And Now Australia...

A few weeks ago, I brought you the story about the inhumane killing of dolphins in Japan and now the WA government wants to introduce a similar plan. The shark cull plan will use baited lines to kill large sharks off selected beaches.

The WA Government has tried to justify their actions by saying that they will only target sharks over 3 metres. The government believes they are doing the right thing because the numbers of shark attacks have significantly increased in the last 3 years and they felt they had to do something about it.

This statement did not sit well with the residents of WA. More than 4,000 protested gathered at Perth’s Cottesloe Beach on Saturday 4^th January 2014. 

A protestors signs during the anti-shark culling rally at Cottesloe Beach

Natalie Banks, a protest organizer raised a really good point saying “there is going to be other marine life caught in the bait lines, not just sharks and there’s going to be sharks under 3 metres also caught in the bait lines”. I agree with Natalie’s point - how is the WA Government going to regulate what enters the baited lines? This plan isn’t just about killing the sharks - it’s going to destroy all marine life that gets caught in these lines.

“We are ruining the marine ecosystem” (Natalie Banks)

This is a topic that is close to my heart, as I have always wanted to go shark cage diving in Perth but there’s not going to be any sharks if the WA Government. It’s very heart breaking to read what the government plans to do. I understand that the WA Government wants to protect the swimmers from shark attacks, but environmentalists have found evidence that suggests, “killing sharks will not prevent attacks”.

References

ABC News 2014, ‘WA Government standing by shark despite 4,000 strong protest at Cottesloe Beach’, ABC, accessed 6 February 2014, <http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-06/wa-government-standing-by-shark-cull-after-protest/5185802>.   

Inside the Iconic Blue Box

Our assessment required us to choose an organisation or company that we consider to be a global citizen. We had to create a research poster and present our findings to the class. I decided to research Tiffany & Co., which is a multinational company that specialises in luxury jewellery, stationery, personal accessories and fragrances.

 Tiffany & Co. states that…“Corporate social responsibility is fully integrated into every aspect of the company” (Tiffany & Co. 2013) 

I truly believe with the quote above because I was browsing the companies website and I was surprised to see that Tiffany & Co. really prides itself on protecting the environment, their employees and the community at large. Over the years, Tiffany & Co. has introduced many programs so I will just mention the ones that I feel have been the most successful. In regards to the environment, Tiffany & Co. has implemented many successful initiatives to reduce the company’s paper resources. In 2008, they introduced a program called ‘The Catalog Choice’ which allows customers to select the type and number of catalogues they receive. Additionally, Tiffany & Co. resorts to using email communications and electronic catalogues for customers who prefer digital media.

Tiffany & Co. ensures that it operates at a high standard through implementing programs that address social issues such as protecting basic human rights, providing grants to non-profit organisations, making charitable donations to local and international organisations, and having a zero tolerance policy towards blood or conflict diamonds. Tiffany & Co. welcomes diversity in all forms and operates a respectful and fair working environment. The company really values their employee’s well-being and safety, the skills they bring to the company and any issues that are important to them whether it’s personal, medical, financial or legal issues.

I think every girls dream is to own a piece of Tiffany & Co. jewellery (I know that it was mine) because they sell such iconic and classic pieces. But, next time you’re buying a piece of jewellery, ask yourself ‘how environmentally friendly is their packaging and paper?’ or ‘where do they actually source their diamonds from?’ or ‘do they respect their employees?’. I fully admit that I was extremely naïve when it came to thinking about these questions… I never asked myself these questions because I just thought that all organisations were “good”, honest and responsible. Well, I know that isn’t the case but listening to other groups presentations really opened my eyes to how some multinational organisations operate. 

References

Tiffany & Co. 2013, Tiffany & Co. Corporate Responsibility, T&CO., accessed 18 January 2014, <http://www.tiffany.com.au/CSR/>.  

Until next time! :)