The TOPIC should be risks of climate change. Impact of Climate and/or Energy on a Business (or Community) Decision

Value: 35 Points

Background

Our course explores fundamental information about the natural world and the key power relationships that currently challenge the sustainability of our natural environment and our society. Our working definition of sustainability is “the obligation to conduct ourselves so that we leave the future the option or the capacity to be as well off as we are.”

Focusing on climate and energy, we explore the kinds of basic scientific knowledge that organizational leaders must have to develop effective sustainability strategies. To this end, we first examine the basic science behind the issues of global warming and energy usage. Second, we examine how various stakeholders—chiefly industries and businesses, governments at all levels, communities and civil society—wield power in the sustainability arena.

Throughout the semester, we examine and practice research techniques that can help you follow the science and politics of sustainability well beyond this course.

Goals of This Paper

A “white paper” is a research paper that includes recommendations for action. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to give you the opportunity to practice the research and analytic approaches introduced in this course to help direct a typical, major business or community decision of your choice.

You will write this paper yourself. Your first, crucial step is to find a business or community decision that is real, current, and important to you. Choose Choose an issue that challenges both the natural environment and a key stakeholder, and that is influenced by other stakeholders. For example, you might study how a prolonged drought (a development in the natural environment) might influence a drug company that requires a lot of water for production, and how local, state and federal governments along with industry and community associations are influencing drought policy that affects that company. See the sample topics in the next section. In your paper…

Identify the particular stakeholder/s to whom you are making a recommendation (such as a company, trade association, or community) about your issue—your paper’s “goal.”
• Present original, peer-reviewed science that can help these stakeholders understand that issue. Weigh the evidence critically. For your most important points, show how the science has converged on the “truth.” Search for refuting evidence, if any, and report what you find or, if you find none after a reasonable search, report where you looked and that you found nothing; for example, you might write something like, “I searched x databases using key words x y z and examined x articles but found no refuting evidence.” When using media reports of science, read the original sources, too.
Note the key stakeholders involved with the issue and describe their goals and their power bases. Find such information in peer-reviewed articles, published position papers (such as local, state, and federal government reports or industry position papers), reputable media accounts, and the like. Weigh their relative power: Who is influencing policy and why?
Discuss the limitations of your research. What aspects of your research might require more development if you had more time and resources?
Assign probabilities to your findings, perhaps by developing a set of scenarios. Make a recommendation to your target audience about how to manage the issue to their benefit.
Sample Topics

In general, assess any of the risks of climate change (or energy depletion) for your company (and/or industry, and/or community) and recommend how key stakeholders (company, town, city, state, federal government, others you can think of) are responding and should respond (include, for example, what support does the government offer?) For example, study the following:

How is sea level rise (or water availability, extreme weather, surface warming, etc.) a factor in a business relocation decision in a particular city and state.? GE, for instance, recently moved its headquarters to the Boston seaport district and is raising its building lot by five feet to minimize future damage from ocean surges as the sea level rises.
Should a company build a subdivision (or make any other investment decision) in a particular state and city given predictions about future drought?
Is installing solar panels likely to be advantageous to your company given city, state and/or federal support? (Or, assess whether solar ground mount arrays would be good for your community given such support.)
Your company wants to be the greenest of the green when it comes to its overall energy use (or, its supply chain, buildings, manufacturing process). Advise it on what energy source to adopt to mitigate global warming, analyzing both the science of EROEI (energy return on energy invested) and relevant stakeholder policies.
Topics that would not meet the criteria would be a review of the extent to which solar (gas, nuclear) energy has been adopted in the United States (does not pose a problem to solve), or whether putting solar panels on your house would be good for your family (important, but not macro enough for our course—but you could study whether your whole town might adopt solar).

How Will This Paper Be Graded?

The paper will be graded on how well you argue your case, and on whether you meet the Specifications (listed below).

A good argument is based on original sources rather than secondary sources. For instance, if CNBC tells us something, why believe it? Don’t rely on popular press sources; go to the originator of the data and the original study or paper, read it, report on it, and cite it. It is better to present a narrow paper that is true than a broader paper that only might be true.

A well-argued case weighs and integrates facts from a variety of sources, rather than relying on one or two sources or relying on similar sources. For example, data from only one scientist, or one institution, are not sufficient when making important points. Data from several, and preferably different types of institutions (businesses, trade groups, government, academic scientists, independent scientists, etc.), are more likely to reflect reality. You will need at least a dozen sources to make an effective argument.

It is also important to present both sides of an argument. Show that you have analyzed alternatives and made a logical choice.

A well-argued paper is well organized. Typically, it has clear sections that are labeled. For a paper of this length, using an introduction and three or more sections is a good goal. Within these sections each paragraph should have a particular purpose that is described in its topic sentence.

References:
12 or more references, including at least six from peer-reviewed articles