |972 |953 | |Total Business Seg ments |5,076 |5,104 |4,888 | |VESP and other charges |220 |- | | |Other unallocated Corporate income net |759 |689 |161 | |Total |4,097 |4,415 |5,049 | Now that we have established the background of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, let us now analyze the ratios which provide us insight into the financial status of the corporation. The first ratio which we will look at is the current ration of Lockheed Martin. Using the current ration, we will be able to determine if Lockheed will be able to satisfy the amount of current liabilities based upon their current assets. When looking at the Lockheed’s balance sheet for 2011, we see that they have 11. 157 million dollars in current liabilities and 12. 851 million dollars in current liabilities. In order to compute the current ratio of Lockheed we then take the current assets of 12. 51 million and divide this number by the current liabilities of 11. 157 million thus giving Lockheed a current ratio of 1. 15% for 2011. When looking at this ratio over a period of 2 years we began to see that the ratio calculated for 2011 has decreased . 01 percent from 2010. In examining this ratio, we a re able to conclude that Lockheed has a fairly constant liquidity rate which could tell us that the company is relatively stable at this point in time. The second ratio which will help us in evaluating the financial status of Lockheed Martin Corporation is the inventory turnover ratio. This ration will allow us to examine how efficiently Lockheed manages its assets and uses those assets to create income. In order to calculate this ratio we must find the companies net sales and divide this figure by the inventories that the company has on hand. After examining Lockheed’s financial statements, we find that they reported 45. 803 million dollars in net sales and 2. 378 million dollars in inventories for 2011. After plugging these figures into our equation, we find that Lockheed had an inventory turnover ratio of 19. 26. This tells us roughly that Lockheed’s inventory is sold out and restocked roughly 19. 26 times per year. When examined over a two year period, we find that the ratio of sales to inventories when compared to the 20. 15 ratio calculated in 2010, had only fallen by . 89. When compared to the rival Boeing Company, we find that Lockheed’s inventory turnover ration is considerably higher than the 1. 386 that Boeing reported over the same period. This could lead to the conclusion that Lockheed Martin is in considerably better position than the majority of the other companies with in the same market. The next ratio that we will examine is referred to as the debt ration. This ratio allows us to examine the percentage of funds provided by current liabilities and long term debt. In order to calculate this ratio, we will need to take the total liabilities and divide this figure by the total assets. When examining the financial documents provided by Lockheed, we find that Lockheed reported a total liability of 31. 59 million and a total asset of 35. 067. As we plug this data into our equation we find that Lockheed Martin has a debt ratio of 89. 43 percent for 2011. When interpreting this outcome we must remember to examine the data from two separate per spectives. From the perspective of a creditor, a high debt ratio allows for less cushion against losses in the event that liquidating occurs. This could discourage creditors from lending to the company due to the fact that it poses a greater risk to the creditor. On the other hand, stockholders generally like to see a higher debt ration due to the fact that it magnifies the amount of return that they receive. Therefore, it would be wise for a company to maintain a debt ration which is fairly close to 50 percent due to the fact that it allows creditors to feel comfortable while satisfying the desires of the stockholders. Another ratio which provides valuable insight into a company’s financial status is the Gross Profit Margin. When calculating this ratio we must first find the amount of sales, then subtract this number by the cost of goods sold and divide this number by the amount of sales during that period. As we examine the financial data using our Gross Profit Margin formula, we find that Lockheed had a gross profit margin of 10. 2 percent. This number tells us that Lockheed had a gross profit of 10. 2 percent per dollar of sales before any other expenses are deducted. When compared to rival aeronautical company Boeing, we find that Boeing had a gross profit margin that was 11. 9 percent higher than Lockheed. This suggests that Boeing is turning a higher profit margin than Lockheed and thus does not need to sell as much product in order to generate the same amount of income as Lockheed. By having a lower profit margin than their competitor, Lockheed must have a higher amount of sells in order to keep their place within the market. The final ratio which we will examine is the Price per Earnings ratio or the P/E Ratio. By looking at this ration we are able to identify how much investors are willing to pay per dollar of reported profit. Looking at Lockheed’s current price per share and earnings per share data we find that they are able to maintain a ratio of 28. 67. When viewing this data, we are able to conclude that Lockheed has a fairly strong growth prospect when other things are held constant. When we compare this number to the smaller rival Northrop Grumman and find that Lockheed has a P/E that is 19. 69 higher. When looking into the reasoning behind this difference, we can conclude that Northrop is regarded as being a much riskier company than Lockheed and thus could receive less support for creditors. This places Lockheed Martin at an advantageous position due to the fact that they are viewed as a more stable company. This allows them to control more of their respective market and in turn secures their market share for future years. Now that we have viewed the financial ratios of our company and have interpreted the data based upon Lockheed’s market and past financial data, let us now look at the Beta coefficient. When stockholders examine which companies they wish to invest in, they generally seek to invest in companies with the smallest amount of risk possible. In doing so, Stockholders greatly minimize the amount of risk that they themselves accrue and in turn provides confidence within the market. However, we must have a way in order to evaluate the relative risk of a particular companies stock and for that we use the Beta coefficient. In order to calculate the Beta coefficient we will need two sets of data, the closing price for the stock we are examining and the closing prices for the index we’re using. As we look at the Beta value of . 98 for Lockheed Martin and compare it industry rival Boeing’s 1. 31 and Northrop Grumman’s 1. 08 we find that Lockheed has a lower Beat value than both of its major competitors. This suggests that Lockheed is a less risky company to invest in and thus could create greater capitol available through the sale of stock for the company. In addition to drawing potential investors to the company, having a lower Beta value could cause creditors to be more willing to lend money to the company. This would allow a greater possibility for Lockheed’s future expansion in the industry and could serve to propel them to the top of the Aeronautic market. If this were to occur, I forecast that the dividend structure within the company would increase due to the increased amount of wealth that the company is generating yearly. By having more funds available for allocation to stockholders, the company would be more willing to pass this added revenue to the stockholders thus promoting more investors to purchase stock. Upon examining the numerous financial data available on Lockheed Martin we are able to determine that the financial status of the company is sound. Lockheed Martin maintains a current ratio of 1. 5 percent which tells us that the company is able to cover the cost of their current liabilities 1. 15 times using their current assets. This tells us that the company does not have any problematic debt at the current time and therefore generates a profit at the end of ever y operating period. The second indicator of Lockheed’s current and future success is their ability to turn over inventory. In our calculations we discovered that Lockheed had an inventory turn over ratio of 19. 26 percent which told us that they were able roughly able to sell all of their products and restock at least 19. 26 times per year. When viewing this from a financial standpoint this figure is encouraging because it represents a steady profit within the company. The next ratio analysis performed, the debt ratio, informed us that the company had a debt ratio of 89. 43 percent. This high number could serve costly to the company if they ever need seek loans from creditors, but it does satisfy the shareholders by providing a higher amount of leverage. Another ratio that we analyzed for Lockheed Martin was the gross profit margin. After computing this ratio, we found that Lockheed had a gross profit margin of 10. 2 in 2011 which means than Lockheed earned retained 10. 2 percent of every dollar earned. The final ration analysis that we performed on Lockheed’s financial statements was a profit per earnings ratio. After performing this ratio, we found that Lockheed had a better profit per earnings than its rivals thus making it a more desirable company to invest in. This could attract future investors and in turn create more profit for the company. From this analysis, I have concluded that Lockheed Martin could not handle much more debt in the near future due to the fact that their debt ration is already considerably high. If the company were to take on much more debt, creditors would become unwilling to provide financial support for the company and the company could risk taking on more debt than their assets could cover. This would cause the overall value of the company to fall and cause the Beat coefficient to ri se to a much higher level. In order to further improve the company from the position that it is in, I believe that the company should take steps to lower the debt ratio. This would cause the creditors to be more willing to invest in the company as well as keep the stockholders satisfied with the amount of leverage the company has. Also, by lowering the debt ratio, the companies eat coefficient would fall even further making the desire to invest in the company even higher. If Lockheed were to take this step, I believe that the companies stock would continue to rise and the company could in turn increase the amount of dividends that it provides. Bibliography 1. Free SEC Filings Email Alerts – SECFilings. com. (n. d. ). Free SEC Filings Email Alerts – SECFilings. com. Retrieved April 26, 2011, from http://secfilings. com/searchresultswide. aspx? TabIndex=2=7752072=convpdf=11373=%2fdefault. aspx%3fticker%3dLMT%26amp%3bformgroupid%3d1%26amp%3bauth%3d1 2. Free SEC Filings Email Alerts – SECFilings. com. (n. d. ). Free SEC Filings Email Alerts – SECFilings. com. Retrieved April 26, 2011, from http://secfilings. com/searchresultswide. aspx? TabIndex=2=7704986=convpdf=11757=%2fdefault. aspx%3fticker%3dBA%26amp%3bformgroupid%3d1%26amp%3bauth%3d1 3. Ehrhardt, M. C. , Brigham, E. F. (2011). Corporate finance: a focus approach (4th ed. ). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. How to cite Financial Analysis of Lockheed Martin, Essay examples